Buying an empty folder....

[Blu Cazalet]

Hi,

This has happened to me twice now...from 2 different vendors at two different places. Both items cost me $9L, and after I paid for them, I only get empty folders. Both times, I contacted the vendors. The first person never responded to me...and I figured at $9L, it's no big deal...and forgot about it. Well, it just happened again. I just sent the vendor an IM and won't let this one go. She is not online at the moment. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

Thanks, 

Blu

[Dillon Levenque]

I know it's irritating and I'm sure you actually wanted the items, or you wouldn't have bought them in the first place. But do you really want to spend any time stressing about something that cost you less than 4 cents? I think you should just say, "Oh, well" again. It can hardly have been an intentional fraud or anything, even the dumbest crook in the world wouldn't waste time trying to steal pennies.

At least, I don't think one would.

[ObviousAltIsObvious]

yes this happens. most times it's a mistake and not malicious, but yeah there are some sleazy people out there too.

it's best to get in the habit of using the editor to see if the object really has what's supposed to be for sale in it, and when the "Buy" dialog comes up, make sure the right items are there.

you can't always tell ahead of time: if it is a scripted vendor (it uses "Pay" instead of "Buy"), the delivery might come from a different object.

sometimes an inexperienced seller will set up a vendor to sell things that are no copy to them. after the first seller the item gone, but their vendor script wasn't set up to expect this.

sometimes items are removed after copyright takedowns, this happens a lot in "freebies" or "full perms" shops. sometimes the sellers know that the stuff on the wall is ripped, sometimes they bought a big box of junk and have no clue where it came from. if there are 500 vendors on the wall and they look like they all came from different makers, the seller probably didn't check every single box to make sure the contents were good.

sometimes the seller was so interested in making the box they they forgot to put stuff in it. derp happens.

[Tari Landar]

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ObviousAltIsObvious wrote:

 

sometimes the seller was so interested in making the box they they forgot to put stuff in it. derp happens.

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I've done that! I've also screwed up on perms, well, perms were different when I sold it, I can't be certain it was my fault since sl has had issues with perms not saving correctly in the past. But it was my product, so, my fault, lol. I'm always happy to remedy any problem, so long as someone tells me about it.

OP, if you bought the items at a place that tends to sell relatively low-cost items and nothing else, it is very likely the seller didn't even realize. They may not know enough about permissions(I can't explain why, who knows) to realize they can't resell everything(which is primarily what places like that sell, though not always). I'd give the person the chance to get back with you, before getting angry. Getting angry is much easier to do than anything. I know it's only 9L and in the grand scheme, that's not much at all. I can still understand wanting to get what you paid for too, though, regardless of cost. Not everyone logs in everyday and regardless of whether or not we believe a merchant should, life happens. Rl always comes first no matter what, and I tend to stick by that. Although sometimes, some sellers just plain suck, and I've run into that type before too, except it wasn't a small amount of linden I was out, lol.

Did you buy these from the marketplace or in-world somewhere? If you bought on the MP and can't get a hold of the seller after, we'll say a week or two(I'd actually give longer than that but I have a weird level of patience) you can always leave feedback. Sometimes, assuming the seller gets the email we're supposed to get from mp when someone leaves a review, just leaving the review alone will kick them into conversation with you. not always though. I tend to give benefit of the doubt, even when I shouldn't, so take any advice I give you with a grain of salt. It could be a mistake, it could be intentional, but either  way it's still a learning experience.

Oh, and one more thing, sometimes when we buy stuff, we get in a hurry to leave, and given the way the inventory serves have been lately, I wouldn't rule out the "things I bought didn't fully make it to inventory" glitch. There's not really a solution for that, but I do recommend sitting put when you buy something or open a package even to be CERTAIN they made it to your inventory. This happens a lot more after opening a box or package of some sort. You might think you got it all, but you may not have. In that case, you can always rez that item back out, re-open, and copy to inventory again.

 

[Kelli May]

You can't always - let's make that ever - expect an instant response. A vendor might only log in once a week or, even if they are here daily, be in a different timezone to you. IMs get capped, messages get missed. Chill for a second and write a notecard.

Be polite, but firm. Quote the transaction details for the (failed) sale. They'll include the time, date, L$ value and location of the transaction. Tell them what you want them to do to remedy the problem.

Something like this...

Recently I attempted to buy <this product> from your vendor but only received an empty folder. Transaction details are as follows:

<quote details here>

I understand that transactions sometimes fail in SL, but it's unacceptable for me to not receive what I have paid for. Please remedy the situation as soon as possible by <sending a refund/sending the product I wanted to buy/sending the product and compensating me for the hassle>

Regards,

<your name>

It's quite possible that they made a mistake in the way they stocked their vendor and will appreciate the information. A businesslike enquiry gets a professional response... most of the time. If they reply with profanity, moronic threats or pseudo-legal BS then you should probably cut your losses and wave your few cents-worth of L$ goodbye.

