Should PSers comment on prices?

[Mayk]

I like what Haven has said in a couple of her remarks here...

I think looking at the going price of a stone at today's market and then providing a discount since as a private seller would be expected...the stone will have to be appraised or examined by a knowledgeable authority..there is no return policy and no upgrade in the future therefore there should be a discount from "today's price". As what I would consider as "still a newbie here"... this forum has always been helpful in coaching and directing about purchases on the secondary market. I do believe the poster has a sentimental value for the stone you can't convey sentiment in cash terms.. the fact that she is in AUS should also possibly help her with the value in her own country where those stones are more difficult to come by or come with a duty... it all becomes very subjective. But I do honestly believe the comments that were posted on that original post were meant to help not to hurt. She has every right to come back and say.. "thanks for the feedback" but here are my reasons for my price and I will move forward at the price I wish.. bottom line is it will be up to the buyer to give the asking price or ask for a better price with the seller...

I was always told.. "FEEDBACK is a gift..." you can choose to accept or reject it... it's like any other gift...sometimes you like thme and sometimes you don't!!!

 

[movie zombie]

we often say something is over priced for what it is in the CS threads.
now that pricescopers are selling their stones, they are "vendors" and as such canexpect that there will be comments made re pricing.

 

[VRBeauty]

The original comment - that's not much of a bargain - could have been left unstated but I don't think it would have dissuaded most PS purchasers - if they're interested in that stone, they're deciding whether they're comfortable buying a stone from a private party rather than a known PS vendor, and if so whether they need a discount (and if so how much) to make up for the greater uncertainty (if they see it as such) etc. A simple "thanks but I don't see it that way/ I think it's a fair price" or - better yet - "thanks, but this is my asking price" would probably have ended that discussion and made way for the drooling to begin.

 

[jstarfireb]

I think if you post on a forum like this, which is full of informed consumers, you're naturally going to get comments on the price. For what it's worth, I didn't think any of the comments on that thread were catty or hurtful. They were simply constructive. Similar comments have been made on previous threads, but the difference was in how the OP took them due to the emotional context of the ring and its sale. Yes, the seller has the right to set the price at whatever she wants, but second-hand items are priced far below retail for a reason. While I appreciate her being transparent about the pricing, seeing that it was priced well above what she paid for it left a bad taste in my mouth. Now, if the lifetime upgrade policy is transferrable, that might make it more fair in my eyes, but that's between the buyer, seller, and GOG.

Bottom line: If you want to avoid public discussion of the price, post only on the classified site and not here on PS. And if you want your second-hand jewelry item to sell, don't tell people you're turning a profit!

ETA: Just re-read the original thread. What Sillyberry said about being manipulated into silence...wow...

 

[vintagelover229]

Speaking of selling their stones

KENNY: are you still trying to sell your ACA? I can't remember what you were asking for it but there is someone looking for one close to the specs you have in this thread on RT
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-on-again-get-in-here.167964/#post-3056959#p3056959']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-on-again-get-in-here.167964/#post-3056959#p3056959[/URL]

 

[TravelingGal]

Really? A seasoned PSer is going to post something on this forum and expect that PSers aren't going to comment on value/worth/price?

FWIW, I think current market price comparisons are fair, but come on...PSers are out for a deal. And the perception is, if you bought something and are trying to make money off a used ring, well, that's not a deal.

I agree the comments were attempting to be constructive. The owner seemed defensive, but I understand why, given her situation.

My opinion, if you are going to use PS as a venue to try and sell your stuff, be prepared for all that comes with it. Otherwise, go sell incognito somewhere else. I mean, it isn't the SMTB forum! How much do we have to overly care about feelings here? In the for sale forum, there are sellers, there are buyers...it's kind of a no brainer to me.

 

[iheartscience]

Really? A seasoned PSer is going to post something on this forum and expect that PSers aren't going to comment on value/worth/price?

FWIW, I think current market price comparisons are fair, but come on...PSers are out for a deal. And the perception is, if you bought something and are trying to make money off a used ring, well, that's not a deal.

