Require your full name, address and telephone number for people selling parts. Especially for people with less than 1000 post and or less than 10 buyer/seller feedback rating?

It seems more and more people are becoming victims of scams. I know on the supraforums, they require you to have certain number of posts, been registered for a certain number of years, phone #, etc.......

 

wrong forum (feedback, suggestions, questions) but certainly an interesting idea.

 

Sounds like a good idea.

 

I didnt know where else to put it

 

Well what had happen wuz

 

I agree, i hate scammers with a passion.

 

I actually thought about asking the admins to consider this option when this scamming thing became much more frequent, but I scratched that idea.

You have to assume there's a very high probability that many of these requirements could be faked. How are we to know if their address is truly what they're claiming it to be? We cannot confirm and even if we could, we have a very high volume of members (new and existing). We (I'm guessing) aren't going to send confirmation letters, texts, etc, so I don't see this working out too well.

Also, another problem is that we already have existing and current users on the forum. Are we supposed to enforce this rule to everybody or just those that are joining now? If it's the latter, who's the say that the former users aren't going to scam anybody? It's also not fair for the new users, as it assumes they have a higher chance of scamming others than the older, existing users. If it's the former of the two choices, then as I mentioned, there are many obstacles in the way.

 

Yes, but you could limit the frequency of this occurring if you had a telephone number and certain # of post. Someone with a buyer seller feedback with all positives is less of a risk than someone with 0! Im only trying to limit the possibilities of members being scammed. As of now, anyone can register and post an APS twin turbo kit for sale for 3500.

 

Again, how are you going to confirm that information is real?

And in case you didn't know, we already have requirements for somebody to be able to sell in the marketplace (45 days of membership or 300 posts, buy PM, or become a vendor).


Additionally, we explicitly state in our TOU that buyers should purchase/sell at his/her own risk. We are not liable for any scams, mistakes, mishaps, etc. And for the most part, we try not to get too involved into this matter for obvious reasons (i.e., help one member out, then we have to help every single member out). Also, as far as I know, I don't think we can give out personal information (e.g., CC info) nor do the non-IB admins have access to them.

I'm not being indifferent, uncaring, etc. I'm just saying that it's the internet and things are bound to happen. It is the buyer/seller's responsibility to create a safe environment for trade activities. Use common sense and logic and many of these incidents could be prevented.

 

Look, the money in a transaction is sent somewhere. Regardless of whether it is a PO box or not, any address makes the seller apparent. If they scam and steal from the buyer, they can be found as long as there is a good address where the money is sent. Just don't buy from someone who isn't willing to let you know where they are. It ain't rocket science.

 

Absolutely, this isn't a my350z issue. It is an intarweb sales issue. You would not believe what craigslist is going through with Nigerians buying motorcycles, renting apartments, etc.

 

What the OP suggests implies a degree of accountability on behalf of the forum to ensure people don't get scammed. Since we cannot be held responsible for ensuring a smooth / scam-free transaction the forum higher-ups are unlikely to enforce something like this.

ultimately it's a legal issue that the forum doesn't want to delve into (and it's been discussed among admins and moderators to what degree we should protect users against scammers... ultimately there is not much we can do)

There are ways to have successful online sales without simply putting all your trust in a seller.

 

pretty soon we are going to require a full background check with a credit check so you could sell a set of Autozone lug nuts. I know the scamming is getting pretty bad, but I would suggest that you do your part first and check that person out.

 

Agreed...

 

no offense to the PM guys/gals, but i feel that is a stupid rule and that it should be the same standard across the board for classified ads. i mean just because they are a PM with 5 posts does not mean they are better or can be more trusted than someone that has been around a while.

 

I didnt know that 45 days/300 posts were required.. that sounds good.. Mods have a point though.. they dont want to be legally held responsible, could cost them..

 

Man, less than 1000 post or 10 iTrader, I guess I would be **** out of luck. That's way to stick IMO.

 

Who says anything about being legally responsible. Just make the sellers post up or shut up.

 

I think making a good Sticky about how to avoid scams, check out a seller, understanding I Trader ratings and post counts, etc would be good for noobs that typically fall for the scams. Anyone can be scammed, but at least they'd be scammed by someone with a high post count, good I Trader and they'd get their full contact details before the transaction.

 

Tag, you're it.

Great idea.
Why don't you make a post here how to avoid scams. We can see if it covers all the bases. If not it can be mahsahged and tweaked before it goes up in lights.

Might want to use this across the other sites too.
Anything to protect against the scammers.
Hate getting those 'I've been scammed' PM's.