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View Full Version : Introducing Panjo, a new Classifieds section



dannzeman
November 11th, 2014, 03:51 PM
UPDATE 1/6/2015: I've uninstalled the Panjo plugin and will return to the original style of listing classifieds.

Hey folks, I'm really excite to introduce a new classifieds plugin called Panjo.

I think we can agree that most classified sections are somewhat lacking and while I have yet to discover selling (or buying) nirvana, I think Panjo improves on the standard forum post.

Here's a few items that I think is an improvement over creating a typical classified listing:

* a photo-based gallery of listings
* email reminders
* buyer protection
* payment integration
* increased item visibility
* sort, search, and filer tools
* sold item records
* drag-and-drop image uploads
* enhanced security
* price negotiation and checkout tools

The best part, to me, is the Paypal integration and the ease in which I can buy something. Just click the "Buy" button, check out securely through Paypal, and it's done.

The other main reason we've installed Panjo is to help pay for some of the operating costs of FPGeeks.

There's no listing fee, but there is a 2.5% transaction fee when the item sells. For users who have donated to the forum we are removing the transaction fee so it will cost you nothing to use it. This will be retroactive, so if you've ever donated, even as little as $1, you won't have to pay any fees for selling items.

The new Panjo Classifieds can be accessed through the "Classifieds (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/classifieds.php)" menu link at the top of the forum and the Classifieds forum will remain as is. Panjo automatically creates a new thread in the Classifieds forum so it can still be used on mobile devices.

Speaking of mobile devices, there's also a Panjo app for iPhone (sorry Android users) that lets you list items directly from your phone.

I want to give a huge THANKS! to Tim Hoffman who helped me out with this project.

If you have any questions or concerns please leave a comment. I'm looking forward to your feedback.




Learn more about the new buyer benefits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBpJ7kQ0knA


Learn more about the new seller benefits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLM4l3jEtAk

gbryal
November 11th, 2014, 03:59 PM
"Browse The Gallery" gives a 404

dannzeman
November 11th, 2014, 04:06 PM
"Browse The Gallery" gives a 404

Fixed. Thank you.

Laura N
November 11th, 2014, 04:26 PM
I sold some pens recently, and so I feel I owe a retroactive contribution. :) Can I donate anonymously and still have the transaction fee removed in the future?

Sailor Kenshin
November 11th, 2014, 05:10 PM
Will there be a fee for a Trade listing?

Rick Krantz
November 11th, 2014, 05:28 PM
This sorta hurts those of us that sell across multiple forums.

Here's the problem I see....

If I commit to someone on one forum, like Fountain Pen Board, via email that they are the successful buyer, then bang, someone here on FP Geeks clicks buy now, it is going to leave someone disappointed.

I think it is great that the sellers should support the board, and honestly, with the exception of being stuck with paypal as the only means to receive payment, I like the rest. Especially listing direct from my Iphone.

It sorta hurts the set up I have in regards to selling, and I am not sure how to functionally make my sales work across all boards.

Presently, I list across Fountain Pen Classifieds, Fountain Pen Board, Pentrace, and FP Geeks. I have people that follow my sales on each board that look for something different.

dannzeman
November 11th, 2014, 06:43 PM
I sold some pens recently, and so I feel I owe a retroactive contribution. :) Can I donate anonymously and still have the transaction fee removed in the future?
Yes, you can donate anonymously and still be part of the group not subject to transaction fees. The anonymity is just to other forum members. The backend still keeps track of who donates.

dannzeman
November 11th, 2014, 06:46 PM
Will there be a fee for a Trade listing?

No. Trades are not currently part of the Panjo Classified System.

dannzeman
November 11th, 2014, 07:05 PM
This sorta hurts those of us that sell across multiple forums.

Here's the problem I see....

If I commit to someone on one forum, like Fountain Pen Board, via email that they are the successful buyer, then bang, someone here on FP Geeks clicks buy now, it is going to leave someone disappointed.

I think it is great that the sellers should support the board, and honestly, with the exception of being stuck with paypal as the only means to receive payment, I like the rest. Especially listing direct from my Iphone.

It sorta hurts the set up I have in regards to selling, and I am not sure how to functionally make my sales work across all boards.

Presently, I list across Fountain Pen Classifieds, Fountain Pen Board, Pentrace, and FP Geeks. I have people that follow my sales on each board that look for something different.
Sorry, some information that wasn't provided may give you a different outlook.

A listing on Panjo can easily be cancelled in those situations when a pen sells elsewhere. If a buyer does complete the checkout here after someone else commits but before you can cancel the listing then it will create an extra step for you in that you have to refund their payment.

To clarify, Paypal isn't the only way to accept payment. You can arrange payment on your own terms. Using Paypal just streamlines the checkout process for the buyer and seller and provides protection for both users.

Rick Krantz
November 11th, 2014, 07:12 PM
thanks for the additional information.

It certainly is something I am going to try and make work.

I really like your site, and I like the people here. It is a hassle free exchange, and honestly, you guys did not drag it down with a lot of rules.

my home board is Fountain Pen Board, but this one has a terrific mix of people.

Admittedly, I am a seller that sells enough and should contribute more, so that is all good as well.

I have been trying to figure out ways to get away from paypal for ages now, maybe this is the way to make it happen, who knows.

Also, I could custom tailor my sales for this board, or even LINK them to here.

Thanks again. I'm not going anywhere, we'll make this work!

Jon Szanto
November 11th, 2014, 08:37 PM
Two things:

1. This is just the perfect time to spur me into action - I *need* to release some of my pens into the wild, I just don't like having more pens than I can either use or appreciate. Thanks, Dan.

