SCAMMER!

[Ole Juul]

I would just like to point out that sales and discussion communities are actually well integrated on this forum. I think that there are some people who go to different "sections", which only makes sense when starting a thread but is counter productive otherwise. After all, this is a tiny forum and there aren't a lot of new posts on a daily basis. For reading and non thread starting posting that makes no sense to me. So, probably like a lot of folk, I just click "todays posts" and see it all. Why would I not want to? All posts are listed and I see all the sales and chat together.

[dougb1426]

I don't know if this will help allay anyone's concerns about being scammed, but someone mentioned the concern about scammers getting your money through PayPal, then the scammer closing their PayPal account. My understanding from PayPal is that PP will not close an account until 60 days after the last transaction. Assuming the PP rep I spoke to is correct, that would mean you at least (might) have a chance to get your money back from PayPal.

Years ago I won a MB Boheme on the dark side. There were several bidders, and it sold for close to normal/expected pricing. The seller had about 100 reviews, and was based in the US, and all seemed fine until I saw the tracking info showed the package originating in China. When I contacted the seller, he said he was traveling, and mailed my pen during his trip. Yeah right, and land is cheap in downtown Boston. I called PayPal and they refunded my payment before the pen arrived. As it turned out, it was a very good fake. In fact, I think only the nib was bogus.

So, maybe my perception is colored by having a good experience with PayPal, but I do think it provides some decent level of protection/help against frauds.

[Jon Szanto]

Good points raised, a healthy discussion continuing. That's a net positive in my book.

[Cyril]

But we put a lot of trust into each other on here.

I want to be clear that I'm never happy about people having problems in sales and getting ripped off, that is a given. My earlier comments about being cautious mainly have to do with "back-channel" deals or responding to some random PM that is looking for a pen or offering a sale. If someone posts a public sale item, at least the community has a look at what is going down.

But I do want to highlight one point, relating to your comment above.

It may be easy to look at the FPG forum as one group of people, but I believe - and I think others will back me up - that there are two very distinct groups at play. The first are the members who come here for discussion and sharing photos and gab about pens and all the other stuff. Traditional forum usage, long threads, pissing contests, the whole gamut. And then there is the second group, the one that consists of people who come here either only, or mainly, to make sales posts and sell (and occasionally buy) pen-related items.

There is a small group that crosses over to both of those, but there is a very large number of people who ONLY come to FPG to sell. They never join in discussions, they never post photos, they never hang, and - bottom line - I don't know them from Adam. So to say that we "put a lot of trust in each other" only goes so far as to how well I 'know' a person (in the manner of knowing a person through an internet forum) and, for me, doesn't include the many people who ONLY show up to sell. I say that because I can only get a handle on someone's trustworthiness by getting to know them through their writing, their thoughts, their interactions with others.

There are a ton of people I trust here, some I trust as much as close friends or family (a small number), but there are just as many who I don't know and would operate, in a commerce way, only with all protections in place. The total population of FPG is not a monolithic group and especially when it comes to sales, there are many who really aren't part of the community, but use FPG strictly for their own commercial (sales) needs.

I felt that needed to be said.

Now I have to go fix a busted weed trimmer. Gah!

I really agree with Jon!!!

I have to disagree with Jon's point, or at least what I got from it. I only come here to sell pens. I am not interested in chit chatting about them but I am not isolated or very distinct either. When I sell pens they are bought by all types of members, including very well established ones with hundreds or thousands of posts. Us 'commercial types' are not grifters. When I come here I bring in new pens to sell, pens people want. This community would be very boring everyone just traded the same PFMs back and forth. As for trustworthiness, a few years ago there was a man that was part of the fountain pen community. He went to pen shows and had a table, he made friends and had long chats with people. People trusted him with money and merchandise and then one day someone asked some questions about how that money was being allocated and instead of answering them he disappeared. Maybe I am taking too much from Jon's post but the idea that a scammer won't be fluent in pen lingo, or that they don't have patience enough to be part of a community, or that 'good people' don't go bad with temptation- is a mistake. That being said, I don't see any reason not to take precautions in every transaction. I would never, ever use a cash app for pen sale or purchase. I don't care what the excuse is. I wouldn't even want to sell a pen to someone that thinks that is ok because it should not be condoned. I think trust should be taken out of the equation always. Any honest person, any friend, is willing to do a transaction the right way so everyone safe. I think the focus should be on promoting the proper precautions should be at the forefront and not trying to figure out how we can determine if someone is trustworthy. Just my two cents.

If this forum is only for selling pens and ink, there's no real mean for me to be here, SoI prefer to be connected to the E-bay.That is as simple as that.
Do I sell my pens and stuff here??? Am I going to buy anything in related to writing? Perhaps yes or no.
I know like many others , I represent the majority part of the forum on discussing or sharing time on writing Paper, ink and tools.
I am aware there are a few , as a second group to sell things as getting rid of things as they maintain their passion.
Now that it is quit interesting to know there is a third group who's are only here only for selling and gaining. WHAT CAN I SAY???????