mike_i
Senior Member
I was reading someone's post here and they mentioned LMS website. It sounds like a good idea, it would be nice to be able to return someone's lost item. Have any of you guys/gals had any experience with them?
I was reading someone's post here and they mentioned LMS website. It sounds like a good idea, it would be nice to be able to return someone's lost item. Have any of you guys/gals had any experience with them?
Not me. I just check/use Craigslist.
I tried looking at that, years ago, and there were literally NO posts for my own area.
Skip
I was a member for several years and found 2 items for people over that time, in one case getting a $100 reward. I dropped off the site when he required payment.
IMHO he should have asked for donations from people who's items were found, not from the people doing the work to find them, but I don't know enough about the operation to know if such a model makes sense.
I don't mind throwing a couple bucks in the pot to help offset the cost of maintaining the site.
Yeah, except at 2800 members asking $2, he is asking for $5600/year for those things. What he is actually getting, who knows, but I suspect it is well in excess of the cost to operate a website of that nature (and that doesn't count what his sponsors are paying). I've actually operated or co-operated a few websites like that, and have been in the business since forever, and you can do it for under $200/yr if you know what your doing. $500/yr should be absolute tops.
Specifically he is asking "We require each of our volunteers to pay a $2 yearly Group Membership Fee. These fees are used to help us pay the Group's operating expenses (website hosting services, software purchases & updates, code changes and troubleshooting, domain registration, internet access, backup services, etc.)."
Knowing exactly what all that means, and exactly what all that costs, it looks like a case of "ye doth protest too much".
Whether he is simply incompetent, or is asking for way more than the cost to operate a web site of that nature, I personally am unwilling to subsidize either as a VOLUNTEER, as I am already volunteering my time, equipment, and expertise.
Its just me. If you find the site worthwhile or valuable, then send him some cash, of course.
But, you can look at it this way. In the past 90 days, there have been about 54 listings. So, an average of 200 a year. If you charge a flat $1 to list, you've covered your $200 operating budget. If you charge a $10 listing fee, you can have a $2000 operating budget, which should be way more than you need if you are truly believing in a VOLUNTEER service.
The real number is probably somewhere in between. If you lost a priceless ring (and the one I found, the owner claimed was worth $14,000 (no typo, imagine the temptation to just pocket it )), wouldn't you throw $5 away for a listing for the small chance of recovery?
And, under this business model rather than the volunteer pays business model, I suspect you'd get more willing volunteers. But, I have my own problems. Subsidizing him is not one of them.
And besides, its just bad juju to know someone lost a valuable ring, know a detectorist is in the area that could help, and withhold that information unless the detectorist pays.
I don't mind throwing a couple bucks in the pot to help offset the cost of maintaining the site.
Yeah, except at 2800 members asking $2, he is asking for $5600/year for those things. What he is actually getting, who knows, but I suspect it is well in excess of the cost to operate a website of that nature (and that doesn't count what his sponsors are paying)....
...Whether he is simply incompetent, or is asking for way more than the cost to operate a web site of that nature, I personally am unwilling to subsidize either as a VOLUNTEER, as I am already volunteering my time, equipment, and expertise....
Today's update: I spoke with John, the owner of the LMS site. There appears to be some type of email glitch that is preventing me from receiving emails from him. He said he is able to see my requests for the lost reports and his system emailing them to me but I'm not receiving them. He's working on the issue and will get back to me, he also offered to refund me the 2 bucks. More to follow.
Yea I emailed him a question today replied within a few hours.
Did you check spam folder? Sometimes if several come in auto kicks