2. I just have to put a public kudo to Rick: Rick, you always have great sales, and while I haven't bought much from you, the pens you sell, at prices that are beyond reasonable, certainly must account for a lot of people, who are new to the hobby, finding good pens to add to their flocks. Not to mention that Rick just came to the rescue for me with some much needed Esterbrook items. I really do hope you stick around, Rick, you are a credit to pendom.

sloegin
November 11th, 2014, 10:40 PM
Um...no. I may be a luddite. Thank you Dan for the forum and the ability to sell here.

As a seller I see no upside to this. If you want money, ask.

As a buyer reading through their terms (http://www.panjo.com/terms)it appears they are passing the responsibility onto paypal. I have not quoted the relevant bits because you should read it yourselves.

carlc
November 12th, 2014, 03:27 AM
I have just clicked on the 'Browse' clicky and I like the look.

If it keeps this clean through the months then it could be a very pleasant way of browsing the classifieds.

Sloegin: Indeed. It would appear they are passing responsibility for everything to anyone but themselves. I don't sell much/often so I will not/can not comment on how it would affect others but I'll see how it goes.

dannzeman
November 12th, 2014, 06:17 AM
...As a seller I see no upside to this.
Really? Because as a seller myself, I see several advantages, the biggest being a more efficient process from listing to accepting payment. Image uploading is drag-n-drop or batch upload. I don't have to worry about using a third-party host and copying and pasting a bunch of links. I don't have to go back and forth with a potential buyer if the item is still available and what my Paypal info is. If the buyer wants, they click "Buy It", I get the notification, ship it and that's it.

But, being a luddite, you probably don't use Paypal or even take digital images. I'm guessing you're still mailing prints to those interested in purchasing your pens so you're right, there probably is no upside for you.


If you want money, ask.
I can ask all I want, but only a few actually donate and do so repeatedly. Using Panjo and charing a transaction fee is a way to spread the load out evenly, especially for those who sell more than others.


As a buyer reading through their terms (http://www.panjo.com/terms)it appears they are passing the responsibility onto paypal. I have not quoted the relevant bits because you should read it yourselves.
Is this is a surprise? Paypal has a pretty solid resolution system and I always recommend people use them for online transactions. If we had a policy in place for the Classifieds (before installing Panjo) I'd just copy theirs.

carlc
November 12th, 2014, 06:36 AM
I've just uploaded a pen - it was surprisingly easy.

One or two niggles:
1. I can't list prices in two currencies (it makes little sense for someone in the UK to pay currency conversion to USD and me back to GBP)
2. I can't differentiate the shipping cost (that option is greyed out).
3. It doesn't recognise anonymous donations (unsurprisingly) but I'm fine with that.

ETA: I've just (hopefully) sold the Pelikan listed on Pajaro the old fashioned way and now it won't let me cancel the listing.

Laura N
November 12th, 2014, 06:59 AM
Hi Dan,

I watched the video but didn't see an answer to this: can you list without the Paypal "Buy" button?

I can think of situations where I wouldn't want just anyone to be able to automatically buy my item. For example, if I didn't want to sell internationally, or if I needed to charge more for international shipping, or if I didn't want to sell to a particular person with whom I'd had a bad experience.

dannzeman
November 12th, 2014, 07:06 AM
Hi Dan,

I watched the video but didn't see an answer to this: can you list without the Paypal "Buy" button?

I can think of situations where I wouldn't want just anyone to be able to automatically buy my item. For example, if I didn't want to sell internationally, or if I needed to charge more for international shipping, or if I didn't want to sell to a particular person with whom I'd had a bad experience.
For each listing you can choose whether or not you want to use Paypal or arrange outside payment. For variable shipping rates there is an option for it to be determined by the buyer's location after the sale.

dannzeman
November 12th, 2014, 07:13 AM
I've just uploaded a pen - it was surprisingly easy.

One or two niggles:
1. I can't list prices in two currencies (it makes little sense for someone in the UK to pay currency conversion to USD and me back to GBP)
2. I can't differentiate the shipping cost (that option is greyed out).
3. It doesn't recognise anonymous donations (unsurprisingly) but I'm fine with that.

ETA: I've just (hopefully) sold the Pelikan listed on Pajaro the old fashioned way and now it won't let me cancel the listing.

What do you mean by "It doesn't recognise anonymous donations?"

What happens when you try to cancel the listing? When I do it, I select Classifieds>Marketplace Tools>Your Listing and I'm presented with:
14906
When I click "Cancel Listing" I see:
14907

carlc
November 12th, 2014, 07:18 AM
I donated in the past but it still seemed to be adding a 2.5% donation.

I got an error message when I tried to cancel (twice) - it also said the team had been notified.

Laura N
November 12th, 2014, 07:25 AM
Um...no. I may be a luddite. Thank you Dan for the forum and the ability to sell here.

As a seller I see no upside to this. If you want money, ask.

As a buyer reading through their terms (http://www.panjo.com/terms)it appears they are passing the responsibility onto paypal. I have not quoted the relevant bits because you should read it yourselves.

I agree that the benefits to sellers aren't as great. The automatic Paypal payment will probably be appreciated by some sellers because they don't have to deal with all the PMs back and forth, or with buyers who are slow payers. But it seems like there's a benefit for Fountain Pen Geeks, and that's enough for me.

I do a lot of fundraising as a volunteer. "All you have to do is ask" doesn't always work. First, many people aren't comfortable saying "please contribute." Second, a surprising number of people just ignore such a request anyway. And others are too busy, or put it off till later, or assume it's not needed. Asking for money works best in person and when there's a little benefit for it, two things that are harder to accomplish on a free website.

Also, no matter what, some people will never contribute. For those people, a small selling fee is probably much more acceptable.

