Manhattan Reefs Etiquette

[Chiefmcfuz]

There is something that has been bothering me for a little while now. MR is not E-Bay, when someone is selling something traditionally they give their price and if they choose to lower that price well then they lower it. I have been noticing that more and more people have been trying to negotiate prices of items in threads this is completely inappropriate and if negotion is your thing it should be kept in Private Messages. Sorry had to get that off of my chest. Below is the site rules refresher:

The following set of site rules has been compiled by the moderators.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please feel free to post them here.

:thanks:
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This site is a free online community devoted to the betterment of the NYC Metro area reefing environment. Access to this site is absolutely free and services and events are funded through an open donation system. Please donate.

Because this site is free, we ask that you adhere to the following set of basic rules that will help our community stay balanced and focused on the hobby.

General Rules

This is a hobby that primarily takes place in the home. We have many families, young members, and new reefers getting started in the hobby. Keep this in mind when making all posts.

The primary purpose of this site is to interconnect the reefkeeping community. Since everyone is generally local, we provide a LOT of freedom for individual expression. Consider this an opportunity to make new friends and meet other people with similar hobbies.

We have a dedicated forum for Off Topic posts (The Nudibar). Access to this forum is available with a shared password. If you would like the password, send a private message to a friend asking them if they know it. If you already know the password, do not post it publicly.

Posting rules
No exceptions:
Racism
Hatred
Nudity
Copyrighted material (music MP3s, software, photos, movies).
Personal Attacks
Threats or violent material
Any illegal matter or activity

Moderation:

Cursing: We will permit an occasional profanity if it is not directed at an individual and is used to express emotion (ex. Oh Sh-t my tank just blew up!). Do not take advantage of this and post profanity in every post. You ARE permitted to curse if you use the common expletive keys to censor your words (ex. !@#$%^&*()_+). This is generally considered good etiquette for the internet.

Politics: This is NOT a site for political conversation. We understand that there are common political issues that people would like to discuss on occasion (ex. Transit Strike, local employment issues, real estate and other legal issues). These topics are permitted in the Off Topic forum (The Nudibar). The moderators will shut down any conversation that goes off course or seems to getting ?too heated?. If you want to talk about politics, there are several thousand other places devoted to this conversation. Use Google.

Information in your public profile should adhere to all of these rules. This includes the use of avatars, profile pictures, signatures, tags, etc.

Items for Sale:
First Post option: It is common courtesy to sell a priced item to the first person that responds publicly that they will buy the item with no strings attached. You are free to sell the item to the last person that responds, or not deal with specific individuals, but this is generally enough to earn you a reputation as a ?bad reefer?.

Ratings: We have an online trader rating system. If you want to publicly complain about a transaction or experience, post a rating or keep the conversation in Private Messages (PMs). Do not publicly attack another reefer as the result of a trade gone wrong. If you have any major issues, contact a moderator immediately.

Best Offer: The moderators reserve the right to delete posts where the seller appears to have no intention of actually selling the items.

Group Buys: Group Buys are fairly complicated transactions and the organizer reserves the right to coordinate as they see fit. If you are a new member, do not organize a Group Buy, participate in them for a while until you understand what is involved (a LOT!).

Private Messages: Use of the PM system is for private conversation regarding purchases and meetings. Do NOT send unsolicited PMs to our members. Anyone found sending a price list or offer to every member on the site will immediately have their account locked out.

Avatars Avatar images must adhere to all of the rules above. In addition, Avatars may not be of a commercial nature (i.e. no store advertisements).

Note: Manhattan Reefs takes absolutely no responsibility for items available for sale, offered for trade, or deals negotiated on this site. If you choose to buy, sell or trade items via our forums, you do so at your own risk.

This community is the best reef board I have seen and I just wanted to keep it that way.

You wouldn't go into a pet store and ask about a coral and it's price then low ball the store owner for a lower price right? The pet store owner should throw you out on your arse if you try that. I mean if you tried that in Walmart you'd get arrested. We shouldn't do it in public here, at least if you're gonna do it like I said keep it in private.

 

[fritz]

I agree. I also hate "Gauging interest..." You're not gauging interest, you're selling. Just post "For Sale", gauging interest doesn't even make sense. Gauging interest is appropriate for:
"I may be able to get 4 tons of GFO, would anyone want any? If enough people are interested I'll get it."

