I am sorry to post this, but seeing this forum makes me not want to trade any more.

I am sorry to post this, but seeing this forum makes me not want to trade any more.

What? Seeing the new Ratings Forum makes you not want to trade?

Why? Has someone gotten a glowing report that has stiffed you or sent you a disappointing trade?

Sue

I'm personally glad to see we finally have a rate and review forum. I have all but quit trading here on GardenWeb. I have received many plants over the years on Gardenweb that are in my yard. Loads of fond memories but this will be a nice gauge to go by for us as far as giving and receiving. Maybe we won't have to talk about the bad memories. Thanks.

Tami

I just checked it out, every one has glowing reviews. I'm not an ebay shopper, but I understand it works. Frankly, I have received many, many wonderful trades, plants & seeds. I have been stiffed a few times, but the generosity on the whole has more than made up for those few bad trades. And stuff happens to all of us, not sure I would bother mentioning disappointing trades, but I think it is nice to mention good trades.

I just hope that if someone is unhappy with a trade they will try to work it out with the person they are trading with before posting a bad review. People get sick or may have been in the hospital for several weeks or even worse.
Jim

Chemocurl, I have been trading for 5 years & have made over 2500 trades. My problems have been rare, but any problems traders have had with me or I have had with them except for very few cases have been handled off forum. I do not change my name if I encounter problems; I keep it so traders know who they are dealing with. I do believe in a feedback system for sales, but this kind of forum is unnecessary, is a setup for pettiness, & takes away from the fun & friendships made on GW.
GW has some the heaviest traffic on the internet on some of its exchange forums. Part of the reason for this is the openness that it has had in the past. If multiple posts are seen regarding rating reviews on the exchange forums, it may deter some traders from trading. Some of the bad posts are already starting to appear. What happens when you want to post in defense of a "bad trader," & in doing so you also offend another trader you like? Others will have different opinions, but it is best for me to just stay off the forum & stay out of it, or I run the risk of compromising relationships or future trades. If you post a bad review on ebay you get a warning to think twice before doing it. Maybe this forum should have a similar warning.
Reliable traders are usually seen frequently on the forums. I personally find any reliable sending trader as highly valuable. The trader with nothing but chump change seeds today may have a plethora of plants tomorrow, & I believe should be treasured.
I will let others have the last word on this, as I am sure many do not share my opinion.

i like this forum because there are traders out there who scam repeatedly. if i get a box of plants that are dead when they get to me because they were packaged poorly i am not going to leave negative feedback. but if i am trading with someone and find out that they were scammed by the same person as i and in the same exact way and from the same exact post i want to be able to let other GOOD traders know to stay away from them.

I'm not terribly new to GW but have recently started trading. I don't know that I would use the rating forum. I've only had about 50 trades and so far have not had a bad experience. I hope that everyone has been happy with what they have received from me. If not I would hope that it would be resolved privately. I think that a habitual scammer would probably just register under a different username ultimately defeating the purpose of the rating system.
Karyn

I can see your points, makes me reluctant to make more posts in the Rating Forum, as I've got so many praises and can't possibly include them all, not in one day, lol.

Right about that Nancy, nice to thank each other -how about a name for the forum "Positive Ratings" ?
No matter, I prefer e-mail exchanges.

You took some of my words from my hands Karyn.

Baci, you got it, good traders will have multi posts.
Reminds me on the times we've sold citrus fruit and trees near the hwy and every once in a while someone would ask us why we don't brag -because our oranges were the sweetest, why we don't advertise, make fancy displays and so on.
I'd usually reply how we keep very busy, especially before the holidays, oranges spoke for themselves with their taste and lower prices, we just couldn't afford paying help, it was a family affair. Loved meeting people even if at busiest of times I hardly had seen their faces,smile. Same as Garden Web, again, it's the friendship that's the best part. Thanks to the web moderators, first of all.

