What To Do About Trains

[FallenPixels]

As many of you are aware, there have been a lot of issues with trains lately and this is leading to good traders/conductors no longer running them. With the increase in postage costs this will be an even bigger issue.

Some of the issues

• Late mailing - especially on VWTS this impacts everyone
• Traders who have many envies got MIA - this is more of an issue when they have a high trade rating as people let it go but I am aware of some users gettting replacements on about 30% of trains/trades. I went through this personally with my mail not arriving/the box not being picked up and stopped trading as a result - perhaps the users need to look at their local CP rather than blame newer traders.
• Low quality coupons being included
• Not sticking to wishlists - especially an issue on VWTs
• Ridiculous wishlists and conductors not sending them back for revision as asked last year
• Feedback not being left
• Positives being given when not deserved - you are just setting other users up for future headaches!

User Additions

• boarding passes (too many stamps / not being included)
• Weights on envies

As you know, we already cancelled "round robin" trains and had to make extensive changes to package trains because of the increased cost attached to them with these issues. We really do not want to have to police regular trains as heavily nor make changes to them, many of the issues can be cleared up by everyone following the current rules. However, the increased postage is going to impact trains - people are not going to want to ride crappy trains and pay $3+ to mail them.

So this is a discussion thread, if you are having issues on trains not noted above, please let us know.

If you have any ideas on how to go forward, this is the place to discuss them!

The next post will have potential new rules / ways to solve these issues so it is easy for you to look and discuss

FYI New Postage Costs
0-30g $0.85 (was $0.63)
30-50g $1.20 (was $1.10)
50-100g $1.80 (was $1.34 - reg for many trains)
100-200g $2.95 (was $2.20)
200-300g $4.10 (was $3.05)

[FallenPixels]

Crappy coupons being added (trad trains)
- conductor posts list of original coupons and riders post specific in/outs

Weight of trains
- conductor posts weight limit (say 50g) if over due to a heavier coupon, rider can remove the cheapest/most useless/soon to expire coupon to reduce to that weight without replacement

Cap on boarding passes

[FallenPixels]

another one

[FallenPixels]

Accepted decisions

[Anna Michele]

Ill chime in first
There were a few trains run by long time SCers this past year where there was a list included as to what was in the train to start and what you took and what you added this was a great idea but did contribute to the weight of the envelope.

At the moment we have a train conductor doing something similar where she listed the coupons included in the original thread this is a great way to keep track of what is in the envie at all times. ( I dont know if the list is being incl. in the train or not)

It would make the most sense to do this and keep track in the thread and not include the list in the envie to save on postage but still keep track of who is taking and adding what.

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[Anna Michele]

There are many times when an envie is over loaded with soon to expire coupons and sometimes it makes the envies weight just cross over the line to the next weigh class/postage cost. If the difference of one or two coupons can mean the difference between $1.20 and $1.80 i say remove the coupon.
It should be a request/rule that the train does not exceed the 50g mark or at least let it be known upon boarding.


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[Anna Michele]

Problem/solution
if we buy a book of p stamps @a cost of 85c each it could be a money saver to use it and a 20c stamp instead of a $1.20 stamp to cover the 50g cost thus only costing $1.05 in the end.
We gotta save where we can.

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[Anna Michele]

Another option would be to put a cap on boarding passes
A max of
one p stamp for traditional trains
and 2 p stamps for vwt.

Other options are always encouraged ie. Coupons surprises stickers etc.

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[Anna Michele]

Or even remove the boarding pass all together for traditionals since everyone is contributing coupons and paying to send it along.

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[Anna Michele]

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

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[Venuila]

Mailing late is an issue on VWTs? List in the rules that it is mandatory you post when you have mailed and go by the 2 week rule? Every rider should be aware that even if everyones envie is received 4 days after mail date, the train will wait 2 weeks for the last to arrive.

Not sticking to WLs....If you're unsure don't be afraid to ask someone to clarify. If you don't want to do it, ask the Conductor, that's what they're there for. Maybe people need to be more specific with their wishes?

I've conducted my fair share of VWTs, and it does get costly to replace mistakes. Which is why on my last few trains I have included in the rules that for every mistake you have I am not sending you a coupon for your bundle from myself. If it's a 3 point train, and you send two mistakes that I have to replace you are only receiving one coupon from me. I think that is more than fair.

