Top Tradeloop Blog Discussions - Have You Shared Your Opinion?

Two Tradeloop blog posts this months generated a flurry of comment and discussion. Both were Member Discussion posts about inventory: the pros and cons of posting prices and the issue of "ghosting" inventory (posting items you don't actually have).

Here are some excerpts from the discussions:

Why don't members post prices?

• "We normally do not post prices because our prices will change often.
  [...]
  if someone wants only a few it costs us a lot more per unit to cover the cost to process that with internal labor, packing, and admin work, however 1,000 units and that cost goes way down.
  
  We also have product all over the country so depending on where the customer is could have some bearing on the price as well."
  

• "I have seen too many clients and vendors lately duped by brokers without capital or credit. Pricing and availability is so visible, they can make it appear they have it all!"
  
  
• "Also, it would help if people post their target prices on WTBs, but this should be voluntary."

How should we handle members who post inventory they don't have?

• "You're going to lose at least 25% of your members if you start doing anything like you are talking about. A broker usually is selling someone else's product or inventory and dealers do the same."
  
  
• "I’m for a '3 strikes you're out' style of enforcement for something like this."
  
  
• "Not every company has 'real-time' inventory so you will be losing a lot of business. We have an inventory of over 1000 line items and it changes by the minute."
  
  
• "Create a tab for positive of negative marks ala ebay."
  
  
• "There is a distinct line between advertising a 'list' for sale, or gathering 'bids.'
  
  
• "...it will be difficult to enforce these situations, or even to have the capability and resources to investigate and identify the malicious situation."
  
  
• "I would like to see Tradeloop investigate this issue further and implement some type of falsifying infraction. Help keep the businesses who mean business alive and quell the abilities of no name startup broker-only companies from gulping up so many of our valuable consumers."

The "ghosting" inventory post seems to be a hot button issue with many Tradeloop members. Please share your opinion on both issues with us and other Tradeloop members.

Why don't members post prices?
How should we handle members who post inventory they don't have?