This was a nice reminder to me to make a contribution, which I'd thought I'd already done. :) Another problem with asking for money -- people think they've already contributed.

sloegin
November 12th, 2014, 09:45 AM
Really? Because as a seller myself, I see several advantages, the biggest being a more efficient process from listing to accepting payment. Image uploading is drag-n-drop or batch upload. I don't have to worry about using a third-party host and copying and pasting a bunch of links. I don't have to go back and forth with a potential buyer if the item is still available and what my Paypal info is. If the buyer wants, they click "Buy It", I get the notification, ship it and that's it.
You have the Belxley Intrepid listed both here and at your website. The photos have two different url locations. Dose that mean you uploaded them twice? A third party host is efficient when you are listing at multiple locations. Drag-n-drop is overrated.
Your website offers a "buy it" option that takes a buyer to paypal checkout. Ebay offers this as well.

Answering if something is still available is not more efficient than closing/canceling a listing from a selling point of view.

Automation does not equal efficiency.


But, being a luddite, you probably don't use Paypal or even take digital images. I'm guessing you're still mailing prints to those interested in purchasing your pens so you're right, there probably is no upside for you.
Yes, and I still use fountain pens when I can type.


I can ask all I want, but only a few actually donate and do so repeatedly. Using Panjo and charing a transaction fee is a way to spread the load out evenly, especially for those who sell more than others.
Is there a topic in the sales forum asking for donations?...if so I missed it. Part of the objection is being told I have to pay before being asked. Hey, at least you aren't claiming the website costs many thousands of dollars a year to run :)


Is this is a surprise? Paypal has a pretty solid resolution system and I always recommend people use them for online transactions. If we had a policy in place for the Classifieds (before installing Panjo) I'd just copy theirs.
Not really, but claiming buyer protection while relying on paypal's policies is a bit misleading.

tiffanyhenschel
November 12th, 2014, 04:51 PM
I listed a pen this morning with almost no hassle. Any bumps along the way were simply me figuring out the system. (No, I didn't watch the video first, but I appreciate that it's there.)

I tried to post from my I pad but couldn't make it work. Posting from the Mac book was no problem. I usually post classifieds from my phone, so I'll be glad when/if an Android app is available.

I don't mind the small fee. I haven't donated before, but I have purchased items from the shop on multiple occasions.

Dan, thanks for trying to create the best experience possible for both the buyer and the seller.

Woody
November 12th, 2014, 07:37 PM
I don't sell a lot of pens but I do contribute since I found this forum. If it benefits this board, the people in it, and fountain pen use in general, I like the new system. Put it this way. I've seen far worse.

spotted and speckled
November 13th, 2014, 11:20 AM
I'm excited, really I am. I have never sold a pen online and am thinking that the herd will be cleansed this year (ok, 2015) and the whole thing looks streamlined. I did just try to download the iphone app & it wants IOS8.0, so I guess I'm going to have to download the update.

I have bought quite a few pens off this forum, and the buying portion of it looks pretty effortless too. No more waiting across time zones to see if someone wants to sell you their pen. They just refund me the money if they have already sold it.

Question--will you be letting newcomers list pens? That would make it easy for scammers like Brandon.
2nd Question--Is there a way to see if the item has been sold besides opening up the ad and reading the whole thing?

Thank you!

mrcharlie
November 13th, 2014, 11:39 AM
Can you list several pens in one listing for different prices, or do you need to list each pen separately now?

manoeuver
November 13th, 2014, 12:58 PM
Each listing is separate. Makes the Buy it Now option possible.
It took me about 25 minutes to get 8 or 9 listings up.

Jon Szanto
November 13th, 2014, 03:31 PM
Can you list several pens in one listing for different prices, or do you need to list each pen separately now?

I looked on the Panjo support forums for answers, and it appears this is strictly tied to individual item sales. They have their reasons for it, and it doesn't look like there will be any changes to accommodate multiple item listings.

Jon Szanto
November 13th, 2014, 03:32 PM
It took me about 25 minutes to get 8 or 9 listings up.

Can I infer from this that you mean it was relatively easy and quick? Or was that a long time to complete that work? (I'm assuming the former)

manoeuver
November 13th, 2014, 04:30 PM
It took me about 25 minutes to get 8 or 9 listings up.

Can I infer from this that you mean it was relatively easy and quick? Or was that a long time to complete that work? (I'm assuming the former)

You're correct Jon. I found 2 ways to speed things up considerably:
1. bookmark the blank starting page. Once you finish a listing click your bookmark and it'll load up an empty listing for you.
2. drop your images into the drag/drop box first, then write the listing. Large images take longer to upload than an ad takes to write.

overall I'm tickled at how easy it is to make listings quickly.

I've already sold 2 items today (shipped one!) where before I'd still be swapping emails or PMs (ugh) with prospective buyers. So far so good.

rdcalhoon
November 13th, 2014, 06:50 PM
Does Panjo support any form of payment other than PayPal? It's an old story, but I have sworn never to open another PayPal account.

Curtisvan
November 13th, 2014, 09:51 PM
Sorry but I just don't like it. The wagon wheel wasn't broke and didn't need fixing.

Jon Szanto
November 13th, 2014, 10:20 PM
Sorry but I just don't like it. The wagon wheel wasn't broke and didn't need fixing.

That doesn't mean replacing a wagon wheel with a jetski isn't the right thing to do, in certain cases. (Yes, terrible metaphor).

I never felt I had the time and effort available to put listings up, and this seems like a solution that comes closer to my needs. Just as in pens, we all like different things.

Curtisvan
November 14th, 2014, 03:36 AM
Well it was a good wagon. Let's see how the jet ski works. doesn't really matter whether anyone likes it or not. It's here. And hey what's another 2.5%? Everyone wants a piece.

manoeuver
November 14th, 2014, 04:45 AM
Sorry but I just don't like it. The wagon wheel wasn't broke and didn't need fixing.

