Hey everyone,
As our Marketplace grows, we always look for ways to improve everyone's experience. Lately, we've been thinking about how best to handle very old/archived sales threads from months or even years ago—specifically, the contact/ Call To Action (CTA) bit of the opening posts of archived Sales Threads.
This has been suggested before, and we listen to those suggestions and review what the impact may be of any changes.
Important: Before voting, please consider the problem we're trying to solve from every perspective—a seller's, a buyer's, and the community/visitors' perspectives. Put yourself in their shoes and decide what's best for the Marketplace, the community, and non-members, i.e., those who don't have an account yet but buy services from the marketplace.
The problem
We've noticed that old Sales Threads can sometimes be confusing or contain outdated/incorrect contact info. They also detail services that may be defunct or no longer working, which is unfair for those who actively maintain their service to keep their business and visibility going.
We have had the removal of contact details from expired/archived sales threads on our agenda for a while, and it
has been suggested more than once. This includes any sort of Call To Action—website, telegram, teams, email, phone numbers, etc.
The goal
We aim to make the Marketplace safer, more transparent, and fairer for everyone by clearing up archived Sales Threads. To do that, we’ve come up with a few ideas, and we’d love your feedback before we move forward.
Note: We also have a plan for Calls To Action in bump posts, but we won't touch upon that here. Just keep in mind that we already have a plan for that.
The options we're considering
Option 1: Replace Old Sales threads Opening Posts' content
We would edit the first (opening) post of very old or expired sales threads. This means swapping the entire content of the opening post with a notice saying the sales thread is archived, and adding a link to the destination forum where the sales thread is located so that viewers can find similar
active services.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|
| Keeps the valuable discussion and history in the thread | The follow-up posts would still contain CTAs (i.e., contact details and website details). |
| Removes the risk of members/viewers contacting an inactive or unrelated seller | Members who don't read the first post, explaining the thread closure, may still contact the seller to receive an outdated service or one that isn't available from that seller anymore. |
| It also helps redirect everyone to our active and approved services and sellers who support the community. | |
| Preserving the integrity and value of paid memberships | |
| Improves the integrity of the Marketplace and the forum in general | |
Option 2: Delete all archived threads, including content & posts
The URL of the archived sales thread would still remain accessible (so, it won't be a 404 page), only the content would be replaced. We'd replace the opening post with the current stickies from the same destination forum (Note: this post would always be up-to-date with the current stickies). This way, the active sellers would get even more exposure for their services.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|
| Ensures only current services and sellers receive visibility. | Losing the history of the sales thread entirely (opening post + conversation posts, reviews, etc.) |
| No contact details/CTA for potential confusion. | SEO Impact [deleting thousands of pages - something we'd look into] |
| No free advertising for members with old/defunct services. | If there's a dispute case against a seller, you cannot find contact details without contacting our Support. |
| Significant boost for stickies in all sections in the Marketplace. | |
NOTE: We'll maintain this going forward whether we choose option 1 or option 2.
Poll time - We Want to Hear From You!
Please take a moment to vote in our poll. It's a quick way to let us know your general preference.
If you choose "Other", do leave a comment with your thoughts. We'd really appreciate it.
The poll is just the start. What do you think of these options? Do you see any benefits or downsides we might have missed? Do you have a completely different idea that could work even better?
Your experience as a buyer, a seller, and simply a community member matters most here
We'll leave this thread open for feedback for the next 14 days from the date of the initial post.
The thread would remain reopened to collect more feedback from sellers and community members.
Thanks for helping us make this community better and safer for everyone. We're looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
