[GeneralQuestions] Vendor looking to crowdsource some information about direct dealing OPSEC

Due to market instability I am going to be opening up a way to directly deal with customers. I see a lot of posts from customers trying to find a vendor's contact info and wanted to get some information about the best way to implement such a system.

Where would you like to see my direct dealing information (other than my market profiles)?

Would you prefer a system such as email or something like BitMessenger (or any other secure system)?

I have a relatively fast inventory turnover that is dependent on available inventory, once an inquiry is made, how long do you think an average customer would take to pull the trigger?

Since I have a rapidly changing inventory, do you think it is worth holding stock for customers that inquiry?

I know a lot of vendors use direct dealing to facilitate larger deals. As customers would you go through the effort to purchase something under $100, or would you only use direct dealing for larger purchases?

Would people be willing to "FE" for a vendor via a direct deal if they have never done business with that vendor before?

Thanks for everyone's feedback.


Comments


[2 Points] Aluminum_Foil_Hat:

Where besides grams?

What is a secure platform for communicating?(I know pgp but I have always used the market msg system.)

I would have coins ready when I inquired. How long would the process take? If I msg you today, does it take an hour, a day to get a response? You will probably receive and have to respond to more msgs.

Holding inventory would be good for repeat customers. The only problem would be people inquiring without any intent. Would you list current offerings somewhere?

Large is relative. My three inches of blue steel may be large to some but others just laugh at it. Would you limit what a customer has to order? What is the average your customer base spends now per order?

Not unless they had a godly reputation. Would you consider taking new customers through a market? Maybe direct deal sample listings so new customers can get a feel for doing a direct deal.

Even though you are probably not the guy for me, I do think I would rather do direct deals with a few certain vendors.


[1 Points] None:

Well I am willing to do a 50% on order and 50% on delivery. Obviously trust has to go both ways, but I think the 50/50 makes buyer feel at ease some what and shows trust on both sides. If your willing to, I have ordered from you not going into any details obviously but let me know as I need to get a order in somewhere and would like it to go out tomorrow. I will only use pgp addresses that I have used in the past so if you have a new address, sorry won't order.


[1 Points] simpythrowaway:

Direct sales through e-mail is best bet imo.


[1 Points] Theeconomist1:

Would you prefer a system such as email or something like BitMessenger (or any other secure system)?

Personally I'd be fine with either with leaning towards email. As long as you can PGP, I'd be comfortable with this and given how the markets are lately, I'd prefer it.

I have a relatively fast inventory turnover that is dependent on available inventory, once an inquiry is made, how long do you think an average customer would take to pull the trigger?

FOr me, if I'm dealing with a vendor I've used in the past, I'd probably pull the trigger as soon as I got an answer to the inquiry. For a vendor I've not used in the past, I dunno, maybe a day if I'm going to do it. I think if I take longer than a day, I probably wouldn't end up buying. Generally speaking, if I'm inquiring, I'm a buyer and ready to buy. I know this isn't true across board and people do hesitate before pulling hte trigger, even on the markets.

Since I have a rapidly changing inventory, do you think it is worth holding stock for customers that inquiry?

For regulars, perhaps. Or even for faster moving product this probably wouldn't be a problem. If you have product that moves a bit slower, I'd gravitate to a first come, first serve type of thing b/c in that case, you should take a known sale over a "maybe" esp if it may be a while before you can move it. Obviously for popular items, this isn't probabl ya big deal as you'd just sell it to the next person. I think though its generally understood that an inquiry doesn't guarantee a hold on the product.

I know a lot of vendors use direct dealing to facilitate larger deals. As customers would you go through the effort to purchase something under $100, or would you only use direct dealing for larger purchases?

Both. I think actually the sub $100 deals might appeal to newer customers who are trying you out. Larger purchases w/o the use of escrow make many squeamish so it stands to reason that they may be reticent on handing over the funds. Regular customers will probably be more comfortable with the larger deals.

Would people be willing to "FE" for a vendor via a direct deal if they have never done business with that vendor before?

Personally, I'm fine with doing this if the vendor has a positive presence on the sub. Some vendors I've used sporadically would only FE with me and I'm fine with that. But at the same time, I'm not gambling with money I can't afford to lose. If someone fucked me on my personal order, I'll be pissed but won't be homeless or without. And my buying is personal, so I'm not reselling which is a whole other risk factor and the sizes are much different.

I'll be excited if you move forward with this! The markets have made me quite nervous and I always worry if I place an order, will the market be up for the vendor to fulfill it. I think the biggest challenge will be customer acquisition. Probably the easiest way for now to keep up customer acquisition would be to keep a market presence for new customers but steer them towards your off-market listings once they become regualrs. You did those FE specials on Evo and Agora, so if that price structure was successful, it would probably work off-market as well. A lot too will depend on your customer profile - how many are regulars vs. new customers. Most people I've chatted with will say they prefer to deal with their go-to vendors off-market.


[1 Points] whatsgoingonyo:

For a vendor that I trust enough to provide my address and FE up front, the market really only serves to streamline the transaction. Without the market, the vendor would need to expose an email address and a btc address. What would be the extra security risks of doing this? If PGP is used then the buyer's address remains a secret, even if the email is captured. For a btc address, if the vendor can generate one especially for a given transaction, then never use it again, then this could also reduce their risk.

I'm assuming this wouldn't work using gmail, eh? And as a buyer I'd also need to setup a key pair so I could receive any sensitive communications, eg. the btc address or other order details.


[1 Points] None:

I love this idea with a trusted vendor.

TOR-based email, PGP-encrypted product list & order instruction, and direct btc wallet transfer.

Trust is paramount, and there have been plenty of RC/grey-market/IOP vendors that have used this method successfully for years.