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Someone please explain the DIBS system here in the Classifieds/m2m (1 Viewer)

Nanook

Nanook

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Hey guys,
I have been on several other forums where they have m2m sales. Watches, Camera Gear & on ChipTalk yrs ago too. I have never seen this Dibs system like you all have here. I think I get it, but could someone please explain to me how it works, how it started and why it exists? Every other forum I have been on you just PM the Seller and work things out with them. It seems as though I can just quickly put dibs on anything I want and somehow this reserves the sale for me for how long? 5 minutes, an hour, a day, forever? I don't get it. I'm sure there must be a good reason for it, but right now I just don't see the benefit.
 
Nanook said:
Hey guys,
I have been on several other forums where they have m2m sales. Watches, Camera Gear & on ChipTalk yrs ago too. I have never seen this Dibs system like you all have here. I think I get it, but could someone please explain to me how it works, how it started and why it exists? Every other forum I have been on you just PM the Seller and work things out with them. It seems as though I can just quickly put dibs on anything I want and somehow this reserves the sale for me for how long? 5 minutes, an hour, a day, forever? I don't get it. I'm sure there must be a good reason for it, but right now I just don't see the benefit.
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I don't know if there's any hard and fast rules about this. From my perspective when I post dibs, I'm basically saying transparently that I am purchasing this item. This way other members know that it's already been scooped up.

I follow my dibs immediately with a PM to the seller. I suppose you could wait a little while if you really wanted to, like an hour, but what's the point. When you post dibs it means that you're buying it.
 
There is some disagreement about the use of dibs here, as evidenced by some recent discussions.
The way I see it, dibs let’s all other members know you are committed to buying and are proceeding with the purchase.
Dibs should always be immediately followed by a PM to the seller with a confirmation of interest and payment info.
With that in mind, dibs is really a courtesy to all the others looking, and it’s not a requirement for the sale unless seller asks for it in the description...to the seller, generally the PM is more binding than any dibs.
 
So then, let's address the almighty releasing of dibs. I normally don't like releasing dibs. obviously if you'd like to hand the purchase off to another member who you know really wants that item and you're just doing them a favor, then that's fine.

Releasing dibs because you couldn't negotiate a better price? I don't know about that...

And releasing dibs because you looked closer and decided that you didn't want it. I really don't know about that one.

Once I scan a classifieds and I see that someone has posted dibs on it I assume that it's been purchased and I say good job to the buyer and I move on. If they then release dibs one hour later, I'm never going to know about it. And that sucks.
 
ChipEnvy said:
Dibs is horseshit. It's like calling shotgun while running to the car.

Sorry, "calling it" is for 6 year old kids looking for a car ride fight designed basically to drive parents insane.
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That's right it doesn't really do anything besides announce your intention to purchase it. But the idea there is that you should be following it up immediately with a PM with payment info. They should be essentially an atomic operation that takes two steps.

Calling dibs, and then trying to negotiate a better price, and then backing out is crap. Like saying that you want to ride shotgun and then realizing that the driver has terrible halitosis ... you can't back out
 
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And, apparently, it's the default way of selling here (in public, that is), if you don't state otherwise (i.e. that "this is NOT a dibs sale, so I 'll sell at this given price to any member I like the most")
 
First come first served. Things tend to seem fast, and thus the first to respond in the thread will get it. Doesn't matter if you write "dibs", "I'll take it", "mine" or whatever. Just follow up with a PM and figure out payment and exchange info with the seller quickly afterwards, and you are good to go.

Many times people simply send a pm instead of writing in the thread as well, which also works unless the seller explicitly asks for dibs to be posted in the thread.

Using the word dibs is kinda new around here honestly. But the meaning is still the same as before.
 
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BearMetal said:
So then, let's address the almighty releasing of dibs. I normally don't like releasing dibs. obviously if you'd like to hand the purchase off to another member who you know really wants that item and you're just doing them a favor, then that's fine.

Releasing dibs because you couldn't negotiate a better price? I don't know about that...

And releasing dibs because you looked closer and decided that you didn't want it. I really don't know about that one.

