Fragswapper Etiquette

[rickyfins]

There are a few other threads like this out there so I think that we should have one as well.

Hopefully these ideas can be shared, discussed, and agreed upon.

Please make your selections carefully. Only cancel your request as a "LAST RESORT". This will prevent corals from being cut that may not need to be and save time and energy of those offering frags for sale.

Just because a similar item has become available for a cheaper price is no exception to the rule.

If you must cancel a request for financial reasons, missing the swap, or other reason please inform the swapper why you need to cancel.

Please check other forums for other guidelines you may find useful. We would like to continuing to use fragswapper as a wonderful resource for our members and attendees.

NCPARS, INC. also reserves the right to ban or kick off any members or attendees from abusing the Fragswapper priveledges. This will keep nonsense to a minimum on there. This is just for the fragswapper website. I think an agreed upon time frame for the kick off or ban from fragswapper should be no less or more than 2 swaps including a current running swap.

Thanks and I hope our members can share their experiences and ideas on the general rules that NCPARS, INC. should follow with using the fragswapper website and its components.

Anyone have any other ideas about Etiquette?

 

[Sanjay]

Re: Fragswapper Etiquette

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14660650#post14660650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rickyfins

Just because a similar item has become available for a cheaper price is no exception to the rule.

As long as there has been no money or other transaction made, people should be able to change their mind if they can find a similar item cheaper.

It is after all a free economy.

This is good for the members and will help keep frag prices down to what the market dictates.

If you feel someone is doing this frequently, you as a seller has the right to refuse to deal with that member. Members should share their experience so others can make an informed judgment on who they want to deal with.

NCPARS , Inc. should not be enforcing anything here.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14660650#post14660650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rickyfins

NCPARS, INC. also reserves the right to ban or kick off any members or attendees from abusing the Fragswapper priveledges. This will keep nonsense to a minimum on there. This is just for the fragswapper website. I think an agreed upon time frame for the kick off or ban from fragswapper should be no less or more than 2 swaps including a current running swap.

Once again, I feel that NCPARS Inc. should first clearly define what constitutes abuse of the fragswapper, how it will be administered, etc. There is nothing documented or voted on by the membership with respect to this.

Without this in place, this practice is very vulnerable to abuse by the NCPARS BOD. What is to prevent any vendors from getting on the board of directors and using this to their benefit. ?

Just a few of my thoughts on this. I agree proper etiquette is important. Its pretty simple, don't do it if you don't want anyone else to do the same things to you.

sanjay.

 

[rigleautomotive]

well here is the problem ,if say a person reserved 20 frags from you and decided a day before the swap that they dont want them you would not be happy so there needs to be at least some common courtesy among the people involved.no one is trying to enforce any rules here but just a thread to try and stop certain swappers from abusing fragswapper.there has been other threads about this in other local forums and a much stricter guidline was established.i think its important that a swapper be sure they want the item before they reserve it.some of the vendors would not be cutting there colonies if there was no request to do so.nothing written in stone here but just a note to those involved.

 

[cccapt]

Where did all this come from? Did someone get burned? At what forums are there threads about this?

 

[Kreeger1]

Requesting a item for purchase and the seller agreeing to sell it to you is a transaction.

Etiquette is a must IMO. Yes this is a free economy, but if you choose to purchase something stick with it. Frag swapper is not ment for layaway or window shopping. You choose the item, seller agrees then the seller makes the frag if it's not already cut. I personally am the admin for C-sea on the site, I've removed one person from the site. When canceled request hit 30 it was time to remove her. I've sent out a handful of Please be mindful of what your doing emails as well. There's really no "guide lines" common sense goes a long way. Another thing that gets me is the daily removal of your for sale item to re-list it so it goes back to page one. If no one has requested your item it's either, over priced, bad picture or cheaper on the site. If you want to lower your price and re-list thats one thing but the bumping it back up mentality doesn't fly with me.
Erik

 

[rigleautomotive]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14661880#post14661880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cccapt
Where did all this come from? Did someone get burned? At what forums are there threads about this?

Here is one thread about it and i have read at least one other with a similar tone

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1589307

we also had a couple individuals reserve a large number of frags from several of our members for 2 swaps in a row and not attend which caused some disappointment among some folks.especially the swappers that may not have a huge tank or system with lots of frags and end up cutting there modest colonies into pieces to accomidate the requests.personally i have not had many issues with my trades with just about everyone picking up there reserved corals being the norm but i have heard a few complaints from others.I dont think we need a set in stone rule or anything but i do think we need to at least let it be known that before you press the request button you should be sure you want the coral

 

[Kreeger1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14662358#post14662358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rigleautomotive
H.I dont think we need a set in stone rule or anything but i do think we need to at least let it be known that before you press the request button you should be sure you want the coral

Plus 1

 

[intimatecple]

personally if I had some want 20 frags rom me I would want a phone conversation or something along those lines before I made that kind of deal. JMO

 

[tnyr5]

