Was I dishonest here?

I have an item listed in the classifieds, someone PM'd me asking if I'd consider selling it for less than the listed price.
I sent a reply asking where I would be shipping to, as that would factor into deciding to sell at a lower price.
In the meantime someone else offered to buy at the full purchase price. I decided to sell to that person and notified person #1 that I had sold the item to someone that offered the full price for it.
I hadn't actually agreed to sell to person #1, but as I'm sitting here I am feeling like I may have done something wrong...

Thoughts?

Good reason to use the 'buy it now' option, but no, I don't think you were dishonest or unethical. There was no offer or acceptance in the first case.

Thanks John, but that brings up another question for me...
The reason I don't use buy it now is because there are so many international members of SRP, and I don't see a way to have shipping calculated in the classifieds software.
I didn't want to have a situation where I agreed to sell to someone, and then the BIN would get used by someone else.
So, I've been asking for PMs when people want to buy.
If there was a way to use a shipping calculator, or have someone commit to buy and then figure the shipping once the item is reserved, that would be great.

Does anyone know of a way to do that on the classifieds?

Well that is a consideration. What I have done is note that International will be extra, meaning to be determined, or a flat additional amount which I have learned the hard way will cover the costs.

As an additional observation, International also means I have to go to the PO and stand in line rather than purchase postage on line and drop it in any mail box or the PO at 5:30AM. More hassle, more expense.

IMHO, you were not dishonest at all...don't torture your soul that much and don't lose sleep over it. There was NO contractual obligations on either end...Even though you offered to ship it, nothing was signed by either party on any proverbial dotted line...As a buyer, I totally understand and anticipate these happenings.

-Robert

If it had been me I would probably have notified the first person who made the offer and given them the chance to get it at the full price. OTOH, if I knew the second person and liked them I probably would have just sold it to them without notifying # 1.

I've listed stuff with the buy it now CONUS and added that international shipping would be more. My most recent item was not a buy it now so that if it sold internationally there would be no misunderstandings.

I often forget to do this, but one way to avoid all these questions is to put in your ad some kind of line that states the following message:

This item goes to the first person who gives me a definite "I want it and am ready to pay."

I always have the same types of question when I'm in your shoes, but I don't actually believe that it's wrong to do that.

I think you did the right thing.
Getting the full asking price is, after all, what you were looking for.
And as a Norwegian, I know how much international shipping can amount too:banghead:
Letting the guy know what you did, is in my opinion, all you are obliged to do.

I don't see anything dishonest. There are not many rules and I've learned that every seller does things their own way to whatever level of comfort they have.
I think the main thing that is not kosher is to go back on one's word. But until there is an agreement there is no sale.
If I get into back and forth conversation with a prospective buyer I try to remember to disable the buy-it button, so that the buyer doesn't get screwed or pressured, but if somebody offers the asking price it would depend on the situation, probably I'll give a chance to the first person first.

As far as international shipping, yes it's a bit more expensive and the paypal fees are slightly higher, but for me simplicity is more important than a couple of dollars. I've seen a lot of sellers ask for an additional payment for international purchases, so that's an option too. Insured and tracked shipping is a lot more expensive internationally, so if the buyer wants that option they can have it if they cover the difference.

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Originally Posted by Birnando

Letting the guy know what you did, is in my opinion, all you are obliged to do.

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When he goes back to the ad and sees that four letter word ..... SOLD .... he'll know. Then he can say his own four letter word. :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by Hawkeye5

As an additional observation, International also means I have to go to the PO and stand in line rather than purchase postage on line and drop it in any mail box or the PO at 5:30AM. More hassle, more expense.

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IME a small flat rate box is $11 - $13 to just about anywhere in the world. You can print the labels online if you already have one of the boxes. You can get the boxes for free at the post office. The USPS rules require you to take it to a post office or personally hand it to a letter carrier. My local letter carrier and the letter carrier at work have both told me not to worry and to just go ahead and drop them in any outgoing mailbox.

From a sellers point of view, I see nothing wrong. The only other remote possibility would have been to offer it to that person at the full price again. IMO you aren't obligated since your classified ad does that by itself.

I also see it as being fair to that second person. They are holding cash, and are specifically saying "Wrap it up, Ill take it as advertised", when nobody else is making that offer. I see no deception here.

I think you did fine. If the first guy wanted it bad enough he would have paid what you were asking for it. If he doesn't understand that than it is better you didn't sell it to him anyway. First with the cash wins.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I feel better about it now.
Still, I'd like to avoid these problems in the future. I imagine we all would like to.

Nothing dishonest there at all. You accepted the better of the two offers.

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Originally Posted by Hawkeye5

As an additional observation, International also means I have to go to the PO and stand in line rather than purchase postage on line and drop it in any mail box or the PO at 5:30AM. More hassle, more expense.

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You can buy international on line, I do it quite often as I send things to Germany

be tortured you left a buer behind
even if he didnt vwant to pay:p

First your the seller so you sell to whomever you want. Second until you tell the buyer it is his the sale isn't a sale.

I don't get it. Are you leaving something out? "I hadn't actually agreed to sell" - what exactly did you agree to do?

If all you did was answer a question about the item for sale, I don't understand where there is any implication of a promise to sell

well...nothing is wrong actually, it's basically depends on how you put your candidate buyer in which priority, JimmyHAD's comment probably could gives you how you'd do it in the future, and thebigspendur is right, you are the seller, unless you have committed to yourself to sell it to the first guy or willing to wait him answer ur question before you decide to sell it to him or not...but in the end you didn't wait and sell it to the next customer instead, there's where you should feel something is wrong, IMO there's nothing wrong with what you did...

even if I'm as a buyer expected to be valued as precious customer by the seller, in the end the seller hold the goods and decide to whom and what to sell.

I dont see anything dishonest here either.

In terms of the shipping in the classifieds, I just added the cost onto the asking price and said "price includes shipping anywhere".

you dont need to feel bad if the guy wanted it bad enough he would have paid full price. Thats why they call it an auction

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Originally Posted by HELLGAP

Thats why they call it an auction

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They better not, dem's agin' the rules!