Forum price limit

wingdiver · #1 31-10-09, 09:35

Hi
The sticky by Dan on here reiterates the £200 limit for selling items.
Unfortunately, it is now a closed thread and Dan's pm space is too full for him to receive any more messages (presumably due to responses to the post mentioned).
I seriously think it is time the limit was increased and have never heard anyone actually agree it should stay at £200 (only a few sad acts getting upset when people exceed it) although plenty of people have asked for it to be raised in the past with no response or reason given why not.
I would suggest to Dan that he tries to gauge opinion of forumites but we can't send him a message.
Posting a reply to this could be a way of doing so.
Maybe someone more skilled than me could put a poll up with a choice of something like - keep the limit at £200, raise it to £500 or £1000, which would at least give some feedback.
Oh and that's £100 based on my charge out rate ;-)

snooks · #2 31-10-09, 11:23

As Dan's post says, a new limit is under considerstion, so it's not as if we've heard all the requests and ignored them.

Until the limit is raisied it's still £200 for the time being

Lakesailor · #3 31-10-09, 11:30

Does Dan actually exist?

snooks · #4 31-10-09, 11:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakesailor

Does Dan actually exist?

Yes

Does Lakesailor?

Guapa · #5 31-10-09, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by snooks

Yes

Have you checked recently?
PM-ed him about an IT problem a week ago - still not read

snooks · #6 31-10-09, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guapa

Have you checked recently?

Well I had Emails from him yesterday, and had a meeting with him on Wednesday and he existed then

To be honest PM probaly isn't the best way to get hold of him, he does get inundated with PM's. The best way to contact him is via Email

pasta_simon · #7 31-10-09, 17:55

Don't understand, up until a few weeks ago Dan/Keith just ignored any posts that were over £200 if they were non-commercial. Always seemed an intelligent way to moderate, what changed?

philip_stevens · #8 31-10-09, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasta_simon

Don't understand, up until a few weeks ago Dan/Keith just ignored any posts that were over £200 if they were non-commercial. Always seemed an intelligent way to moderate, what changed?

Snooks popped up!

Fire99 · #9 31-10-09, 18:19

Personally i'd not like to see the limit increased too high. It would take the spirit out of selling stuff to fellow forumites at reasonable prices.

If the limit is too high, it'll just become boatsandoutboards mk2.

PCUK · #10 31-10-09, 18:33

I disagree, a £1000 limit would mean better quality equipment could be offered between forumites but still at reasonable prices compared with the new value of the item.

robertj · #11 31-10-09, 19:06

I messaged Dan but not heard anything yet.
Just wondered if we are all readers of PBO and YM?
if so why should we have a say we are only the customers?!

bob

i feel the limit will be raised some how

philip_stevens · #12 01-11-09, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire99

Personally i'd not like to see the limit increased too high. It would take the spirit out of selling stuff to fellow forumites at reasonable prices.

If the limit is too high, it'll just become boatsandoutboards mk2.

I fully agree. If anyone wants to sell at a higher price, stick it on B&O or ebay.

Yes, raise the limit to maybe £300 and see how things go.

To my mind, this is a re-sale site, not a retail sales site.

If you don't like the limit, go elsewhere to sell.

snooks · #13 01-11-09, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip_stevens

Snooks popped up!

I've been here a long time, thank you

We started to get more people complaining that products were over £200, OR commercial posts, OR posters just using the for sale site and not contributing to other forums. So where as before the For Sale section was more or less self regulating, it became apparent that more people were abusing the section, and something should be done.

Where as Dan/Louise would just remove a post, I thought I'd give the OPs a chance to adjust their price...I now know why Dan deletes them, less hassle and insults that way

Guapa · #14 01-11-09, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip_stevens

Yes, raise the limit to maybe £300 and see how things go.

To my mind, this is a re-sale site, not a retail sales site.

If you don't like the limit, go elsewhere to sell.

You mean, there's nothing you can imagine selling that's worth more than £200

Don't like the limit - go elsewhere. OK - but then why do eBay links attract such hostility?

What does the 'go elsewhere' attitude do to the sense of forum community?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating a market free for all, but it must be obvious that the arbitrary £200 limit is no longer 'up to date'.

Over the years, I've sold lots of stuff on here and all but one item with an asking price well below the £200 limit.
The one item was an as good as new (one season old) asymmetric spinnaker fit for a 36-38' boat. I paid close to £1,300 for it.
I then sell the boat, and the new owner does not want it.
I offer it for sale on here (incl sheets and bag) - asking price £600 - forum mayhem.
A forumite has a go at Keith (Dan's predecessor).
PM from Keith - why don't you break it up?
Fair enough - kite £200 - sheets £200 - bag £200. To be sold as a set.
Three days later, another PM from Keith.
'Apologies, but he's being a real pain about this. I've left your ad up as long as I could, with any luck you should have sold it by now.'
I had - and Nordic Ranger's been on my ignore list ever since.

Would you really expect to buy an asymmetric spinnaker for £200?

Strathglass · #15 01-11-09, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip_stevens

I fully agree. If anyone wants to sell at a higher price, stick it on B&O or ebay.

Yes, raise the limit to maybe £300 and see how things go.

To my mind, this is a re-sale site, not a retail sales site.

If you don't like the limit, go elsewhere to sell.

I totally agree with what you are saying.

In my opinion the 'for sale form' is just an add on which gives formites to sell an unwanted item quickly and at no cost at a reasonable price.

Ebay is there if one wants to maximise the price.

