Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 04:41 am

Title: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 04:41 am
So I've known about the road for around 3 months now. I've been on the forums actively for about a week.

I am looking for any tips or advice experienced road users may be able to offer to me.

I want to have as close to 100% confidence as I can when I place my first order. I don't want to be one of those individuals who gets compromised from some simple mistake I may have overlooked. Any insight experienced users may be able to drop to me would be very much appreciated.

Are you using tails on an encrypted USB drive? Do you get orders to a drop addy or a living addy? Etc.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: moetchandon on June 05, 2013, 12:00 pm
Welcome on board! Choosing the right seller is so important when you have no buyer stats. You will probably be expected to finalise early, so make sure the seller has high ratings and has been around for a long time.  When it comes to price, if it looks too good to be true then it probably is.  My first few orders were domestic so I didn't have to worry about customs.  I've always used my real name and address.

Look through the forums there are lots of great tips for first timers.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: hellrayzor on June 05, 2013, 12:28 pm
Yeah along with what he said ^
don't stress out too much depending on what your country of origin is - small amounts of drugs that get caught by customs just get thrown out
Im from Aus - infamously strict customs
I've had near 30 transactions and only 1 hasn't made it through

Always order small amounts to ensure no consequences - worst that can happen is you wont get it. Not too bad
I use some sort of variation of my name for domestic and my real name for international - less conspicuous for customs
As long as you're not ordering a kg of cocaine or something - youll be good!
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: purplepanth on June 05, 2013, 01:34 pm
Something I got burned on was a vendor not having sold the product I was ordering for the last few weeks..I like to see that there is feedback from the last few days for the same item..sometimes disreputable vendors will sell things they dont have in stock..then they play this oh it was sent game, and you are looking in your mailbox everyday thinking ...uh where is it?

And of course...try to NEVER FE..unless it is an amount you can afford to lose..I know there are vendors that will sell to noobs without requiring FE..so find one.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: DjThmThm on June 05, 2013, 01:35 pm
THANKS FOR THE INFO
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: deepinblu on June 05, 2013, 01:39 pm
-Check the buyers' feedback on the forum. High rating doesn't always mean high-quality service.
-Don't rely on the feedback on the vendor's profile. Always check the forums for reliable reviews.
-Don't order big quantities or many orders simultaneously.
-Use your real name and address, fakes are a big red flag
-Order express only if you REALLY need to. Express packages are triple-checked and are looked at much more to ensure they get to the right place in the right condition. Regular or priority is the way to go.
-Don't sign for packages unless there is no other shipping option
-Do not use TOR to check tracking.
-Use PGP if possible to send your address details
-Don't send BTC directly from an account that states your name or other credentials
-If you encounter the LE, keep your cool, clean your house of any drugs, paraphernalia, clean your PC of any evidence and most importantly, YOU DID NOT ORDER ANYTHING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS IN THE PACKAGE OR WHERE IT COMES FROM

That's everything I can think about. As long as you follow these steps, you will be fine :) Good luck.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: Friendlyface on June 05, 2013, 01:47 pm
Deepinblu has it right. It boils down largely to common sense. Stick with vendors with great feedback. Just read, read and then read some more. Eventually, you will know which vendor feels right. Start off with a smaller order, and then after you begin to feel some trust you can always increase the order size.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 06:15 pm
Thanks everyone for the advice! I truly appreciate it, just trying to be as cautious as possible.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: DrCol on June 05, 2013, 06:17 pm
Quite right to be cautious.

I am a fairly new vendor but have a simple attitude.

Offer great quality...do business professionally and be friendly/respectful with people.

If that works for you, come say hi :)

Good luck - you sound sensible, so you should be fine here

Cheers

Doc
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 06:38 pm
Quite right to be cautious.

I am a fairly new vendor but have a simple attitude.

Offer great quality...do business professionally and be friendly/respectful with people.

