Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – updated Jan.
10, 2008
How do I place a free advert?
Click
on "Post / Update ads" from the menu (at the top left of any page). Then sign-in using your user name and
password, then click on "Place advert" from the menu (at the top left
of the page). If it is your first time using AstroBuySell you will first have
to register. Follow the “register”
link provided on that same page.
Is placing adverts really free?
Yes. All private, not-for-profit ads
can be placed free of charge. See below
for more information on appropriate free advertising.
NOTE: Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers,
or service providers (whether full-time, part-time, or spare-time) cannot advertise for
free.
How do I look at the adverts?
From the menu (at the top
of any page) click on "Browse adverts". On that page, you will have
several choices. The most used choice is the "Show All ### adverts
(starting with most recent)".
Click here for step-by-step instructions. This option will show you all adverts
from most recent to oldest. Otherwise you can specify exactly what you want to
see by selecting from the menus on that page. For example, if you want to see
all refracting telescopes for sale that are still "active" in
How do I see the details for each advert?
When browsing the
adverts, you will only be shown the "preview" for each advert. To read
the full details of an advert, click on "For Sale" or "Wanted"
or "For Trade" in the second column.
Can I delete my ad after I sell/find my
item?
No. You can mark your advert
"sold" or "found" or “cancelled”, then archive your advert.
When you archive your advert,
your contact information is no longer shown! The reason we do not allow adverts
to be deleted is because the accumulation of adverts creates an excellent
reference database for used astronomical goods. By browsing old adverts, one
can see the availability and pricing of used equipment.
How do I delete my registration record?
Log
in by clicking on
"Post / Update ads" from the menu (at the top left of any page). Then
click on "Edit your account info", then
click on "Click here to delete your
registration record". Careful - once you click there, your
registration is permanently deleted. NOTE:
you should probably archive any current
adverts before deleting your
registration. If you don’t archive
current adverts, your contact info
will still show in the current
adverts, even though you have deleted your registration record.
What are the guidelines for free ads?
Free advertising is typically for items that meet this criteria:
- Single items (not a quantity of the same item)
- Usually the items are used
- The seller does not profit from the sale of the items
- Must be related to the hobby of astronomy
What do you consider inappropriate free
advertising?
- Multiple quantities of the same item
- Any kind of service
- Repeatedly placing ads with the intent of making a profit
- Repeatedly selling “brand new, never used” items
- Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, or service provider (whether full-time,
part-time, or spare-time) cannot advertise for free
- Items on consignment with a dealer or retailer
What are some examples of
inappropriate free advertising?
- Buying quantities of equipment at a close-out sale and re-selling it on
AstroBuySell at a profit
- Buying items on eBay and re-selling them on AstroBuySell at a higher price
- Offering to modify DSLR cameras or web cams for a fee because you are an
electronics expert
- Building items in your garage workshop and selling them on AstroBuySell
- Your telescope is for sale on consignment at a dealer and your ad refers
people to the dealer.
Why are you so strict about free advertising?
Because there are legitimate businesses tying to make a
living by selling astronomy equipment. These businesses have large
overheads (rent, salaries, taxes, advertising, etc) to pay and do not deserve
to be undercut by spare-time “dealers” who don’t have any of
these expenses. Please support our
astronomy retailers and dealers… without them we’d have nowhere to
buy our equipment.
Yes, but first you must
become a sponsor. Note that there is a small charge
for placing commercial classified ads.
How does my business become a sponsor?
If you are interested in commercial advertising, please
contact elsie <at> astrobuysell <dot> com for details and include the name of your
business, your business' web page address, and specify whether you are a
manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or service provider. Advertising
entails purchasing a banner space (large banner on the
main page, small banner on subsequent pages). After purchasing the banner space
you can place up to 5 commercial classified ads per 30-day period. There is
no option to purchase only classified ads (i.e. banner space must be purchased
first).
What are "featured ads"?
These are pay ads. The advantage of
"featured ads" is that they are featured on the front page of
AstroBuySell. Featured ads also appear on top of the listing and never
"sink to the bottom", thus they are much more prominent and cannot be
missed by prospective buyers! See the link on the main page for complete
details. Featured ads are not available to commercial advertisers.