Controversial I Know-Can't We Get Rid Of The "For Sale" Board.

[FIMBO]

Or at the very least charge a nominal amount. It is threads like THIS that makes me feel this way. MN IS NOT A FREE VERSION OF EBAY!!!!!!

I get very annoyed by the for sale board too fimbo, unless regular posters are selling (hi biglips!!)

I agree. In fact I HATE the ebay threads full stop.

Yes regulars fine, others bog off.

Don't look then.

I will look it I want to. Thanks

Why not just report threads you are not happy with? MN towers can have serious words with people who are abusing the system and ban them if necessary.

The For Sale boards were a way in to Mumsnet for at least two good friends of mine. It's not fair to say "regulars only" when some first-time posters in for sale might then graduate into the main Talk section.

And some of us rely on the For Sale board for buying and selling our things.

don't mind for sale board...can always choose without buying/selling can't you? i have bought 3 things off mumsnet!

but the misuse that fimbo has flagged up should be reported and not allowed.......IMO...

I know Miaou, I just find it sad really that some people abuse Mn in this way .Especially the threads recently where people have not received items or are chasing for refunds etc. (the thread in question has been reported I think)

I think the problem with non regular posters is, why sell on mumsnet when there is ebay? With regulars it's slightly different because they use the site and know that they might rather sell to a mum, but first time posters - I really can't see why they would choose a parenting forum they had never previously visited over a site like ebay.

I know I can choose to ignore buying/selling.

They sell here rather than ebay because MN doesn't charge, Wannabe.

I don't have a problem with the For Sale boards, when they're used as they should be used - to sell your own stuff when it doesn't fit or isn't needed anymore. It's the posters with multiple items, all brand-new, that get me - and those who can order things in for you in any size and style you want. There are so many sellers now who aren't selling their own unwanted stuff, they don't even try to hide the fact that they are professional sellers. They're only here because, unlike ebay, there's no charge for selling.

Well, they choose here because it is free, and of course if you've been deregistered from eBay then it would be easier to exploit boards like this....

I don't think the For Sale board should go, for the reasons Miaou says, but I do think it's a shame that people have been scammed so much recently.

Here's another example

Cat's are £5.00 for a year, why not do the same with the for sale board?

I've bought a few things and sold a few things mainly so that the kids clothes get used again and not put in a dump somewhere, i like the idea of material things being reused and also helping some mn's out, i agree though that some people overuse the boards just for buying and selling but to be honest it doesn't really bother me as things are be reused and people are getting a second hand bargain that maybe couldn't be justified when buying brand new

I just hate it when you get a person using the boards as a free sales device who keeps bumping the thread up.

Message withdrawn

Sorry, Fimbo, was abrupt.

I agree, to a point. I think that if you charge to post For Sale threads, it will deter regulars, but leave the way free for sellers who actually make a fair profit selling stuff to pay and then have the boards to themselves.

I think the answer is probably getting the addresses of these people from MN and sending the heavies round.

How about having a rule that unless you have been registered for 3 months and are a fairly regular poster that you can't use the for sale board.

why can't we get rid of them full stop?

oh I see some people like them!

think if it ever came to a vote, I would vote to get rid of them

or do what they do on other sites and have a separate noticeboard for buying/selling

Maybe we could change "without buying/selling" to WITH buying/seller so people actually had to click on the tab?

It's really worrying that sellers who have been deregistered from Ebay can come on here to sell. That represents a big risk for mumsnet buyers. At the very least, is is possible for mumsnet towers impose a ban on sellers who are de-registered from ebay?

I have wondered how much traffic the for sale boards have, compared to the rest of Talk. Does anyone know? Does mumsnet benefit in any way from the buy and sell boards?

Imposing a limit to how much each person can sell on the boards might work. ie a seller can only post 6 for sale threads a year. That would enable ordinay people who are having a clear out to continue using the boards, but would weed out professional sellers, trying to avoid ebay fees and regulations.

I did read the cot thread just now - yuk!

There's no way for MN towers to know that someone has been deregistered from ebay!

I guess MN towers gets money from the sale boards in the same way they do from other boards: from the adverts.

I have used the for sale board to try and sell my pushchair, not because its free but because it does'nt take as long to write a thread as it does to list on e-bay. I do sell on e-bay but i like to offer it on here first. I have bought a few things off mumsnetters (regular posters) and all has been fine. I dont like it when people have bought things to buy on here at a higher price its like ripping your mates off.

I dont think they should go, maybe it would be a good idea to have a small fee which could go to charity and then you would'nt get people who can't be bothered to pay e-bay.