Used stamps exchanges.

I thought the club rules were: 100 used stamps, no duplicates & no damaged stamps. If you abide by these rules why are some people giving low marks just because they don't like the stamps you sent. I send stamps in good faith. I'm not a mind reader & I don't know which stamps you already have. I've never given anyone less than 5 stars, even when there have been a lot of stamps that I already have. They abided by the rules so 5 stars were given.

My first and last comment to was "Please do".

"I would feel ashamed if this lot had come from me."

I'd be ashamed to write to someone who's dedicated time to you: '80 of your stamps aren't valid for this club; I threw them away.'

This is especially true when it's clear that you don't fully understand the club's rules. Not to mention that we still don't know what you actually threw away, but that's another story.

That said, in this club, as in real life, we don't have to get along with everyone. Being selective about whom we dedicate our time and energy to is sometimes necessary.

It is.
But even a photo would be open for discussion and interpretation. Where I rate 3, someone else might rate 4, or 1. Therefore, again, is Mikes issue very valid. How do you rate, and why?

It's perfectly within your rights not to include a photo and to give a neutral rating, and it's very kind of you to the person who sent it.

It's true that evaluating a shipment isn't easy.

That's why I've made it a habit to include a photo. Of course, mistakes can happen, like a few damaged stamps, but some people don't play fair. If these people are incapable of sending 100 stamps in good condition, or adding many CTO stamps, there are clubs for 25 or 50 stamps.

Some people have no respect for anything; they have multiple accounts and send just about anything.

It's really frustrating to have to throw away stamps.

As for the 80 stamps: I did throw them away before the discussion started, so sending a photo is not an option anymore.
But trust me, I would feel ashamed if this lot would have come from me. Hence the 3-star rating.

See my previous post on how I rate. I don't have to prove my point.
I am curious though (as is Mike) how other members use this rating.
Perhaps we can make a rule for it that everyone complies to.
Rather than having fierce discussions that are based on opinions, that makes no sense.

So nobody can know if Micba sent you 80 stamps that you threw away.

This is a discussion forum; everyone has the right to participate.

I have nothing against you; I'm just curious to know why you gave it a 3 when you threw away 80 stamps.

Why would I? 3-star is not something exceptional, and the sender could also add a photo to prove his point. Besides, this is between the sender and me and does not belong here.

So again, please back to the original matter, on how to rate in general.

Why didn't you take photos to prove your claims?

Other than making this a personal thing, we should go back to Mike's question.

Since there are no set rules, they are interpreted by person.

For me:
- When there are way less than 100 stamps, or majority is damaged: 1 or 2 stars.
- When I can add most stamps to my collection, a trading club, or redistribute in this club: 4 or 5 stars.
- As a stamp collector, you cannot know what your counter partner owns and what not, but you can understand what is reasonable to send. When your lot does not qualify for the above, in my opinion a three star rating is acceptable.

"Koen's lack of courage" was te trigger LAURENT.
Please be more careful with your comments.

Pour votre information, KOEN ? Je publie une photo de ce que je reçois et de ce que j'envoie. Pourquoi pas vous ?

Je ne comprends pas pourquoi vous m'attaquez alors que j'ai simplement dit que vous aviez eu la gentillesse de noter ce colis 3 étoiles malgré 80 articles endommagés.

Comment pouvez-vous noter ce colis 3 étoiles alors que 80 articles sont bons pour la poubelle… simplement parce que vous n'avez pas eu le courage de prendre une photo !

Veuillez faire plus attention à vos commentaires ; être derrière un écran ne devrait pas vous rendre agressif.

For your information, KOEN? I post a photo of what I receive and what I send. Why don't you?

I don't understand why you're attacking me when I simply said that you were kind enough to give this package 3 stars despite 80 damaged items.

How can you give this package 3 stars when 80 items are only fit for the trash… simply because you didn't have the courage to take a picture!

Please be more careful with your comments; being behind a screen shouldn't make you aggressive.

Ah, like the first lot I sent to you, rated 3 without comment? The pot calling the kettle black.
Based on someones complaint about a lower rating, not knowing the insights, you shouild restrain from such allogations. Typical French arrogance.

As for the lot received: send better stamps, get better ratings, it is really that simple.
50 definitives? Who wants to receive that? But I'm sure the sender has a photo available to prove his point.

Having said that, I would like to receive the official rules on the rating system.

Comments and ratings are mandatory for ratings below 3.

With 80 stamps fit only for the bin, I wonder why you didn't get a score lower than 3... Koen's lack of courage to take a photo

I sent 101 stamps, to be precise:

- 101 stamps
- 9 countries + U.N.O.
- Years: 1945–2017
- Currencies: 14

Categories:

- Airport: 6
- Commemorative: 43
- Definitive: 50
- Parcel Post: 1
- Registration: 1

It took quite a bit of time to put together, especially since I had to travel to the only place where you can still buy decent stamps for mailing.

The result? A 3-star rating with the comment: "Not impressed - stamps on the envelope are okay though."

I replied that I felt 3 stars was unfair given the time and money invested in preparing and sending the delivery, and that I would not be doing something similar again.

In response, I received this message:

"80 of your stamps do not qualify for this club; I threw them away."

I've asked for clarification and I was told:

"You know what you have sent. There's no point discussing it."

I then asked again:

"I would like to understand which 80 stamps ended up in your trash bin because they "do not qualify for this club," and on the basis of which rules this decision was made."

I never received an answer. Overall, a disappointing experience.

I agree. If people give you low ratings they should at least tell you why. I have asked people why, but they don't answer.

Hey Mike,
I completely agree with you - I see the clubs as a opportunity for random exchange while still supporting the postal services. In my case, there are no active philatelic societies in my area and I see this as a nice way to swap some stamps around. Given the circumstances, and having in mind that I have not been collecting for decades like other members, I don't have so much variety, but I try to make a decent mix and follow the rules. I even add a couple more stamps.
But yes, the penalties for low ratings (1 and 2) are a bit harsh in my opinion. I mean, you can agree to send more stamps but they also take their time to get to the recipient. In that time you are limited to only 2 traveling letters. That is not so big of a deal in 100stamps. club, but having only two 25stamps.club letters traveling seems absurd.
Still, I feel like the community is sensible enough to avoid giving bad ratings. But maybe it would be good to make comments and photos required when giving a bad rating.