Ah, the wonders of the Internet! Never before has there been a greater source of the exchange of information and communication (plus it gives the weirdo’s somewhere to go play rather than on the streets!). Now I think it’s safe to say that with all the Paintball related forums out there, every one of them has a “Buy & Sell” section. For the most part transactions from there go pretty smoothly, but you still get the odd hiccup on occasion with an unhappy buyer or seller, or both. Lately we’ve had a few arguments and misunderstandings on the PBallCanada.com Forums about deals gone wrong. Most of the problems are coming from bad communication rather than someone trying to rip you off (although that can happen too). So, here are a few tips to hopefully smooth out your sales in cyberspace.

Please note: What I’m about to talk about has to do with private trades. This has nothing to do with Online Stores, or sales on Ebay or other online auctions. Those are separate rules and guidelines unto themselves.

Buy my Stuff!
So now you’re ready to sell your marker/gear/accessories/etc. online. First things first; you have to tell them what you’re selling. The title of your post should not only say what the item is, but also if our looking to buy or to sell. Acronyms are very commonly used here. A few examples are: FS – For Sale, FT – For Trade, WTB – Wanted to Buy, and WTT – Wanted to Trade. An example of a title might be “FS – Black JT Flex-7’s” if I had a set of Black Flex-7’s I wanted to sell. If I wanted to make it available For Sale or Trade, I would use the acronym’s “FS/FT” in the title. See how easy that was? When you write the main body of your post, give as complete description of your equipment as possible. Be precise and include info on any upgrades or modifications, condition of equipment, etc. If you’re unsure what to write, ask yourself: “What would I want to know about this gear if I was buying it?” Here are examples of a couple very commonly traded items, and what info to include:

Markers:  Start with the make of the marker and its general condition (Any scratches? Marks? Dings? Tire tread marks? Bullet holes?), include any modifications or upgrades, and approximately how long you’ve had it.

Barrels: Include info on manufacturer, color, length, bore size, and thread pattern.

Masks: Include the age of the mask and lenses; color; indicate if it comes with other lenses, or if the lens has been recently replaced.

Seems like simple stuff, but that’s the stuff you usually forget. I forget how many times I’ve tried selling a barrel, only to find out I forgot to include information like bore size or what marker it’s threaded for!

Be sure and include a Photo if you can.  You’re more likely to make a sale if the buyer can see exactly what they’re getting, and chances are you’re going to be asked for one sooner or later.

Communicate & Be Precise.
So far, I’m seeing a lot of sales go sour because of bad communication. A lot of the times it’s just loose ends or specifics not cleared up before finalizing the deal. An example for sellers: If you say you’re going to send a squeegee, barrel plug, tank, and mask. Send it! Don’t substitute o-rings now because you forgot you’re squeegee at the field and you need another one. Include all items you said you were going to send. Make no substitutions unless you check with the other party first.

Buyers should ask questions about anything and everything they want to buy! This is just to cover your butt. There’s a legal term called Caveat Emptor, which means “Let the buyer beware”. In other words, if you don’t ask about it, the seller is not obligated to tell you about it. Say for example you bought a marker and didn’t ask the condition of the body, and it shows up looking like the last player used sandpaper for gloves. Technically, you could be screwed. However, if they described the above marker as “like new” then the condition could be considered to be misrepresented, and you got a bit more of a legal leg to stand on. This is where pictures come in handy too, so you can see directly what the product looks like. Still a good idea to ask questions though.

I’m starting to get into the habit of keeping all e-mail communications (and occasional online chat) until the product is in hand and all parts of the deal are done! I highly recommend doing this yourself. If something goes sour in the transaction, (and it sometimes will) at least you have something to back yourself up. What I’ll do before a deal is finalized, is send a list to the buyer/seller of what I’m buying or selling, what they’re giving me in exchange (either money or other equipment) and who’s doing what for shipping. I make sure to get a reply of some kind back stating the buyer/seller agrees with it. This way there’s no mistakes and we both know exactly what is being exchanged in the deal.