Mr. Van, that just isn't true. This whole thing got started when I read this thread:
http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/9227-Never-thought-I-d-say-this

Numerous users made it clear that selling pens was a pain in the ass- especially selling off a bunch of pens.

I know this well as I've had over a hundred pens I've been meaning to sell (since August!) but haven't posted ANY of them here, just because it's a pain.

I talked to Dan and said 'Users are complaining that it's hard to sell pens. We should make it easier for them.'

The 2 most annoying things about selling pens (for me at least) were making the ad itself and arranging payment. If making the ad was as simple as filling out a form, and we could get a Buy Now button into the listing, selling pens would be way, way easier.

and now it is.

We didn't consider that it wouldn't be quite as convenient for some people as copying and pasting their ad across many fora, but the purpose of this forum is not to be one arm of anybody's pen reselling business. (Thanks so much to Rick Krantz who took the changes in stride like a gentleman.)

For those of you who are doubtful, take 3 minutes and create a listing. You can remove it immediately if you want.

ok folks, have fun!

Jon Szanto
November 14th, 2014, 10:18 AM
I've thought about this a bit, and it seems to me that the functions of a forum should stand to benefit the regular members and contributors of a forum first and foremost. There are a lot of places to buy and sell pens on the net, and if this one arena ends up making a better user experience for the FPG community, I think that should be the bottom line. I plan on giving it a try myself, and hope that it adds, not detracts, from the overall FPG experience.

Chrissy
November 14th, 2014, 04:51 PM
I just noticed that when I clicked on an image on the original listing, it took me to the Panjo listing and there I found it had reduced the size of the images so that the picture showing the nib had in fact cut the nib off the edge of the image when it was resized, so I couldn't see it. It also had text through the images that wasn't there on the original images.

Jon Szanto
November 14th, 2014, 05:08 PM
I just noticed that when I clicked on an image on the original listing, it took me to the Panjo listing and there I found it had reduced the size of the images so that the picture showing the nib had in fact cut the nib off the edge of the image when it was resized, so I couldn't see it. It also had text through the images that wasn't there on the original images.

Good catch. I have no idea if the plugin can be tweaked for sizing - I noted that when I tried to expand the browser to full screen, it didn't widen the Panjo page (i.e. the pics were still truncated); bringing the window back to my default size caused the image display to get munged up. Either the plugin display settings need to be tweaked (if possible) or we should be aware of optimal image sizing. (I'm hoping the former, which would fix it for everyone)

Waski_the_Squirrel
November 14th, 2014, 05:44 PM
One thing that has always scared me off from selling is my worry over the difficulty of doing so (payment, shipping, etc). This makes me more likely to try selling.

Michael McNeil
November 14th, 2014, 06:16 PM
The old system seemed to work just fine and I don't see the improvement in the new system. It reminds me of Photobucket, which I use, but dislike. Also this new system does not match my techniques for listing. SO! I think I'm outta here...

Michael

Rick Krantz
November 14th, 2014, 07:09 PM
I'm still tossing around my future, but I will try to list an item, see what I think.

my biggest problem is in fact, listing on several boards, using one image, so I can update the image across multiple boards.

but reality as it may be. I think that Pentrace, Fountain Pen Board, and Fountain Pen Classifieds are going to see a lot more traffic.

dannzeman
November 14th, 2014, 07:09 PM
The old system seemed to work just fine and I don't see the improvement in the new system. It reminds me of Photobucket, which I use, but dislike. Also this new system does not match my techniques for listing. SO! I think I'm outta here...

Michael
That's a shame. The 5% of your posts that weren't in the classifieds section were a great contribution. I wish you luck with your sales.

Laura N
November 14th, 2014, 07:19 PM
I'm still tossing around my future, but I will try to list an item, see what I think.

my biggest problem is in fact, listing on several boards, using one image, so I can update the image across multiple boards.

but reality as it may be. I think that Pentrace, Fountain Pen Board, and Fountain Pen Classifieds are going to see a lot more traffic.

Rick, bummer. I think that would be a shame for readers here who will miss your excellent pens at excellent prices. I wonder if you could still work around it by using that same image but making the Panjo price the combined price for all pens (in effect rendering that moot)? Then you could keep the listing otherwise the same, with each pen priced individually with your email contact information.

Just a thought. I haven't tried it. I was thinking that's how I'll do it when I list inks. Since I can't really see listing 10 ink bottles in separate listings, and I'm not sure buyers would actually appreciate that.

mhosea
November 14th, 2014, 09:22 PM
Was working fine, but now with Chrome (Version 38.0.2125.122) and IE, it flashes the ads and then makes them, and the ad control panel, disappear. This did not happen in IE until I was logged in. Have not tried it in chrome while not logged in, but I'll bet it's the same.

Jon Szanto
November 14th, 2014, 10:10 PM
Yep, weird here, too: Chrome/XP - if I either click a sales posting that is in the forum to get to the Panjo listing, or click on "Classifieds", the same thing happens - content starts to open and then snaps shut, nothing showing. If needed I can try to take screen caps, but hopefully it is reproduceable.

Lady Onogaro
November 14th, 2014, 11:13 PM
It happens in Safari, too. But if I sign out of the forum, I can see the listings just fine.

Jon Szanto
November 15th, 2014, 01:33 AM
That may help in tracking the bug: it is identical for me, in that if I log out, I can see the listings, but if I'm logged in, the window collapses.

Curtisvan
November 15th, 2014, 02:25 AM
Sorry but I disagree. There's nothing I can do but for me it's not helpful at all.

Curtisvan
November 15th, 2014, 02:28 AM
The old system seemed to work just fine and I don't see the improvement in the new system. It reminds me of Photobucket, which I use, but dislike. Also this new system does not match my techniques for listing. SO! I think I'm outta here...


