Q: Do Free Items Count Towards Trader Rating ?

I would hope that they DON"T

Someone gives something free to another member of the RC Community & shouldn't get some props for it? Seems to me it's a matter for the recipient to decide -- can't even imagine why you or anyone else would see it otherwise. Enlighten us!

TRADER-RATING....Why would anyone think that completing a "free" deal is any less tradeworthy than one for money???
You have a person offering something for free-(item) plus postage...A second person responds in agreement...Postage is sent and received,item is shipped and received.....A deal has been completed.....It was either a good deal or not,and ratings should be given either way...

If a free deal goes bad,it's because of the participants,not how much money was exchanged.The same holds true for a satisfactory deal.

I do it,and will continue to do so...

I offered to give a motor to another user on here if he covered shipping. I don't believe it was even in the classifieds section. I didn't expect to receive a rating (didn't even know you could outside of the classifieds) but was pleasantly surprised to receive one. In my opinion, it's a nice gesture, but I wouldn't expect one for free items. Even if there is a fiscal transaction to cover shipping.

I have given away a couple things for free on here and didn't expect to receive a rating, I too was surprised when I got a rating from the person I gave an airframe to. I also gave a rating to a member whom sent me a free radio for my father. I don't see anything wrong with giving and receiving ratings for items given for free as previously stated it is still a transaction as something is exchanged.

I use the Trader Rating to gauge my purchase success.
Sending money is risky these days.
PP is good , but people are scamming them too so the pp fee goes up.

I'm new here (low T.R. and post count) but have been a member for a few years. So someone took a "chance" on me for me to get My 2TR (I think its 2 now)
I've read the in the forum where some people are not as lucky as I have been purchasing items from users with a good trader rating. You would think their true colors would show sooner than later.
I see a good trader rating and think humm must be on the up and up.

To Me on here all I have is My word and My TR it means almost everything.
I'm almost sorry I asked the question but I can see how the numbers may not tell the whole story

You're right the numbers may not tell the whole story because there are some people that don't take the time write feedback positive or negative for transactions that they have done. Also if you don't just look at the numbers but also search for the member name on the person you're dealing with, usually you will find threads about their bad behavior if there is any.

I've had one bad dealing where I ended up just being out the amount to ship the items I was trading another user, but I also did my research on the person and took into account how long he had been a member of the site even though he didn't have a TR. My research didn't raise any red flags that the person would not hold up their end of the deal but it happened and I learned from it and moved on. As it has been said several times in different threads on here the biggest thing is communication when making deals on here.

All you can do is try and protect yourself the best you can when making a deal on here and the main thing is do your research on the member you are dealing with and not just rely solely on the TR. You may end up with a bad deal every now and then, but I think for the most part people on here keep their word and are great to deal with.

Originally Posted by StarHopper44

Someone gives something free to another member of the RC Community & shouldn't get some props for it? Seems to me it's a matter for the recipient to decide -- can't even imagine why you or anyone else would see it otherwise. Enlighten us!

I know I'll get slammed for this , but ok here goes ...

Just because Someone graciously grabs up some free stuff doesn't mean they'll act so kindly with your money in their hands.

I understand it's a transaction, a trade whathaveyou
I've seen a post where the Guy was selling the Free Item next day on E-bay.
It's his to do as He pleases, But He gets +1 Trade Rating for it !

I've seen the good and the bad of it happen in the short time I've been a member
here on R|CGROUPS So far this is by far the best site for Trade I've come across. Although I don't buy alot of stuff. I've asked a few Build questions and always got the answers I needed.

I agree! the Guy who gave a ton of stuff Anxis or anybody for that matter who is of a giving nature , deserves {This is My opinion} A BIG THANK YOU

Originally Posted by Nin3rsAllDay

You're right the numbers may not tell the whole story because there are some people that don't take the time write feedback positive or negative for transactions that they have done. Also if you don't just look at the numbers but also search for the member name on the person you're dealing with, usually you will find threads about their bad behavior if there is any.

I've had one bad dealing where I ended up just being out the amount to ship the items I was trading another user, but I also did my research on the person and took into account how long he had been a member of the site even though he didn't have a TR. My research didn't raise any red flags that the person would not hold up their end of the deal but it happened and I learned from it and moved on. As it has been said several times in different threads on here the biggest thing is communication when making deals on here.

All you can do is try and protect yourself the best you can when making a deal on here and the main thing is do your research on the member you are dealing with and not just rely solely on the TR. You may end up with a bad deal every now and then, but I think for the most part people on here keep their word and are great to deal with.

