Videogon offers
free WTB (Wanted to Buy) listings, which allow Buyers to find unusual or rare
items that might not otherwise be advertised by Sellers. Wanteds will
function somewhat differently than other listing types. Buyers' identities are kept
anonymous while Sellers' offers are
posted publicly. This accomplishes a number of objectives, including
strong defenses against spam, fraud, and misleading offers. The system
brings together Buyers and Sellers, while offering both parties a means to
choose with whom they wish to transact.
Posting a Wanted
Registered members can fill out a short form to post a Wanted ad. The
Wanted will remain online for 30 days or until the Buyer chooses to delete
it. The Wanted will be accessible publicly, but it will not display the
buyer's Username. Sellers will be able to post an "Offer to
Sell", which will email the Buyer and post the item within
the Wanted.
Offers to Sell
Sellers may respond to Wanteds by posting an Offer to
Sell. The seller's Offer will be emailed to the Buyer, and it will be
posted into the Wanted ad itself. Offers to Sell will appear much like a
Classified ad, to be displayed only within the particular Wanted.
Sellers are thus advertising their item to any Buyers seeking such an unusual
or rare item.
Respond to Offer
Within a particular wanted, each Offer to Sell will display various links
for quick research of that Seller's history, and a link to contact that
Seller. Buyers, even those who did not post the wanted, can thus contact
the Seller by sending an email through Videogon's system. This will
behave much like the "send email" links found within Classifieds and
other listings.
Record of events
The above three steps create a reasonable record of any transactions that
result from the Wanteds. Videogon will thus have a record of: who wanted
what, who offered what for sale, and who contacted whom, and when. While
the contents of emails are not saved, the system will have a record of
attempted contacts.
Safety Mechanism
When a Buyer first posts a wanted, neither their Username nor their Email is
displayed. When a Seller posts a response (offer to sell), the Seller's
Username is shown, but the Seller's email address is protected. At this
point, the Buyer can evaluate the membership history of that Seller (feedback,
verified or not, etc). If the Buyer chooses to respond to a Seller's
offer, then the Buyer's Username and email address is made available to the
Seller. At this point, the Seller may evaluate the Buyer's history, and
decide whether to transact. If the Seller replies to the Buyer, then
both parties will have each other's email address, allowing further private
communications. Thus, both parties have the ability
to choose whether or not they wish to transact with a particular member.
Abuse of the Wanteds
Since the Wanteds are currently free of charge, it may be tempting to abuse
them in a number of manners. Sellers may "blast" all of the
wanteds with supposed offers to sell, for items that are not the same as
"wanted". Buyers may post new listings repeatedly, hoping to
be seen on the NewToday page. These and other examples of abuses will
not be tolerated. The terms are quite simple: Videogon reserves the
right to delete any submission, at any time, for any reason, with or without
prior warning. Repeated cause for action by Videogon staff will result
in the permanent suspension of that member's access privileges. Please
use the Wanteds with the true goals in mind - let Buyers find unusual or
particular items that are not commonly advertised for sale.
Related Links
Post
a Wanted ad
Browse
the Wanteds
Search
the Wanteds
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