Comments / Feedback / Suggestions Thread 2019

scotty on 11/01/2019 - 21:05

Continued from the same feedback thread of 2018. This post will be used for general feedback in 2019. Please make any suggestions for new features, bugs, things you'd like to see changed or anything else. Please check this wiki page as your suggestion may already have been mentioned.

The majority of things you see, as well as policies on OzBargain were implemented based on user feedback. Please see the Site & Guideline Updates Announcement Thread to keep up to date with the changes/features that we implement as they are added.

Site Discussion

closed Comments

    • Moderatorscotty on 07/11/2019 - 15:32

      Under the title of the draft you've saved, next to the last-save time, there should be a small link "delete" which you can click on to remove that draft.

  • pifts on 12/11/2019 - 01:03

    Can there be a new 'module' on the right that users can write notes? Would be handy to have my "wish list" of things to keep a lookout for with me when I browse!

  • showzen on 12/11/2019 - 20:50
    +1

    Request to have Search Alerts moved out of the Events tabs and into its own tabs. I always have a hard time finding the Search Alerts section probably because the "Events" title doesn't really accurately describe it.

  • uk3000 on 26/11/2019 - 07:02
    +2

    One thing where the current website can be improved is to display a warning when a navigation is about to occur (e.g., because I uncautiously clicked on link), and there's still an unsubmitted post/comment I'm working on, with like half screen of unsaved text.

    Happened to me quite a few times here and it's very frustrating. Pretty sure you know what I'm talking about :) While it's a common problem not specific to OzB only, it can easily be fixed by handling onbeforeunload event.

  • ESEMCE on 26/11/2019 - 12:54
    +2

    Feature suggestions;
    Spending/Savings tracker - would require an additional Bought Button (many people vote on good deals but don't buy if they don't need) and would only apply to single item deals.

    A CamelCamelCamel type Price History Graph - so you can see at a glance how good a deal it is without having to manually trawl back through the deals in a Search.

    Friendlifying the Subscriptions Section for Wanted Items… The Want/Have/Had Status doesn't appear to have any functionality? Not sure of its purpose. The only way I know of to trigger a notification of a deal for a wanted item is to add an Event in Subscriptions.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 26/11/2019 - 20:29

    It would be cool to have a feature where if a post is unpublished due to being a duplicate, etc. The OP could see (when clicking on the unpublished post) the moderator that unpublished it so that if OP wanted to know more information about why the post was unpublished they could contact that moderator directly.

    • Moderatorscotty on 26/11/2019 - 20:38

      We deliberately chose not to show the moderator who performed the action, and you definitely should not contact the moderator directly. Please use TWAM for moderation related inquiries.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 26/11/2019 - 20:41
    +1

    Is Ozbargain going to support sign in with Apple?

  • Clear on 26/11/2019 - 21:47
    +1

    Interesting issue I just found. When on mobile (Chrome/Android) if I tap the "Expired" tag on my deal I can't change it to say Out of Stock - it simply does nothing.

    The same happens if I switch to Full Site or force the desktop site through Chrome.

    • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 26/11/2019 - 21:50

      I think only moderators can mark a deal as Out Of Stock.

      • Clear on 26/11/2019 - 22:01
        +1

        That must have been a very very recent change then. I only did it the other day.

    • Moderatorscotty on 27/11/2019 - 06:39

      Yes it's a bug and will be fixed in the next update.

  • g12345567 on 27/11/2019 - 07:03

    When posting a new deal in the Tag: box when it offers suggestions in the drop down area it says "Officeworkds" instead of "Officeworks" can you please fix the spelling.

    • Moderatorscotty on 27/11/2019 - 07:34

      That's fixed.

  • Dontdoit on 27/11/2019 - 16:13

    Could you consider adding more than 5 highlighted discussion topics to the bottom of the front page? Perhaps 10?

    Or a hyperlink to a page with all highlighted discussion topics? Unsure if this already exists.

