Utttt Ohhhh here I go with my 2 cents... which I put it in the Bucket around here Once or Twice a year.
Most of us here are very trusting.
Many of us are serious about trading.
And many of us have been around here for a long time.
Most of All "We Welcome Newbies".
But when pursuing new Trades always use a little discretion. I too have had some major life crisis while being a member on Dave's, and very few of you know of the heart breaking details, but one thing I have made everything right, continued to contribute, purchase subscriptions for others, and have Never lied.
Dave made the Feedback feature in 2004 for a reason.
Dave made the TradeTracker for a reason. We should Utilize it (a very easy tool).
But Because I have encountered such a Huge amount of B.S. in my life I can smell it coming and a mile away!
1. Look at a persons longevity here.
2. If you are going to trade with someone who doesn't have feedback. Be willing to take the lost.
3. Request your end of the trade first. Be honest and let that person know why you are asking for this.
If the person is really willing to trade they will honor this with YOUR own Positive Feedback in mind.
Overall trading should be fun an rewarding. Giving is a beautiful gift. We all forget sometimes and life gets in the way. But bottom line is USE DISCRETION.
Small example: Someone requested Seeds from me (with no feedback). And was willing to trade Plants in return for the seeds. Sent their end first and I was amazed and overwhelmed. Because this was a plant I really wanted. This person will always be HIGHLY respected from me. Communication is the best factor when knowing the seriousness of a trade and you can tell by a persons conversation if they too are indeed serious about the trade.
HAVE: My 2 cents Worth!!
It's hard to say who should send their trade first. If we all wait for the other person to send first, we'll never get a trade completed - lol.
I always figure, if I respond to a person's trade offer, then I send first. And if they respond to my offer, then they should send first.
It's a major trust issue for sure. I won't do large trades with someone I don't know.
Pam
As a fairly new trader on DG (less than a year), I have no problem sending first if requested, and I am careful to communicate with anyone with whom I trade. Thanks for posting this, Kim. Good stuff here!
I rarely leave feedback. It's just not important to me. To be fair, do you think I should let any trading partner know before entering into a trade?
Well this thread is going to be filled with opinions...and everyone is TRULY entitled to theirs. And much respected. But there have been countless time I send my trade off first. But I always check Feedback if I have never traded with you. Some people I have never traded with. But have been around here so long that I would send my end first just because of that... ya know what I mean.
I am new here, and I have made a few trades. I am very concerned about packaging plants the right way, etc. I don't mind sending first, and I always add a note that if they are not satisfied with something to please let me know and I will be glad to resend.
I've been a member for a month or so and have had a few people, some of them new, who requested seeds and/or plants. To some I told not to even worry about trades or postage; I realize how much postage is for shipping plants. I often feel that I don't have much to share, and feel bad about it; however, when I have an abundance of something I send as much as possible.
I feel that even though you may loose some, you will probably gain more than you loose if you have a true giving spirit. Ex. I was looking to order a variety of very beautiful and expensive plants. Someone out of the blue D-mailed me and told me that they had those and asked me which ones I had planned to order. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of various colors of these plants. I thought the person must have quite a collection, but I tried to make sure that they understood that even one would be appreciated. I was told that they were making a list for me. I am over-whelmed by this kind gesture, and even though I have sent something from my end, I feel that I will never be able to repay this person for their generosity. So in the future I plan to offer them what I have as I get more plants.
Wow! But like I said..you know by a persons conversation what's all involved. Very humble and beautiful statement there!
I agree the feedback is very important. If the person has 5,10, 50 or 100 green stars it means he/she is able to make some people happy and grateful enough to leave a few words of appreciation. But for me the most important thing is open communication. I also have emergencies and more often than I'd like to but I make every effort possible to explain the situation, find the best solution AND keep my word. And I don't see anything wrong in making clear who sends what, how and when, especially when something valuable is involved.
On the other hand we all are different here, some can offer more, others less. We are here to have fun, as long as we are honest, and I'm sure the kindness will always be rewarded by unexpected gifts, sweet people and nice words.
Very Nicely Spoken!
Thanks for the hot topic Kim!
I agree with you all. I know that sometimes I am a little slow in getting things shipped, but I try to let the person know why it will be a while before I can ship or send postage. I get my disability check the middle of each month and have to plan things for shipping at that time.
So I hope people will be patient with me and if I have forgotten someone please dmail me and remind me. My old mind is not so sharp anymore.
Marti
That is Great! But the point is You communicate and are True to the word. I loved our Trade! LOL
Thank you! I try and I do my best.
there are draw backs to feedback too. people fight on here and things get nasty. feed back cant be taken back.
also newbies mess up and get bad feedback. i know someone who got a gift subscription was new to gardening made a few mistakes in packagin was left bad feedback by others they traded with and no one would trade with her so she left. there are good and bad of it.
my self i have had issues with people here but yet all my other feedback on other places is 100 percent. so its an iffy thing on both sides.
its good if someone rips off a whole bunch of people for like co ops and stuff but minor issues it can be bad.
people make mistakes we are human and deserve second chances. you gotta learn somehow
Do you know if they contacted the newbie first to try and resolve things?
marti, did you ever find some stevia? I really wanted to send you cuttings, but this is the first time I've tried to take cuttings from my one puny plant, and they didn't do so well. I hope you don't think badly of me!
thats who i was thinking of Marti they are selling stevia plants at walmart in the herb section. saw one yesterday and was racking my brain as i knew someone was looking for them on here.
yea they did because they were asking advice on how to make things right and it just went bad and down hill. they still trading just not here
not trying to start arguments just saying things with newbies arent always bad. they just dont know sometimes and make mistakes. so dont leave feedback because they did make a mistake if they really didnt know how to ship or send something or traded wrong. newbies are newbies.
i saw one trading mint the other day on another forum. talk about a hard plant to trade due to wilting upon digging. i have tried to send it in wet paper towels and that new sticky saran wrap. that plant is a stickler to trade
I had someone leave negative feedback for me, but I don't know who that person is. Never traded with them a when I replied, no response. But I'm generally not one to look at feedback. Trading is a risk, and if the plants are especially valuable, I'l check feedback and/or ask them to send first. DG people are generally exceptionally understanding.
