Travel agent solicitations

[Shasta_man]

Are these travel agent solicitations allowed in the discussion forums?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/355208-raja-ampat-palau-maldives.html

 

[diversteve]

They are when answering a question. Technically this qualifies:

Could you please provide some info. if you have recently traveled to any of these destinations.

Posting of a new unsolicited thread selling services should only be in the Trips & Local Marketplace area for that region.

 

[Shasta_man]

Understand your distinction however, all their responses are only links to their commercial website merely showing the list of the resorts they are selling for. There is no personal information to it. It's just a travel site you can buy from.

I believe the forums are for personal non-commercial discussion of people's experiences and recommendations while the marketplace areas provides access to travel agents, etc. Since they sell both land and sea accomodations, they don't provide objective info that people are looking for since it would slight the other.

I'm noticing there are a few of these guys on here now.

 

[The Chairman]

I understand your consternation. If it's not against the ToS, but causing people to see them in a poor light, then they probably want to change what they are doing. So, you can report their post when you see it, or PM them how it makes you feel. Many of these people don't understand that they are intruding on your FUN TIME. They can't know unless you (or we) tell them.

 

[Damselfish]

Anyone who thinks they are helping rather than hurting their business by doing stuff like that are usually - by definition - clueless about this sort of thing. In my experience educating them gently via PM is generally effective and even welcomed. (Obviously this doesn't apply to the completely mindless and indiscriminate spammers where there's no point, but those posts have a pretty short half life here anyway.)

 

[The Chairman]

(Obviously this doesn't apply to the completely mindless and indiscriminate spammers where there's no point, but those posts have a pretty short half life here anyway.)

Yes they do. We pride ourselves on spotting and deleting spammers before most of the Board know that they are here.

 

[knotical]

Yes they do. We pride ourselves on spotting and deleting spammers before most of the Board know that they are here.

And some (most?) of us sincerely appreciate the vigilance.