Is it just me that gets annoyed with Ebay redirects here on this forum. I check most ads to see if anything tempts me. Sometimes I buy on impulse. Everytime i open an Ebay redirect ad, its an immediate turnoff and whats more says nothing about what is being sold, its just a weblink.
If i want to shop on ebay, then i'll go onto their site and view/shop. Currently, I don't as I dont trust it, know people who've been stung and know Ebay business traders who have to pay ebay loads of dosh to trade and adhere to their (unreasonable in my view) ways of doing business.
I could sympathise a bit if the seller made it known that they would gladly withdraw it off ebay should someone on here be interested.
I see ACF have a clear "no ebay sales" instruction on their forum
hows about as a half way measure stating its an Ebay sale in the title - then we know not to view.
grumpy old man's got that off his chest.
Ebay redirects - poll
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piedwagtail91
- Posts: 258
- Joined: 23 Jan 2007, 9:18pm
If I advertise and the particular thing is on Ebay-I state that i will withdraw it for CTC buyer. The trouble with CTC list, is that it takes days/weeks for people to make up their minds. Ebay it either sells or it does not, plus its a bigger audience and payment is faster too.
I do agree in principal with the first post. ACF is another kettle of fish entirely as its run with a rod of iron!
John.
I do agree in principal with the first post. ACF is another kettle of fish entirely as its run with a rod of iron!
John.
hows about as a half way measure stating its an Ebay sale in the title - then we know not to view.
If people generally dislike opening adds to find that they are ebay redirects then we could instigate this rule (as I believe STW do) - how many people think that it would improve the forum ?
regarding ACF, the reason for no ebay was that Sam got income from the adds there (when the sellers were good enough to make a donation upon completion of the sale - I'm sure that they all do). If ebay ads had been allowed then it would not have been possible to tell if the buyer found the ad via ACF or directly via ebay and so Sam might have lost out (these contributions helped pay for the forum). However, as this forum does not gain financially from adds it was decided that ebay redirects be allowed.
Pigman - I hope that you don't mind me adding a poll to your original post
I don't want ebay redirects.
I feel that if someone advertises on here, it's aimed at the users of this site.
"Blanket Bombing" by advertising everywhere at once may get quick results, but it's messy and not very intimate. Granted, advertising on here is a bit slow, and even hit-and-miss, but it works.
This forum is it's own community, it's like the letters pages of a magazine. I know some folk only register to sell stuff, but hopefully they'll become drawn into this community.
I feel that if someone advertises on here, it's aimed at the users of this site.
"Blanket Bombing" by advertising everywhere at once may get quick results, but it's messy and not very intimate. Granted, advertising on here is a bit slow, and even hit-and-miss, but it works.
This forum is it's own community, it's like the letters pages of a magazine. I know some folk only register to sell stuff, but hopefully they'll become drawn into this community.
Mick F. Cornwall
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36781
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I've plumped for the middle option, but with little confidence it will work. My reasoning is that so long as people are open, most things are OK. Unfortunately, even the simplest rules seem to be beyond some people. We still get ads with the subject line 'wanted' with nothing else mentioned, or the nature of the goods but no clue as to whether they are being sold or sought.
If basic, obvious things like that are overlooked or misunderstood, what hope for something like this?
If basic, obvious things like that are overlooked or misunderstood, what hope for something like this?
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ncutler
- Moderator
- Posts: 1493
- Joined: 23 Apr 2007, 5:29pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland Lancashire
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I would prefer NOT to allow people to advertise ebay sales here.
I don't have a problem with ebay itself [ I have sold several items there, very happily, and corresponded with some very pleasant people, but my view may be coloured by the fact that I was more interested in finding a second home for old cameras etc than trying to make any money ].
I find I get very irritated by people who post only in order to drum-up interest in their ebay auctions: bad form if you ask me. These posts do nothing to further the sense of community here: they are a Neasdy commercial intrusion that the forum can do without.
Nick
I don't have a problem with ebay itself [ I have sold several items there, very happily, and corresponded with some very pleasant people, but my view may be coloured by the fact that I was more interested in finding a second home for old cameras etc than trying to make any money ].
I find I get very irritated by people who post only in order to drum-up interest in their ebay auctions: bad form if you ask me. These posts do nothing to further the sense of community here: they are a Neasdy commercial intrusion that the forum can do without.
Nick
Not allowing e-bay redirects will simply mean more work for the mods, removing the e-bay related posts.
Insisting on "e-bay" warnings in the title simply makes more work for the mods. Lets face it the number of posters that already forget to put "For Sale" or "Wanted" in the title is infuriating enough, never mind a clear description of the item and where else it's for sale. Who's going to have to put it right, the mods.
