New Reef Classified Buy/Sell/Trade System

[siggy]

I think some of your Sponsors would be spending more time talking business or defending their pricing than participating within this forum. That is a huge advantage with RTR and my be lost if it becomes an auction house.
A classified system for used or individual members is cool but don't you have that ?
I have several anonymous outlets for my purchasing decisions with the very tool i am using now.
A all encompassing reef reference library & store! who wouldn't want that resource. I Just think it would have to be separated or things could stormy.

 

[revhtree]

I think some of your Sponsors would be spending more time talking business or defending their pricing than participating within this forum. That is a huge advantage with RTR and my be lost if it becomes an auction house.
A classified system for used or individual members is cool but don't you have that ?
I have several anonymous outlets for my purchasing decisions with the very tool i am using now.
A all encompassing reef reference library & store! who wouldn't want that resource. I Just think it would have to be separated or things could stormy.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Shon]

I'll just hit like on other peeps good ideas.. hot, muggy, no electricity, feeling the Irma-gerd memes.

JMO...
We should get Reef 2 Reef "Supporter" discounts, like you do from your local reef shop for being apart of your local reef club.

Maybe something like "Supporters" can buy R2R points, and have R2R auctions in a style like https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidding_fee_auction where you spend your R2R points to increase bid, and the auction winner buys the item?

 

[chefjpaul]

I'm very for modifying the current F/S forums.

Maybe include generators to filter details out.
Add more keys and tags for products people post for easier fiktering and access.
All similar to the auction sites.

But, I will say from experiences with a local forum, it has become so saturated with F/S threads that the conversation is almost non existent.

I think it could work well, if planned and thought out patently.

 

[Daniel85]

First off, please forgive me as I have not read all the posts in this thread and may be duplicating.

I would like to see something like Amazon so that I could see products that don't get listed in the big places already (BRS/Marine Depot). An example would be Avast Marine, I love their spyglass reactor but I feel like I was lucky to come across it.

I did see that someone posted a concern about R2R just becoming a place where the forums don't matter or worse where everyone complains about prices etc. For that reason I support doing it as a separate thing from the forums and what I as the purpose of R2R now.

This is just my quick 2 cents and I don't have anything to back it up outside of perception and feelings. But I hope it helps.

 

[Forsaken77]

What would be cool is I know commercial businesses get deals on shipping. Like if you have to return something to Marine Depot, you can use their discounted shipping and they take it out if your return.

Would it be possible for you guys to get a discounted shipping like that and we ship everything through your mailing labels? Just an idea to make shipping cheaper.

 

[DLHDesign]

I think you're missing what we are talking about as well.

That's certainly possible - yes. I've read each of your replies and - so far - what I'm hearing described is a communal e-commerce offering for a target demographic. I'm familiar with these systems - I've built several over the past 20+ years of various sizes and forms. I offer what feedback I am out of a desire to help, so please take no offense.

We would not be a competitor. Sponsors would be able to list all of their products for sale, track sales, offer discounts, creating shipping labels, etc. all from the market.

I'm sorry, but why would they do that? Doing all those things - even with the best data import options out there (and those are neither easy nor cheap - much less 100% effective), it still takes time and effort to do so. That's time and effort that boils down to an expense - which must be offset by the profits gained. Yes; they get more exposure to their products (assuming they don't already list their products here). But it's not in a view they control - and that matters. In the same way that you want R2R to look and feel a certain way (because it's important to you that your customers/members are treated right), they (the vendors) want their products to be displayed a certain way. And that likely doesn't mean in the same cookie-cutter way as everyone else that uses the marketplace. And I'd guess that most of them wouldn't want their products listed side-by-side with their competitor's products - it creates a more direct level of competition than they currently have.
Everything you've listed as a value-add for the vendors already exists. They can list their products for sale (via "auctions ending" announcements, etc.), they can already track their sales (in a system directly linked to their inventory control, I'd bet), discounts are easy with coupon codes and the like, and shipping labels clearly exist. Payment processing in their systems are already tied into their accounting systems, I'm sure, so enabling payment processing isn't really a value add for them either, I'd not think.