I can see Dan's point especially because he frags things far in advance so they are well healed and easier to acclimate. I can also see Sanjay's point because we certainly can't strong- arm people into buying things they can't afford. This is, unfortunately, an impulsive hobby and people sometimes get carried away. I can't say I have a solution but I can tell you what i do to curtail the problem.
1. Sell things that are rare ( or at least rare in this area), and in short enough supply to practically guarantee a waiting list. This way, if someone cancels, i can simply move on to whomever was next in line. (I have yet to have this happen close enough to the swap to be annoying, but if I have any doubts about the honor of the promisee, i can at least infrom the next in line that there's a chance he might get the coral and to be prepared to entertain the idea. If all else fails, a frag of watermelon chalice is going to be a lot less of a problem to sell at the swap than an orange digi.
2. As much as I'd like to make frags months in advance that are fully healed, I know as soon as I do it'll backfire on me. I make frags about a week in advance for lps and 3-4 days in advance for sps. Usually by then people have settled into their choices. There's the occasional putz who will mess things up at the last minute, but in general this approach works for me.
3. Give people I trust priority. I'm not saying I play favorites, but people I know or have at least corresponded with are far more likely to get what they want, usually in the form of a pre-reserved listing.

Now watch I'll list some things and a million ppl will cancel on me

 

[furman589]

I agree with Dan and Ricky. Free economy or not people do frag in advance to meet requests and then get stuck with the coral. As for me as soon as someone cancels a request and gives me no reason I wont ever accept another reservation from them. Same goes with no shows on the day of the swap (Which i find more annoying)

For the first time this swap someone actually e-mailed me why they were going to cancel, which was very nice. If only everyone could be like that.

 

[P-Mantis]

I agree there should be a certain amount of etiquette I am uncertain if I can attend and I won't reserve anything and I pulled all my listings a month ago just playing it safe so no one gets burned.

 

[Sanjay]

I am not arguing that there should be no etiquette, just that its not the club's job to enforce it without a mandate and process in place.

All these posts are presenting a seller's perspective who does not want to be stuck with a coral that was promised and not collected.

Where is the seller's etiquette list ? I know several cases where corals were promised to buyers and the seller did not show up.

I personally pretty much follow tony's approach.

sanjay.

 

[rigleautomotive]

well i suppose that the seller should not agree and accept a request and then a day befor the swap decline it.that would be disappointing for the buyer that has been waiting for that prized coral they thought they were getting.

 

[Barney121]

Hopefully if everyone is conscious of the fact it's very annoying to bring frags when a buyer doesn't show up, or to post frags and then pull out, it will keep this at a minimum. Emergencies happen, but we certainly want to work to avoid consistent abuse, this is bad for everyone.

 

[trippkid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14664995#post14664995 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by furman589
I agree with Dan and Ricky. Free economy or not people do frag in advance to meet requests and then get stuck with the coral. As for me as soon as someone cancels a request and gives me no reason I wont ever accept another reservation from them. Same goes with no shows on the day of the swap (Which i find more annoying)

For the first time this swap someone actually e-mailed me why they were going to cancel, which was very nice. If only everyone could be like that.

Yeah, I am truly sorry, I did really want that frag, looks like an awesome tri-color. Like I said, just can't miss my kid's Opening Day Parade and little league games, I was completely bummed when I found out, just a couple of hours before I e-mailed you. I would love to still get a frag of that sometime if it is possible. I'd be up for private meeting sometime, just need to find the time to drive up to your area. Let me know. Again, sorry for backing out, I don't do that unless there is a real reason, I even looked to see if any of my local club members were going, and so far no one is, or I would have had them pick it up. I was totally looking forward to getting rid of some of my things and getting new ones too, not to mention just being with all of you hanging out being geeky about our reefs and corals, got to love it, I know I sure do. Hope to hook up with you some time. Have a good day and I hope you all do well at the swap.
Matt

 

[furman589]

Well you live really close, im down your way a lot. We will have to meet up sometime

 

[trippkid]

Dan, sorry I requested a Superman Millie, but canceled on that too. I really hope that wasn't a problem for you, if you read above post, that is why. I hope to see you at the next one. Again, sorry for that, was not my intention to back out. Have a good one.
Hey on a side note, would it be OK for Turbonegro(Bobby K.) ,reeftard73(Darin W.) and myself to come up some time to see your tank/s. I don't want to bring our whole club(Susquehanna Reef Club) or anything, just us three.
Matt

 

[trippkid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14695566#post14695566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by furman589
Well you live really close, im down your way a lot. We will have to meet up sometime

Let me know if you are down this way, you are more than welcome to come by and check my stuff out anytime. I stay at home with my kids, I still have a 4 year old at home with me all day. I am sure I can find a day to make the trip. Did I happen to give you my number? I can't remember. I'll PM it to you, just call if you are ever in the area, I am usually home, unless running the kids around to whatever. Am I correct in thinking Williamsport is about 2-3 hours away from Lewisberry(sorry never been there, just Hazleton, and Scranton really), not a problem, I like to make road trips, just wondering, that is all. Have a good day, we'll hook up sometime soon.
Matt

 

[furman589]

oh oops i glanced and thought it said lewisburg! hahah Well either way i go to harrisburg quite a bit also. Just PM me your number, thanks!

 

[trippkid]

PM'd you, yeah it is a little farther than "you live pretty close", lol, but still I am always into making trips to other reefer's places, when I have the time. Talk to you sometime soon.
Matt