this is as of 1/30/2012 and can always change at any time, especially as RJ experiments with the store.
this is just a small guide to help explain what happens in a coop from the members point of view.
it's just a guide to explain, and not a set of rules that you must follow. it just helps everything go smoother.
1.) a coop is opened as a new post in the current coops.
if you notice there is only one post, please wait until the coop manager posts a blank 2nd post. (it helps him keep track of who got what)
2.) please read the first post before you reply with what you want. it should tell you...
options, depends on what hardware it is, and if any options are available.
it will tell you when the coop should end (but don't count on waiting till the last secoond, as some coops close quickly.)
it should give you an idea on what it might cost (it almost always never ends at this price, most cases it goes down a little)
and any other instructions the manager wants to give you
3.) then post in the thread for what you want. (at this point, please don't post in the thread about anything else except what you want, or changes to what you want. If you have questions about the hardware, start a new thread in the area of that piece of hardware. the more posts in the thread that have nothing to do about the coop just makes more work for a coop manager, and he might mess up your order.)
4.) if you change your mind and want to add/subtract/ or remove your order, please post it in a new reply. if you keep changing your original post, there's no way to easily see that it's a change. posting your updates as new posts, will help it get noticed.
5.) once a coop is closed, no more orders can be accepted. it's best to not comment, as other people looking at the topic can just to the end and see that it's closed, or if there's further info from the coop manager. sometimes people don't pay for whatever reason. sometimes, they open up those unpaid orders for others to pick up. it would be nice to see that info at the end of the topic and would be hard to sift through many posts to find out info that could help you get more, or even get in.
6.) you should receive a pm from the coop manager about how to pay, and how much for your order. please read the instructions carefully, as they explain specifically how the manager needs you to respond with your payment.
7.) after your payment goes through, check it again in a couple hours, or evan a day or two to make sure it didn't get refunded b/c of an error. the coop manager sometimes posts who paid. you can check this list to make sure your name gets marked.
8.) the coop takes time. there should be posts by the manager giving updates on where things stand, so if you're worried about the status of the coop, you can look at the end to see if there's any issues that might delay things.
9.) the coop manager will usually post that items have shipped.
10.) if you want, you can post that you received your item.
11.) the coop topic stays in the current coops area until the coop manager can see that everything arrived, and that everyone got their stuff.
12.) PLEASE check your stuff when you get it to see that it's all there. if you wait a year, then open it then realize that something is missing. it gets harder to replace.
13.) after it seems like everyone is taken care of (as far as receiving their stuff) then the coop gets moved to finished coops.
14.) you're happy, you got your stuff, the coop managers happy, it went smoothly
