Well it's been a project in the making for a while now, but we've got a new marketplace up and running that will hopefully address many of the technical and user interface issues that have been experienced with the current marketplace.

The Photopost marketplace we will be transitioning from is here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/marketplace/

The NEW Marketplace can be found here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rketplace-386/


Some of the key features are:

• Interface that more closely mirrors posting
• Easy to find edit button that has a familiar process
• Larger attachment limits (photos are still limited to 2mb)
• No expiration of ads
• Ability to search for items by R##, region and price
• A key information section at the top of each ad

The Photopost system that folks are familiar with will remain as is for the time being, until we make sure everything is running smoothly, once we have assured that the Photopost system will no longer accept new ads (and this post will be edited to reflect such process) at that time, then ads will remain in the Photopost system until they expire automatically.

While the Main Menu has been updated there is still a link under the logo entitled "Market" that's on every page if you want to check the Photopost system for something, while the new marketplace fills up with ads.

If you have an ad in the Photopost system right now, I strongly encourage you to dual list it and provide some feed back about the new system in this thread.

If you had a thread running in the forum based marketplace that has been up the last few weeks to help those with technical issues, it has already been moved over to the new marketplace, but you may want to check on it and add some additional information now that those extra search features are enabled.

This update is just one step in the process of making the site as user friendly and as valuable a resource as possible to as many members as possible.

 

Just my opinion but the photpost rocks and the new marketplace sucks...
As I said just my opinion....

 

I concur with this, If its not broken don't _uck with it. Its now harder to find parts for specific models.

 

That's well and good. Can you be more descriptive besides "rocks" and "sucks"? We are always trying to maximize the experience for everyone and productive feedback is helpful.

 

Okay, more descriptive...I can't find anything that I"m looking for. Before on the old system it took me all of two clicks (marketplace, 1st gen parts) and I could quickly see what had been added. I can't do that anymore. If I have to spend time searching then I'm wasting my time. If a market place is difficult to use items will not sell and or be seen by potential customers.


Oh wait, now I get it, i can search for Mazda, VW, Ford, etc parts on this page now. That's ....helpful, but I'm sure it generated some income.

 

Preferred the old version...

 

ya I don't think I will use the marketplace anymore :(

 

I love the new version!

 

+1 to both of the above

 

For what it is worth I am not a fan of the new marketplace. I feel as though the previous setup was more user friendly. In addition if I am on a MINI site, why am I searching through other car makes and models. The other changes made to NAM are all absolutely fantastic. Again, just my opinion.

 

Personally I prefer it without the sub categories - it is much nicer just to browse what is out there instead of having to click into each sub category. If there were 50 posts a day, sub categories are OK - but there aren't enough listings to call for that in my opinion.

 

Don't like it, can no longer see gen 1 specific parts with out doing a lot of searching, and I am on a MINI site, dont want to see other makes, models and their parts.
Wont be using it anymore, sorry.

 

ya and now ebay crap too??????????

 

Not being able to isolate 1st generation items (at least that I could figure out) is a serious flaw.

 

This is part of the reason we have both running concurrently to sort out issues like this, that's something that almost as soon as it had multiple generations was spotted, the software is setup to do it it's just not working and the tech team started working to resolve that earlier this afternoon.
Also once that is resolved, there are plans to put links at the top of each Model's discussion forum so that you can easily access the marketplace for all parts corresponding to that R## MINI, so browsing the marketplace while separate, will also be an easy one click from the discussion forum.

The make and model for other brands are there, because over the years many people have come to NAM and listed their non-MINI car, so that they could make the move to a MINI. We also frequently have MINIs going up for sale by people looking to make the move to different cars, this bit of reciprocity and exchange can help users on both sides of the coin.

It is my understanding that the ebay links, over time will develop to be more MINI centric as things get listed, but I will look into options and inquire about the system there to see if that process and be expedited or the volume of ebay listings adjusted to a more appropriate balance to keep things more pertinent.

I understand that this is a transition phase, and much like when we switched to photopost, there is going to be an adjustment period; the more specific comments we get during the adjustment period the more we can work to refine the new system to meet the needs of NAM users.

And a response in site feedback from not too long ago about the photopost system not being broken so don't touch it, still holds true even to today before the new system launched:
As an example of the above, when we had issues with the photopost system, it was contact the company, and hope it was a fix in the next update months out, now when we an issue like the search function not working as anticipated, the turn around time can be in a matter of hours to day.

