[Sandwich]

Is there any chance we can do away with non-poster classifieds? I would much rather buy a bike from a reputable member than some guy who signs up just to post his crappy old fixed gear.

Some websites have minimum post numbers before you're allowed to post a classified...maybe we can do that?

 

[binary visions]

People keep suggesting this.

Really, I only have trouble with zero-post ads in the classifieds if we start having problems with people buying from scammers. If nobody is getting screwed by these zero-post members, what is the trouble? Just because your preference is to buy from established members doesn't mean we should exclude those who just want to sell stuff, does it?

I guess my real question is: why? Where is the evidence that doing this would be a good thing? I haven't seen one single bad seller thread that was caused by a zero-post member.

Actually, most of the threads in there are against established members, so really I don't see that them simply having a number of posts provides any protection. Last several threads were against sellers with 1,071 posts, 863 posts, 1,024 posts, 14 posts, 5,158 posts, and 1 post.

So, only that last one is really questionable, and it would appear to me that the person making the purchase should have been more judicious in that particular case (the frame was posted for FAR under market value and it came to him in lousy shape). It also appears that he was actually shopping on Pinkbike and simply found the user here so it was outside of this issue anyway.

BTW, I'm not dismissing this idea, just putting forth my thoughts on it to see what others have to say. What I am seeing is that we would be reducing the number of bike parts for sale, but I don't see evidence that it would actually gain us anything.

What does everyone else think?

 

[JustMtnB44]

On a non-bike forum that I am a moderator for, we had a similar issue. We originally set it up so that there was a minimum post and/or time requirement for people to post stuff for sale. The idea was to keep people from using the site as free classifieds and not contributing anything useful to the community. Eventually though we dropped those rules, because sometimes people do have stuff to sell that is useful to other memebers, even if they don't contribute regularly to the site. And it can be better to buy/sell on a forum as opposed to sites like ebay.

So although I still like the idea of some minimum requirements for classifieds ads, I have to agree with BV that unless there is a problem with lots of spammers or something there is no real reason to change it. Just make sure whoever you are dealing with seems reptuable, and if it's a large purchase like a bike I would definitely speak to them on the phone before buying.

 

[demo 9]

In my opinion, it is a problem and here is why. On more than 1 occasion, i have purchased something on pinkbike, only to find it listed here 8 months later, with members messaging and posting about trying to buy it. I also see that most people that sign up here, post something, and forget the site at all, i have not been successful buying something on here yet. I will still try, but this way, they have to at least come on every once and a while, why not set it like a bank system, if you dont enter your account in ___ days, it terminates or some equivalent. While i DO NOT know the official ridemonkey stats, id say that 80% of the buy and sell, is either spam, sold, or is long forgotten.

 

[Sandwich]

In my opinion, it is a problem and here is why. On more than 1 occasion, i have purchased something on pinkbike, only to find it listed here 8 months later, with members messaging and posting about trying to buy it. I also see that most people that sign up here, post something, and forget the site at all, i have not been successful buying something on here yet. I will still try, but this way, they have to at least come on every once and a while, why not set it like a bank system, if you dont enter your account in ___ days, it terminates or some equivalent. While i DO NOT know the official ridemonkey stats, id say that 80% of the buy and sell, is either spam, sold, or is long forgotten.

I have to agree, to a degree. Would be nice to see ads expire after 30 days unless reposted, kind of like the feature pinkbike has.

I guess I just feel like there are a lot of questionable ads here. Maybe not all of them are spam or scammers, but good lord do a lot of them seem like it.

 

[JustMtnB44]

Would be nice to see ads expire after X days unless reposted, kind of like the feature pinkbike has.

I would agree with that. It can be hard to search the classifieds because I get results for things posted in 2008. A time limit would filter out those who never come back, and keep the ads up to date with items that are actually still for sale.

 

[SDH Racing]

I have to agree, to a degree. Would be nice to see ads expire after 30 days unless reposted, kind of like the feature pinkbike has.

Agreed but have you ever tried selling stuff on there, nothing but punk kids and low ballers 24/7 on that site.
PB is like the CraigsList of MTB sites...

