Exchange Forum Guidelines + Good Trader List + Why was my thread locked/removed?
02-19-02, 01:26 AM
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Exchange Forum Guidelines + Good Trader List + Why was my thread locked/removed?
Before You Post A Trade - Some Rules of The Road
If you have an item to trade, or a group of items to trade create you can post it in the Video Game Exchange forum. Please note however that you may only have 1 thread open for your trades DO NOT open multiple threads for each item you wish to trade.
You may post Video Game (any platform) items for trade only in this forum area. Threads for other items will either be moved to the DVD Exchange Forum (if applicable) or closed. We ask you to please separate out Videogames you may have to trade and list them in the appropriate forum.
Note that links to off-site auctions or trade sites are prohibited. If you want to post in this forum area you need to post the items for trade here. This is not the place to 'promote' your auction.
The Video Game Exchange Forum is not designed to be a place for people to sell things to DVD Talk members, so please do not try to 'open shop' here, as your thread and account may be closed.
Additionally you may not trade: gift certificates, gift cards, physical or otherwise, 'backups' or bootlegs of movies or games.
Posting Your Trade & Getting The Best Results
For best results be sure to post both the items you are looking to trade and what you are looking for. The most successful traders are the ones who have a comprehensive list of what they are looking for and what they have to trade.
Keep the title of your post brief. Often people will post 'FT: Title 1, 2, 3' with 2 or 3 of the key titles which they are trading. Please DO NOT list every title you are trading in the subject of the post, or use misleading headers to get people look at your post.
When listing what you have, it's incredibly important to be honest and clear about what you have and what condition it is in. It's much better to indicate that a game has a small scratch or is in OK condition before a trade verses dealing with an unhappy trader when they get something that is in worse condition than they expected. Also many DVD Talkers like to know if the DVD you are trading is a 'cut out' or promotional DVD. Please note which/if game you have to trade may have a 'cut out' of the barcode to indicate they are a promotional game.
If you have items which you are looking to sell post a price for it. This is not an auction site, and should someone meet your asking price or trade offer, you are obliged to make the deal and not try to squeeze out more.
Handling Responses & Negotiating A Trade
When you post a trade in the forum, you create the expectation that you will respond to people as they make offers to trade with you. We strongly recommend using 'Email Notification' check box when posting your trade thread so you will know when people respond. Also its important to respond to trade e-mails in a timely manor. This way if you are not interested in something the person can offer it to someone else and not be left 'hanging around' waiting for a reply.
If either through posts to the tread or e-mail you find a match, you should do a couple of things:
- Check DVD Talk's Good Trader List (GTL). While this is is not a guarantee, it is a good indication if others have had positive trading experiences with a member
- If the member is not listed on the GTL then you can also ask for links to their Ebay Seller Feedback, Half.com Seller Feedback or see that they are Pay Pal Verified (example: https://www.paypal.com/verified/pal=...40kleinman.com)
Remember, none of these absolutely guarantee's that you won't have a problem, and if there's something that seems WAY TOO GOOD to be true than it probably is.
Doing The Swap
Once you've found an ideal swap, and feel comfortable with the person you are going to be swapping with you should follow these steps:
- E-mail the person you are going to trade with and agree on shipping method and time/date. It's VERY important that once you've agreed to send something out at a specific time that you do everything you can to meet that commitment. Long delays in sending your items may result in your forum account being suspended & further complications, so DO NOT BE LATE.
- Reconfirm that you are getting exactly what you want (correct platform) & be sure you've fully disclose any flaws in physical packaging (casing) or in the item.
- Make sure you have the correct and complete mailing address (always try to get and provide the Zip+4 as it speeds delivery)
- If the transaction involves payment. Discuss the method of payment. VERY IMPORTANT - when sending money via Pay Pal always get the other persons real info including: full name, address and phone number.
- See tips and advice on shipping items below
- Once everything is agreed on, do the swap. Be sure to send an e-mail confirmation to the person you are swapping with to tell them exactly when their package went out and when you receive the items they send you. This final piece of communication is very important and can really make a good trade even better
- A newer trader may be asked to ship their items first from the more established traders. While this may be acceptable, please be aware that is in no way mandatory. However if there is someone who has no trading history, is not on the GTL, DO NOT SEND FIRST. This is the number 1 area where people get burned and it's not worth taking a chance.
