i try not to be a PITA and make suggestions on how to run things around here.....but i just thought of something that might help out.
as we all know the classifieds section has recently become a cespool of scammers and theives. but the question is "what can we do to stop it"? some people have suggested we have a rating system like ebay. but there are two main problems with that. the first is that dave has no way to actually track what transactions take place, whereas ebay does. and two, there will most likely be an abuse of the feedback system, much like ebay has. maybe someone has to wait a week longer than expected and so he leaves neg. feedback. so then the seller is pissed and leaves neg feedback in retalliation.
what i am suggesting is this: put restrictions on who can post an ad in the classifieds. make it so that you have to either be a member for X amount of time (lets say like 6 months). that way people cant join and post ads in the same day.
or maybe you could make it so that the person has to have X amount of posts per month (maybe 15-20). even the people who mainly read and dont post alot can get 15 posts per month.
anyway...these are just suggestions that might help clean up the classifieds. discuss the pros and cons that you guys see in it. and if anyone else has any other suggestions that they would like to add, please feel free to do so. lets just do something to clean this place up. im sick of seeing people getting ripped off.
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i'd rather see an aproval process similar to the GP forum (but i doubt Dave and the moderators would want to waste their time with that).
i'd rather see premium ONLY access, but then again i never look to the classifieds for my stuff anyways....
some of the other car sites ive been to have trader status... maybe u cant sell stuff until u build up ur credability or something of that nature
here comes the boost!
premium ONLY status and a member for 6 months
Dave should just have all members putting their names and addresses of the stuff they want to be sent to before they are varified for being members. That way we can send the stuff to the addy that the person supplied. Any only those who has their Name, Address, Phone number. and E-mail supplied before they can become a member. Sets a better protection because the buyer or the seller can both identify the person with their info available.
6 Months or more you can buy
Premium members are the only ones that can sell.
Why the restriction on who can buy?? As long as money is sent before you send the item, the buyer can't really scam you.
But I do agree that when I look through the classifieds, there are several suspicious ads.
i think that all sale ads should be required to have pictures of the items that are for sale
Get rid of the classifieds section that we have, and replace it with a buy/sell/trade forum.
If we could repond to for sale posts, it would make it more difficult for scammers.
Other boards I belong to (Buy/Sell/Trade forums) don't really have much of a problem in the way of scammers.
Some damn good ideas floating around in here. I agree something needs to change.
Shaner wrote:Get rid of the classifieds section that we have, and replace it with a buy/sell/trade forum.
If we could repond to for sale posts, it would make it more difficult for scammers.
Other boards I belong to (Buy/Sell/Trade forums) don't really have much of a problem in the way of scammers.
sounds like a plan to me
hmmmm.... I am confused, and the Blonde genius that is me,
does not easily get confused
Shaner wrote:Get rid of the classifieds section that we have, and replace it with a buy/sell/trade forum.
If we could repond to for sale posts, it would make it more difficult for scammers.
Other boards I belong to (Buy/Sell/Trade forums) don't really have much of a problem in the way of scammers.
I like that idea and totally agree with it
But, bandwith always has to be questioned and being able to respond to tons of for sale threads would increase bandwith and could cause issues with the site. That my 2 cents, but I love your idea!
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Shaner wrote:Get rid of the classifieds section that we have, and replace it with a buy/sell/trade forum.
If we could repond to for sale posts, it would make it more difficult for scammers.
Other boards I belong to (Buy/Sell/Trade forums) don't really have much of a problem in the way of scammers.
That's how s10forum is setup, I love it, great way to do things.
I am down for that. I scower the classifieds like a Hawk but I am really leary of purchasing stuff on there cause I never know if it is a scam or not. Their are some people on there that I have seen and talked to on the boards that i would buy from but I would just not buy from anyone off there. Like Travie Rowe. I see he has like 50 million things go through the classifieds and in all his discriptions he always says "I just took this off my car"
but yes something needs to be done about the classifieds.
Jim
i like the buy,sell trade forum also. maybe add a seller/buyer feedback area so everyone can say so and so is a great seller or so and so screwed me out of my money. sellers should also have to contact dave for permission to sell any item like in GP
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As for the rating system... I'm going to set up a site (or try to again) for a rating system on JBO. Warnings about certain people and a plcae where they cand defend them selves. Thats an idea for a while.
As for who can sell, I think that allowing on premium members access to the classifieds isn't going to be good. I've bought many items from non-premo members.
How about a premium classifieds? Another incentive to becomming premium. Safer buying. If we can have 2 AGs... Why can't we have our own classifieds.
Wait for the rating system. That is if I don't get bombarded by hate emails again.
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i think anyone should be able to buy from the classifieds, and for the most part, anyone should be able to sell too. the only exception might be like i suggested with the time limit before you can list.
the classifieds forum is a really good idea. it will allow people to respond to it, etc. if you are worried about bandwith, get rid of the AAG forum. or the 1st 2nd 3rd gen forums.
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I like the classifieds forum idea. Being able to post questions or comments about what's being sold would be a good idea... and I like the idea of a time limit on when you can post stuff up for sale. Maybe depending on the value of the item or amount of money being asked to the time of required membership? ex:
Something over $2,000 you have to be a member for 9 months or a year
somethign under $1000 6 months? Something like that???
As far as bandwith... maybe make it possible for someone to delete their post on what they're selling after the item is sold? Might that help save bandwith?
Yeah, get rid of AAG and 1,2,3. They hardly get traffic anyway. Especially AAG
