Forum policy.
Chip,
Let me clarify so there are no ambiguities.
Let's say I see an ad for a GT on a car dealer's website or eBay that I am interested in purchasing. may i post a link to that ad asking forum members to tell me what they might know about that particular car?
Or would it be more appropriate to post the VIN number only and ask if any forum members might know about the vehicle?
Or are neither allowed on the bulletin board?
In other words, i would not be trying to advertise for the seller -- i would be using the link to the ad to see if any forum member had knowledge about the car being sold so i could know some background on the car before i sought to buy it.
Does this help clarify what i had in mind? If so, let me know if this is appropriate.
Tmctguer,
I did not write the Forum policy regarding these matters, but I find the policy to be sound and it has worked well for our membership.
What you are asking to do does violate Forum policy for the following reasons. Subscribing Members and Supporting Vendors have paid for the privilege of being able to advertise on this site. Many times in the past under the guise of "research", links have been posted to Auto Trader and eBay ads. They have all been deleted. On a weekly basis I also delete advertisements and promotional posts submitted by non-subscribing members.
Some of these posts are legitimately seeking information. But a large percentage of them are also seeking a backdoor way to advertise a vehicle on the Forum.
I cannot divine intent, so posting links to advertisements unless that link is posted by subscribing member for his personal car is not allowed for any reason.
The Ford GT ownership fraternity is quite small and huge percentage of that group are members here. If a member had a car advertised, and a spectator posted a link wanting to know how that car was driven, was it wrecked, has it had mechanical problems? Would you like our membership to post up and say, "Yeah, Chip Beck drove like a maniac and wrecked that car twice, he's had two engines in the thing and I think the transmission is questionable."
Such posts would be destructive to the good fellowship that is the norm here. If you want to know everything there is to know about a car that you are looking at, you need to get a prepurchase inspection by a qualified GT technician. Everything else is merely hearsay. And just because a GT Forum member had not heard about a particular car being wrecked, doesn't mean that it hasn't been wrecked. Even if such posts were allowed, garnering information by asking for it on an Internet forum would be hit or miss and most incomplete. I would never consider buying a car as expensive as a Ford GT by "asking around" about it. When somebody like Rich Brooks (GT Guys) gives you an opinion after inspecting the car, you can take his opinion to the bank.
Only an owner can disclose information or photographs on this Forum about damage to his own car. Only a subscribing member or supporting vendor can post links to an advertisement for products they are selling.
That's not what you want to hear but those of the Forum rules and until DBK changes them, they will be enforced.
Chip Beck
Moderator
