My response: [LONGISH] Beware: dealings with Bert Thomas

[Jay West]

Not that anyone cares, but here's my own analysis...

Bert wrote...
> I said that I would like to keep some stuff of it,
First mistake. You should have offered to buy it, not said "keep some of 
it". This would raise an eyebrow with most people. Not a huge immoral 
mistake... but in any trade or deal, it's better to approach with something 
like "would you consider letting me keep some of this gear and reimbursing 
you a lesser agreed upon amount?".

> I didn't expect such an excited answer and
> responded with "hey, I payed for it you know".
Second mistake. I do understand the sentiment you are portraying, but you 
have to realize how that might come across. You fronted the money, expecting 
that you were just making the transaction for Fred. You did not "pay for it" 
in the sense of it being yours, based on the setup of the deal that you both 
expressed.

By pointing out these "mistakes" (IMHO), I'm not taking sides. Merely trying 
to give you an idea how others may perceive it.

Fred asked me if he could post his complaint to the list, and after talking 
back and forth to me about it, he did. I think he presented his concerns in 
a professional and non-antagonistic fashion.

I also think Bert responded to the complaint with a non-antagonistic 
response, and I commend him for that. Obviously, both sides are publicly 
laid out for people to consider and be mindful of in their own trade deals. 
Now that that is done, lets take any further reparte's off-list.

Regards,

Jay West