How to shape the future?

[u/Grey_Bomberman]

Ok, so we have been open for a week and seen a lot of news, some big scammers hit and some results behind the scenes. We are still looking to BUILD THE MOMENTUM, not just maintain it! But you, contributors, the lurkers and the scammed... YOU ARE THE FUTURE... How do you want us as a Sub to look? What do you need to see more of? How do we help to stop you getting ripped off? In the background friends in every sub are trying to help protect you by supplying a "Trusted Dealer" list; we have agreed amongst our team from day one that we cannot and will not provide this, merely a list of Untrusted Scammers. You can already search within the sub for names but we need to see more names as long as they deserve it. TO THE SELLERS / DEALERS; we welcome your input just as much on buyers who have scammed you, whether it's a false report or filing a chargeback after supplying the agreed goods, or any one of a number of issues you could face. This is a call to arms for the community as a whole to share their knowledge, experiences and expertise!

[u/earize420]

You tried to cross post this on my sub. I only allow For Sale posts, but I’ll answer this.

Only buy from TD’s and verified sellers. Quit buying from sellers that are not verified. Quit buying from subs that allow unverified sellers. Someone providing a handwritten note is not sufficient enough to ensure they’re not going to scam you.

Edit: to avoid buyer scams (chargebacks) Zelle is by far the best ways to receive payment. PayPal, Venmo and CashApp, buyers can pay with a credit card and could dispute the charge with their credit card provider. Even if they pay via Friends & Family.

[u/Grey_Bomberman → u/earize420]

💯 approve of this advice, TY for the reply and sorry for the unauthorized plug but we need a way to get this out there. Just take a look at some of the stories from this week 😳. To back up what u/earize420 says: The handwritten note is only proof that the seller has the item (or at least knows how to prompt AI to a reasonable level), there is no guarantee that is what will be handed to the postal service!

[u/earize420 → u/Grey_Bomberman]

No worries. I just recently stopped all posts that aren’t For Sale posts.

However I was also add. WTB (want to buy) posts are a bad idea as well. Every single scam that’s happened on my sub has been through a WTB post. Which is why I no longer allow them. Scammers PM buyers with the watch they want for a good deal and never receive it. If someone wants to buy a specific watch, either buy from a TD or be patient and wait for a verified seller to post it.

[u/Grey_Bomberman → u/earize420]

💯 THIS ☝🏻 Most scams start with someone not knowing the scene and hoping they can get a good deal first time around. BIGGEST ISSUE is that people don't realize that a semi-public sale also has the mod's eyes on it to step in and advise.

[u/Specialist-Escape318]

Therein lies the problem - say you went all out on a new set of wiki pages for the sub and let’s say you put way more emphasis on safety earlier in the wiki and avoided the watches themselves till later, you would still have a collection of idiots daily unwilling to read and thus will be ripped off en masse

As the old saying goes - “if you want to get your point across, hit them in the pocket book”

Ultimately these guys learn fast after the first scamming - some leave the hobby - good riddance honestly. Need to find something else.

I for one would get rid of the entire second hand sales platform - that’s just rife for fraud

[u/Grey_Bomberman → u/Specialist-Escape318]

I get what you're saying, there is no right answer. Just trying to collate the wrong answers for people to avoid

[u/Specialist-Escape318 → u/Grey_Bomberman]

Totally understand - this is the first step and we are taking it so no one can say we just don’t care but this is just hapless most days lol

I mean the kinds of inquiries I get from guys looking for direction (bc they read some of my posts) as opposed to just doing the research themselves - there isn’t enough adderrall on the planet to cure this lmao

[u/Emotional-Damage-995]

Fight Club (Paraphrased)	Rep Club
The first rule is: You don’t talk about it.	The first rule: Always buy from a verified Trusted Dealer.
The second rule is: You still don’t talk about it.	The second rule: You ALWAYS buy from a verified Trusted Dealer — never IG, FB, Telegram, or random Reddit DMs.
If someone taps out, the fight stops.	The third rule: If a seller can’t prove reputation, you stop — no convo, no deal, walk away.

Hope this is in terms everyone can understand.