FM forum on a high horse?
DoctorIt
Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
Sorry, but I have to vent a little frustration here. Everyone's recommended it, so finally last week, I logged on to FM to look for some used gear for me, and for a friend as well. This morning, I saw a post for a 300D kit... I thought the price was rather high based on some kits that have sold here, so I posted this:
not being a smartass, price seems high, can you do better? (interested)
to which some do-gooder responded:
[font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]doctorit, no matter what the reason you should not be in another sellers thread saying their price is too high, even if your trying not to be a "smartass." You are violating forum rules in the first place and the seller has a right to a asking price, if you want you can PM him but not crap on his thread.
From fredmiranda's rules and guidelines, maybe you should read them sometime:
You are not a "price police":
You are NOT a "price police" of this board. If you don't agree with an item's price, or if you know a place where the same item is being sold for less, do NOT interfere or post your opinion/prices on the thread in question. The seller may not know what the "politically correct" price is and it does not really matter anyway. Members posting prices or being hostile to the seller's thread will be banned immediately.
[/font][font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Crapping on his thread??? What the heck are threads for if not for back and forth communication. If I posted my rebel kit for sale here, without any extras and a large amount of use for $700 (i'd have to be crazy), how many of you would jump on my thread saying "hey, this one just sold for this, and this and that..." and I wouldn't be offended. Over there, I get threatened with banning.
Sorry, but the only thing I take from that is a very impersonal, unfriendly, and snooty attitude. No thanks, think I'll just stick with ebay or buy new.
BTW, I deleted my post as not to offend their precious rules.
[/font]
not being a smartass, price seems high, can you do better? (interested)
to which some do-gooder responded:
[font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]doctorit, no matter what the reason you should not be in another sellers thread saying their price is too high, even if your trying not to be a "smartass." You are violating forum rules in the first place and the seller has a right to a asking price, if you want you can PM him but not crap on his thread.
From fredmiranda's rules and guidelines, maybe you should read them sometime:
You are not a "price police":
You are NOT a "price police" of this board. If you don't agree with an item's price, or if you know a place where the same item is being sold for less, do NOT interfere or post your opinion/prices on the thread in question. The seller may not know what the "politically correct" price is and it does not really matter anyway. Members posting prices or being hostile to the seller's thread will be banned immediately.
[/font][font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Crapping on his thread??? What the heck are threads for if not for back and forth communication. If I posted my rebel kit for sale here, without any extras and a large amount of use for $700 (i'd have to be crazy), how many of you would jump on my thread saying "hey, this one just sold for this, and this and that..." and I wouldn't be offended. Over there, I get threatened with banning.
Sorry, but the only thing I take from that is a very impersonal, unfriendly, and snooty attitude. No thanks, think I'll just stick with ebay or buy new.
BTW, I deleted my post as not to offend their precious rules.
[/font]
Erik
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
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Comments
It's something i wouldn't have expected you to know not having logged into FM before, but the no price police rule was definitley necessary there, and there were a lot of words spilled over the should it be allowed should it not and no price police won out sice that was the side with the strongest supporters (me being one). Though there is a mod there that has earned a few enemies, which is why John Mankos and a few others started www.mankman.com/boards (was the person who warned you by any chance named Hendrik?). FM has a bit of a snooty attitude in some forums, but I find the sports forum to be pretty ok.
Richard
It sounds like MRN, won't you be my neighbor?
It definitely seems odd to potentially cause someone who doesn't know any better to spend more money, since nobody can voice an opinion. Why can't the seller come back with a reason why they feel their price is justified?
I have seen some other forums get out of hand and require a few rules, so I can understand why it was done. RobGalbraith's is the same way, no one posts in the thread, except the starter. It can make it tough when people left out info, if you are trying to purchase something.
I also was puzzled when I saw you cannot reply to threads after a certain length of time (I don't remember what it was). It seemed like a short period of time, but I was going to post a reply to someone looking for a certain software program that I found, but I could not and they never got their question answered. I don't go there too often, so I am not up on all the rules, etc.
the price police thing got outta hand. i'm glad they have this rule... as far as chiming in, there's no reason why you can't do it via pm to the seller...
as far as the rest, i'm a capitalist. if the price is too high, then the item won't sell. the market dictates these things...
anyhow, don't give up on fm b&s forum, by and large it's really really good. i've also bought a buncha stuff from that board, and never been burnt.
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When I do go there I am amazed at the volume of posts and items for sale that go through that forum. I can see needing to keep things simple, when there are so many posts to follow.
if a guy posts a price on an item that is 2x FMV, it'll just drop to the bottom of the list. no harm no foul.
personally, i find the FM forums rather uptight and boring.
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
I've bought an insane amount of stuff from FM B&S, never been ripped off, disappointed only once. Overall, based on my experiences, it's great.
I'd say any questions about price would be better in a PM or e-mail, rather than in the thread itself. I think the idea is to not spoil the seller's chances of making a deal.
And as Andy said, it's stunning how quickly stuff flies off the shelves there. For popular items, you better get in within 10 minutes of the item being posted, or you lose.
As for your rep being smeared, I wouldn't worry about one post in a place where threads drop faster than Fish's pants in a Philippines honky-tonk bar. Gone without leaving a ripple, I'd say. Participate a bit, build up yer post count, and it won't be an issue. What will spoil your rep is welching on a deal, so you're OK.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au