PS Pre-Owned Seller -OR- Trade Member?

[decodelighted]

I haven't seen this come up yet .... but it's a question that's bound to emerge with the new PS Preloved Forum being so popular. So, at what point does a PS Pre-Owned Seller become a Trade Member? And, would be required to designate themselves thusly -- as more than a casual seller ... but someone who is consistently profiting from sale & resale of merchandise.

 

[kenny]

Perhaps PS could limit it to 5 listings a year.

The city I live in issues Garage Sale permits and limits them to, I think, 2 per year.
This prevent people from abusing what was meant to be an occasional housecleaning thing, and conducting a regular business that annoys their neighbors and changes the character of the neighborhood.

 

[iugurl]

Hmmm. That is a good question. I look forward to reading the responses.

 

[Upgradable]

Flipping pieces? Buying, and then immediately listing for a profit?

 

[Rhea]

I wouldn't want it limited to 5 pieces. I know a member a couple of members had clear outs earlier and I benefited from those. Both had 10-15 pieces listed. I need to have a clear out myself and think I'll have several smaller pieces to list.

I agree with Upgradable, you become a vendor when you are buying several items, and immediately trying to sell them.

 

[decodelighted]

Flipping pieces? Buying, and then immediately listing for a profit?

Seems hard to categorize people's intentions without inside knowledge. That's why I'm thinking Kenny's idea seems like a good one. A certain *objective* number of items becomes the tipping point between casual seller & Trade Member.

For instance, Trade Members aren't able to *offer* to procure things for fellow posters. But, apparently PS Preloved Sellers are?

 

[decodelighted]

I wouldn't want it limited to 5 pieces. I know a member a couple of members had clear outs earlier and I benefited from those.

I agree with this also & have similarly benefited from a "clear out" sitch. But I'd also hate for PS to become a police state where we're all spying on each others online purchases to see if anything fishy is going on.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Was just a matter of time.

cheers--Sharon

 

[yssie]

I wouldn't want it limited to 5 pieces. I know a member a couple of members had clear outs earlier and I benefited from those. Both had 10-15 pieces listed. I need to have a clear out myself and think I'll have several smaller pieces to list.

I agree with Upgradable, you become a vendor when you are buying several items, and immediately trying to sell them.

What about five listings per year? Like Kenny's garage sales - you can have one for five items or five hundred per sale, but you only get five opportunities to sell any of it.

Listings stay active for X amount of time, and if they don't sell within that time they are discontinued, and if you want to relist again you use up another of your listing passes. That way we don't have listings moulding in the stacks.

 

[Upgradable]

Who would moderate the 5/year? DB is not an FB forum. Also, some people list in other places. Just don't know how that would work. But I don't know how to moderate the "flipping" issue either.

 

[Maisie]

I just had a look in the pre-loved section and I think I know what prompted this question. I don't agree with flipping in that section. If someone is selling something that belongs to them thats one thing. Trying to sell something you just bought for a profit (with no intention of keeping it for yourself) is another.

 

[yssie]

Who would moderate the 5/year? DB is not an FB forum. Also, some people list in other places. Just don't know how that would work. But I don't know how to moderate the "flipping" issue either.

Only listed on PS.. of course people will likely remember the listings and be able to find them in those other places, but I'm talking strictly about listing and linking in the PS Preloved subforum.


Thing is, there are only so many places to find stuff, and we're pretty good at finding the good stuff 'cause we're all looking for the same stuff - it wouldn't surprise me if negative publicity sorta mediated the flipping issue automatically, if most PSers see it as a negative. When someone posts something at X price and another poster posts the source with recent sale price of Y it's going to get some unflattering commentary, but maybe there's enough of a PS market that's willing to pay a premium for pre-vetted stuff to make the sale - and if that's true, well, why should that niche be denied?

Tough one. My head and my gut disagree.

 

[TravelingGal]

I thought about it. At first, I thought it's kinda shonky.

But as I thought about it more, while I personally am not a fan, I don't see much wrong with it. If someone wants to buy something and then resell it at a price that people want to pay, then fine. It would be nice to disclose that it's a flip though.

After all, if the person doesn't sell it, then like a house flipper, they may get burned with 1000s of dollars of stuff they had no desire to keep.

