What would you do? -- A Reseller's Blues - Part 1

[Cranberry]

And sorry if "it's just a game" annoys you, but at least that's a fact and not only a trite statement.

Well, to be nitpicky, "Neopets is a game" is a fact. "Neopets is JUST a game" is a value judgement. In particular, saying it in a particular context implies that whatever the reader is fussed about isn't important because Neopets is JUST a game, and that's defintely a value judgement, not a fact.

Also to be nitpicky, you may feel that the notion that good things happen to good people is a trite statement, but that's also a value judgement, not a fact. A lot of people all over the world believe in karma, the Threefold law, the importance of good works, and so forth.

I'll give you the first one -- I should have said "it's a game and he doesn't need that 1.75 mil," which is true. No "just" required. And I'm not disagreeing with you about the second thing -- I do agree that if you're nice and polite to people, especially customer service people and the like, you will be treated better (example from my own life: I was once upgraded to an executive suite -- for no extra cost -- at a big Hollywood hotel because I sat for 45 minutes and waited without complaint for them to resolve a credit card issue. The desk clerk specifically said she was upgrading me because I didn't complain). But that doesn't make "good things happen to good people" any less of a platitude, and that doesn't necessarily apply to Neopets, either, where no one's even going to remember your username a week after you do something nice. I'm tired of arguing this nitpicky point, though, so can we please drop it?

Also, I think some of the people here don't realize that I, and others who said to keep the item, are basing our advice on the facts of this specific case. I know that if the pricing error was small (say, he'd typed 175,000 instead of 1,750,000) or if he was a very nice seller who genuinely tried to work out a deal that would be beneficial for both him and JCMidore (instead of just demanding the item back in a vaguely threatening way), my advice would be very different. I'm not making any blanket statements about what to do in this type of situation, and some people here are ("I always give back mispriced items," etc.) -- there's an air of judgment about it that bugs me. That's all I'm really complaining about here.

[XenaAndGabrielle]

Unfortunately it's been a few days, and for the longest I received no neomails from the person I purchased it from. Upon thinking it was over, I vowed to go and sell it and completed a sale the other night.

By auctions, for the correct price. I really don't see how someone could've unintentionally made that mistake.

I'm glad you've made a decision that works for you. I hope the discussion helped you in some way.

I personally think you've chosen correctly, given the circumstances. Others will agree or disagree ... but the most important person has made a decision on the matter ... which was you. Stick to your guns.

[Daze]

I'm a she, love. :3

Oops, so sorry.

I am glad you managed to make a decision that you are happy with it - that is all that matters in the long run.

[Erin]

This reminded me of a (Chinese?) proverb: A man who gives a gift expecting to be thanked should expect to be disappointed... Or something along those lines. The newbie to whom I sent an item and neomail after buying an underpriced item in her shop never thanked me. Does this change how I feel about what I did? Of course not. Same thing when I give someone their quest item instead of SWing it for them. I don't give hoping to be noticed or appreciated...

Maybe it's because I always express gratitude for anything I receive from other people, but I DO expect a "thank you" when I give something to someone else. Not items in return, not np, not profuse adoration, just a simple thanks. It takes about ten seconds to neomail someone and say "Thank you for (whatever), I appreciate it." It's common courtesy and good manners. If I don't get any sort of gratitude at all, it definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm very unlikely to do anything nice for that person in the future.

[Azzie]

I've been in shops where things were horribly mispriced and had given them back and i've given things out and have received no thanks, the most expensive being a Jeran and Lisha plushie set worth $ 1 milion which i gave away to a stranger on a whim, and yes, i'm still sore about it till today.

This reminded me of a (Chinese?) proverb: A man who gives a gift expecting to be thanked should expect to be disappointed... Or something along those lines. The newbie to whom I sent an item and neomail after buying an underpriced item in her shop never thanked me. Does this change how I feel about what I did? Of course not. Same thing when I give someone their quest item instead of SWing it for them. I don't give hoping to be noticed or appreciated...

