Audiogon Classifieds will have a new feature

Hopefully this system will be optional for participation. While it does allow for an email trail (and likely it is being implemented to assist in dispute resolution maybe?), it also adds a lot of complexity and unneeded overhead. What other things does it add that extend the useful buying/selling experience? I can't really think of any offhand. Many transactions dont' need this complexity - one round of email (or maybe two or three at most, for some people) should cover most things. How will the system handle offers via this system and normal offers via email? Seems there could easily be overlap.

A feature that I personally would find MUCH more useful, would be transaction-based feedback, so that feedback could be connected to a particular item listing.

-Ed

Transaction based feedback can and certainly should exist separate from the offer system. Given that it will be impossible to require people to use the offer system (esp. for say, fixed-price items not open to negotiation for example), and that many folks will not want to use it for reasons mentioned above, I'd say start work on the transaction-related feedback system now. As mentioned above also, since the system is legally not enforcable via contract law, and also that is has no 'teeth' (e.g. if someone backs out, what happens? negative feedback? not much of a dis-incentive to someone who might not have any feedback anyway.) it seems a bit of a moot point. It might have been more useful to open up this discussion before building out the whole system and writing all the code...

The one thing I could see being useful would be say if for the first year or so of its' existence, that all ads placed through the offer system were free. Otherwise, what's the incentive for using a system that takes more time and hassle?

Just how I see it,
-Ed Sawyer