 

[binary visions]

Can we separate out the two issues here?

I totally agree about the expiration on ads. I will look into something like that - at first glance, there doesn't appear to be an automated way.

Keep in mind, the search field contains a date filter; you can, yourself, restrict it to only 30 days old.

This is only marginally connected to banning 0-post users. I just did a search for ads 3 months old or older, and the results I'm seeing are pretty split: of the 32 ads I looked at, 21 were from members with a reasonable minimum post count (we'd have to make it low, like 15 or 20), and 11 were from members with zero or only a couple posts.

So it looks like our standing members are just as likely to leave their old ads up as those who join just to sell.

So on one hand, you're all definitely right: the old ads in the classifieds suck. I'll appreciate the suggestion and will definitely try and change that.

But again I ask: is this being caused by zero-post members?

 

[jonKranked]

kick it. 15 posts to list a classified. we need to sort out the riff raff

 

[binary visions]

kick it. 15 posts to list a classified. we need to sort out the riff raff

Not good enough. Why? What is the driving force? Are we having problems with the zero-post users?

 

[jonKranked]

Not good enough. Why? What is the driving force?

All the ad impressions I generate

 

[binary visions]

In case I sound like I'm resistant to blocking zero-post members, that's not really the case. What I'm resistant to do is making a change that limits the amount of for-sale items (thus limiting potential inventory in the classifieds and limiting our members' opportunity to buy what they need), without a good reason.

 

[Sandwich]

sorry to convolute my original topic...

I guess I just feel that, for the most part, this is more of a community than pinkbike or MTBR. I feel safer buying and selling with people who are an active part of the community. I also have to wonder how many zero poster ads are legit vs. scams. It seems to me like it would be very easy to eliminate ALL of the scammers by putting up a very small minimum...say 2-5 posts.

When I search for stuff, and I find what looks like a good deal, then I see that it's a non-poster, and I'm pretty much done. Too much risk of scam to bother. When it's an actual member, I might pursue it.

Take the stumpjumper in the classifieds right now. Good deal, nice bike. Guy wants to deal off RM (via email alone) doesn't respond to his emails, and wants to do COD. Could it be totally legit? Sure... Could it be a scam? Much more likely. I hope it's not, because I'd like to buy the bike!

Scams will always happen, and to your point about reputable posters scamming others- I hear that, and I've experienced it to a lesser degree. It will continue to happen no matter what. I guess I just feel like this is a very small filter that will reduce scammers exponentially.

 

[demo 9]

I kind of agree, See, if there is a problem with me selling something, i have 3000 something posts, if i were to rip a guy off, that **** comes right back to me, whether at the local hill, through emails, posts, i cant hide. Now if i am XXHardkore26folife and i have 0 posts and i rip somebody off, nobody can find me, or know who i am, worst case scenario, i can go and make a new name. I personally would like to see a post count, and relatively high, mayb 15? 20? I feel like 2 only sorts out scammers from nigeria, and leaves the rest for us.

*ill also note, that i feel like being a community member helps me alot, i just post what i am selling or looking or in the classafieds AND my sig, and i get information from the sig every time, from people who dont even list their stuff, but see that i look for it, and go "well i know him, he is legit" That is getting me a fox 40 right now.

 

[jonKranked]

XXHardkore26folife

haha i should create that as a troll account

 

[Dead Sailor]

haha i should create that as a troll account

Gotta have an alter ego.

 

[jonKranked]

Gotta have an alter ego.

actually it would be the alter ego for my alter ego

 

[binary visions]

FYI, classifieds older than 60 days are now going to be automatically purged out of the system. That should reduce some of the clutter (as was brought up here).

I still am not convinced that filtering out the zero-post users is useful. Please post up here or report the ads that appear to be spam and we will review them. Otherwise, I'd say it's like eBay: there is a mechanism to tell if the user meets your criteria as an established member, and that's up to you to filter out. Those who are okay buying from zero-post members should be able to do so, IMO.

Post up/report ads and if there's a reason to believe that it's a problem, we'll definitely address it.

 

[Sandwich]

Fair enough. Glad to see old junk filtered.