Advertising Cars For Sale on GT40s.com

[Frank Catt]

Edwin, not my car and not my sale, I am just putting interested people in touch with the owner to do their own deals. If you send me your E mail address I can send pics, Frank

[Ron Earp]

Frank, this area is for folks that own cars, and support the forum, to put their cars up for sale. Putting cars up for sale is a fairly significant motivator for someone to support GT40s.com. If you remove that motivator by putting others' cars up for sale then there might be a day the forum isn't around at all.

[Frank Catt]

Ron, equally there are a lot of people who do not want to advertise or be directly implicated in the sale of their car, but need a service to show that the car is available. If you set such a system up would help, but that is not available at present. I only put people in contact with each other, no fee, no profit or benefit of any kind, as can be attested by at least 10 sales this year alone, not all through this medium. We do not see your supposed concerns, perhaps you can elaborate ?

[Ron Earp]

Hi Frank,

I think the situation is fairly simple and I’m certain you understand how it works.

A individual wants to sell his or her car. GT40s.com provides a medium where the individual can post as many pictures as s/he likes, write all the text they want, hyperlink it to other websites, and post contact details as well as provide a private messaging system – all for as little as $25. This money is used to maintain the forum.

However, you (or anyone that is a forum supporter) can circumnavigate this system since you are already a forum supporter - you can post a person’s car for sale on GT40s.com without that person being a supporting member. You are, in effect, depriving the forum of an income stream that is used to pay the forum monthly bills, maintain current software, pay for development, pay for upgrades, domain registrations, and other such fees a site like this incurs.

Now, if a person doesn’t wish to put his or her contact details up, well, I can’t control their preferences. GT40s.com doesn’t work in that fashion and they might be better served advertising their car through other outlets. The forum isn’t any different from the GT40 Enthusiasts Club magazine which charges for adverts, or the old GTD Club magazine that did the same.

On a more serious note, you know I don't enjoy writing posts like this on the forum over $25. My goal is to have a level playing field with a stable set of rules that is properly enforced. That is all I’m trying to do here – the $25 isn’t going to make or break GT40s.com. But, it certainly helps keep the forum going and in the black. Maybe there needs to be a "Car For Sale" level of support that allows folks to post in this forum.

Take care,
Ron

[Frank Catt]

Ron, surely the person we want as a supporter to the Forum is the new owner / buyer, not the guy leaving the scene who has no further interest in investing in it. I have always suggested to all new and interested parties that they support the site, but for those leaving its probably too late.

[Mark Pickford]

Not taking sides here chaps, but as a forum supporter looking for the right car, a post like Frank's is extremely helpful to me. I imagine there to be many owners who do not frequent the internet or join forums such as this and many GT40's seem to change hands having never been formerly advertised in any medium, such is the uniqueness of the GT40 scene. So word-of-mouth is very powerful.

Frankly (no pun intended), if I end up with a car as a result of this post or one similar, I would gladly make a contribution to the forum over and above my supporting fee. Many posts appear on this site pointing us in the direction of items for sale by other (perhaps non-forum members). I see that as part of the over-all benefit and a major reason to support the site.

[Ron Earp]

Discussion continued off line.

[Frank Catt]

We will let you know the conclusion !

[Simon]

I know the discussion is continued off line, but I must say I think Frank is right here. If someone is SELLING their GT40, what further use would they have for a years membership.
Although I can also see Ron's point, However, there may be another way....
How about making the "for sale" section open to ALL posters, but witholding the contact details from non supporters?(I'm sure this could be done simply?)
This would ensure that the car for sale gets the widest possible audience, the person moving on to another vehicle doesn't have to pay for a years membership he doesn't need, and the person looking for a car (if not already a forum subscriber) pays for the contact information (and for access to the invaluable resource that is GT40s.com)
Just a thought.

Simon

[Ron Earp]

Originally Posted by simonjrwinter

Although I can also see Ron's point, However, there may be another way....
How about making the "for sale" section open to ALL posters, but witholding the contact details from non supporters?(I'm sure this could be done simply?)

No way to do that. Anyone can put in their post "call me on XXX-TTT-ZZZZ" or "email me at whatsafluzit@yahoo.com". These sentences cannot be automatically censored.

It can be setup so that non-supporters could not view pictures, or, non-supporters could not see the "Cars For Sale" subforum at all. But then that excludes a huge number of potential buyers because most folks on the forum are not supporters.

Let me ask a question - does the GT40 Enthusiast Club charge for an advertisement in their magazine for a car for sale? I wonder if it is a UK/US difference? I've received a couple of PMs about it from US based people that say "of course someone wanting to advertise a car for sale should pay for the privilege". While the UK contingent believes it should be free and count on the new buyer to join the forum and support it.

