For Sale / Wanted Sections - Additional guidelines (draft)
The following are the 'draft' versions of the For Sale Guidelines.
The current published version can be found here: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=1912010
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PLEASE POST 'FOR SALE' AND 'WANTED' MESSAGES IN THE APPROPRIATE TRADING POST SECTION, AND NOT IN THE GENERAL DISCUSSION FORUMS.
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR THE FOR SALE/WANTED SECTIONS:
ABUSE: The board follows a general 'do unto others' policy. Don't abuse, attack, insult, or bait other posters, even those most deserving. If any user posts abusively, report the thread for further review.
AUCTIONS: Selling items via auctions should be identified as such in the thread title.
BUMPING: Threads should not be "bumped" (posted in by the seller or by someone on the seller's behalf to move to the top of the forum) more than once every 24 hours. Once you have bumped a thread three times and no one else has posted, you may not bump again for another week. Posting that in item is no longer available or wanted is not bumping.
BUYER/SELLER BEWARE: It is a person's own responsibility to conduct due diligence. Items pictured on photos viewed on a computer often look better than the items do in person (especially game cabinet side art and control panels). Not all traders conduct business with the same level of service, speed, honesty, or with the best price. Consider researching the user's trader ratings and user's activity on these forums. New traders should read the FAQ/Buyer's and Seller's Guide thread.
CONDITION POLICE: If a seller blatantly lists an item in which the photo does not match the description, a user may respectfully post a non-abusive response. An example of this might be for an "original overlay" or "prototype" that really isn't. Seller omission of a material fact can also be commented on (for example: conversion cabinet not labeled as a conversion, replacement control panel overlay which isn't true to the original).
DISCLOSURE: Users should ALWAYS accurately describe the condition of what they are selling, including any missing pieces normally expected to be present. Both the text and photos are part of disclosure. If a photos shows one side of a machine, but the other side has been sun damaged and is not shown, this is obviously problematic. Omitting a material fact is a problem just as if a straight out lie was posted.
EXTRANEOUS DISCUSSION: Trading Post forums are for buying, selling, and trading only. Please post unrelated discussions in the proper sections.. Don't respond to any thread in a manner to take it off-topic, don't price police (see below), and limit critique to questions of accuracy. Questions that are of benefit to everyone can be posted (ie: "Does it work?"). Questions that are personal ("Can I pay you in a month?") should be handled via PM (private message).
FEEDBACK: Please leave feedback (positive or negative) either in the feedback thread and/or via the iTrader Trader Ratings System.
FORUM SECTIONS: Posts should be placed in an appropriate section. Videogames for sale posts belong in the For Sale section, -not- the General Arcade Discussion section.
FORUM WRANGLING: No user should start more than two new threads in each of the the For Sale and Wanted forums in any given 24 hours period. Responses within threads are not counted towards this limit.
INSURANCE: Buyers should consider shipment insurance. When Sellers arrange shipping of an item, Sellers and Buyers should discuss insurance before the item shipped. For shipments shipped without insurance, Sellers should consider spending the $.50 to add "delivery confirmation," as it may prevent a Buyer from labeling a Seller a scammer if the item is "lost in the mail."
LOCATION: A For Sale threads title, especially for posts selling whole machines, should indicate the state or city the machine is located in. Additionally, it would be nice for the the location field of a user's profile to accurately identify where the user and items are located. Users in the United States, its Territories or Canada should provide City and State/Province. Users located outside of the US, its Territories or Canada should provide City and Country.
MAKE ME AN OFFER (MMAO): If you're going to sell something but don't know the value (or are not sure how much you want, or if you want to sell), be sure to select the prefix 'MMAO' in the thread title. Many buyers would prefer to avoid these scenarios, while others don't mind. This will alert buyers about the nature of your post. Posting a 'Make Offer' thread without the proper prefix may result in the post being deleted.
PHOTOS: Whenever possible, please post photos of your items for sale. Please comply with requests to provide photos of items. This may be requested as evidence that a user actually possesses the item. New users refusing to post a photo when requested may result in others reporting the offender as a scammer and action by Moderators and Administrators.
POISONING/PRICE POLICE: Sellers may ask any price they want for their merchandise and should not be criticized for their choices. It is each user's responsibility to research the fair market price for an item. Pricing is a highly subjective matter affected my many factors and thus it would be practically impossible for forum moderators and the users of the system to all agree on when a price critique is not longer valid and becomes 'thread poisoning.' Additionally, differences in price and in price volatility are normal due to economic conditions, changing demand, region of the country, item condition, nature of the seller (ie: hobbiest vs. dealer), eagerness of the seller and buyer, warranty or lack thereof, and scarcity of an item. Do not post Craigslist, eBay, or web pages links in response to For Sale listings. An exception to this rule is if a Seller writes something like "this item usually sells for $1800 on eBay or the web". In this case, they have opened the door to any relevant responses, as long as they didn't say that THEY were the ones that usually sell it for $1800.
