I am a telephone hypocrite. I hate hypocrisy. Therefore, this bothers me.

When I want to buy something, and I am very serious and know, or am fairly sure, that I want to buy it, I generally prefer to give the seller a phone call. If the seller has a phone number listed, I'll call it, and if not, I will always send my number along with my email.

Te be sure, I'll generally make more casual inquiries via email, and if they progress to a sale, I have no problem doing all communication that way. But if I KNOW I want that thing (snake, car, etc.), I'd prefer to talk on the phone. To me, the phone is a much more "serious" mode of communication -- email is cheap, but I'm not the kind to make a "casual" inquiry by telephone.

On the other hand ... When I get an inquiry from a buyer who requests (on the first email) that I call them up, my initial thought is, "No thanks, I'd rather not." Depending on the situation, I may or may not pick up the phone ... But I'd always rather sell via email.

Hence: telephone hypocrite.

What are your feelings on the phone -- buying and selling? And is it horribly wrong want to use the phone as a buyer, but not as a seller?