Once I scan a classifieds and I see that someone has posted dibs on it I assume that it's been purchased and I say good job to the buyer and I move on. If they then release dibs one hour later, I'm never going to know about it. And that sucks.
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Dibsing means you are taking it at the listed price. Calling dibs and then following up with a PM to negotiate a lower price would be so bad form, and those doing that is potentially ruining a sale for the seller.
 
ChipEnvy said:
Dibs is horseshit. It's like calling shotgun while running to the car.

"Calling it" is for 6 year old kids looking for a car ride fight, designed basically to drive parents insane.
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This is sort of what I was thinking. I am pretty sure I missed out on some chips because I "foolishly" PM'd the Seller first and then came back to the sales thread to see that someone had put "dibs" into the thread before me even though I had PM'd the seller before the dibs was put into the thread. What ever no big deal, but I just think it doesn't serve any real purpose and does create confusion.

No one has mentioned this yet, but I do see it as a way of adding up all the partial sales if the seller decides to split the sale up and sell to multiple people. Other than that, I see way more trouble than good, but that is probably just me..idk
 
Nanook said:
This is sort of what I was thinking. I am pretty sure I missed out on some chips because I "foolishly" PM'd the Seller first and then came back to the sales thread to see that someone had put "dibs" into the thread before me even though I had PM'd the seller before the dibs was put into the thread. What ever no big deal, but I just think it doesn't serve any real purpose and does create confusion.

No one has mentioned this yet, but I do see it as a way of adding up all the partial sales if the seller decides to split the sale up and sell to multiple people. Other than that, I see way more trouble than good, but that is probably just me..idk
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I always write "I'll take it, PM sent" to confirm my purchase in post. If the PM is before the dibs, then the PM would be purchaser to me.
 
Nanook said:
This is sort of what I was thinking. I am pretty sure I missed out on some chips because I "foolishly" PM'd the Seller first and then came back to the sales thread to see that someone had put "dibs" into the thread before me even though I had PM'd the seller before the dibs was put into the thread. What ever no big deal, but I just think it doesn't serve any real purpose and does create confusion.

No one has mentioned this yet, but I do see it as a way of adding up all the partial sales if the seller decides to split the sale up and sell to multiple people. Other than that, I see way more trouble than good, but that is probably just me..idk
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I think it's better for clarity and transparency to state your intention in public first (since it's a public sale) and then PM.
 
Dibs has zero meaning, unless you are requesting ice cream.

FE1F564A-4505-4B75-9CBD-2B85098F8F3B.jpeg
 
Tommy said:
Maybe I can add a one-click "I'll take it" button. :p I was not really sure what "dibs" meant the other day. I had to PM the person to ask if that meant they are buying it because a few others posted that they also would take it.
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This would actually be a really great idea, especially if it could automatically change the “for-sale” status to “pending”, and gives the option for the seller to change back to “for sale” if it doesn’t go through.
then maybe included in people’s profile statistics a transparent counter that shows their % of times sales completed fully versus “backing out”. Would hopefully cut down on the amount of sales that fall through.

only problem is how would you do it for split sales?
 
Josh Kifer said:
Only dibsing for others I don't mind are if they will complete the purchase if the dibs isn't taken. I've done it before and was more then willing to buy if the dibs fell thru
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One person does not get to define who is in front, behind, or beside them in the queue of sale. That's up to the seller. And for the purposes of at least this little part on the Internet, you can't enter into a contract on behalf of someone else without their knowledge or permission. Best just to tag them and let the chips proverbially and literally fall where they may.
 
Marius L said:
I don't care if the buyer pms or posts in the thread first. I'll just go by whatever timestamp is earliest.

If someone for some reason don't want to tell the world what they are buying, I'm fine with that.
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I disagree dear friend.
If you sell in public, everything must be clear in public.
Otherwise, you can sell just to friends through PMs.
 
I always send a PM and post dibs at the same time... pincer movement

Oxford dictionary* definition

FACAB077-68FC-443F-9D24-023D5D93612A.jpeg


* you know the proper dictionary where things are spelled correctly like “colour” and “aluminium”
 
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Coyote said:
I disagree dear friend.
If you sell in public, everything must be clear in public.
Otherwise, you can sell just to friends through PMs.
Click to expand...
Why do you think everything has to be clear in public?

My motivation to list chips for sale is to sell them. If someone simply pms me that they want to buy them, I'm fine with that.
 

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