Happy dealings with forum members

[BENZ-LGB]

Recently there was some controversy (and a long, now closed thread) about an "unhappy" transaction between two forum members.

In the interest of balanced reporting I wish to report on two happy transactions between forum members.

I recently bought a couple of "cool harnesses" from JimF. If you have read Jim's posts you know that he is very passionate about HIS Benz AND very knowlegeable about Benzes in general. (You can read more about the "cool harnesses" by doing a search here). Anyhow, I sent him the money for the items and he wrote back to let me know that he had received the money and was ready to ship out the order. A week went by, then another and no package from Jim. In the meantime, other items that I had previously ordered from eBay were regularly arriving at my front door.

So I sent Jim an e-mail asking where the package was. His reply was the classic model of how to do business and keep customers: "I have no idea what happened, maybe it got lost in the mail BUT I am sending you two new harnesses!"

That was it, no questions, no haggling, no arguing. Because I did not get the original package, Jim wanted to make sure that I DID recieve what I had paid for, even if he was now out of pocket the cost of the first package, plus shipping.

Jim is a gentleman, he helps people here on this board with all kinds of answers to their questions (especially coolant-related questions) and Jim is is a good, honest businessman. Thanks Jim.

The other "happy" transaction involves the sale of my US-DOT headlights. I posted an ad for my lamps and DPetryk (Dave) contacted me. Soon we had agreed on a price for my old lights.
He wanted to use his UPS account for the shipping and because the building where I work in is a high security building I was having some problems arranging to bring the lights in to work so UPS could pick them up.

Then I did not hear from Dave for a long while, so I thought that all the hassles over shipping had turned him off to the sale. But I never wrote to him to bug him about the deal, I never panicked, I just figured if he doesn't want the lights I can always sell them to someone else.

Then I got an e-mail from Dave, explaining the reason for the delay. The explanation made perfectly good sense and soon his check arrived in the mail. I will ship the lights tomorrow or Thursday so he will have them by next week. Not once, during the long delay, did I ever assume that Dave was acting in bad faith and not once did I bug him about the sale.

Maybe I've been real fortunate to deal with gentlemen like Jim and Dave. I just want to point out that if both parties act in good faith and treat each other like they would like to be treated by others, then 90% of all disputes would disappear and there will be no more need for lawyers...

Oh oh, what am I saying...forget that, we NEED lawyers...

PS: BTW I apologize for my overly long post in the "Now I know why they drive with their windows down thread." Maybe Alon should close the thread

I bought a cool harness from Jim F too a year ago
and told him I'll be sending him a personal check.
He agreed and said,it might take a while before you get the item cuz'I have to wait for your
check to clear before I send you the CH.I figured
one and a half wks.I got the CH in four days!!!

[ronald_m]

I bought Brake pad from Manny,Hey manny you bought my 190e cd ,remember?

And you bought the CD back minus 50%.
I remember Ron.Your OK too.

[ronald_m]

Hey manny until now the brake pads are not installed.I will sell my 190e got a 96' E320.

[Billybob]

I’ve had the extraordinary pleasure to participate in the forum for 8 or 9 months now and have in that time consummated dealings involving purchases and sharing that have boosted my faith I mankind in general and elevated my already high opinion of the character of the collective camaraderie.

I have responded to participants offer of items for sale and in every transaction I have been treated exceptionally fair. Every time the items I have acquired are better than expected and the efforts and accommodations of the individuals have been extraordinarily fair.

As an example, I have recently discovered a copy of a repair CD that I had shared with a forum member which hade been returned to me by mail that I had overlooked in my daily mail clutter (mailing list data bases be damned). The member returned it after his use despite my intention that he could keep it or pass it on to another like minded person! The extra effort required to only borrow (“never intending or opting to own !”) something of value, given the free reign to possess any object de value in our time and space is unique considering humankinds instinct to propagate via the accrual of valuables ( otherwise described as “he with the most, prevails” life view that could be subjectively argued to be the most biologically valid, and historically proven method) is noteworthy. Thank you!

In the last week I consummated a transaction wherein the member seller accepted an offer of $10 shipping and handling on a $100 item and threw in 2 day air delivery. Less than 72 hours later it was in my hand. Safely and protectively packaged, shipped across the continent, where the postage alone cost $24.80 postage. I aspire to emulate such attention to the spirit of a deal made between honorable parties! Thank you!

I anticipate consummating another successful transaction with a forum member who has acted with honor and integrity despite much more pressing priorities to go above and beyond the level of simply honest and fair in our dealings. Thank you! Take care! Thank You!

In the interest of brevity I would go on the record that all with whom I have dealt with those of you I have openly acknowledged and especially those with whom I have dealt with and privately acknowledged, it has been, is and will continue to be a pleasure, Thank you!

Everyone has the right to rise to their own private or public occasion, the will to exercise that right is mustered from within a conscience that we all struggle to reconcile with.

Good Luck!

[CJ]

Thanks for the use of the CD, what I borrow I always return, even if it is offered to keep.

[mikemover]

I've done some buying and selling with Jim (engatwork), and it's been a great experience every time. He's also been a big help with technical expertise--thanks Jim!

I've also had good experiences with a few other members. Man, this place rocks!

Mike

[engatwork]

Thanks Mike - same goes for dealing with you. Good transaction with a good person. All the dealings I have had with people associated with this site have been positive.

[jsmith]

i've had positive transactions with forum members. still, the best ones are free - usually in the form of step by step instructions i would never have been able to dig out from those blasted MB CD's. those are PRICELESS...

[1967250s]

Originally posted by jsmith
i've had positive transactions with forum members. still, the best ones are free - usually in the form of step by step instructions i would never have been able to dig out from those blasted MB CD's. those are PRICELESS...

Here, here....

MB should have put more $$ on there not so user friendly CD's.

Thanks to everyone....

DAN

[dtanesq]

I've had two nice transactions with folks on this forum -

Early on in my 300E days, CJ sold me some 15-hole wheels and just a few weeks ago, ke6dcj sold me Euro headlights for my TE. Both transactions were as easy as falling off a log. The parts were as described, deliveries as promised and some extra unexpected stuff was tossed in in both cases. Oh, and I think both put up with some inane questions from the purchaser.

My thanks to both of them. Perhaps next, Neil will sell me his wagon/hot rod.

[Lebenz]

Hi it is me, the evil one. I would like to relay what I hope is the end of the sway bar story.

After relaying the UPS ground shipping cost ($25.09) to the purchaser, he or she declined to respond. After ~ 8 days and another email from me, he or she replied the only way it was worth his or her time to buy it was if he or she saved a “substantial” amount of money on shipping and used the good nature of a “friend” to drive ~20 miles to my house, pick up the sway bar and bushings and drive ~20 miles back to his own house, then have the friend ship it to the potential buyer by means unknown, but again, at a “substantial” savings compared to the massive $25.09 UPS wanted for this task.

The potential buyer was unhappy that I said his or her using someone’s good nature (his or her friend, not me) and expecting me to hang around until it was convenient for his or her friend to show up was rude and offensive on the part of the potential buyer.

Wanting to be complete, I did send email to the “friend” and after 2 days have heard nothing back.

Well, it turns out that sometime between the time the potential buyer insisted that he or she use his or her friend, and the time I told him or her that he or she was rude and offensive, the potential buyer said he or she bought the sway bar and bushings from or for an E60........

So it ended with everyone happy!

Best of all is that I can now throw the sway bar in the trash, which is what I should have done rather than trying to do a good deed and sell it to someone for chump change.

Being evil, of course, I should have known that.....and now I do.

Oh, yes, my thanks to the person who said that UPS would ship a sway bar without packaging. After reading this I called UPS again and they said that they would do so, but at a $5 handling charge. And you know what? Now that I think of it I forgot to add this to the $25.09 OMG!!!!!

Now let me bask in the flames to come: Larry, Billybob, ADAM the copier king, the former potential buyer and, of course anyone else? Feeding time!

And don’t be shy! I will make no further commentary on this issue.

Mahhahaha