Removal/warnings of overpriced items

[Aengus]

Recently there's been a rise in people trying to rip other people off with overpriced items (successfully in many cases) not only on this forum but others. So was thinking that an admin could maybe delete threads with overpriced items or put a post warning potential buyers ? I can see problems with this but the biggest one is, what's overpriced ? well I'd say anything higher than rrp.

 

Sure this has been suggested a million times before but I did a quick search and couldn't find anything.

[M_P]

On the one hand I agree, on the other if someone is stupid enough to buy something without researching its real worth then they kind of deserve it IMO.

[proffrink]

I saw you post this on Zero In, and I must echo the sentiment of the above and the guy that replied to you there too: Moderating sales like that is incredibly hard because the value of many of these items is just subjective. One mans trash is another ones treasure and all that.

 

The help is here though; if anyone is unsure then they can always ask. If people don't do their research then I'm afraid they run the risk of getting ripped off, but that's life unfortunately.

[GingerBreadMan]

I agree somewhat with that, it is down to the buyer to make sure theyre getting a fair deal and its recommended to make sure that the seller has some feedback and a reasonable amount of posts to ensure they're not a scammer. Anything that is ridiculously priced is usually pointed out by someone on the sales post, in 'macks airsoft dreamers of the week' or a status.

[Qlimax]

On the one hand I agree, on the other if someone is stupid enough to buy something without researching its real worth then they kind of deserve it IMO.

I agree with M_P if someone is stupid enough to part ways with their cash then let them. There's no forum rule on pricing so it's upto the buyer to research the item and pricing before buying. If they don't or can't be bothered then it's their own fault.

[Deek]

I personally think an item is worth what a person is willing to pay for it, and also comes down to supply and demand.

 

Sure, there may be a particular airsoft weapon that could be bought for £100 from a retailer, but there may be no stock in the county. A person puts the same weapon for sale for £200 and another person buys it because they want this particular weapon now rather than waiting...

 

Recently, on another forum, I bought two mosquito molds shower shells. The price they were on sale for was right for me, especially as you can't really buy these in the UK, and I wanted to increase how many of these I owned.

 

I will echo the posts above as well by saying buyers should really research stuff before they buy it - and that includes from retailers as well as any second-hand / pre-used sales as well. The golden advice must always be, 'Buyer beware!'.

[Sacarathe]

I agree when the comparable item is available brand new from a retailer (in the same country) with equal shipping included, but where the item is not as available: Free Market Reigns.

 

However I don't think the degree of moderation you propose is fair to anyone, but rather the notion that moderators refrain from punishing people who interfere in others' sales posts when those people post " you can buy it here for less ". That happens here a little and its a comfortable balance.

[ImTriggerHappy]

Thats a bad idea, half the fun on the forum is winding up the sellers who are trying to rip people off.

[Colonel Kurtz]

Be hard to draw the line, even if you said nothing above retail value, it'd just turn every £200+ M4 sale into a big argument of the OP listing every single little bit they replaced for 30-50 a time.

 

Agree that you just have to leave people to make their own mistakes or apply their own sense of worth.

 

Zero In should let people reply to sales threads perhaps, think over here the current rules, monty's eagle eyes and occasional troll back-up does the required job swimmingly

[Lozart]

I agree when the comparable item is available brand new from a retailer (in the same country) with equal shipping included, but where the item is not as available: Free Market Reigns.

 

However I don't think the degree of moderation you propose is fair to anyone, but rather the notion that moderators refrain from punishing people who interfere in others' sales posts when those people post " you can buy it here for less ". That happens here a little and its a comfortable balance.

 

That's the important bit here. Lots of people have bought their kit in the UK and want a fair price compared to what THEY paid. Telling them that you could get the same thing for a fraction from Hong Kong just causes bad feeling in my opinion.

[Darkmikey22]

This is always a two way argument. Yes there are people out there who only add a few parts and call it custom, then try to sell it at a high price. But I have also seen people that have really spent a lot of time and money building absolute beast's, yet get lowballed by people that either don't have a clue what they are buying or want to buy gold with buttons.