 

New marketplace SUCKS!!!

Parts are not categorized by generation. No photos to easily see what is being sold.

It was MUCH better before.....

 

If it ain't broke don't fix it.-----Now you broke it so you better fix it!!!!!

 

Search for "flywheel"....There are no posts in this forum
Search for "schroth".....There are no posts in this forum
search for "seats"...there are no posts in this forum
How do you do a global search, then, if you just don't type the keyword and go??

 

A suggestion: Have the keywords search the model type. I put in 'R53', and got nothing but unrelated ebay listings (in spite of their being parts on the first page referencing R53.) Not valuable.
Having it sort by model would be better than by interior, exterior, etc. It doesn't matter which it is if I have an R53 and the item is for an R56, etc.

 

I had the old version bookmarked so I've just been going to that. But I just went to the new version - all I can say is that its f*cking *****.

 

NAM Moderators / Administrators, if you're planning on doing a "sub-forum" based marketplace, make sure to include:
* generation breakdown of categories (1st-Gen, 2nd-Gen, etc)
* then consider complete cars and parts as two separate entities within the generations.
* then make sure its SEARCHABLE, both in title of posts and keyword throughout description.

The system will work as such if you employ some new rules on how to post like providing quick descriptive titles.
If you haven't already looked at the Vortex Media Group tiered system, I encourage you to model it after such:
* http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisp...en-Classifieds

Otherwise, in it's current forum, the "NEW" 2012 marketplace is right now unusable to many and will loose usage from members VERY quickly.
Also if possible, ditch the eBay ads; there's enough advertising blinking in users faces...

- Erik

 

So far I am not a fan. While the other system wasn't perfect, for example my ad would expire as "SOLD" when it wasn't.

My complaint here is that I have a car that I am trying to sell on the old marketplace, and I don't receive any heads up that the system was changing? I am on this site daily. I may not read every post, but I would think that NAM could send me a PM that I need to re-list my item.

Like others have stated, what I liked before were the categories and generations. I may not being looking for a specific part, but if there is an ad for something that I don't have I just may buy it. So what I am saying is I don't intend to search for "JCW shift ****" but I will browse by date for "gen 2/ parts/by date posted".

Does that help?

 

Virtually everyone on NAM was very happy with the old marketplace.
It was easy to get around in. It was easy to see the new listings with the
photo post feature. It was even easier to list items for sale.

WHY ON EARTH ........CHANGE IT.....??????

It worked well as far as I could tell. I never had a problem with it and I look at it daily.....
This reminds me of politics....lets really F__K things up and confuse the public...
As a user said....If it ain't broke and 95% of the users like....
Why Change It.......
Again........Just My opinion.......
And BTW I am usually not very opinionated...But this just really pisses me off.

 

I'm trying to keep an open mind about this new Marketplace. So I'll play Devil's Advocate, and switch perspective. I'm simply not smart enough to have been able to figure out your new Marketplace right off the bat. I like to consider myself fairly adept and intelligent, so I expect I'm not alone. I will continue to use and try and figure out this new Marketplace. However it's not intuitive or as easy (for me) to use as the prior version. Yes the search is more granular and powerful. However, anytime I ever bought anything on the Marketplace that I thought was a decent price, I had to grab it hours after being posted. Once it's up long enough for a search to be useful, it's either gone, or overpriced. That's why I like to view the category that's pertinent to me, and check it a couple of times per day. The way it is now, I won't have time to do that. Unless something clicks, and I magically figure it out.

By the way, I am not one of those who thinks the old marketplace was perfect. I prefer the simple thread format. Oh, and it's a real pain to give feedback, but I do anyway. No one has ever given me feedback as a buyer, and I don't blame them.

EDIT: I realized what I was doing wrong. I didn't click on the "show all search options" dropdown. Now the search is actually useful. But I still much preferred the prior marketplace for reasons stated above.

 

Thanks for the tip about the 'show all search options', Blackbomber.
Unfortunately, it still didn't work for me. I selected R53, and in the results was a FMIC for r56-59.
I'm a browsing buyer. I certainly don't expect to come to the marketplace and search for a particular item and find it there. My experience is the same as yours - the good stuff goes quickly. Then again, with this format, maybe it will last longer.

Edit: FWIW, I'll repeat that the model is the most important criteria. The coolest R56 part is irrelevant if I have an R53. Why hide the model in 'show all search options' while showing location and item condition?? The latter two are irrelevant to me.