Moggy

OK- I know this has been done already but I have a few ideas to add to this.

I have seen a few cars for sale on the FS&W that I wouldn't touch with a barge poll. This has been sparked by ( a) very few or no previous posts and/or ( b) saying the car has been seen by fellow enthusiasts and therefore implying the car is in a good state of repair.

My idea is-why not add a "s2ki seal of approval signature" to owners who are ( a) members and ( b) are well known to the site? I see this as a positive step rather than a negative step

The "well known to the site" could be you have been on previous full meets,made more than 50 posts-sold legit stuff before etc. We can debate this anyway

There are issues with who would vet the seal of approval. If nothing comes of it then maybe those that know the vehicle/owner should post their own seal of approval-which some of you already do. However this often detracts from the original sale item when there are >10 posts

I'm sorry if this antagonises people but I sense there is still a lot of underlying tension from contributers to this site about non members selling stuff.I just suggest we discuss

tim_d

Good idea. It'd have to be a seal of approval for the person selling, not the car though I guess. Otherwise there could be implications if the car turned out to have a problem..
"You all said it was a good car..." etc etc

RichUK

I think that's a good idea Moggy.

cheshire_carper

I guess my comments on the forsale thread last night kick started this.

But yep, it is a good idea. These zero dayers that turn up with a vehicle for sale and ride on the back of our heritage are not good for the overall quality of the site.

Chris Type R

Why not split the For Sale forum into members & non-members ?

RichUK

Why not make non members pay $20 to join?

It's cheaper than an autotrader ad and puts something backinto the community.

Al2

The whole point of buying from this site (and particularly from members) is that you can pretty much guarantee you're not going to get ripped off (we're all an honest bunch, aren't we?) by buying from like-minded enthusiasts.

However, opening it up to all and sundry makes it no different to buying from the local paper, Ebay, etc. where there are absolutely no guarantees.
We must be seen as easy prey to a few unscrupulous types, so I think something should definitely be done.
I agree with Chris Type R's suggestion..... members and non-members sections would be a simple and effective idea. You takes your choice.

Moggy

That was the catalyst-yes.

When Jaeger first touched on this a while back I wasn't bothered either way. Probably because I hadn't taken much notice of for sale cars. After seeing some of the cars up for sale my opinion has changed.

If I was buying a car I would pay a higher premium from buying from some owners rather than directly from Autotrader,Ebay-however as Al says this is becoming diluted because everyone can sell.

OK it doesn't affect me personally. I know my way around the site & hopefully differentiate between who's genuine or not-newish people may not be in the same position.

AquilaEagle

I agree about people registering and their only post is a for sale one, after very few days on the site.

I don't like the idea of a seal of approval, as it implicates people, or the site - and don't think there is a foolproof way of determining who gets a seal of approval, being here for a long time, going to meets, paying $20 for s2ki membership - none of those prove either an item for sale or the person is legitimate. After all it is Caveat Emptor or Buyer Beware.

I do think we need to do something. Perhaps members only is one possible solution - that doesn't stop someone registering, paying for membership and advertising after 0 days - however, we all have a brain (i think! ) and people can see that information, so can use their judgement as to taking the seller seriously or not.

Another option may be to make the forum moderated - this would mean the CO's would have to approve every new thread before it appears - this can be done within the current software by the click of a button. I'm not sure if this functionality works yet, but i know it is there.

I do think we need to revisit the 'rules' for the For Sale Forum. Let's keep the discussion civil and not end up in a row like las time

Bassoctopus

Maybe we could suggest that new members do a search on previous posts by the seller before buying a car. I know I did And most people post on here when they've had a bump - usually with pics.