POSSESSION: Only list items for sale that are actually in your possession. Do not list items for a friend or other third party unless the item is in your possession.
SCAMMERS AND THIEVES: True scammers can be called out. Simply because someone is unable or unwilling to ship something temporarily does not make them a scammer if they have previously been known to be reputable. Warnings still need to be matter-of-fact and non-abusive, and the thread and scammer should be reported immediately. Don't make repetitive postings. Just because you personally had a marginal transaction with an individual doesn't mean that person is automatically a scammer. If you had a bad transaction with someone, use the appropriate feedback section. If numerous people have had trouble with an individual, maybe the warnings need to be a little more blatant.
THREAD CLOSING: If all items listed in a sales thread are sold (or that are wanted have been bought), please update that thread to let other users know.
THREAD HIJACKING: If someone is selling an item and you are selling something similar, don't post it as a response to their thread. If you want to offer the same type of item, create a new thread.
THREAD TITLES: Titles for all threads should clearly state what is for sale, wanted or trade, and should not be vague or misleading.
TIME: Buyers and Sellers should respect each other's time. Sellers should be prepared to ship an item in a timely manner after receipt of payment. Likewise, Buyers should be prepared to pick up an item, or arrange for a common carrier pick up an item, within a reasonable time after being notified to do so by a Seller (for items that the Seller isn't shipping). At some point, if a Seller has asked a Buyer to pick up an item, and a Buyer has not done so, it is reasonable for the seller to want to start charging 'storage' fees, and also reasonable for the Seller to sell the item to someone else (though in this case, any revenue after expenses should be returned back to the original Buyer). What constitutes a "reasonable" amount of time is subjective, but in general any necessary action shouldn't take longer than two or three weeks or the period of time previiously agreed upon. Communication is the key. If a transaction is expected to drag on for a long time due to any reason (ie: vacation, pending board repair, family or work problems), this should be disclosed ahead of time. If an unanticipated long delay happens, the party not at fault should be able to cancel the transaction, and if the delay is due to a seller's fault the buyer shall be entitled a refund if requested. If fast performance is needed by one party they should disclose it in advance to the other.
THESE TERMS AND GUIDELINES GET UPDATED:
The International Arcade Museum reserves the right without prior notice to modify these terms and conditions or discontinue or change the services offered. Continued use of this site constitutes acceptance with the then current policies. These terms can be viewed on our site. They do change so please review them on a regular basis.
The following are the 'draft' versions of the For Sale Guidelines.
The current published version can be found here: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=1912010
----
PLEASE POST 'FOR SALE' AND 'WANTED' MESSAGES IN THE APPROPRIATE TRADING POST SECTION, AND NOT IN THE GENERAL DISCUSSION FORUMS.
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR THE FOR SALE/WANTED SECTIONS:
ABUSE: The board follows a general 'do unto others' policy. Don't abuse, attack, insult, or bait other posters, even those most deserving. If any user posts abusively, report the thread for further review.
AUCTIONS: Selling items via auctions should be identified as such in the thread title.
BUMPING: Threads should not be "bumped" (posted in by the seller or by someone on the seller's behalf to move to the top of the forum) more than once every 24 hours. Once you have bumped a thread three times and no one else has posted, you may not bump again for another week. Posting that in item is no longer available or wanted is not bumping.
BUYER/SELLER BEWARE: It is a person's own responsibility to conduct due diligence. Items pictured on photos viewed on a computer often look better than the items do in person (especially game cabinet side art and control panels). Not all traders conduct business with the same level of service, speed, honesty, or with the best price. Consider researching the user's trader ratings and user's activity on these forums. New traders should read the FAQ/Buyer's and Seller's Guide thread.
CONDITION POLICE: If a seller blatantly lists an item in which the photo does not match the description, a user may respectfully post a non-abusive response. An example of this might be for an "original overlay" or "prototype" that really isn't. Seller omission of a material fact can also be commented on (for example: conversion cabinet not labeled as a conversion, replacement control panel overlay which isn't true to the original).
DISCLOSURE: Users should ALWAYS accurately describe the condition of what they are selling, including any missing pieces normally expected to be present. Both the text and photos are part of disclosure. If a photos shows one side of a machine, but the other side has been sun damaged and is not shown, this is obviously problematic. Omitting a material fact is a problem just as if a straight out lie was posted.
EXTRANEOUS DISCUSSION: Trading Post forums are for buying, selling, and trading only. Please post unrelated discussions in the proper sections.. Don't respond to any thread in a manner to take it off-topic, don't price police (see below), and limit critique to questions of accuracy. Questions that are of benefit to everyone can be posted (ie: "Does it work?"). Questions that are personal ("Can I pay you in a month?") should be handled via PM (private message).
FEEDBACK: Please leave feedback (positive or negative) either in the feedback thread and/or via the iTrader Trader Ratings System.
