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How to guide: protecting yourself when online trading

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How to guide: protecting yourself when online trading
Psycho Pixie

Psycho Pixie

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It has been a while since I did one of my how to guides.... This specific topic has been brewing in my head for a while...

How to protect yourself when trading via online agreements and mailing.​

There are shady people out there. I hate to say it, especially in the hobby i love so much... But there really are people out there who will STEAL and LIE to get pins. Especially higher end pins. Eventually, even the most experienced trader can get bamboozled when online trading. Below are the basic guidelines for protecting yourself when trading online....

First: confirming the trade agreement.
  1. Communicate!! Know exactly what your are sending, and exactly what you are receiving... And most important, estimated time for the person you are trading with to MAIL your package. It is polite to let them know when you will be mailing, and they should do likewise.
  2. NO trade is set and firm until addresses are exchanged.

Next: shipping the pins.

  1. Always ship your package with tracking! I keep my tracking #'s with a note saying their I.D (DPF, PP, FB etc...) and what pins got put in the package. I still have some tracking sheets for trades from a year ago believe it or not.... but i keep everything. lol
  2. Make sure you notify the person of the tracking number. and if you do not get your tracking number when you are expecting it... contact them and ask politely if it has shipped yet.
  3. Make sure your packaging is well sealed and safe. Bubble mailers are the way to go. And a layer or two of bubble wrap goes a long way in protecting the posts from bend or break damage in shipping. Please do not stick your pin in a white letter envelope... I cannot tell you how many pins have gotten lost in the post office sorter machines due to that.

The reason you always want tracking, is because it lets you know when the package arrives. You can pop an email to the recipient and make sure they got it, or if for some reason the package is floating in USPS black hole for multiple days you can start inquiries to get it fixed. You also then have a record of shipping. And if you did write down what pins you sent in the package you now have an idea of value if there are issues.

When someone fails to ship a package to you, there are several things to consider...
  • How long ago was the trade agreement made?
  • Does the person have feedback on the website you used to set up the trade?
  • Have they been communicating with you to let you know they are running behind shipping the item?

If you know for certain that this is a failed trade and you got Bamboozled:

  1. Notify the person that you will file a complaint with the website unless they ship or communicate within 24 hours *give a set deadline, 24, 48 hours, whatever*
  2. Once that time is up, and no communication has been recieved, send EVERYTHING you have regarding the trade agreement to the website you arranged the trade on. Emails, communications, the final agreement and the tracking info for the package you sent.
  3. A final option, and one not to be taken lightly, is to file a fraud claim with the post office. This can result in fines or jail time for the person, so PLEASE do not do this unless you have no other options.

I hope this helps everyone! And PLEASE feel free to add your comments, experience or questions!

Space reserved for notes and additions from replies
 
I appreciate this thread and I think you bring up some great points, though I just have one thing to add.
Adding a tracking number for international trades is sometimes a price absolutely ridiculous.
Personally, unless it is a REALLY valuable pin, I can not send with tracking. It makes the trade difficult for myself who is on a tight budget, and so I would make alot less trades.
When selling pins, if someone would like tracking I can understand but would charge extra.

This is my personal opinion, and would love to hear other opinions too !!!
 
I actually totally agree with that. way to pricey. however the customs receipt provides tracking while in the USA. and does give you a bit of protection because it does have value estimates on the package in case of problems. I didnt touch on the international concerns because it seems that international trades are prone to fewer bamboozlements. I could be wrong on that though.
 
the one and only time that I traded with someone and never received a pin was internationally. I am quite wary about international trading now. I believe that the trader was honest (as a pin friend had recently traded with him and got her pin promptly) and that it was just lost, but he had no customs info or tracking, so all I could do was to call the post office day and after day and ask if anyone had seen it.
 
Agreed. International shipping prices are out of control. I think if someone is doing an international trade, and wants their pin to have tracking available, they should let you know beforehand. I have had this happen to me, and personally had I known that's what they were expecting, I wouldn't have made the trade. :\
 
Make sure you save all important trade information to your computer, if you're using the new pinpics. Their system is internal and if they ban, or someone deletes their acct. You're out of luck trying to retrieve those messages and information!!
 
Great "How To" thread!!! :bigthumb: Thank you Kristine!!! This is a great reminder to everyone, and a big help to the many new additions to the hobby as of late! :D Just another reason you are so amazing, always looking out for us! :hug:
 
I've gotten into the habit of adding a "signature confirmation" to any package worth over $100. It costs about $2 and is worth the peace of mind when sending high-value pins within the US. Alternatively, there's always insurance which I will add to any package worth $300 or more. Again, this is for my peace of mind... not theirs. :)
 
colorwindpainter said:
Can someone tell me how I get in contact with pinpics about writing a complaint about a trader who cheated me out of a pin?!?
Click to expand...

It's INFO@PINPICS.com Nothing on their new site works to file a complaint about bad traders or to contact them. This was provided to me on another thread and I did get a mod.

If your bad trader is in the UK, would you PM me their name. Seems a few of us were taken to the cleaners on high end pins.
 
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