How do you manage your marketplace section?

Popular forms are incorporating marketplace sections in their forums allowing members to barter, buy or sell their items online. With this concept in mind, I've come up with the following questions:

How much would you charge per transaction for your marketplace section?

Would you provide an escrow service or would you provide the disclaimer stating all transactions are final unless a dispute was filed with paypal? ( if that was the chosen method of payment)

I've considered if there were a marketplace option with a variable amount of digital items, another revenue option would become presented ( much like the business model of Fiverr just less taxing). But would you have a moderator approve each marketplace thread to ensure the seller isn't presenting spam or would you let the marketplace run itself?

 

Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware. It's on the buyer to utilize whatever fraud protection exists with their PayPal, bank, or credit card. You're simply facilitating a service.

 

Very true.

Have you ever considered the alternative of going a bit beyond just becoming the facilitator in the long run? Perhaps creating a similar option that merges the operation provided by Digital Point Forum in their marketplace and Constant - Content? I understand when a web developer joins any forum they are looking for ways to boost their chances of generating revenue minus the rigors of having to hire a freelance staff through sites like Freelancer.com. With this in mind, I know quite a few of the individuals would love the option to purchase prewritten content as long as it's been run through copyscape. Do you think it would be wise to develop an alternative that allows my site to take the content, review it ( placing it through copyscape), then list the item for purchase with the payment being sent to the seller after the service charge was received ( about $1 like Fiverr). This would make it a bit easier for the webmasters, designers with no time to find freelancers, or aspiring marketers to select the content they would like without having to worry about the items not being run through copyscape to prevent fraudulence. Or am I getting a little too involved for just a forum and maybe that's a bigger idea that would be a great option down the line?

 

My legal advice is to involve yourself in the actual transactions as little as possible.
You want Zero Liability if a member does not receive the goods or services for which she or he paid.
False or misleading, not as advertised, deceptive trade practices, not received, etc. are not issues with which you want to have to deal.
If you really want to have some kind of protection for your buyers suggest they go through SquareTrade or something similar.

 

Simple, I don't have a marketplace section. Too much hassle for limited payoff in the niche I'm in.

 

Why charging? I just let members sell or buy what ever they want as long it still in my niche. I even accept EBay links.

The day the buy and sell threads will cause me problem, I'll close it.

 

I do have a marketplace forum but there's no activity in it at the moment. It's not really meant to be an important addition to the forum, and only my subscribers are able to list items they want to buy/sell.

 

I provide a policy explaining that transactions are between members and not the forum, the marketplace is to be used "as is" and at their own risk. I do put security/safety suggestions though like not sharing your C.C. information and using a secure payment system such as PayPal.