For-Sale-Wanted Rules changes coming on 3 Apr 2016

[HMG]

That is actually the problem. Some people send a PM asking for details about an item, not about actually buying it. An actual potential buyer thinks it has been sold, and the item languishes until it is bumped up. By then people think it's a dog, and ignore it. People also ignore requests to send email, rather than PMs, but no rule can change that .

Mods, while you're doing the maintenance, can you put the notice about the number of stored messages at the top of the page, rather than the bottom? This would prompt people to clear their storage more often.

Kumar

Or decline to buy because the entirely predicable postage became apparent. Or their spouse did not give permission.

[Ralph Barker]

I understand the "PM sent" as it is redundant posts but what about the "clean out your mailbox" alerts? Are these type of post being considered as empty bumps? Did not read about these type of posts, please clarify as these are left to the discretion of the moderators.

Yes, we have a lot of discretion, and we try very hard to apply it intelligently.

[goamules]

Eliminating the silly "PM sent!" replies is fine with me. On another forum I'm on, which is extremely active with buying and selling, people were demanding that the open thread "I'll take it" be somehow mandatory and sacrosanct. As if a seller cannot decide he wants to sell to the second, or third PM he receives. He can, will, and does at times. There are no guarantees in life, certainly not on a private forum. But people from those other forums want some assurance that if they say "PM Sent" it guarantees their purchase, based on the timestamp of when they replied. Nope, a seller can do what he wants. Sell, decide to not sell, sell to his brother in law. There are no "Laws" in barter and trade.

[Tin Can]

+1.

[Taija71A]

... But people from those other forums want some assurance that if they say "PM Sent" it guarantees their purchase, based on the timestamp of when they replied.

This is definitely not always the case.
There are 'Numerous' other reasons... Why people may say "PM Sent".
--
Some of the 'possible' reasons for sending a PM are:

To get an answer to a 'Question'...
To notify the Seller of an 'Error in the Listing'...
To notify the Seller that his Inbox is 'Full' and to 'Clear' some of his Messages...
To notify the Seller to 'Check' his Inbox -- For *New PM's.
(*These 'New' PM's could of course be yours and/or...
Even from other Forum Members -- As perhaps he is not getting/taking notice of his PM's)...

And the list goes 'On and On'... Thank-you!

[IanG]

This is definitely not always the case.
There are 'Numerous' other reasons... Why people may say "PM Sent".
--
Some of the 'possible' reasons for sending a PM are:

To get an answer to a 'Question'...
To notify the Seller of an 'Error in the Listing'...
To notify the Seller that his Inbox is 'Full' and to 'Clear' some of his Messages...
To notify the Seller to 'Check' his Inbox -- For *New PM's.
(*These 'New' PM's could of course be yours and/or...
Even from other Forum Members -- As perhaps he is not getting/taking notice of his PM's)...

And the list goes 'On and On'... Thank-you!

Surely most of that can be in a reply in the listing thread, more detail can be sent privately by PM.

It's about clarity, if I want to buy something then I state that clearly, if there's a question that needs asking it's most likely relevant to other buyers or sellers. Often questions are about shipping.

Sometime sellers don't state where they are, or their location is ambiguous, other times they aren't clear about currency forgetting that forums like this have large International memberships.

Ian

[HMG]

I'm confused about the value of the "PM sent" reply.

If the "PM sent" author actually sent a PM, then the OP would receive it and have a time/date stamp. If the OP's mailbox is full, they get a notice saying it's full. If they've chosen not to get alerts when a PM is sent, well that's their choice.

The "PM sent" adds nothing to the community at large and clutters things up.

[Tin Can]

Let's take this one step farther. I buy things here often. Nobody but principals ever see the transaction. I never 'PM sent', a total waste of time. If you want the thing, send PM immediately or email, with the name of the thingy copied and pasted as the subject of PM and type. 'I will buy it.'

End of message. Very quick. Pay ASAP.

I prefer to buy from known sellers. Known to me by observation.

Additionally I never want or use the buyer/seller advisory thread. I think that abomination should be closed. I request sellers/buyers do not post about me there. As I have never done a bad deal or complained, they have no need. Equally I never praise or condemn a seller or buyer as I am darn careful whom I deal with.

See you on the playground.

[rich815]

Eliminating the silly "PM sent!" replies is fine with me. On another forum I'm on, which is extremely active with buying and selling, people were demanding that the open thread "I'll take it" be somehow mandatory and sacrosanct. As if a seller cannot decide he wants to sell to the second, or third PM he receives. He can, will, and does at times. There are no guarantees in life, certainly not on a private forum. But people from those other forums want some assurance that if they say "PM Sent" it guarantees their purchase, based on the timestamp of when they replied. Nope, a seller can do what he wants. Sell, decide to not sell, sell to his brother in law. There are no "Laws" in barter and trade.

I don't consider PM sent silly for the very valid reason I outline above. But that's a seller issue I guess. I just want the item.

[pdh]

What would be more useful to me than all these unnecessary changes would be a means of blocking the buy/sell threads from the "new posts" view. Recently it's been hard to pick up the new conversations going on from the "noise" generated by all the fs posts - especially on tapatalk