68 replies to this topic

[Harry P.]

Lately I've been asked by a few guys about the "no selling" rule. The forum rule is simply stated as "no selling allowed on the forums," but what does that mean, exactly? I've been thinking about it, and have talked to Casey about it to get his opinion. Here's how I define the rule:

 

Example A: If Resin Caster Joe posts "I just finished my latest transkit meant for use with the AMT Zipmobile as the donor kit. My transkit sells for $XX and you can mail me a check to Resin Caster Joe, 123 Main Street, and I'll send you one," that is obviously an ad meant to sell the product, and is not allowed.

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Example B: What if Resin Caster Joe posted this instead: "I have a wide selection of cool resin parts. Check them out at www.resincasterjoe.com"

 

Is that also considered selling? In my opinion, that would be allowed, because the actual sales information is not listed, but only a link to where the product can be bought. In my opinion a link to a product is allowed. I'd like Gregg and Casey to add their thoughts.

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Example C: "I just bought a cool new resin part from Resin Caster Joe and I think it's really neat. You guys should check it out at www.resincasterjoe.com"

 

Again, in my opinion this is ok. Any forum member can always tell us about a new product they like and would recommend, and where they found it.

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The bottom line is that mentioning a product and posting a link to that product is ok, It's also ok for a member to have a link to their website in their signature line. But posting an actual ad with price and specific ordering information is not allowed.

[Jordan White]

So why is it not okay then to say what is for sale at emodelcars?

[Harry P.]

So why is it not okay then to say what is for sale at emodelcars?

 

Who said it's not ok?

[Jordan White]

I guess it wasn't explicitly stated that we couldn't, I think I just remembered your post from the locked emodelcars thread.

 

 

 

I think Gregg wants to keep emodelcars and this site as separate entities. Keep the buying and selling apart from the forum. But I do think we should have a link on this site to emodelcars.

[Harry P.]

Ok, I see what you mean. Yeah, we're not supposed to post ads for stuff for sale here, but post them on emodelcars. We don't want ads posted here... don't want this site to become like Craigslist or ebay with ads popping up all over the place. But mentioning emodelcars or having seen something there or posting a link about it here is ok.

[Casey]

Example A: No

 

Examples B and C: Yes

 

The minute a price is mentioned, the post crosses the no selling line IMHO. When the person who mentions the price is the same person who owns the business or is doing the selling (even if they don't make the product), it's even more of a red flag.

 

eBay links are tricky, but I agree that as long as the ebay link is posted in response to a question or in an attempt to help someone find something, it's allowed. For example:

 

Harold: "Does anyone know where I can find a resin Muntz Jet body?"

 

Jose: "This seller on eBay has them, Harold: _____ link to eBay item ______ "

 

 

We can't police every single eBay link, so we're relying on the honor system. The Trade and Wanted sections seem to be the areas where the No Selling and No Buying rules are broken the most often, but every member is required to read an follow the rules, so there's no excuse for attempting to buy and sell on the forum.

[JunkPile]

Promoting ones own goods and/or services is called "sales"

Someone else promoting your goods and services is called a referral (excluding salesmen)

 

A: Sales

B: Sales.  Just because price isn't mentioned doesn't meant  "check out these cool parts on my web site, they     are free or I will trade for incomplete '90's Nascar kits.

C:  Referral

 

Many ads have no prices listed. 

Edited by JunkPile, 12 February 2013 - 03:30 AM.

[Ben]

What about Private Messages? I get people, every now and then asking me about my parts and rather than answering them in the thread, I'll click on thier profile and send them a private Message. In that message, I usually tell them that selling is not allowed on the forum and ask them to email me directly. Isit ok to tell the a price in the private message?

[Custom Hearse]

What if I need a small part, or a  decal sheet, and I know it will never show up on E-Modelcars, or Ebay and I need it right now and I don't have anything to trade?

[Casey]

What if I need a small part, or a  decal sheet, and I know it will never show up on E-Modelcars, or Ebay and I need it right now and I don't have anything to trade?

 

Then you're out of luck. Sometimes you just have to buy an entire kit for one part, then use the rest as trade fodder.

