I was kicked of an FB page for flipping items. What's wrong with flipping?

[dolphinsaraht]

Hi, I specialize in selling My Little Pony items and was on (for a couple of years) a FB page for My Little Pony Buy, Sell and Swap. Recently, whoever was in charged kicked me off/blocked me from the page. When I asked why (they didn't even have the courtesy of telling me in a message that I'd been kicked off), they said it was because I was buying ponies and selling them for a profit. I asked if this was against the law, or even the rules of the page. (When I buy ponies using this page, I sell them on eBay.) I don't understand why the entire concept of flipping is "wrong." Many people flip on eBay and make this their entire income stream, and I don't think it's either illegal or unethical to do so. I buy from willing sellers, sell to willing buyers, never twisted anyone's arm to buy my stuff, etc. I just don't see how I'm hurting anyone.

Why would the page moderator (or whomever) take such issue with this? What do the rest of you think about flipping items?

I honestly think this is just capitalism and completely legit. If people don't want to buy what I'm selling, all they have to do is say "no thanks."

Because I'm blocked from the FB pony page, I can't really give more information about it.

[yuzuha]

It's not wrong, but the group is entirely within their rights to decide that they don't want flippers as a part of it if their desire is to sell and swap items among people who are genuinely interested in collecting for themselves rather than trying to make a profit.

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@dolphinsaraht wrote:

Who specifically on FB?

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Mark Zuckerberg if you can. Shoot for the moon and settle for the page moderator. IMHO

😉

[chapeau-noir]

My experience with Facebook (2004 or whenever it began to about 2018) was that FB group mods will kick anyone off for any kind of thing they feel like, stupid or not, and don't bother to notify. Many are a cliquish lot, it's their little fiefdom and they can do what they like. Why ask why.

[chevymontecarlo88]

It may be possible that you are infringing on there side hustle. They may not want the competition.

Start your own FB group and own it.

[gone.c-33]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Many retail stores will ban you if they know it's for resell.

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Seriously? Who, for example?

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Five Below used to ban resellers during the height of the Squishmallows craze.

[gone.c-33]

@dolphinsarahtTheres nothing Facebook will do about you getting kicked out of a group. Group admins decide who can join and participate.

These type of collector groups tend to be for people who want to complete their collection and help others do so by trading/selling their dupes. I strongly doubt the admins kicked you out because you were “infringing on their side hustle”, it was most likely because it buying exclusively for resale went against their ethos. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Many retail stores will ban you if they know it's for resell.

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Seriously? Who, for example?

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I don’t know if “many” stores do it, but Target will. I recall they went thru a corporate PR crisis awhile back.

Target paired up with a major designer to produce special goods, as they had been doing for awhile. A very successful marketing strategy and popular. The day of the launch, the resellers descended like locusts at store opening time, and bought out the relatively small amount of merchandise available nation-wide in no time. “Regular” shoppers got trampled, shunted to the side, arrived too late. Lots of unhappy customers. Resellers became persona non grata at Target with special rules in place to prevent a repeat of that day.

[soh.maryl]

Interesting.  But apparently not uncommon.  As a member of several FB groups for people who sew for dolls or who collect dolls, have noticed that a few of them specifically forbid buying or selling or perhaps trading on their site, but that's well spelled out in the rules and, when you sign up as member, you agree that you'll follow those guidelines.  

[ittybitnot]

@dolphinsaraht 

Actually, I am an admin for a FB buy/sell group.  I also belong to many others.  I can tell you that all of them differ in one way or another, and most have published rules or guidelines.  There are lots of times I feel the 'guidelines'  or 'rules' are rather bizarre, but they are there.  

I use a feature that requires that I approve a post before it can go live.  I do this because I hate SCROLLING after the fact. I am a volunteer.  As an example, in that group everything must be able to be shipped.  It is the first rule on the list with very specific details.   I even ask "what is rule number 1 "  as a pre-requisite for joining.   What do  I see half the time is when a post comes in: "pick up only in......(someplace nobody has ever heard about).  Will meet at Fred's hardware store"......Ah, no.  But I will actually send a note as to why your listing was rejected each time and invite contact should you need assistance. After about five or six times of the same, the poster wannabe will be blocked.   