 

For example; there was a guy last year on another forum selling an Inokatsu STEEL M240B for £900, which is a bargain when it cost £1600 New and was unskirmished. Yet two lads made a thread about what a rip off this guy was, and that it was overpriced and that you can get the same thing for $300 from the abroad. Well most people know a $300 echo1 to a full steel Inokatsu is a big difference.

 

But my point is; where is the line drawn between an over priced gun, or someone just wanting something for nothing?

At the end of the day, as everyone else has said, if your not happy paying that price, give a offer, if not accepted, walk away. It's no biggy is it?

[two_zero]

If you think something is overpriced - dont buy it! As long as the seller is honest about the item & condition I dont see any issue.

 

 

As a matter in fact an items true market value is exactly what someone is prepared paying for it. One knife I own is not produced any more and it's current second hand value is over 600% of its RRP.

[skarra333]

One of the things a recent post (and many others) on these forums contained was a community response and commenting on possibly overpriced goods that was to me - extremely helpful, and amusing.

 

I have played the sport for near 10 years now, but am supremely ignorant when it comes to most things to do with RIF's. And with the continually expanding/shifting and difficult to swiftly research manufacturer landscape, I find it very hard to keep up, even if I do get a toe grip on some relevant knowledge. For example, yesterday I became aware companies called SHS/Lonex/Prometheus produce good quality stuff apparently.

 

If the forum just closed down potentially overpriced items, or stifled discussion, I perhaps wouldn't be able to leech off other members knowledge and expertise quite as much as I can now, and I'd simply never gleam some of the things that might one day, be useful.

 

Seeing members highlight something as possibly overpriced, especially with links to where it can be purchased like-for-like (domestically) cheaper&new is brilliant, IMO. But beyond that, a forum that allows the community to discuss and heap on the explanation as to why something is overpriced is a forum feature I would like to keep.

[Tad]

Rather than close them down, can you limit the creation of for sale posts to members who have at least 10 quality posts?

[jcheeseright]

Couple of years back I sold a marui M870 online for a profit. There were none available to buy retail anywhere in the world at a reasonable price so I put it up intending to make a quick £50 over what I paid for it (didn't really get on with it for skirmishing, not my sort of gun it seems).

Someone bought it within a day and I thought to myself, I could have made more there. Supply meeting demand, if the 'close the thread if it's over priced' rule existed, I couldn't have done that.

 

In short, if the asking price is too high, people won't pay it.

[Jedi_Master]

Supply meeting demand, if the 'close the thread if it's over priced' rule existed, I couldn't have done that.

In short, if the asking price is too high, people won't pay it.

I agree. I always work with the principle of caveat emptor. Not to say that I do not make the occasional snafu on eBay when I want an item and do not do the due diligence or just risk buying from China.

[Lozart]

Couple of years back I sold a marui M870 online for a profit. There were none available to buy retail anywhere in the world at a reasonable price so I put it up intending to make a quick £50 over what I paid for it (didn't really get on with it for skirmishing, not my sort of gun it seems).

Someone bought it within a day and I thought to myself, I could have made more there. Supply meeting demand, if the 'close the thread if it's over priced' rule existed, I couldn't have done that.

 

In short, if the asking price is too high, people won't pay it.

 

Somethingis worth whatever someone else will pay for it. If that's £50 over retail or £50 under retail it doesn't matter.

[two_zero]

One of the things a recent post (and many others) on these forums contained was a community response and commenting on possibly overpriced goods that was to me - extremely helpful, and amusing.

 

I have played the sport for near 10 years now, but am supremely ignorant when it comes to most things to do with RIF's. And with the continually expanding/shifting and difficult to swiftly research manufacturer landscape, I find it very hard to keep up, even if I do get a toe grip on some relevant knowledge. For example, yesterday I became aware companies called SHS/Lonex/Prometheus produce good quality stuff apparently.

 

If the forum just closed down potentially overpriced items, or stifled discussion, I perhaps wouldn't be able to leech off other members knowledge and expertise quite as much as I can now, and I'd simply never gleam some of the things that might one day, be useful.

 

Seeing members highlight something as possibly overpriced, especially with links to where it can be purchased like-for-like (domestically) cheaper&new is brilliant, IMO. But beyond that, a forum that allows the community to discuss and heap on the explanation as to why something is overpriced is a forum feature I would like to keep.

