YOUR VIEWS, IDEAS ON A LOCK SWAP SHOP

[MANDELBROT27]

I've put forward a idea of a LOCK SWAP SHOP! so if you like the idea PLEASE READ ON.

Members put up photos, info of the lock(s) (i.e the lock should be easy but the key has a differcult bite ect,ect) they want to swap and for what lock they would swap for. Could be temp or perminent, maybe there could be some sort of chart for the differcuty of the lock 1 to 10, 1 being easy 10 being hard. A Section for beginners, intermediate and advanced. The hole thing would run on trust .

EXAMPLE i send you my lock, you recieve it and send me your lock (Maybe we agree to a time period if temp) when finished, you send my lock back, when i recieve it ,i send yours back.??
Maybe you "The member" could get a LOCK SWAP SHOPtrust score?

The cost of sending recorded delivery would be more than buying a cheaper lock (for the beginner section) but for the more expensive one's swapping could be a option ?

It may be a idea that any new members would have to have a certain amount of posts under there belt before gaining access to the
LOCK SWAP SHOP!
Maybe it could also involve tools aswell, now thats a good idea

I just think it would be a great way of gaining access to differant locks.

So if you think it's a good idea or you can think of a differant system then please post your views,thoughts,help on starting a LOCK SWAP SHOP!

suggestions below.

Simon

[HallisChalmers]

So how would you propose this information be tracked - in other words, are you looking at showing a listing of whom is sending and receiving locks, time period, etc.?

Is this going to be some type of spreadsheet listing - or are you talking about just putting up a forum section and then have everyone work on the honor system to send and return locks?

I'm not against this idea, I just need you to flesh out some of the details, before we get Lew to sign off on this.

Send me a PM to discuss while see what some of the other members think about this proposal.

[nozza36]

This in theory is a good idea ,
but have you accounted for disproportional postage ?
an example comes to mind , i sent Snor a pair of yales for less
than £2 , he had to pay £20+ to post me a lock in return ,
Swedish postal service sucks , i'm only in the UK but 10-1
difference on postal charges may well bury the idea for some
members , perhaps a warning to check carriage costs would
be a VERY useful idea before committing to exchanges .
How about an automatic proximity checker ? linked to the page ,
i have no idea how to do that by the way , so it would be yet
another hurdle for the admin' and mods' to overcome !
This needs input from the more "clued" up guys.

[ToolyMcgee]

So... buy, sell, trade? Except I would post info and a photo of a lock for trade and then... I'm not seeing what distiguishes this from the existing system. We have a trusted traders list, and a trade forum. I like the name for the thread, and I like the idea of a rated photo catalog of locks up for trade. Condition of the lock: picked vs heavily picked, normal use vs. NIB, 1 key vs without key. In addition to the locks biting, keyway, and security features could be combined to create a score, but to what end? Seems like alot of work for something that can be haggled out through pm's.

-'Mcgee

[HallisChalmers]

So... buy, sell, trade? Except I would post info and a photo of a lock for trade and then... I'm not seeing what distiguishes this from the existing system. We have a trusted traders list, and a trade forum. I like the name for the thread, and I like the idea of a rated photo catalog of locks up for trade. Condition of the lock: picked vs heavily picked, normal use vs. NIB, 1 key vs without key. In addition to the locks biting, keyway, and security features could be combined to create a score, but to what end? Seems like alot of work for something that can be haggled out through pm's.

-'Mcgee

Right on the mark, Tooly. We don't need to reinvent the wheel - because someone is going to have to carve it out of stone all over again.

[MANDELBROT27]

So... buy, sell, trade? Except I would post info and a photo of a lock for trade and then... I'm not seeing what distiguishes this from the existing system. We have a trusted traders list, and a trade forum. I like the name for the thread, and I like the idea of a rated photo catalog of locks up for trade. Condition of the lock: picked vs heavily picked, normal use vs. NIB, 1 key vs without key. In addition to the locks biting, keyway, and security features could be combined to create a score, but to what end? Seems like alot of work for something that can be haggled out through pm's.

-'Mcgee

yeah i took a look at the buy, Trade and Sell section which is great but i thought if you had a really nice lock but didn't want to sell it you could still get access to different locks without spending a lot of cash ( it's not so much about the cash but selection). Could we get some sort of system were you swap the lock. i,e Bob and Burt swap locks when there finished they send them back and move on to the next swap. yes it could cost a bit in recorded delivery ( maybe not a option for cheap padlocks) but to have a new lock of interest!! for a few weeks with a good selection to choose from.Im just thinking there's lots of people who have good cylinders that don't want to sell but maybe they'd swap

[ToolyMcgee]

I would suggest not trading a lock you want to get back. It opens a window for dispute. Say I get my lock back all scratched up with the keyway whored out when I took perfect care of your's. That's not fair to me, and how would you reach a settlement for that dispute? Do we need to draw up legal documents and have a third party hold security deposits? Which mod wants to volunteer?

I'm still failing to see the need for an additional section. That's something that could be arranged with another member if you put your lock in the buy, sell, trade section under those specific swapping conditions. Still, I don't lend out money, cd's, clothes, or anything else with the expectation of ever recieveing it back, because you never know what could happen. Theft, fire, lost in transit, swallowed by the dog. I couldn't swap with anyone in the UK simply based on shipping costs. It would cost nearly as much to swap a medeco for an abloy as it would to buy either, and that's without insurance.

I still think it is a neat idea, but in practice it could get ugly, and the section to arrange swaps already exists if you are so inclined just post in the buy/sell/trade and list conditions. Maybe you'll get a bite.

-T'mcgee

[HallisChalmers]

I would suggest not trading a lock you want to get back. It opens a window for dispute. Say I get my lock back all scratched up with the keyway whored out when I took perfect care of your's. That's not fair to me, and how would you reach a settlement for that dispute? Do we need to draw up legal documents and have a third party hold security deposits? Which mod wants to volunteer?

-T'mcgee

Yeah, you are right again, Tooly. To be honest, that situation is a perfect "worst case" scenario. Although we can assume that most members here are a pretty honest bunch - there will be an occaision that arises where somebody may feel they got burnt.

When that happens, who gets to hear the bellyaching, bitching and whining? The Mods.

We would then have to be dragged into a personal dispute between members, that I feel we really don't need to be refereeing. I don't want the responsibility of settling a dispute over non-returned or damaged locks.

To be clear - everything you do on this site, you are doing at your own risk. If you want to trade locks amongst yourselves - that's fine. But don't expect Keypicking to be there to play judge and jury.

MANDELBROT27, my suggestion is to get to know folks here on the site a little bit better. When you find someone that you feel you can trust, then by all means arrange a trade, sale, or whatever.

If you get ripped, then post a notice to list the member as a bad seller/trader, etc., and then we can at least post the details on the "Bad Sellers/Traders" list so others can be warned.

Never lend, trade, or sell anything that you are not willing to take a loss on.

You know the old saying: Neither a lender nor borrower be.

[MANDELBROT27]

yeah you guys are right properly open a bucket of worms ! very true about return condition ect ect. ive just been down the scrap yard got 7 cylinders with the keys for a £10 Thanks for the interest lads