I belong to another vintage antique buy/sell that made a new rule that everything posted must include the exact year it was made.  They got over that  after a while.  You will always find groups with petty quirks. I see quite a few now that want MONEY in order to place things for sale.  Look for other opportunities.  Join up, watch, read, understand the rules and simply remove yourself if it is not for you.  Some are just for discussions, some do not allow selling at all. 

It is likely you will never know why you were removed from the group.  There is nobody that can force them to allow you back.  Use it as an opportunity to find something better. 

[lakefor94]

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@powell-memorabilia wrote:

Wow - I would never have guessed that MLP was that desirable.  Next time Sakic asks what is in demand, I know what to tell her.

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Thought Sakic was a him?

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@gone.c-33 wrote:

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Many retail stores will ban you if they know it's for resell.

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Seriously? Who, for example?

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Five Below used to ban resellers during the height of the Squishmallows craze.

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I strongly doubt they banned anyone because they were "Resellers". I never saw any press release or official messaging from Five Below about banning anyone.  It was most likely because there was a limited amount of inventory and they did not want a few zealous buyers cleaning them out. Limits on promotional items, lost leaders and trendy items are common. IMHO

Regardless of the reason dolphinsaraht , beat them at there own game. Start your own group by copying what they do and make it better. If you own the feed, you control what inventory you can possibly purchase before anyone else. I believe in you.

[yuzuha]

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@gone.c-33 wrote:

These type of collector groups tend to be for people who want to complete their collection and help others do so by trading/selling their dupes. I strongly doubt the admins kicked you out because you were “infringing on their side hustle”, it was most likely because it buying exclusively for resale went against their ethos. 

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Yeah, this was exactly my thought. I used to be part of a collecting group like that and we absolutely would have kicked someone who was buying for resale out because our goal was to complete our collections while also helping other people complete theirs. We all knew what everyone else was looking for and so we would often offer our dupes to specific people we knew wanted them, stuff like that.

[gone.c-33]

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@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:

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@gone.c-33 wrote:

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Many retail stores will ban you if they know it's for resell.

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Seriously? Who, for example?

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Five Below used to ban resellers during the height of the Squishmallows craze.

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I strongly doubt they banned anyone because they were "Resellers". I never saw any press release or official messaging from Five Below about banning anyone.  It was most likely because there was a limited amount of inventory and they did not want a few zealous buyers cleaning them out. Limits on promotional items, lost leaders and trendy items are common. IMHO

Regardless of the reason dolphinsaraht , beat them at there own game. Start your own group by copying what they do and make it better. If you own the feed, you control what inventory you can possibly purchase before anyone else. I believe in you.

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Let me rephrase that. Individual stores would recognize shelf clearers and ban them from purchasing Squishmallow items. It wasn’t a corporate thing but the end result was the same, resellers couldn’t purchase from those stores.

[ittybitnot]

 Start your own group by copying what they do and make it better. 

@chevymontecarlo88 
@dolphinsaraht 

Yes, that is an option as well.  In my instance, I choose not to sell in the group I admin.  

I do buy to "flip", but I would think it would be poor taste to turn around and flip it in the same group where you made the purchase.  Some people find it offensive, so I don't do that either and sell it someplace else instead.  Though business is business,  a person might really take offense if they sold something to you, and you posted it and put it for sale for ten times the amount....and it sold.   Business wise I would say good for you,  I got my price you did the extra work it took to sell it for more.  Others don't see it that way........on eBay though they can use my pictures and text, too.  Now that is tacky.   

[chevymontecarlo88]

The purpose to start a FB group in this case would be to source inventory. And when i say copy i don't mean literally steal there content. Use the same format and make it better.  I would agree that if you try to sell where you source, you are asking for trouble. Most if not all would be hesitant to deal with again or have poor feelings about you. The OP stated they were banned because they sold on Ebay for a profit. Seems petty that some of the FB users would be that way.  Personally i would not waste my time with those groups unless it was a large part of my sourcing. Then i would take them to task by starting a competing group. Thankfully i deal with musicians (that have there own baggage) and they typically understand that once you sell/trade an item, its not theirs to decide what you do with it.

 I do appreciate how you approach being an Admin and if i had the time to manage a board, i would do the same. It would be more of a hobby/love than a business resource. Originally when i would see a photo of mine being used it would bug me but now i just laugh about it. Some are just lazy to put in the work and eventually it will catch up to them.