(Sometimes wonder if any of you moderators ever make trades and if so under which name? :))

I'm really not into getting praises, not after being raised with grampa telling you " Pick the olives if you want supper" , lol.
Wouldn't refuse a check for a large sum of money though, kidding.

Hugs with blessings to my pals,

Bea

How many times has anyone emailed back and forth numerous times over say 2 weeks time or more, working out a big ole trade...that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, as you and the trader 'find' or think of more things to offer that the other might be pleased to receive....until the trade is for 10-15 different items? (That to me is a 'big' trade).

As I take the time with emails, digging, labeling, and packaging, I feel it is exchange for the many wonderful things the trader is 'supposed' to send me.
I feel with the review forum, I will feel more assured about it being a good or maybe even wonderful trade.

I have written many reviews (in my spare time when I should have been busy doing something else here at home), but plan to go through what paperwork I have (I found when my computer crashes I loose everything), and give positive reviews on the many members who have traded with me, or even sent me seeds for sasbe or plants for postage. I would like to give some thought to some of the really special ones, and write a bit more, telling why they were outstanding or 'special' trades or things for postage.

Not really sure what I will do with those few who were disappointing...maybe nothing...will have to think on that b4 I put my foot in my mouth there.

In the meantime, it has been fun writing the reviews...kind of like saying 'Thank You' all over again for wonderful, and appreciated plants and seeds.

Sue

"If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."
What I've been applying. I just forget about the very few disappointments and simply won't bother posting about such, just put the note on my list so I won't trade again.
It surely is fun and I keep checking the Ratings -reviews, got to get into adding some STARS to so many- of course 5 stars to you Sue, trades or whatever.

Bea

Oh Bea,

You are a sweetie...you haven't even received my end yet. I took it to the PO (with a box that had to go out) and had them check the stamps I had put on your envy (have digital scale so was just checking if it was right). Well, it was wrong! It was short. The only thing I can think of is that maybe I weighed it b4 putting the cutting in....DUH.. Was 'so glad they checked it...sure would not have liked for you to have had postage due.

Additionally, after I mailed it, I 'found' some packaged seeds in the paper 'rubble' on the table. You might be 'short' the Dwarf Blue Ensign Commercial seed. LMK if you are short those, and I'll get them out to you.

Back to the new forum...I think a lot of things will be 'understood' even if nothing is said...or maybe I should say 'especially' if nothing is said....if you know what I mean.

Anyone else know what I mean? Do I even know what I mean anymore...too many 'pots' of coffee on this dreary cold rainy day. I think I may be a bit like mmqchdygg (Tina) over at WS. I really need to get a life, away from GW and this stupid computer.

Sue

I just reread gwtamara's OP.

This is simply an announcement -- please do not use it to discuss the new forum. Kindly visit the Conversations area of this forum for discussion purposes.

Hey GwTamara,

Would you maybe move this thread (as you sometimes do)to the Conversation Area?...so we can keep it going?

TIA (regardless if you can or can't)

Sue...off for yet more coffee

I just want to say that my first year trading on GW, literally 50% of my trades were bad trades ... people sent me nothing in return. Some told me it was because the scammers looked at the date I had joined and new I was 'green'. Well, I lost big $$$$$, not including my time and effort.

I'm happy this hasn't happened to most, but because of it, I'm definitly for a rating forum. But this rating forum has to let both good and bad reviews stand, so far I haven't seen that.

I like to think the best of people, but hey, I'll thing good of you when you send your part of the trade. :o)

Sharon

Sort of off topic to the thread but bboy has posted in suggestions asking for GW to add a Rate 'N Review section for people who buy garden stuff on-line, mail order etc and if you have a second and think it would be a good addition please follow the link below and let GW know.

Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: One more Rate and Review

I think the important thing to keep in mind is not whether you like or dislike this new rating forum but that those managing the forum are listening to complaints from the members and in response they are attempting to come up with a solution. I'm confident that if the rating forum causes more problems than it solves, and a lot of members complain about it, then they will remove or modify it. - Mike