Trader Ratings

OK, so maybe this sounds silly but I have spent years building up my reptuation as an ethical, customer service oriented, breeder of high quality geckos... and I just don't understand why Webslave needs the $10.00 for Registered Members to be able to post positive feedback in the Trader Ratings here on Fauna! Geeze, I'd have a LOT of great feedback from the folks that have done business with me... too bad they would need to pay an additional fee to let the rest of the reptile community know they had a good experience doing business with Golden Gate Geckos...

I've heard the same complaint from countless members and customers. I do not believe the feedback system should be subject to the fee.......

While it is unfortunate that the fee hinders some from posting I think that detriment is far outweighed by the fact that those who DO post are legitimate.

Just think of some of the scumbags that could skew the ratings if it were not for the fee/legitamicy factor. The honesty that comes along with paying the fee to post the feedback does weed out some of the liars in this hobby/business.

Have you considered giving as part of your sale a membership to those who spend above a certain amount? It would be a good way to advertise yourself and boost your image at the same time and if you're selling expensive geckos it's easily absorbable.

Besides Marcia, your reputation could hardly be better. Of course the flourettes on the frosting are pretty to look at but in reality your cake is in pretty good shape just the way it is, if you know what I mean.

There has to be some sort of legitmacy factor to keep the entire system honest. Have you come up with a better one? I ask not to be a smartass, but actually to know if you have a better idea for a system to verify identities.

I think the point was to weed out the possible jokers who would post crap negative feedback which can not be deleted.

Yes, this goes hand in glove with exactly the reason I decided to charge the membership fee and use it as a method to verify people who post on the BOI. This also applies to the BOI Good Guy Certification program as well, in that only paid/verified members can vote on those polls as well as the Trader Ratings. Think of it this way: suppose you pissed off just ONE person who decided they were going to make things stressful for you by creating enough multiple false personalities that they could vote you into being removed from the BOI Certification Program? How would you feel about that? And there isn't really a darn thing you could do about it either. I certainly would not be able to spend the time and effort trying to prove each of those logins were false, so I would have no choice but to take the voting results at face value and ask you to withdraw from the program. But your Trader Ratings would be right down the toilet as well. Think that can't happen? I'm actually SHOCKED that the Trader Ratings were not abused into oblivion before I put this paid membership into effect. Heck, look how some people have used the Reputation system to slam someone they disagree with. That will give you an idea of how the Trader Ratings could have been abused very easily as well.

Sorry, but I have been thinking through this problem of verification and establishing credibility for the information posted within ever since I first set up the BOI. And this is the best I can come up with so far to at least get close to that goal.

Perfect example

See on Mike Clark's trader rating under the name Serpent819

That is Mike Clark giving himself positive feedback.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ngs.php?u=3193

OK, Ok you can't see anything but the link is also attached!!

I don't believe I will ever be able to attach my files right. LOL

Here ya go Dennis.

Ohhhh Kaaayyy. Points well taken. Thanks for "showing me the light". :eatpointe

Originally Posted by WebSlave

I'm actually SHOCKED that the Trader Ratings were not abused into oblivion before I put this paid membership into effect. Heck, look how some people have used the Reputation system to slam someone they disagree with. That will give you an idea of how the Trader Ratings could have been abused very easily as well.

Actually, now that you mention it, this is surprising. Surprising in a good way - how often does that happen? And I'm glad that the Trader Ratings have been, and continue to be, taken seriously by the vast majority of ratings-givers and fauna members. I can take peoples' Trader Ratings seriously. I can base purchasing decisions on them. I think of Reputation points as more of an entertainment thing, perhaps reflecting a person's online personality (or lack, thereof) more than their business persona.