What shipping arrangements do you assume?

[Gaming-Module]

If the person you're dealing with doesn't mention shipping details and addresses are exchanged, do you assume that it is a cross shipment trade, you're shipping first or they're shipping first?

I'm curious about this, as it has come up twice in the past couple of months for me. In both cases the person I was dealing with exchanged info with me. In both cases, all or part of, the payment had to be sent via the post office, due to not having sufficient funds in my Paypal account. And both times the person just assumed that I would be okay with them shipping their end when they received mine.

Also, in both cases, and this is the catch, they had less than half as much feedback as me. One even had less than a quarter of the feedback I have.

For me, cross shipping is default. If addresses are exchanged and a day is agreed upon as the day that "the ball gets rolling," then that is an implicit agreement to cross ship. If someone has equal or more feedback, I could understand the misunderstanding, but in my case, people with less feedback assuming that someone with twice as much feedback would be okay with sending first and receiving last just doesn't compute.

Maybe I should be clearer in the future. It just all seems like common sense to me. But it takes a trader on the other end to make an assumption too in this situation, so maybe not so much.

What are your thoughts and experiences with trades in which something that you took as implicit wasn't as clear to the other person as you had thought?

 

[evilmregg]

I don't assume. I always make sure the arrangements are clear before agreeing on the deal. That's the only way to avoid a situation you're unhappy with.

 

[Gaming-Module]

[quote name='evilmregg']I don't assume. I always make sure the arrangements are clear before agreeing on the deal. That's the only way to avoid a situation you're unhappy with.[/QUOTE]

Most of the time I'll say something like, "Okay, here's my address *address info*, send me yours and we'll get this trade going on (day of the week or date here)," or I'll respond to the person sending their shipping info first by sending mine and mentioning a date for we/us to act on. Just for clarification.

 

[jclast]

It depends on what's changing hands.

I'm going to iron out details a lot harder if we're trading over $30 worth of stuff than if it's a 1 for 1 GH game.

If you've got 4x as much feedback, however, and it's all + then there's no reason for them to have waited until they received your payment.

 

[DantheApe]

I'm a big fan of shipping at the same time regardless....granted I've not done a "trade" in years [tomorrow being my first in damn near 3 years...can thank ebay and a descent job for me leaving sites like gametz] but I see no reason to have to "send first" except in the case where money comes into play.

I also like to get an email sent with the details of the transaction for my personal records, this way we both understand what has been agreed upon before either side has sen't anything....I've found that since I've started dooing this, my issues with incorrect shipments or misrepresented purchases has dropped to nil,

but that's just the way I do things and it seems to work for me

my 2 coppers.....change please

 

[zionoverfire]

You paid for all or part of the items, I always assume unless a user has no feedback the buyer pays before the item is shiped.

 

[Gaming-Module]

[quote name='zionoverfire']You paid for all or part of the items, I always assume unless a user has no feedback the buyer pays before the item is shiped.[/QUOTE]

This thread and your post have shown me that there are two schools of thought on CAG. One side feels that sellers send after buyers pay and trades can be cross shipped and the other side feels that cross shipment should be default in all transactions if both parties are reputable. I guess it's just a matter of philosphies, both of which have merit.

I'll make sure to be more clear that I only deal with people of the latter point of view, in the future. I just like making sure that everyone gets their end ASAP, and cross shipping accomplishes that. No point in making someone wait up to two weeks for their end if they're an established trader.