NOT

"I'm selling the following items" or "Maybe I'll sell the following items if people want to buy them"

Also the low balling really pisses me off. I was 10 minutes from video taping myself smashing my last tank with a hammer just so I could post it here. I ended up throwing most of my stuff away just on principal. MR has gotten to the point that if someone were to post a brand new in box Dialyseas for for sale for only $100 there would no doubt be 15 "would you take $10?" posts and PMs. I hate you people you cheapen the hobby. Most prices on here or that people ask are insanely low to begin with. To low ball someone on an already ridiculous price just to see if you can get a better deal sickens me.

 

[ShaunW]

AMEN and AMEN! Thanks guys!! for the reminder, it is always refreshing to hear it coming from non-moderators, !

 

[Quang]

:hug:
As the site continues to grow, I felt a distancing of the friendship on here with such mentioned actions. No longer close reef buddies, but just business associates. Takes a lil' bit of the fun out the hobby

:yo: Chief! :thanks:

 

[jhale]

Yeah!

 

[alrha]

i find it to just be a waste of everyones time. when someone asks me for a lower price (its usually ppl i dont know) i simply say "if i was willing to sell it at that price, i'd post it at that price, there is no reason for you to get special treatment"

 

[digitalreefer]

I agree... it's one thing to ask if someone is willing to do $150 instead of $170 in a nice private message. It's another to say "I'll give you $50 if you can deliver."

If you must haggle, (and sometimes you must) do it in a PM

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I agree that we should not low ball our seller as most of our sellers(in the for sale forum) are doing it for the sake of sharing instead of making a profit.

But the logic of doing it in private is morally more acceptable than in the public is incorrect.

Killing someone in thier own house or in the street is still the same-killing someone.

I also think that the low balling in the public would not affect the result of the sale because, it's the seller's choice to sell or not. In the rules, the seller can even GIVE IT(FREE or LOWER PRICED) to someone who may not even have posted in the thread. In general, I think low balling only irritates the seller more and less likely to sell it to the person who started the low balling game. If low balling in private gets the deal closed, it only indicates the seller feel that his set price inside in his heart has been met. I am sure no one can force the seller to sell at a lower price by just PMing him a lower price. The lower priced offered and being accepted must have served a purpose which the seller has not spelled out.

However, as suggested in the rules, its proper manner to sell it to the order dibs are called. May be we can encourage our buyers not to low ball the seller in the rules as well.

 

[DEEPWATER]

However, as suggested in the rules, its proper manner to sell it to the order dibs are called. May be we can encourage our buyers not to low ball the seller in the rules as well.

Dibs _ Can you holds this for me till i can get to you ,,followed by srry i couldnt get to you( and that said 3 weeks after they called dibs) . (i know this happen to everyone on this board) just wasting ppl time for no reason ,.A simply phone call stating taht you can not pick up is gret ,but that is too hard for some ppl ,thats cuase the called DIBS :lol2: Dibs my butt


It should be sold to the 1st serious person that want to buy the item .Calling dibs can stop a potenial buyer from buying the item or items.

 

[SlamaJama]

i like dibs when there is a huge list of items and u just want certain things, i think it has its place...its not stupid, even tho ive been burned by only a very few who recind their interest...

 

[DEEPWATER]

i like dibs when there is a huge list of items and u just want certain things, i think it has its place...its not stupid, even tho ive been burned by only a very few who recind their interest...

LOL srry ill reword myself

DIbs is like window shopping :biggrinpa

 

[inline6]

I agree. I also hate "Gauging interest..." You're not gauging interest, you're selling. Just post "For Sale", gauging interest doesn't even make sense. Gauging interest is appropriate for:
"I may be able to get 4 tons of GFO, would anyone want any? If enough people are interested I'll get it."

NOT

"I'm selling the following items" or "Maybe I'll sell the following items if people want to buy them"

Everyone has gauged interest in a sale at least once in their life time.
I think people gauge cause they are really not sure if there is any interest in the item. I've done it on occasion because I was kinda not sure if anyone wanted my crappy seaclone skimmer or crappy used and beat up equipment. So gauging interest just means it's for sale, if you want it.
(my opinion)

:sgrin: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...est-my-55-stand-lights.html?highlight=gauging :sgrin:

 

[fritz]

Everyone has gauged interest in a sale at least once in their life time.
I think people gauge cause they are really not sure if there is any interest in the item. I've done it on occasion because I was kinda not sure if anyone wanted my crappy seaclone skimmer or crappy used and beat up equipment. So gauging interest just means it's for sale, if you want it.
(my opinion)

:sgrin: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...est-my-55-stand-lights.html?highlight=gauging :sgrin:

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. "Gauging interest in my seaclown skimmer" implies that it is not currently for sale but could be, should people be interested which was not the case. What you were actually saying was "Seaclone skimmer for sale, but I don't think anyone wants it" The later being totally irrelevant to your sale. As soon as someone posts "I'm interested" BAM! it's sold to them. No please explain how that is different than a "My seaclone for sale" post.

