posted on November 29, 2000 06:16:04 PM new
I sell mainly magazines. Have a potential bidder write and ask me to scan a particular article and pictures from one of the magazines. If I scan her the pictures and article she won't have to bid on my auction. What is the diplomatic way of saying NO.
posted on November 29, 2000 06:21:52 PM new
Dragon: A couple of fibs come to mind: tell her you have sextuplets and you really just don't have the extra time. tell her you don't have a scanner yet but you're using your aunt Ida's scanner and the next time you get over to Aunt Ida's house (next month) you will scan the pics (NOT). Tell her your hourly rate is $10.00 not including tax and tip. Or, tell her the truth---you're in the business to sell, not copy.
Alternately you could just not answer. I answer everyone who emails me, *except* patent freeloaders like this. They don't want to do any bidding, why should I do any work for free?
posted on November 29, 2000 09:45:00 PM new
Do u have acces to a Digi Cam?...If so, just take a pic to send. That way the bidder knows you have the item they are looking for, and won't be able to get any DECENT info that they could "steal".....
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on November 29, 2000 10:46:22 PM new
I think that macandjan is on the right track. I would not lie to the customer -- lying is wrong and only gets you into more trouble down the road. I woulkd politely point them towards their nearest library and have them make a copy for her. Afterall, you're a business, not a library!
posted on November 30, 2000 07:03:35 AM new
Couldn't you just scan a tiny piece of the article. Say, the title and the first few lines. Then you could ask them "Is this the article in question?"
Then, not only would they know they are not going to get something for nothing, they will also know that what they are looking for is indeed in your magazine and they can bid if they so choose.
You will have done your part in helping the would-be bidder and the would-be bidder will know the little piece is all they get unless they bid and win.
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."---Mark Twain
posted on November 30, 2000 09:10:32 AM new
I had someone ask me to copy a hard-to-find out-of-print cross stitch pattern. I figured that one thing the prospective buyer was getting was exclusivity. You couldn't buy this thing at the store.
And that's what I told them. The item was the property of the buyer, who was free to do with it what they wanted, including selling copies. But if I provided copies, I was undermining its value. Not to mention putting wear and tear on the item while I copied it.
