Some great suggestions here, some thoughts if I may. Not aimed at Dexter24 but in general.

Data protection is a concern if you start collecting names/addresses etc to try and validate peoples "status". You would need to look into this, apologies if this is under control.

Using credit card as a validation is possible but the drawback there would be if you wanted to track someone by the credit card, you would be relying on the credit card company to share that information and it is unlikely they would.

I think the BRCA suggestion might work really well if oOple could work together with BRCA so they would share the contact details from the BRCA number. BRCA already hold this data so it is just assessing if they can share with you when required and if it does not break their data protection rules.

A minimum post count is probably the most practical way to control "For Sale" ads and is done on most of the forums I am on. A few others use a "members fee" to control as well but these are more of a minority as it does stop a lot of legitimate people from posting.

A post count limit of 50 or so will stop the casual spammer and encourage people to become an active part of the community. You could also make the activation of placing for sale ads a manual process so a check can be made that the posts are not nonsense just to hit the post target. Another possibility is to limit posts to 5 per day for the first 50.

Yes, this!

Anything you try to do do make things better is a hassle. This is a one-off hassle that means I will get something back. If I share my details with Oople I know where they are going. If it is done in hard copy and not stored on a system it can't be hacked. It's a lot less hassle than even one scam can bring me trying to get money/goods back. (I particularly like ApproOved!)

57% of people voting want this system - that's 20% more than elected the Tories!!

Go for it, Jimmy!

have to agree with cutting24, brca number would be a good idea, possibly your profile containing a photo of you holding a bit of paper with your brca number on it?? would give you a good idea when you looked at someones profile if they were genuine or not

I like the idea of a trusted status, but i'm not keen on submitting personal data.
I have for years worked in businesses where customers data needs to be looked after however the legislation around retaining information means that i would like to know how secure my information is, how long it would be held for, who would have access to it and under what grounds could it be disclosed. I'm not trying to be objectionable i just have reservations about personal data.
I don't have an issue with a fee for status, the site doesn't run itself. I tend to clear out my kit every year or so and i like oople for that option, however i have never worried about feedback so mine doesn't reflect how much i have bought and sold over the years.
In essence i would pay a fee but if i was required to submit personal data i wouldn't participate.

Thats a pretty fair viewpoint

I havent read all of the posts in this thread, but just to make a point about Paypal Gift.

I appreciate why there may be an argument to have it banned, but before you do, please appreciate that you as a seller could be fleeced the other way around. I will give you a quick example.

I listed a SP GT 2.0 speed controller for sale on here. Perfect unmarked condition full working order with proprogramming card. £150 new inc the pro card, i was selling it for £70 posted recorded. A new member on here unbeknown to me with a two post count offered me £60 posted. I said £65 posted provided its a gift payment. So, he paid £65 not as a gift. By the time i have paid for recorded postage and had the albeit minor fee of £2.50 removed by Paypal i end up with less than £60. I sent his money back to him in full the same evening requesting gift payment. As yet he hasnt logged back on here.

OK, the Paypal fee itself is not a big deal. What potentially wouldnt be such a minor concern is if he decided he wanted it for free, or wired it up incorrectly and blew it up. All he has to do is open up a dispute within the time period and i lose all of my money and the speedo.

To me, a gift payment is no different to a cash sale. Sellers should ALWAYS send recorded, they have a responsibility to do so to protect their reputation on here. I only think that new sellers without any feedback should be banned from using gift but as im aware that rule already stands.

Speedos in particular arent idiot proof and you really dont know who you are selling to on here.

Just something to be wary of.

Stuffed away in a cupboard - forever until you say so, me, depends if you go missing having defrauded 30 people, then it would be disclosed to the police and they would have you in cuffs.

Perhaps it needs thinking about - but it's certainly optional.

100% agree with Rich, gift payment offers a 'scam' protection for sellers in the sense it makes it very hard for a fraudulent buyer to get the funds back when goods have been sent... i wouldn't accept any other method other than this, cash or postal orders if there is the tiniest risk of it going wrong, anyone that does is playing with fire.

As for being put off by submitting personal details to oOple for verification... the details needed wouldn't be any different to those we submit to enter race events or give to BRCA, so if you have entered oOple Invernational meetings or oOoos meetings then assume Jimmy and crew already have your data... mwahaha!

So validating this data wouldn't be any more intrusive than the info you willingly give out already to random people in hobby, just something to back it up... pretty sure oOple doesn't need your pin number or online banking details and passwords!

scamers aside to lessen disputes I've come up with the below:

lockout the sales section for non members so they cant even see it, make a minimum post rule to be able to post to the sales. ( i guess this is where your fee could come in)

make a template guideline on the what each post must contain like pictures, location, standardise the selling language
my pet hate is "brand new, only used 5 times:thumbdown:"

in the sales pictures make a rule so that you have to show your username / todays date on a piece of paper next to the item your selling proving you own it.

maybe put the feedback within the listing,

just a few ideas

I have to say, I wanted to buy something off an MX5 forum - there was a minimum post count - so I sacked it off and never went back.

The fact this guy is using PM's now means he can offer something to someone in any section of the forum - if they express an interest in something suddenly there's an opening.

An undoctored straight from camera shot of you with your name and date taken - remembering I've 23 years graphics experience so can't easily be fooled. A photo or scan of your passport and a utility bill.
It's just an idea - if someone doesn't want to jump through those hoops that's fair enough, trade with them but just be careful - the vast majority are honest people. In fact, everyone but this one muppet.

If you choose to be 'vetted' and come under some jimmy scrutiny then you have a nice badge of honour. I can't say no one will ever get ripped off - but I can do as much as is humanly possible.
It's pure fantasy to think some scammer would go through such a vetting - like I'd just let them through without checking out what they are up to. Meep. :lol:

Just an idea - an option. I work freelance and time is indeed money - I can't spend hours working on this stuff but I will do all I can to make it a safe place to trade - whether some people like it or not. You still get to choose at the end of the day - be vetted or don't be. I don't need to vet eyeball paul, oscar, paul rotheram etc... these are well known guys. It's new users who yes might be scared to post stuff but want to buy or sell stuff since this is a much better place for it than ebay.
I don't want a 2-class system - I just want people to feel more at ease with who they are dealing with. I've been asked a few times to check people out and deemed them legit and told the person that they looked OK to me and proceed, with caution.

I have a lot of work to do anyway so I will leave this simmering for now - I'm welcome to ideas but I do want to keep it open and free. I want to earn my living from WORKING not sucking money from this forum. I simply don't believe anyone would pay to scam people, I think it won't happen and it would just make it much much easier for me to catch them before they scam someone. As for the ID stuff - again, just an idea. If people don't like it, they don't have to do it.

If people trust me and my judgement and my work - then they'll more likely trust someone I've vetted and given approved status.

Use of real names would be a good start.

Hi, I have been a membe a while, I only buy I never post as I can't see any of my knowledge being any use to racers as it's all been done before. Please add another scammer to the list Supastoxrc, :mad: this guy ripped me off for £60 foolishly I paid by gift. I have learned my lesson but feel that the help and info I get from oople is fantastic.

I have a pic of my real name and my user name isnt a million miles away

7 months for a reply! :woot: