Silk Road forums
Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: ivxx34603 on July 22, 2012, 03:45 am
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Greetings all. I have (unfortunately) just discovered this fantastic website and am considering making a few small personal purchases of cannabis. I have been browsing the site for a day or so and reading the forums and trying to get a handle on things but I am still a bit leery of going forward. I guess my main concerns are:
1. Delivery: I see a lot of recommendations for a PO Box for delivery (I am in the U.S. btw). But you cannot open a P.O. Box without 2 valid forms of ID, so is it generally the accepted practice to open a PO Box with your own ID for deliveries such as I will be receiving...probably no more than 1/4-1/2 ounce of cannabis at a time? I guess I'm not even sure what the point of the PO Box is if I have to provide my full information anyway to open it. If something goes bad, the Cops would easily be able to track the PO Box to my house. Might as well save the PO Box money and have it shipped right to my house in that case (my house is clean). Are there sellers that refuse to ship to non-PO Box addresses?
2. Transaction: I am very concerned about getting the whole BitCoin thing working right, but my main fear is screwing something up with the seller. From what I can tell, there is more to this then just paying the seller and awaiting my delivery. I see a lot of sellers asking for feedback before they'll deliver, I see sellers that won't even sell to first time buyers, and I'm worried that if I try to make a purchase I'll just botch the whole thing and end up without any product or cash. How are delivery arrangements made? I see SR has a messaging system, is that considered sufficient by sellers to arrange delivery details after payment? Or do they all require encrypted messages for every detail. Is there some sort of trial period that I should wait before I make an order? Will it look better if I've been a member for some amount of time before I place my first order, or am I good to go right away?
3. General Concerns: I am in the U.S. Should I limit my orders to U.S. only based sellers? Seems less suspicious to me to receive packages from the U.S. as opposed to internationally. I see some seller's offer free shipping which leads me to think others do not. Is the shipping negotiated after the purchase? If so, are shipping charges paid in BitCoins too or what...do I need to make sure I deposit enough BitCoins to cover both the purchase and shipping or can I just worry about the purchase and pay shipping some other way?
I'm sure you guys have answered all these questions 9000 times before and are probably sick to death of new members posting the same crap over and over. But thanks for taking the time to read this and for any help you might provide.
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Shipping small amounts to your house is OK IF you are not up to something. Example, running an MDMA lab, storing stolen goods, growing some cannabis and so on.
If on the unlikely chance mail was ijnteecepted then all you do is deny. Unless you admit to buying it or getting it sent by a friend your safe. Of course if it ever happened you would need a new address.
Buying here - we have escrow, which means your payment is held by SR until it arrives and you click a button that says 'finalize'.
With being a new buyer you will have generally finalise early, release the funds before the whatever arrives. Best buy a gram at a time. That way after ten purchases you can use escrow. Some vendors will ask for escrow on special deals but I avoid those as I made over 10 transactions and therefore want the safety of escrow.
Its not just mail not showing which can get refunds. People here have had wrong products sent. Most good vendors will resend in that case. But as a new buyer you have to just bite the bullet and get the bitcoins, then learn to use PGP to encrypt your address. This is sent to the vendor and he or she destroys it as soon as they print the label out.
Hard to screw up a transaction. You click on what gram of weed takes your fancy. Stay within USA borders, domestic, as that is safer and less dangerous than ordering from Europe which is another offence in itself. You click on the weed you want then if you have paid enough funds in you can buy it like Amazon in some ways.
DO take time to research the buyer. Cannabis vendors are usually more reliable than most. The best are usually smaller vendors who will basically be growing and shifting it through here. Younger growers are often just too inexperienced to really get every stage of cannabis production spot on. But reviews here will and reading the vendors page will give you an idea of the experience of the vendor. Always PM a vendor. Some vendors are massive so replies are not so easy but smaller vendors you can get an idea of were they are at through their responses.
You get the weed, then review it for others.
If you are a member you can but on day one. Makes no difference to vendors as you will finalise early. I have made 0ver 40 orders here and all came through. When I was new I had to bite the bullet and bought a gram of MDMA. It came a few days later and was pure, clsassic MDMA. Real thing. I had to make ten purchases before I got the real security of escrow. So now, if I bought ten grans of top hash, I pay into escrow and those funds are released when I get the parcel.
Some products, expensive shit like coke, I'd do a little line before finalising.
IUf you order skunk and get some cheap Mex weed (that is cheap weed) then you may have to go into resolution but what you do is take a photo, meta scrub it (photos have GPS coordimnates and other shit that can link you to the photo!) and PM the vendor.
If you make a firsy buy of ten grams and say it does not come, vendor will usually have a no refund policy for buyers with no record.
Be honest here as to quality. If it true shit PM the vendor to give them as chance. Some will have made honest mistakes.##
Be aware scammer vendors here (they exist) usually see ripping off newbies as the easy scam. Send good shit to regulars then wrongside you with some shit produce. That is why you ought to buy small until the ten transactions or 100 BTC spend as some will buy ten ebooks to try to come across as hitting the magic ten mark. Does not work. Buyers see stats and that includes coins spent.