[Ross Nicol]

I don't think it is different in any part of the world Ron. If you want to sell a motor vehicle here in OZ, the seller pays for an advert placed in any of the magazines. There was one exception called ' The Trading Post' where you paid only if the car sold, but I'm not sure if they still operate that way. Ebay has basically taken over and they definitely charge the seller.
Surely a yearly subscription to the forum is a miniscule amount of money compared to the advantages a seller recieves. Stick with it mate.

Ross

[Gregg]

Frank, the rules are for EVERYBODY. You want to advertise your car here, you pay the minimum amount of $25.00. Frankly with the exchange rate, it is approximately $12.50 US.
Tell the seller to let the moths out of his wallet and pay his fair share or post flyers of his car on local telephone poles if he wants free advertising. The seller is paying to advertise to a target audience and not for a years membership, so to speak. I tried to write as clearly and simply as possible. If you, or the seller do not understand, feel free to send me a private message.

Ron, I feel your pain for the amount of nonsense you need to put up with. I sent you a pm on other matters. Did you get it? Thanks.

[Mark Charlton]

Just to keep the discussion going...

The seller can still remain completely anonymous. All they need to do is provide an (even Frank's if they want) e-mail address to receive all PM messages, right? I get PM notifications to my private e-mail from the forum all the time (OK, not ALL the time, but often enough) and I can respond back through the forum without EVER having my private e-mail address become public, which I like.

It's a great system and worth the small cost asked for the value provided to the seller—with no expiration of the advert.

I applaud Franks efforts for the GT40 community as a whole, but feel that in this type of case the seller should donate.

[Frank Catt]

OK, Interesting discussion this, brings out all sorts of opinions ! I suppose we must ask which side of the fence we want to jump ! Are we greedy to jump on any income possible from any source ? are we best serving the buyer or the seller? are we looking forward to new blood and enthusiasm or getting the most out of a dying corpse? Seems to me we should enthuse the kindergarten and buy flowers to go on the coffin.

[Mark Pickford]

I like the idea that non-subscribers are locked out of the for sale or technical sections. That's how it is on the AMOC forums. If you want access to that info, pay up the miniscule amount for forum membership. This forum is a fantastic source of tech info and the for sale section is incredibly useful.

[Brett James-McCall]

Originally Posted by Ron Earp

Let me ask a question - does the GT40 Enthusiast Club charge for an advertisement in their magazine for a car for sale?

Ron,
When I used to be the Editor it used to be that it was members who advertised, so you already paid for that privilege. There was talk of charging if you were a non-member, but that situation never arose.

My 0.02, the person should be required to pay for the advert in any shape or form. It is what it is advertising. In my opinion, Frank's contribution to the forum is his own personal choice and that choice should not be allowed to be federated to other individuals.

Ultimately if you go to a magazine, eBay, or a shop window you have to pay, so why not a contribution. Surely a $10/£5 would not be asking too much off any indivdual when they sell something that nets them potential over $50K/£25k+?

Just my thoughts

Brett

[Tony Hunt]

Originally Posted by Ron Earp

Let me ask a question - does the GT40 Enthusiast Club charge for an advertisement in their magazine for a car for sale?

Gentlemen,
Let's settle this question once and for all.
The GT40 Enthusiasts Club does not charge its members to advertise in the For Sale & Wants section of the magazine. Only members' advertisements are accepted for this method of advertising.
Members who run businesses discuss their requirements with Paul Brameld, our Display Advertising Manager, and receive preferential rates for their advertisements.
We do not accept advertisements which are not relevant to the aims of the Club.

[Malcolm]

I read that, Tony, that as an EC member, because I paid the club memebrship fee I get to advertise for free. Quid pro quo if a paid up member of the forum wants to sell his car/parts then no further fee is payable, but in both cases you ought to pay up first. I would be willing to join the EC club should I want to sell my car. I actually joined the EC because I wished to go to Le Mans Classic and it was a requirement this year that to get the beneifit of the EC organisation I had to pay up and become a member. Fair value for money and reasoning by EC.

But back to selling cars, should I wish to use a third party to sell my car in the EC mag say my local car trader, he would have to either become at least a member or pay for a proper advert (don't worry about clarifying which as I am not selling my car). But again, to sell someone needs to pay somewhere down the chain. If selling a car, virtually all medium I can think of (magazine, internet etc) require a payment. Somewhere down the line here someone should be contributing to the forum.

Frank doesn't own a 40 as he has stated. But I believe he has paid towards the forum. If Frank has paid a banner advert fee like other companies or suppliers have done, then he should be able to advertise other peoples car without further payment. After a