To sell or to buy, that is the question

[PaleoFishGirl]

I could see that idea working, s0me, but if we restricted it to positive feedback only.  Opinions?

[BigDaddy]

Believe me.. it would get abused.  Someone would sign up with two different accounts and use the one to bump up the rep of the other...  happens on eBay all the time

[beowulf]

I could see that idea working, s0me, but if we restricted it to positive feedback only.  Opinions?

Depends on the work for the APW

On a side note....what are the little stars by our names?  At first I thought that was feedback.

[beowulf]

Believe me.. it would get abused.  Someone would sign up with two different accounts and use the one to bump up the rep of the other...  happens on eBay all the time

Is there not a way to monitor this using IP's?

[s0me]

You would need to do both positive and negative. What if a person has a back feedback, but the user only sees positive info from the seller?

This could work well, there would be restrictions in place i.e. double accounts, which can easily be resolved.

Anyways, it was just a suggestion, take it as you want.

[PaleoFishGirl]

I don't really see a problem with people saying nice things about each other - I don't think we need the negative feedback.  It should be pretty clear that something is wrong if the same person keeps giving glowing feedback to a particular seller.  On the other hand, reputable people with whom good transactions occur can get praise. 

As for people that aren't receiving any positive feedback, well, caveat emptor. 

[lucky777]

Personally I don't think any of the above ideas would work for this site (no offense).  I say you  leave it just as it is.  The word of mouth between people is just as effective since this is just a small site and it seems that its usually the same people on here day after day and most people seem to know each other.

[charlie]

I don't really see a problem with people saying nice things about each other - I don't think we need the negative feedback.  It should be pretty clear that something is wrong if the same person keeps giving glowing feedback to a particular seller.  On the other hand, reputable people with whom good transactions occur can get praise. 

As for people that aren't receiving any positive feedback, well, caveat emptor. 

Agreed

[PaleoFishGirl]

Hey guys I moved all the forum stars posts and marzipan pigs out of here...

[babblefish1960]

Insofar as having some sellers ratings for view, it is impractical and not conducive to the friendly family club website we are trying to evoke here.

Unfortunately, there will always be folk travelling through, that believe it is okay to look on friends as marks, or abuse their trust, or whatever. Policing this is fraught with many problems and makes for a very cold welcome.

Nelson mentioned some time ago, regarding this very topic, that we eventually learn who we won't do business with in either direction for a number of reasons. Reputations are fragile when shady deals occur.

This town is too small to have a neighbour continually throwing his garbage over the fence into your yard without someone sitting up and taking notice.

Sadly, feelings get hurt and some will be miffed over some transactions, it is unavoidable, but we all keep a list in our heads of who we won't deal with in the future. So in essence, burning bridges eventually catches up, and you can't cross the river anymore.

[charlie]

I think that a good joes list (without the bad joes)  would lend to a warm friendly site , because I think that 98% of the buy / sell experiences on this site are good ones & will encourage the other 2% to shape up or ship out  , this will make experiences for new comers much more pleasant.
only my opinion charlie

[PaleoFishGirl]

Thanks, that was what I was trying to say, too

[s0me]

See I am not just full of good looks, I have good ideas too!

* s0me waits for "full of xxx" jokes!

[babblefish1960]

I think that a good joes list (without the bad joes)  would lend to a warm friendly site , because I think that 98% of the buy / sell experiences on this site are good ones & will encourage the other 2% to shape up or ship out  , this will make experiences for new comers much more pleasant.
only my opinion charlie

Though I am unable to see how anything of this magnitude could be implimented without causing greater problems over the long run, you are very correct about one surmise, and that would be that the larger group will begin to see through the various nefarious ne'er-do-wells who come here to prey on the trusting. This will in the long term reduce the chance of strikes from these predators as the herd circles around to show horns. Don't you just love musk-ox?

[beowulf]

Another thing I hate and have noticed more and more IS THE USE OF CAPITAL LETTERS.  It seems people might think that using the uppercase will make it stand out and make people want to buy it more.  IMO it is only annoying and makes me thing the person is yelling at me. I guess many people are not aware that on boards like this uppercase writting is seen as yelling.

[DavidJohnson]

I think that a good joes list (without the bad joes)  would lend to a warm friendly site , because I think that 98% of the buy / sell experiences on this site are good ones & will encourage the other 2% to shape up or ship out  , this will make experiences for new comers much more pleasant.
only my opinion charlie

The problem with just a good joes list is that the new sellers/buyers, who may very well be a good joe, won't make that list and unforunately might then not be a trusted seller/buyer.  I have bought stuff from 3 or 4 different people from here and have had no problems and as you point out, 98% of people have no problems.  I would actually prefer a bad joe list which is moderated.  People who have had a bad experience could send a report of their bad experience to a moderator.  A moderator would then decide whether that person should be on the bad joe list to warn the rest of us.  The moderator could even give a warning to the culprit before putting him on the bad joe list to encourage them to get their act together.  Missing one or two meetings to buy or sell something might get a warning from a moderator.  Missing several meetings would get you on the bad joe list.  But ultimately, if someone is trying to scam me or deceive me or is a chronic no-show then I want to know about it and if someone isn't going to buy/sell fairly and with basic politeness and respect for others, I couldn't care less if their feelings get hurt by getting placed on a bad joes list.  It is their own fault.  I would just rather have people assume that anyone not on the bad joe list is a good joe than have people assume anyone not on the good joe list is a bad joe.

Either way, I think having a moderator for any list is a good idea.  It'll dramatically reduce the chances of abuse.

[babblefish1960]

I must agree with you beowulf, capital letters throughout unnecessarily is simply yelling, and no one likes to be yelled at, be nice folks and turn off the caps lock.

Though this is an interesting reverse construct of the good joe's list, it lacks something still, and that would have to be that having a sheet that pigeon holes a person as a saint or a nogoodnik is something that is not very friendly, everyone will have their own ideas of who should be on either list, and it isn't something that we want to get into.

It is enough to say that a website will always attract predators, especially where money is being exchanged, but we aren't police, and the best we can say about it is caveat emptor,(buyer beware) it is your money, go into private sales with your eyes wide open, and you too will develop your own list of who you like to do business with, and who you don't. Word of mouth travels fast, and the bad actors smarten up, or give up, as they can't find marks any longer.

Though this isn't the answer that everyone was looking for, this isn't eBay, and they're being sued anyway. As a small yet growing fish club, once you've seen a few faces at the meetings and spoken with people, you develop a sense of who is naughty and who is nice, some people will always have a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking.