In order to prevent that from happening again, we are working on new, comprehensive membership requirements that should screen new members more effectively than in the past. Your personal information will remain confidential, and will never be given out to any third party for any reason. Our intent will never be to gather information for its own sake, but to further protect our members from unscrupulous practices.
Auction sellers will have to become Stamporama members before they can begin selling in the auction. We will expect both sellers and buyers in our auction to abide by our rules and to behave in an ethical, professional, and legal manner. If they fail to do so, or even if they fail to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with other members, they may be dropped from Stamporama member list or forfeit their Auction privileges.
Please be assured that you can continue to enjoy the many benefits of our auction as long as you remain circumspect: "Buyer Beware" and its corollary, "Seller Beware," need to be foremost in everyone's mind when dealing with new sellers or new buyers.
Twelve years ago, when Jerry Abern started Stamporama, it was a nothing more than an exchange of e-mails among a dozen or so collectors, and an occasional newsletter sent by snail-mail. Often the jokes — Jerry had a good sense of humour — far outnumbered articles about stamps. Now, Stamporama has grown into one of the largest, friendliest internet-based stamp clubs you can find. The moderated Discussion Board provides a philatelic soapbox and community centre for everyone; our auction is literally unequalled, with the number and quality of lots steadily improving; any member can mount exhibits of his or her favorite stamps and covers. And it's all free — Stamporama member and former President Roy Lingen (BuckaCover.com) provides us with the server that we use, which is essentially the only cost we incur as a group (thanks Roy).
We hope that you continue to enjoy and benefit from Stamporama. The Volunteer Committee is working hard to ensure that you can.
On behalf of Tim, Kathy, Dan, and Bob who, respectively, runs the website, runs membership, runs exhibits, and moderates the discussion board and, collectively, dilligently work through how we do things, I thank you all, and invite any feedback on this.
David
Login to Like
this post
Hi David,
Can we start a feedback system without the details? Just let buyers and sellers give each other points out of 10 to build up the feedback. Of course the persons already selling and buying safely at SOR for a long time will get a feedback score by moderators at the start (for example, starting the system with "Patches" getting a score of 100 as she sells regularly good quality material and someone like me who sells and buys ocassionally getting a score of 20 to start with. This is just an idea lets see what others think about this and how the moderators take this.
Also closer scrutiny of new members and auctioneers is a very valid option to which no one will object. The dubious lots in question were very 'interesting' but due to past experiences with new sellers and with such mouthwatering offerings I wanted to wait and see how things turn out.
I fear the day some eBay Power Seller gets in here and flood the auction with mundane offerings.
Saleem
Login to Like
this post
Has anyone received anything from the new sellers yet? I bought 3 items from the Belgian seller and paid for it a week ago. although mail from Belgium to the Netherlands can be delivered in 2 or 3 days I have not received the stamps yet. No reason to panic, when I think of how I ship out the items I sell, it can take a few days.
But when there is nothing let's say next week, it will be time for action...
Jan-Simon
Login to Like
this post
I regularly have purchased items from the auction from Canada and have found that it usually takes a week for my money to arrive in Canada. The seller usually notifies me by email he/she has received the payment. It takes another week to receive the goods. I also do the same thing to a seller in Florida with the same results except it's perhaps two days quicker. US mail is very slow unless it's Priority Mail but that can be expensive for stamp buying. So let's have a little patience and keep in touch with the email system letting the buyer and seller know the status of the exchange. Perry
Login to Like
this post
The Volunteer Committee of Stamporama has been discussing ways to improve the overall security of our web site for both buyers and sellers in our auction. As you may well know, if you have been following discussions taking place on the Discussion Board, we suspect that some new sellers listed lots that they probably never intended to deliver. It has not fully played out yet, but it has been immensely painful and time-consuming for those of us tracking it.
In order to prevent that from happening again, we are working on new, comprehensive membership requirements that should screen new members more effectively than in the past. Your personal information will remain confidential, and will never be given out to any third party for any reason. Our intent will never be to gather information for its own sake, but to further protect our members from unscrupulous practices.
Auction sellers will have to become Stamporama members before they can begin selling in the auction. We will expect both sellers and buyers in our auction to abide by our rules and to behave in an ethical, professional, and legal manner. If they fail to do so, or even if they fail to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with other members, they may be dropped from Stamporama member list or forfeit their Auction privileges.
Please be assured that you can continue to enjoy the many benefits of our auction as long as you remain circumspect: "Buyer Beware" and its corollary, "Seller Beware," need to be foremost in everyone's mind when dealing with new sellers or new buyers.
Twelve years ago, when Jerry Abern started Stamporama, it was a nothing more than an exchange of e-mails among a dozen or so collectors, and an occasional newsletter sent by snail-mail. Often the jokes — Jerry had a good sense of humour — far outnumbered articles about stamps. Now, Stamporama has grown into one of the largest, friendliest internet-based stamp clubs you can find. The moderated Discussion Board provides a philatelic soapbox and community centre for everyone; our auction is literally unequalled, with the number and quality of lots steadily improving; any member can mount exhibits of his or her favorite stamps and covers. And it's all free — Stamporama member and former President Roy Lingen (BuckaCover.com) provides us with the server that we use, which is essentially the only cost we incur as a group (thanks Roy).
We hope that you continue to enjoy and benefit from Stamporama. The Volunteer Committee is working hard to ensure that you can.
On behalf of Tim, Kathy, Dan, and Bob who, respectively, runs the website, runs membership, runs exhibits, and moderates the discussion board and, collectively, dilligently work through how we do things, I thank you all, and invite any feedback on this.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: protection against thieves in the auction
Hi David,
Can we start a feedback system without the details? Just let buyers and sellers give each other points out of 10 to build up the feedback. Of course the persons already selling and buying safely at SOR for a long time will get a feedback score by moderators at the start (for example, starting the system with "Patches" getting a score of 100 as she sells regularly good quality material and someone like me who sells and buys ocassionally getting a score of 20 to start with. This is just an idea lets see what others think about this and how the moderators take this.
Also closer scrutiny of new members and auctioneers is a very valid option to which no one will object. The dubious lots in question were very 'interesting' but due to past experiences with new sellers and with such mouthwatering offerings I wanted to wait and see how things turn out.
I fear the day some eBay Power Seller gets in here and flood the auction with mundane offerings.
Saleem
Login to Like
this post
Auctions - Approvals
re: protection against thieves in the auction
Has anyone received anything from the new sellers yet? I bought 3 items from the Belgian seller and paid for it a week ago. although mail from Belgium to the Netherlands can be delivered in 2 or 3 days I have not received the stamps yet. No reason to panic, when I think of how I ship out the items I sell, it can take a few days.
But when there is nothing let's say next week, it will be time for action...
Jan-Simon
Login to Like
this post
re: protection against thieves in the auction
I regularly have purchased items from the auction from Canada and have found that it usually takes a week for my money to arrive in Canada. The seller usually notifies me by email he/she has received the payment. It takes another week to receive the goods. I also do the same thing to a seller in Florida with the same results except it's perhaps two days quicker. US mail is very slow unless it's Priority Mail but that can be expensive for stamp buying. So let's have a little patience and keep in touch with the email system letting the buyer and seller know the status of the exchange. Perry
Login to Like
this post