Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: bluegreen23 on June 08, 2013, 12:51 am

Title: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: bluegreen23 on June 08, 2013, 12:51 am
How does a person handle a custom order with "special shipping"?
by that I mean, if someone was to order a large enough quantity (100lbs plus of green would be a good example), and the location was domestic, it would be more prudent to avoid the mail and just have someone drive it out. Does this in anyway violate SR? Does it void the sale done through SR?
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: jekyll on June 08, 2013, 01:10 am
A vendor can offer any delivery option that s/he wants, but SR vendors are prdohibited from conducting business out of escrow, so SR policy would require an SR vendor to use SR for a transaction with an SR buyer.  It would be pretty stupid on the part of the vendor though, because the benefit of SR for vendors is anonymity and the safety it offers.  A vendor couldn't do this transaction anonymously.
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: mbius298074 on June 08, 2013, 09:23 am
A vendor can offer any delivery option that s/he wants, but SR vendors are prdohibited from conducting business out of escrow, so SR policy would require an SR vendor to use SR for a transaction with an SR buyer.  It would be pretty stupid on the part of the vendor though, because the benefit of SR for vendors is anonymity and the safety it offers.  A vendor couldn't do this transaction anonymously.

That's not entirely true, vendors can request for a buyer to finalize early if they have done business on SR for a long enough period of time.
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: bluegreen23 on June 08, 2013, 01:08 pm
dead drop and professional driver takes care of the anonymous part. it also takes care of the witnessing someone pick up the "package".  hard to argue you didn't get your shipment with a video of you unlocking a car, getting in, and driving away.
And yes I meant the sale was completely through standard SR. Just that if it happened to be within a certain distance and the order was substantial enough then a vendor might pay a driver to take the trip. Just wondering if that part would violate anything.
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: WeedersDigest420 on June 08, 2013, 03:46 pm
It would be doable, but most vendors on the road would rather just stick to using USPS or other shipping companies to just bring it to you. 

WD
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: jekyll on June 08, 2013, 07:33 pm
A vendor can offer any delivery option that s/he wants, but SR vendors are prdohibited from conducting business out of escrow, so SR policy would require an SR vendor to use SR for a transaction with an SR buyer.  It would be pretty stupid on the part of the vendor though, because the benefit of SR for vendors is anonymity and the safety it offers.  A vendor couldn't do this transaction anonymously.

That's not entirely true, vendors can request for a buyer to finalize early if they have done business on SR for a long enough period of time.

Yes, sorry. They can request FE.  What I meant, and I know it was unclear, is that the transaction must go through SR's system in that it must be put into SR escrow, even if it is released from escrow early.  So while a buyer is allowed to give up the security of the escrow system by finalizing early, they must transact through that system.

Quote from: bluegreen23 link=topic=169812.msg121419lished system.7#msg1214197 date=1370696922
dead drop and professional driver takes care of the anonymous part. it also takes care of the witnessing someone pick up the "package".  hard to argue you didn't get your shipment with a video of you unlocking a car, getting in, and driving away.
And yes I meant the sale was completely through standard SR. Just that if it happened to be within a certain distance and the order was substantial enough then a vendor might pay a driver to take the trip. Just wondering if that part would violate anything.

You're right, you could use a a dead drop. But a professional driver, unless they also received the product via a dead drop and were paid in BTC, would link to the vendor.  Given that most buyers seem to expect a better deal on bulk orders, so that vendors make less money on bulk to begin with, I don't see what would motivate a vendor to agree to this sort of transaction, which would incur additional costs, in terms of a driver, and overcoming additional risk, that has already been overcome by SR's established system.

WeedersDigest420 is right.  It's technically allowed, and technically doable, but I would be surprised (and very interested in understanding his/her reasoning) if a vendor agreed to this sort of exchange.
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: bluegreen23 on June 09, 2013, 03:14 am
Well speaking without experience on the silk road but with some other experience the reasons I might consider it worthwhile (as well as to address some issues)

the first is sheer quantity. if you're dealing with 100 lbs of green you simply can't mail it. you could use a shipping company but that usually requires more paper work, more in person talks, and they rarely accept cash without raising an eye brow.
the second, with that quantity price does go down, as for the cost of driving, just an expense to be accounted for in the price.
third, most drivers are hired (at least locally) through an intermediary who takes on the risk of the package. this in essence insures the package (obviously police seizure is a no fault clause) and there is always proof of delivery even with a dead drop. This prevents and protects against most problems.
fourth, travel distance (this is more of a factor to consider of if it is worth while or not) a 3 day drive without borders to cross is fairly safe, especially compared to ship/mail 50, 100, 500 lbs etc.
Title: Re: custom order and custom shipping?
Post by: jekyll on June 17, 2013, 01:50 pm
Are there SR vendors who offer anything close to this quantity of weed?  The most I've heard of, and granted, I probably wouldn't hear of it  ;D , is 5lbs.