I agree the comments were attempting to be constructive. The owner seemed defensive, but I understand why, given her situation.

My opinion, if you are going to use PS as a venue to try and sell your stuff, be prepared for all that comes with it. Otherwise, go sell incognito somewhere else. I mean, it isn't the SMTB forum! How much do we have to overly care about feelings here? In the for sale forum, there are sellers, there are buyers...it's kind of a no brainer to me.

Ditto all of this, and hi TGal!

 

[MissStepcut]

While it is true that I posted this thread after reading the one about the AVC, I didn't start it to comment on that specific situation (and Gypsy had mentioned in that thread that it wasn't the first time posters had commented on price). I just thought it would be worthwhile to have an open dialogue about it.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Sellers can list for whatever price they want. Buyers can buy for whatever price they want. However, this site is a bunch of consumers who discuss price all the time on every other kind of purchase transaction, regardless of vendor, etc. and they tend ot have strong opinions

I see no problem with posters commenting on price. If it were something from another vendor or a random ebay listing on RT there would be plenty of feedback re price.

On the secondary market people are usually looking for deals. PSers especially are looking for deals and are savvy enough usually to know when they are getting a deal. But newbies, the people most likely to post on RT (where they get feedback on pricing ALL THE TIME) and then venture into the Preloved forum, shouldn't have to be denied information just because PSers are trying to "protect their own" with silence. If posters don't chose to post that's fine, but sellers shouldn't expect that posters can't/don't have the right to post, and I would be very disappointed if PS instituted that as a policy.

Personally, I think the poster can charge whatever they want, but if the price is high (or low) people may comment. What's the problem? On the flip side, if it's a screaming deal (e.g kelpie's necklace) posters tend to comment on that as well.

If people want to post personal stories (of which I am very sorry to hear and imagine must be very difficult), I think that's well within their rights, but they shouldn't expect that everyone will be supportive and/or that buyers will pay a premium because of those issues.

If I were the AVC poster I would have higlighted that it was a great deal for AU buyers b/c the duty had already been paid, it was already in country so there would not be a long wait for it, and a buyer could enjoy a return period without having to deal with international shipping. For me, 10% off of retail (especially for the present price of the stone AND the present price of the setting) I think is really steep. I would not pay that on the secondary market unless it was a stone set in a setting that was no longer able to be purchased through other avenues and I absolutely loved.

In the case of the $500 ebay stone that was then flipped at $3k. If it still seemed like a deal to a buyer at $3k, great. But it's also totally fair in my book for a poster to point out that the stone was just purchased on ebay for $500.

In the secondary market, I am willing to pay a significant discount off the present value of the stone and usually expect the setting to be free or maybe calculated at scrap value or a fraction of the current value for a setting I really like...but, that's me. Other buyers may have completely different tolerances for price on the secondary market and that's totally fine.

I really don't understand why this became so contentious, IMO sellers can list at whatever price they want, buyers can buy at whatever price they want, and posters can say whatever they like regarding either side of the deal. Isn't that how all the other parts of PS work?

 

[kelpie]

If someone posted in a thread on Preloved asking "is this a good price?" would it then be fair to provide commentary or context?

I think the answer has to be "yes". People provide that type of guidance and advice on RockyTalky and I cannot see why it should be any different on Preloved. Consumer advocacy site, and all. This could benefit the seller ("yes, this is a great value!") or not ("sorry, but I really don't think this is a good deal for the second-hand market.").

Now as an unsolicited opinion? I suppose it is a closer call. On the one hand, I imagine that if vendors could post items for sale on RockyTalky people would feel no hesitation making comments on price. None whatsoever. My intuition leads me to believe that similarly preemptively commenting on price on Preloved is acceptable. Sure it may be frustrating to a seller, but I don't think those types of comments should be rationally viewed as hurtful.

I also don't appreciate being manipulated into silence, but that's another issue altogether.

You make excellent points, as always. I hate censorship here and it just makes me not come around during times when it's been bad. I do believe very strongly in civility though, if you have civility you don't have a case for censorship. I think it is rude to tell someone in their own thread you think they are offering a rip off.

