Greed or Smart Business? by saiyan_mistress |  |
I always thought of myself as a nice person and I tried to be as considerate
as possible. When I had a few extra Neopoints, I would buy items such as Codestones
and Faeries for those who were in need but short on Neopoints. At the same time,
I played games fiercely and, although my shop prices are some of the lowest
according to the Shop Wizard, but I tried to make a profit. Still, I thought
I was being generous until someone labeled me as greedy.
How did this all come about? Well, I came into possession of an item that
easily sells for 500-600,000 Neopoints. Of course, I was ecstatic. I had no
use for the item, but I had never had that many Neopoints at one time - ever!
Before offering this item, I decided to advertise so I posted a message on the
Trading/Auctions message board. Sure enough, offers began pouring in and it
became clear I was going to make more than 600K. I couldn't believe my luck!
Then, I received a Neomail. An individual wanted this item, but didn't have
enough Neopoints. In fact, they were about 400,000 short of my highest bid.
As I said before, I try to be reasonable. I have taken lower bids before, but
I just couldn't see myself losing 400,000. I responded that I couldn't accept
their offer but told them how I acquired this item and that I would personally
help them in the attempt of obtaining their own.
The response came shortly. I was greedy. It was people like me that make it
hard for users who don't have as much Neopoints by charging outrageous prices.
I was floored. Was it true? Had I become greedy?
I thought about this for a long time. I remember that when I was poorer I
wanted, more than anything, to have a Starry Paint Brush for my Zafara.
Psst! Over here...
However, these brushes cost a lot more than I could afford. I tried and tried
to get one and practically begged for the brush. In the end, I managed to save
up enough Neopoints to buy one myself, but I would have appreciated if someone
had given me a hand. Yet, had I done the same thing? Did I turn my back on someone
in need?
I finally decided that my decision was not ultimately a bad one. I did trade
the original item, but it wasn't to the absolute highest bidder but to a polite
person who bid all they had. I lost about 5,000 on the deal, actually. It's
good to help others when you can, but you shouldn't put yourself in a bad position.
The user who dubbed me as greedy, actually had a lot more Neopoints than I did
before the transaction. I had a total of around 13,000 NP. To Newbies that may
sound like a lot, but it's not really. I think that I made the right decision,
but I still can't help but feel a bit guilty.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is this: Don't let others take advantage
of you. Being kind is great and should be practised, but there comes a point
where too much kindness works against you. |
