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Auction/eBay/CL Posting Policy-MUST READ

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clinto

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Auction posting policy-MUST READ


Guys, we need to tighten up the policies regarding the posting of auction info.

30 seconds of background-for the last few years, we have prohibited the posting of either active, or upcoming auction information for a multitude of reasons. Some of those reasons are:



  1. We don’t want to be accused of taking part in collusion. Several years ago, the Justice Department prosecuted a couple of big (you’d all recognize their names) surplus companies for colluding to keep auction prices lower (i.e. “I’ll bid on this, you bid on that, we won’t bid each other up”). If a popular member of the site is saying “I’m going to bid on X item, then another member may not bid and it’s possible authorities could take that as colluding.




  1. There is a fairness issue-just because one person is too lazy to search the internet for items of interest coming up, doesn’t mean a nice person should do all the work for them. “Hey, I don’t want this, but I thought you guys might, so here’s a link to an obscure farm auction in South Dakota with six NOS DUKW’s” may sound like you’re being a super nice guy to you, but to me, the guy who spent an hour every night searching the internet for cheap DUKWs, you’re an epic douchebag because now I have to bid against a hundred other guys who would never have known about it. So you helped someone but screwed someone else over. That doesn’t make you a nice guy-it makes you an as………err, douchebag.




  1. Posting of upcoming or current auctions created drama with other members, who felt the good deals they spent time looking for were being ruined by people posting up info about upcoming auctions. I personally agree with this sentiment.




  1. Ultimately, since the two sides will never agree, we decided not posting info (links, descriptions, etc.) was the better choice.




Ok, here’s why we’re posting this:

The site membership has gotten better about not breaking this rule, but there are more and more “sliding under the radar” kinds of posts coming up recently.

Remember, we’re going to enforce the spirit of the law, not the letter. If the idea is to keep people from informing others about auctions, simply not posting a link but hinting around at all the ancillary details is the same thing.

I hate to call folks out (and please don’t be offended, I am not picking on the OP), but here’s a perfect example:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthr...99#post1289899

This thread ostensibly intends to discuss the inanity of current EUC rules.

2 points:



  1. Another thread is certainly not needed. Everyone knows EUC rules are stupid, non-sensible and most importantly, will never change, or become more common sense. They just won’t.
  2. I found the item this poster was discussing, in about 15 seconds. I did not know about it’s existence before. Were I interested in such an item, I would now be added to the pool of bidders, potentially driving up the price.


Now, I don’t expect people to stop posting duplicate threads, since it’s just human nature. Any day now I expect another thread asking what’s missing from the bottom of their multifuel bellhousing, what the bracket on the passenger side of the cab is for, what insurance will cost or why the sky is blue.

But, we can follow the rules at least.

And for this thread to follow the rules, the question simply could have been worded differently, to completely avoid all references to the FMTV wrecker. Were I to post this thread (which I wouldn’t, and I’ll describe why in a moment), it would look like this:


What is the rationale of EUC policies which require outlandishly out-of-date and non-weaponized equipment like 6.2 engines and M105 trailers to require an EUC when I was recently looking at an item which was being auctioned off without an EUC which was far more modern and quasi-front line-ish?

I was looking at a vehicle - which is a very current truck - not one of those hidden in a shed, covered in dust n chicken poop, forgotten about, out the back of a remote Alaskan base 50 year old Deuces but still on the base books, so technically you say about your own '60s Deuce - "like the the ones the Army still have"...!

No, this is the latest stuff, recently released - admittedly it is a little less than functional, missing bits etc., but it does not appear to need an EUC! Either that or my BLANK BLANK web site is broke!

So a trailer does, but this doesn't. Good news for the auction winner and potential resale to a foreign crazy land, but it does confound the rest of us who have gone the EUC route for an old piece of history which is benign in it's 'potential threat' and would be of interest only to a collector....


Now, see how no one could read that and have any idea what you’re talking about (in terms of the vehicle itself-the thread’s intent is maintained)?
And, on top of all that, why not just wait until the end of the auction? Then you could post up exactly what we’re talking about and be all in the clear?

“Hey everybody, did you see the FMTV wrecker that ended yesterday? Here is the description and pictures I saved, since the link will die shortly. Why does this thing not need an EUC, considering it’s a current, quasi-front line vehicle; but a 50 year old, REMF like an M35A2 or even an M105, still requires one? Where’s the sense in this? Yada yada yada”


tl;dr

We’re cracking down on the “hint hint” skirting around the auction rules. So clean up your threads/posts or wait until auctions end so you can discuss your items in the clear.

Gracias

The staff.

P.S. DO NOT post a eBay or Craigslist link unless they are your own and are incidental to the post (ie - not start a new post just to link your stuff). This also appies to Buy-It-Now items.

This is covered in the Forum Rules also.

P.P.S>

The main Forum rules are updated all the time.

Here are the latest about auctions.

Collusion: Collusion between members will not be tolerated in the SteelSoldiers.Com forums. The following could be construed as collusion and will be deleted:
• Sharing of bidder ID numbers or names to avoid bidding against another member
• Sharing of auction numbers or lot numbers to avoid bidding on the same item as another member
• Any other arrangement between members that serves to keep auction prices low in favor of the member bidders
First time offenders will be warned. Second time offenders will lose posting privileges for one month. Third time offenders will be banned.

Auction Postings: Please abide by the following rules concerning the posting of auction information in the forums:
• Do NOT post about future or current GL/GP(GovPlanet)/GSA/eBay (including items for sale in buy-it-now formats)/local/city/state/Federal/estate auctions. You may post about any auction after the auction is closed.
• Do not post links to auction photos.
• Do not post links to GL/GP(GovPlanet)/GSA(or other sites)that have links that quit working after a short period of time. Save the image to your PC and then attach it to your post.
• Do NOT post links to current eBay auctions or Craig's List ads that are not your own. You may post a link to your own auction/ad only if it is in an information/discussion thread about your vehicle/item. Do not start a post in the Conversations forum or your vehicle specific forum just to announce your auction/ad.
• No collusion as specified above.
 
