posted on April 25, 2001 06:50:53 AM new
I have placed an item for sale, and I copied what the inside tag
Said, which was written in part English and
part in another language.
I also did not list anything about this item that was not written on the tag of the item.
I received an email from someone saying the following to me:
I have been a xxxxx, xxxxxxxx and xxxxxx of xxxxxx for more tha 50 years and I never heard of xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. The label is in German and it says xxxx and xxxxxx maker. It also says it was made in Austria not Germany.
In any event, your xxxxx is a factory xxxxxx made some where in central Europe, most likely in the 1920\'s. The xxx is painted to look like xxxxx xxxx. Any xxxxx shop will tell you the same.
Did you acutely think you could get away with such a bold face lie?
My reply to Him:
I don\'t think you are being very nice with your attitude, you are being very insulting.
You could address the situation in a better manner and tone. Or have you learned nothing in all your years of living?
Usually I would not respond to an email like THIS since your main reason for contacting me is to call me a liar
If you want to discuss this issue, the first thing you need to do is change your attitude and wash your filthy mouth, Because your email is an insult to me and I don\'t appreciate it at all.
I am open to discuss the xxxxxx when you decide to contact me and address me in a better tone,
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ANYONE THINGS ABOUT THIS EMAIL AND MY RESPONSE TO HIM. I AM PRETTY SURE HE WILL ANS. ME ...........DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DISCUSS THE ITEM I AM SELLING WITH HIM?
posted on April 25, 2001 07:09:57 AM new
Best to hit the delete key, or if you really feel the need to respond, just say "thanks, I didn't know", and let it go at that.
posted on April 25, 2001 07:14:45 AM new
If your intent is to get into a flame war, then your email will work fine. If that is not your intent, then I would recommend one of two things:
1)Ignore the email since you find it insulting, etc
or
2) simply tell the emailer that your escription is copied directly from the tag.
You may want to try to get the tag translated so you know exactly what it's saying, if you haven't done so. If you've assumed anything about the item without the translation, then you probably are making a mistake in your description.. which you may want to rectify by adding onto it.
posted on April 25, 2001 07:15:38 AM new
"and wash your filthy mouth"
Uh ... that retort is usually reserved for those persons who use real &#%^@$% %^&#^&#$ cusswords. They were rude, but you were ruder.
"I also did not list anything about this item that was not written on the tag of the item."
Had you stuck to copying the tag, the emailer would not have had to correct your claim the item was German, would they? Just what DID you say about the item?
If you list things you know nothing about, be sure to state your lack of knowledge AND the source of any information you present.
Saying "This is what the label on the bottom says: blah, etc.. I think it is in German." avoids these problems.
posted on April 25, 2001 07:45:30 AM new
abacaxi
I did say I think it is German, I didn't say I know it is German. I also said I was copying it from the lable.
I also feel if he wanted to maybe....help....and maybe give me alittle advise why not be nicer and not attact me personally, he don't know me how can he assume I am what he stated......
I feel he deserved an email in return even worse then I wrote him I was being nice compared to him.
Now, anyone.......tell me how you would like to be called ....a bold face liar?????
And then tell me my email was worse then his!!!!
posted on April 25, 2001 08:00:26 AM new
This reminds me of something we say around here when we need to...
You can call me an eskimo (because I am not an eskimo and why would I care if you called me one), just don't call me a liar.
Now before anyone says that I don't like eskimos, please hold your breath! Just pointing out that when something really gets to us it is because there might be an ounze of truth behind it.
That said, yes his email wasn't nice. Your email was also rude. Why act like him. You don't have to! Just something to think about. :0)
posted on April 25, 2001 08:02:10 AM new
First of all he didn't call YOUa liar.
Ha call what you said a lie. There is a big difference.
To respond the way you did was totally out of line.
