Silk Road forums

Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: cache on December 14, 2011, 07:37 am

Title: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: cache on December 14, 2011, 07:37 am
I think that given the current trend for sellers to require buyers to finalize early for whatever reasons they come up with it is wrong for the buyer to give 5 stars when doing so. I have been looking through a lot of sellers pages recently and found page upon page of 5/5 feedback that says "Finalizing early". Most of this is never updated. To me this makes it very easy for a scammer to set up and get good feedback quickly. What I suggest is giving a 3/5 upon the early finalization and then updating when/if the package is received.

Feedback?
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: PumpkinYeti on December 14, 2011, 07:48 am
1) PICK A GOOD VENDOR. If they're a trusted vendor, you shouldn't mind finalizing early since you're an UNTRUSTED buyer. They have the reputation, NOT YOU. Deal with it. When sellers figure out YOU aren't a scammer, then you won't have to finalize early. Blame the scammer buyers, not the sellers.

2) THERE IS RISK INVOLVED ORDERING ILLICIT SUBSTANCES THROUGH THE MAIL. If you pick a highly regarded vendor and got scammed, you are not going to be the only one. SHIT HAPPENS ON THIS KIND OF SITE.

I'm just a little tired of people thinking this is fucking Ebay. The sellers are at far more risk than buyers, because they're the better target of LEO.

Pick your vendor wisely until you get some transactions then you won't have to finalize early.
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: garyvogel on December 14, 2011, 07:50 am
Possibly the drug buyers could grow some balls and say sure.... I will tell you what I think after I get it and try it.

Case closed.

G.V.

PS- I see the disadvantage for the seller but fuck that I would work from there and make them prove it. The great myth---- THERE ARE MORE BUYERS THAN SELLERS AND BUYERS NEED SELLERS MORE THAN THAN OFTEN.

SOmetimes, but usually not true. think it through. An addicts mind can't so get some real business advice first and then approach.


PS- HINT - I DO NOT RECOMMEND SR THERE IS NO WAY THER BUYER WILL COME OUT CLOSE TO EVEN
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: 1as3df4gh on December 14, 2011, 07:59 am
I myself am a firm believer in the escrow system, I think it is very important for protecting buyers. Sometimes there just aren't that many options for whatever substance you want and you have to go with someone. Blaatz0r for instance requires early finalsing for anything over one gram. That is fine and I don't mind doing so but I think that the above proposal makes sense. Give a medium mark and then update it upon the arrival of your drugs. One thing that may be a problem though is the way that the feedback score is weighted towards newer ratings. If everybody who finalises early gives a three out of five and then updates it to a five out of five the resulting feedback score would be lower than if everybody had given a five initially, I think. Can anybody confirm that?
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: PumpkinYeti on December 14, 2011, 08:02 am
If you're gonna change it later if you receive or don't receive your product, then wtf is the difference between giving 5/5 or 3/5? Other than messing up (and no doubt not making friends) with your vendor in the meantime?
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: 1as3df4gh on December 14, 2011, 08:11 am
My thinking was this:
1. Scammer sets up an account selling whatever and requiring people to finalise before shipping
2. Several people finalise early and give five stars
3. Seller gets 100 rep
4. People are more likely to trust the scammer and so more orders are placed
5. Rep appears even better so more orders are place
6. After the first orders don't turn up after eighteen days things start kicking off
7. Scammer doesn't care, he just took a shed load of money and vanishes.

By giving a three initially it would make it more immediately apparent that the rep is not necessarily to be trusted. As I said earlier though, this may impact the overall rep rating in the long run, I am not 100% on how it works.
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: PumpkinYeti on December 14, 2011, 08:14 am
My thinking was this:
1. Scammer sets up an account selling whatever and requiring people to finalise before shipping
2. Several people finalise early and give five stars
3. Seller gets 100 rep
4. People are more likely to trust the scammer and so more orders are placed
5. Rep appears even better so more orders are place
6. After the first orders don't turn up after eighteen days things start kicking off
7. Scammer doesn't care, he just took a shed load of money and vanishes.

By giving a three initially it would make it more immediately apparent that the rep is not necessarily to be trusted. As I said earlier though, this may impact the overall rep rating in the long run, I am not 100% on how it works.

Just MY opinion, but your thinking is severely flawed at the FIRST item. Never, ever, ever finalize early with a NEW seller. It's BEGGING to be scammed.
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: 1as3df4gh on December 14, 2011, 08:23 am
Ok, good point. But what if the scammer played a long game, selling amounts of drugs for a while then introduced a requirement to finalise early for orders over a gram, or international orders or some other reason? They could then collect these payments and ratings for the 18 days until it went to resolution.
I think the OP has a point, I am not sure if it would work in practice but there is an increasing amount of feedback that gives five stars and just says finalising early.
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: onestopshop on December 14, 2011, 10:26 pm
I think that given the current trend for sellers to require buyers to finalize early for whatever reasons they come up with it is wrong for the buyer to give 5 stars when doing so. I have been looking through a lot of sellers pages recently and found page upon page of 5/5 feedback that says "Finalizing early". Most of this is never updated. To me this makes it very easy for a scammer to set up and get good feedback quickly. What I suggest is giving a 3/5 upon the early finalization and then updating when/if the package is received.

Feedback?

Yeah...it is very easy for a scammer to setup and do this which is why as a buyer (especially first time buyers of the site) you have to be extra careful.

I think a update on the "Buyers Guide" would be better then a rework of the system, with around 300-400 items in the weed section alone it can be overwhelming to somebody that has never had good connections or tried more then a few strains. When I first signed up I knew I had to be careful, I whittled all the items down to a list of 6 REPUTABLE vendors (now we are taking PAGES of good feedback, not just a few which some scammer could accumulate in a short time)

I whittled down a list of 5 vendors, 5 products each, 4 out of 5 required me to finalize early...no problem at all...I know from vending for 3 years (not on SR) that you have to  understand SCAM BUYERS can be a real pain in the ass..

anyway long story short, got all the orders no problems asked but if in doubt or anyone out there has doubts over a vendor no advice beats:

"DON'T SPEND WHAT YOU CANT AFFORD TO LOSE"

the price of that QP of might look tempting...but if the guy has sloppy delivery methods or is a new seller or scammer then best take a raincheck...
Title: Re: 5 stars for finalizing early?
Post by: Ojizzle on December 15, 2011, 06:24 am
How about just not leaving any feedback at all? Unless the system has been changed you are presented with the opportunity to leave feedback upon finalizing, however it is not required. The ability to leave feedback will still be there for weeks to come so accurate feedback can be left once the item arrives, or in some cases does not arrive. I have never understood all of the 5/5 finalizing early feedbacks... I've never seen sellers require feedback before shipping just release of the funds.