Ronny Andersson - 11-16-2016 at 11:11 PM
Great soundboard made of Lebanon cedar.
zakiya_alali - 6-18-2017 at 01:46 PM
Sold outside, this website is becoming a joke!
Marcus - 6-18-2017 at 10:14 PM
" Sold outside, this website is becoming a joke!"
Could you discribe why you think so??
Is it just because you confound this forums with ebay or so?
The only posts you make is in the buy&sell forum.
For me it feels,like I wrote a couple of weeks ago,: You are not interested in ouds, you only interested in making business here.
To make it clear: I do not have any problems with forummembers who are only participate to sell their goods, but if you use a free platform to make
your business you should not niggle about it.
Cheers,
Marcus
zakiya_alali - 6-18-2017 at 11:54 PM
First of all my contribution in this website is not just in this thread but also
In the other threads and you can see that easily.
My concern is that some members just not being serious and continually
Ask silly questions and suddenly disappear.
This just cause frustration and not wanting to post any more in this thread.
By the way its not just me saying that some other members are facing the same issue.
MattOud - 6-19-2017 at 04:59 AM
Can i offer some advice and insight that may be helpful? You sell some beautiful ouds!
I am newer on the forum so i cannot offer an answer on past practice, but i can tell you my observations since i became a member, and maybe you will
get a perspective.
I Knew absolutely ZERO about Oud's when i joined, It was a huge learning curve. The owner of this nice forum Mike Malak was SUPER nice to me and we
still chat offline from time to time. This website is simply a labour of love, nothing more.
It is a venue to talk and share OUD knowledge. The buy and sell is an addition to the forum which comes with the territory of oud learning and
exchange, but we should not consider this ebay, nor are buying practices similar.
Also, I think there is a huge money disconnect here. I am neither rich nor poor, but, do you know how long it took me to save up for an OUD? In
Canada, with expenses, people have very very little disposable income. With 3 kids and a dog, it took along time(and i am still paying) to even talk
my wife into letting me get an oud. i now have 2 beautiful ouds. My point is sometimes it takes people a bit of time. Ouds are still very rare
here.
I am just one example, but you may want to consider me as an example and perhaps ask yourself why in 2 months i have bought 2 ouds, one from this
forum- one not, but neither i bought from you. Why not?
If i was a seller i would be asking myself, "Why has this guy bought 2 OUDs in 2 months but not one from me? What am i doing wrong, or right?
There are many many variables, and i will list some to give an example:
1. You maybe didn't post an Oud i was familiar with, ie, i am not educated enough to understand what you are selling therefore your audience is
limited, requiring more info or time.
2. You perhaps didn't post a price and i was too lazy to inquire. This should not be taken as a sign of no interest. I am just saying that giving more
info is always a good selling feature.
3. You left a post of 'this site is becoming a joke' (and other similar posts the last while) which may make a prospective buyer think..."This guy may
be selling some nice ouds, but by his candor, if something messes up in shipping or whatever, this guy will not be one i can work with later, and that
scares me". This may not describe you, but it can indeed leave this impression to a buyer. One post of this kind will turn buyers off indefinitely. I
would not make posts like this again. My advice.
4. Buying an oud is expensive for many, and world trust levels have dropped dramatically. A buyer NEEDS to instill much trust or they will lose
sells.
5. I have 2 ouds now, chances of me buying another will be very very rare unless something happens to these 2 or i upgrade. I am sure others are in a
similar situation, so again time and patience.
I don't mind saying that I bought off Oudproff my first forum Oud because as a new member here, his posts and candor leave people with an impression
that he will be easy to work with, plus he has great reviews and respect from the owner of the site as well. He instills a confidence that is rare to
find these days!
I hope this helps you in future. You will notice that i try to be friendly. I am not a time waster. I am an oud lover. I post that i like your playing
or ouds from time to time as you know. This is done genuinely. It also helps to bump your sales thread. Please listen to my advice so we can help you
sell some ouds here as well! Let's build a better forum together!
Cheers,
Matt
Ps: For those who are genuinely wasting time, please be respectful to the sellers and DO NOT ask them questions unless you are serious.
pss: And to sellers, please do not be offended if someone passes on your oud. Oud's are very personal, and it takes time to find the right fit!
zakiya_alali - 6-19-2017 at 06:00 AM
Thanks Mattoud,
I really appreciate ur comments which i will definitely take into consideration
I have been a member on this website for years now and i have many positive
Feedback(you can check that if you like).
MattOud - 6-19-2017 at 06:09 AM
Thanx my friend and the very best of luck for your sells!
I wanted to also mention one last thing.
When i bought my one oud from overseas, i was hit with a very very heavy customs charge, close to $300(canadian). Yes, i know, unbelievable.
I don't want to scare anyone, but as a seller, please know that we as buyers are facing that sometimes as well. Not everyone will get such a fee, but
sometime they will. This deters distance sells for sure unfortunately.
In my case, it was because Canada customs are becoming extremely strict. They wanted to know the EXACT type of wood coming across the border, on every
part of the OUD. With old ouds, sometimes it is harder to declare such things they ask perfectly, and thus they hit us with fees like this. rediculous
i know. 
Hope you sell some ouds here soon!!!
Brian Prunka - 6-19-2017 at 11:17 AM
You might find that you receive fewer seemingly frivolous inquiries if you post details, links to good photos and price information in your actual
advertisement. If you provide little information, then people will naturally ask questions. The answers to those questions may lead them to conclude
that they are not interested in or able to purchase your oud.
That is not wasting your time. If anything, you have wasted your own time, and theirs as well.
In addition, many serious buyers may not bother to ask for information, assuming that the transaction will be troublesome.
I agree with the above poster that looking OudProff's listings is a good guide to see how one engenders good will and trust between buyer and seller.
zakiya_alali - 6-19-2017 at 12:33 PM
Thanks Brian
Point taken
Onglon - 6-20-2017 at 07:23 PM
ebay is the temple where the merchants, typically, aggregate (for a 10% fee, i hear)
zakiya_alali - 6-21-2017 at 01:49 AM
Thanks bro
Mortys - 6-27-2017 at 03:11 AM
Dear all,
I do not want to give advice whatsoever, just how i think about this matter.
I think the best way to understand the buyer as a seller is considering yourself as buyer in the same situation, and treating them as you want to be
treated regarding providing info and service etc.
I think this on itself creates a mutual trust which leads eventually to a sell or buy commitment.
zakiya_alali - 6-28-2017 at 05:28 AM
Thanks point well taken