Michael

I totally agree.

snedwos
November 15th, 2014, 03:08 AM
Selling pens is a side benefit of the forum not its primary focus. I do hope people who decide that panjo isn't for them will still stay and contribute in other ways. i.e. postlots and lots of pen porn for my viewing pleasure.

dannzeman
November 15th, 2014, 09:12 AM
Panjo should be working now. I contacted support and they said they pushed an update to speed up the iframe but for some reason it wasn't working on our site. Please let me know if you're still experiencing any issues.

Quantum Sailor
November 15th, 2014, 10:50 AM
The old system seemed to work just fine and I don't see the improvement in the new system. It reminds me of Photobucket, which I use, but dislike. Also this new system does not match my techniques for listing. SO! I think I'm outta here...


Michael

I totally agree.

I think that if the method of classified listings is a deal breaker for you then maybe you would be better served creating your own sales site. They are not free to run and there are several of us who participate in the forum who have created our own sales sites to support the selling side of the hobby. While it's nice to have a totally free venue to put up sales it's unrealistic to expect one, and if its free to you there should be no expectation of input as to what happens with it. As has already been mentioned selling pens is a benefit and is not the primary focus and I personally don't think it's unreasonable to contribute to a venue that is making you money, which I suspect is the real reason behind the leaving, I may be wrong it has happened before and will happen again.


That being said I think that it will be good to see where it goes. The selling percentage is lower than eBay or Etsy so I don't see how one can complain about that. If it helps to keep the community going in the future I'm all for it as I enjoy this community a great deal and have found it to be quite generous and fun to be involved in.

Hawk
November 15th, 2014, 12:56 PM
I see both sides. The revenue side for the forum is reality. However, the old way seems more convenient for me and I have purchased a number of pens this way. It also seems to tie the rest of the forums together; I go back and forth in the other sections and buy pens. This new format appears to be separate and out of place with respect to the rest of the forum. Meanwhile I will just use the for sale section until it disappears, not the new format. Strictly one persons opinion. I really like the rest of FPgeeks and the members.

Laura N
November 15th, 2014, 01:22 PM
I'm curious why the For Sale forum would disappear? Right now every Panjo ad seems to be in For Sale. That's how I browse, too.

Hawk
November 15th, 2014, 02:14 PM
I guess the For Sale section would disappear if it isn't revenue producing. Maybe I should't have made that comment. It's up to the owners how they want the site to evolve/progress.

dannzeman
November 15th, 2014, 02:49 PM
The For Sale forum won't disappear. Panjo works in conjunction with it. New listings created in Panjo are automatically created in the For Sale forum and new threads created there are directed to Panjo.

ypsilanti
November 15th, 2014, 08:27 PM
I've just read this thread in its entirety and feel compelled to tell you all that I made a purchase, just moments ago, from manoeuver through Panjo and it was a delightful experience.

Should non-pen/paper/ink items still be listed in the 'flea market' section? I've got a Timbuk2 bag that needs a good home.

Hawk
November 16th, 2014, 05:00 PM
Thank you for the clarification.

ainterne
November 17th, 2014, 03:38 PM
I could not leave a message in the correct location...just got the flashing red box.


so regarding my purchase from manoeuver


Item was exactly as described. The item arrived quickly with no delays. I would recommend the seller to anyone wishing to purchase a pen. Easy to do business with.

Frank
November 17th, 2014, 08:20 PM
Looks great Dan- very easy read, and straightforward! I also have a lot of pens I have been holding on to this year..

Looking forward to using this service!


Regards,
Frank

amk
November 20th, 2014, 09:04 AM
I agree with Carlc (I think it was) who had an issue with the currencies and postage.

I'm sure Panjo works nicely for those in the US, but for someone based in UK and France (about half the year in each) there are two difficulties.
1. For local buyers I'd prefer to list in Euro and/or Sterling, but obviously US buyers would like to see a dollar price. If we end up both converting Ģ to $ and back it's going to add another 4% or more to the price of the pen!
2. I prefer to either list 'shipping at cost', or with differential shipping for non-European destinations, as it will cost a good deal more. Okay, with a buy-it-now, 'shipping at cost' might not work, but I don't want a choice between either stinging my European customers, or being out of pocket with US buyers.
3. Failing which, does the Panjo system offer home-region-only deals?

I do have a number of pens that will be looking for new homes... as well as some pen wraps... if this system can be got to work nicely, it looks good.

piscov
November 22nd, 2014, 12:21 PM
Although I agree that people that sell using forums should help supporting the bills. I started using more FPgeeks because I did not agreed with the way premium accounts were imposed at FPN.

I believe that FPGeeks new selling and supporting the forum system is much more fair and I fully agree with it. Good work Dan!!
Just a few improvments from Panjo to put paypal available for Non US accounts and It will be really good.

Looks like the Paypal payment only works for US paypal accounts. Mine is from EU ( Portugal) and I cannot make it work. I have contacted Panjo support and although nice they only told me to contact Paypal because the problem is my account. That is obviously not correct as I have ebay, Etsy and Amazon accounts and my Paypal works perfectly in all of them....

Also not working is the exemption fees for those who donated. It did not worked with me and I'm billed 2,5% the same. Not that I donīt agree with the fee ( I do, and don't mind paying it) but the system is not working properly.

On the positive side:
1- Creating an add is very easy and fast
2- The Panjo layout is rather simple and good looking.
3- This is a fair way of supporting a place where we are welcomed and were we like to hang.

Zhivago
November 23rd, 2014, 05:59 PM
Is there a delay for the new listing to show up in the For Sale forum here? I just created one and it is not in the forum yet. Also, is there a particular size for pictures? One of mine is cut off.

