INGO Classifieds - An observation

[1775usmarine]

Ha..........

Gotta keep you on your toes seeing as there isn't much going on in the ban department.

 

[rhino]

Gotta keep you on your toes seeing as there isn't much going on in the ban department.

AT THIS TIME!

 

[Bigtanker]

Ever notice the number of ad's still open by those who barely have enough or those with several hundred posts and join dates of 3yrs or more not the serious squatters, but those who come and go every few months to sell something. I just reported close to a dozen that go back to the end of Nov in the long gun and handgun section. Sorry Mods.

Be careful doing that. Some mods get mad and give YOU the infraction instead!




Although it is promptly reversed.

 

[Beowulf]

Ever notice the number of ad's still open by those who barely have enough or those with several hundred posts and join dates of 3yrs or more not the serious squatters, but those who come and go every few months to sell something. I just reported close to a dozen that go back to the end of Nov in the long gun and handgun section. Sorry Mods.

I have to ask, why? I mean, what's it to you if someone comes in, makes whatever requisite posts (or better yet, becomes a dues paying member, which you don't appear to be currently) and then simply uses the classifieds?

I guess I've never really understood why anyone cares what anyone else is doing. It's no skin off your nose and if they are paying a subscription fee, it actually supports the site. If nothing else, if they are just cruising the ad sections all the time, they are getting just as much site advertisement coverage as anyone else does, which pays the bills.

 

[JettaKnight]

I have to ask, why? I mean, what's it to you if someone comes in, makes whatever requisite posts (or better yet, becomes a dues paying member, which you don't appear to be currently) and then simply uses the classifieds?

I guess I've never really understood why anyone cares what anyone else is doing. It's no skin off your nose and if they are paying a subscription fee, it actually supports the site. If nothing else, if they are just cruising the ad sections all the time, they are getting just as much site advertisement coverage as anyone else does, which pays the bills.

If only they were paying subscription fees instead leeching off the rest of us.

...and...

If they are contributing, then they are unlikely one of these guys.

...and...

The more people here only for trading pushes INGO farther toward a trading site. We're a gun community that happens to facilitate trading, not a trading site that has a forum.

 

[Beowulf]

If only they were paying subscription fees instead leeching off the rest of us.

...and...

If they are contributing, then they are unlikely one of these guys.

...and...

The more people here only for trading pushes INGO farther toward a trading site. We're a gun community that happens to facilitate trading, not a trading site that has a forum.

Again though, so what? If they are following the rules by making "50 quality posts" or paying a subscription, what's the point in continuing to scrutinize them? If you don't like them doing that, then campaign for the site owners to change the 50 post rule to 100, or 500, or whatever arbitrary limit you guys want to make the poster cross the imaginary threshold from scummy gun trader to upright community citizen.

Frankly, it seems like way more hassle than it's worth.

Really, if you want to make this all go away, how about doing away with the 50 quality post nonsense and just say you have to be a paying site member to use the classifieds? Other sites do this and it seems to work for them. Then they don't have to go through the pretense of the "50 quality posts" and muck up the forums with bs, and they still pay for all the fun times in the forum, even if they don't want to use them. Problem solved.

Personally, just because someone has nothing better to do than post 10s of thousands of posts on here doesn't make them any more or less lightly to engage in something shady, in my opinion. Pay to play, on the other hand, seems like a better barrier to entry to keep the scammers out (and back on Armslist where they normally are).

But what do I know. I'm sure most other members think I still have a long way to go to hit 50 "quality" posts.

 

[jagee]

But what do I know. I'm sure most other members think I still have a long way to go to hit 50 "quality" posts.

If only your posts were of the same quality as your firearm collection.

 

[gregkl]

Usually if someone has a lot of posts some "detective" work can help ascertain what type of person they are. If they are posting a LOT, I can read their posts, engage in conversations with them, heck even meet them at some event.

I also look for attitude. I know we aren't all Shakespeare's' when it comes to the written word but I can still tell a lot about someone's character by reading their posts.

 

[printcraft]

Oh crap.

 

[gregkl]

Oh crap.

LOL. You're okay...I think...

Except for your location...

 

[bwframe]

The professional traders make the classifieds less than desirable to a lot of INGOers. Many INGOers just skip our classifieds, taking their trades to other sites so to not have to sift through overpriced stuff and put up with the unrecognizable flippers.

A lot of these folks have zero investment in INGO. Even if they spring for the site supporter fee (often only once) it takes little to get that back when your add is exposed to tens of thousands. All you have to do is sell one higher dollar item that the fee will be blend into.

To be clear, these folks aren't bad. They just followed the rules to the letter to sell their goods. 50 two-line posts or twenty bucks. Easy.

I'm not knocking INGO, you know I love it and spend a lot of time here. However, does the site supporter fee help those of us out that use the classifieds regularly? Or does it make for an easy entry to muck up what once was much much better?

 

[Beowulf]

Oh crap.