I thought now is was perfectly OK to post about anything on DB now though, which leaves potential buyers free to start a thread in RT or CS to ask knowledgeable people about the goods offered for sale. I hope they would receive candid opinions.

 

[TravelingGal]

Really? A seasoned PSer is going to post something on this forum and expect that PSers aren't going to comment on value/worth/price?

FWIW, I think current market price comparisons are fair, but come on...PSers are out for a deal. And the perception is, if you bought something and are trying to make money off a used ring, well, that's not a deal.

I agree the comments were attempting to be constructive. The owner seemed defensive, but I understand why, given her situation.

My opinion, if you are going to use PS as a venue to try and sell your stuff, be prepared for all that comes with it. Otherwise, go sell incognito somewhere else. I mean, it isn't the SMTB forum! How much do we have to overly care about feelings here? In the for sale forum, there are sellers, there are buyers...it's kind of a no brainer to me.

Ditto all of this, and hi TGal!

 

[yssie]

Should PSers comment on prices... why on earth not?

I completely agree with PPs who have noted the distinction between PSer as a consumer and PSer as a vendor. PS is a consumer advocacy forum, which it would cease to be the moment consumers ceased to look out for other consumers' interests first and foremost regardless of who, or what, the acting vendor is.

When I'm buying, personally... unless I'm buying because I'm looking to lend a hand financially, I don't care at all why the seller is selling. I don't care if the stone has 'bad karma attached', and I also don't care if the sale is due to personal problems. All I care about is that the stone is what I expect it to be, and that I feel I'm paying a fair price for it.

From what I understand importing/exporting jewellery internationally can carry hefty fees, so from that perspective an international sale at a near-US-retail price might well be a fantastic deal. In any case, that's for potential buyers in that country to evaluate - and no doubt said potential buyers are savvy enough to ignore commentary from the peanut gallery that fails to consider this factor

Regarding settings - I won't pay anything for an included setting unless I specifically want *that* setting. In fact, more often than not the seller will value the setting explicitly, and I'll just ask him/her to deduct that stated value from the asking price and give me the stone at the remainder. They usually balk, and I move on.

 

[iugurl]

If someone posted in a thread on Preloved asking "is this a good price?" would it then be fair to provide commentary or context?

I think the answer has to be "yes". People provide that type of guidance and advice on RockyTalky and I cannot see why it should be any different on Preloved. Consumer advocacy site, and all. This could benefit the seller ("yes, this is a great value!") or not ("sorry, but I really don't think this is a good deal for the second-hand market.").

Now as an unsolicited opinion? I suppose it is a closer call. On the one hand, I imagine that if vendors could post items for sale on RockyTalky people would feel no hesitation making comments on price. None whatsoever. My intuition leads me to believe that similarly preemptively commenting on price on Preloved is acceptable. Sure it may be frustrating to a seller, but I don't think those types of comments should be rationally viewed as hurtful.

I also don't appreciate being manipulated into silence, but that's another issue altogether.

I am really rubbed the wrong way in that other thread. I am not sure why the reason she is selling it (even though it is unfortunate) is relevant to the price OR why it is being used as a manipulation to make everyone stop talking about the price.

 

[Laila619]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered.

Yes, exactly!

I'd very much appreciate if I were about to buy something and someone told me I was overpaying.

 

[Aoife]

I'm not making any type of comment on the specific item that apparently initiated this thread, but I will say that from a general viewpoint the freedom to comment on prices in the Pre-loved Forum is crucial. It's an ethical issue. Otherwise it creates the possibility of an "us vs. them" scenario where the PS regulars could be seen as taking advantage of the ignorance or naivete of newbies. If comments on the price and/or other aspects of the listings is not permitted, then I honestly don't think the Pre-loved Forum should be allowed at all. It blurs the lines too much.

 

[Laila619]

I agree that a seller can ask whatever he or she wants. She could have priced the ring at $15,000 or $5. It really doesn't matter.