    • Moderatorscotty on 27/11/2019 - 18:24

      On Desktop — hover over "Forums"
      On Mobile — click on dropdown next to "Forums"

      Click on Hot Forum Topics. That should give you "Discussion topics with the most comments over last 14 days". This list is more static, comparing to the posts under Highlighted Discussion Topics which are posts with most comments over the last 48 hours. However that gives you a glimpse on what everyone has been discussing over the last 2 weeks.

  • MenacingMan on 28/11/2019 - 09:13
    +1

    Suggestion - OzB merch store

  • payton on 29/11/2019 - 10:44

    We need more power, Captain!
    Ozbargain site really struggling today

  • muzzamo on 02/12/2019 - 12:37
    Merged from Suggestion: report/stat for stores with the greatest number of subscribers

    It would be useful to have a stat or a wiki with the stores with the greatest number of subscribers, perhaps by adding it here:

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/stats

    Personally, I subscribe to YouFoodz as I order it every week or so and wait for someone to kindly post a code. This is a really powerful use of the website. It appears that i'm not alone as that store has 323 subscribers.

  • bargain huntress on 03/12/2019 - 11:06
    Merged from Web VS Email Alerts - Events

    Web alerts (and disabled email alerts) are an option for Categories but not Events. Could someone please add it?

    • Moderatorscotty on 03/12/2019 - 11:44

      Current under Events —> when a deal or a competition reaches front page. So triggers a web notification rather than email? How about search alerts?

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 03/12/2019 - 14:15

    Don’t know if this is already a feature but here goes: Add the ability for the OP to mark a deal as targeted so they don’t need to report it…

    • Moderatorhamza23 on 03/12/2019 - 14:25

      Not everyone understands what a targeted deal is, or what the OzBargain definition is. Therefore moderators should make that decision, it's not a simple matter.

      Having a specific membership or certain attribute requirement can often be perceived as 'targeted', however on OzBargain we don't define that as targeted.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2019 - 20:40
    -1

    Why are flights return flights from (and therefore to) a foreign location permitted on OzBargain? An example would be Chicago to Brisbane return - the guidelines say that deals should be applicable to Australians but I don't see how an itinerary both beginning and ending in Chicago, IL, USA is even slightly of use to someone in Australia.

    A cynic would suggest it seems like it was only allowed because of who posted it, since as one poster on the thread pointed out there are many Europe to Australia deals on Qatar in Business class that do not get published.

    • bargainshooter on 04/12/2019 - 21:22
      -1

      Because you can buy those flights. It's irrelevant if it's not useful to you. An Australian in Chicago can purchase the return flight and use it. I could purchase a separate ticket to Chicago and use that chicago to brisbane flight deal to return. And if I chose not to fly the return brisbane to chicago leg, it may still end up cheaper than purchasing a return brisbane to chicago ticket on another carrier.

      edit: I'm not a moderator but the above sounds reasonable to me

      • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2019 - 21:37
        -1

        Except that it's not useful to anyone on OzBargain. For a start, the ticket is a return flight. For a US airline (and Qantas USA is a US airline, just ultimately headquartered in Australia), they maintain the right to reprice it as a one way if you miss the return - and we all know Qantas is not the cheapest carrier. Second, for someone in the US, Slickdeals is a more appropriate site to find US-originating flight deals.

    • Moderatorneil on 04/12/2019 - 21:35

      As per the help located on the bottom of every page.

      Deal Posting Guidelines: Overseas Deals:

      Physical Goods - Only post deals that can be paid for using Australian payment methods. If the deal does not ship to Australia and freight/mail forwarding is required, your deal MUST include the final price including shipping and the name of the freight/mail forwarding company used for the calculations. Deals without a final price will be removed.

      Virtual Goods - Some deals require a VPN or similar to access them, including the Hola browser extension. These deals are acceptable but please write clearly in the title 'VPN Required' or similar and give basic instructions in the deal.

      Deals in Overseas Countries - Deals available overseas may be applicable to Australians traveling to that destination. Some deals located overseas may not be applicable to the majority of Australians in reasonable circumstances however. Currently only travel/tourist related deals should be posted on OzBargain, these include but are not limited to: Flights, Accommodation, Tours, Airport Facilities/Transport, Special Events (World Cup, Olympics etc) & Communication (Sim Cards, Roaming internet etc). Deals outside of these categories or not realistically applicable to the majority of members may be removed by a moderator.