EDIT: Okay, I noticed now that when I look at my listing via the browse option, I see the FPG header and the classified tab. I had assumed that new listings would also be shown in the For Sale forum, but that doesn't seem to the be the case if you create them via the Panjo link. You can only view them via the browse tab in that case; is that right?

dannzeman
November 23rd, 2014, 09:22 PM
Although I agree that people that sell using forums should help supporting the bills. I started using more FPgeeks because I did not agreed with the way premium accounts were imposed at FPN.

I believe that FPGeeks new selling and supporting the forum system is much more fair and I fully agree with it. Good work Dan!!
Just a few improvments from Panjo to put paypal available for Non US accounts and It will be really good.

Looks like the Paypal payment only works for US paypal accounts. Mine is from EU ( Portugal) and I cannot make it work. I have contacted Panjo support and although nice they only told me to contact Paypal because the problem is my account. That is obviously not correct as I have ebay, Etsy and Amazon accounts and my Paypal works perfectly in all of them....

Also not working is the exemption fees for those who donated. It did not worked with me and I'm billed 2,5% the same. Not that I donīt agree with the fee ( I do, and don't mind paying it) but the system is not working properly.

On the positive side:
1- Creating an add is very easy and fast
2- The Panjo layout is rather simple and good looking.
3- This is a fair way of supporting a place where we are welcomed and were we like to hang.

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. I apologize for the exemption fee issue. I looked into the issue and it turns out the donation plugin we are using was not automatically adding people to the FPG Donor group so I have to add them manually. If you (or anyone else who has donated) still have to pay the 2.5% sales fee then please let me know right away.

Can you be more specific about the Paypal payment only working for US accounts problem?

dannzeman
November 23rd, 2014, 09:28 PM
Is there a delay for the new listing to show up in the For Sale forum here? I just created one and it is not in the forum yet. Also, is there a particular size for pictures? One of mine is cut off.

EDIT: Okay, I noticed now that when I look at my listing via the browse option, I see the FPG header and the classified tab. I had assumed that new listings would also be shown in the For Sale forum, but that doesn't seem to the be the case if you create them via the Panjo link. You can only view them via the browse tab in that case; is that right?
As of right now, it's best to upload square images of at least 600 x 600 pixels. I've talked to support and they're working on adding the ability to use images of any aspect ratio.

As far as I know, when you create a new listing, regardless of where it was created, it should automatically add the listing to the For Sale forum. I'll list a few items and see how it works for me.

Sailor Kenshin
November 24th, 2014, 06:27 AM
If Panjo links directly to the seller's Paypal account, how secure is it?

dannzeman
November 24th, 2014, 12:33 PM
If Panjo links directly to the seller's Paypal account, how secure is it?
How secure is what? Panjo doesn't have access to your Paypal account, it just asks for the address to associate it with the listing so people can use the "Buy Now" button.

Zhivago
November 24th, 2014, 01:48 PM
As far as I know, when you create a new listing, regardless of where it was created, it should automatically add the listing to the For Sale forum. I'll list a few items and see how it works for me.

Okay, thanks. If a listing being in the For Sale forum is different than what you see from the Browse the gallery option above, it definitely didn't happen for me.

piscov
November 25th, 2014, 01:05 AM
Although I agree that people that sell using forums should help supporting the bills. I started using more FPgeeks because I did not agreed with the way premium accounts were imposed at FPN.

I believe that FPGeeks new selling and supporting the forum system is much more fair and I fully agree with it. Good work Dan!!
Just a few improvments from Panjo to put paypal available for Non US accounts and It will be really good.

Looks like the Paypal payment only works for US paypal accounts. Mine is from EU ( Portugal) and I cannot make it work. I have contacted Panjo support and although nice they only told me to contact Paypal because the problem is my account. That is obviously not correct as I have ebay, Etsy and Amazon accounts and my Paypal works perfectly in all of them....

Also not working is the exemption fees for those who donated. It did not worked with me and I'm billed 2,5% the same. Not that I donīt agree with the fee ( I do, and don't mind paying it) but the system is not working properly.

On the positive side:
1- Creating an add is very easy and fast
2- The Panjo layout is rather simple and good looking.
3- This is a fair way of supporting a place where we are welcomed and were we like to hang.

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. I apologize for the exemption fee issue. I looked into the issue and it turns out the donation plugin we are using was not automatically adding people to the FPG Donor group so I have to add them manually. If you (or anyone else who has donated) still have to pay the 2.5% sales fee then please let me know right away.

Can you be more specific about the Paypal payment only working for US accounts problem?


I have inserted a new add and all remains the same. Still charges 2,5% fee. Suggestion, why not leave the option to pay or not for those who already donated to the forum? This way we could decide and probably most of us will choose to pay the fees at least in some pens per month.

As to paypal I was told by the panjo Support that it is probably because my paypal account is non US, maybe other Non US member can confirm. Nevertheless I still cannot make paypal linkage to work.

carlc
November 25th, 2014, 02:43 AM
As far as I can tell the link from Panjo to Paypal has worked for me (UK based).

That is it appeared to work when setting up the classifieds thought the link hasn't been tested in actuality by a purchase.

piscov
November 25th, 2014, 04:32 AM
As far as I can tell the link from Panjo to Paypal has worked for me (UK based).

That is it appeared to work when setting up the classifieds thought the link hasn't been tested in actuality by a purchase.

Thanks for the information! Unfortunatelly It does not work with my account. Did you had to do anything in your paypal account, like giving a special permission in your account definitions?

carlc
November 25th, 2014, 05:02 AM
Not as far as I can remember - if I remember correctly I had to connect to Paypal from Panjo but that was it (no special settings or anything like that).

I'm sorry but I found the process easy and hassle free and I do wish I could give you more help but there is nothing I can think of.