Get Real!
Unless the seller is firm on their price (meaning they won’t go any lower), now’s the time to establish price.
Here’s where the problems start…

If there’s one constant in the universe about human nature, it’s this: Sellers want as much as possible for their stuff, and buyers want to pay as little as possible for it.  I hate it when trying to deal with people and they make an offer that’s so completely ridiculous… It makes you want to reach through the screen and slap his momma for having him, or check to see if his family tree forks out or not. This is what we call a “Low-Baller”. For example: I had a Phantom package I was selling (for $350 CDN, which is about $229 US). I had someone try to offer me a Trracer and gear, or $150 CDN ($98 US) for it. Yea right! As tempting as it maybe to give a low-baller precise instructions on where to go, it’s unnecessary and will only hurt you in the end. Be polite and give a counter-offer, or tell them what the lowest price is that you’re willing to go down to. If the buyer wants it bad enough, they’ll stick around and haggle. Another option is to see if they’re willing to trade for other items and cash, or other items of equal value. Use a little sense when making offers guys. I mean, we all like to get a good deal, but there’s a very thin line between getting a good deal and being insulting to the seller. Now if I had said “Make me an offer.”, then I’ve opened up the door for low-ballers to come in. Generally it’s a good idea to have a price in mind of what you’d like for everything. By establishing a price, you should be able to cut out any low-ballers. Don’t forget too, what goes around…

One big complaint I’ve herd of (a lot!) is when a seller has a buyer make a deal with them, and then the buyer asks them to wait for the money because they don’t have it all yet. Do you go into Wal-Mart to buy a CD, take it up to the cashier, and ask to pay them later? I didn’t think so. Don’t do it to others. If you don’t have the money in hand (all of it!), don’t make an offer, no matter how bad you want it. Chances are another deal just like it will come along shortly.

If a seller has indicated that they’re not willing to break up a package, don’t ask anyway! Personally I find that really rude (What part of “NO!” do you miss?). But if you (sellers) are willing to break up packages, please indicate that you are in your posts. Sellers should keep in mind too, that if at first you can’t sell a marker package all together, you might have better luck selling off parts of the package.

Sellers should be realistic about their asking prices. Regardless of what you paid for it, here’s a tip: Look on the Net for the cheapest price out there and knock off 10% to 20% even if it’s “hardly used”, more if it’s used. I know it looks like a way to screw yourself out of money but believe me, a potential buyer will be scouring the Net looking for that cheap price. . Save yourself some time and hassle this way (and less haggling). Like it or not, things can de-value fairly quickly too. Look at the Auto Industry as an example. A car can lose 15% to 20% of its value just by rolling it off the lot. Markers aren’t much different, especially when there’s always a newer and cheaper version coming on the market. You do have the right to expect as much as you can out of your sale, just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work out that way. You also don’t have to sell at the first offer that comes along; sometimes patience does pays off.

Buyers: just because you can get it cheaper because you’re sponsored… that’s great, but the rest of us can’t get it for the same. Posting a price *you* can get it for may affect the seller’s sale. Ya know? So please don’t post it. Keep in mind you’re not going to get something for nothing. So when you do make an offer, please be realistic about it.

For both parties, a little common sense and common courtesy goes a long way.

Honesty is the best policy.
Good news you tell to friends. Bad news you tell to everyone! A good reputation as a trader can be quickly tarnished by a single bad trade.  Many forums have an area for leaving feedback on trades gone good or bad., which gives you a way of seeing if the person you’re dealing with is a good one or not. On our For Sale forum (at PBallCanada.com) we have an ongoing “Good Traders” list. Most people who’ve made transactions of one kind or another from the forum are on there, but just because they’re name isn’t up there doesn’t mean they’re a bad trader. If you’re unsure, just ask. If someone’s had a problem with that person, I’m sure they’ll more than happily tell you about it.

