Fair offer policy
This is sample Admin message you can use to send to your group.
Hello,
Unless it is urgent to get rid of any items, please try to take at least 24 hours to see the majority of responses before deciding who to give item(s) to.
This gives those members on Daily Digest, or those who don't have continual access to the Internet a fair chance to reply.
It also means you have a better selection of potential recipients from which to choose - careful selection from several interested parties has been shown to reduce the likelihood of 'No Shows'.
With warmest wishes,
$groupname Mod Team
Please send any responses to: $groupname-owner@yahoogroups.com
Have you ever wondered how you could persuade members who are offering stuff to hold back a little before making their decision? Do you get daily digests littered with 'Offer' then 'Taken' before you even knew? That's what the fair offer policy is all about.
Any member who subscribes to the fair offer policy agrees to wait a reasonable time before making a decision as to the recipient of their offer. A reasonable time would normally mean around 24 hours. That gives those with limited Internet access, and those who only receive digests, a fair chance to respond, but is not so long that the 3-day rule for cross posting is compromised.
Amongst other things, that will mean that the first person to respond does NOT automatically get the item. Experience across Freegle groups shows that it's rarely those who reply rapidly who are the most deserving recipients (and there's an increased chance of no-shows). If in doubt, look at the respondents posting history by using the search function in 'Messages'. Even that doesn't always give an accurate picture, as some members rarely offer, but frequently respond to wanted posts. A better guide would be based on what sort of items are requested or offered. Ultimately, it's your property that you're gifting. It's entirely your choice, and no-one (including yourself!) has the right to make you feel guilty over your choice.
To let other members know that you are using this policy, just put 'Fair Offer Policy applies' at the end of the offer. You can even shorten this to 'FOP', but that might be a little cryptic.
If you've stuck with us until now, thanks for reading this!!
[MODERATOR NAMES]
Your $groupname moderators.
Got questions or need help? e-mail $groupname-owner@yahoogroups.com
Hi everyone,
We know that a lot of you like to use the group in a fair way, and you do so by offering your item to the first person to reply to you. This is far from being the fairest way, and here are some reasons why:
1) We don't vet members, they can be anyone. Maybe traders sitting by the pc all day, waiting for the next post of something they know they can make some money out of when they sell it. They have an email already written, they just have to paste and send.
(They won't always tell you they intend to sell, which is against our rules - people MUST declare ANY intention to sell items up front - if you're worried, ASK them. If you find someone sells your stuff without having declared it to you, get in touch with the moderators right away.)
2) Some people are so enamoured with the idea of getting things for free they sit waiting by the pc and respond without thinking too carefully whether they really want or need the item you're offering. These people are most likely to not show up to collect as they'll get to the time and realise they don't really want it after all.
3) There are a lot of deserving people on the group who can't always get to a pc to see the messages right away, but who need the item more than the first person to respond. Some people are in a situation where they only have access at the library or a friends house. By picking the first person to respond you're excluding these people from even having the chance at an item, as often you've sent in the Taken message before they see the Offer.
You're entitled to ask reasonable questions to satisfy yourself that the person you've picked is telling the truth. You're giving away your items and you have a right to choose who they go to and whether they are used by that person or if you're happy for them to take to sell on.
The best way to choose a recipient is to wait 24 hours, (known as the "Fair Offer Policy") read all the replies, then choose one any other way. You could say anyone who has a 'z' in their email address....someone who says please and thank you....the 5th person to respond....someone in your town, or your grannies, or whatever! If you want to be a bit more scientific about it, think about who can pick it up with the least environmental impact, or look at the person's posting history - there's a search utility on the messages page, though that's not necessarily accurate, as some reply to wanteds off list, and others delete their old posts.
So remember, picking the first person is usually the worst way, be inventive and choose someone for other reasons! And if you don't like our suggestions, have fun inventing your own!
Your $groupname moderators.
[MODERATOR NAMES]
Got questions or need help? e-mail $groupname-owner@yahoogroups.com
Dear Members,
You can offer your goods to whoever you wish. However it is not a good idea to state that it will be on a first to reply basis.
This encourages members to jump in and ask for it immediately; instead of taking time to consider if it will fit in, asking questions which may need answers about size, colour etc. measuring the opening of the car boot to see if they can get it home or arranging with a friend to pick it up.
It will result in no shows and members changing their minds after being offered the item; or once they have had chance to discuss it with their partner.
I can see that some of you will be anxious to get an item removed over the weekend, so by all means state that preference will be given to those who can promise a definite early collection.
Your $groupname moderators.
[MODERATOR NAMES]
Got questions or need help? e-mail $groupname-owner@yahoogroups.com
