comments in the classifieds

If I own the identical product for sale and have had great experience with it, why not share that with the group. I know i have appreciated the positive comments in the past and in some cases they have helped me make a final decession about the transaction.
 
I've run quite a few ads, and have only once had to have a comment deleted- my own- when I posted an email address by mistake thinking I was in a pm. A dumb mistake once.

I say keep the comments- at the very least allow it as an option when placing the ad, a "Do you want coments turned on" kind of thing- or better yet, why not simply allow the one who posts the ad to moderate the comments under it?

Comments also are a much simpler way of letting buyers know when one item out of several in an ad has sold.
 
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I don't feel strongly about this issue, but on balance, I'm with Colin here--I think the comments help keep us all honest, and help maintain the generous spirit of our marketplace.
 
I would like to keep the comments in the ads, as they are often helpful. I once placed a lens in the ad for $2.95! A commenter pointed this out and I edited the price correctly to $295. So it works both ways.
 
As a whole I think they're useful. For instance, some comments point out discrepancies between the ad posted and the picture shown, or a heads up on a possible typo in the description(i.e. summitar or summarit) or the stated price. Comments vouching for the reliability of a particular seller also help especially to those of us new to this forum, more so when previous buyers couldn't be bothered to post a feedback on the seller himself. Comments that have no basis in fact and have the appearance of trolling should of course be moderated.
 
good comments all!

btw, this was MY RANT and not rff's. i have no idea how stephen feels about it and as far as i know, no changes are in the works.

and maybe picket is right, i do complain about the amount of volunteer moderating i do around here sometimes, being human and all...so perhaps it's time to let go of these duties...more to think about.
 
If it aint broken, dont fix it.

I ask alot of questions on the ads and I also trade alot. I appreciate when someone writes that a poster with ZERO (0) posting is a great seller when they're selling a $3500 50 summilux LHSA for example.

Any pricing discussison goes thru PM.
 
back alley said:
excuse me, but we have a forum here where discussions take place on a regular basis, discussions that do not have to take place in the classifieds.

if a newbie has a question about appropriate pricing or what to look for in a used camera they can start a thread.

positive comments are one thing and yes i would miss those but i could live with that if it meant the same few folks would stop playing in the classifieds.
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If there are only a few "usual suspects" that don't play nice in the classified comments, is there a way to lock them out rather than penalize the majority who leave only (mostlly?) positive comments?

Or, are comments controlled by a yes/no switch in the software?
 
Joe,

Worry not, it's an interesting idea that I disagree with. Every once in a while I comment on ads, always positive. I think the value it adds out weights the negative aspect. I do agree with it would be nice for the owner of the ad to be able to delete comments they do not like, perhaps with the help of a moderator (and the serve is returned at warp speed right on the line (;->).

BTW, you are a GREAT moderator, please do not give up the duties. You always bring a great approach to everything. While I do not always agree with your points of view, I can always live with your decisions.

B2 (;->
 
thomasw_ said:
...My experience is that +ve remarks and encourage give confidence to a buyer, at least when that buyer is someone like me:) But I don't think Joe cares one iota about +ve comments; his point is that it is the buyer's show and let all who support him do so; yet no one has any business trying to wreck his show even if you think his pricing is whacko. ...

... Thomas
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I hope this is true, Joe?

Yes, I have been leaving comments in the Classifieds section, and no, I sometimes had no intention or means to buy the item.
Yet, I would hate to see this behaviour considered 'playing' by others. I do think that +ve comments (the only ones I make, being a +ve person) can encourage other interested viewers to investigate whether a price is really that good, or whether an item is really that nice, or what makes it a nice item/set/kit. And if it doesn't do all that, it might still be a good read.

Am I being naïve here, or mature when thinking we all consider our comments before sending them off?

I'm truly sorry for you for all the work the Classifieds section's comments cause, but I feel it's either the comments or a full-blown feedback system. Referring to eBay feedbacks, a feedback thread or some third-party feedback system just doesn't cut it for me, I really feel there should be something to learn about the sellers quality and that of his products, straightaway when reading the ad instead of somewhere else.

Just my two cents.
 
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to clarify a few things...

i haven't a clue about the software and what it's capable of.

i do think that if someone pays for an ad then they have the right to have a sale without any form of harrassment. perhaps i am too quick with the edits but some comments about pricing are rude and ill considered at times. sales from european sellers often carry a higher price than what a north american ad might have. they sometimes pay more in the first place but some do not look carefully and just jump in with a 'you'll never sell that here for that price comment'!

as i said before, i like the positive comments and make them myself.

anyway, there are no changes planned but i hope this thread might have opened a few eyes.

joe
 
I personally like the comments here.

