How do you deal with zero feedback sellers?
Carefully. Or not at all.
Much of my comments here are based on the $$$ involved. More $$$? More concern. One has to choose at what level can you be comfortable if all goes down the drain and take those measures necessary to CYA, OR forget about it.
Feedback too isnt the end all be all
Basically I think the biggest portion of folks selling these sorts of items here that wwe want as a community are honest people. So gaining info and getting on the same page with them is integral.
Never think of their piece as being the only one in existence or that youll never see another from some other seller!
Trust your gut instincts during the phone call you have to make. If indeed you want what they have so severely, an actual person to person phone conversation must occur. Such a call ought to be to their land line, not their cell ph.
Be wary of the demeanor and personality of the seller or buyer.
Get evidence they have the thing! Ask for photos that are time and date stamped.
Prior Ebay, and Paypal sales feedback is helpful too.
If you have any worries at all, simply forget about it and move on, unless both of you can commit to using an Escrow Co. to facilitate and safeguard the deal between you both.
COD can stand for Crap On Delivery as the box can not be opened and inspected prior to payment to the carrier is made . And if it aint right inside the box thereafter, the driver aint giving you back your certified funds. Count on that!
Get on the exact same page with the seller on how the item is to be shipped and/or packed. Double boxed. Orig Factory packing? On a skid? Which carrier? Condition of the containers, bubbled up and no peanuts. Declared value expressed and paid for? Etc.
Ive paid extra to have a thing shipped out on a skid. If its a pricey enough item this recourse could be a life saver . Or plan a road trip for yourself if possible! Again, depending on the $$$ at risk.
Im as if not more so, cautious about sellers that do not correspond by phone outright, or are difficult to gain info from about the piece in question. EX age, orig owner, model & or serial number, and again, the overall tone of the seller too.
If theyve no time for a phone to phone convo, Ive usually no time for buying what theyre selling. Private seller or dealership, it makes no diff to me then.
One thing about folks with little feedback also can mean little experience in this sort of affair too. And I do mean ignorance in fact. Inexperience is a problem all unto itself and apart from the deal that might or might not happen. Like packing up the item safely for instance.
As a buyer your feedback should be posted for you first anyways. When its all said and done, submit appropriate feedback wether or not they supply feedback for you is another topic. Youre done. Just waiting on them to fulfill their part of the covenant.
SELLING
If selling to no feedback or very little (<5 deals and all as buyer) arrange payment via US Postal Money order, and coach them to save and make copies of their MO receipts. If something bad happens during shipping, youll be very glad you did this bit.
The most notable thing with the inexperienced is buyers remorse IMHO.
Newbie buyers can think of private member/sellers as actual stores like Sears or Best Buy, or something. During the exchange, life can up and happen, they can be overly critical, remorseful, or simply change their minds and demand their money back even though the piece met the sales criteria. In short they can be fickle. I feel its due more so to their fears and unwarranted expectations than anything else but such can and does happen.
In short, Im a pretty big believer in this one principal If its meant to be, then it will. If not that one item, then some other, and the others that have come to me are likely as good and usually better than the one I wanted to pursue in the first place.
As important here aside from the buyer seller deal is the shipper . They scare me more often than the buyers or sellers, every time!
Reasonableness, common sense, communication, and prudence on both ends will go a long ways to help things go smoothly.