[Harry P.]

What about Private Messages? I get people, every now and then asking me about my parts and rather than answering them in the thread, I'll click on thier profile and send them a private Message. In that message, I usually tell them that selling is not allowed on the forum and ask them to email me directly. Isit ok to tell the a price in the private message?

 

You're doing it the right way.

 

Private messages are exactly that. Private. You can buy and sell privately, just can't do it publicly on the forum.

[Terry Sumner]

This has probably been answered before..but why is it not allowed? What's the big deal about having a subforum section for those who want to buy and sell? Many forums have one and it's not a problem. Heck we have one on ARC with 16,000 members and it's one of the top used subforums there. And since I'm a moderator I know about any problems right away...and there literally are no problems.

Not pushing...just curious...

[Harry P.]

This has probably been answered before..but why is it not allowed? What's the big deal about having a subforum section for those who want to buy and sell? Many forums have one and it's not a problem. Heck we have one on ARC with 16,000 members and it's one of the top used subforums there. And since I'm a moderator I know about any problems right away...and there literally are no problems.

Not pushing...just curious...

 

Don't know. I didn't make the rule, Gregg did. He would be the one to ask.

 

But if I was to guess, I'd say he wants to avoid the potential problems involved if he allowed selling... people claiming they were ripped off, people claiming they never got what they paid for, people claiming they sent out the merchandise but never got paid, etc.

 

We have no way of policing sales, no control or authority to intervene and mediate disputes, like ebay does. So to avoid all of the hassle and potential problems that buying and selling would undoubtedly cause here, Gregg decided to simply not allow it. And if it had been my decision, I would have done the same thing. I get enough PMs from people who are involved in trades gone bad for one reason or another... I can't imagine the PMs I would get if we allowed actual monetary transactions to be made here.

[Gluhead]

So let's hear from Gregg exactly why? I could see it...maybe...if eModelcars was a flourishing marketplace, but it's a dead horse. It's not even got a life-support-induced pulse.

 

You may get more pm's, but you're not responsible for transactions. Thousands of other major sites do it without hesitation, so what exactly is the hangup? You'd get more traffic from...gasp...model builders, as well.

[Tom Geiger]

What if I need a small part, or a  decal sheet, and I know it will never show up on E-Modelcars, or Ebay and I need it right now and I don't have anything to trade?

 

In many cases if you post that you need that part or decal to complete a project, someone here will volunteer just to send it to you in the interest of the brotherhood!

 

I agree with the 'no sales' policy. The board is about building model cars. Creating a sales board attracts those whose only interest is in turning a profit and changes the whole tone of the board.

[Harry P.]

Thousands of other major sites do it without hesitation, so what exactly is the hangup? 

 

Those "thousands" of other sites are specifically set up for selling. We are not. This is an online forum, not an online store.

[Gluhead]

Sorry, Harry, you're just plain wrong on that one. Thousands of enthusiast forums have for sale sections. Denying that is simply being obtuse.

[Harry P.]

Sorry, Harry, you're just plain wrong on that one. Thousands of enthusiast forums have for sale sections. Denying that is simply being obtuse.

 

Denying what? What did I deny?

 

I assume you're referring to sites that are online stores or contain an online store. We are neither.

 

Other sites can do whatever they want to do, what they do doesn't concern me or this forum.

 

I said that we are not set up to handle buying and selling, we are not an online store, we are an online forum.

[Tom Geiger]

Gluhead, allowing selling on this forum isn't in their mission.  The main mission of this site is to attract people to Model Cars Magazine. This site generates no income, but only costs Greg and MCM money to maintain.  Set up a selling forum and then the advertisers from the magazine could sell stuff here, and not advertise in the magazine, costing them income. Not good business sense.

 

Plus Harry is right. It would double the moderators duties. Every time someone got the short end of the deal, they'd scream bloody murder on the board, causing the owners grief. Simply put, there's nothing go gain by doing so. 

[Gluhead]

Not being particularly fond of the smell of dead horses while they're being beaten, I'll happily drop this and go back to working on some plastic. Threads like this are precisely why I tend to avoid the "general" section. I'll just take this as a gentle reminder of that.