MX-5 OC Forum

If you open up the for sale section to non member posts, surely it will proove more beneficial for existing members leading to a more comprehensive library of wonderful things to choose from, whilst potentially attracting new members?

Thoughts? Im annoyed slightly having been a member now my car has to be broken there is no point renewing my membership and I cant advertise properly and locking my post doesnt really help in terms of visibility to potential sellers.

That is the rule in most other forums too - only members can buy/sell items - the benefits of paying membership fees.

Look at it this way - re-new your membership and all your parts will probably be sold pretty quickly with little difficulty - you will soon get your membership costs back.

Or go on Flea-Bay and pay their costs.

Either way - to sell will probaly cost you something.

CambsMaz:

That is the rule in most other forums too - only members can buy/sell items - the benefits of paying membership fees.

Look at it this way - re-new your membership and all your parts will probably be sold pretty quickly with little difficulty - you will soon get your membership costs back.

Or go on Flea-Bay and pay their costs.

Either way - to sell will probaly cost you something.

It's certainly true of almost all the forums I'm on.....  and  

I know its probably the case with most forums, but wouldnt opening up offer more variety?

There may be case for parts, but definately not cars. Maybe under £50 ? 

 I think its a good idea ....

Along with the TSSC, before I was a member of the MX5 OC I got very frustrated not being able to see the cars for sale, and/or the contact details being hidden. Reduces the potential number of customers. Better in my view if all and sundry could access the "for sale" pages, it doesn't mean that they can get on and advertise, only that they can see the adverts.

I can understand why you would have to be a paying member to advertise parts/cars for sale. Is this the rule on the OC forum?

As I see at the moment one post wonders  can come along and post up for sale ads anyway, can't they?

Mick

Or go on one of the other MX5 forums, e.g. www.MX5Nutz.com. I think you have to have posted a minimum number of "real" posts (20 or 25, IIRC) before you can post something in the For Sale section. However, there is no fee, and anything in For Sale can be seen by everyone, not just other members.

Might be worth trying there?

Also, www.planetmx5.com has ads that anyone can see, but not sure of the rules about posting things up for sale

Cheers,

Simon

 I think restricting the placing of adds to full members is good thing when when buying online and sending payment to someone you dont know. Being a member means you deatils are held somewhere and and this gives reassurance to some about to send off a payment for some part. I guess this is less important for cars as you will going to see it and pick it up before parting with and cash, so no different from an add in autotrader.

There is a premium attached to buying a car off a member - you know it's been looked after.  If it's open to everyone, the for sale pages will just end being full of crap.

There's also the issue of being scammed - many items are sold at a distance with payments being made by bank transfer or Paypal Gift with no buyer security.  I think it would definitely increase the likelyhood of scammer's using the forums.  There has been a scammer on Gumtree recently trying to sell a Jackson Racing supercharger kit for a Mk1 at a discount price.

OP why not sell your bits on Ebay? 

I personally think the ability to place unlimited ads, for free, on a prominant website, is a good benefit for OC members, and there is a continuous debate about the benefits of membership. I don't think those benefits should be reduced.

There was originally a provision for non-members to place ads on a per-ad basis (a charge), but at the time, at least to me, there wasn't an efficient way to collect monies, and authorise the ad. Then there was the thorny issue of "traders", or rather, traders who, for whatever reason, didn't want to be identified as a trader. It seemed far simpler to say as part of ~£30 membership, members (traders, joe public) get unlimited small ads on the forum and in STHT (yes, your membership allows you to sell to people who are not on the forum). Some other forums charge £25 for a month's single ad, so that seems a bargain. Everything was in place to quickly take payment, and set up the membership rights.

I suppose since then, what with the shop, this issue might be re-visited in the future; whether non-members can place an ad for £20-25, for a month. I've put myself out of the loop though, so this is just a personal opinion, rather than a statement of intent.

I agree with perhaps cars someone mentioned you know its been looked after by maybe buying from an mx5 OC member, however parts would open it up nicely. Here my gripe though and perhaps a little selfishly it relates to my personal circumstance I have been a member for 2 years and participated in plenty of discussions and now I can not afford to do anything other then break my car since it has a damaged subframe. As soon as the membership ends there is no grace period in which selling your beloved owners club vehicle or parts.

Here is my proposal: Any previous member should have access to the for sale sections as you know they have paid there dues in terms of fees to the mx5 forum and you know they care in someway about their car to be part of a forum dedicated to their car. Rather then not have another mx5 sell the bits within 20 posts and continue receiving stht magazine for another year only to not have an mx5 :(

As regards to the buying and selling nowadays paypal offers plenty of protection if you are that worried what’s wrong with collect in person? If it was just parts think of the further comprehensive parts a member would have access too?

 I think Wozboz has a point. If, for whatever reason, a member has to sell or break their car why not give them three months grace if their membership has run out ?  This wouldn't open the flood gates and would give members first crack at things before they go on ebay etc.

JQ:

There is a premium attached to buying a car off a member - you know it's been looked after.

I don't think it's correct to claim this as a selling point or to put a potential buyer's mind at risk. There is no obligation on the part of members, as far as I can see, to prove that they look after thier cars properly, nor are there any criminal record checks nor any other accreditation of members. So to my mind, club membership is irrelevant as far as assessing the risks associated with car or component buying and it would be wrong to give the impression that club ownership improves those risks or that buying from an MX5OC member is somehow safer than other sources.

rmurphy195:

JQ:

There is a premium attached to buying a car off a member - you know it's been looked after.

 

I don't think it's correct to claim this as a selling point or to put a potential buyer's mind at risk. There is no obligation on the part of members, as far as I can see, to prove that they look after thier cars properly, nor are there any criminal record checks nor any other accreditation of members. So to my mind, club membership is irrelevant as far as assessing the risks associated with car or component buying and it would be wrong to give the impression that club ownership improves those risks or that buying from an MX5OC member is somehow safer than other sources.

Whilst I agree with you I still tend to think it is more likely that a car owner in a owners club likes their car therefore more likely to either spend money on it/look after it mechanically/clean it till they can see their big grin until realisation occurs they have spent hours polishing something that is a mode of transport

No be all and end all obviously because you have a good point, just slightly more likely.