However, the site owner of a moderated forum site with classifieds might have liabilities with some types of comments.

I don't think it's nice or appropriate to slam someone's price in public in their paid ad comments. You might want to PM the seller with your thoughts if you're that concerned. I doubt many of us would go to a camera store and warn customers or the store that certain items are overpriced. I don't know, maybe some folks here do that??!

Maybe have a forum dedicated to discussion of ads, that is moderated properly.

The problem with the rating system is that once a seller's item sells, they delete the ad or it expires (thankfully, I hate clicking on ads for items that have long been sold), and the prompt for the buyer to leave feedback for the seller is gone. They now have to either find another ad from that seller, or just go to the feedback forum and leave feedback, but the forum doesn't keep counts of prior transaction info.
 
I've never bought or sold here, yet, but I would not like to pay my five bucks then get comments like some I've seen here.

Time wasters.
 
If I try to sell a camera for 5 times what most around here have paid for the same camera, I would expect to be able to defend my pricing or learn a lesson about its true value.

If "PhotoArsenall" started selling here at their outrageous prices, I would expect them to get laughed off the site. Maybe we should just laugh in private, and know the $5 keeps the site running. But until then, as long as comments are allowed, negative ones will be made when the pricing is done out of innocent ignorance or sheer greed.
 
Krosya said:
well, ebay doesnt have "comments" section and seems to do well with just a feedback. So, why not read feedback on a seller?
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If you ask a seller a question on eBay often they will show the Q and A within the ad, so I wouldn't say that "there's no comments on eBay" is necessarily true. It is the sellers choice if the Q and A appear, though.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
If I try to sell a camera for 5 times what most around here have paid for the same camera, I would expect to be able to defend my pricing or learn a lesson about its true value.
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... and you should. You should also have the liberty to ask an outrageous price if you so desire and NOT have to defend it. Some folks seem to act as if "pricing by consensus" should be the rule at RFF.

Personally speaking, if someone is priced too high for me I shop elsewhere. Few items are so rare that "shaming" people into reasonable prices is worthwhile. Good advise, from menber-to-member, regarding pricing and marketing strategies should be delivered in private, not public.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't mind the opportunity to shame some of the sponsored sellers into lowering their (high) prices ;) But this is spoken from someone who is neither a seller or a buyer from the RFF classifieds, so take it for what you paid!
 
I agree with Brian, if it’s turned into a smaller version of ebay what’s the point? We may as well just go there.
Personally I don’t have enough knowledge or experience to comment on pricing but I appreciate input from other members
 
ampguy said:
I doubt many of us would go to a camera store and warn customers or the store that certain items are overpriced. I don't know, maybe some folks here do that??!
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I wouldn't bother going into the store to do it. But if I'm sitting with a friend at the diner reading the local weekly, and he sees an ad for a Les Paul at Joe's House of Musical Instrument Gouging for $4000, of course I'm going to tell him that the price is a joke and the seller is just working the sucker market. Who wouldn't?

I don't get the idea of "not interfering" with someone's business. If you want to do business, you should do it by building up a rep and delivering value for money, whatever "value" might mean. If, instead, you're just trying to make a dime off people's ignorance... well, I guess you have every right to do it, but you sure as **** don't have any moral high ground to object to people trying to educate your marks. That's nuts.
 
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I would like the ability to point out, yes publicly, when a person asks an outrageous price. What's the big deal? We're all adults and if my comment prevents a friend here from making a big $$$ mistake, isn't that helpful to the majority even if it is a bit insensitive to the seller? And whose to say the seller would be insulted? I see two possible scenarios-

1- that the seller really is clueless as to what the fair price should be and is grateful that I pointed out his error so he doesn't waste his $5 for the ad and a week to 10 days waiting for a nibble.

2- the seller really IS trying to price gouge us here at RFF. If that's the case, then screw his feeliings and the horse's he rode in here on too.

If I have to keep seeing "This guy is a great seller" or "This is a great price for a ____" or if I see one more useless waste of space like..." Wow, I wish I had the money for this Leica MP, but I bought three lenses just last week and am all tapped out..." I'm gonna shoot my monitor! WHO CARES that you bought three items just last week?!

Either leave the comment feature as it is or don't allow comments at all. If you're that thin skinned as a seller then you have no business posting on an internet forum. Put your stinkin lens in the newspsper classifieds or on ebay.
 
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