Especially in Neopets, sometimes people click on the event, don't notice the sender, and then the event gets deleted before they can go back and see the name, so even if they wanted to, they couldn't thank you. But when I give, I don't expect the recipient to ooh and aah or even say thank-you. That way I can truly enjoy the act of giving without expecting anything in return. Yes, of course gratitude is nice. But if I was going to get so upset months later that someone didn't thank me, I'd just keep the item instead of giving it away in the first place. But that's just my philosophy -- to each his own.

Ever so true. You have people who give out gifts and automatically expect a return gift, even along the same price category. I just send people gifts when I feel like it, and I don't expect anything in return. I've gotten quite a few avatars by lending items, and I always do it as proper as I can (I often couldn't give full collateral in the past), but when it was over, I would just go on the SW, and send them a Thanks Card. I once had a Neofriend give me a Bear, a Lollypop, and Cherries, just because, and I still have them. When I saw what was for me the first real Plushie Gallery, I sent the owner a Plushie I noticed he was missing, not expecting anything in return, but got a few Plushies back, and my name in the donators list. Well, I guess I'm just rambling by now, but my point just is, like Siniri put it so nicely, don't give expecting to receive, and don't feel compelled to give if you receive. Just give when you feel like it, and remember those who give to you.

I never give out expecting to receive, but i just make the assumption everyone has manners. And no, i don't expect ooh's or aahs, just 2 simple words.

Also, I think some of the people here don't realize that I, and others who said to keep the item, are basing our advice on the facts of this specific case. I know that if the pricing error was small (say, he'd typed 175,000 instead of 1,750,000) or if he was a very nice seller who genuinely tried to work out a deal that would be beneficial for both him and JCMidore (instead of just demanding the item back in a vaguely threatening way), my advice would be very different. I'm not making any blanket statements about what to do in this type of situation, and some people here are ("I always give back mispriced items," etc.) -- there's an air of judgment about it that bugs me. That's all I'm really complaining about here.

I think it helps that you cleared up that the advice given is based only on the specifics of this particular case and not a blanket statement. I'm not really judging you, well i wasnt, but now that i know you are evil i'm keeping a stake by my bedside!

[_jennythegreat_]

If someone makes a mistake and asks for the item back, I ALWAYS sell it back to them for whatever price I bought it for. Often the person who makes the mistake will send me a gift of some kind - sometimes worth not much, sometimes worth a lot. But I don't care about that. It's the right thing to do, so I do it.

I always do this too. But I know you know that.

I have also done it (and I'm sure a lot of us who do this have encountered this)-- done it for people who not only never gave me a gift, but never even thanked me or acknowledged it. And to be honest, that rudeness really ticked me off. But I still do it, because I think it's the right thing to do. I think Sinari said it beautifully with the Chinese proverb.

A lot of people have talked about whether or not anyone's "obligated" . Obviously not. Neo police aren't going to come get anyone for not returning something to someone who made (and caught) a mistake. But I still think it's the right thing. And whether or not the person would do it for you in return is, IMO, really irrelevant.

[Cranberry]

Also, I think some of the people here don't realize that I, and others who said to keep the item, are basing our advice on the facts of this specific case. I know that if the pricing error was small (say, he'd typed 175,000 instead of 1,750,000) or if he was a very nice seller who genuinely tried to work out a deal that would be beneficial for both him and JCMidore (instead of just demanding the item back in a vaguely threatening way), my advice would be very different. I'm not making any blanket statements about what to do in this type of situation, and some people here are ("I always give back mispriced items," etc.) -- there's an air of judgment about it that bugs me. That's all I'm really complaining about here.

I think it helps that you cleared up that the advice given is based only on the specifics of this particular case and not a blanket statement. I'm not really judging you, well i wasnt, but now that i know you are evil i'm keeping a stake by my bedside!

Well, that's nice (;)), but I actually did point that out way back on page two, as well... because I wanted to avoid six pages worth of arguments. Hee.

Based on the context here, I still wouldn't give this person back their item. Am I making a blanket statement like "I'd never give back any mispriced item"? No. But this was a big mistake (two 0s and a 7, people!), a few details sound fishy, and I didn't like the "solution" the seller came up with. So, no. Wouldn't give them another neopoint.

[Azzie]

what can i say, the air on page 6 is fresher ??