      The discussion forum post that created these guidelines.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2019 - 21:40

        Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not sure a forum poll from four years ago with eight votes is really a counterpoint to a suggestion post today? I'm saying that rule is silly - a return flight from the US to the US is not useful to Australians, or more specifically is "not realistically applicable to the majority of members". If someone in the US wants to visit Australia, it's Slickdeals or Flyertalk they'll be looking at, not OzBargain. They add no value to this site and its members.

  • Doovik on 04/12/2019 - 21:38
    +1

    Can we get a reviews tab where fellow Ozbargainer's can post reviews of products for other.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/502117

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 08/12/2019 - 09:46

    It would be cool if we could use the ~~ feature in deal titles.

    • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 08/12/2019 - 14:46

      Also would be good if we could use “**”, etc. as well.

    • Clear on 09/12/2019 - 10:55

      Strikeout would be a good feature to have. Thanks to character limits it's hard to put Expired in the title without butchering it if you have multiple products listed. E.g. my recent post.

    • Moderatorscotty on 09/12/2019 - 11:37

      One issue is that the title of the post is used in many places that might not support HTML markup. For example title in the page header, text for pushing out to Twitter/Facebook etc. In those places ~~ will show up rather than getting converted to equivalent HTML markup (<del> ... </del>).

      • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 09/12/2019 - 11:37

        Oh, I didn’t think of that.

      • Clear on 09/12/2019 - 11:45

        That makes sense. Completely fine to remove stuff from the title to add expired to the title?

  • Taegukgi on 09/12/2019 - 10:54
    +1

    Should there be a small grace period e.g. 5 minutes for a poster to remove their posts? Saves the mods from having to do this.

    • isthisreallife22 on 09/12/2019 - 10:56

      Good idea

      • Taegukgi on 09/12/2019 - 11:00

        We can remove comments so I can't see the reason why a post can't be.

        If the reason is not have unpublished posts displaying maybe have a setting to not display unpublished posts?

    • Moderatorscotty on 09/12/2019 - 11:27

      Most post unpublishing requests from the OP are outside that 5-10 minute window. Therefore it won't really affect the workload of the moderators. Having a deal / forum post published also involves more backend resources (comparing to removing a comment) so there will be more to consider on the impact of self-unpublishing posts, which won't be a trivial change.

      I'm adding it to the list of todos but won't be high priority.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 10/12/2019 - 20:30

    Found an issue:

    On this page

    When clicking deals by domain under the: "No Domain/Shop Name" header it says:

    This topic does not exist yet
    You've followed a link to a topic that doesn't exist yet. If permissions allow, you may create it by using the Create this page button.

    • Moderatorneil on 10/12/2019 - 22:07

      Removed link.

  • tighty on 11/12/2019 - 14:07
    +2

    Please can you add a Top button, like there is at the bottom of the comments of deals, for infinite scrolling in New Deals.

  • ronnknee on 13/12/2019 - 16:01
    +3

    Almost half a year ago, I raised the topic DAE Feel The Classified Posting Guidelines Are Too Restrictive?.

    Results: 98 votes; 66 Yes; 32 No

    Over two thirds of participants have agreed that the Classified Posting Guidelines are too restrictive. With these stats in mind, will the OzBargain team review the current guidelines? I think popular changes would include the following:

    • Allow offering of services.
    • Allow purchasing on behalf of others eg. booking flights/accommodation using Amex Travel Credit.
    • Allow reselling items with the intent of making profit (including gift cards or credit card statement offers).
    • Allow gift cards to be sold in large quantities, amounts or repeatedly listed by the same poster.

    Essentially from:

    No referral solicitation or offering personal services/purchasing on behalf of others. This also includes reselling items with the intent of making profit (including gift cards or credit card statement offers). Gift cards in large quantities, amounts or repeatedly listed by the same poster are not permitted.