- After the trade either: post your feedback to the Good Trader List, or see the section about problem trades below.
Shipping Tips
- Be sure to properly pack and pad your item when shipping. If you are shipping a game BE SURE it is not lose in its case. Some traders will also put in a single folded paper towel inside the case to make sure the disc does not come loose or rattle around. If the prongs on your case are broken and the disc is loose consider replacing the case before sending it.
- When sending PS2 Games we use a #2 padded envelope (8 1/2 x 10 1/2) which you can pick up at Office Depot or other Office Supply sore
- Always use order confirmation when sending via USPS. For any item sent via Priority Mail it is only 35 cents. That way you can always see when the item has been delivered. Include a card of some sort listing the sender’s and recipient’s address information INSIDE the package
- If the item has some value (like a $45 PS2 Game) you may want to strongly consider some form of insurance. This way of the item is damaged or lost you will not be out a considerable amount of money.
- DO NOT USE PRIORITY MAIL PACKAGING IF YOU ARE NOT SENDING PRIORITY MAIL. Some people think it's OK to turn a priority box inside out for shipping via regular mail, but the truth is - It's a Federal Offense. We'd hate to see a trader get a hefty fine or other serious legal issues for a box they could pick up for under $1!
- Use block caps in addresses, avoid punctuation, and leave 2 spaces between state and zip code. Use a ZIP+4 code whenever possible. USPS
When Trades Go Bad - Resolving Problems
- Sometimes Good Trades go bad for very innocent reasons. Once in a while someone will actually put the incorrect address on their package, actually honestly forget to send something, or do something that can earnestly be considered 'human error'. Your first step when you feel a trade has gone bad is to contact the person you are trading with and let them know what's wrong (i.e., you didn't get your package yet, something is missing, something is damaged)
- If you find yourself in a position where you honestly messed up, you should do all you can to fix the situation. If you wrote the wrong address, then you should re-send it with upgraded/expediated shipping. If something missed the box, you should rush it out to ASAP.
- If for some reason a disagreement erupts, try to talk through the issues. Many Good Trades gone Bad are resolved simply by both sides clearly communicating the issue and working together for a solution.
- If things are truly fouled up, consider agreeing to cancel the trade and send the person back their goods while they send you back yours. Sometimes killing a trade gone bad can be the best way to resolve it.
- Sometimes people use honest excuses dishonestly, and after a week or so of waiting, it's obvious that someone is using excuses not in ernest but to delay your reporting of a bad trade, if this happens... it's time to report it!
Reporting a Bad Trade
- To report a bad trade, e-mail your problem/question to the DVD Exchange Moderator. This can easily be done by clicking on the 'Report this post to a moderator' in your trade thread.
- When reporting a bad trade please be as specific and detailed as possible, including what items where agreed upon to be traded, when things were sent, and any copies of communication which you may have had after the point the trade went bad and ALL contact information for both parties.
- Our moderator will do what they can to contact the other party and facilitate a resolution. This may involve issuing formal warnings and/or account suspension while a bad trade is resolved.
- Please note, our mods will do all they can to help, but they are not responsible for Bad Trade resolution. We will ban bad traders from our forum and we do everything we can to prevent bad traders from returning under other names. So please understand the mods/admins are here to help because they WANT TO, not because they are obligated.
If All Goes Wrong And Nothing Can Be Done To Solve It
If you've tried to resolve a bad trade on your own and failed. Reported the bad trade to us and we are unable to resolve it, then there are some resources which you can use to take your resolution to the next level.
If you've been truly defrauded (and the person used the US Mail to send or receive goods) then you can file a report with the USPS Mail Fraud division. Bad Trades are Mail Fraud which, you guessed it IS A FEDERAL offense! Here's a link to the reporting form: http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors...dComplaint.htm . As a federal offense you can also report it to the FBI http://www.fbi.gov/interagency/ifcc/filingcomplaint.htm . Finally, you can contact the local law enforcement agency of the town the person you've swapped with lives in - That's right a Bad Trade is also theft, another legal offense.
