When things go well, say so
Shopping online comes with two main characteristics; good prices and an excess of stress. You, as a potential client, have to weigh things in your personal balance before advancing to ‘Go’.
In the amateur radio world, a lot of used equipment changes hands. Gear may work, well, for a lifetime. The average ham is also a bit of a horse trader, so he or she will eventually need to buy or sell outside of retail. So be it. Like with horses, the trader has a reputation to nourish, and with the abililty to access anecdotal recommendations in ‘delayed time’, a merchant should tread the straight and narrow.
Without naming anyone, I had come across dozens and dozens of negative reports on one individual. When it happened that he had what I wanted/needed, I had to make a judgement call.
And so, I gambled. The price was right, the shipping quote was fair, and the online sale required a bit of ‘keyboard to keyboard’ to get things right. I paid my money, and then I waited. Imagining all the ways that things could go wrong. Calculating all the various means of recourse. Above all, waiting.
And, with the inherent delays imposed by postal systems (this was an international transaction), my mailing envelope arrived. The merchandise looked great. The install process was simple. The results were exactly what the manufacturer said they should be. In short, my worrying was wasted.
I’ve done the noble thing. After contacting the seller, and thanking him for excellent service, I returned to the online forum where the nay-sayers have gathered for years. I mentioned that my experience was positive, and I invited others to try it themselves, rather than relying on the venom of others.