Sailor Kenshin
November 25th, 2014, 08:20 AM
If Panjo links directly to the seller's Paypal account, how secure is it?
How secure is what? Panjo doesn't have access to your Paypal account, it just asks for the address to associate it with the listing so people can use the "But Now" button.

Thank you for clearing that up.

Zhivago
November 25th, 2014, 05:00 PM
There seems to be a bug or something that prevents cancelling an item in the Panjo gallery. I tried all the different options for cancelling and none worked.

bluefeathers
November 25th, 2014, 11:51 PM
Hi Dan,

I added a listing on Panjo a few days ago (Ferrari da Varese Yesterday), but can't find it anywhere on the 'For Sale' section. Should I have started a new thread instead?
I can't start another thread now--it just links me to the Panjo section. This brings me to another question I have: is there a way
to search for a pen in the classifieds? I've always wanted to know, thanks!

Rick Krantz
November 26th, 2014, 04:03 PM
So, I posted 5 ads up in the for sale area, using the Panjo. I think it went fairly easy. I ended up using my Iphone to do the majority of the posts, because I could not upload pictures from my computer (shhh... work computer... I had a few minutes for a break) I think it was the firewall. Anyway, only issue I ran into was that each listing said "free shipping" when I entered the "calculated" option, and even provided weight and box size. I mean no biggie, but I included in the listing my standard shipping fees, and then went back and edited the "free shipping" out. We will see how this works. I do sell a majority of my listings to the FP Geek community, and that weighed heavily into my listing these here exclusively.

for feedback, yeah, it was easy, especially with the touch of my Iphone (new reason to mess with my new 6+)

dannzeman
November 26th, 2014, 07:00 PM
I really appreciate everyone's response. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed with Panjo's performance and will be contacting their support to see what can be done about some of these issues. If these issues can't be resolved quickly and easily I'll switch it back to the old system.

Sailor Kenshin
November 27th, 2014, 05:04 AM
So, I posted 5 ads up in the for sale area, using the Panjo. I think it went fairly easy. I ended up using my Iphone to do the majority of the posts, because I could not upload pictures from my computer (shhh... work computer... I had a few minutes for a break) I think it was the firewall. Anyway, only issue I ran into was that each listing said "free shipping" when I entered the "calculated" option, and even provided weight and box size. I mean no biggie, but I included in the listing my standard shipping fees, and then went back and edited the "free shipping" out. We will see how this works. I do sell a majority of my listings to the FP Geek community, and that weighed heavily into my listing these here exclusively.

for feedback, yeah, it was easy, especially with the touch of my Iphone (new reason to mess with my new 6+)


And honestly, if you took Paypal, I'd be out a hunnert-fitty bucks by now. ;)

VertOlive
November 28th, 2014, 12:39 PM
OK, I listed some pens today and it was fairly easy. Weird--one of the ones listed didn't show up in the regular Classified thread. How to fix? Also PM to Mr Dan about donor status.

manoeuver
November 28th, 2014, 01:27 PM
So, I posted 5 ads up in the for sale area, using the Panjo. I think it went fairly easy. I ended up using my Iphone to do the majority of the posts, because I could not upload pictures from my computer (shhh... work computer... I had a few minutes for a break) I think it was the firewall. Anyway, only issue I ran into was that each listing said "free shipping" when I entered the "calculated" option, and even provided weight and box size. I mean no biggie, but I included in the listing my standard shipping fees, and then went back and edited the "free shipping" out. We will see how this works. I do sell a majority of my listings to the FP Geek community, and that weighed heavily into my listing these here exclusively.

for feedback, yeah, it was easy, especially with the touch of my Iphone (new reason to mess with my new 6+)
Rick, your ads look great. thanks for puttn em up I hope they all sell. Nib shots would be sweet too, BTW

Rick Krantz
November 28th, 2014, 02:37 PM
So, I posted 5 ads up in the for sale area, using the Panjo. I think it went fairly easy. I ended up using my Iphone to do the majority of the posts, because I could not upload pictures from my computer (shhh... work computer... I had a few minutes for a break) I think it was the firewall. Anyway, only issue I ran into was that each listing said "free shipping" when I entered the "calculated" option, and even provided weight and box size. I mean no biggie, but I included in the listing my standard shipping fees, and then went back and edited the "free shipping" out. We will see how this works. I do sell a majority of my listings to the FP Geek community, and that weighed heavily into my listing these here exclusively.

for feedback, yeah, it was easy, especially with the touch of my Iphone (new reason to mess with my new 6+)


And honestly, if you took Paypal, I'd be out a hunnert-fitty bucks by now. ;)

you should try Square.

Hit that buy button, you will like it.

Paypal has finally become too restrictive to sellers.

If you have credit card or debit card, it is super easy.

Rick

top pen
November 29th, 2014, 03:06 PM
Dan will the classifieds sub forum be shut down as I think it would be make sense to have a fully separate market place to the forum as is the case on FPN. As I personally am more interested in general discussion rather then sales and as many classifieds get bumped up on a daily basis by members it can be frustrating having to navigate through a sea classifieds to find interesting discussion.

Crazyorange
November 29th, 2014, 03:18 PM
I notice I don't get alerts when someone posts to the classified section. The alert is on....but tap talk has stopped sending them. Is that because of the new panjo system?

Zhivago
December 2nd, 2014, 08:06 PM
There seems to be a bug or something that prevents cancelling an item in the Panjo gallery. I tried all the different options for cancelling and none worked.

I heard back from Panjo support yesterday, but only to let me know that they had cancelled the item for me. The rep didn't say anything about what might have caused the problem.

