As I post this, I must admit I have no idea what my current standing is. I just haven't bothered to look at my current level in quite some time. I believe I am likely unaffected by the changes though (I'll obviously know once I post and see my title again).
But, either way, I don't see these new rules as being too terrible. I do remember coming in here the first time, and being a bit put off by the 100 post requirement. But, that really is only a major issue if the marketplace is where you find the primary value of the site to be.
It can be inconvenient though if you are a new Mac user and desire to find some good deals without resorting to e-bay. I know Craigslist in my area is a joke when it comes to Mac stuff. The old G3 stuff is selling for the price of the newer Intel stuff. So, not many deals in my area on Craigslist.
But, from a more objective view point, these rules do make sense.
For those that don't think the buyer is likely to scam you, I can provide a good example.
I've sold a number of Mac items here and in other forums. And, in Mac Rumors, I've had a number of underage individuals contact me to purchase stuff.
Now, you might wonder why I would care about the age of a potential buyer. Sure, their money is just as good as anyone else's. And, frequently, they have more at their disposal than someone supporting a family.
But, there is a little law in the United States that voids all contracts with a minor (anyone under the age of 18). So, if you sell to someone who is less than 18 years of age, they can (and often do) flake out. And, you end up with nothing.
Sure, you can demand payment up front. But, again, there is no legal contract with a minor. So, the seller assumes all liability in the transaction. So, even after the sale, the minor child or their parent can void the transaction and in many cases even keep the item in question (since you are the one who entered an illegal contract with a person who is not legally bound to any contract).
For example, even in a local sale, this could bite you. You sell a car to a 17-year old kid. He's able to put the car in his name, he has the money, and he drives off.
He wraps the car around a telephone pole down the street, and doesn't want the car anymore. You illegally entered into a contract with a buyer who could not enter a contract. You are in the wrong, and he gets his money back.
Sure it's wrong. But, that's the way it often goes down. No private party contract with a minor is enforceable. Sure, a minor is bound by laws. But, private contracts between an adult and a minor child are automatically void (particularly in sales).
The intention of the law, is to prevent unscrupulous sellers from taking advantage of naive children and getting away with their money.
But, unfortunately, since the law automatically sides with the minor child, the seller is in a very bad spot in a legitimate sale. Therefore, I automatically avoid sales with minor children if I know it is a minor. I will complete the transaction with their parents if I can verify that I am dealing with an adult.
Often, the age is not revealed, and many children sound more mature than many adults. So, it is often only by glancing through some threads with that user in them that I can determine whether it appears to be an adult. And, further, whether that adult seems likely to complete the transaction honestly.
In the case of a minor, it doesn't matter how they pay, they can get their money back.
In the case of a dishonest adult, they can file a claim and have paypal or their credit card refund the money from you. PayPal is pretty liberal in doing so.
And, in the case of money orders, they can be faked (and recently many are). I've been approached by many buyers lately that I've discovered by searching to have a history of scamming sellers out of things.
So, no matter how they pay, the money can be lost. PayPal will take it back quickly. A credit card will take it back even faster. A money order can be counterfeit (and often is). So, no matter what you do, a dishonest buyer can get your item and still cause you to be out the money.
Therefore, you really do want the ability to somehow judge a person's characteristics and history. If you find that your buyer has recently been complaining about another seller, then you may want to avoid them (I've seen a few here that have posted sad stories about the seller screwing them, and then had the details prove it to be the other way around and the seller was out everything).
6 months should give a seller a good sample of a person's behavior here. And, if the seller is wise (and uses the forum search feature), he will use that history to determine the viability of a buyer before entering into a sale with them.
I've had so many buyers flake out and cost me a sale that I won't even enter into a transaction if they seem the slightest bit questionable. If there is the slightest thing odd, I'll even take a lower offer from another buyer before considering them.
I think the new rules are probably about as fair as could be. The only thing I would prefer to have added would be a way to confirm a buyers age (as in over 18 or under 18). But, that would be hard to enforce without some kind of adult check system in the membership setup.
Edit: I see now that I am a 6502a. So, I guess I'm safe anyway (I don't post but every once in a while when something interesting catches my eye).