Take plunge - grab a gram - it will arrive and you will then look at SR and think what next?
Nice problem to have, not knowing what to pick!!
SR is great once you work it out. Study it first. Real all the cannabis reviews and look at the buyer feedback on vendors listing pages. The good ones leave up all the feedback.
Cannabis is a good thing here. Quality gear by lot of small growers who grow the best shit by far. You cannot look after 500 plants the same way as 25.
Some sweet stuff here. I had only good reviews with the produce, hash as I got enough bud off the lads showing off the latest varieties but mostly old classics..
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All good info, except the "deny" part.
Never talk to the police. If you aren't under arrest, you don't wish to volunteer information. If you are under arrest, you want to speak with a lawyer before you answer any questions.
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Greetings all. I have (unfortunately) just discovered this fantastic website and am considering making a few small personal purchases of cannabis. I have been browsing the site for a day or so and reading the forums and trying to get a handle on things but I am still a bit leery of going forward. I guess my main concerns are:
1. Delivery: I see a lot of recommendations for a PO Box for delivery (I am in the U.S. btw). But you cannot open a P.O. Box without 2 valid forms of ID, so is it generally the accepted practice to open a PO Box with your own ID for deliveries such as I will be receiving...probably no more than 1/4-1/2 ounce of cannabis at a time? I guess I'm not even sure what the point of the PO Box is if I have to provide my full information anyway to open it. If something goes bad, the Cops would easily be able to track the PO Box to my house. Might as well save the PO Box money and have it shipped right to my house in that case (my house is clean). Are there sellers that refuse to ship to non-PO Box addresses?
It doesn't matter if you are using a PO Box you signed up for with legitimate info. In that case, you'd be better to use a regular address. I have never seen a seller refuse to ship to homes nor PO boxes.
2. Transaction: I am very concerned about getting the whole BitCoin thing working right, but my main fear is screwing something up with the seller. From what I can tell, there is more to this then just paying the seller and awaiting my delivery. I see a lot of sellers asking for feedback before they'll deliver, I see sellers that won't even sell to first time buyers, and I'm worried that if I try to make a purchase I'll just botch the whole thing and end up without any product or cash. How are delivery arrangements made? I see SR has a messaging system, is that considered sufficient by sellers to arrange delivery details after payment? Or do they all require encrypted messages for every detail. Is there some sort of trial period that I should wait before I make an order? Will it look better if I've been a member for some amount of time before I place my first order, or am I good to go right away?
I would suggest NOT finalizing early. Even if that means you have to wait and find a better vendor, finalizing early (releasing the funds out of escrow for the seller to have) carries more risk than it's worth. Find a good vendor. Delivery is either included or not, you will send a message with your address. PGP Encrypted if the vendor uses PGP and if requires it, or if you want to use PGP.
I made an order right away after signing up. I played by the rules. I got my item, finalized immediately (on tor for android- orbot) because I was 'on the go' - so the seller could get their money. I later came back and updated the feedback like I should. You have to hold up your end of the deal.
3. General Concerns: I am in the U.S. Should I limit my orders to U.S. only based sellers? Seems less suspicious to me to receive packages from the U.S. as opposed to internationally. I see some seller's offer free shipping which leads me to think others do not. Is the shipping negotiated after the purchase? If so, are shipping charges paid in BitCoins too or what...do I need to make sure I deposit enough BitCoins to cover both the purchase and shipping or can I just worry about the purchase and pay shipping some other way?
I'm sure you guys have answered all these questions 9000 times before and are probably sick to death of new members posting the same crap over and over. But thanks for taking the time to read this and for any help you might provide.
I would limit your orders to Domestic until you're very comfortable on SR and all of the tactics used by various scammers. As well as which countries seem to have a lesser success rate and who is good at stealthing packages.
You will pay the total in bitcoins. Because of market fluctuations, I highly recommend over-shooting your bitcoin amount. If you need 9 BTC for some weed, I would suggest getting 11 bitcoin into your account. This ensures you're covered for shipping and also covers you in case fluctuations in the market. Worst case here is you have a few $ leftover
Everything redallover posted is good info, I just wanted to address the points individually.
My first deal was with Rocker. No Finalize Early. Good prices. Domestic. Excellent feedback and it went smooth as butter. I will most likely never FE. Just remember to play by the rules and you'll be fine.
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Do not consider ever purchsing without GPG. This is more important now than ever on SR. GPG should never have been made optional. A lot of people are just realising that SR is keeping a record of everything you ever buy. This is a major design flaw and there has been no communication on whether it will be fixed. However if you always use GPG for every purchase this should have no effect on you.
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The most important thing you can do is learn PGP encryption. Period.
Secondly, never finalize early for anyone, and third, learn how to cover your bitcoin tracks. Always use a laundry service like bitcoin fog.
goblin
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If weed is what you are looking for, here is my listing http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/silkroad/item/8e70b94614 It is only $20 for four grams and I can help you through the process if you need any. I do not make anyone finalize early for any reason. The system has escrow to help protect everyone and I feel like everyone should always use it.