A simple "thank you" and a request for more accurate info would be appreciated so you can change your description as your intent is certainly not to misrepresent.
posted on April 25, 2001 08:14:31 AM new
packer
"First of all he didn't call YOUa liar.
He call what you said a lie. There is a big difference."
His words were....Did ...you.. acutely think you could ....get away with such a bold face lie?
I read it differently then you do, I guess.
When he said...YOU ACUTELY THINK YOU COULD...
to me that is an attact on ME,,,,,,NOT what I said....
If I am wrong.....I don't see it.
posted on April 25, 2001 08:27:09 AM new
The information "you wrote" was a lie. I can't see where he called YOU a liar. I still think there is a BIG difference.
He attact the message....not the messenger!
Thats not to say he could have been a bit more tactful in his message to you.
posted on April 25, 2001 08:32:05 AM new
Besides all that I have learned a LONG time ago that nasty rebuttals get you absolutely NO WHERE! Except a sick feeling in the ole gut when its all said and done.
I don't know how long you have been selling but I've been selling for 3 years now and the best way I have found to deal with negative people as a SELLER is to kill them with kindness.
You would be surprised at how many(what I thought were hurtful people) turn out to be my internet friends.
posted on April 25, 2001 08:49:00 AM new
tonimar1 - Ok, I would take the bold face lie thing in their email as an insult. HOWEVER, I counted 6 insults in your return email to them. WOW! Without being able to see the auction question, it is hard to make a judgement call on whether or not your auction is deceptive. But I do think you chose your words very poorly in your return email. If the email upset you that badly, why bother answering at all? I would not have been sickening sweet to them, but I would have remained factual and unemotional.
Just my 2 cents.
[ edited by spottydoggy on Apr 25, 2001 08:50 AM ]
posted on April 25, 2001 08:52:06 AM new
Couldn't you just scan the tag and either revise or add to your auction?
Then refer the emailer back to the auction?
If I'd received that email I'd either not have responded at all, or I'd have added the info above and responded with only a link back to the auction and the statement, "Please note revision."
There's just too many cowards out there hiding behind monitors with their big bad selves to get into any kind of interaction with them.
posted on April 25, 2001 08:52:40 AM new
packer......You are right about what you say and I have been selling for 3yrs. also and I have never had an email such as this one.
But in this case...When I read this email it just sort of twisted me alittle. How someone can just assume things and email a total stranger and say what he said.
Maybe I am taking it the wrong way, but I don't understand how someone can just say things like that with out knowing the person.
Maybe I should have been nicer to him, and just take his insult, and say "Thank you for emailing me I will give your email some thought" I have 9 bidders on this auction and it is coming off in a few hours. I
would like to know if the man who emailed me knows so much, why are ther 9 bidders on this auction.
I went into the translation dictionary and looked up some of the words that are written on the inside tag and the words were in German, so What this man is saying I don't understand. If he never heard of this name how can be tell me from what year and where it came from and also that it is not German.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:04:03 AM new
Wait a bloody minute here. Some big mouth, rude, know-it-all type sends an unsolicited email attacking the integrity of tonimar1 and you actually all think the reply that was sent was unjustified?? Also, any way you look at it tonimar1 was called a liar. You can split hairs all you want but if you say that I tried to get away with a "bold faced lie" than you are calling me a liar, case closed. I think the response was tame compared to what this rude bozo deserved.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:04:09 AM new
engelskdansk
You are right....But I still felt better doing it because I feel he has been doing this to lots of people for sometime, because if he did it to me, I am sure he has done it before and never received a reply.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:07:40 AM new
Ok....I've re-read his e-mail to you.
Without knowing what it is we are talking about its a little hard to speculate.
However...I am taking it to mean that the tag is indeed written in German, but the German wording is saying "made in Austria". Apparently you have something of value there as he is saying it was made in the 20's.
You could go in and add to your description that you were informed by a looker that the label states "made in Austria". Then add I can't say for sure so use your best judgement when bidding. Or something like that.
