Bartertown.com

Hi,
I'm relatively new to Bartertown & have a few questions that I don't see answered in the rules or the recent board posts.

1) I'm not completely understanding why Bartertown's trade reference system is better than eBay's. Is it because the user community is smaller you end up seeing the same people "around Bartertown"? Is it the longer comment section?

2) The answer to 1) may help answer this question, but if I do a trade on a completely different board, & the other trader is also a Bartertown member, is it appropriate post a trade reference here? What if the other trader isn't a Bartertown member, but signs up solely to post the reference? The latter does seem a bit like inflating your reference, but a trade is a trade, however it's performed, isn't it?

Thanks,
Black Cavalier

I think I can adequately answer those for you.


1) It's better because it is OUR reference and not eBay's. LOL
Ebay shows transactions that were not built on trust, per se. ON Ebay, the buyer pays, then whe seller sends. Ebay (presumably) has all kinds of verified contact information for the seller, "just in case," but -in the end, things are pretty cut & dried.
Here, however, it shows that the trust placed in a person to follow through with their words was earned. You said you'd send "X" in "Y" condition, and you did. Also, as you mention, there is more space to post specifics if you want.
To cap it off, it reflects things done HERE, which is where we are. thus, it is the only reference that matters.

2) NO.
nonononononononono.
You do NOT want to do that. That is a good way to get into "trouble."It is in violation of the rules. Bartertown ITL is for BARTERTOWN trades. If the trade was not initiated via bartertown (i.e. an ad placed here, or chat held here), then it is not valid here and should not be left.

Hope this helps.


Eric

Thanks a lot.

eric, actually, if you both are members of bartertown whats the problem with posting the trade reference here, no matter where the agreement was made?

thats almost like saying you cant make a trade ref here due to the trade done across email and not the PM system.

as long as both parties of the trade are members here, there is no difference. the other web sites are just meeting grounds, i always ask if i trade off another site if they are bartertown members, and i have gotten quite a few people to join from other sites.

Steve

It doesn't make a difference to me, personally.
I'm just quoting the rules.

Eric

i am curious then, which rule you referring to then, i just read them twice?
viewtopic.php?t=69
Steve

I have a question on the reference system as well. What are the values for each rating.

Positive = +2
Negative = -10
Neutral = 0 (I think... it used to be 1, but I believe that changed)

Eric

Okay, sorry for the delay in getting here.

Going in reverse order...
(+) = +2
(-) = -10
(0) = +1

And regarding the rule question.
If the trade is between two bartertown members, as far as I'm concerned they can leave feedback for each other. For example, let's say that Gearhead and I make a trade on Bartertown, it goes well, we're both happy. A little while later he emails me and we arrange another trade. Why not leave another feedback for another transaction?
My rationale is that if the Btown system is used to facilitate a transaction - be it checking references or responding to an ad - then feedback should be left. That way if someone tries a Ticknor on another site with a Btown member, that information will find its way back here.

Insofar as the requirements for Bad Trade Reporting - the "Bartertown-based transaction" part - I am very liberally interpreting "Bartertown-based." If it's between two Btowners on another forum, feedback can be left here (pre-existing memberships). I should point out that if someone signs on to post a reference and vanishes, a large majority of Btowners will interpret that as fraudulent. That happens a lot with scammers, where they fake references by making BS accounts. I can't stop that from happening but I can strongly advise against it.

I hope that clears things up.