New User with questions

What's the best way to conduct deals on this site? I tried to sell some Halo 4 double XP codes to a user named Swagapolis and I "went first" resulting in me being ripped off. I don't know how things work here and I now realize I wasn't being careful, but how can I make deals without having any vouches and without getting ripped off again? Thanks

 

If you are skeptical about the other party, use a MM. If they reject that idea then they are likely a scammer. As you gain some experience and reputation on the site you will learn who to trust and who not to trust.

 

In addition to what Jack Goff said, if you're okay with paying a certain fee e.g. 5% removal of your income from selling something, then I would recommend using an official middle man. Personally, if the trade is not Runescape related I would choose an OMM over a free MM because they most likely have more experience in IRL product trades than any other free MM would.

 

Learn how to check for ban evaders and such, they'll save you lots of time and potentially money. Also check the report a scammer section for reports on the person just in case before you trade.

 

If you're going to conduct a trade with someone, there are some things you should know and do beforehand:

• Look on the user's profile for an MSN or Skype address. Open a new tab and load up google, search "Sythe.org [user's MSN or Skype here]" and look for any other hyperlinks which state usernames that are different from the person you are trading with or even a scam report, this usually means the person has previously been banned or caught scamming and has made a new account to avoid this.
• Look at the users vouches, the quality of these can be determined by several factors. The number doesn't always count for everything. Trades where they "went first" show next to no trustworthiness on their part, but trades where other people "went first" to them, show more trust, as the other user had to send payment or give the item first.
• Contact people the user has completed trades with, ask them how the trade went. Was the person rude or disrespectful? You may not want to trade with someone who has this kind of attitude in case the trade goes wrong.
• Look at posts by the user, do they seem like someone helpful and community orientated or do they post loads of spam in order to gain post count? Quality posting is usually a sign of a respectable user.
• Look at what payment methods the person is using/requesting. A verified paypal for example, is an indication this is the individuals legitimate bank card activated account, rather than just a throwaway paypal account that they can just ignore if a problem occurs.
• If you can't decide who's going first, then go to the middleman forums and look for someone who is online. I'd recommend using an OMM rather than a MM (even though some MM's are extremely trusted) as although they may cost money, they are deemed trustworthy by the Administrative team. The odds of being scammed by an OMM are very low.
• If you feel uncomfortable with trading the user, terminate the trade. Do not go through with it if you have any doubts whatsoever about the user's legitimacy. You can always find someone else. Be patient and don't trade hastily.

Remember:
Trading with a middleman doesn't guarantee the payment will not be charged back at a later date,
middlemen are only there to make sure the trade goes smoothly and the item/account is as stated in the thread.


Good luck trading!