I have been debating for long time about posting this, but I just can’t let this issue go.
I have been a member of Astromart since 2006. Except of a misunderstanding on one of my initial classifieds, every transaction – either as a seller or a buyer – has been a positive experience. Astromart is truly a great resource, and candidly, while I have been a supporter in the past, I need to take a more active role in that regard.
Since I view ratings as being an important part of any transaction, I have always made a point of giving a positive rating on every transaction I have been involved in. I’ve never had the need to give anyone less than a 5 star rating.
Sadly some of the buyers and sellers I have been involved with haven’t reciprocated with a rating of their own. Since I’ve never received a complaint, I’ve just chalked it up to them being busy, simply forgetting, or it’s just something that’s not important to them. While I believe that the rating system is an important part of Astromart, I have no problem with their decision. It’s simply how some folks are.
Having said that, I’d like to address the issue that’s been on my mind. At the end of November I had a couple of items that I didn’t need. Since they had no value to me, I figured that I would simply give them away to the first person that contacted me. My only request was that I asked them cover the shipping cost.
One of the items involved was an up-grade to the Y2K computer “fix” that I purchased for a Celestron Compustar 14 that I had previously owned. While I can’t remember the exact cost of the original Y2K “fix”, I’m pretty certain that it was over $100.00. Since the up-grade entailed replacing the same computer chips that came with the original “fix”, I figured that it would be a fairly valuable item to anyone that had a Compustar 14. They would basically be getting the “fix”, and the up-grade, for the cost of a $5.00 priority mail envelope.
Over the last couple months I have traded e-mails with the person that “purchased” the up-grade. These were your typical buying and selling e-mails: Did you get it? Did it arrive in good shape? Let me know how it works out for you, etc. While these e-mail exchanges were all very cordial, and he seemed to be pleased, he never posted any type of rating. Confused, I finally asked him in an e-mail conversation we had about two weeks ago if he would be kind enough to post one. To-date, I have not received a reply to my e-mail, or received a rating (either good or bad) from him.
While my first reaction was to simply forget about this and move on, I can’t. I won’t mention his name, nor will I give him a negative rating. That would be a petty thing to do. I simply can’t understand why he can’t take the time to thank me (via a positive rating) for giving him an item of value for essentially nothing.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve given away items on Astromart in return for postage, and it won’t be the last. It just makes me sad to think that there are people out there that have lost the common decency to say thank you when someone tries to be kind to them.
I know. Some will view this as me being whiny or bitchy. Perhaps you’re right. I just lament the loss of folks doing the right thing. Mama raised me better than that.