Given your zip code, any sale with you would have to go through an FFL anyway.

Speaking of which, are there many FFLs in the outer planets these days?

 

[Beowulf]

If only your posts were of the same quality as your firearm collection.

Hah, I can only wish.

 

[Beowulf]

The professional traders make the classifieds less than desirable to a lot of INGOers. Many INGOers just skip our classifieds, taking their trades to other sites so to not have to sift through overpriced stuff and put up with the unrecognizable flippers.

A lot of these folks have zero investment in INGO. Even if they spring for the site supporter fee (often only once) it takes little to get that back when your add is exposed to tens of thousands. All you have to do is sell one higher dollar item that the fee will be blend into.

To be clear, these folks aren't bad. They just followed the rules to the letter to sell their goods. 50 two-line posts or twenty bucks. Easy.

I'm not knocking INGO, you know I love it and spend a lot of time here. However, does the site supporter fee help those of us out that use the classifieds or does it make for an easy entry to muck up what once was much much better?

I'm not sure I see it the same way. There are plenty of folks who overprice their stuff who are "contributing" members to forums and there are also plenty of cheapskate buyers in our membership that won't be satisfied with a deal until they can knock someone down to 50% of the market value. Their level of contribution to forums makes no difference on their classified behavior.

Personally, if someone is a Site Supporter, I know that they at least put enough effort and interest in to drop $20 to post. That's something a scammer would never do, as 1) that ties them to a Paypal/credit card account (and even a hijacked one or a pre-paid CC is too much of a papertrail for most scammers) and 2) they have no guarantee that any fish will bite, which means they'll be out their $20.

 

[bwframe]

I'm not sure I see it the same way. There are plenty of folks who overprice their stuff who are "contributing" members to forums and there are also plenty of cheapskate buyers in our membership that won't be satisfied with a deal until they can knock someone down to 50% of the market value. Their level of contribution to forums makes no difference on their classified behavior.

Personally, if someone is a Site Supporter, I know that they at least put enough effort and interest in to drop $20 to post. That's something a scammer would never do, as 1) that ties them to a Paypal/credit card account (and even a hijacked one or a pre-paid CC is too much of a papertrail for most scammers) and 2) they have no guarantee that any fish will bite, which means they'll be out their $20.

I don't think there are any scammers at all in our classifieds. Maybe a few that care less about the community because it's not a requirement for them to? When your only care for the forum is to sign on to bump your adds to the top every day and answer PM's about offers?

$20 is nothing to a trader that would have to pay fees or consignment costs anywhere else to sell their goods.

 

[Beowulf]

I don't think there are any scammers at all in our classifieds. Maybe a few that care less about the community because it's not a requirement for them to? When your only care for the forum is to sign on to bump your adds to the top every day and answer PM's about offers?

$20 is nothing to a trader that would have to pay fees or consignment costs anywhere else to sell their goods.

So, what's the issue then? If they are doing it as a business (as in they are an FFL), then I thought they had to be a paying advertiser to do so (though maybe I have that wrong). If they are doing it as a money making proposition and they don't have an FFL, they are going to have bigger worries than an INGO site mod chastising them.

 

[Expat]

So, what's the issue then? If they are doing it as a business (as in they are an FFL), then I thought they had to be a paying advertiser to do so (though maybe I have that wrong). If they are doing it as a money making proposition and they don't have an FFL, they are going to have bigger worries than an INGO site mod chastising them.

Maybe, maybe not. Being a frequent attender of the local gun shows, there are lots of non-FFLs that appear to be gun dealers. They buy and sell guns every weekend.

 

[bwframe]

So, what's the issue then? If they are doing it as a business (as in they are an FFL), then I thought they had to be a paying advertiser to do so (though maybe I have that wrong). If they are doing it as a money making proposition and they don't have an FFL, they are going to have bigger worries than an INGO site mod chastising them.

And thus we enable those who attempt to work under the radar. At the same time, exposing our real contributing members to undue ATF scrutiny?

 

[Beowulf]

And thus we enable those who attempt to work under the radar. At the same time, exposing our real contributing members to undue ATF scrutiny?

You think 50 quality posts is less an enablement than requiring them to pay $20? Kitchen table dealers are going to deal, no matter what (and frankly, constitutionally, they should be able to, but that's another discussion).

I can almost guarantee you there are folks doing it right now in the classifieds, ones who would meet the posting purity standards people seemed concerned about. So what?

Honestly, I don't mean to make this a big argument. I just get irritated by self-righteous rulebook thumpers who make it their business to enforce rules that don't even exist.

It's the same kind of busybodiness you see on HOA boards from retirees with too much time on their hands. They should just get a hobby or something... oh wait, I think that's what this board is for.

 

[churchmouse]

Be careful doing that. Some mods get mad and give YOU the infraction instead!




Although it is promptly reversed.

Yeah it is rough on #18 of 24 report run from the bigtanker.