The Pitfalls of 'Reserved for XX'. A Slightly Troublesome Incident on Mercari

I am Kumataro Yokoyama, a training instructor and sign language interpreter.

While utilizing AI, I provide information for seniors and introduce books and gadgets.

Recently, I have been listing a large number of books on Mercari.

It serves as a way to organize my mother's belongings, and I also have a desire to tidy up my bookshelves, which have become too crowded at home.

Thankfully, sales have been decent.

They aren't exactly flying off the shelves, but people are purchasing them little by little.

In the midst of this, I faced a dilemma unique to Mercari.

Requests for price negotiations and bundle sales

When using Mercari, various inquiries arrive.

'Could you lower the price a little?'

'I would like to purchase this book and that book as a set.'

These are requests from prospective buyers.

I, too, would like to accommodate them as much as I can.

So, I change the prices or create bundle listings.

And, in those instances, what often appears is,

'Reserved for XX'

is the phrase used.

The reason for creating 'Reserved for XX'

The reason for creating a dedicated page is,

'I have changed the conditions just for you'.

is an expression of intent.

Once I have lowered the price or bundled items, I would prefer that the person who made the request purchases them.

That is why I add

'Reserved for XX'

to the product name.

If you are a Mercari user, you have surely seen this at least once.

However, someone else bought it

It happened one day.

After creating a reserved page, I was waiting for the requester to make the purchase.

However, someone else ended up buying the item.

I was surprised.

Then, that person said the following:

'Since XX isn't buying it quickly, what's the problem?'

'I want it too.'

Admittedly, I can understand that logic.

In fact, under Mercari's official rules, a reserved page does not have absolute authority.

There is also the perspective that the person who purchases first takes priority.

However, I chose to cancel

Even so, I said,

'I would like to give it to the person who requested it first.'

I told them that, and cancelled the purchase.

However, this process was much more difficult than I had imagined.

Entering the reason for cancellation.

Communicating with the other party.

Reporting to the headquarters.

Since these are tasks I don't usually experience, it was quite nerve-wracking.

The process finally ended, and I felt relieved.

And then, no one bought it.

However, the problem starts here.

The crucial 'XX' person wouldn't make the purchase.

One day.

Two days.

No matter how long I waited, the purchase notification never arrived.

From my perspective, I was holding the item specifically for that person.

However, during that time, it becomes difficult to sell to anyone else.

Well, what should I do?

The 'Reserved Culture' is quite difficult.

Mercari has a unique culture.

One of them is 'Reserved for XX'.

It is a system built on mutual goodwill, but it is not an official rule.

That is precisely why problems like this one sometimes occur.

Buyers have their own circumstances.

Sellers have their own circumstances.

And third parties also have a desire to purchase the item.

Even though no one is necessarily at fault, the situation can gradually become troublesome.

My own conclusion

What I thought about during this experience is the importance of setting a deadline.

For example,

Please purchase within 24 hours.

Or,

I will reserve this until [Date].

If I had written something like that, it might have been easier for both parties to understand.

Relying solely on good intentions can sometimes lead to awkwardness instead.

Setting rules is not cold; it might actually be a form of consideration for the other person.

Mercari is interesting for its human drama

When using Mercari, even though I am supposed to just be selling books, I encounter all sorts of human dynamics.

Price negotiations.

Bulk purchases.

Reserved pages.

Cancellations.

And then, the interaction with the buyer.

I feel like I'm learning about how to interact with people while I'm just trying to organize my books.

Now, about this book 'Reserved for XX'.

Should I wait a little longer?

Or should I return it to a regular listing?

I'm still staring at the Mercari screen today, worrying about it.

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