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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
classified ads
Steve Puppe, Photographer
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Mission | KS | USA | Posted: 10:07 PM on 05.13.04 |
| ->> Just curious what people would think about moving the classifieds to a member only section. I got a nice inquiry from Africa today in which the person contacting me said they were an agent for a client looking for photoghapher equipment such as my Elinchrom 600S that is for sale. They also said after payment arrangements were made that someone would be over to pick up the car as soon as possible. I've seen other threads about these scams and have received three similar emails on this item alone. I realize that it would cut down on views but most of us only want to reach ss members anyway. |
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Ian Elliott, Photographer
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Junction City | OR | USA | Posted: 10:31 PM on 05.13.04 |
->> I get a few of them now and then. I am still waiting for my check for $10 billion from some bloke in Nigeria. He knows Pedro he says. Good enough for me.
Cheers....
Ian |
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Michael Granse, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 10:42 PM on 05.13.04 |
| ->> They tried to give me 30 Million dollars a few months ago. All I had to do was give them my checking account number and they would deposit the money. I explained that deposits of that magnitude were not FDIC insured when deposited to a single account, and offered to give them HALF of the 30 Million if they could deliver $100,000 cash in fourteen days and the remaining $14,900,000 in 60 days. I have not heard from them again, which is odd when you consider I was offering THEM $15,000,000! |
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Steve Puppe, Photographer
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Mission | KS | USA | Posted: 10:55 PM on 05.13.04 |
| ->> I enjoy the "I have a client in the States that owes me money, I will have them pay you twice as much and then you can keep the difference." |
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Jason Grow, Photographer
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Gloucester | MA | USA | Posted: 12:42 AM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> You mean this is a scam? I'm sooooo bummed... I got the notice today that the guy wanted to by my Dynalite car and thought I had the sale, Caveat Emptor baby-- who am I to warn the guy that it wasn't a low-mileage two-door dynalite turbo convertible? ... I agree with Mr. Puppe, perhaps this ought to be a member only benefit -- at least you know that the buyer and seller are part of the community.... |
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Brett Flashnick, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | SC | United States | Posted: 12:50 AM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> I support this notion as well, I bought a 17-35 2.8 off of someone who I thought was a member of the site, when I got it the AF or MF didn't work and had to be sent right back out to cps for a new ultra sonic motor. Atleast if this guy were a member then I could atleast track him down to send him a bill or try and return the lens and get my money back, but after I got the lens and told him it didn't work, he disappeared. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 1:01 AM on 05.14.04 |
->> Hmmmmm ...let's see: Make the ss.com classified ads viewable to just members ... about 2,700 OR make them available to tens of thousands that view the site every day ...
I think most people would agree that it is worth weeding through the obvious scam artists to make the listings accessible to everyone who comes onto the site ... giving the ad more exposure and a wider audience from which to sell.
Right now you have to be a member to list an ad in the classifieds and I think that it's fair. Giving used equipment for sale (and remember also jobs, internships, assisting gigs, etc.) a larger number of potential buyers is a good thing.
I understand people's frustration with "scam artists" ... but it's worth it to ignore them and pick and choose from a larger group of potential buyers to sell whatever you're selling.
'Nuf Said.
Robert Hanashiro |
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Dianna Russell, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Springfield | MO | USA | Posted: 1:41 AM on 05.14.04 |
->> You can always make it clear in your classified that you will only sell to a sportsshooter member. I have noticed this on several classified ads.
I don't have anything listed for sale at this time but I received an email today wanting me to help him get his money ("(US$18m) Eighteen Million United States Dollars") out of Africa. . .
. . . "If my proposition is considered, for assisting us to transfer this money to your country, we 'll offer you 20% of the total fund, and 5% of the total 'll be set aside to cover any expenses incurred during this transaction. 75% 'll be for me and my family to invest in your country under your supervision.
Best Regards,
Mr Paul Gabe"
Yeah. Right. . . |
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Matt Franz, Photographer
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Dayton | OH | USA | Posted: 6:17 AM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> On the same topics, just OT slightly, can people PLEASE remove their ads when the item sells? There are items out there from two years ago... |
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Glen Johns, Photographer
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Worthington | OH | | Posted: 6:46 AM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> I agree with making them available to members only. If you need more exposure for your item, everyone knows about Ebay. I like having a group of buyers/sellers I can trust. Good idea. |
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Rick Burnham, Photographer
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Enfield | CT | USA | Posted: 10:56 AM on 05.14.04 |
->> Bert
I think part of the problem is what Brett ran into above your post. He thought he was buying from a SS member because the classifield was here on the board but it seems as though it was posted by a member for a friend.
I agree that if people want a larger audience they should post it on ebay. But I hate it when peple say xxx item is for sale and listed on ebay. If you want the SS community to have a crack at it then list it here first. IMHO.
Also what about an automatic kill of 60 days on the ads. After 60 days it drops if you want you can relist it but it would clean up the dead ads. Three months ago I emailed a member about an item he has listed he said it was long sold. But as of this writing it is still posted and the ad date is 08.01.03. |
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Mark Buffalo, Photographer
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Lonoke | AR | USA | Posted: 10:58 AM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> When I get those scam deals, I usually reply with a four-letter expletive! |
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Jason Peterson, Photographer
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Hanson | MA | USA | Posted: 11:03 AM on 05.14.04 |
->> While I haven't listed anything yet, I believe the Classified Ads are a tool I will use in the future.