I just hate seeing 6 "Gauging interest" posts in the for sale forum, when in reality each and every one of the is "I have this for sale"

 

[tosiek]

Sadly, while MR expands and gets bigger your going to have the flood of new people that see this site as a local ebay and this stuff will happen. So recently + with the frag swap happening soon we have a flood of new people that are mainly here to sell things. I'm pretty sure its going to make a shift back to the way it was after the swap is over. Same happened for the fall swap, although not as bad.

Cheif the main argument you need to post is "Why is this site turning into RC!!" And then giving ways to help it stay with the original feel and plan of the boards while accepting the expansion MR is getting. :shhh:

BTW anyone mention a Rant/vent Forum? Way too many people posting Rants lately to vent some sort of frustration :knockedou

 

[LeslieS]

My pet peeve is when you give something away for free and the person who wanted it never calls, never shows up, and then still wants it a couple days later! Especially when there were other people who wanted it and I left work early (I get paid by the hour BTW) to be there to give it to the person.

Very VERY RUDE! A simple phone call to say that something has come up would be sufficient!

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Guaging interest on gettin dibs on a freeeeeeeee can of whooooooooopass can get you :fishhit:

That's the way it is cause Stone Cold Says so!!!!!

Sorry Wrestlemania was yesterday and I am trying to figure out if I should order the replay cause I didn't order it yesterday :lol2:

 

[SlamaJama]

Sadly, while MR expands and gets bigger your going to have the flood of new people that see this site as a local ebay and this stuff will happen. So recently + with the frag swap happening soon we have a flood of new people that are mainly here to sell things. I'm pretty sure its going to make a shift back to the way it was after the swap is over. Same happened for the fall swap, although not as bad.

Cheif the main argument you need to post is "Why is this site turning into RC!!" And then giving ways to help it stay with the original feel and plan of the boards while accepting the expansion MR is getting. :shhh:

BTW anyone mention a Rant/vent Forum? Way too many people posting Rants lately to vent some sort of frustration :knockedou

Very well put T...and i cant agree more with this Q...

:hug:
As the site continues to grow, I felt a distancing of the friendship on here with such mentioned actions. No longer close reef buddies, but just business associates. Takes a lil' bit of the fun out the hobby

:yo: Chief! :thanks:

 

[SaltWaterN00b]

Dibs _ Can you holds this for me till i can get to you ,,followed by srry i couldnt get to you( and that said 3 weeks after they called dibs) . (i know this happen to everyone on this board) just wasting ppl time for no reason ,.A simply phone call stating taht you can not pick up is gret ,but that is too hard for some ppl ,thats cuase the called DIBS :lol2: Dibs my butt


It should be sold to the 1st serious person that want to buy the item .Calling dibs can stop a potenial buyer from buying the item or items.

Cant agree with you more and more so when people call dibs for OTHER people lol. I understand why but it drives me crazy.

 

[JHOV2324]

Broken Rule...

I hate you people you cheapen the hobby.

Is this considered a Hate Crime....:lol2:......:backtotop

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Dibs _ Can you holds this for me till i can get to you ,,followed by srry i couldnt get to you( and that said 3 weeks after they called dibs) . (i know this happen to everyone on this board) just wasting ppl time for no reason ,.A simply phone call stating taht you can not pick up is gret ,but that is too hard for some ppl ,thats cuase the called DIBS :lol2: Dibs my butt


It should be sold to the 1st serious person that want to buy the item .Calling dibs can stop a potenial buyer from buying the item or items.

I do not think the following rule is made by stupid ppl in the board, plus numerous ppl have gone thru the rules and approve them and I don't think they are stupid either.

Items for Sale:
First Post option: It is common courtesy to sell a priced item to the first person that responds publicly that they will buy the item with no strings attached. You are free to sell the item to the last person that responds, or not deal with specific individuals, but this is generally enough to earn you a reputation as a “bad reefer”.

Refreshing a rule by the board is not a stupid ppl.

I can feel that you get burned by trying to be nice guy but labelling ppl is not nice by itself. Venting should have its limit.