So I'll settle for the status quo and let the mods get on with the moderating.
Insisting on "e-bay" warnings in the title simply makes more work for the mods. Lets face it the number of posters that already forget to put "For Sale" or "Wanted" in the title is infuriating enough, never mind a clear description of the item and where else it's for sale. Who's going to have to put it right, the mods.
So I'll settle for the status quo and let the mods get on with the moderating.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
gaz wrote:Insisting on "e-bay" warnings in the title simply makes more work for the mods. .... So I'll settle for the status quo and let the mods get on with the moderating.
In principle youre right - I dont want to pass more work onto some volunteers cos of my personal gripe. But .... i'll wager that like the (I assume) mass majority of forum users they access every "For Sale " thread out of curiosity anyhow. Once opened, is it not just a simple "delete" action for those that havent conformed to what the forum requires. In addition, theres more than just moderators - theres the administrators and now the spam busters, the last of these may be most appropriate as I see these ebay redirects as a form of spam.
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ncutler
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gaz wrote:Not allowing e-bay redirects will simply mean more work for the mods, removing the e-bay related posts.
I would be perfectly happy to zap a few 'ebay' posts - it doesn't take very long. I would want to send a brief PM to the perpetrator with the reason for doing it, but that isn't onerous either.
Nick
Ebay posts
I disagree. I think that it is a useful service for people to advertise ebay posts here. We are a niche audience and, as others have said, sometimes buy on impulse. There have been ebay redirects here that I have found very valuable, about which I would not have known were they not here.
As a courtesy - and to increase interest - I would advise those posting ebay links to include a full description on this site.
As a buyer, I would prefer a fixed price. As a seller, I feel rather different. Some items I am happy to see go for a jumble sale price. If they are of use to someone else, great, and I get a few quid.
With higher value items, it is understandable that sellers want to get the best price.
The starting complaint was that it was bothersome to check a post only to find that it is an ebay link. Agreed - but is it really so bothersome that you don't want to know about those items? I can live with a few blind alleys if they mean that I am seeing more of the market.
As a courtesy - and to increase interest - I would advise those posting ebay links to include a full description on this site.
As a buyer, I would prefer a fixed price. As a seller, I feel rather different. Some items I am happy to see go for a jumble sale price. If they are of use to someone else, great, and I get a few quid.
With higher value items, it is understandable that sellers want to get the best price.
The starting complaint was that it was bothersome to check a post only to find that it is an ebay link. Agreed - but is it really so bothersome that you don't want to know about those items? I can live with a few blind alleys if they mean that I am seeing more of the market.
Ebay posts
I disagree. I think that it is a useful service for people to advertise ebay posts here. We are a niche audience and, as others have said, sometimes buy on impulse. There have been ebay redirects here that I have found very valuable, about which I would not have known were they not here.
As a courtesy - and to increase interest - I would advise those posting ebay links to include a full description on this site.
As a buyer, I would prefer a fixed price. As a seller, I feel rather different. Some items I am happy to see go for a jumble sale price. If they are of use to someone else, great, and I get a few quid.
With higher value items, it is understandable that sellers want to get the best price.
The starting complaint was that it was bothersome to check a post only to find that it is an ebay link. Agreed - but is it really so bothersome that you don't want to know about those items? I can live with a few blind alleys if they mean that I am seeing more of the market.
As a courtesy - and to increase interest - I would advise those posting ebay links to include a full description on this site.
As a buyer, I would prefer a fixed price. As a seller, I feel rather different. Some items I am happy to see go for a jumble sale price. If they are of use to someone else, great, and I get a few quid.
With higher value items, it is understandable that sellers want to get the best price.
The starting complaint was that it was bothersome to check a post only to find that it is an ebay link. Agreed - but is it really so bothersome that you don't want to know about those items? I can live with a few blind alleys if they mean that I am seeing more of the market.
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DaveLeighton
- Posts: 82
- Joined: 13 Apr 2007, 9:09pm
- Location: Hemingbrough, North Yorkshire
Ebay links
I don't see that theres a problem. If you don't want to follow the link, don't click it!
...above us only sky...
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Jeckyll_n_Snyde
- Posts: 312
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- Location: On a globe avoiding Flat Earth NUTTERS
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ncutler wrote:I find I get very irritated by people who post only in order to drum-up interest in their ebay auctions: bad form if you ask me. These posts do nothing to further the sense of community here: they are a Neasdy commercial intrusion that the forum can do without.
I agree 100%
ban-em...ban-em all!!!
bah-humbug
‘MALE by the evolutionary process of natural selection
Heterosexual by choice
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Heterosexual by choice
Atheist by the grace of G**