Site Feedback Needed

[Chris]

We're working to get the Classifieds system up and running- hopefully bu year-end. There's a particular feature I'd like to run past everyone to gauge interest and see if it's a worthwhile effort to include this...

Would you list items in or purchase from an online auction?

Often times people have items they want to sell but don't know what they're worth- or want to get all they can from them. If you could put them here inexpensively, would you?

Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of soBay.

 

[boatme]

Chris

A friend and I tryed to set up a boating stuff auction site called "boater garage sale" a few years ago. It was tough to get participation either with sellers or buyers

I like the idea but we never got it to go to well and after a year abandon it

 

[Airpacker]

Might work here seeing as the target audience of the auction is already here. There would have to be some fairly strict rules in place to protect members from a scammer and protect the site from liability claims if someone gets hosed.

 

[inbetween]

I would participate in auction style listings.

 

[glassdave]

Chris

A friend and I tryed to set up a boating stuff auction site called "boater garage sale" a few years ago. It was tough to get participation either with sellers or buyers

I like the idea but we never got it to go to well and after a year abandon it

was that a site specific to auction boat stuff or an add on to an existing site? In our case it's an added section of the site and something to benefit the members. As a stand alone site it's a hard sell to steer people from ebay but i think it would be a good addition to what we have, sort of an enhanced classifieds section. I like it and hell i got tons of stuff to get rid of and have no idea where to start. Mostly just want it gone

 

[Wobble]

It might work if you only had one auction a month lasting one or two days. That way every visitor to the site could be hit with a pop-up letting know the link and dates. Listings could run all month.

The software might be expensive though.

 

[Ratickle]

It may work well. I look all the time on EBay for things I need/want for the boats.

 

[fund razor]

Well.... I would say that there has been demand from sellers. I really had to push that whole "price" thing and in the last couple of days I opted to leave up a link to an ebay ad from a contributor because it was ending almost immediately. Then I deleted as sold.
I assume that it would be software driven, so to speak. (In terms of working as or on a platform so that there is little or no input from moderators.)

 

[Chris]

Yes- software. It would work exactly as Ebay does. You could post an auction with reserve or not, set a starting price, set a term, etc.

 

[WMF]

That would be great, just dont have the fee's associated with Ebay and you might have the next great thing!!!!!

 

[Heavyhauler]

I have stuff that I'm ready to list, and it will all be at no reserve. Hope you can put it together.

 

[stecz20]

i like the idea, would it be part of the classifieds or seperate...

 

[Expensive Date]

It Could work but as someone else said who is going to be the referee

 

[Break'inWind]

Since you already have a targeted audience, I'd think over time it'd make itself useful. I'd participate.

 

[Chris]

It would operate separately from the classifieds.

It's going to have the same exacty level of moderation, safety and refereee input as the classifieds and the swap section- you're all big boys, do your homework.

 

[OldSchool]

Sounds like a great idea! I've got a bunch of "extra" chit in my garage and attic that I could get rid of.

 

[stecz20]

let me try it out.....

chirs sunkin.... $1.00 starting bid

the buy him now price $25.99






didnt we try this on oso and it flopped.... i think we did something like this and it did not work out..... i think we did this before the classifieds and also if i remember e bay told him to change the name.... remeber anyone.. i like the idea, but if its gonna cost too much, id say pass.....

 

[MarylandMark]

Classified with an OBO is my vote. Any one that has ebay'ed knows that most bids are someone trying to "steal" some thing for the lowest price they can. Nothing wrong with that but think ads here should have a price or OBO; why bother with an auction.

 

[pkspx]

We're working to get the Classifieds system up and running- hopefully bu year-end. There's a particular feature I'd like to run past everyone to gauge interest and see if it's a worthwhile effort to include this...

Would you list items in or purchase from an online auction?

Often times people have items they want to sell but don't know what they're worth- or want to get all they can from them. If you could put them here inexpensively, would you?

Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of soBay.

definitely include the trader rating here on the site, google it for vbb.

 

[Buoy]

I like the idea, but I'm afraid of what kind of headache it could turn into.
If you have some terms drawn up by the legal counsel that completely keeps this as only a service, and NO liability of S.O. in any auction, or transaction - it would be a very nice feature.
But I'd be very cautious of what liabilty, or just "bad-mouthing" from someone if they lost an auction to someone else on the site (let's say a Founder and a newbie are bidding on the same item at crunch time) and the newb loses...
Could turn into a LDD running his mouth on every site out there, and bad mouthing us.
Not trying to be negative, but trying to look at all angles.
People can be evil when they lose fair and square.