    To:

    No referral solicitation

    Overall benefits:

    • Freedom of trade among OzBargainers.
    • Creates opportunities for extra savings for buyers.
    • Sellers are incentivised to continue offering their discounted services/products.
    • Encourages competition among sellers, ensuring the best rates/prices for the buyers.
    • Moderatorhamza23 on 13/12/2019 - 16:18

      We will not. The forum post itself contains things that neither the guidelines or moderators have said, nor have the underlying reasons for the guidelines been explained or understood most importantly.

      OzBargain classifieds is not a place for users to resell/broden things, it is for unwanted personal items and will remain this way. We had situations where users were signing up to credit card statement offers they didn't want, taking it away from users who did want, so they could resell it on the classifieds, or signing up to multiple credit cards and reselling the benefits on the classifieds to supplement the annual fee, basically using OzBargain to pay for their credit cards.

      If users want these things, or anything, then they can post in the wanted section as they currently do. There is no loss to the buyers as has been portrayed.

      I understand that a number of 'resellers' are unhappy about this, but we aren't catering towards that.

      • ronnknee on 13/12/2019 - 18:26
        -1

        Thanks hamza23, I agree that the team had not previously explained their reasoning behind the changes and I'm glad you're being transparent about it.

        where users were signing up to credit card statement offers they didn't want, taking it away from users who did want, so they could resell it on the classifieds

        I can see the frustration in this. There will always be people who who will miss out on these statement offers (especially those who don't hold the credit card), whether you ban them in classifieds or not. By allowing them, it gives the opportunity for the buyer to partake them.

        signing up to multiple credit cards and reselling the benefits on the classifieds to supplement the annual fee, basically using OzBargain to pay for their credit cards.

        However, I don't see the problem in this if someone is happy to pay for it. The buyer must be getting something out of it right? Otherwise they wouldn't be transacting.

        There is no loss to the buyers as has been portrayed.

        I disagree. Lack of competition and opportunities means less discounts/savings.

        I understand the decision behind the changes are to discourage resellers ("resellers are bad" mentality) but it also negatively affects the buyers. It takes two to transact. Every potential transaction disallowed due to the changes means a missed opportunity for the buyer.

        • Moderatorhamza23 on 13/12/2019 - 18:39

          Our classifieds have always been for excess personal items and any guideline update is posted in the relevant site update thread, eg, if you had further questions then you can ask the specific questions via TWAM. Primarily we are a deal website, classifieds is just a benefit for members to sell items they no longer want, we aren't running a marketplace and the classifieds is not closely monitored. If buyers or sellers aren't happy with the classifieds they would be better going to dedicated marketplaces such as eBay or Gumtree, this is not our focus, nor are we attempting to compete with them.

          Classifieds a place for selling, giving away or swapping your excess personal items and also to indicate interest in obtaining items

          Thanks

          • brisdaz on 19/12/2019 - 21:53
            +1

            @hamza23: This is a general policy decision. I vote for transparency by posting here publicly instead of moderator's having to individually educate each user on why wasting precious time.

            But thank you for being more transparent.

        • ronnknee on 20/12/2019 - 00:22

          Whoever negged me, happy to hear your thoughts and contribute to the discussion.

      • brisdaz on 13/12/2019 - 19:08
        +1

        I understand that a number of 'resellers' are unhappy about this, but we aren't catering towards that.

        And buyers too.

        • ronnknee on 13/12/2019 - 23:31
          -2

          Literally.

          If buyers or sellers aren't happy with the classifieds they would be better going to dedicated marketplaces such as eBay or Gumtree, this is not our focus

    • spackbace on 13/12/2019 - 20:45
      +1

      Results: 98 votes; 66 Yes; 32 No

      98 voters would be a very small portion of active members on here.

      And just for clarity, your post comes with obvious bias

      This classified post is not published.
      $350 Harvey Norman eGift for $325 (5 Available) (Commercial listings are not allowed for classifieds)

      Personally I think it's perfectly fine how it is

      • ronnknee on 13/12/2019 - 23:37

        98 voters would be a very small portion of active members on here.

