[brand names removed]

I think a traders section would be a great idea,would cut out the snipping comments aimed at certain members who are well known on here and let the other trade guys " come out" so to speak.
I,m sure all of us would like the oportunity to save a few quid
why do they need to pay a fee?,why not just ask of a voluntry contribution

 

The point of charging a small fee (it would be an annual one) is to prevent every Arthur Daley type swamping the Buy/Sell section with ads. Also, I'm not really sure why, since I pay for the site entirely out of my own pocket, I should provide free advertising for businesses making a profit on their sales. The model seems to work fairly well over on PFM.

Michael.

 

Understand what you are saying,just think there are more +'s than -'s

 

personally i avoid having a traders section all together,unless they pay for ads

 

It's good that you raised this. It gets into the grey area.

Some folk are 'in trade'. They are retailers that should provide customers with deals that are within the law, collecting VAT on behalf of the Chancellor (given turnover minimum) and allowing customers due rights, such as warranties.

Some folk are selling on their own gear, s/h, in order to feed their HiFi habit (not their family). Here we just want 'right behaviour'

But there are some folk whose addiction is such that they are buying and selling and appear to be dealing. They are confusinh to deal with. No one really likes to make a huge loss when feeding the addiction, and the occasional 'profit' may be allowed when stumbling across a bargain, but that ought not to be the addiction.

I'' make my other comments in PM to Michael.

 

since the begining of the thread, I have since called Hi fi candy to enquire about a trade account on their website. They charge a flat monthly fee regardless of number of adds. Much less hassle......No Fcukxxx about like fannys....

 

I think that I will probably create a Trade Sales area that's free to start with to see how it goes and then once we see how that works charge a small annual fee later on for access to post there which will be the same for everyone.

Michael.

 

that's very reasonable.

that's not ...

 

I don't make much at all the cables, its just if I see a cable in a shop really cheap and I know certain HIFI stores charge 200% more the same thing I buy them and sell them cheap on ebay.

The only HIFI seperates I ever bough to sell on was a DAC I bought from RS for £30, I kept it for a few months and then sold it on ebay for £60. I think it is obvious for must users who is secrelty trading. For example if certain people keep selling items of the same maque, it soon becomes clear that no private person would have many very similar products to sell.

I don't do it so much anymore though because it is a lot of hassle and if you do it too much you are becoming a proper trader and you have lots of other laws to deal with such as tax.

 

This could be a turning point for the forum, and something I think, as i'm sure you already are, you should put a bit of thought into Michael.

I'm sure you can see the *potential* issues this could lead to.

Some debates about kit get pretty OTT here already without the traders (who are possibly the manufacturers of what they're selling), being present too.

As someone who purchases these goods, a possible bargain is obviously appealing!

As someone who sees this forum as MOre than just somewhere to purchase gear though.....

I can imagine it now. You start to sing the praises of a bit of kit and it's sold by a trader here. It's inevitable someone else will think it's utter shite and well, how long till the crap starts then? MOst members past and present will know the spirit of the forum (and yourself) come across as being unbiased, varied and free to praise and slate anyone where appropriate. But you know what can (and has) happened elsewhere, where the forum is said to be not quite as neutral as appears.

 

I think that a really good suggestion has been made. Just have a seperate section for trade sales. Everyone should be reasonably happy and know were they stand. Remember...buyer beware, but no fase claims should be made either. Anyway thats my two pennies worth.

 

I think you all think rather too much of this forum, its hardly an international gate way is it?

Sorry to be rude but get a grip.

 

MO! - I know what you're driving at but those traders are here already anyway. I don't think having a section where traders can list items for sale, even if they eventually pay a nominal fee for ir, in any way changes the neutrality of the forum.

If a trader selling, say, MF Kit got upset about MF kit getting slagged off that's just too bad, they can leave if they want.

I'm not in any way considering getting into having traders sponsoring the forum.

Michael.

 

Go on have Mama sponsering it, you know it would go down well Or maybe Russ Andrews.

You are right though as soon as a manufacturer is connected with the forum financialy it will just become another magazine.

 

PFM have a trade section . why not here?

 

Precisely John. You've found the nail hammer interface

Michael.

 

I'm not quite sure why you think my mum would be interested in sponsoring the forum?

Michael.

 

What is PFM?

 

PFM is another hi fi forum to be found here


http://63.99.108.232/forum/index.php

Bob

 

Or, if you prefer to use names rather than numbers:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum

Michael.