i recently sold a wheel online to someone in the vw community. i posted the wheel for sale and a fellow expressed interest. shortly after, i had numerous inquiries. i informed everyone that i was expecting payment from someone shortly and i would inform them if anything changed. i gave the first guy my paypal address, told him the amount needed, and mentioned i wanted it sold by the next morning. the next morning comes around and no money. he re-affirms the amount and i tell him that i would like this closed by that afternoon.

no money that afternoon. at this point, i tell 2nd in line if he wants it he can buy it. his money is in my paypal account shortly there after. once i told the first guy that he waited too long and i had to sell it, he cried fowl and said "you are not an honest man" wah wah wah. it doesnt matter to me so much as i have the money and the wheel is sold..but what is the protocol you guys follow for this sort of situation. i dont feel i did anything out of line but i dont sell much stuff online.

 

I don't see how you did anything wrong either. You gave the guy a time frame that you wanted the money and he didn't do it.

I say it's his fault for not having it instead of the #2 guy.

 

i agree, you waited for the first guy, but he wasnt ready to buy

 

I don't think you did anything wrong. You have to pay to play. What I do do though is in any add I state that the first person with the money gets the item and that I won't hold it for anyone. That way a situation like yours doesn't happen.

 

you gave him 2 chances...... what was his excuse for not having the mone BOTH times?
next in line paid and u sent the wheel out. you didnt do anything wrong.
now had he paid and the other guy paid more, i think that would have been a lil dicked, but you gave him his chances.

 

First one with the cash wins...That's the only sales ethic I know.

 

was he going to pay you in livestock, specifically chicken?

 

Perhaps that's why it took him a while. He couldn't find the dollars = chicken conversion table in paypal.

 

Going on what you typed in the first post, the only way you may have wronged guy #1 (at best) is in not making crystal clear the second deadline was indeed a deadline.

Stating you would LIKE to have it resolved by x date/time is different than saying I am rescending the sale to you if you do not comply by x time/date.

People wonder why contracts and other legal documents are so wordy. They are verbose in that way to ensure complete and total understanding on all fronts, by all parties.

You are still very much in the clear. You gave him multiple chances and no go, so you are golden. I am only picking this one grey area to illustrate a point.

 

nice catch