Removal of non-car classifieds from PistonHeads

[Ben Lowden]

We’ve been busy making significant changes this year to our premium used car search experience, making it easier for you to find your dream car on PH.

However, as part of this rebuild with a renewed focus on car listings and general decline in traffic to our non-car classifieds, we’re removing the ability to list all private non-car listings from PistonHeads from 1 December. Any existing listings will run until they expire.

Any adverts that were previously shown under Motorbikes, Motorsport, Parts & Plates and Non-Motoring will be removed from the website and will no longer be supported.

This has not been an easy decision but will allow us to focus on continuing to improve the core of our business.

If you have an advert live in our non-car classifieds, there’s nothing you need to do and it’ll be removed in due course.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

When will the forums no longer be compatible with the core of your business?

[civicduty]

I wonder if there is a way the members of this forum can buy it off the people who seem to want to ruin the name Pistonheads who are trying to turn this into a pure commercial website.

[Second Best]

Removing parts and non-motoring seems like a reasonable compromise. A lot of that tends to get sorted on the forums anyway.

Removing bikes though... why? That seems like a very stupid idea seeing as your captive market is generally petrolheads, and there's a strong corellation from cars <> bikes (compared to the general public who think a Galaxy Zetec is a sporty car).

A few hours coding to bring bike sales into the PH advertising group, well that can't be a big gamble, right? Buy -> Search Used Cars, Search Used Bikes - a few non-intrusive ads about "hey we do bikes too, come join us! here are some articles about the Evo Triangle" etc

Meh, you know what, you do you PH. I noticed the other day that you can still buy PistonHeads :: Speed Matters trinkets from the store, but it's not been updated for many years. Didn't realise ad revenue generated so much more income than PHers buying merch directly from the site.

[Mezzanine]

Does this open up the chance of relaxing the moderation/rules around mentioning a non-car related item being potentially for sale during thread discussions?

For instance those of us who frequent the watch forums would find it useful to be able to more freely discuss the selling of watches between other posters who we trust.

Either a dedicated ‘sales’ thread or just letting posters mention a certain item is for sale within the natural flow of thread and letting people talk via PM without their comments being removed?

[Matt Dell]

Second Best said:

Removing bikes though... why?

We had the same discussion internally, but it simply comes down to the fact that no one uses it.

[dickymint]

Matt Dell said:

Second Best said:

Removing bikes though... why?

We had the same discussion internally, but it simply comes down to the fact that no one uses it.

That's fine Matt but what about Mezzanine's query about members being cut some slack when mentioning within a post they have a bike or other item that PH classifieds doesn't cover?

[Matt Dell]

That's one for Ben Lowden so I didn't comment.

I think it's a good point to raise and I'll ask him to chime in here.

[bigandclever]

Second Best said:

I noticed the other day that you can still buy PistonHeads :: Speed Matters trinkets from the store, but it's not been updated for many years. Didn't realise ad revenue generated so much more income than PHers buying merch directly from the site.

Maybe it’s semantics but I thought the merchandise / PH shop essentially had nothing to do with PH .. apart from the branding, of course, it’s all out-sourced.

[dickymint]

bigandclever said:

Second Best said:

I noticed the other day that you can still buy PistonHeads :: Speed Matters trinkets from the store, but it's not been updated for many years. Didn't realise ad revenue generated so much more income than PHers buying merch directly from the site.

Maybe it’s semantics but I thought the merchandise / PH shop essentially had nothing to do with PH .. apart from the branding, of course, it’s all out-sourced.

Fond memories of PetrolTed and all the donations of PH stickers, Tshirts, Jackets etc he'd give to our TVR Wedgefest raffles.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

dickymint said:

Fond memories of PetrolTed and all the donations of PH stickers, Tshirts, Jackets etc he'd give to our TVR Wedgefest raffles.

Not to mention the Lotus Elise they donated to raffle off!
Who won that by the way?

[Mezzanine]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

dickymint said:

Fond memories of PetrolTed and all the donations of PH stickers, Tshirts, Jackets etc he'd give to our TVR Wedgefest raffles.

Not to mention the Lotus Elise they donated to raffle off!
Who won that by the way?

Careful, you might find yourself banned for bringing that up!

[Mezzanine]

Mezzanine said:

Does this open up the chance of relaxing the moderation/rules around mentioning a non-car related item being potentially for sale during thread discussions?

For instance those of us who frequent the watch forums would find it useful to be able to more freely discuss the selling of watches between other posters who we trust.

Either a dedicated ‘sales’ thread or just letting posters mention a certain item is for sale within the natural flow of thread and letting people talk via PM without their comments being removed?

Any response from the big man in charge?

[Matt Dell]

Ben is on holiday this week. I spoke to him briefly about it and we'd like to do something so we'll work out the particulars and get back to you sometime next week.

[Second Best]

Matt Dell said:

Ben is on holiday this week. I spoke to him briefly about it and we'd like to do something so we'll work out the particulars and get back to you sometime next week.

Appreciate your message and not rising to what one could construe as a baiting message from me.

I still think that bikes should be kept on PH - particularly as nowadays with the cost of petrol, tax, living etc etc, folks might be tempted onto two wheels rather than four.

It does seem like you folks have a handle on the user feedback so I'll leave it there. Cheers for listening!

[Mezzanine]

Matt Dell said:

Ben is on holiday this week. I spoke to him briefly about it and we'd like to do something so we'll work out the particulars and get back to you sometime next week.

Thanks Matt

[Ben Lowden]

Mezzanine said:

Does this open up the chance of relaxing the moderation/rules around mentioning a non-car related item being potentially for sale during thread discussions?

For instance those of us who frequent the watch forums would find it useful to be able to more freely discuss the selling of watches between other posters who we trust.

Either a dedicated ‘sales’ thread or just letting posters mention a certain item is for sale within the natural flow of thread and letting people talk via PM without their comments being removed?

Apologies for the delay here, I was off last week and just playing catch up. We're in the process of setting up new Marketplace forums for:

• Motorbikes
• Parts and plates
• Non-motoring

While these categories were rarely used in the classifieds, we recognise there may be demand in the forums for members to sell amongst each other, so these forums will be launching soon.

With regards to the watch forum, I have no issue with having a single sticky thread at the top of the Watches forum for watches for sale/wanted in the same way we do for Le Mans/ Goodwood. As with these threads, we don't want posts spreading into other threads with people trying to promote something for sale. Happy to set this up – just let me know!

[B'stard Child]

Can we make this thread a sticky for say 6 mths - just while people get used to the new arrangements for non car classifieds?

[Ben Lowden]

Done

[B'stard Child]

Ben Lowden said:

Done

Thank you Ben - Then at least it's easy to find quickly even if they don't see the sticky