If that works for you, come say hi :)

Good luck - you sound sensible, so you should be fine here

Cheers

Doc

Yeah better safe than sorry! I just checked out your listings, but I'm currently looking for MDMA/LSD, thanks though!
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: Centrum on June 05, 2013, 06:40 pm
Read the reviews of the vendors your choosing from but also search them out of the forums as well. Look to see if their has been any issues with product quality or shipping. Most of all be patient with the mail cause the postal service likes to play with themselves and take forever especially for your first purchase off SR it seems.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 06:44 pm
Centrum, yeah I have a very reputable vendor in mind I would have to say. According to their review thread, everything seems to be up to par.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: sleeptight on June 05, 2013, 06:52 pm
A domestic order from a top rated seller was my way to start here and everything went as expected ;)
No drop or fake name.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 07:00 pm
Sleeptight, my first order is going to be from an international top rated seller

Am I crazy?  :o
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: changeling123 on June 05, 2013, 08:18 pm
Sleeptight, my first order is going to be from an international top rated seller

Am I crazy?  :o

I don't think so. ;) I believe he's not going to write "A delivery from an international top rated seller from SR" on the package. If he's a top rated seller for a while, his ways of packaging and delivery should be pretty good. : )

Also, this http://www.reddit.com/r/SilkRoad/comments/17zepj/things_i_wish_i_knew_about_sr_when_i_started/ (clear net) may come handy.

Cheers,
Changeling
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 08:35 pm
Changeling123, I would hope not! Haha  8)

Yeah I was looking at that awhile back, but now I've been on the forums trying to gather info rather than looking in the subreddit for SR. Thanks!
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 05, 2013, 08:36 pm
I would advise to use PGP encryption when sending your address. You can receive the package at your address as long as there is not enough in the shipment that will make LE come after you. Always take your time and investigate vendors scrupulously. Make sure that not every single person is FE'ing for a vendor. Look back in that case and see when was the last time someone actually received a package and updated feedback. If it is all more than 1 week and it all isn't international orders, you know something is up. Good luck buddy.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 08:41 pm
Thanks CaptainSnowFlakes!

Yeah I got the PGP down pact with GPG4USB. My first planned order isn't very large at all I would say. I have been looking into one vendor in particular, and they don't require FE.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: sleeptight on June 05, 2013, 11:30 pm
Sleeptight, my first order is going to be from an international top rated seller

Am I crazy?  :o

Maybe you're just less paranoid than me ^^

I always order domestic if possible, only 2 times I ordered from NL and both orders got seized :-/
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 05, 2013, 11:40 pm
Sleeptight, my first order is going to be from an international top rated seller

Am I crazy?  :o

Maybe you're just less paranoid than me ^^

I always order domestic if possible, only 2 times I ordered from NL and both orders got seized :-/

I feel like I am pretty paranoid about this whole thing  ::)

I'm not ordering from NL though, I haven't heard any good stories of people receiving their orders from there!
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: Bottletop on June 06, 2013, 01:10 am
My suggestions as a newbie (a lot has been mentioned already, and feel free to challenge me on the stuff that hasn't)

Before buying

- Read read and read the forums, get a feel for how it works obviously, things to watch out for, how the resolution process works etc. I found the wiki's buyers guide pretty light and resorted to searching for guides on the forum. Even read the sellers discussions to understand their side and DPR's philosophy posts to understand what it is you're signing up to
- Get PGP and use the test threads / facilities, there's website with an automatic service listed somewhere where you can practice encrypting and decrypting all day long
- Read all around the security stuff. I completely missed that accessing Mtgox from Tor will be flagged by them, and if the layer upon layer of protection (truecrypt partion, running off a USB etc) sound like paranoia to casual browsers at first, you'll wish you'd followed those set up rules properly the more you get into it
- Similarly keep usernames / passwords separate across everything. You'll end up signing up to a lot of different services (building your Darknet persona I guess). You'll have trouble remembering them all if you're keeping them unique and lengthy enough not to crack, so find a creative way to record them if needed. (not in one handy to read text file on your desktop!)
- Read the product-specific testing / opinion threads. I was ready to jump straight in and order from the best that was on sale at the time, until I found the names of recommended sellers who didn't have active listings at the time and so decided to wait
- Narrow your seller selection down to a few, and read their review threads. Look for the recent posts (I was about to hit purchase on an item until I noticed others commenting that the seller gone AWOL for over 2 weeks). Also try to make sure you're reading reviews about the particular product you want to buy from them. 5/5 seller feedback on the main site might be about something else.
- Give it some time from sign up before ordering, I might be wrong but sellers will look at buyer stats and might be unsure of someone ordering on the first day
- Feel free to send a message to the seller, but don't take issue with it if it's not read. At least you'll get a feel for the customer service level (maybe a hangover from days of buying face-to-face, but while buying goods here can be like shopping on faceless Amazon, given the nature of them I think it's preferable to build a relationship)
- Don't try to buy 5 small safe items to get past the newbie perception, it doesn't make a seller trust you more (a misconception I had at first)
- Slightly contentious, but I wouldn't even worry about ordering something relatively expensive the first time. You'll get scammed less often on smaller items, but positive first buys don't equal any more security when you do come to bigger purchases, it completely depends on the seller

