Selling on CC

[Crackle]

I've seen a system implemented on other sites whereby you cannot sell unless you have a certain number of posts and have been a member for so long.

It crossed my mind, after recent For Sale's that the system might be useful here? The aim of the whole thing is to stop buyers being taken advantage of and only sellers known on the forum could sell.

 

[summerdays]

I wouldn't buy from anyone who just came on and their only post was to try and sell a bike, but I do see what you mean. And a couple of times I have reported posts where it just seems to be spam selling (same post on multiple boards of multiple items), and it might stop those posts but probably not as they tend to post to more than one category.

 

[Shaun]

It's technically do-able, I'll have a think about it.

 

[dellzeqq]

It is useful, but you will get the hundred posts in ten minutes brigade. Out of interest, Shaun, how many commercial or spam posts get offed in a week?

 

[peanut]

he's not up yet ..

 

[spandex]

It is useful, but you will get the hundred posts in ten minutes brigade. Out of interest, Shaun, how many commercial or spam posts get offed in a week?

The thing is if they do not know how many posts are needed ie "Sorry you can not post here at this time" there is no way they can find out?

 

[Crackle]

Well the answer would be in the sticky at the top or in FAQ.

The system I'd seen implemented conferred trader status below your name in your posts, so it was clearly visible to people. It did it automatically. I think the criteria was a 100 posts and 3 months membership, each had to be fulfilled.

Where it was implemented was a busier forum with a lot more selling which obviously they'd had trouble with and decided to police it more carefully. It's a suggestion for here, it may not be needed but it just struck me that forum selling depends more on trust than just placing a clasiffied. I mean if I sell on here, I don't generally wait for payment, I just bung the stuff in the post, I trust people and they trust me. It's how it should be but I wouldn't buy off someone new to the forum until I new them, the suggestion is just an extension of that.

The downside is it lowers the potential for people to post one-off sales within the forum but I've seen few of them that are not advertised elsewhere anyway or more pertinent, quite a few controversial sales where someone has joined to sell something and it's just turned into a slanging match.

 

[peanut]

I think its a good idea too because there are so many scammers and fraudsters out there at the moment.

The other side of the coin is the young lad that cycled 50+ miles in the pouring rain and feezing cold to buy some Campag gruppo off me last month. Honest as the day is long .

 

[dellzeqq]

I think forums are on to a loser on this one, and that there is no ready answer. We've had difficulties on the CTC forum with traders masquerading as non-traders, and some really ugly fights over goods not being what they were supposed to be. The rule in the case of the first one is to ban the user, and in the second to spend a great deal of time corresponding with the buyer and seller. It all adds to the work that goes on behind the scenes - the CTC forum has three or four people who devote a considerable amount of time to keeping it in shape, and my question above was really about the amount of work that goes in to this forum that most of us won't see.

You're not going to win all of them. If a post in 'for sale' by a new poster appears all over the internet you do wonder if the poster's main interest in the forum has more to do with selling stuff than with the forum. For what it's worth I always look at posting history of a seller, and, if he or she is selling a bunch of similar stuff over a period of time then I think 'small trader' and stay clear, and, equally, if their only posts are in the 'for sale' section I stay clear.

However - the good news is that I have bought a bike from a 'for sale' column on a forum and it was exactly as described.








The bad news is that it was a Kirk Precision.

 

[TheDoctor]

However - the good news is I have bought a bike from a 'for sale' column on a forum and it was exactly as described.








The bad news is that it was a Kirk Precision.

Would you like to sell it?
*really doesn't need any more bikes*

 

[MacB]

very tricky area, and has become worse since I first started using the net and forums.

I'm with Crackle in attitude on this one, though I accept our attitudes aren't always realistic. I consider CC my cycling home on the web and I have a golf home, on the web, as well. They almost become extended families for me and, as such, I dislike the facility, and the goodwill, being abused. I've also been known to send stuff on the basis of 'pay me if you're happy', never yet been let down on that one. I'd also rather give stuff away to younger members than have it gathering dust in the garage or go to the hassle of trying to make a couple of quid on e-bay. I haven't built up that much cycling stuff yet, but you'd be amazed at how much golf stuff has been given away over the years.

As I tend to take part in things, ie actually turn up and ride a bike/play golf, buying and selling becomes self policing. As a rule I deal with people that I've met or that are known to another I've met. If you get involved it's surprising how broad a circle of contacts this gives you.

A good example is the book raffle, I have read on, passed it on, and am awaiting the arrival of my second book.

 

[dellzeqq]

Would you like to sell it?
*really doesn't need any more bikes*

not to somebody I was fond of, or, indeed, I would ever meet again. And not for anything remotely like the money I spent on it.

 

[TheDoctor]

I may be reading far too much into this, but do I get the idea you aren't quite 100% enamoured of the cast magnesium goodness?

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm just not used to sitting on something that behaves like a suet pud. Oh - sorry, forgot the Brompton. It's not as bad as the Brompton.

 

[tdr1nka]

It's not as bad as the Brompton.

F*gg*n' H*ll Dell!

That's a bit harsh even for you!