[Qie Niangao]

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Kelli May wrote:

You can't always - let's make that ever - expect an instant response. 

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I do.

For example: Where's our OP?

Hmmm?

[Perrie Juran]

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Qie Niangao wrote:

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Kelli May wrote:

You can't always - let's make that ever - expect an instant response. 

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I do.

For example: Where's our OP?

Hmmm?

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I've never done it but sometimes I have been very tempted to IM these people who start threads but never come back.  Very, very tempted. 

[Blu Cazalet]

Well, I am not upset really. It isn't like the items cost much. But it is irratating. Now an update. I FOUND both items. When I went to put them on originally, I went to the recent tab. I saw the items there, but only the folders. I couldn't use search in my inventory for the particular item either for the same reason. However, when I just scrolled through my inventory to find the tiem, the folder was there WITH all the items included. Very weird. Oh well, no harm no foul. I never did hear back from the first vendor though...been more than a week...probably closer to two. If I hear back for the second vendor I will let them know the item was found. Never had that experience before. Just so odd.

 

[Kelli May]

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Qie Niangao wrote:

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Kelli May wrote:

You can't always - let's make that ever - expect an instant response. 

---

I do.

For example: Where's our OP?

Hmmm?

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Then I will correct myself: you can expect what you like; what you get is another matter.

[Kenbro Utu]

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Kelli May wrote:

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Qie Niangao wrote:

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Kelli May wrote:

You can't always - let's make that ever - expect an instant response. 

---

I do.

For example: Where's our OP?

Hmmm?

---

Then I will correct myself: you can expect what you like; what you get is another matter.

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[Eva Tiramisu]

So you will let them waste time and troubleshoot and try to find the error before you reply to them that it was a mistake? If I was a vendor that had sent (or had someone have claimed i had sent) an empty folder, I would checked the scripts (if any), logged on an alt to check, make 5-10 friends buy it and refund them, both for the time and the money spent - to check where it could have gone wrong. I would have spent a few thousand lindens and a few hours before I even responded to make sure the error wasnt on my side. And I would have done so before responding to you (but of course respond within a day or two). I know many merchants are as scared to make mistakes as I am, and if done, desperate to fix them and find the error. I think the nice thing to do was to actually IM them and let them know it was a displayerror on your part and that you got the items. Or you could be wasting hours of their time because you dont know how to seach or clear cache. All for 9L. Thats just kind of rude.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

Even the dumbest crook in the world wouldn't waste time trying to steal pennies.

At least, I don't think one would.

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... smacks you with her coin purse.

[Perrie Juran]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

Even the dumbest crook in the world wouldn't waste time trying to steal pennies.

At least, I don't think one would.

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... smacks you with her coin purse.

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Reminds me of two of my Hippie friends years ago when they'd pan handle.  They'd set up at opposite ends of the street.  One would ask people if they could spare a dollar.  The other would ask people if he could have their pennies.  This was in Greenwich Village. They both netted about the same amount, averaging fifteen to twenty dollars an hour.  

[Czari Zenovka]

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Tari Landar wrote:

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Oh, and one more thing, sometimes when we buy stuff, we get in a hurry to leave, and given the way the inventory serves have been lately, I wouldn't rule out the "things I bought didn't fully make it to inventory" glitch. There's not really a solution for that, but

I do recommend sitting put when you buy something or open a package even to be CERTAIN they made it to your inventory.

This happens a lot more after opening a box or package of some sort. You might think you got it all, but you may not have. In that case, you can always rez that item back out, re-open, and copy to inventory again.

 

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(Bolding mine)

Good point.  I haven't had this happen a lot, but enough that when I purchase something in world I check my inventory right after the sale and before I leave the shop to make sure it arrived.  I had this happen a few months ago at a very busy, well-known store that was having a huge sale.  I purchased an item, the lindens were removed from my account, but I never saw the drop down box or comments in general chat (I'm thinking that depends on the type vendor being used?) that indicated a purchase transaction.  Checked inventory in the "Recent" tab and nothing there.  Next did a search and still not there.  I waited for about five minutes then, since this store had a sign with the name of a person to contact with any problems, sent an IM (as requested) to that person.  Continued looking around the store and about 15 minutes after making the purchase I got a drop down box saying "Thank you for your purchase" (or words to that effect), THEN heard the ching-ching sound of lindens being transferred (although they had already been taken from my account) and voila!  there was my purchase. I was in the process of writing an updated IM to the contact person when they IM'd me.

After the first time something like this happened many years ago, I just got into the habit of waiting for a bit to see if the items arrived.  They did every time, just taking varying degrees of time.