Possible Change to Optics Sale AREA -- Members ONLY?

[22DASHER]

The scary part will be when the scammers start to pay the $25 fee and still come out on top of a $2000 scope scam because they look like legitimate members. I just completely avoid new members for sale ads no matter how good of a deal it is.

 

[300_whisper]

Welp I’m out of here.

Like everything in life, just don’t be an idiot. That will save you a lot of heartache.

 

[Raythemanroe]

I don't see me sending money to anyone I don't know as a upstanding trader/seller. I just bought a scope from a member (new) and even after reading many reviews and recommendations I still researched before hand.. Talked on the phone, checked the business myself. $1920 shouldn't I make sure? I don't know how the BOSS can fix this, you gotta pay attention..

Ray

 

[Jdne5b]

Shut off the entire marketplace to all non-paying members. Thats my vote anyways.

 

[JMayo]

To blindly buy as on Craig's list is foolish. I'm sry ppl are thieves & prey on the ignorant.
BUT .....
I'm not a sponsor. Ppl that use this site as a sales counter should sponsor the site.
Shooter to shooter transactions are part of the sport and this site's draw.
If you Make it a pay site and only paying members can have transactions .....watch the sponsors dry up.

Run it the way you want, however
I see plenty of revenue with banners and rockers. I click them to help the site.
Get volunteer moderators to help monitor for rule violations. One for each department. work smart, not hard.

I'll not be bullied into paying to share my kknowledg, gain the knowledge of others or trade parts amongst fellow shooters.

Charge the guys using the site for their business. I see plenty abusing the sales threads.

Rant over ..........

 

[garandman]

Shut off the entire marketplace to all non-paying members. Thats my vote anyways.

Another site which shall not be named requires a minimum of 100 posts before allowing members to sell anything.

There's alot to dislike about that site, but that a good policy, IMO....

 

[garandman]

To blindly buy as on Craig's list is foolish. I'm sry ppl are thieves & prey on the ignorant.


I'll not be bullied into paying to share my kknowledg, gain the knowledge of others or trade parts amongst fellow shooters.

...

I see it different.

There's no free lunch.

This site provides product reviews by actual users... reloading equipment info....... actual load data... gunsmithing tips... info about upcoming matches... competition tips / tricks, caliber specific data... a place to get questions answered - AND a place to buy and sell.

Other ppl should not be expected to give me that with no cost to me. Admins / mods shouldn't work for free. ISP's surely don't host the site for free. Server time / space ain't free. I beleive in paying for quality / valuable product and info that I get.

Far as sharing my knowiedge, no ones forcing me to do that. Others sholdn't be forced to provide me stuff for free.

So I pay a tiny annual fee.

 

[PatMiles]

I'll still pay to be a member here, it's just too much fun here.
My thought is an automatic disclaimer appearing in EVERY for sale ad that tells any potential buyer to do HIS/HER due diligence. You don't and you get screwed, oh well. At some point a person has to learn "let the buyer beware."

I don't have any clue as to whether or not a warning could be programed to appear prominently in every ad... scopes, firearms or miscellaneous items.

 

[TAJ45]

I can't swallow the "victim" perspective - bullied.

AFA getting scammed, ya just cant legislate common sense into a person no more than greed can be exorcised by legislation.
Boss, you have done all you can by posting guidelines....Let it ride....you got plenty to be bizzy with.
It's like traffic signs. Some will stop most of the time, some will roll through occasionally and some will blow by at 60 and get T boned, eventually all hurt up. Every choice a personal one.
I do not believe our Board is taking any reputation hits from the very occasional scam that had TWO willing participants.

 

[Forum Boss]

Pat -- We are thinking of doing just that -- having a pop-up screen appear when somebody replies to a For Sale thread. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no such functionality at all with our Xenforo forum software. However, I plan to see if we could get some custom code written.