As for the "ridiculous" wishlists. I don't think that will ever stop being an issue. What is "ridiculous" to you might not be to me. I've had people say someones wishlist is too hard when they have numerous printables and even inserts on them yet no mention of someone with a wishlist with only coupons on packaging, call ins, etc. Some people have a lot of the coupons on packaging and don't get inserts. Some people have loads of inserts and never buy the stuff that has coupons in the packaging. Don't think you can make everyone happy here on this. Worst case scenario you send a stamp to replace 2 coupons (usually). You might even receive a stamp back in your bundle so you wouldn't be out anything. But again, if you don't want to send a stamp that bad contact the rider or Conductor. People are usually more than willing to add a few things to make it easier for you.

Feedback not being left - if that's an issue Conductor's should be leaving negatives if it isn't left in a reasonable amount of time upon receipt of envie?
When should a negative be left? When someones train goes MIA? When someone has a lot of mistakes in their envie? When someone forgets a BP? I am a little unsure of this myself. Maybe what classifies as a positive/neutral/negative rating should be clearly outlined somewhere (if it isn't already?).

[FallenPixels]

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

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No problem, the more info we all have the better!

[Venuila]

I like the idea of a stamp cap on BPs.

I don't usually ride Trad Trains unless there is no BP because of the issues already mentioned. I would ride a 1 stamp Trad if it was from someone in BC because I know they usually have a different variety than the ONT ones.

VWT BPs... It seems very difficult to get riders on a 4 stamp BP train these days. 3 stamp MAX I think is more than reasonable with the new increases. If people want to have other options that's great too. I do the "surprise bp" on my trains and love it.

[FallenPixels]

As for the "ridiculous" wishlists. I don't think that will ever stop being an issue. What is "ridiculous" to you might not be to me. I've had people say someones wishlist is too hard when they have numerous printables and even inserts on them yet no mention of someone with a wishlist with only coupons on packaging, call ins, etc. Some people have a lot of the coupons on packaging and don't get inserts. Some people have loads of inserts and never buy the stuff that has coupons in the packaging. Don't think you can make everyone happy here on this. Worst case scenario you send a stamp to replace 2 coupons (usually). You might even receive a stamp back in your bundle so you wouldn't be out anything. But again, if you don't want to send a stamp that bad contact the rider or Conductor. People are usually more than willing to add a few things to make it easier for you.

The issue is more when the conductor states in the rules ALL FPS are 3pts and then there are HV/FPCs as 1pt or it is all coupons that have expired and you physically cant send the person them. The one a conductor contacted me about recently stated 25+ coupons that must be easily obtainable, tearpad, insert etc and then the rest could be FPCs (must be 3pts) packaging etc. The person sent a list of 17 coupons and their 1pts included $1 any heinz etc

It isn't fair to the people following the conductors wishlist rules and sending a list with easier coupons on it

Of course if people want to join a no limits / anything goes train - wishlists can be whatever, but when you have guidelines when signing up and they are not followed it gets unfair. It is by far the biggest reason people are giving me when they PM

[FallenPixels]

Feedback not being left - if that's an issue Conductor's should be leaving negatives if it isn't left in a reasonable amount of time upon receipt of envie?
When should a negative be left? When someones train goes MIA? When someone has a lot of mistakes in their envie? When someone forgets a BP? I am a little unsure of this myself. Maybe what classifies as a positive/neutral/negative rating should be clearly outlined somewhere (if it isn't already?).

The issue is, leaving neg for not leaving feedback is not allowed under the current rules and in some cases I tell people just to forget the trade, it is certainly something I can discuss adding if people want it (I think a neutral would be more fair than a neg for not leaving feedback)
There is also the issue that iTrader is not very mobile friendly so people who use tablets/phones for most of their SC posting wait until they are at a computer, at what point do we consider feedback not left?

As far as ratings
If a trad train goes MIA a neutral is supposed to be left for both the person who sent and the person receiving as there is no way to show who is at fault (obviously if it is replaced or the rider is MIA/has other missing trades you can work out who is at fault)
Mistakes in envies, depending on the type would be neutral-neg, a boarding pass is part of the trade so the same goes.

Personally I would only leave a neg if I did not receive at all and the person was not responding or there were huge errors that were obviously on purpose they are not willing to rectify

Obviously we always work with people to try and have envies replaced before a neutral or neg is left, but there are some people who are getting away with mistakes every time, the conductor uses their own stash to make up envies or they are sent on with the mistakes. Unless something is left on the ratings, the next conductor also thinks it is an honest mistake and it goes on and on