I respectfully suggest that you consider making it a rule that the first "I'll take it" posted in the ad thread gets it. It is not currently a rule, but is commonly stated in WTS ads, and I think it is good practice because it avoids the appearance of impropriety.

I recently had this experience:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/4620042024

If you look at that thread, you'd think that I bought the PPQ. I posted "I'll take it" at 3:11 am, but I got an email from the seller around noon the next day saying that it sold to someone else. I am NOT complaining about that sale. The seller explained that he had received an email from another buyer the night before (prior to my forum post). I believe him and the circumstances, but on the face of it I have no way of knowing if he sold it locally, on another forum, etc.

My point is that we could avoid any appearance of impropriety if "I'll take it" was a rule. And if a buyer is offering to buy unconditionally at the asking price, I see no good reason not to post "I'll take it". If a buyer has questions, counter offer, etc., then of course an email is appropriate.

The only issue I can see is if someone gets an email answer to a question and wants to then buy it, but has no access to the forum at that moment. I suppose that issue should be weighed against the transparency gained from a "I'll take it" rule.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I don't know if this is a recurring or common problem or not. I did just see it pop up on another WTS ad, and I just had the experience two weeks ago. Again, with respect, I'm not trying to tell you how to run this great forum. Merely offering something to think about if it has been or becomes a recurring issue.

As soon as a seller receives an unconditional "I'll take it," they need to be diligent about updating their ad. If you posted at 3am, it's reasonable that your post was perhaps not seen, as people do sleep and have adult lives. The seller would then review the time stamp of the email, and the post, and whomever got there first, gets the sale.

Sometimes things happen and connections are missed. If it is a chronic problem with a particular member, that is something worth looking at.

Some folks do not have access to the board during the work day, because it is blocked by their tyrannical employer, or they may not have internet access.

If people feel they were unfairly passed over for a sale, they should email a staff member.

That is exactly what happened in my case (seller restricted at work), and I understood it. I did not contact admins because I understood how it happened. I want to be 100% clear that I am not complaining about my circumstance or that seller.

I just saw a situation yesterday in another ad where the same thing came up and people were complaining. That's what prompted me to post here, not knowing how frequently it occurs.

This post/question is offered out of ignorance: Is the time stamp created by the SIGforum server or the user's email service? That could make a significant difference.

The staff of SIGforum is as involved as they're going to be with these things. I expect seller and all potential buyers to behave as rational adults.

We're not to get involved with the details of who can say what, when and where. It's up to the buyer to make the decision, and unless they're a complete bonehead, SIGforum is not going to get involved.

Behave as adults, think rationally, be polite and considerate, and recognize the reality that you not getting a particular gun at a particular time is not the end of the world.