I think that it is beneficial to have them avialable to the larger audience. There is no rule that you must accept any buyer who comes along. If you want to work with a SS member, check any emails that come in to see if they are a SS member. If they aren't, then reject the offer.
Another possible solutions would be if the SS Coder Gods chose to flag each ad as SSOnly or Not SSOnly. But really? How difficult is it for us to just check refrences on buyers? It's a skill everyone should have!
Cheers,
Jason |
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Jack Gruber, Photographer
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San Francisco Bay Area | CA | USA | Posted: 11:32 AM on 05.14.04 |
->> If you think it is a scam....it is a scam. Forget it and move on.
Oh and once again.....it is a scam!
If you are spending money on a piece of equipment and you "think" it is a sportsshooter member, do you also just "think" you are paying the right amount or did you research the item and barter with a realistic price in mind? If you can research the price, checking the SS member listing is a pretty simple and quick step if that is important in the buying/selling of an item in your mind.
I am with Bert. I don't like the scam artists either but having tens of thousands view a listing is a price that comes pretty cheaply with the $25 SS fee. In the long run, if you are trying to make some cash off the equipment you are selling, isn't it smart to have multiple offers and lots of looks at the selling items.
Dropping items after a month or so is probablly a pretty good idea too or an email automatically sent back to the items lister asking if the item is sold after a month and then it would be dropped or relisted. More work for Jason but if that works, why not? |
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Bill McCracken, Photographer
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Olathe | KS | USA | Posted: 12:06 PM on 05.14.04 |
->> I agree with Steve and others that the listings should be members only. If I'm selling here, then I would likely give another SS member a better deal than I would trying to offload something onto EBay. Hopefully, others may have similar consideration for cross member selling.
If I want to sell to the bulk buyers, that's EBay's role and has better marketing to move the equipment. Meaning if I didn't sell it here after a time period, then head over to Ebay to move it.
The second problem noted here, is that scammers are targeting this site to send emails from (insert country/insert scam). Less the classified route, the other method is to send us emails from the member pages. Either way, they've got a channel. I'm getting them too - not much can do except block them via spam filters. |
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Kevin Liles, Photographer
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Hartwell | GA | USA | Posted: 12:17 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> We many have touched on this topic before, but would it be feasable to search the classifeds by brand, gear, etc.? If you're looking for, let's say a 550EX, it may take you 10 pages of listing befor you find one. |
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Kevin Liles, Photographer
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Hartwell | GA | USA | Posted: 12:18 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> may, not many |
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Mike Brice, Photographer
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Northwood | OH | USA | Posted: 12:28 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> Selling or buying from sportsshooter members doesn't mean the deal will work out. Yes, it's likely that the member is not a scam artist from Africa, but it doesn't mean they are an honest person. There are a lot of dishonest people with $25 and 10 good sports images. So leave it open to all, and like a previous post said, reseach each person as you would research the gear. |
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Rick Burnham, Photographer
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Enfield | CT | USA | Posted: 2:08 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> Kevin you can search by anything you want. In the little search box at the top of the SS page put in 550EX, 1D, D1H,etc. and check off job/item box and leave all other check boxes blank. It will then search the classifieds for you. |
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Jason Grow, Photographer
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Gloucester | MA | USA | Posted: 5:25 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> Bert's probably correct -- it is a bit silly to completely limit the audience, I retract my support of the notion... and Jack was correct to point out the obvious... if it looks like a scam, smells like a scam... do the obvious and ignore it. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Tucson | AZ | USA | Posted: 6:56 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> I have always been supportive of making the classified section a members only area. If I want thousands to see my ad, I'll put it on eBay where there are some fraud protections in place. I think the thing that makes selling an item on SS attractive is the membership that sees the ads has some track record of who they are and where they are located. |
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Dianna Russell, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Springfield | MO | USA | Posted: 7:30 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> I still don't think the buyers/audience should be limited to members only. The seller should decide when they post the classified whether they want to sell to anyone or just sportsshooter members. I know I would only want to sell to members but that would be *my* choice. All you have to do is say no if you are nervous about a buyer or state the conditions in the text of the ad. |
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Spencer Hahn, Photographer, Student/Intern
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West Lafayette | IN | USA | Posted: 8:40 PM on 05.14.04 |
->> I sold a lens to a non-SS member through the classifieds, and at first everything was going OK. Then, after he received the lens (thank god the money order didn't bounce...yet) he said the lens was damaged during transit, and since I shipped it 100% insured I said it would be no problem and would figure out how to make an insurance claim.
But then he changed his story, making weird complaints about this and that and demanding a FULL refund. Whoa. Sounds more like Buyers' Remorse to me...either that or another SCAM. I don't want to deal with selling this lens again just because he doesn't want it anymore. Also, what if the money order is bouncing around the US as a re-directed fake? Pretty soon I'll be out a hefty sum.
Never had a problem with SS members. Never again to a non-SS member... |
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Robert Caplin, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Athens | OH | USA | Posted: 9:12 PM on 05.14.04 |
->> Rick,
Thanks for the info! I didn't know you could do that, makes browsing much easier.
You can even search "prom" and find prom raffle tickets for sale! With great prizes too! ;)
Robert |
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Rick Burnham, Photographer
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Enfield | CT | USA | Posted: 9:34 PM on 05.14.04 |
| ->> You're welcome. It never ceases to amaze me the stuff you will find on this site. |
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