Having people commenting on price in an open thread is banned in the most decent forums I know. People commenting on price can be devastating and rather unfair. I once listed a knife for way below its market value, one person commented saying they found cheaper. Found a cheaper knives? I bet! Found THAT knife cheaper? No, I seriously doubt that, but never the less this obviously affected the ad negatively.

[Sacarathe]

Having people commenting on price in an open thread is banned in the most decent forums I know. People commenting on price can be devastating and rather unfair. I once listed a knife for way below its market value, one person commented saying they found cheaper. Found a cheaper knives? I bet! Found THAT knife cheaper? No, I seriously doubt that, but never the less this obviously affected the ad negatively.

 

Without proof it would be hearsay, but who would do that. lol

[ImTriggerHappy]

Having people commenting on price in an open thread is banned in the most decent forums I know. People commenting on price can be devastating and rather unfair. I once listed a knife for way below its market value, one person commented saying they found cheaper. Found a cheaper knives? I bet! Found THAT knife cheaper? No, I seriously doubt that, but never the less this obviously affected the ad negatively.

Actually I think the ability to comment more freely makes this the most decent forum out there.

I think its the responsibility of all airsofters to help prevent people from being ripped off. If someone is selling something that is rare or collectible for more than its original value thats fine.

But selling something for more than its worth in the hope of someone being stupid enough to buy it is out of order. Some people on here say its the fault of the buyer for being ripped off because they should do there homework, this is true to a point but I still think the seller has the moral responsibility not to take advantage of someones ignorance. Its called being fair and decent and if your not and someone trashes your sale its your own fault for being a nob.

Sorry to hear about your sale going wrong but if the person who says they could get it cheaper doesn't provide any evidence then they should be ignored anyway,I know I would.

[two_zero]

But selling something for more than its worth in the hope of someone being stupid enough to buy it is out of order. Some people on here say its the fault of the buyer for being ripped off because they should do there homework, this is true to a point but I still think the seller has the moral responsibility not to take advantage of someones ignorance. Its called being fair and decent and if your not and someone trashes your sale its your own fault for being a nob.

I agree, if someone selling something clearly overpriced with the intention to rip someone else off, that aint a good thing. But then, should forum members, that can be just as malicious or ignorant at the seller/buyer have the right to destroy the ad? Really if that is what the forum goes by, it should be reported to moderators, and then we're back at removals and warnings?

[Sacarathe]

The removals here seem to occur quite peacefully, warnings would be counter productive, particularly when the recipient believes the seller was disingenuous with their price setting.

[skarra333]

I agree, if someone selling something clearly overpriced with the intention to rip someone else off, that aint a good thing. But then, should forum members, that can be just as malicious or ignorant at the seller/buyer have the right to destroy the ad? Really if that is what the forum goes by, it should be reported to moderators, and then we're back at removals and warnings?

 

I think there is some distance between a community having a discussion over a listed price (to which of course the seller can contribute), and the destruction of an ad.

Some ad's have indeed been torn apart by other members, but in my opinion, rightly so. But testament to the forum/mods, the ad listing remains active, and the seller is able to discuss and defend their item and pricing, and keep trying to flog their stuff. And this forum is not saturated with trolls trying to bring down ad's for the sake of it - were that the case, I may support a more rigorous policing of the discourse.

In essence, this is a forum retaining it's forum-ness throughout its functionality. This isn't a feature of a 'deficient' forum in my opinion, but is actually a unique and welcome selling point.

[Lozart]

There is a certain M4 for sale here that has been widely discussed both in the thread and by PM to the seller who still resolutely refuses to take "that's a ridiculous price" for an answer.

 

The discussion in the thread IS in my mind a bit....unprofessional, shall we say but there ARE people that will pay that out of ignorance. Now, granted as "nice" people some of us take it upon ourselves to try and stop someone being ripped off but as I've said elsewhere something is worth whatever someone else will pay for it. If that's double its actual monetary value then so be it and I'm afraid that some people just can't be told. Life's funny like that.

 

Buyers need to do their research just as much as sellers do. If someone is selling two shit guns welded together it's never going to be worth double the price of any one gun...