I listed the same item again tonight, but this time from the new thread link in the For Sale forum. Unfortunately, that made no difference as again no new thread was created in the forum. I'm certainly open to the possibility that I'm doing something very obviously wrong; if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know. I forgot to edit the size of my pictures down; I don't know if that could be the issue. I tried cancelling the listing again, and again it didn't work. So, whatever Panjo support did to cancel it is not something sellers (or this seller) can replicate.

Zhivago
December 3rd, 2014, 01:01 PM
I've been exchanging emails with a Panjo rep on the issues I've mentioned in this thread. Per his emails:


A listing in the Panjo Marketplace will create a thread within the subforum. We recently found a bug when a user previews a listing and then goes back to edit it before posting, a thread is not created.

This bug is actively being worked on and should be resolved shortly.



The listing deletion issue you are referring to is a bug that we are actively fixing.

mhosea
December 4th, 2014, 07:05 PM
There's no listing fee, but there is a 2.5% transaction fee when the item sells. For users who have donated to the forum we are removing the transaction fee so it will cost you nothing to use it. This will be retroactive, so if you've ever donated, even as little as $1, you won't have to pay any fees for selling items.


The deduction showed up in the estimate when I listed. Normal?

Zhivago
December 4th, 2014, 07:38 PM
I finally got a listing to show up in the forum...and it promptly sold soon after that! :)

One quibble: It would be nice to know the FPG handle of the buyer in the Your Item Sold email from Panjo.

Mesu
December 6th, 2014, 06:34 PM
I have inserted a new add and all remains the same. Still charges 2,5% fee.


I too have the same problem.

mhosea
December 6th, 2014, 07:13 PM
I have inserted a new add and all remains the same. Still charges 2,5% fee.


I too have the same problem.


Yep, it actually charged me when an item sold. I am a member of the FPG Donor group, though I don't have it set to identify me as such on my posts (instead of Senior Member or whatever it says). Could that be the magic sauce?

Mesu
December 6th, 2014, 07:42 PM
I have inserted a new add and all remains the same. Still charges 2,5% fee.


I too have the same problem.


Yep, it actually charged me when an item sold. I am a member of the FPG Donor group, though I don't have it set to identify me as such on my posts (instead of Senior Member or whatever it says). Could that be the magic sauce?


I made the donation too but my member title says Senior member. Is there a specified amount to be donated to be put in the group?

mhosea
December 6th, 2014, 08:51 PM
I made the donation too but my member title says Senior member. Is there a specified amount to be donated to be put in the group?

I was only speculating, and so I changed mine as an experiment. You can do the same. Click on Settings, then look to the left under "My Settings" and find "Permission Groups". That will give you the option.

Mesu
December 6th, 2014, 10:41 PM
I made the donation too but my member title says Senior member. Is there a specified amount to be donated to be put in the group?

I was only speculating, and so I changed mine as an experiment. You can do the same. Click on Settings, then look to the left under "My Settings" and find "Permission Groups". That will give you the option.

I dont have the "Permission Groups" link in "My Settings".

Perhaps the mod can pitch in and help?

piscov
December 9th, 2014, 03:59 PM
I have changed the group to FPG Doner and I am still charged the fee.
Also the pictures are cut and the pens do not show up complete.

Not happy with the new system as the problems looks that are not being solved quick enough. How about returning to the old market system while this one is not working as it should?

carlc
December 16th, 2014, 01:52 AM
It appears that the bug that was preventing the cancellation of classifieds is now fixed.

I've finally managed to cancel one of my listings.

Rick Krantz
December 16th, 2014, 03:07 PM
not to be mean, but as great of an idea as the Panjo is, I really think it may be time to consider canceling it, and coming up with something different or going back to the old way.

As a seller, if you want something from my sales, I am willing to donate, if this goes away.

I can't manage sales with the Panjo system. I get emails to ask whether my sales are still on, and I cannot go to them and cancel them, I cannot look them up, honestly, I don't think the features are working.

Sorry to be critical of the system, the user support seems to be responsive, but my experience is it isn't ready at this point for what it needs to do.

Hawk
December 16th, 2014, 05:41 PM
It's easier for me, when I get the urge, to look at Fountain Pen Classifieds for my favorite sellers instead of the current system on FPG. Just one opinion....

piscov
January 3rd, 2015, 04:48 PM
Still does not work.

Pictures get cut, they change proportion, We cannot make a group sale... Paypal integration does not work.... not even the Euro symbol comes out correctly!!
It is a good idea with a terrible execution by Panjo. Dan, how about ending this pain.

Alternatives:

How about a monthly fee/ Mandatory donation scheme for members who sell more than 3 or 4 pens per month like me and free for all others?

dannzeman
January 6th, 2015, 07:45 AM
Thank you all for your input. I agree that Panjo is not working and was hoping they would get the issues sorted and new features implemented in a more timely manner. I've turned off the Panjo plugin and will be returning to the original style of listing items for sale.

My apologies if you were charged a transaction fee if you had already donated. Payments are issued quarterly by Panjo so I can't refund individual transactions. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.

Neo
January 6th, 2015, 07:51 AM
Dan, Thank you for all the time and effort you put into having a nonjudgmental moderation forum for fountain pen enthusiasts.

Sailor Kenshin
January 6th, 2015, 08:13 AM
Huzzah!

Rusty888
January 6th, 2015, 08:19 AM
I agree with piscov above. If say you can sell 3 pens a year for free but each one thereafter you need to donate.

1% of value with a minimum of $1

Hawk
January 6th, 2015, 10:42 AM
Dan, thank you for your efforts. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. I'm happy to see you go back to the former way.

Rick Krantz
January 7th, 2015, 04:31 PM
Dan,

thank you.

we will have a FP GEEKS sale later this week to celebrate.

I will make sure we donate to the site to help keep things as they once were!

Best!
Rick