This is going to actually be a perk for them not something that competes.

Have you asked them, by chance? I'd be happy to find out I'm wrong on the above. I've spent a number of years in brick-and-mortar, online, and hybrid vendors and the above estimations are based on what I experienced in each of those, but those were all different markets (computers and jewelry/gemstones) so perhaps the world of aquaria is different.

The power of the marketplace - much like a local farmer's market - is in those who are smaller businesses and/or individuals - people who either have a bare-bones internet presence, or none at all. A shared marketplace - especially one with a target consumer base at-hand - are a boon for these providers. They are the ones who will benefit the most from someone else carrying the up-front cost of developing their web infrastructure. And that's great - small scale vendors and individual sellers are a great asset to not only our economy, but to this hobby specifically. So I don't mean to imply that this type of solution is not needed in our hobby - just that I'm (personally) not sure that R2R (as a forum) is the best place and way for that solution to germinate.

 

[wakeupdrowzy]

dont really care about aquarium product, because you can get that anywhere, like ebay/amazon already got crazy cheap stuff.

ONLY THIng i care about is an all in once place to BUY coral. I constanstly check cherry coral, unique coral, austin aquafarm, extreme coral for update (at least 2 times a day), would be nice if we can get an all in one place to buy new rare corals.

 

[revhtree]

That's certainly possible - yes. I've read each of your replies and - so far - what I'm hearing described is a communal e-commerce offering for a target demographic. I'm familiar with these systems - I've built several over the past 20+ years of various sizes and forms. I offer what feedback I am out of a desire to help, so please take no offense.


I'm sorry, but why would they do that? Doing all those things - even with the best data import options out there (and those are neither easy nor cheap - much less 100% effective), it still takes time and effort to do so. That's time and effort that boils down to an expense - which must be offset by the profits gained. Yes; they get more exposure to their products (assuming they don't already list their products here). But it's not in a view they control - and that matters. In the same way that you want R2R to look and feel a certain way (because it's important to you that your customers/members are treated right), they (the vendors) want their products to be displayed a certain way. And that likely doesn't mean in the same cookie-cutter way as everyone else that uses the marketplace. And I'd guess that most of them wouldn't want their products listed side-by-side with their competitor's products - it creates a more direct level of competition than they currently have.
Everything you've listed as a value-add for the vendors already exists. They can list their products for sale (via "auctions ending" announcements, etc.), they can already track their sales (in a system directly linked to their inventory control, I'd bet), discounts are easy with coupon codes and the like, and shipping labels clearly exist. Payment processing in their systems are already tied into their accounting systems, I'm sure, so enabling payment processing isn't really a value add for them either, I'd not think.


Have you asked them, by chance? I'd be happy to find out I'm wrong on the above. I've spent a number of years in brick-and-mortar, online, and hybrid vendors and the above estimations are based on what I experienced in each of those, but those were all different markets (computers and jewelry/gemstones) so perhaps the world of aquaria is different.

The power of the marketplace - much like a local farmer's market - is in those who are smaller businesses and/or individuals - people who either have a bare-bones internet presence, or none at all. A shared marketplace - especially one with a target consumer base at-hand - are a boon for these providers. They are the ones who will benefit the most from someone else carrying the up-front cost of developing their web infrastructure. And that's great - small scale vendors and individual sellers are a great asset to not only our economy, but to this hobby specifically. So I don't mean to imply that this type of solution is not needed in our hobby - just that I'm (personally) not sure that R2R (as a forum) is the best place and way for that solution to germinate.

Thanks again and no offense taken at all! I want to hear the thoughts and concerns both good and bad. It's very helpful.

There are many more options we are discussing for this market that I can't really talk about just yet. There are some pretty big incentives as well for businesses to use our platform. Even the biggest ones. Again though I don't want to fully disclose at the moment due to a couple of reasons.

Thanks again for taking the time and Your thoughts are valuable and important to us.

 

[Ghxst]

Give sellers and buyer clear level of confidence and ratings, like eBay. I'll pay more to buy from non shady, less risky people. I don't want to pay $$$$ for brown Corals again.


