There are several possible reasons:

(1) When you fill in the submission form and click on 'Send' an email is generated and sent to me, some time later I manually update the advert pages by copying your email and pasting it into the relevant HTML webpage. Usually this happens within a few hours but there may be a delay of up to several days if I don't have access to my email for some reason. You should contact me only if other adverts appear having a 'Posted:..' date later than your submission date - which might indicate your email got lost.

(2) All adverts are vetted for content, if I feel yours is off-topic (as outlined in the introduction) then it never gets posted. Relatively few get rejected on this basis (less than 1%). It's impossible to sneak an off-topic advert in so don't bother trying (repeat offenders get kill-filed anyway).

(3) You included no contact information in the body of the ad, and no valid address was decipherable from the email submission. (A phone number will do if posting on behalf of an internet-challenged friend, but I need to see the submiter's email address even if it's not shown in the 'ad).

(4) Most web-browsers are set to load a fresh copy of a webpage only once each 'session' (usually each time the browser program is started). In order to see very recent additions you may need to use the 'Refresh' button within your web browser to force the page to re-load.

(5) You may have been identified as a dealer: these pages are for private ads, and whilst the odd dealer 'ad does no harm I've had a couple of blatent multiple postings from dealers. It's not that I've got anything against dealers, but trade ads are not appropriate for these Private ads Pages - private buyers like to know if they are purchasing from a dealer, and I don't want the page getting swamped by long stock lists. I may shortly set up a separate webpage for dealer ads if there is continuing demand.

(6) Your advert submission was all-caps or perhaps so badly formatted it's incomprehensible. I don't have time to re-type your advert for you, and all-caps makes the listing a mess. I don't correct spelling either - the content is exactly as you send it.

For your protection - it is a simple ploy to fool some of the web crawlers and email harvesters that scan websites for email addresses. Such programs collect email addresses and sell them to mass advertisers - spammers in other words. I doubt any system is 100% effective in preventing this but I hope using this system it's not worth their while decoding the addresses. If you do get spammed then never reply to any 'remove from email list' option, this merely confirms your email address is valid. Just delete it.

Yes, it should be. Old adverts are removed once I receive notification they're no longer needed. Unfortunately, the original posters don't always notify me! For (hopefully) obvious reasons, I can only remove adverts in response to notification from the original poster.

Easy, just use the online form page, tick the box 'Remove old advert' and type in the reference number where the advert text goes. Include your email address if it does not usually appear in your email headers (some people remove it purposefully) - without a matching email address the advert will not be removed. Please do remember to remove any unwanted ads because it's frustrating for everyone to discover an item was sold several weeks ago.

You can't edit it directly once it's posted. The easiest way to make an amendment is to simply delete the old advert (using the method above) and submit a complete new one. This replacement advert will receive a new reference number.

Where there are only 2 or 3 items to list then it's preferable to use separate adverts. That way, when just one item is sold it's a simple matter to remove the associated advert. If all items are included within a single advert then the only way is to either remove the original and replace it with a complete new advert (the preferable option), or get me to edit the original. If you expect me to edit the original then I need to know the reference number! (# No.) - it's amazing how many requests I get to '... please just remove so-and-so from my advert, thanks'. Give me a break, I haven't got time to go searching for your advert.

Two ways: either by emailing an image file to me direct, or by including a link (URL) within the advert body to a picture posted on your own website. If you are sending me the picture direct then it must be a JPG file less than 50k in size - Please, don't go sending me huge 500k files (BMP, TIF or whatever) because it won't get posted!! Always check the filesize before you send the attachment. If you have a photo but no means of scanning it to produce a digital image then you may post it to me and I will scan it for you (please request the mailing address). It's well worth the effort of adding a pic - especially for models and other high-value items. You are 5x more likely to get a buyer if folk can see what is on offer!

Maybe. It's possible that in the process of cutting and pasting I messed up the email address, when I receive a query like this I can check the original email to see if this happened. However, beyond that there is little I can do. It may be the original poster typed their email address wrong on the submission form, in which case I'll try emailing the poster myself and if it bounces then the advert gets pulled.

Sure you can! International deals obviously mean that personal inspection is probably ruled out, but from personal experience I've found it's just as easy to ship things internationally as it is within the same country - just a bit more expensive. You need to check how import/export restrictions apply to your country, but a _very_ general rule is that used (second-user) items should not attract any import duties, whilst new tools and equipment normally will. When you post something abroad you will need to identify the contents and you also have the option to declare it's value (a figure used both for insurance and calculation of duties payable). It's no more 'dangerous' for either buyer or seller to deal internationally.

You can't be certain. However, the vast majority of people using this list are honest people - just like you :) On only one occaision have I positively identified someone trying to pull a fast one (on the Astro Ads listings), and this person was notified, as was his ISP, and promptly kill-filed. Nevertheless, you do need to take all normal precautions as you would with any transaction.

As with any private transaction - use some common sense. First establish true ownership of the goods, then the address of the poster. Try to inspect the goods personally and at the very least make sure you know exactly what it is you are buying and it's condition. An emailed digital photo often helps. I know it's difficult, but don't part with any money until you are quite satisfied in your own mind that this is an honest deal.

I prefer to keep things simple. Although lacking the bells and whistles such packages offer the simple format used here is very quick and easy to browse through. I reckon content is more important than fancy graphics.

Because I want to see the Internet used for the interests of our respective hobbies. I get really irritated at people simply using the internet to make money without giving anything back. Several attempts have been made by commercial website operators to create competitive advertising services (both Model Engineering and UK Amateur Astronomy) that work on a commission system - people who otherwise have no interest in the fields concerned. I don't see why we should pay a premium to such people simply because they have expert knowledge of the internet. Thankfully, they fail because this free service is already well established and you prefer to use it. Granted, most of those other systems are very professionally done, nice graphics, and with clever database and search functions. The ads services provided on this website are in comparison just simple text listings but this is no different perhaps than a magazine advert (except that you can add pictures if you want). Many thousands of pounds worth of goods are bought and sold via these webpages every month so maybe I'm just stupid :)