Agreed upon a trade with an individual for a brew. Other trader found out after a couple days that they cannot fulfill their end of the bargain by one of two beers. Additionally they found a brew that was part of my end of the trade in a local shop. Their solution was to cut out the beer they found from my offer and for me to pick another brew from a list I wasn't interested in. My question is am I wrong for canceling trade or is he/she wrong for not not getting the agreed upon beers and then changing the offer?
Don't think anyone's wrong. Sounds like something I'd file under Shit Happens. If they can't track down one of the initially agreed upon beers, it's perfectly reasonable for you to back out.
You're wrong for posting this. Trades fall apart, shit happens, move on, you're not out anything but a little bit of time.
I'm just asking as a new trader. I don't want to get a rep as a bad trader canceling a trade when it falls apart.
If you don't like the deal, you don't have to do it. It's that simple. No one should be put out if someone on the other side says "sorry, not interested". For the most part, it is considered somewhat bad form to offer for trade a beer that you don't actually have in your possession, although pre-trades do happen with some regularity.
Nobody is wrong until boxes are packed/shipped, unless your trading partner specifically went out and bought a beer for you and then you backed out or vice versa.
The only way it would matter is if you had an iron-clad agreement on the trade, and you then went out and bought bottles specifically for your partner that you are now stuck holding. Anything short of that, really no harm no foul. That said, if your partner is offering up a beer that he doesn't have, he should be damn clear about it to avoid these types of scenarios.
If a trade is agreed and addresses are exchanged, then a bargain is struck and each party should fulfill its end. Just my opinion. Cbeer88 is exactly right about being clear that a beer being offered is not in possession.