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zebedee

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Thanks Clinto - suitably admonished. I look forward to being much 'cleverer' in future..... However, all I can say in my defence is that the item in question was not 'found by me' after weeks of searching but was in the GL advert in the top left hand corner of that days forum, when I logged on - so I assumed that it was fair game and could not be missed by the masses. But you are totally right - it was a current auction at the time - even though some of those ads are "auction closed" or what ever they say.

Cheers!
 

K9Vic

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Thanks, much needed post!

I know exactly what auction listing that hint or “sliding under the radar” post referenced, one I was watching.

I do not like people posting links to active auctions for the reasons you noted. Especially when it may be one that not allot of people know about because they do not spend the hours searching for them.
 

doghead

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They get the point, when they get banned.:burn:
 

Speddmon

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Bump back to the top. Apparently the point still isn't getting through. People, you really need to read and understand this, or the banning will commence shortly.
 

3dAngus

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One exception is listed in the rules;

"Do NOT post links to current eBay auctions or Craig's List ads that are not your own. You may post a link to your own auction/ad only if it is in an information/discussion thread about you vehicle/item. Do not start a post in the Conversations forum or your vehicle specific forum just to announce your auction/ad. "
 

73m819

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Auction posting policy-MUST READ

This is the PROBLEM "MUST READ", some do not UNDERSTAND what they read if there IS NOT pictures, OTHERS think "MUST READ" does not apply to them only EVERYBODY else because the TITLE does not say "EVERYBODY MUST READ", though this title might not work either because they might think this still does not applies to them because their name is not EVERYBODY. We could try "ALL STEEL SOLDIERS (not SSers, might not know what SSer means) MUST READ", and if this does not work a public, on SITE, 30 day banning and be REQUIRED to REREAD the rules and signoff that they did before they are allow back on SITE, .
 
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swbradley1

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Banning it is then. 7,30 or 365 days?

Maybe people will pay attention.
 

3dAngus

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Three days would get the point across. It's not like they committed a violent crime.

Just make the point, don't persecute.
 

patracy

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Get banned for a week for a link. Do it again, ban for a month I say.

Make another account, I'll ban your account forever. I'll also block your IP so you can't even view the site.
 

clinto

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I Have been on this site for six years, and really don't understand what is so dang hard about following the rules?


The majority of the people here that are either breaking rules or etiquette are people who just show up, sign up and begin posting. They don't bother to do any research (reading) or searching and therefore; they never see the rules or recognize the culture here. Sometimes they've been members for years, but they only have 20 posts and have never come to an SS event. So they may have been members for years, but they don't really know anything about the community.

All communities have a culture of their own. This is an online community. Every forum you can think of, whether it's a recipe forum, underwater basket weaving or an automotive forum, has a culture of it's own. Some communities do not like bumping up 5 year old threads, even if the new post is completely relevant to the old thread. Some are like us, where they don't want to take the same ground twice. Some don't care about NSFW material, some do.

Whenever you join a new community, it's a good idea to kind of quietly hang out and get a feel for what it's like, then begin interacting. Obviously, a lot of people don't have those kind of social skills (or, what's more likely, they just don't care) and they just jump in and run afoul of the culture of the community.
 

Lonesome715

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I cannot help but feel the need to commit on this. I ate a week long ban recently because I simply forgot about the link rule. Yeah, I get it, that is no excuse. All I can say is I usually stay out of the GL threads and the item I found I am quite certain no one here would bid on. It was more of a source of humor than anything. Banning for that particular posting was stupid. I actually went back in to edit my posting after I remembered but was banned only minutes after posting it. I was more angry over the fact that I have paid to be a member on this site and now I am cut off for a week? Sorry, but that is a no go. That being said, I do totally and completely agree with posting links so others people can bid it up. I want to drag those guys into the street and beat them. I have lost out on some good deals because an auction that had no attention suddenly got a lot after some posted it. So, I do see the need for the rule. However, it should be handled on a case by case basis. Dealing in absolutes is not a good business practice and it is not a good way to treat people in general. Anyhoo, that is how I see it.
 

doghead

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Do you folks realize, we keep deleting the conversations in this thread.

This is a public notice, not a debate.
 

patracy

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I know this is not a debate, but it would certainly be nice if we could point people to ebay "buy it NOW" items when they are looking for parts, I have often found ebay sellers that have several of a given part that is frequently needed but poorly listed for months if not years. For example there is one seller listing commonly sought after voltage regulators for the MEP-016b generators as "libby regulator" and a mangled version of the NSN part number. Even knowing it is there and I have a hard time finding it when someone asks about the part, then rather than just posting a link to the seller (to avoid breaking the rule even though it is a "buy it now" not an auction item), I end up writing a message about as long as this one to describe the search terms that can be used to locate the item.
This is actually a great conversation. I honestly do not see an issue with posting up links for buy it nows, IF it's only a buy it now listing. (Not an auction with buy it now) The problem as I see it would be people understanding what kind of ebay link would be appropriate.
 

papabear

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This is actually a great conversation. I honestly do not see an issue with posting up links for buy it nows, IF it's only a buy it now listing. (Not an auction with buy it now) The problem as I see it would be people understanding what kind of ebay link would be appropriate.
I agree. HOWEVER...If ya can't get folks not to post adds PERIOD...there is no way folks are gonna try to understand what "appropriate links are".

I say stick to your guns and either enforce the policy as is, or just abolish the policy and let em have at it.
 
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