        It is, but that's the best sample data I can get.

        And just for clarity, your post comes with obvious bias

        Yes, that is what instigated the topic (change in guidelines, post removed) and hence my post. I am not pretending to be neutral.

      • brisdaz on 31/12/2019 - 08:35

        98 voters would be a very small portion of active members on here.

        How would you suggest getting a more representative sample?

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 14/12/2019 - 15:02

    It would be cool if we could see how long we have been on OzBargain for like all time and daily.

    (I mean as in how long you have been using it for e.g like apples screen time feature NOT How long you have been a member for).

    • Moderatorscotty on 14/12/2019 - 17:46

      I think most users would appreciate that we don't record that kind of analytics.

      • Doovik on 14/12/2019 - 20:56
        +1

        Can we get a reviews tab where fellow Ozbargainer's can post reviews of products for other.

        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/502117

        • Moderatorscotty on 15/12/2019 - 22:36

          I went to ProductReview's office 2 weeks ago and chatted with their director there, and "review" is basically not something we would want to get into at the moment, based on how many cease & desist letters from lawyers they have to process each week…

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 14/12/2019 - 21:48

    I think OzBargain should make people receive a verification code to there phone number so then it would stop ghost accounts…

    • Moderatorscotty on 15/12/2019 - 22:38

      From the way some OzBargainers churn through SIM cards, I doubt limiting account by phone number is going to stop those determined.

  • alvian on 17/12/2019 - 15:05
    +1

    Expired long running deal bug

    Long running deal that has expired remained in the long running section of a store page, instead of demoted to the expired section. For example, Officeworks Seagate 1TB Portable HDD.

    • Moderatorhamza23 on 17/12/2019 - 15:18

      Looks like that was moderator error. I marked the deal as long expiry after it expired, but didn't remove the expiry date.

      Fixed up now, thank you.

      Edit: Admins will make the expiry date field automatically clear in the future when long expiry is selected, to avoid it happening again.

  • Taegukgi on 18/12/2019 - 10:38
    +1

    Is it possible to bring an earlier deal up the order when a duplicate is removed? Sometimes deals are found early and posted only for it to be lost until a duplicate is posted.

    This is a feature that the Pepper sites e.g HUKD do well. It would save people posting the same deal when they see the deal is there.

    Good example of what I'm referring to is the Nivea men promo through Amazon.

    • Moderatorhamza23 on 21/12/2019 - 15:27

      We already highlight deals that were posted ahead of time, on the day they start. If/when/how long they are highlighted for depends on a number of factors.

      Thanks

  • spackbace on 18/12/2019 - 17:11
    +2

    Just wondering if it's worth putting a field in for competitions for the second chance draw date?

    • Moderatorhamza23 on 21/12/2019 - 15:32

      We've had some feedback from comp posters that our competition submission form is already quite complex/lengthy. There is more to fill out compared to posting a deal. I'm thinking that the benefit of having a second chance draw date might be nullified by having another field/option to select?

      Thanks

      • spackbace on 21/12/2019 - 15:34

        Could be an optional box, like the T&C's are?

        I agree, there's more to the entry now than their used to be. Sometimes 2nd chance draw dates are needed for purchase competitions, to show people how long to keep a copy of their receipts.

        I dunno, see what gnv9 thinks, she's the comp queen ;)

        • Moderatorhamza23 on 21/12/2019 - 15:42

          Yeah it would be optional for sure, although I think some feel obligated to fill out everything regardless of if the system requires it.

          Okay I see, I wasn't aware of that benefit of having the 2nd chance draw date regarding receipts, I thought it was for information only. I'll bring it up with other moderators next month or when appropriate, it might come down to design, ie will it fit/how much bigger will it make submission form. It would be good to hear from other compers/gnv9 also before then if they have any opinions, yes.

          Thanks

  • Doovik on 20/12/2019 - 09:34

    Can we get an OzBargain app?

  • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 07:23
    +2

    Can the site rules be changed regarding services like Xbox Games Pass.
    Literally every time a game is added to the service someone posts a "bargain"
    1) Its not a bargain as its not free as you need to be subscribed
    2) Those who have the service would already know about the games being added.
    3) Big Name games that are added are well publicised and honestly no one is coming to OzB to find out what games are being added.

    If "added to Xbox Game Pass" posts are allowed
    does that mean we can post that "The Witcher Tv Series is Free with Netflix" because it really is the same thing.

    If you check the most recent post for Witcher 3 being added to the service their are quite a few valid comments that seem to give the impression users of this site are a bit over Games Pass posts.
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/507257

    • imurgod on 21/12/2019 - 14:41
      +2

      Agree. I have no problem with people notifying others of those, even though Microsoft advertises the games on the console itself, phone app, website, email, twitter, Facebook and everywhere else, but it's no more a deal than a new show on Netflix.

    • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 21/12/2019 - 14:44

      I disagree, having those deals posted can be handy for people who may have missed the advertising or may be thinking about signing up to game pass but don’t know what games are available.

      • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 15:17
        -1

        But what exactly is the deal is my question?
        There is no bargain listed. Its simply an announcement of a game launching on the service.
        getting the service for $1 thats a bargain.

        • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 21/12/2019 - 15:21
          -1

          It’s a bargain because existing Game Pass members no longer need to pay for it as it’s included. And for new users they can pay $1 and get the game included (for as long as they're a member) instead of paying for the game.

          • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 15:22
            -1

            @WoodYouLikeSomeCash: No its not a bargain.. getting games pass for free or cheap is the bargain.
            Having a game added is not, its simply an extension of the service you sub too.

            So by your reckoning, if say netflix added a movie that was popular say like Star Wars or Avengers then i would be getting that for free as i am subbed, and therefore it would be a bargain?

            • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 21/12/2019 - 15:24

              @jimbobaus:

              So by your reckoning, if say netflix added a movie that was popular say like Star Wars or Avengers then i would be getting that for free as i am subbed, and therefore it would be a bargain?

              Yes, as you wouldn’t have to pay for the movie separately.

    • BooYa on 21/12/2019 - 15:14
      -1

      Game Pass is part of the Ultimate plan, and a lot if not all Gold subscribers have converted their Gold subscriptions to Ultimate with the $1/month deal.

      • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 15:17

        and getting it for $1 is a bargain
        Getting a game added after you subscribe however is not

    • BooYa on 21/12/2019 - 15:19
      -1

      And if you look at the votes, a lot more people upvoted it, than negged it, so OzBargainers may not be as tired of these posts as you might think.

      • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 15:21
        +1

        In order to Neg a "deal" you have to post a comment with your reasons
        Votes alone are not an indicator of whether a "majority" support something.
        In fact i often upvote deals to support the OP becuase i can simply click and move on
        to down vote is a process and not everyone cbf doing that.

        • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 21/12/2019 - 15:23

          If they “cbf” they obviously don’t care if it’s posted or if it isn’t. (Their sitting on the fence)

        • BooYa on 21/12/2019 - 15:26

          Most, if not all, the negs there do not comply with OzBargain's own rules regarding negging a post:

          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/help:voting_guidelines

          I'm surprised they have not been removed by moderators.

          • jimbobaus on 21/12/2019 - 15:27
            +1

            @BooYa: Some have, some have not
            Negging is a hard process and this is why i am saying more + votes vs - votes is not an indication of whether the majority of OzB users support Games Pass games being added as "bargains"

          • Moderatorneil on 21/12/2019 - 15:39

            @BooYa: Not going to weigh into the Gamepass discussion however in terms of negative votes.

            1. It's the weekend when most moderators aren't around.
            2. There are 100,000 comments a month. We only can act on reports by people reporting comments.
            3. From the guidelines linked above:

            Any negative vote that falls into any of these reasons will be revoked by a moderator. Negative votes for any other reason will not be removed by a moderator. These are verbatim phrases.

            …(long list of reasons)

  • bargain huntress on 23/12/2019 - 21:38

    Can we please have a hobby category.

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