I'd probably have to think about it more even though.

 

[junebug17]

I just had a look in the pre-loved section and I think I know what prompted this question. I don't agree with flipping in that section. If someone is selling something that belongs to them thats one thing. Trying to sell something you just bought for a profit (with no intention of keeping it for yourself) is another.

Ella just responded in that thread - says PS is refining it's policies, but for now people are free to list whatever they own. That particular listing is going to be removed because the seller is not in possession of the item yet.

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, I've thought about it more.

Part of the reason I don't like it, as that I think the idea of the preowned forum (or at least MY idea) is finding good deals. That means buying something that someone owns for LESS than what they bought it for. Of course, this came up recently on AJ's thread about market price, etc.

So while I don't bedrudge anyone making a profit on something, I wouldn't want them to make a profit off ME. And while in essence, I can see something being sold for MORE than what original owner purchased it for (due to it being less than market value and still a good deal), if someone is flipping it, then it was RECENTLY perceived as being worth less by the person who sold it to the flipper.

Not sure if that makes sense. I'm still thinking!

 

[Maisie]

In this particular case it was pointed out that the item being sold was going to be priced quite a bit higher than it was purchased for. In most cases we wouldn't know this. So really how would we know if someone was flipping?

 

[decodelighted]

maybe there's enough of a PS market that's willing to pay a premium for pre-vetted stuff to make the sale - and if that's true, well, why should that niche be denied? Tough one. My head and my gut disagree.

For me it's about full disclosure. I think it's unfair & a bit unsavory for "amateur" diamond hunters to build a reputation helping people & then suddenly switch to pimping their own, for-profit "finds" w/o following the same rules that true *vendors* have to. You can't have your Cake and Eat It Too.

If everyone knows what people are doing & it's all above board & fully disclosed -- & okay with the PS management: ACES! I agree that "pre-vetted" merchandise is of value. Stmdr could have made a killing at one time flipping Stm-approved Asschers! (Whether un-seen, un-touched, virtual, in-transit items are "pre-vetted" is another matter entirely).

 

[decodelighted]

So really how would we know if someone was flipping?

Cuz PSers are a nosy bunch and everyone has the same search terms on speed dial. LOL!

 

[TravelingGal]

In this particular case it was pointed out that the item being sold was going to be priced quite a bit higher than it was purchased for. In most cases we wouldn't know this. So really how would we know if someone was flipping?

Well true Maisie. It's like the used car market...you really don't know what the dealer bought it for, whereas in the new market, you have an idea. Which makes the used car market much more interesting to navigate.

But you're right, in most cases we wouldn't know this. Does it matter though (not asking you, asking rhetorically?) Or is it because PSers are a nosy bunch?

Deco, I do agree as well with what you just said. Murky waters.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I totally missed the item in question, but I will say what would bother me about the idea.

Let's say a lot of us are looking for the same kinds of things, which I think is true. So one day Deco and I see a deco pendant we both love on ebay and we both bid for it and one of us wins. Great! Congratulations to the winner! But I am going to tell you right now, if I was bidding on that item and saw it turn up here for resale at a higher price the next week, I would be upset! Now I can definitely see buying something on ebay (or elsewhere) with no return policy and deciding I didn't want it and turn around and resell it here, and I would honestly disclose that. I would certainly hope to break even at least. But buying specifically to resell here is not right. That will drive the price up artificially and we shouldn't do that to our friends.

I hate to see listing limits, but I do want to see a rule where buying for the purpose of resale turns the person into a vendor.

 

[movie zombie]

HI: Was just a matter of time. cheers--Sharon

i'm waiting for the "X" pricescoper did me wrong thread....i hope Ella is prepared for that one as well.

 

[Amys Bling]

Hmm, this is a tough call.

 

[Haven]

Well, I totally missed the item in question, but I will say what would bother me about the idea.

Let's say a lot of us are looking for the same kinds of things, which I think is true. So one day Deco and I see a deco pendant we both love on ebay and we both bid for it and one of us wins. Great! Congratulations to the winner! But I am going to tell you right now, if I was bidding on that item and saw it turn up here for resale at a higher price the next week, I would be upset! Now I can definitely see buying something on ebay (or elsewhere) with no return policy and deciding I didn't want it and turn around and resell it here, and I would honestly disclose that. I would certainly hope to break even at least. But buying specifically to resell here is not right. That will drive the price up artificially and we shouldn't do that to our friends.