Buying bitcoins

- A few of the main guides recommend the same process (I initially opened up a Mtgox account until I saw the latest threads on it). Also it might not be the best option for your country. In the end I found one that was quicker, gave a better exchange rate and looked less suspicious as an outgoing payment
- I'd recommend (though this could be purely speculation) to wash your bitcoin extremely thoroughly the first time. A first time outgoing sum to an new recipient may trigger more red flags with the bank than if it's been done before

Ordering

- I'd say order from a big and recognized seller the first time (98+ rating or so). They've got the process down and can easily answer questions (even the big sellers aren't too busy to respond).
- See if you can find one that is willing not to FE on first orders. There are big sellers that don't.
- Order domestic. The added challenges of international customs means that if it does get lost in transit, you haven't written off the idea of travelling the road entirely.
- Try a few different suppliers if you're curious, but then compare your feedback to others on the forum so you'll get a feel for who's opinion you can trust
- Always use PGP, request the seller's key if it's not publicly listed. Any decent seller doesn't really have a reason not to use it, even if it's only for your satisfaction

After ordering

- You will worry about it the minute you hit order. Did I pick the right seller? Will it be the best product? Did I pay too much? Did I do everything correctly? You start analyzing all the possible ways in which it could fail given the risks involved. It is weird the first time, but have faith and you will be rewarded
- Post a review on the forums, they're always useful even there's little detail, it just shows the seller is running their business ok. Be mindful you're not giving away stealth techniques / any other incriminating evidence
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: The-Truth on June 06, 2013, 01:43 am
PGP & Tails @ local WiFi

Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: albacore101 on June 06, 2013, 01:48 am
NFE 'never finalize early'
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 06, 2013, 02:45 am
Bottletop, The-Truth, Albacore101

Thank you all for your advice!
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 06, 2013, 12:15 pm
Versace,
Do you mind stating what country are you located? I would suggest to only order domestically for the first purchases. You should receive it within around 3 days from the time it gets put into the PO. You will not be required to FE since most international orders require FE. Plus, you will have a good time frame and you won't get all wigged out waiting for your package lol.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: DrCol on June 06, 2013, 02:36 pm
Guys...come on...no FE (especially for a first order...probably a taster...come on now...a little trust is ok!)

I'm getting product out very swiftly - within 24 hours...it should be professional and simple as possible.

Building a reputation on good business is what it should be about.

Good luck everyone - you're all welcome over at my shop!

Cheers

Doc

Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 06, 2013, 02:58 pm
Guys...come on...no FE (especially for a first order...probably a taster...come on now...a little trust is ok!)

I'm getting product out very swiftly - within 24 hours...it should be professional and simple as possible.

Building a reputation on good business is what it should be about.

Good luck everyone - you're all welcome over at my shop!

Cheers

Doc


There are plenty of vendors that will not require FE on your first purchase as long as it is domestic. No need to risk anyone's money that is new to all this.
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: TorXic on June 06, 2013, 02:58 pm
Use a different nickname from all the others you have on internet, don't link it in some way like your dog name you maybe talked something else (paranoid)

crypt all your stuff, like pgp software and key, with a unique hard password different from all others and don't write it down somewhere.

you do not exist
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 06, 2013, 04:59 pm
Versace,
Do you mind stating what country are you located? I would suggest to only order domestically for the first purchases. You should receive it within around 3 days from the time it gets put into the PO. You will not be required to FE since most international orders require FE. Plus, you will have a good time frame and you won't get all wigged out waiting for your package lol.

In the US of A!  :D
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 06, 2013, 05:03 pm
Ok, So just order small amounts domestically and you will be happy you did :)
Title: Re: Tips for a first time buyer?
Post by: VersacePandaEgg on June 06, 2013, 05:05 pm
Ok, So just order small amounts domestically and you will be happy you did :)

Thanks for the advice!  ;D