Getting rid of negative FS posts from non-involved users...

[Marko]

This is a free market economy, naming one's price does not constitute a rip-off. As long as the seller is not misrepresenting the item and/or forcing someone to buy, I don't see the need to warn anybody off. If the item is way overpriced, then nobody will buy it.

It's like seeing a car parked on the street with a For Sale sign - it may indeed be a piece of ridiculously overpriced junk, but would you walk up to it and add your comment to their sign?

The difference between such a car and this forum is that it is very easy to start another thread expressing an opinion here...

[Darin Boville]

This is a free market economy, naming one's price does not constitute a rip-off.

This is a free-market economy? I thought it was a large-format discussion board. I thought it was a community.

It's like seeing a car parked on the street with a For Sale sign - it may indeed be a piece of ridiculously overpriced junk, but would you walk up to it and add your comment to their sign?

But if you saw your new-to-the-area neighbor looking at that car with interest--wouldn't you feel compelled, as a neighbor, to mention to him that the car was "a piece of ridiculously overpriced junk"--or would you say, after he bought it, "yah, I knew if was a a piece of ridiculously overpriced junk but I figured, heck, buyer beware. You should have done your homework." Of course you would warn him off.

On the forum we can't see our neighbors looking at an item in order to warn them off in private. So people warn other community members off in public.

--Darin

[Mike1234]

I was going to post my thoughts to try and convince some others of what's right again but what's the use? Some people just don't "get it". And those who don't "get it" think the rest of us don't "get it". I'll just continue to not screw other people and get screwed by them. That's my choice. And before anyone says I'm some kind of fool or a whining "poor pitiful me everyone is out to get me" sort... let me just say hogwash!! Either you're honest or you're not.

[percepts]

I was going to post my thoughts to try and convince some others of what's right again but what's the use? Some people just don't "get it". And those who don't "get it" think the rest of us don't "get it". I'll just continue to not screw other people and get screwed by them. That's my choice. And before anyone says I'm some kind of fool or a whining "poor pitiful me everyone is out to get me" sort... let me just say hogwash!! Either you're honest or you're not.

Can I interpret that as you are correct and everyone who disagrees with you is wrong? Of course that would mean you aren't interested in discussion or persuasion but rather imposing your view on others. I don't suppose it would occur to you that is why stopping people from commenting on other peoples ads is the right thing to do. Instead you want to allow others to denigrate others online for no other reason than trying to get the best price they can for what they are selling.

[Mike1234]

Can I interpret that as you are correct and everyone who disagrees with you is wrong? Of course that would mean you aren't interested in discussion or persuasion but rather imposing your view on others. I don't suppose it would occur to you that is why stopping people from commenting on other peoples ads is the right thing to do. Instead you want to allow others to denigrate others online for no other reason than trying to get the best price they can for what they are selling.

Perhaps my post is more argumentative than persuasive and for that I apologize. However, I do not apologize for my opinion. On the note of attempting to be persuasive... some people are too right to be persuaded. I'm not saying anyone should post negative comments about others. However, I continue to state that I believe people do have the right to post their opinion regarding the price of something if it's FAR too high. That's part of being a community... not a flee market. Attempting to prevent others from paying far too much for an item has nothing to do with disrespecting the seller. On the other hand if the person posting said opinion does disrespect the seller that makes him/her far more in the wrong.

[mandoman7]

This forum's FS mkt is not really a totally open market. The fact that bad deals may get identified makes this market more appealling than ebay, IMO.

I listed a camera a while ago and got comments about it being to high, and when I checked it out, they were right. I was a little miffed but I got over it when I realized they were doing me a favor actually.

In any case, the downside of a reviewer cutting people off is much worse than the downside of a few unwelcome wise guys.

[r.e.]

You don't see people chiming in if the seller wants too little for an item.

The legitimacy of your position depends on the truth of this statement, and it is in fact not true.

It is very common on this site, including in today's FS posts, for people to say that the price that the vendor is asking is reasonable to more than reasonable.

There are also many posts that elaborate on the nature of what is being sold in a way that is helpful both to the vendor and a potential buyer.

As a factual matter, negative comments are quite a bit less common.

No doubt vendors generally don't like negative comments, but on some occasions vendors have reacted quite well; in particular when someone has pointed out that the asking price is equal to or exceeds what an item can be purchased for from such outfits as B+H. Yes, this has happened.

More importantly, you indignation about negative comments actually amounts to an attack on how open markets are supposed to work. The whole idea of an open market is that it is supposed to be efficient, and the underlying principal is that the market's efficiency depends on the degree to which vendors and buyers have full information on what is being bought and sold. This includes both positive and negative information. This is Economics 101. Your attempt to close down discussion about the worth of items - but interestingly only when the discussion doesn't support the vendor - amounts to an attack on open, efficient markets, and therefore on the underlying principal of a free market. Indeed, it's an attack on one of the fundamental concepts underlying capitalism. Quite odd.

[Brian_A]

This forum's FS mkt is not really a totally open market. The fact that bad deals may get identified makes this market more appealling than ebay, IMO.

Very true. I don't know, it's just kind of annoying to see it. I feel as if I've switched to the lounge on some of those posts. I guess it would add undue stress on the already overworked moderators.

[Marko]

More importantly, you indignation about negative comments actually amounts to an attack on how open markets are supposed to work. The whole idea of an open market is that it is supposed to be efficient, and the underlying principal is that the market's efficiency depends on the degree to which vendors and buyers have full information on what is being bought and sold. This includes both positive and negative information. This is Economics 101. Your attempt to close down discussion about the worth of items - but interestingly only when the discussion doesn't support the vendor - amounts to an attack on open, efficient markets, and therefore on the underlying principal of a free market. Indeed, it's an attack on one of the fundamental concepts underlying capitalism. Quite odd.

Speaking for myself, it is not an indignation about negative comments per se, it is more an irritation with comments of any kind posted in the FS section that have little to do with the sales process itself.

Under that same Economics 101, the realistic price for an item is the one that market will bear. IOW, a seller is free to set any price for an item he/she likes and the buyer is free to a) accept, b) refuse or c) negotiate.

And we are all entitled to have an opinion. The issue is not whether to say it but where and how to say it.

Start a new thread and have at it, by all means. I still think it is rude to disrupt someone's FS thread with an opinion about his/her pricing policy.

Here's an example in which a buyer does absolutely nothing wrong and still gets persistently pestered by several members simply for trying to sell his stuff!

[Vaughn]

Pestered? That was a great FS thread! Items sold quickly to an happy buyer, some sage advice offered, Frank got to use some humor, and all ended well (as far as I can tell.)