At least it will show that your intent is not to misrepresent. As a 3 year veterian you must know how important it is to be clear about such things.
This way the winner can't come back and yell "foul".
posted on April 25, 2001 09:09:55 AM new
BROOKLYNGUY
Thank you, I thought maybe I was the crazy one. Out of all the replys you are the only one who sees what I see, could this be possible?
If you don't mind me asking, are you from
Brooklyn? Don't ans. if you don't want to.
Thank you again, you helped me feel better.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:30:01 AM new
tonimar1 - I think the other posters to this thread are just trying to prevent a bad situation from getting worse so I can't fault them for that. Having said that, I must also add that there is no way whatsoever that I would have just let it go and not responded. Maybe it's the "Brooklyn"
in me but if someone insults me they're going to get it back and it's going to be 100 times worse.
Yes, I grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
[ edited by BROOKLYNGUY on Apr 25, 2001 09:31 AM ]
posted on April 25, 2001 09:47:08 AM new
This fellow is obviously a collector, he probably is tired of wading through all the auctions that erroneously list "facts" about an item without the seller checking it out first. When you are dealing with such a specialized item, it is always in your best interest to have it fully looked over before listing it. That includes having the lable translated. There is a HUGE difference between something made in the 1600's and something made in the 1920's. That being said... your emailer must be very knowlegeable to be able to tell what factory and what year it was made in just from the pics!
If it does make reserve, I would make danged sure that the buyer had all the facts before money changed hands, just to avoid ugliness later on down the road.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:51:12 AM new
BROOKLYNGUY
That explains your reply to me, I grew up in Brooklyn also, Carnarse section....I understand what you are saying about the other poster, yes that could be so, but
at least say it like it is.....don't push it under the rug..they are brushing it off and now calling me..... adjectives...
engelskdansk
Your response to him was childish, immature and unprofessional.
.so does it make it right because I asked for help......
Tell you the truth, I don't intend to have an email war with this guy, I might just egnor any other emails if they come. But I wanted all to see what kind of minds, some of the people we deal with have. I just
don't feel he has the right to say whatever he wants to say about someone he know nothing about, He could have told me anything he wanted to about my auction I have no problem with that, just don't attack me personally. That is how I feel, I am sorry if most of you don't see it that way but if you ever receive an email from a total stanger and he attacks you personally maybe you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
posted on April 25, 2001 09:59:18 AM new
I guess you have to decide what your goal is here.
If it is important to you that you tell off someone who has been rude to you, your response was probably fine.
If you have lots of free time and don't mind getting involved in an argument with some stranger over an item you have listed for sale, your response was probably fine.
Since you will likely receive a reply, if you need to have the last word in this matter, your response was probably not a good one.
If you are concerned about possibly pi$$ing somebody off bad enough to want to mess with your auctions, your response was probably not a good one.
You can probably come up with many other situations. Only you can decide which one(s) you want to base your actions on.
posted on April 25, 2001 10:02:27 AM new
I'd forget about that guy and what you think he called you and concentrate on the auction he alerted you to.
I'd be very concerned that I may have misrespresented it in some way.
Can you do do a search on what "he says" you have? I'd try that just to compare what that is getting and what your bids are at.
If you don't want to add a disclaimer to the auction then I'd be trying to find out what I really had. It could save you some grief in the end.
posted on April 25, 2001 10:23:00 AM new
The emailer may have called what you said in your auction a "lie", but you still could have chosen to respond without the invective. There was nothing he said that needed to elicit "wash your filthy mouth".
That being said, you seem to have misrepresented what you are selling (and listed it without doing the proper research -- there are plenty of translations sites online that you could have used to translate the tag). And you don't seem too concerned about it. I would think that you should be focused on addressing what you could do to ensure that you know what you are selling rather than spending your time rationalizing your poor response to the emailer.
[ edited by engelskdansk on Apr 25, 2001 10:23 AM ]
