Paying for Classifieds

[Faust]

All. I created a donate button where you can donate if you wish. Donations are purely voluntary, since I want to keep SZ free for all members.

Thank you,
Faust

[nakata]

i've still been waiting for an echeck get cleared. so that's why i did it as echeck via bithanh_84@hotmail.com

[ProfMonnitoff]

Just a thought: perhaps it would make sense to require paypal transfers to be designated as goods. It means the seller has to pay the fees, but surely adding 4% to whatever amount they want to get isn't very difficult.

Thing is, if you agree to send a Paypal payment as a gift so the seller doesn't incur any fees, you are relinquishing your right to file a Paypal claim against the seller if there is a problem with the sale (shipping, damage, scam etc.)

Not implying that scammers are running rampant on here, but at the same time it doesn't hurt to be safe.

[lowrey]

since transactions are made privately, there is no way to demand this, but it can of course be recommended. I'll add a note about this to the rules.

we actually just added a warning on superfuture as people were sending gift payments to someone they didn't know and were getting scammed.

[Spencer]

^ What he said. The whole point of the internet is easy easy easy. If I see item A selling for $500 while item B selling for $450 + 4% fees + shipping + me doing actual mathematics = me buying item A.

[endersgame]

i noticed the donations have stopped in the donors list..

do the right thing and support sz..

[Faust]

useless, enders, although i appreciate the effort. it just goes to show that people will not part with even a few dollars unless compelled to do so. everyone acts in their own self-interest. adam smith wins. i am going to make the classifieds paid. i did get a donation yesterday though, and with a really heartwarming compliment too!

[CUTUP]

I figured this would happen eventually ^, as there appeared to be a stampede of donations to start and then nothing

To be honest, I can see the change hurting the amount of listings, especially in the beggining.

Did you have a percentage in mind Faust, or more of a pay a fee per item? Or are you thinking the %1 fee still.

Personally I think a one time yearly stipend would work well. One price and sell as much as you want. It tends to not feel like we have to dig into our pockets to pay with every item we sell if its a one time deal.

Once I pass the 100 mark and have the ability to list items myself, I would have no problem paying a small fee considering how much better the shopping experience has been here for me as opposed to other sites.

[lowrey]

Faust can confirm this, but I believe a fixed fee is the idea here. organizing and monitoring a transaction based fee is pretty much impossible anyway.

[CUTUP]

Agreed ^

It also seems much easier to swallow getting hit once at the beggining of the year, then getting nailed multiple times for smaller amounts IMO

Did Il-Duce have any idea of a dollar figure? or is that still being worked out?

[Faust]

CUTUP, at this point I think it will be a fixed fee per item. The reason being is that I want to be as fair as possible, so charging everyone a membership fee seems unfair. Also, like lowrey said, a % fee won't be fair either, as it'd have to be from the initial price and people often drop prices after.

It will be a bit of a PITA and a learning curve at the beginning, but that's the most fair approach I have found after talking to quite a few people. If you have other ideas, please let me know. I am willing to listen to what the forum says.

[swami]

I think you should have to buy a yearly subscription to post in the classifieds. When it expires renew, This way its less hassle for both parties involved.

[Faust]

But what about those who sell infrequently?

[swami]

I mean really how much ever you charge is going to be fair even if one sells 3 times a year. I just worry of all that extra energy in having to account for per transaction , But its your call !

[Who?]

But what about those who sell infrequently?

Maybe the answer is selling threads in the classifieds. Make it a flat rate such as $5 or $10 per thread.