Buying RS Gold Section Cluttered with Scammers

Arcus Isidar · Oct 19, 2011

The Buying Gold section everyday is cluttered with threads of people offering well over competitive prices for rather large amounts of gp, commonly with Paypal only. There is always an abundance of trusted sellers offering to use Playerauctions, or sell gold with an alternative method of a harder currency.

Usually, these posts are usually ignored by the OP, who continues to bump his thread for several days.

What I propose, is a sticky in the buying forum, guiding users how to use Playerauctions (I think RsProd made a simple to understand guide), and imposing some type of regulation on buying threads of non-trusted users requesting to buy large amounts of gp with paypal only. These threads clutter the buying section and make for it a breeding ground of scammers.

The Black Tux · Oct 19, 2011

Though not everyone can use PA and we can't force users to not accept PP, there should be a warning sticky.

There's been a LOT of scams like these. I got scammed also.

Arcus Isidar · Oct 19, 2011

The Black Tux said:
Though not everyone can use PA and we can't force users to not accept PP, there should be a warning sticky.

There's been a LOT of scams like these. I got scammed also.

I really can't see a very good reason why someone can't use PA. I've heard "I don't have a phone", and "Paypal doesn't show up as a method".

I mean for those who seriously don't have a phone, I'd like to see a resolution. But those who do not have "Paypal" as a method need to verify their paypal.

Trusted users of course should be allowed to use Paypal, the majority of gold I buy is with Paypal. The ease of transfer is spectacular but there's simply too much scamming going on with it.

Emperor Nero · Oct 19, 2011

You can't enforce 'trusted' users only for paypal, because trusted is a relative term. No one can really say you can't use paypal to buy gold, because they're isn't any methods that are really as easy as paypal.

Like I consider myself to be trusted in the graphics section, but I may not be trusted in the gold selling section. You can't limit people just because they haven't been here as long or donated as much as you have.

Punkerpunk13 · Oct 19, 2011

Support. No reason as to why people simply have to buy gold via PP only, no PA, have to pay over the market price, can't buy through gold shops already established on Sythe, can never confirm anything, and can't buy off gold sites.

Arcus Isidar · Oct 19, 2011

Emperor_Nero said:
You can't enforce 'trusted' users only for paypal, because trusted is a relative term. No one can really say you can't use paypal to buy gold, because they're isn't any methods that are really as easy as paypal.

People CAN use paypal on playerauction, which is why I recommend the sticky in my suggestion. Direct paypal is just flat out risky and widely abused by people posting threads in the buying gold section, again with the exception of bulk buyers and trusted users.

Even people who offer to do other methods, usually just use that as a means of looking legit. I've seen a thread where the OP was offering .65 and paying with PP/MB, I told him I would sell him as much as he needed for .48 Via MB, and he declined and said ".40 for MB, .65 for Paypal". This same user was banned, and then evaded with a similar topic, I reported and he was banned again.

The Black Tux · Oct 19, 2011

I would normally avoided those users, when I sold gold.

But honestly it can't be a rule, what if I had 0 posts? and no vouches, I would still use my Colombian CC attached verified paypal to pay... Why wouldn't I be able to use it? Plus direct PP is cheaper.

Now there's a noticeable way to spot scammers, there should be a sticky with it and mod or an extra team dedicated to it, should be giving a special TwC to those users who might be scammers.

Ranks suggestions suck, but a Paypal field in the profile with a Paypal verified rank would be awesome. I'm just saying.

Emperor Nero · Oct 19, 2011

Arcus Isidar said:
Even people who offer to do other methods, usually just use that as a means of looking legit. I've seen a thread where the OP was offering .65 and paying with PP/MB, I told him I would sell him as much as he needed for .48 Via MB, and he declined and said ".40 for MB, .65 for Paypal".

It is like the selling threads though, they advertise at .40 PP/WU but when you go in it is like .56 PP and .40 WU. They use the same thing, does that make them scammers?

Arcus Isidar · Oct 19, 2011

Emperor_Nero said:
It is like the selling threads though, they advertise at .40 PP/WU but when you go in it is like .56 PP and .40 WU. They use the same thing, does that make them scammers?

The magnitude of this problem in the selling section is no where near as the buying section. If your talking about misleading titles: In my thread title in the selling section I have .40/M listed as my "best" price, which I do for mail purchases of 100m+. The prices for other methods are based on convenience, fees of the payment medium, worthy return of a sale, etc.

My issue pertains to paypal chargebacks, even if a paypal buyer goes first and the seller delivers gp, the buyer can chargeback. In the selling section, its just common safety practice to value trust based on reputation.