And I have numerous stories of DG members generosity... they see me mention a plant, and bend over backwards to help me out. That's why I try to pass on whenever I can help new gardeners.
Glad to see you ptilda, 'cause if you recall asking me about the helebores, I still do not have mine. Haven't gotten them yet. Should this week. Were you still interested? LOL, sometimes these things take a while. Sometimes longer than we think. Let me know.
Jeanette
No Stevia yet, but will check at WalMart.
I'm on my own this week, sister went to Richmond to visit with her daughter so I can get things done around here.
That's when discretion comes in! This is the very thing I am referring to.
I personally would never leave bad feedback because of packaging. And actually have Never given anyone bad feedback.
To give bad feedback on how someone packages a plant is an ungrateful, inconsiderate, and not a fair type of resolution. Especially with a newbie.
I'm mainly speaking of when you trade with someone and get Nothing back in Return
marti, A local family nursery had Stevia when I was there last week. If you need it and don't find it, let me know and I can run over and see if they still have it. I believe it was in 3-4" pots.
I hadn't done any trading in a pretty long time and recently did a few trades. I believe I made some new friends and received 2 boxes of REALLY nice plants. I also just remembered that I've not left feedback yet and I need to do that!
The best rules for trading are to communicate well and send out something that you would be happy to receive. If you don't know what/how to send something, ask. There are tons of helpful and well seasoned traders here. :)
yea marti we will find you one. will look at my walmart today and see how many we still have just in case you cant.
I totally agree with Kim.
I used to send my part of the deal always immidiately and hardly checked feedback, but after bad experiences I will ask people without feedback to send their part of the deal first. In the last few months I had 3 trades here on DG without any reaction, one was 10 packets, one 18 packets and one 61 ! packets of seeds. And it seems another trade of 15 packets will end up with nothing for me. I also had no response on a trade (30 packets) with someone on Gardenweb.
If someone asks me now for seeds and has no feedback, I will ask him/her to have a look at my feedback and send their part first. If they don't want it, I think I can be sure they are not serious.
It's not the way I like to deal, but bad experiences make you careful.
People I already traded with and people with good feedback won't have to wait, I will send them my part immidiately.
Jonna
Jonna, do you ever write to them, right on the thread where you discussed it, and ask them if they got the seeds? You haven't heard from them so you think the seeds must not have gotten to them? It embarrasses them to have the rest of the people know how they work. Also, it is my understanding that a lot of people who are not members come on and ask for seeds.
You should make it a practice to check first to see if they are members or not. I think all you have to do is hold your cursor over their name and it comes up if they are. If any doubt, go to the members in the righthand column and follow that and see if they are a paying customer. If they aren't then you maybe should not be sending them anything.
Just my opinion, Jeanette
I checked my WalMart here and no Stevia. They say it won't grow here so they rarely get it. If someone can get it for me I can send a money order for the plant and postage next week.
Marti
Marti why don't you google it and find someone selling it that way? Did you check the plantfiles? Sometimes there are people in there that say they have it for sale.
Jeanette, thanks for your reaction.
Most times people contact me by mail, so I can't write them in public on a thread.
The trade with 15 packets of seeds was made in a thread, but the lady has all kind of excuses and she said she didn't receive my seeds. She never complained about that to me, but when I mailed her I didn't receive her seeds and asked here if she received mine, she told me she didn't receive mine. Now I now I'm not the only one who didn't receive her seeds, so I'm thinking about a way to deal with this person.
And in the future I will check if they are members.
Jonna
Use delivery confirmation also. That way there is proof that she received it.
I thought you couldn't post here if you weren't a member?
Pam
sent you dmail Marti
will pick one up from walmart if they still have one. right by where i am going anyway. will let you know late tonight. moms car broke down so gotta go get her running. pray its something simple. will even take its pic when get it home if they still have them.
Pam some forums are open to the public. most are to subscribers but there are a few open.
Thanks, I didn't know that. I thought you could read the posts, but not the replies, and could not reply, without being a paid subscriber. So anybody can read these trade posts?
Pam
This thread was not designed to set up a trade...LOL!
Set up for Members to see every ones views and inputs regarding Trades with Members, Non-members, Using Feedback, Trad tacker, and All opinions welcome.
Any who... Thanks everybody for your inputs and info.
Oh, no, I meant can non-subscribers read this trade forum? Sorry, I tend to think faster than my ole fingers type.
Pam
Sorry I didn't answer your question. But I was talking about the Trade that got set up on this thread...LOL
Your Question Pam
I believe a Non-Subscriber can read the first and original Post. Not any Reply to the thread. This may have changed but this is how it use to be.
Think maybe it is time for Terry to post all of this again. I will write her.
What does that mean? "Terry to post all of this again"? You mean about the Subscribers and Non-Subscriber rights?