Also regional/local sales.

 

[ViciousDlishus]

Hoping there would be some international subsections for us Canadians! Better yet no duty charges for second hand equipment coming from the US.

 

[chefjpaul]

dont really care about aquarium product, because you can get that anywhere, like ebay/amazon already got crazy cheap stuff.

ONLY THIng i care about is an all in once place to BUY coral. I constanstly check cherry coral, unique coral, austin aquafarm, extreme coral for update (at least 2 times a day), would be nice if we can get an all in one place to buy new rare corals.

I do same thing, always searching the vendor's

 

[AquaART]

I'm not sure if this feature has been mentioned...

Link the online shop so we can use the same R2R account, whenever a user is online a green dot is displayed next to their name--of course a user can change these in privacy settings. Because the user is online, I can have the option to live chat with them directly via the new store/website.

Also, and don't drill me on this, seller fees. I generally don't sell my used equipment on eBay because the fees are ridiculous. I'm okay with 3.5%, but anything more feels like robbery, I would rather sell it locally on Craigslist or OfferUp and give someone a better deal.

Finally, I like the general layout of amazon. If you can mimic it without any serious legal consequences, I'd be totally for it.

 

[Heliarc19]

I would hope there would be a separation between business and private sellers, there are perks to both but I would like any easy was to know which is which

 

[vetteguy53081]

I think a minimum feedback should allow trading, not a new comer with no sense of history or info

Buying/selling/trading starts with our members. We need more respect as there is an abundance of Lowballers who like to comment or send manufacturing ads diminishing selling capabilities. We are members - Not Amazon or Ebay with free shipping. WE DONT GET FREE SHIPPING. Posting a nationally advertised price is disrespectful

Pictures are the next best thing to seeing the item in Person. Price and pics SHOULD be required.

Buyers need to Commit if they say they want an item. Too many wishful buyers that do not follow through and leave a seller hanging or waiting for nothing.

Bring Back the Old feedback system

 

[Arrick_L]

I would love to see something that is very easy to use. If I want to sell something I don't want to have to put a lot of effort into getting the item posted and shipping. That is why I have a room full of old equipment now. It's hard to get items in front of lots of people that would want to buy.

 

[wakeupdrowzy]

can we do a marketplace for direct import from oversea collection station? like direct sales and charge vendor a percentage, that way it will give these collection station a marketplace to see in the USA. We can have a transhipper to pick up a shipment and ya ship it out, much like aquabid.com

 

[ming_714]

UPDATE 9-11-17: This is gaining a lot of steam and it's gonna cost a ton of money. We want to create it if you will use it! PLEASE VOTE and please continue to add your ideas and input! If you click MAYBE please comment with what you would want to see in order to use the marketplace.

Hello R2R Members!

We have been mulling the idea of a comprehensive classified system that I hope would really change the face of how people buy and sell saltwater aquarium items on R2R and even on the internet. Many have tried to create an ebay style system for just this thing but they fail because they don't have the community of users like we have. Whatever it is we will have to pay to have it developed and it would be a pretty big undertaking.

We are looking to create an Amazon(ish) style market for all things saltwater aquariums.

With that being said I want you to pretend that there is no limits on what we can do and I would love to hear your ideas for a Reef Classified System that would be the all in one place to shop for aquarium related items.

What would you like to be able to do?
What would you like to see?
How would you like to buy, sell and trade?
Integrated Robust Feedback System for keeping people accountable?
How would you like it to look within the forum?
Seller levels from hobbyists to commercial?
Trading? What could set that apart?

Let the ideas fly! Nothing is too little or too big!

Absolutely YES!!!!

 

[Glenn petersen]

First thing off the too of my head would be manditory seller/buyer location.
There has been plenty of times when i was working a deal only to find out the sellar is in the uk or other country.and to do an item sale based on lication like a letgo or offerup type app.

 

[Hdale85]

I said yes, but I'd expect the level of customer support, ease of exchanges, and so on that I get with Amazon as well. There is a reason I shop there and it's not always price.