This would be a short paragraph with --
A. What to Watch Out for
B. What questions to ask
C. How to protect yourself

Unfortunately, I don't see how to make it run other than to appear with each post, or each time a Classified thread was viewed. That would get old fast...

 

[Albany Mountain]

I agree! Thanks

 

[Forum Boss]

Forum Boss, quit being the little cunt that you are and make it a pay site. Just get it over with, you want to be paid for your chicken shit bulletin ads, which is all that is. Putting gold and silver ribbons below someone's name was stupid, just gave idiots a sense of ownership and the right to run their mouths like they actually have a say.

These are "fighting words". This is the most offensive and insulting remark that has been directed to me in 15 YEARS of running this website. As another member just told me, that post by Milo was "despicable".

Milo is gone. He has been banned from the Forum forever.

I want to say something. At 11:45 pm last night, when I saw a member possibly be defrauded, I went to work tracing the transaction and creating two threads to warn members. I also got up at 5:30 AM to call the scope buyer and personally warn him.

I want guys like Milo to consider this. I will work 3300+ hours on the site this year. I have worked all but 3 days in 2019 -- that means I have worked 239 out of 242 days so far. I typically work 65-70 hours a week on the site.

I release nearly 1000 articles a year in the bulletin. That is more than the American Rifleman does with a team of editors and writers.

And I have 46,600+ Forum members to deal with....

 

[Damfino]

Pat -- We are thinking of doing just that -- having a pop-up screen appear when somebody replies to a For Sale thread. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no such functionality at all with our Xenforo forum software. However, I plan to see if we could get some custom code written.

This would be a short paragraph with --
A. What to Watch Out for
B. What questions to ask
C. How to protect yourself

Unfortunately, I don't see how to make it run other than to appear with each post, or each time a Classified thread was viewed. That would get old fast...

I think the Boss has good instincts and a well-established track record for success and I have faith in his judgement. Having said that, this is a complicated problem that calls for a complicated solution, or no action. Bottom line, it's by definition self-inflicted to the victim(s). If action is taken then we are part of a social experiment. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Please forgive me, but a bunch of cliches come to mind:

"Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.”

"Caveat emptor"

"Remember it hurts no one to be treated as an enemy entitled to respect until he shall prove himself worthy of affection. Cultivate a taste for distasteful truths. And, finally, most important of all, endeavor to see things as they are, not as they ought to be." (Ambrose Bierce)

Whatever happens here, I will support it.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Shut off the entire marketplace to all non-paying members. Thats my vote anyways.

How does a small site fee prevent them from being a crook?

Ray

 

[akajun]

You should check out the castboolits forum
They have a deadbeats subforum for scammers, liars, and cheats
It works out really well in that their username and or real name and contact info can easily be searched

 

[jghoghunter]

These are "fighting words". This is the most offensive and insulting remark that has been directed to me in 15 YEARS of running this website. As another member just told me, that post by Milo was "despicable".

Milo is gone. He has been banned from the Forum forever.

Boss I dont know what Milo has said but I do know I had him on ignore for a while now, I stand behind anything you do in getting rid of trouble makers like Milo and others and with anything you do to try and make the site better and safer for the good members of this site. I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

Forum Boss: What Milo said is quoted in my post above.

 

[Leo Smith]

I back the Boss Man.. He does the work. We get to enjoy..

 

[DHuffman]

I wondered how that got by the boss just above his earlier post.

I agree with the ban and while I can swear with the best of them I don't come here for vulgar trash talk and people being disrespectful to others to make themselves feel tough.

 

[Danoh]

How does a small site fee prevent them from being a crook?

Ray

Yep, I know of at least one "Silver" member who was a scammer. Very tiny investment for someone looking for a big score.

 

[strut64]

I participate in classified section on a site called shotgunworld. A moderator on that site is curlynohair. He has set up a set of rules with the intent of protecting members from scams. Suggest that you review or even communicate with him. Common interest here to prevent fraud.