Basejumper.com - archive

Due to another thread (sort of) approaching my thoughts about selling kit I thought I would post this that I origianlly posted to the UKBB

http://www.basejumper.org/...fff;act=ST;f=1;t=252

After just refusing to sell my kit to someone due to

a) not having any BASE jumps
b) Giving me the name of a “mentor” who himself had little jumps

Does this advert sit well with you? (see below) – to me it sounds like it will be sold to just about anyone with the cash especially with the “packing lesson on request” statement………….

I don’t know maybe I am probably a little too over cautious and particular to whom I sell my kit to – just wondering what other peoples feelings are on selling second hand kit……

Do you check out peoples credentials first?
Do you enquire about a jumper if you don’t know them?
Would you sell to someone without jumps without being booked on a FJC?
Would you check with a manufacturer about someone first if they had told you they attended a FJC?

Im just interested in others approaches are and whether mine is way toooooooooooooo uptight!!!

Thanks people!


http://www.dropzone.com/....cgi?ID=6964&d=1


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would be interested in peoples thoughts here too..........

Thanks all!!

Be safe always!!

Yes.

In general, I'll ask the prospective buyer their level of experience, then I'll ask who their mentor is (or, if their experience level is a bit higher, who they jump with most often).

Then, I'll contact anyone I know in the area to inquire about them. I won't sell to someone with zero jumps. I will sell to their mentor, though, if that person seems a reasonable mentor to me.

And yes, I have called manufacturers to ask about people who had taken FJC's (or even gone on trips) with them. Heck, I've done that a couple times to inquire about someone's skills before taking them to do a jump.

What's the point in not checking around? The information is free, and more information about the buyer always helps--even if it only helps you jack up the price because everyone says "oh, yeah, he's got loads of cash..."

Pardon the interruption, for i am not a base jumper. I commend you guys for your ethics. I wish ALL canopies that were sold came with the same questions. Would we not have fewer problems than we do now? I say well done and keep it up.

Jeff

my point Tom with this post was

I refused to sell my gear to someone who told me they were booked on a FJC and had a mentor.

it turned out after I called some people and emailled some people that

1) he was not booked on an FJC
2) his "mentor" was someone that had done 5 PCA jumps a year ago and had not jumped since (plus additional info i got from someone else i am not willing to post public)

I then saw the DZ BASE classified advert (who I now know who is selling this and will be sending emails to tomo) advertises that packing lessons if wanted......... to me this means that if you dont jump i will teach you to pack and you can buy it..........

maybe I am being tooooooooo uptight about this - but this is in the UK and I dont want to see people doing this incorrectly in this country..............

dude i have seen skydivers sell sub 100 canopies to people that should not be flying them - at least BASE jumpers (i believe) will not sell BASE kit to someone that "should not be flying one"

its a shame as i think that some skydiving injuries could be stopped through this sort of selling and also the mindset that something is right for them and is clearly not.............

Swooping on a sub100 when not ready is just as dangerous as BASE............

but does not have the same fear so more people do it.............

Awesome.

edited to add: I mean your approach to selling gear and posting your ideas......Awesome.

I sold a rig to this guy in Denmark who was laid up with a busted leg. He couldn't even go do the money order deal himself. He had to have his girlfriend do it.

He said he did it on a BASE jump. That was enough for me. Sold!

Heard he's made a few jumps on that rig too.

cough, cough, 850, cough...

I know, that is why i said "goog job"

I still do not understand this either.


If not more so because they think they can handle it.


Of course not, they already learned to jump and land, what difference does a smaller parachute make??? I will never understand that kind of thinking.

Who cares, just get the cash upfront, and let the Darwin principal sort out the rest.

Sounds cold, but people should assume responsibility for their own actions.

You want to jump the sub 200' under hung cliff with no experience and sus gear off eBay; I aint going to stop you, won't hang around to watch though.

ha ha nice one Bro,Its all correct i couldnt even do the payment personaly.I couldnt even open the door for the post to give it to me(my gf later picked it up at the post office).

Actualy i think i showed you my web.I could info that i had 30 jumps at that point,but you probaly knew that as i have posted alot here and at Blinc while laying in my bed

the gear now has 50+ jumps on me,and never been above 400ft

I like it alot,but im not sure i would have sold it myself(im happy you sold it to me as its 100%as i would have ordered it..)to a person as i were at that time..You can talk double moral,i just guess i learned my lesson..

psst,even BASE813 went jaloux as he saw my gear,i guess he still jump his old "shit"he he

Mac hold on your (pink)hat,the Danish guy is headding your way,lets count 1-2 days

I guess I was just making a funny, but still, I think some folks are making a lot more out of this than need be.

If someone passes the requirements set by the manufacturers, why not sell it to that person? The manufacturer would. The buyer could lie to you just as easily as they could lie to the manufacturer. Now that some folks have posted what they ask, someone will be much better prepared for the questioning and have all their lies ready. With a little research, they can talk the talk, and you'll probably never know if they can walk the walk (unless Nick has to update the list with their name).

So, who's responsibility is the safety of the person who wants your gear? I'd take a little of it, and talk to him enough to say I was comfortable with his experience and his basic understanding of BASE, but ultimately, I think the bulk of the responsibility rests firmly on the shoulders of the buyer. If someone is gonna make a bunch of shit up so they can get a rig and go jump off the roof of their 6th story office building, Darwin will catch up to him sooner or later. That may be bad press for BASE, but can we really police every aspect of this stuff and prevent every dumb motherfucker from committing suicide with a rig on his back?

Faber, I am really very happy you got what you wanted, and you are jumping the fuck out of it. I do miss it as it sure is a lot more stealthy than my new rig.

There is a rig in the UK that made it to its third owner before being jumped. As the second owner tried (unsuccessfully) to sell it to a sort-of-interested party the following was overheard....

"So why do you have four pilot chutes?"

People this clueless should not be sold gear

Jules

doesnt appear to be anything you can do about it except to refine your own personal ethics. People are going to do whatever they want and sell whatever they want whether you like it or not.