I hate to see listing limits, but I do want to see a rule where buying for the purpose of resale turns the person into a vendor.

I agree with this. I don't like that practice at all, and I hope PSers don't start engaging in it.

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, I totally missed the item in question, but I will say what would bother me about the idea.

Let's say a lot of us are looking for the same kinds of things, which I think is true. So one day Deco and I see a deco pendant we both love on ebay and we both bid for it and one of us wins. Great! Congratulations to the winner! But I am going to tell you right now, if I was bidding on that item and saw it turn up here for resale at a higher price the next week, I would be upset! Now I can definitely see buying something on ebay (or elsewhere) with no return policy and deciding I didn't want it and turn around and resell it here, and I would honestly disclose that. I would certainly hope to break even at least. But buying specifically to resell here is not right. That will drive the price up artificially and we shouldn't do that to our friends.

I hate to see listing limits, but I do want to see a rule where buying for the purpose of resale turns the person into a vendor.

I agree with this. I don't like that practice at all, and I hope PSers don't start engaging in it.

Hm, didn't think of that. obviously I haven't thought about this enough.

Good point though!

 

[Maisie]

I've just been looking at one of the threads from one of the people selling in the preloved section. She has actually offered to source a pair of diamonds for a PS'er. Surely that takes her from someone just selling her pre-loved stuff to more of a vendor?

 

[yssie]

Stmdr could have made a killing at one time flipping Stm-approved Asschers! (Whether un-seen, un-touched, virtual, in-transit items are "pre-vetted" is another matter entirely).

So true! Strmdr + Kewl = autopurchase!

And.. my gut agrees with the other parts, too. My brain is still ruminating.

 

[Upgradable]

I guess my objection to "flipping" is based on my understanding of pre-loved, pre-owned. I guess I believe that to mean it is coming from the collection of a PS owner.

 

[kenny]

i'm waiting for the "X" pricescoper did me wrong thread....i hope Ella is prepared for that one as well.

Admin has already handled that.
They stated we are buying at our own risk.

PS has no liability.

 

[missy]

maybe there's enough of a PS market that's willing to pay a premium for pre-vetted stuff to make the sale - and if that's true, well, why should that niche be denied? Tough one. My head and my gut disagree.

For me it's about full disclosure. I think it's unfair & a bit unsavory for "amateur" diamond hunters to build a reputation helping people & then suddenly switch to pimping their own, for-profit "finds" w/o following the same rules that true *vendors* have to. You can't have your Cake and Eat It Too.

If everyone knows what people are doing & it's all above board & fully disclosed -- & okay with the PS management: ACES! I agree that "pre-vetted" merchandise is of value. Stmdr could have made a killing at one time flipping Stm-approved Asschers! (Whether un-seen, un-touched, virtual, in-transit items are "pre-vetted" is another matter entirely).

Yes, I agree with this.
And ditto Uppy- I take preloved/preowned to mean loved/owned by the PSer selling it...

But buying specifically to resell here is not right. That will drive the price up artificially and we shouldn't do that to our friends.

And ditto to this too!

 

[Upgradable]

maybe there's enough of a PS market that's willing to pay a premium for pre-vetted stuff to make the sale - and if that's true, well, why should that niche be denied? Tough one. My head and my gut disagree.

For me it's about full disclosure. I think it's unfair & a bit unsavory for "amateur" diamond hunters to build a reputation helping people & then suddenly switch to pimping their own, for-profit "finds" w/o following the same rules that true *vendors* have to. You can't have your Cake and Eat It Too.

If everyone knows what people are doing & it's all above board & fully disclosed -- & okay with the PS management: ACES! I agree that "pre-vetted" merchandise is of value. Stmdr could have made a killing at one time flipping Stm-approved Asschers! (Whether un-seen, un-touched, virtual, in-transit items are "pre-vetted" is another matter entirely).

Yes, I agree with this.
And ditto Uppy- I take preloved/preowned to mean loved/owned by the PSer selling it...

I think this precise situation has been a long standing conversation over on Colored Stones.