FORUM SECTIONS: Posts should be placed in an appropriate section. Videogames for sale posts belong in the For Sale section, -not- the General Arcade Discussion section.
FORUM WRANGLING: No user should start more than two new threads in each of the the For Sale and Wanted forums in any given 24 hours period. Responses within threads are not counted towards this limit.
INSURANCE: Buyers should consider shipment insurance. When Sellers arrange shipping of an item, Sellers and Buyers should discuss insurance before the item shipped. For shipments shipped without insurance, Sellers should consider spending the $.50 to add "delivery confirmation," as it may prevent a Buyer from labeling a Seller a scammer if the item is "lost in the mail."
LOCATION: A For Sale threads title, especially for posts selling whole machines, should indicate the state or city the machine is located in. Additionally, it would be nice for the the location field of a user's profile to accurately identify where the user and items are located. Users in the United States, its Territories or Canada should provide City and State/Province. Users located outside of the US, its Territories or Canada should provide City and Country.
MAKE ME AN OFFER (MMAO): If you're going to sell something but don't know the value (or are not sure how much you want, or if you want to sell), be sure to select the prefix 'MMAO' in the thread title. Many buyers would prefer to avoid these scenarios, while others don't mind. This will alert buyers about the nature of your post. Posting a 'Make Offer' thread without the proper prefix may result in the post being deleted.
PHOTOS: Whenever possible, please post photos of your items for sale. Please comply with requests to provide photos of items. This may be requested as evidence that a user actually possesses the item. New users refusing to post a photo when requested may result in others reporting the offender as a scammer and action by Moderators and Administrators.
POISONING/PRICE POLICE: Sellers may ask any price they want for their merchandise and should not be criticized for their choices. It is each user's responsibility to research the fair market price for an item. Pricing is a highly subjective matter affected my many factors and thus it would be practically impossible for forum moderators and the users of the system to all agree on when a price critique is not longer valid and becomes 'thread poisoning.' Additionally, differences in price and in price volatility are normal due to economic conditions, changing demand, region of the country, item condition, nature of the seller (ie: hobbiest vs. dealer), eagerness of the seller and buyer, warranty or lack thereof, and scarcity of an item. Do not post Craigslist, eBay, or web pages links in response to For Sale listings. An exception to this rule is if a Seller writes something like "this item usually sells for $1800 on eBay or the web". In this case, they have opened the door to any relevant responses, as long as they didn't say that THEY were the ones that usually sell it for $1800.
POSSESSION: Only list items for sale that are actually in your possession. Do not list items for a friend or other third party unless the item is in your possession.
SCAMMERS AND THIEVES: True scammers can be called out. Simply because someone is unable or unwilling to ship something temporarily does not make them a scammer if they have previously been known to be reputable. Warnings still need to be matter-of-fact and non-abusive, and the thread and scammer should be reported immediately. Don't make repetitive postings. Just because you personally had a marginal transaction with an individual doesn't mean that person is automatically a scammer. If you had a bad transaction with someone, use the appropriate feedback section. If numerous people have had trouble with an individual, maybe the warnings need to be a little more blatant.
THREAD CLOSING: If all items listed in a sales thread are sold (or that are wanted have been bought), please update that thread to let other users know.
THREAD HIJACKING: If someone is selling an item and you are selling something similar, don't post it as a response to their thread. If you want to offer the same type of item, create a new thread.
THREAD TITLES: Titles for all threads should clearly state what is for sale, wanted or trade, and should not be vague or misleading.
TIME: Buyers and Sellers should respect each other's time. Sellers should be prepared to ship an item in a timely manner after receipt of payment. Likewise, Buyers should be prepared to pick up an item, or arrange for a common carrier pick up an item, within a reasonable time after being notified to do so by a Seller (for items that the Seller isn't shipping). At some point, if a Seller has asked a Buyer to pick up an item, and a Buyer has not done so, it is reasonable for the seller to want to start charging 'storage' fees, and also reasonable for the Seller to sell the item to someone else (though in this case, any revenue after expenses should be returned back to the original Buyer). What constitutes a "reasonable" amount of time is subjective, but in general any necessary action shouldn't take longer than two or three weeks or the period of time previiously agreed upon. Communication is the key. If a transaction is expected to drag on for a long time due to any reason (ie: vacation, pending board repair, family or work problems), this should be disclosed ahead of time. If an unanticipated long delay happens, the party not at fault should be able to cancel the transaction, and if the delay is due to a seller's fault the buyer shall be entitled a refund if requested. If fast performance is needed by one party they should disclose it in advance to the other.
THESE TERMS AND GUIDELINES GET UPDATED:
The International Arcade Museum reserves the right without prior notice to modify these terms and conditions or discontinue or change the services offered. Continued use of this site constitutes acceptance with the then current policies. These terms can be viewed on our site. They do change so please review them on a regular basis.
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