But when you post on a public forum, a 'consumer advocate' forum at that, you're going to get comments.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I do hope people can get past the factor of what the person originally paid. That is extremely irrelevant in establishing value. As Haven, I think said, the current value of a like item is the benchmark, and then a discount off that based on condition, demand, etc. should lead one to the selling price. It doesn't matter whether I bought the diamond 6 months or 6 years ago, the asking price could be exactly the same. And good for those who can catch an underpriced item on ebay or at an antique store and then resell for a profit!

 

[Matata]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

 

[rosetta]

I didn't comment on the other thread as others already have.

But if someone undervalued a piece on the pre-loved forum, I would pipe up. So I would do the same if a piece was overvalued as well.

Seasoned PSers may know what's a good deal and what's not, but a newbie won't. I think we have a duty to advocate for them too, and not just "protect our own".

 

[kenny]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

+1

Only advocating for one side of a transaction (buyers) is not cool since the seller is a PS member too .
Besides, some day YOU may want to sell something and imagine the community talking down your price to what THEY think is proper and fair.

Helping a seller is hurting a buyer.
IMHO that is why it's best to not comment on price.
Buyer beware, and let them negotiate in private without up or down price pressure from the community.

It is only a matter time before we see member X talking down member Y's price because member Y did it to member X.

 

[ruby59]

In the PS jewelry forum, I would only comment if a potential consumer asked about price and whether it was a good deal. But I would not make a preemptive comment.

 

[Laila619]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

I guess I could see the point of locking topics so that no one can post anything good or bad. But this is PS and it's a site meant to promote the exact opposite of a 'buyer beware' mentality. PS wants buyers to be informed, educated, and smart.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

agreed. No comment is necessary in the pre-loved section. It can merely be free advertising for PSers who wish to sell their items. Save the fawning for SMTB. If a potential buyer has questions about value, they can link the DB listing in RT and ask for advice like any other poster looking for advice on any other potential purchase.

On another note, isn't it funny that "used" diamonds are expected to sell at a much reduced price when a vendor could buy the diamond and sell at "full" market value? I completely understand a setting losing its value once it's driven off the lot, so to speak, but it is ridiculous that diamonds are treated that way as well in the secondary market.

I hope the seller gets what she is looking for, but if I were in her situation and could not get a good return on the setting, I think I would sell the diamond and keep the setting. It would burn me up if I had to sell an expensive setting at scrap prices, and I would rather just keep it and put an inexpensive gem in it.

 

[TravelingGal]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

I guess I could see the point of locking topics so that no one can post anything good or bad. But this is PS and it's a site meant to promote the exact opposite of a 'buyer beware' mentality. PS wants buyers to be informed, educated, and smart.

Agree. PS is LITTERED with threads asking "is this a good deal?" Why should buying from another PS be any different? I mean, we can lock the threads so there is no comment, but at some point then wouldn't someone just start another thread asking, "Is this ring a good deal? and refer back to a thread.

Again, I have no issue with using market value, but really...come on. Very few people around here are going to want to pay MORE than what the previous owner paid for a new ring (even though it may make sense from current market perspectives). I paid $1000 and change for my Michael Beaudry ring, secondhand. I can't wear it often because it's too big now, but I'm not ever going to list it here because I noted what I paid for it on PS, and I think under current market situation prices, it's worth more than what I paid for 10grams of plat plus diamonds.

 

[iugurl]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

+1

Only advocating for one side of a transaction (buyers) is not cool since the seller is a PS member too .

This isn't a website dedicated to informing, educating, and helping sellers. But, it is for consumers. Look at the top of the page! I shudder to think about what this site will become if the goal is to protect the sellers! EEK.

 

[kenny]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

+1

[/b]Only advocating for one side of a transaction (buyers) is not cool since the seller is a PS member too .[/b]
.

This isn't a website dedicated to informing, educating, and helping sellers. But, it is for consumers. Look at the top of the page! I shudder to think about what this site will become if the goal is to protect the sellers! EEK.

So member X (when buying) is a good person to be supported and helped, but the same member (when selling) is a evil monster we must defended against?
Why not treat all PS members equally all the time by banning price comments?

 

[Matata]

But if someone undervalued a piece on the pre-loved forum, I would pipe up. So I would do the same if a piece was overvalued as well.