Also it is funded by a company whose magazines require advertising revenue to survive.
Why should their forms operate in direct competition to their own magazines?

Then the moderators could just remove anything outwith the rules if they considered it necessary..

Why is there any need to raise the present £200 limit?

I have sold quite a few items on those forums and have never had any problems.

Just my opinion
Iain

parsifal · #16 01-11-09, 19:19

Why not increase it in line with inflation since the year it was introduced? There are 'inflation calculators' available on the internet so it would be easy to work out what £200 then is worth now.

No one could object to that, surely? (Dream on, did somebody say)

srm · #17 01-11-09, 20:47

As the forum is sponsored by magazine publishers who rely on advertising, in the broadest sense of the word, for their main income its seems fair to have an upper limit here.

Interestingly, when I have advertised higher value items here, ie above £100 or asking for sensible offers because the value is over the limit I only got silly offers. Perhaps reducing the limit to £100 will keep items within most readers' expectations.

purplerobbie · #18 01-11-09, 21:19

I agree there needs to be a change in the limit if only to stop the self appointed forum police moaning.

£500 is a nice amount.

It never ceases to amaze me the people get all bent out of shape over these forums. Why do people feel so offended by someone selling something for over £200?

There was an outboard posted recently and it was (Shock Horror!) £35 over the limit and someone felt so incensed by this they felt they must notify the moderator.

Why? This is a real question. Why would you do that? What's in it for you? will it in anyway clean up these forums?

Rob

SPOTTYDOG3 · #19 01-11-09, 21:29

[QUOTE=Strathglass;2295874]I totally agree with what you are saying.

Also it is funded by a company whose magazines require advertising revenue to survive.
Why should their forms operate in direct competition to their own magazines?

Very good point, hadn't thought of that

Guapa · #20 01-11-09, 21:31

[QUOTE=SPOTTYDOG3;2296056]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strathglass

Also it is funded by a company whose magazines require advertising revenue to survive.
Why should their forms operate in direct competition to their own magazines?

Very good point, hadn't thought of that

Would you buy an ad in YM to sell a ropestopper or an outboard?
Checked their prices?
Didn't think so.

Also, have you noticed how every so often a topic discussed on here turns into an article in PBO/YM/YW a few months down the line?
That's what IPC gets out of these forums - free content.
That, and the advertising space on here.

Nothing wrong with that, but don't for one moment think that IPC run these forums FOC out of the goodness of of their hearts.
If the beancounters thought the forums were not raking it in anymore, the plug would be pulled.

purplerobbie · #21 01-11-09, 21:32

Do the magazines have a less than £500 section? (Not a trick question i really dont know?)

I agree selling boats on here is taking away there revenue but they never seem to bother with links in signatures to boats for sale which is taking money off them.

I would even say people who link in signatures to companies offering marine services are stopping advertising income from them but they never stop that either?

Rob

galadriel · #22 02-11-09, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guapa

Nothing wrong with that, but don't for one moment think that IPC run these forums FOC out of the goodness of of their hearts.
If the beancounters thought the forums were not raking it in anymore, the plug would be pulled.

You might be surprised, the forums are a 'value added' feature. What they may do is to get a few more people buying the mags, but the real revenues come from the advertisers, the bigger the circulation, the more attractive the prospect of placing an advert, even on the forum.

At a guess, you may also be surprised how much these forums cost to run. To start with can you imagine the sort of salary Dan must be on!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, for the record, I firmly believe the sale price should be raised, £500 would do it for me.

David_Jersey · #23 02-11-09, 13:44

Unless IPC want to commercialise this part of their online operation I would keep the limit at £200 & no ebay links..........simply to keep transactions low in volume - if not making money, why would IPC want to create (unpaid) work for themselves in making the section more popular?

galadriel · #24 02-11-09, 13:45

I diont think if the section is more popular it would create any more work for IPC staff, if the limits are raised then I'm sure there will be fewer links to ebay.

pasta_simon · #25 02-11-09, 15:06

The for sale forum doesn't conflict with the magazine advertising, have you looked at the for sale section of YM magazine lately? The for sale forum attracts lots of views, and views mean IPC can charge more for online advertising. Lots of tasty gear at reasonable prices means lots more forum views.

Makes no difference 'cos nothing brings out the latent traffic warden more effectively than this particular forum. They'll find some other aspect of it to moan about; once they've worn a peaked cap, they like the way it fits.

gjgm · #26 03-11-09, 16:05

I always took the for sale forum to be somewhere you could sell small bits and pieces, almost in some sort of community spirit, to fellow boaters, almost jumble sale concept. To that end, a small maximum amount seems to fit the bill. Sure, maybe it should be a tad higher, but if you move it to £1000,say,I suspect it gets filled with commercial activity.
B+O and Ebay seem to fill that market, to my mind.

Fire99 · #27 05-11-09, 13:59

A good comparison IMO are boat jumbles. Once upon a time Boat Jumbles were precisely that. Lots of folk selling boat brick a brack for a few quid here and there.

Each time I go now they've just become grass shopping malls with vast arrays of 'retailers' selling expensive stuff.

Whatever you do, you need to keep the original vision of the Forum in view.

wingdiver · #28 05-11-09, 14:37

The principle of forumites selling (or exchanging) unwanted items is the basis of this forum.
No-one is suggesting commercial interests get involved - in fact this is specifically precluded with good reason (although it seems to attract less attention from the jobsworths that items over £200!).
It's just a more realistic upper limit than £200. Is that really such a big ask? You could then sell half decent kit to interested parties as well as cheaper stuff.