Trader Ratings/Good Guy Thread

I feel like the trader rating and Good Guy thread priveleges are really not fair to contributing members. As a long-time paid member, I can use the rating system and vote in GG threads, but 99.9% of the people I have sold to are not, thus they can't leave feedback for me or vote on my thread. So the few trader ratings I have make it look like I've hardly got any, when I've completed dozens of transactions -- thus it's a disproportionately low number and misleading to potential customers. It's like I'm not benefitting at all from being a paid member. Having 16 positive feedbacks from the very few paid members I've done business with, most having been years ago, does not at all reflect the amount of actual positive transactions I've conducted as a result of Fauna nor the amount of positive transactions I've completed recently in the last year, and misleads potential buyers to think I've only sold to that many people or only made that many people happy.

I feel that unpaid members should be able to LEAVE feedback for PAID members and vote on GG threads, but they shouldn't be able to receive feedback or GG threads themselves -- thus not being allowed to benefit from the system being that they are unpaid, but still allowing paid members to benefit from their membership privileges and build ratings/reputations based on all transactions they are completing, and allow paid members to display proportionate and accurate feedback levels.

OK. Suppose you piss someone off and they create 20 false registrations here in order to put 20 negatives on your Trader's Ratings and trash your GGC rating. How are you going to feel about that? And who are you going to come to asking to have this fixed?

Originally Posted by WebSlave

OK. Suppose you piss someone off and they create 20 false registrations here in order to put 20 negatives on your Trader's Ratings and trash your GGC rating. How are you going to feel about that? And who are you going to come to asking to have this fixed?

Jennifer, the trolls that follow the BOI can do so much damage to your reputation. You don't even have to have done anything wrong. It can be as simple as not giving them a price reduction, or having one of your animals die due to their poor husbandry. My trader rating is pretty low because 99% of my business is done at shows. I hate shipping. I think the current system is the only way to keep things as honest as possible.

Noelle

Originally Posted by Pink Lady Exotics

I feel like the trader rating and Good Guy thread priveleges are really not fair to contributing members. As a long-time paid member, I can use the rating system and vote in GG threads, but 99.9% of the people I have sold to are not, thus they can't leave feedback for me or vote on my thread. So the few trader ratings I have make it look like I've hardly got any, when I've completed dozens of transactions -- thus it's a disproportionately low number and misleading to potential customers. It's like I'm not benefitting at all from being a paid member. Having 16 positive feedbacks from the very few paid members I've done business with, most having been years ago, does not at all reflect the amount of actual positive transactions I've conducted as a result of Fauna nor the amount of positive transactions I've completed recently in the last year, and misleads potential buyers to think I've only sold to that many people or only made that many people happy.

I feel that unpaid members should be able to LEAVE feedback for PAID members and vote on GG threads, but they shouldn't be able to receive feedback or GG threads themselves -- thus not being allowed to benefit from the system being that they are unpaid, but still allowing paid members to benefit from their membership privileges and build ratings/reputations based on all transactions they are completing, and allow paid members to display proportionate and accurate feedback levels.

Jen, if you read the previous threads on this (which there are very many including one stickied at the top of this forum) your solution doesn't address one of the main problem as why the trader rating is limited to contributing members. Before it was limited to verified members abuse took place. People made bogus accounts to leave themselves ratings. This way if someone wanted to leave themselves a bogus rating it is going to cost them at least 25 dollars per account to setup per rating. People aren't going to do that to leave themselves bogus ratings.

As to your other points, anyone can leave a positive thread on the BOI a "good guy thread" which is also linked up to each of your classified posts. One simply has to click the "check the BOI button" and all your good guy threads will come pouring into their view.

Next point, there are many other abilities that come with the contributing membership. Sorry you don't think it is worth it to support this site if non members can't leave a trader rating. After all, there is no other reason to support the site that allows you to place all those ads for free to make those "many, many sales you say you have made here.

You are also allowed many other privileges in the classifieds that non-members aren't. Like replying to ads, bumping etc..

Cant code be put so that people with however many posts, or, say, 1 feedback or something, can leave feedback? I dunno. I get it, it makes sense, But the other side of the coin does too, but it would not be that insanely crazy to make it so only people with however many posts, or feedback, can leave a rating, either. That would cull the bogus registration deal.

One problem I can see with that, if it were allowed, is that people aren't necessarily going to be any more inclined to leave feedback those ways than they are to start or contribute to a BOI thread. I think anyone who has been around and sold more than a couple animals catches on really quick that the numbers and posts you see are only about ten to twenty percent (if that) of a person's true dealings. I've never been able to bring myself to ask customers to go post their experiences with me. I figure if they want to, they will. And if they don't, they won't.

FWIW, I do love the BOI link in the ads. That's a great feature I use a lot.

Originally Posted by Shadera

FWIW, I do love the BOI link in the ads. That's a great feature I use a lot.

That feature is helping me decide on where to get my next Bearded Dragon from. I love the BOI!

Originally Posted by Shadera

I've never been able to bring myself to ask customers to go post their experiences with me. I figure if they want to, they will. And if they don't, they won't.

FWIW, I do love the BOI link in the ads. That's a great feature I use a lot.

Agreed and same here. If you have a good reputation your name will be out there. If not, the same applies.

I personally keep a list of people I've done business with, and proffer up a "referral if needed" sentence. If people feel they need it, then they can have my list and contact the people I've done business with and find out for themselves. I have yet to receive a traders rating, or a GG thread, but I've made several trades.

I didn't see a sticky at the top of this forum regarding my question, so I apologize. I can't see much in the forums as I can only access Fauna from my phone these days. So I'm limited to just posting and being able to read what I can see. I've been at the receiving end of the BOI trolls, so I prefer staying out of it. I didn't actually know non-paid members couldn't leave trader ratings until several of my past buyers went to leave feedback and then contacted me asking why they couldn't do so. I guess the referral list is the only way to go. Thanks for the replies all.