Revisiting Auctions: Keep or Ban 'em?

Can I ask how auctions would effectively be banned?

It's hard for me to imagine what this would look like, in practice.

What's to stop me from, for instance, posting: "FT BBT ISO [list of 13 beers]," indicating that I want "some" of the ISO, and then holding out for the best offer? Or is this not considered an auction?

Or what if I post in a completely unrelated trade thread that I "Also have a Rarri but that’s not up for trade unless you got something equally as good" and then wait for offers to flow in? Is this the type of auction that would be curbed somehow, and if so... how?

 

Per my first example, how would users know if this person was conducting an auction? Or is this potential measure designed only to curb obvious, public auctions and not the ones happening behind the scenes?

 

I voted to ban auctions, but I do have some concerns about where the line is drawn, that @William_Navidson more effectively wrote than I would have. One more example that I'm sure some people would say is an auction: "FT: my locals ISO: your locals". Well is that person auctioning hoping to get someone local to Trillium as opposed to North Dakota or whatever? Obviously not in my opinion, but some might think that is an auction.

I won't mind it too much either way, as I typically avoid responding to trade posts that appear to lean towards an auction type. I just think its SO subjective and I worry about the enforcement of it (either overly enforced or under enforced). Cheers!

 

I've noticed that when people run "auctions", it tends to be done so silently across multiple PMs, more or less taking offers until finding one that they like the most. In that case, it may be tricky for individuals to know they are participating in an auction, although I suppose a small suspicion is enough to warrant a report? Can the moderators read private message inboxes based on a report of a single private message conversation?

 

Thanks, that's what I was getting at -- my assumption is that many more "silent auctions" occur than do public ones (though to be fair, those happen as well... a comment I read recently on a thread noted that "There's nothing wrong with fishing," and I think most users here would probably disagree).

To sum it up -- I don't think there is anything wrong with this move and would support the proposal you've explained, but I wouldn't estimate it's going to be very effective in curbing auctions happening via PM.

 

Auctions could lead to even more “ghosting”. I the OP doesn’t get the outrageous price he/she seeks, OP takes his ball and goes home. Another trade doesn’t get done. I really like completing trades.

Incidentally, can we do some thing about “ghosting”?

 

I voted to keep them banned. I don't think sufficient value/positive traffic is gained by allowing them to offset the headache of policing what is appropriate.

Trades will also likely take much longer to finalize as the OP continues to wait for additional "bids". My guess is some trades WILL be finalized only to be cancelled because a late bid came in.

An auction environment can introduce more of the element that was recently discussed at length on this site. individuals attempting to sell items.

2 cents.

 

I think we shouldn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It is impossible in all cases to stop all auction type of trading. no matter what system we use. I think banning them has the effect of making the situation as good as possible without making it perfect. Perfect is better than good, and good is better than bad (auctions)

 

Hmmm, I often post "ISO: Bottle FT: List" not as an auction, but as a "I've got options, tell me what it'll take to get your bottle" I never really thought of it as an auction.

 

Honestly it doesn't bother me either way. Usually when someone puts up an auction they get roasted no matter what.

And I agree @Onerandombeer I don't think the first example given by @William_Navidson is really an auction ...they're usually more open-ended than that.

 

Beer lists or various combos are fine. Let's keep "make me an offer" off the table.

 

Yup, agreed. Sorry for the confusion, I don't think @Onerandombeer 's example is in and of itself an auction; but, it does become one when the poster ignores relevant bids entirely and holds out for the highest possible bid via PM. Surely not everyone does this, but this is what I think turns it into a bona fide auction (and definitions might differ, this is just my take).

 

See I am with you on that one! Sometimes they want more than 1 bottle for what ur ISO

 

The problem is, what technically is an auction? To me that's, "Hey, I have X FT, PM me and highest offer wins". That's sleazy, sure, but these days, I see peiple defining auctions simply as trades they don't like, or think are imbalanced. Also, does posting a list of ISOs but also including, "also interested in some random *insert style* bottles" count as an "auction"? Technically, you're looking for the "best" offer - ie. what appeals to you most.

I think this is a little more multifaceted than people make it out to be.