I thought this was funny :)

[JAUQO III-X]

A TB member trying to con me

I have a pedal for sale in the classifieds. I get a PM inquiring about interest in the pedal but the interested party wanted to trade.


I informed the interested party that I was not interested in any trades on his list but a little while later I thought about the bass that he was interested in trading plus some cash on my end. I was not interested in the bass for myself but a friend of mine is,so I thought about getting it for my friend.


I Pmed the interested party again and inquired about the bass.

This is where it get's funny.

He tells me what the bass cost(which I was already more than familiar with)and that he was looking to get $775 for the bass or I trade the pedal that he's interested in + $405 while reminding me that that's 22% off of his bass vs 17% off of my pedal.

All the while telling me how he thinks I'm a killer bass player.


So I write him back while laughing because he was selling the very same bass for $650 on another forum. So I PM him back and I inform him that I noticed he had the same bass for sale on another forum.


He writes me back informing me that the reason he was selling it for less on the other forum was because that forum was a low rent one and he referred to TB as being uptown around here(his words) and that he made an adjustment based on the price of the pedal that I have for sale(I thought that was really funny). Then he just comes clean and says that maybe things would have been better if he simply would have approached it from the angle of being straight forward.

Since he got busted and he's still interested in the pedal he now wants to me to give him my pedal + $355 for the bass all the while still complementing me on my bass playing(code word for ego stroking me ).


There is nothing wrong with trying to make a profit but please don't try to con me along the way.


I view this TB member as trying to be slick and to me that was not cool.

[AlembicPlayer]

code word for ego stroking me

as Frank Zappa once said - " brown lipstick doesn't look good on ANYBODY"

[Mark Latimour]

Meh, doesn't really seem like a con so much as him just putting an offer on the table and you rejecting it (for obvious reason). That sounds like a negotiation to me. A rather silly negotiation (as trying to upsell on TB is never going to get you far), but a negotiation nonetheless.

[JAUQO III-X]

He attempting to stroke my ego was not working at all.

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

Meh, doesn't really seem like a con so much as him just putting an offer on the table and you rejecting it (for obvious reason). That sounds like a negotiation to me. A rather silly negotiation (as trying to upsell on TB is never going to get you far), but a negotiation nonetheless.

Negotiating yes but all the while attempting to get over on me and there is a difference.

But He admitted that he should have just been strait with me after he realized that I knew he was full of it. Plus the market value of the bass used is between $550-$675.

And why sale something on another forum that is more popular than TB and refer to it as low rent(to some degree meaning poor) and referring to TB as being uptown(swanky,contemporary and rich)?


And for the record I am not offended. Like the title says "I thought this was funny "

I am entitled to find humor in this

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Negotiating yes but all the while attempting to get over on me and there is a difference.

But He admitted that he should have just been strait with me after he realized that I knew he was full of it. Plus the market value of the bass used is between $550-$675.

As I said, I don't really think this is a con, just someone trying to sell something for more than its market value. In my mind, a con is someone trying to pass of a relic bass as a vintage Fender or a Euro Spector as a US or something. Simply asking too much or offering too lower value for an item in a trade isn't really a con IMO. Its not "stand up" behaviour and I am not endorsing it, but its not a con.

If I understand your description of events right, what he was really doing was either overvaluing his bass in the deal or undervaluing your pedal. Based on what you said about him discounting your pedal it seems like the latter. Again, its a silly thing to do on TB as the buyers / sellers here know their stuff. But, I don't think its "reportable" behaviour in any sense of the word, just dumb (IMO etc).

And why sale something on another forum that is more popular than TB and refer to it as low rent(to some degree meaning poor) and referring to TB as being uptown(swanky,contemporary and rich)?

That's just silly. Perhaps it indicates that the seller was just naieve and didn't really know the best way to go about making the deal for the value he really wanted? Maybe he was just star struck in dealing with you?

Edit: I don't think you are offended, but I do think you are painting this chap a little harshly by saying he was trying to "con" you. It may well be that he was just naieve and made a bad offer. If everyone posted all the dumb offers they had got on gear, TB would need a new sub-forum just to cope!

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

I don't think its "reportable" behaviour in any sense of the word, just dumb (IMO etc).

The bottom line is he thought I was stupid. He tried me and it didn't work and I found the whole thing funny.

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

That's just silly. Perhaps it indicates that the seller was just naieve and didn't really know the best way to go about making the deal for the value he really wanted? Maybe he was just star struck in dealing with you?

I don't think he was naive at all.(remember he admitted to trying to get over on me).

Again why lower your price on one forum because you think that the members for the most part are low renters and refer to TB as the forum to get rich in(or get over in)?

And if he was star struck he should have just given me the bass

[excane]

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

Meh, doesn't really seem like a con so much as him just putting an offer on the table and you rejecting it (for obvious reason). That sounds like a negotiation to me. A rather silly negotiation (as trying to upsell on TB is never going to get you far), but a negotiation nonetheless.

+1

Plus, this thread is only going to lead to everyone wanting to know the identity of the "interested party"

[kobass]

I sure hope Paul doesn't find out that TB is "uptown." He'll jack up the membership rates in a heartbeat!

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by kobass

I sure hope Paul doesn't find out that TB is "uptown." He'll jack up the membership rates in a heartbeat!

[Joe Gress]

Thats funny. Uptown. You should send him to OT. That 'll clear any idea of uptown.

[JAUQO III-X]

And guys for the record I am not at all bashing this TB member. I really thought it was entertaining to say the least.