SOLD?
Let me see if I can shed some light on this topic.
This change was implemented because of the countless people complaining that items would be on the site and then deleted by the user and then re-posted by the user just to stay on top of others.
In an effort to curb some of this activity we now have added the SOLD button as an option and taken away the DELETE link, but this did not change for Club Members.
It's not that we are pushing people one way or the other, this is just an option that is staying put for Club Account.
A free basic member can still mark the item as SOLD and it will open up the available spot to post another ad, (the same one if so wanted), or wait until the item expires to do the same.
If you sell the item at another location we encourage you to mark the item as sold, we are glad that you were able to sell your item, even if it wasn't through our site. We would never tell someone that they have to make an Honor Payment. That is a donation to the site, you are not marked differently if you do not make a payment, you are rewarded with certain stats if you do, not punished if your don't.
The SOLD icon is removed in 3 days after the item has been flagged as such, and given the opportunity, if an honor payment is made, to have it removed immediately.
This came from issues that we were receiving, and we are trying to help others with the changes. We realize that people may pick a shorter duration but that is a good thing also, it keeps the ads more current and gets people to come back to read messages in a more timely manner as well.
I hope this helps explain the changes, or at least you can see what we see when we try to make certain changes.