Advice needed - I don't like that!

Didn't that used to be the practice when offers were closed due to seller misconduct? I seem to remember seeing some WSO's with red comments by mods a while back.

I see they offered: "By the way, if you buy this today and for any reason in the next 90 days, you decide you don't need it, just let me know, and I'll refund your purchase price. In fact, just ask me, and I'll double your money back] - no questions asked."

Powered by Warriorplus.

Maybe they're waiting for 1 more sale to pay you back the promised "double".
Then on second thought, they may need two!

Shocking is right.

This is my take on the WSO section. It represents a significant cash cow for Freelancer, where the aim of the game appears to be accepting the majority of submissions, encouraging ongoing payments, and therefore capitalizing on the current level of demand for the service.

But here's the thing. The above model hinges on the "current level of demand for the service." If the service is allowed to be misused and diluted with poor quality, demand will then decline and as it does so, not only will purchases decline, but the price consumers are willing to pay (invisible hand) will similarly decline. Basic economics.

A clean-up and ongoing and concerted efforts to enhance demand, from both buyers and vendors, should be firmly on the agenda. And I speak from both sides of the coin. Speaking as a buyer of information, though, if the WSO section became a destination of exemplary products, I'd be a regular buyer. Daily, if need be. I won't bore anyone with the obvious and likely outcome of such measures. Suffice it to say, they'd be the opposite of my third paragraph.

- Tom

Bold is really insufficient. Key point.

Before I step quickly on and off my soapbox, I should say that, and given my post count it likely goes without saying, that I'm a fan of WF. As a serious internet marketer, it's hard not to be. We have here a place that offers so many appealing functions: a water-cooler around which we can get our IM geek on, a resource that can teach even the most ardent and long-time students, and a platform to educate the new blood and in so doing earn something for our time other than warm and fuzzy feelings associated with altruism - brand building for ourselves and our products and services. WF? Good, in my book. Perfect? Is anything? Someone could look at the criticism heaved on WF in this thread and overlook the real reason behind it. If we didn't care about WF, we simply wouldn't give a rat's behind enough to criticize..

Soap box time. Point in bold? At a guess, I would say the problem Kay highlights is likely very far reaching, and has been for some time. Where money can be made, vast amounts we're talking, systems will be gamed. And gamed to death. Often quite literally to death. But talking about how to patch the holes is dangerous territory, since what you end up doing is not patching the holes, but instead giving others insight into them and giving the clever "others" insight into how they must now up their game. I'm sure WF could give a rat's behind what I think, and I wouldn't blame them - one member of one forum that I am. But. If I was fortunate enough to own such a valuable resource, I would jump on the problem - and with as much weight as my skinny rat's behind could muster.

- Tom

I checked further - this isn't a one time mistake - it's the way this person has been operating here.

Another WSO from 10 months ago (still getting posts now) is identical to a WSO from 2011. I reported it to mods - either it will be cleaned up or it won't.

What surprised me was that though the one WSO featured by the thread was removed - apparently other offers by the same person were not examined.

We have some good WSO sellers - and we have so many new members trying to find help and instruction to get started in IM. These bad, scammy sellers hurt everyone.