Mark Pethick and I - Was I Wrong?

Cantus Rock

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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
 

GWGumby

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My personal opinion is that any time you trade with a stranger on the Internet, you are taking a risk. It's not that people out there are intentionally trying to rip you off. I've been guilty myself of having product to ship off and not being able to get around to it for weeks. It's difficult when you work through post office hours to get there and mail off a package.

Anyway, my point is, trading is sometimes a gamble. It's unfortunate he has not acted appropriately on his end, but sadly that's what happens. Almost everyone I know has an Internet trading or e-bay horror story. I say let people know not to trade with him if he is soliciting trades, and look for someone else.
 

Gonzo

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...I've traded with Mark several times, and always been very happy with the trade and the deals--he's been very generous with what he's sent versus what I sent him. Nice ratio of goods to goods.

I've been the "flaky" end of deals myself before, because life isn't always what we want it to be. Last year I ended up having surgery, losing my job, and still trying to go to school full time while trying to figure out how we were going to have a baby (which at that point was GOING to come out whether we were ready for him or not), and there were several weeks where I literally would not have been able to get to a post office between 10 AM and 6 PM. And so an eBay person felt like they were getting the old screwgie. It happens.

My bottom line is this: Mark is an honest person. I've dealt with him several times, and always been satisfied. He may have been assuming you had a flexible timeline for the trade, since you were sending DVDs several months after you had first communicated with him...

Not throwing stones at either one of you, and I think you have been patient--this just isn't the sort of thing I would bring up in a public forum until you know the whole story.

Quinnnnnnnnnn
 

MahnaMahna

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There are lots of people on this board that I've done trading with (d.w., Hans, Quinn, Phillip, Ryan, and more......) I don't think any of them have any problems with the way I handled things.

Of course your second batch of tapes took "forever" (2 months) to make it to you (they may still be in the mail), I don't disagree with that. I apologized.

You do not know what happens in my life (I tend not to share that over the internet) but I have been busy. I'm not in school anymore. I have a full time job, a house, a wife and a life outside of the Muppets. It takes a long time for me to put together 8 hours of material.

I also emailed you that I understand that you are upset and if you don't want to trade with me again, I understand and wouldn't be upset.

There, I'm done defending myself. I personally don't care what people think of this thread and me. The people around here that know me won't think less of me.

Let me also mention that it is tacky and childish to come running to people on the internet to try to make yourself look like a saint and make me look like a monster.

Mark Pethick
 

FellowWLover

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Heh. Here's the deal. If someone doesn't have time to get to the post office, or otherwise handle a trade, then they shouldn't be trading. There really is no excuse for lazy trading. A person either has the time, or doesn't. Why start something that can't be finished (on time too!) ? Sounds like bad trade karma to me.

And... starting a thread about a trade gone sour won't win any friends online. Although I personally find it more interesting than, say, another thread about muffins, it does have the potential to start a flame war, and perhaps should have been reconsidered.
 

Cantus Rock

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This post was in no way ment to discredit Mr. Pethick. I was thinking of not using named but I decided against it because I thought it would be less easy for people to answer me if they didn't know who I was dealing with. I understand Mark has done many fine trades before, and I NEVER said he was a bad person, because really I think he is a good person. The question of the post was did I act inappropraitely, not if Mark was wrong in has actions. And to you Mark, of course I want to trade with you again! You have everything I want and then some, and I have alot of stuff that you say you need, some of which I bought specificly to trade with you (I mean, I like Ghost of Faffner Hall very much, but I payed a heavy price for it just to have it for you). So, please do not make any personal attacks on either Mark or myself. This post was and is not meant for that. Mark, I'll email you when your package arrvies.

-Matt
 

MahnaMahna

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OK. Thanks for clearing that up.

Actually, the day after I mailed your tapes, I made a CD ROM with about 300 Muppet MP3's to mail to you to try and make up for the wait.

Good to hear that you got Faffner Hall. As a music teacher, I want it very much. I only have one episode.

Mark
 

Cantus Rock

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Oh, well thats very nice of you Mark thank you. I didn't know you did Mp3s also, I have over 100 Fraggle Rock songs on my computer. If your interested in them just let me know. I took the liberty of copying the GoFH tape the day I got it, so just mail me when your ready (once I get the package I'm waiting on). :smile:

Also, just so you know there are no hard feelings towards you personally, I refered someone to you for BRATS. That was before this post.

-Matt
 

MahnaMahna

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OK. Do you want BRATS for them? There are 13 eps of BRATS and 13 eps of Faffner, so it would be pretty simple. (4 tapes)

The girl that you referred me to for BRATS emailed and I'm just finishing her last tape now.

Mark
 
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