Cantus Rock
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2002
- Messages
- 2,013
- Reaction score
- 21
Hey Everyone. I'd like to tell you all a story, and I'd like to know if I was out of line in the way I conducted myself. Here is the story:
Mark Pethick. In the early days of my Muppet VHS trading, his name alone was one that commanded respect from a person like me (at the time - no Muppets on video, and just a getting really fanatical about the Muppets). I was desperate to trade with him, being I knew nowhere else on the internet to obtain tapes. At first he turned me down, not accepting blank videos or money in exchange for tapes. I was determained. I told him I'd trade anything for videos (I think I mentioned toasters and blenders were acceptable trades...anyway). Finally, he settled on trading DVDs for videos. I'd buy and send him a DVD, and he'd send me 4 tapes worth of stuff. I thought that was very generous, and I accepted that. This is how everything went.
The first deal was semi-smooth. I sent his DVD off, and emailed him telling him that. Fine. about a week later, he emailed me saying that he got the DVD, watched it, and it was good so he'd send te videos. I thought to myself "Okay, trades are usually 'we both send at the same time' deals. Oh well, maybe it's because we haven't done business before." About a week after that the videos arrived. Everything good so far.
I watched everything, and it was all so wonderful. I was so joyful, I would dance and sing everywhere I went (literally...I got complaints about it...). But it was right in the midst of school, and I was just couldn't find time to buy and send off another DVD. So I waited until the beginning of Summer, which here is June (by summer I mean the end of school. I know it differs state-to-state). This is where the problems began.
I ordered the DVDs he asked for and emailed him telling him of that. He said he didn't need one of them anymore. I was thinking "Well, he could have emailed me telling me that...but Okay, it's been a while, and hey, now I have Follow that Bird on DVD." So I get him the other DVD, and mail it off. He emailed me telling me he got it, watched it, and would be sending his tapes off soon. This time, I was a little upset, being we had done business before and he knew I wasn't going to rip him off, but again I stayed quiet. Weeks went by. I politely mailed asking when they were shipped, and saying I would email when they arrived. All I would get was "They'll be shipped soon." This was starting to really upset me. Fine. A month goes by, no tapes. I email 4 times with no answer. Finally he emails all 4 back with the same respose about a death in the family. I was TOTALLY sympathetic, and I apologized for the amount of mailing. Another 2 weeks go by, and no tapes still. Finally I quit the quiet act, and told him flat out the situation is rediculous. I sent my side of the deal 2 months ago, and I still haven't gotten anything. Now I'm sypathetic to the loss, but this is still way to long for me to be waiting. Every day I check the mail hoping for a package, and every day I get the same let-down. He emails me back saying "I have had your tapes sitting around for a while waiting to be mailed. Sorry you think I'm trying to screw you." I was thinking "Well, if you've had them lying around so long, why not send them!" Long and the short, he says he sent them out. I still haven't gotten them, but I'm sure I will get them soon, even though I'm also pretty sure it will be the last package I will receive from Mark Pethick.
This summer has shown me a good amount of new traders and nice new people, but Mark still has more than anyone I know. It pains me to not be able to trade with him anymore, but after this last ordeal, I don't know how I could go through it again. I told him that is he'd like to trade with me ever (because I have a good amount of stuff he doesn't have), to email me once I mail him saying the package has arrived, but I doubt I'll be emailed. I can now only wish for BRATS of the Lost Nebula and Dog City, and hope someone else gets it and can do a good honest trade with me for them. Until then, I'm in the dark for many things.
My question to you, the good people of the MCForums, is this: In this story, did I do anything wrong? Was I out of line at any point? There were multiple times where I was going to totally lost my cool, but I kept it as to not offend him in any way. So, my good friends, please give me some feedback, because this situation bothers me often, and I feel really bad about it. Thanks.
-Matt
Mark Pethick. In the early days of my Muppet VHS trading, his name alone was one that commanded respect from a person like me (at the time - no Muppets on video, and just a getting really fanatical about the Muppets). I was desperate to trade with him, being I knew nowhere else on the internet to obtain tapes. At first he turned me down, not accepting blank videos or money in exchange for tapes. I was determained. I told him I'd trade anything for videos (I think I mentioned toasters and blenders were acceptable trades...anyway). Finally, he settled on trading DVDs for videos. I'd buy and send him a DVD, and he'd send me 4 tapes worth of stuff. I thought that was very generous, and I accepted that. This is how everything went.
The first deal was semi-smooth. I sent his DVD off, and emailed him telling him that. Fine. about a week later, he emailed me saying that he got the DVD, watched it, and it was good so he'd send te videos. I thought to myself "Okay, trades are usually 'we both send at the same time' deals. Oh well, maybe it's because we haven't done business before." About a week after that the videos arrived. Everything good so far.
I watched everything, and it was all so wonderful. I was so joyful, I would dance and sing everywhere I went (literally...I got complaints about it...). But it was right in the midst of school, and I was just couldn't find time to buy and send off another DVD. So I waited until the beginning of Summer, which here is June (by summer I mean the end of school. I know it differs state-to-state). This is where the problems began.
I ordered the DVDs he asked for and emailed him telling him of that. He said he didn't need one of them anymore. I was thinking "Well, he could have emailed me telling me that...but Okay, it's been a while, and hey, now I have Follow that Bird on DVD." So I get him the other DVD, and mail it off. He emailed me telling me he got it, watched it, and would be sending his tapes off soon. This time, I was a little upset, being we had done business before and he knew I wasn't going to rip him off, but again I stayed quiet. Weeks went by. I politely mailed asking when they were shipped, and saying I would email when they arrived. All I would get was "They'll be shipped soon." This was starting to really upset me. Fine. A month goes by, no tapes. I email 4 times with no answer. Finally he emails all 4 back with the same respose about a death in the family. I was TOTALLY sympathetic, and I apologized for the amount of mailing. Another 2 weeks go by, and no tapes still. Finally I quit the quiet act, and told him flat out the situation is rediculous. I sent my side of the deal 2 months ago, and I still haven't gotten anything. Now I'm sypathetic to the loss, but this is still way to long for me to be waiting. Every day I check the mail hoping for a package, and every day I get the same let-down. He emails me back saying "I have had your tapes sitting around for a while waiting to be mailed. Sorry you think I'm trying to screw you." I was thinking "Well, if you've had them lying around so long, why not send them!" Long and the short, he says he sent them out. I still haven't gotten them, but I'm sure I will get them soon, even though I'm also pretty sure it will be the last package I will receive from Mark Pethick.
This summer has shown me a good amount of new traders and nice new people, but Mark still has more than anyone I know. It pains me to not be able to trade with him anymore, but after this last ordeal, I don't know how I could go through it again. I told him that is he'd like to trade with me ever (because I have a good amount of stuff he doesn't have), to email me once I mail him saying the package has arrived, but I doubt I'll be emailed. I can now only wish for BRATS of the Lost Nebula and Dog City, and hope someone else gets it and can do a good honest trade with me for them. Until then, I'm in the dark for many things.
My question to you, the good people of the MCForums, is this: In this story, did I do anything wrong? Was I out of line at any point? There were multiple times where I was going to totally lost my cool, but I kept it as to not offend him in any way. So, my good friends, please give me some feedback, because this situation bothers me often, and I feel really bad about it. Thanks.
-Matt