Could the "Classifieds" topics just be removed from Talk entirely?

[littlelapintofbloodmwahaha]

Since there is an entire Classified tab on the top menu, could we have a separate message board for those topics please? Those being

• For sale
  
• Wanted
  
• Childcare
  
• Swap shop
  
• Small business ads
  
• Jobs
  
  Especially if you take up Champs' suggestion of MN Swaps having it's own topic... then we wouldn't have to worry about having No Buying/Selling, No Swaps etc. It seems like the infrastructure is already there for it.
  
  Sorry Tech

[popsycal]

I ageee.

I also think it should be for regular talk members only (certain lentgh of time as a member or certain number of posts or both).


I prefer to buy/sell from/to regulars only anyway when I very occasionally look at this section.

[SpookyDooooo]

I agree something has to be done about the selling/wanted threads as it is well out of hand & some of us can't keep our mouth shuts when people attck us

[littlelapintofbloodmwahaha]

I think MNHQ should charge a fee - like they do for CAT - for people who want to use the Buying and Selling boards. There are definitely some posters effectively running small businesses for free!

[popsycal]

HOw about certain number of posts in sections other than buying and selling? Or length of time as a member for serial lurkers (we know you are out there )

[littlelapintofbloodmwahaha]

But then you could just go onto 5 threads a day and post "yeah, I think so too" (or "you bitch!" )

[Marina]

I've flagged up the Bayamo thread with MNHQ LL as it seems to me to epitomise the problems of having unregulated buying and selling going on here.
I know it's on MNHQ's to-do list, at least I think it is.

I'd prefer to see buying and selling go completely unless it could be made for regular posters only, as popsy says.

I never normally look there and was amazed to see that hardly anyone posting ever contributes to any other parts of the forum.

Ironic that all this went ballistic the same day that gggl made the wonderful suggestion of a Special Interests Register.

I know which I'd rather see MN focussing on, and which is closer to the spirit of the site as I understand it

[littlelapintofbloodmwahaha]

Well said as ever, Marina

[Tamum]

I just worry that the idea of regular posters only could be so easily abused- it's what we'd all like to see, but it would be pretty easy to circumvent if people were cynical enough. I completely agree about moving it all away from Talk, and I would have thought a fee structure, or at least a one-off payment would be the way to go. It could be priced much lower than eBay for the sake of genuine regulars.

[magnolia74]

I agree completley but I do use the buy and sell. It has got to the stage now though where I can't sell any of the outgrown stuff on here to other regulars because it's been ruined by flocks of people only using it for buying/selling.

I post all over mumsnet but am also a mum to 5 kids who needs to make extra cash to then buy more stuff for them I would be more than happy to see it only for regulars but I don't think it will stop the flocks of pain in the arses selling their 8 buggies

[Tamum]

magnolia, you're a good example of a regular who sells a lot- maybe it would be helpful if you said whether you would be put off completely by having to pay £5 a year or something? Would you just go elsewhere? I guess MNHQ have to know this kind of stuff before they make a decision...

[RubberDuck]

Agree with a charge like for CAT... or maybe the charge for CAT is also the charge for using the For Sale boards... so the £5 a year gets you CAT and classified access?

It's ridiculous that so many people use the For Sale boards and don't contribute anything else to Mumsnet. We're being taken for a ride.

[ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween]

I'm fed up with it. I have a Zapp to get shot of but despite numerous threads I still have it (I did refuse to sell it to a Buying-and-selling-only who only buys buggies on MN at one point). It just got drowned in amongst all the traders.

[ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween]

£5 a year is peanuts compared to Ebay fees though.

[XratedOtter]

god yes AMEN to this

its so NOT MUMSNET

[Marina]

I think it would be great if we could find a way to keep it accessible to RPs like magnolia and Adragon.
I can imagine this is a knotty one for MNHQ

[Tamum]

Well, that's what I thoguht soupy, but then maybe it wouldn't put off the serial buggy offenders either...

[RubberDuck]

So there needs to be a way that regulars can use it for free, but non-regulars get charged... how could that be enforced though?

If you make it posting frequency then we just end up with more random dross posted as people just spam to get selling rights and also penalises people who have been here years, read lots but contribute infrequently.

It needs to be fairly automated/self-policing as you don't want tons of work for MNHQ to monitor it.

BUT it does need to change, as it doesn't seem to be benefiting anyone.

[RubberDuck]

(well, it's benefiting the vultures... but that's by the by)

[magnolia74]

I would not be put off at all by paying yearly ect... I do use Ebay but to be honest you are paying fees for stuff that doesn't always sell and it takes more time etc...
I would not leave mumsnet though if buy and sell was taken away completely. I use it first and foremost for getting me through the hectic life I have with my brood Selling stuff on here used to be an added bonus but it's got silly

[Helennn]

I think the Bayama thread has just been pulled - thank God.

I totally agree the buying/selling threads are not what mumsnet is about and seems to provoke such bitchiness - leave it to Ebay!!

[RubberDuck]

Hmm... THAT thread has been removed, which is good... but now there's no record of that poster's scam if you want to buy and check the seller?

[Lulumama]

what happened on that thread , i posted on it this morning, went out for an hour ! and it was gone when i got back

[bubblerock]

I think it's more trouble than it's worth and should just go, people can just use sites like bounty/ebay to sell on instead. I just don't think we'd really miss it.

[Helennn]

Didn't read all of it by a long way but basically a mumsnet v Bounty/chav/bad spelling debate.

I dared to say, (nay SHOUT), that they would be better off playing with their kids than slagging everybody off, for which I got criticised of course.

Probably a lot more to it than that but I didn't waste my time reading it!!