Have package ready to go.
Now, here’s something I’m horrible for (as I’m sure a couple of you can attest to!). If you have a deal done, package up the item (or items) and get it ready to go while waiting for the money to arrive. This way I can be sent out immediately after money arrives (and you got to go to the Post Office to cash the Money Order anyway right?). Just a general courtesy and people appreciate it when it’s sent out right away (and yes, I’m working on improving this!). One thing that should’ve been included in your negotiations is who’s paying for shipping. Some buyers may include shipping in the price while others will add it on top of the price. For trades, one party maybe paying shipping for both items, or each party pays for their own shipping. Will the package be insured? Who’s paying for that?  Make sure and find out which it is. By now you would have exchanged addresses, and exchanging phone numbers is a good idea too. If the package is going out by Courier, they’ll usually want a phone number to go with it. Plus this gives you another means of contacting the buyer/seller should you need to.

And now for the deal…
So now it’s time for the ever-painful job of having money change hands. Usually, the buyer sends the money first. When it’s received by the seller, the package is immediately (or ASAP) sent. Now, for the sake of buyers and sellers, I recommend using Postal Money Orders (MO’s). Here’s why: for sellers, it’s like guaranteed money. Who’s ever heard of a Money Order bouncing? For buyers, Money Orders are like a little piece of insurance. If by change a seller doesn’t send the package, this is now Mail Fraud! That’s a Federal Offence! This’ll get you stuck in a small cubicle with a very large man who wants to play ”Mommy and Daddy”… and I can almost guarantee you won’t be playing daddy! Also, be sure and keep the receipt of the Money Order! If you have to put a trace (or find out if it’s been cashed) on the MO, you’ll need this. If by chance the MO was lost in the mail, the value of it is insured and a duplicate can be made, but again they’ll need the receipt. Personal cheques are another form of payment, but generally take longer to complete the deal. To ensure the check is good, the seller may hold sending off the product until the cheque clears. E-mail each other to know when money was sent, when money was received, and when package was sent. If it’s being sent by a Courier Service (Xpresspost, UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, Nanook’s Husky sled), include the tracking number in the e-mail.

Some buyers may request that you send the package COD (Cash On Delivery) instead.  Myself, I refuse to deal in COD, for the simple reason that here’s no commitment on the buyers part to accept the package once it arrives. If the buyer changes their mind before they receive the package, it can be refused, and you’re not only stuck with selling it again, but getting dinged for shipping both ways! The choice is yours, but be wary!

Direct trades for markers or other gear can be a little trickier. I haven’t found a simple way to do this yet. It’s a matter of both parties trusting each other, and someone’s got to be willing to make the first move. You can try to send packages out at the same time (but again, that falls on to trust). This is where a 3rd party could come in handy. Someone both of you trust who’s willing to act as a go-between. You’re unfortunately looking at more money for shipping this way. If you do decide to go 3rd party, I know Doc Nickel ( http://www.docsmachine.com ), Palmers Pursuit ( http://www.palmer-pursuit.com ), and Animal Paintball ( http://www.animalpaintball.com ) offers this service in the US .

Hey! This wasn’t part of the deal!
Despite the best laid plans, sometimes things do go wrong. Again, sometimes this can be caused by something as simple as bad communication. Do everything you can to contact the other party (e-mail, phone calls, etc…) to get this sorted out. When all avenues fail, then you may have to get the authorities involved. This is where your records of communications (saved e-mails and chats) will be handy for providing details and evidence. I’m currently in a situation right now trying to get a bad deal resolved. I had a deal worked out for a chrome trigger frame; where the buyer said it was “like new, only a couple scratches”. The frame I received was not only scratched, but the chrome was stained, chipping off chrome, and grip threads were messed up. Because the condition of the frame was misrepresented (Caveat Emptor would not apply), and I have records of the conversations, I can now seek whatever action may be deemed necessary. Be warned though, getting a bad deal sorted out will take time.

With a little care and some thought put into it, most online deals can be trouble free. So far, I’ve had many successful transactions, ranging from simple gear right up to Electros through these online forums. Hopefully these guidelines will help you avoid any future trouble.

Good luck!

Questions? Comments?
E-mail me at: sniperbob_92@hotmail.com

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