At the risk of telling the whole truth, I'd like to go on record with the following facts:
1) Prior to the conclusion of discussions about the sale in question a week ago last Monday (not "the middle of last week") after a bunch of e-mail exchanges, I mentioned that I had another bike to ship, and that I would like to ship both at the same time, as it is a 90-minute round-trip to send things from my nearest UPS Center. I made this quite clear. I also agreed to switch parts on the bike at no charge, FWIW.
2) When I had heard not so much as one peep from Charles one full week after the auction ended and he said he would pay via PayPal, I sent him a standard reminder e-mail.
3) After getting no response whatsoever for another day, I noticed his post about selling one of his Colnagos on eBay and made my post, as he had failed to pay or respond to efforts to contact him privately for eight days at that point, and I had already contacted the other bike's buyer twice asking if further shipping delays were acceptable.
4) Amazingly, I got a response from Chas within hours of my post (gee - imagine that - alert the media), followed by payment. Charles, if you are having trouble paying for something, or are just "getting behind in following up on things," please contact the seller within a reasonable period of time. Blowing him/her off is not acceptable behavior, at least not here in the Midwest. How long would it have taken to either pay via PayPal, or have sent a brief e-mail explaining why payment hadn't yet been made? You had over a week to do that. Had you contacted me even once during that period, I would have shipped the bike without first receiving payment, as I often do for CR listmembers, and any repeat customer for that matter.
5) If you'd like to see nice eBay feedback, please check mine some time. Additionally, ask anyone on this list that has purchased anything from me whether they were satisfied or not. I rest my case, your Honor....
Sincerely,
Greg "just the facts, ma'am" Parker Ann Arbor, MI USA
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 15:46:02 -0800 (PST)
> From: chasds@mindspring.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Cc: gpvb1@cs.com
> Subject: [CR]Civility
>
> Greg Parker wrote:
>
> "Message: 5
>
> If you sell this Colnago, will you finally pay me the $450 you owe me? You
>
> are holding up shipment of another customer's bicycle as well....
>
> Greg "grrrr..." Parker
> Depleted Bank Account, MI USA"
>
> ________
>
> Greg is correct, I am slightly late paying for a bike I won from him last
> week on ebay. We concluded negotiations for it the middle of last week. I
> have been extremely busy and did not make time to pay him. However, as of
> this morning, he has been paid.
>
> I am sometimes a little late paying for stuff, not through malice, but
> through mild disorganization. But I'm good for my word and always pay up,
> as my feedback on ebay will indicate.
>
> I am surprised, and sorry, that Greg felt it necessary to vent his pique on
> a public forum rather than e-mail me privately first...but it's a free
> country, after all. I felt the need to defend myself, and to note that if
> anyone here I deal with has a beef with me, I'd prefer they let me know
> about it privately first, before they go public with it.
>
> Sorry for the somewhat off-topic post. I won't mention it again.
>
> Charles "heart's generally in the right place" Andrews
> Los Angeles