Seasoned PSers may know what's a good deal and what's not, but a newbie won't. I think we have a duty to advocate for them too, and not just "protect our own".

But who are you to say what is or isn't undervalued or overvalued? And if I were a newbie, why would I believe your opinion is more accurate than someone else's? There are PSers here who have good perspective and there are those who don't. A newbie won't be able to distinguish between the two if s/he is interested only in purchasing from Preloved and doesn't spend enough time on other fora to learn the difference.

There are sooooo many ways Preloved can go wrong and we're starting to see the tip of the iceberg. It would be better if someone interested in an item in Preloved posted a query in RT, CS or Hangout asking for input on an item (just like what's done for professional vendor items) and let the discussion occur there rather than in Preloved.

 

[Imdanny]

I think if you post on a forum like this, which is full of informed consumers, you're naturally going to get comments on the price. For what it's worth, I didn't think any of the comments on that thread were catty or hurtful. They were simply constructive. Similar comments have been made on previous threads, but the difference was in how the OP took them due to the emotional context of the ring and its sale. Yes, the seller has the right to set the price at whatever she wants, but second-hand items are priced far below retail for a reason. While I appreciate her being transparent about the pricing, seeing that it was priced well above what she paid for it left a bad taste in my mouth. Now, if the lifetime upgrade policy is transferrable, that might make it more fair in my eyes, but that's between the buyer, seller, and GOG.

Bottom line: If you want to avoid public discussion of the price, post only on the classified site and not here on PS. And if you want your second-hand jewelry item to sell, don't tell people you're turning a profit!

ETA: Just re-read the original thread. What Sillyberry said about being manipulated into silence...wow...

Yep, we are "netnannies" in our own imaginations- MODERATORS are he only ones with any business telling anyone here wheter and what to post and not post. If you don't like comments, don't start a PS thread.
As far as 10% off retail, that is not a standard "fair" market price for diamonds and jewelry. As far as a "sob story"- again, that is completely irrelevant.
Do we want a forum where PSers sell jewelry by appealing to personal stories, and asking for -10%, while telling everyone to be quiet (and to not start another thread) and threatening to be a net nanny" toward posters who aren't silent?
You don't have to start a thread here and tell us about what a discount we can get if you are going to turn around and tell people to keep quiet.

 

[iugurl]

I thought allowing comments on Preloved items was a bad idea when the forum was first proposed and I still think it's a bad idea. To make things simpler and avoid all the gushing and/or dissing over an item, perhaps items should be posted & locked. No discussion. Buyer beware.

+1

[/b]Only advocating for one side of a transaction (buyers) is not cool since the seller is a PS member too .[/b]
.

This isn't a website dedicated to informing, educating, and helping sellers. But, it is for consumers. Look at the top of the page! I shudder to think about what this site will become if the goal is to protect the sellers! EEK.

So member X when buying is a good person to be supported and helped, but the same member when selling is a evil monster?
Why not treat everyone equally by banning price comments?

Obviously not. However, that person, in that thread, stops being the consumer. There is no "evil" or "monster" about it. But unlike a thread where they have absolutely no reason to be biased they don't have anyone's best interest at heart, except their own.

Just like if you had a friend, Tom, that owned a diamond store. A mutual friend Sarah looks at a diamond in his store. Tom knows that Sarah could walk away spending 20% or less online, and even though he's her friend, he still wants his store to make money, so he might stay silent. However, YOU might speak up and tell Sarah that she can get the same diamond somewhere a lot cheaper. Tom isn't EVIL or a MONSTER, but in that situation, he is more a seller/business owner than a friend to Sarah. This is the exact situation of why we need websites like this to help the consumer. Poor Tom might lose a sale, but you did Sarah a favor.

 

[Ella]

As always comments need to be respectful and polite. Discussion on pricing is part of what Pricescope is about and is expected.

However, there is a difference between politely enquiring about pricing or answering a question about pricing and attacking a user for their price.

Please keep all discussion polite and feedback polite not critical. Viewpoints can be shared in a nice way.