Hey all, apologies for the inbound rant, just frustrated and haven't spoken out on this sans a few comments here and there.
I write this from a place of simply trying to better understand. This continues to happen, and honestly at times it makes me want to bail on the site. I've gotten to the point that I don't even attempt to (or rarely) sell anything here anymore because of this behavior. I was reluctant to post last night, and within minutes, was reassured that my original stance was right - don't even bother.
Most of us are around the same age, been here for quite some time, and don’t partake in this etiquette. Yet, there's unfortunately a population of users here that seem to think otherwise, and it's one of the core problems that drives good people away.
Why is it, time and time again, that people get shun/negged, when they attempt to sell something at less than 800% off? We're all adults, we all look at eBay and other platforms, we know the price and value of items/time.
Sadly, we've seen this for years here. That someone posts something for sale, and it's a good deal ... but they get crap on because there's this I don’t know, sense of entitlement, that they should get an even better deal because GTZ? Sure, we're a community of gamers that look out and help one another, no doubt! Many here go above and beyond to do more for one another, which is why this site is amazing. Yet at the end of day, be realistic and look at the larger picture, before passing judgement and setting false expectations for yourself, and others.
Two examples just from this week.
1) User is selling a Steam deck, brand new, for $75 (11%) off. The first four reactions are negs.
2) I post a Zelda Pro Controller, asking for +$5 for time/gas/re-packaging and cost savings to you to avoid eBay, and I get called out publicly and privately.
Taking #2 further, as clearly, I'm in a bit of defense mode. I have, on multiple occasions, paid very handsomely (even above what was asked), for hard to find/sold out/rare items, as it's still a win for me being that it's cheaper than eBay. I recognize you could have sold it for more, and I appreciate that you're doing me a solid. Further, I've gone above and beyond to tip people for their time/service/etc. as it's not hard to see it's a win-win for both parties being that they don't have to deal with eBay/fee's/etc. and I'm getting it cheaper than eBay. Finally, I've sold many items at cost, and even given stuff away free. Yet, I attempt to ask for a whopping $5 to save you money, and everything goes out the window and I'm a bad person.
This is not the first time that this has happened either. Merely asking for a few bucks to use my packaging materials, my gas, my time, and reducing your cost of entry ... should be very much so inbounds, and expected, if you're ultimately getting a good deal at the expense of someone else. Last I checked, we're all adults, and time is money. I have no idea your financial situation, but I'd be willing to wager, most are above minimum wage here. Meaning, even that 30-60 minutes of your time to pack, print a label, drive to local store, drive back, etc. - is costing you money. For another to expect that their time and resources are free, is straight out wrong, and naive. Will that $5 make or break any of us? Absolutely not, but it's more the principal of the matter to reward and take care of those that take care of you.
What am I missing here? Why is there a stigma that some of the community thinks they should be getting everything free or massively discounted to the point that the other party is losing out? We all know the other person can go make more money if they want, so at least reward them for helping you out, even if they're not asking for it. If we continue this behavior in any of these scenario's, we're going to lose out on good people bringing us good deals as they'll simply favor selling elsewhere to avoid the pettiness exhibited here.
To those of you that don't partake in this mentality and behavior, you're awesome, and that is why we're still here. I truly appreciate each one of you that have helped me personally and others! I love seeing great deals go to great people!