Have been following this Mantra like "The Good Book" of RCGroups

Thanks to People like You I've been very lucky Most times Its to late when others read that for the first time.

Originally Posted by rockhound1218

I know I'll get slammed for this , but ok here goes ...

Just because Someone graciously grabs up some free stuff doesn't mean they'll act so kindly with your money in their hands.

I understand it's a transaction, a trade whathaveyou
I've seen a post where the Guy was selling the Free Item next day on E-bay.
It's his to do as He pleases, But He gets +1 Trade Rating for it !

I've seen the good and the bad of it happen in the short time I've been a member
here on R|CGROUPS So far this is by far the best site for Trade I've come across. Although I don't buy alot of stuff. I've asked a few Build questions and always got the answers I needed.

I agree! the Guy who gave a ton of stuff Anxis or anybody for that matter who is of a giving nature , deserves {This is My opinion} A BIG THANK YOU

First I'm not going to bash you for this post because there are people on here as with any sight that want to buy something cheap or get it free if they can and then flip it for a quick profit. That's why when I give something away I do a little research on the people that want the item so that I can try and give it to the person that could use it the most and that is not always going to happen. Once the item leaves my possession my only concern is that it makes it to the recipient what they do with it is their business and I don't worry about it.

I think there may be some confusion when it comes to the rating when it comes to free items and I think ultimately we are all on the same page and just don't realize it. My view on ratings for free items is for example since I received a radio for free for my father from anixs I gave him a positive rating. Now on the flip side of that, I don't deserve a rating from him nor do I expect one because all I did was receive the item. When I give something away for free it is up to the recipient if they want to leave me a rating, if they don't I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it and if they do great, I also will most likely not be giving a rating to the members that receive something from me for free.

I think I get what the OP is concerned about... its got nothing to do with not giving great people props... its all to do with the classic eBay scam. eBay buyers depend a LOT on the seller ratings, and there were tons of nefarious sellers (early on) who sold thousands of cheap things at or below cost and built up a great "reputation' and then turned around and rode that reputation while they "sold" thousands of expensive things with no intention of shipping. I was so close to getting caught in one myself. The guy had a ranking of some 10000+ so I really had no reason to think anything was up... but the price just seemed too good to be true. So I bothered to click on his ranking and saw he had several hundred negatives in the past couple weeks. (things are different since they started showing ranking percentages instead of just a balance).

Anyway, I think it is so much less of a scale here that its not the same problem, but I still understand the concern.

Originally Posted by Nin3rsAllDay

First I'm not going to bash you for this post because there are people on here as with any sight that want to buy something cheap or get it free if they can and then flip it for a quick profit. That's why when I give something away I do a little research on the people that want the item so that I can try and give it to the person that could use it the most and that is not always going to happen. Once the item leaves my possession my only concern is that it makes it to the recipient what they do with it is their business and I don't worry about it.

I think there may be some confusion when it comes to the rating when it comes to free items and I think ultimately we are all on the same page and just don't realize it. My view on ratings for free items is for example since I received a radio for free for my father from anixs I gave him a positive rating. Now on the flip side of that, I don't deserve a rating from him nor do I expect one because all I did was receive the item. When I give something away for free it is up to the recipient if they want to leave me a rating, if they don't I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it and if they do great, I also will most likely not be giving a rating to the members that receive something from me for free.

OK So the answer to my question is ..... It's up to the parties involved in the Trade to decide if Ratings are involved.

I've never tried to post up for Free Stuff.
I'm happy to pay for the items I do need and enjoy searching the forum everyday for the right piece.
Like My NIB OS26FS what a Jewl
Thanks RC Groups !

S_MACK you hit the nail on the head

Nowadays every one has 2 or 3 email addys, accounts ect. So I can claim my own free stuff and Jack My own Rating ugh.....

ip addresses are cross checked for prior accounts, a dozen a week get booted for coming back with socks. do some slip by, sure, but eventually they will be found. You can always check on their feedback too to see what it was they bought.

Originally Posted by porcia83

ip addresses are cross checked for prior accounts, a dozen a week get booted for coming back with socks. do some slip by, sure, but eventually they will be found. You can always check on their feedback too to see what it was they bought.

Pretty soon they'll be ""spoofing" IP addys

I'm glad they boot the dupes Good Goin RCG

As I say I've been lucky and have always ended up buying from upstanding, knowledgeable sellers that go easy on me cause I'm a noob.

Saving $ now for a 70FS for a Winter J3 Cub Build. Hope to Fly this Spring after a 40 year break.