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Can't BUMP in Items Wanted?


Jigster
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The concept does need a rethink and it is in the works, can't see any harm in raising suggestions :)

Unfortunately, too many members were using the Wanted section as a way of offering trades, both in the OP and in responses, and avoiding the fees of the classifieds. It was taking a little too much of the mod team's time to delete offending posts so in the end the temporary solution was to effectively lock all threads. The minority ruined it for the majority, as it always seems to be.

By the way, you are most welcome to post new threads after a 'reasonable' amount of time as was suggested above, however please make sure you let the forum moderator know first so they can delete your old one :)

Edited by Kev
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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1392580368' post='2370332']
I don't see a problem with having to pay fees to place a wanted ad. It IS an ad after all.
[/quote]

Unfortunately, it's not just been the OP who's caused the problem but people responding to the ad.

Something like:
Wanted - 5 string Bass, willing to pay up to £250.

Was producing things like:
I'm selling a Mesa Boogie combo - £450

We had one memorable response consisting of some 30 items, none of which even vaguely matched the item being sought.

The easiest solutions are often the most unpalatable, so the current measures are the best we could do at the time.

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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1392580368' post='2370332']
I don't see a problem with having to pay fees to place a wanted ad. It IS an ad after all.
[/quote]

Free 'Wanted' ads isn't an issue. Folks replying openly to free 'Wanted' ads with their own unpaid 'For Sale' ad [i]was [/i]an issue, and removing open replies to 'Wanted' ads was the solution, at least for now. Replies can still be made to 'Wanted' ads by Private Message.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I think this is a problem. Lots of people who might be potential sellers probably don't watch the Items Wanted forum and, with no ability to bump, blink an eye and your advert is on page 7 and completely ignored/forgotten

Is there no way that [u]only[/u] the poster can bump the thread (ie, so that noone can try and covertly sell, avoiding fees by replying)?

As it stands the Items Wanted forum is decidedly sub-optimal IMHO

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394814978' post='2395571']
Is there no way that [u]only[/u] the poster can bump the thread (ie, so that noone can try and covertly sell, avoiding fees by replying)?
[/quote]

No, we looked into that at the time as it was our number one plan, but the forum software doesn't currently allow that degree of granularity.

The best we can offer at the moment is that you post a new wanted ad (just copy and paste it) and let a moderator know so they can do some housekeeping to delete the old one - maybe hit the Report button on the original ad and type 'delete me' into the text field?

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394814978' post='2395571']...Lots of people who might be potential sellers probably don't watch the Items Wanted forum...[/quote]

If this is the case (and it may be, I don't know...), how would bumping help..? Further still: if there are so many ads being placed, all being bumped, the effect is the same as today, no..? :unsure:

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OK thanks icastle but that just entails (potentially) a load more hassle for the mods. Do the stats suggest that the site was missing tons of fees by people taking advantage of Items Wanted threads? I rather doubt that was the case as anyone wishing to sell would know that they would get a guaranteed wider audience and potentially better price by simply posting a For Sale thread.

Seems to me a re-think should be at least considered

Edited by Clarky
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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1394816785' post='2395606']
If this is the case (and it may be, I don't know...), how would bumping help..? Further still: if there are so many ads being placed, all being bumped, the effect is the same as today, no..? :unsure:
[/quote]
People bump ads at different rates and - even if people don't keep a close watch on Items Wanted - the top thread appears on the home page

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394816957' post='2395608']
People bump ads at different rates and - even if people don't keep a close watch on Items Wanted - the top thread appears on the home page
[/quote]

Ok, thanks; I've learnt something. I never see the home page, so I'd not seen that. B)

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In short, BassChat might miss some fees from the odd naughty seller but this isn't going to the bring the site down (if someone REALLY doesn't want to pay fees then they wouldn't pay to use BassChat anyway and would use Gumtree or the like). Restoring the old system would allow bumping and useful discussion, (eg, "I want a VT Bass pedal?" "Really, have you tried the new VT2 its got a DI." "OK thanks, maybe I should get one of those instead" etc etc )

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394816825' post='2395607']
OK thanks icastle but that just entails (potentially) a load more hassle for the mods. Do the stats suggest that the site was missing tons of fees by people taking advantage of Items Wanted threads? I rather doubt that was the case as anyone wishing to sell would know that they would get a guaranteed wider audience and potentially better price by simply posting a For Sale thread.
[/quote]

At the time we locked 'Wanted' down it was a real issue (we wouldn't have done it otherwise).
Now it's locked, those original issues are no longer there, but we realise that others have replaced them.

To be perfectly frank, as soon as paid advertising came in, we were seeing all sorts of concerted attempts to 'beat' the system.

We still see people trying it on (do people [b]really[/b] think that valuing their Fender bass for £0 will go un-noticed? :D), but we now have the tools and experience to shut those down pdq.

Although 'Wanted' sits in the Marketplace, it doesn't actually involve any interaction with the payment gateway and that's where the difficulties arise.

One solution would have been to close it off to anyone who's not paid a fee - but we rejected that on the grounds that it just didn't feel right to charge people for looking for something.

Making the ads 'bumpable' by the OP was looked into, but it wasn't possible from a technical perspective - perhaps it will be after the software upgrade, I don't know yet.

Anyhow, we are where we are with it and the mod team like it as much as everyone else does.

As for not wanting to cause the mods extra work, please don't worry about it - the rest of them need the exercise anyway. ;)

EDIT: And you know I'm man enough to cope with your Marketplace needs. ;):D

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I think that it is weird that you aren't allowed to reply to something incase someone offers the thing for sale without paying the fee but if you PM them then you can do that?


Edit. I would like to add that I appreciate all the things that the Mods do and that I have nothing against Basschat. It's just one of those things.

Edited by Myke
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[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395087843' post='2398587']
I think that it is weird that you aren't allowed to reply to something incase someone offers the thing for sale without paying the fee but if you PM them then you can do that?


Edit. I would like to add that I appreciate all the things that the Mods do and that I have nothing against Basschat. It's just one of those things.
[/quote]

It's an imperfect system that we pulled the plug on.

The issue was people posting 'I want a Bass' and people responding with 'I've got an effects pedal I'm selling'.

Generally, the usual p*ss takers who'd already tried selling their £1000 bass with a £0 valuation and got caught.

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This is getting irksome now.

I've already stated that if you feel your Wanted ad needs bumping then just repost it - it has exactly the same effect.

I've explained, on numerous occasions, why the decision was taken to lock down the Wanted forum.

I've explained that we will be taking another look at Wanted to see if we can find a way to give an appropriate degree of functionality back to it.

I've also been up front and stated that it's not a high priority piece of work in comparison to some of the other pieces of work.

Honestly, moaning about it every two weeks is not going to make it happen any faster.

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[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1395090409' post='2398635']
It's an imperfect system that we pulled the plug on.

The issue was people posting 'I want a Bass' and people responding with 'I've got an effects pedal I'm selling'.

Generally, the usual p*ss takers who'd already tried selling their £1000 bass with a £0 valuation.
[/quote]

Wow.. I'm still surprised at how stupid people are..

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