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Do you get the option to stay in escrow as a newbie, or does it automatically just finalize early until you have a certain # of transactions? I just made my first ever order and it says N/A under autofinalize. Did it already send the coins, or do I have to click finalize once the seller processes the order (and it comes in the mail)?
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Do you get the option to stay in escrow as a newbie, or does it automatically just finalize early until you have a certain # of transactions? I just made my first ever order and it says N/A under autofinalize. Did it already send the coins, or do I have to click finalize once the seller processes the order (and it comes in the mail)?
Yes, you do have the option to stay in escrow as a new buyer. A few days after placing the order you will have the option to finalize. Only do this once you have your order and have inspected it.
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Thanks for all the info all, very helpful. Some follow ups:
The most important thing you can do is learn PGP encryption. Period.
I will research this further before I place an order. I'm guessing the main thing to be encrypted would be delivery information? So after I make a purchase, I'd send the vendor my delivery information with this encryption?
Do not consider ever purchsing without GPG. This is more important now than ever on SR. GPG should never have been made optional. A lot of people are just realising that SR is keeping a record of everything you ever buy. This is a major design flaw and there has been no communication on whether it will be fixed. However if you always use GPG for every purchase this should have no effect on you.
Sigh...while I hate to be a noob, I can't help it. What is GPG? Is it the same or similar to the PGP encryption? And SR keeps a record of everything I buy...I see that in the account info, but unless I'm mistaken, SR doesn't know I'm me right? I was under the impression the reason you could only connect to SR through this TOR thing was for the anonymity. Why is there a concern about them tracking my order history?
Great INFO!!
Thanks a ton for all this.
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Do you get the option to stay in escrow as a newbie, or does it automatically just finalize early until you have a certain # of transactions? I just made my first ever order and it says N/A under autofinalize. Did it already send the coins, or do I have to click finalize once the seller processes the order (and it comes in the mail)?
Yes, you do have the option to stay in escrow as a new buyer. A few days after placing the order you will have the option to finalize. Only do this once you have your order and have inspected it.
Thank you good sir!
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Do you get the option to stay in escrow as a newbie, or does it automatically just finalize early until you have a certain # of transactions? I just made my first ever order and it says N/A under autofinalize. Did it already send the coins, or do I have to click finalize once the seller processes the order (and it comes in the mail)?
Yes, you do have the option to stay in escrow as a new buyer. A few days after placing the order you will have the option to finalize. Only do this once you have your order and have inspected it.
Thank you good sir!
You are welcome Sir
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Do not consider ever purchsing without GPG. This is more important now than ever on SR. GPG should never have been made optional. A lot of people are just realising that SR is keeping a record of everything you ever buy. This is a major design flaw and there has been no communication on whether it will be fixed. However if you always use GPG for every purchase this should have no effect on you.
Sigh...while I hate to be a noob, I can't help it. What is GPG? Is it the same or similar to the PGP encryption? And SR keeps a record of everything I buy...I see that in the account info, but unless I'm mistaken, SR doesn't know I'm me right? I was under the impression the reason you could only connect to SR through this TOR thing was for the anonymity. Why is there a concern about them tracking my order history?
Consider them the same. They are actally 2 different programs but the both use the same openPGP protcol. SR doesn't know you are you, as long as you always encrypt any identifying data and acquire your BTC anonymously. At this stage in the game you should not be trusting SR at all.
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Do NOT use a PO box. in fact, many sellers will refuse to mail stuff to a PO box because it's more suspicious and increases your cheances of the package not making it through.
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Are bitcoin exchange rates usually the same everyday, I realize the fluctuate a lot throughout the day but what is a decently normal rate that would be good to buy at?
Thanks! :)
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Are bitcoin exchange rates usually the same everyday, I realize the fluctuate a lot throughout the day but what is a decently normal rate that would be good to buy at?
Thanks! :)
Depends on your goal. If you want to be a hopeful investor, spend money and hold. Hope for an increase and sell off.
If you just want to buy some goodies, buy them at whatever rate. 2 months ago I paid just over $5 a coin. A year before that I passed on $2-3 a coin, I wasn't ready yet.
Someone might link you to the bitcoin "experts" forum, where they try to speculate what the market will do but the above still applies. If you're just looking for goodies, get your coin+a couple extra for padding/inflation during the transfer. If you're looking for an investment, I have heard they will come back down to $6-7... but I have also heard they will spike back up to $20 and settle around $10.. so, what's your goal?
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Someone might link you to the bitcoin "experts" forum, where they try to speculate what the market will do but the above still applies. If you're just looking for goodies, get your coin+a couple extra for padding/inflation during the transfer. If you're looking for an investment, I have heard they will come back down to $6-7... but I have also heard they will spike back up to $20 and settle around $10.. so, what's your goal?
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Thanks for your help Hiding! :D