Why do people piss in other peoples' 'FOR SALE' threads?

[Martin Weiss]

Like I said, you can either a) alert the mods so we can make a judgment call or b) start a new thread discussing pricing

 

[Rick Darge]

Who are all these Redusers getting ripped off exactly?

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

It's not ripping anyone off if it's a price everyone agrees to.

If you are willing to sell and they're willing to buy I fail to see the problem.

 

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Yup, it happens a lot, but snarky comments in general happen a lot. I have posted on forums for more than ten years, and realized during that time that people really take delight in trying to prove someone else wrong, correct someone else, or show their "greater" knowledge. New ideas are not often welcomed with open arms. Heck I've gotten e-mails from craigslist lurkers before telling me that I wasn't offering enough money for such and such position, when I got 75-100 resumes and people happy to work for that rate and been doing this for a long time now, successfully. But one guy wants to send you an e-mail and set you straight that you should be paying $1,000 a day for a corporate videographer, even though your entire client pay is not much more than that, haha. It's hilarious. People should mind their own business or get a sense of the real world.

 

[jake blackstone]

Some of the posts in the Cinema display thread were just plain rude. Next time there'll be temporary bans. And please do let us mods know when something like this should happen again.

If you feel like the offer is bad, you could always start your own thread about how to save money by buying refurbished, and then have a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of refurbished gear there.

So, I just want to understand. Was it rude of me to post my opinion, that personally I always prefer to purchase refurbished Apple equipment with full manufacturer warranty, instead of buying used equipment from a private party? Original poster was very dismissive of that notion and intimated, that refurbished equipment is usually defective. At no time the purchase price was even discussed...
I would imagine, Apple is not going to be overly concerned over lost sale of two refurbished screens. But then, I imagine, a lot of people read these postings all over the world. Now all of a sudden, some readers may get wrong impression about Apple's products. I admire Apple and the quality, that it represents. To say, that Apple knowingly sells broken equipment is unfair and untrue...

 

[Martin Weiss]

The very first sentence of the marketplace policy clearly says

If you are not interested in something someone is trying to sell, please do not post in the thread.

 

[Liam Hall]

Martin, the problem with that rule is it opens the door for anyone "interested in something" to pass comment. Whilst I understand the sentiment behind it, how do you tell who's "interested" and who is just a PITA?

Also, whilst we're at it... can you delete those annoying comments that big up the seller. You know the anonymous internet endorsement, "I know Johnny, he's a a real pal, great guy and I can personally vouch for him etc". Those really get on my....

BTW you and the other moderators on here do a great job and don't get thanked enough for putting up with all the needless crap we throw your way

 

[julian-nüesch]

people really take delight in trying to prove someone else wrong, correct someone else, or show their "greater" knowledge. People should mind their own business or get a sense of the real world.

absolutely true Jonathan, and thanks Rick for posting this thread

 

[Antony M]

Why not ban the sellers trying to rip-off the community?

I agree there are some major PITA jumping in peoples' threads, but there's also a lot of blatant opportunism going on. Should people remain quiet whilst someone gets ripped off?

I agree with Liam.

Instead of banning the people warning about rip-offs, you should be thanking them.

Unless you are trying to rip people off yourselves, and don't want anyone spoiling your game?

 

[Robert Frank]

Instead of banning the people warning about rip-offs, you should be thanking them.

Unless you are trying to rip people off yourselves, and don't want anyone spoiling your game?

Blatant rip-offs yes. But what about when it's nit-picky BS about finding the same item for a few $ less somewhere else? Why jump on that?

And I like when someone says something to the effect of " hey, I bought something from so-and-so and he was great to deal with".

I'm glad we're having this discussion here, because I see this as REDusers looking out for each other, and occasionally we need to talk about where the line is, and when we happen to cross it, why we did. Overly rigid rules are, IMO, counterproductive, where a constructive attitude with room for flexibility seems a better approach.

Having said this, I still think that $30 iPhone "bumper" from Apple is stupid overpriced for what it is.

 

[Brandon Kraemer]

I agree with Liam.

Instead of banning the people warning about rip-offs, you should be thanking them.

Unless you are trying to rip people off yourselves, and don't want anyone spoiling your game?

The onus should be on the buyer to do their research and know what they are buying. Unless someone is a scam artist that you have personally been burned by, then I think people should stay out of other peoples deals. In the case of a true scam... report to the mods seems like the best policy. If you think a kit is over priced... that is your opinion, keep it to yourself. Isn't that the policy on here?

 

[Martin Weiss]

I would say generally that when you buy an item, it should be your onus as a buyer to do the necessary research - and finding out pricing should be part of it. We are all grown ups on this board and are responsible for our own actions. If we chose to buy something used without checking if it really is a bargain, then that is our own decision.

Obvious scams should be reported to the mods. But offers that you feel are a bit too high are that - an offer. Just ignore it and let it fade away. If someone chooses to take the seller up on the offer, well - who's harmed. Apparently both sides are happy with the price. Happens every day that someone pays more on eBay that what the same item brand new would have cost around the corner. If it really bugs you, shoot an e-mail to the seller — but don't immedeatly suspect that the seller is out for a scam.

Now, people endorsing a seller is not something that bugs me. It adds a layer of trust to the potential purchase and thus can be valuable information to the ad.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

And if someone has trouble doing the research as a buyer

"Is this a good lens? What should I expect to pay?" They can start a new thread.

 

[Robert Frank]

I have a questions for the mods.

Is there a way to post a For Sale thread that can locked by the user so there is no ability to reply to it? Wouldn't that alleviate some of these problems? IMO, it should be only for the Jobs / Equipment For Hire area.

For the record I don't think it's always a great idea. For example, I had great feedback from other REDusers regarding a piece of equipment that I was selling that may be unfamiliar to many REDusers, but those that knew of it chimed in how much they liked it.

But I also might want to lock a thread if I were selling equipment that was well known, where any real questions would be best sent as a PM or email from those with a genuine interest.