[NOTE TO BAD TRADERS - ask yourself, is defrauding someone out of a game worth time in jail???]
We hope these tips and guidelines will help you make good and happy trades!
DVDTalk, its moderators, and affiliates shall not be held responsible for any trades/sales/comments which take place through this forum.
If you have an item to trade, or a group of items to trade create you can post it in the Video Game Exchange forum. Please note however that you may only have 1 thread open for your trades DO NOT open multiple threads for each item you wish to trade.
You may post Video Game (any platform) items for trade only in this forum area. Threads for other items will either be moved to the DVD Exchange Forum (if applicable) or closed. We ask you to please separate out Videogames you may have to trade and list them in the appropriate forum.
Note that links to off-site auctions or trade sites are prohibited. If you want to post in this forum area you need to post the items for trade here. This is not the place to 'promote' your auction.
The Video Game Exchange Forum is not designed to be a place for people to sell things to DVD Talk members, so please do not try to 'open shop' here, as your thread and account may be closed.
Additionally you may not trade: gift certificates, gift cards, physical or otherwise, 'backups' or bootlegs of movies or games.
Posting Your Trade & Getting The Best Results
For best results be sure to post both the items you are looking to trade and what you are looking for. The most successful traders are the ones who have a comprehensive list of what they are looking for and what they have to trade.
Keep the title of your post brief. Often people will post 'FT: Title 1, 2, 3' with 2 or 3 of the key titles which they are trading. Please DO NOT list every title you are trading in the subject of the post, or use misleading headers to get people look at your post.
When listing what you have, it's incredibly important to be honest and clear about what you have and what condition it is in. It's much better to indicate that a game has a small scratch or is in OK condition before a trade verses dealing with an unhappy trader when they get something that is in worse condition than they expected. Also many DVD Talkers like to know if the DVD you are trading is a 'cut out' or promotional DVD. Please note which/if game you have to trade may have a 'cut out' of the barcode to indicate they are a promotional game.
If you have items which you are looking to sell post a price for it. This is not an auction site, and should someone meet your asking price or trade offer, you are obliged to make the deal and not try to squeeze out more.
Handling Responses & Negotiating A Trade
When you post a trade in the forum, you create the expectation that you will respond to people as they make offers to trade with you. We strongly recommend using 'Email Notification' check box when posting your trade thread so you will know when people respond. Also its important to respond to trade e-mails in a timely manor. This way if you are not interested in something the person can offer it to someone else and not be left 'hanging around' waiting for a reply.
If either through posts to the tread or e-mail you find a match, you should do a couple of things:
- Check DVD Talk's Good Trader List (GTL). While this is is not a guarantee, it is a good indication if others have had positive trading experiences with a member
- If the member is not listed on the GTL then you can also ask for links to their Ebay Seller Feedback, Half.com Seller Feedback or see that they are Pay Pal Verified (example: https://www.paypal.com/verified/pal=...40kleinman.com)
Remember, none of these absolutely guarantee's that you won't have a problem, and if there's something that seems WAY TOO GOOD to be true than it probably is.
Doing The Swap
Once you've found an ideal swap, and feel comfortable with the person you are going to be swapping with you should follow these steps:
- E-mail the person you are going to trade with and agree on shipping method and time/date. It's VERY important that once you've agreed to send something out at a specific time that you do everything you can to meet that commitment. Long delays in sending your items may result in your forum account being suspended & further complications, so DO NOT BE LATE.
- Reconfirm that you are getting exactly what you want (correct platform) & be sure you've fully disclose any flaws in physical packaging (casing) or in the item.
- Make sure you have the correct and complete mailing address (always try to get and provide the Zip+4 as it speeds delivery)
- If the transaction involves payment. Discuss the method of payment. VERY IMPORTANT - when sending money via Pay Pal always get the other persons real info including: full name, address and phone number.
- See tips and advice on shipping items below
- Once everything is agreed on, do the swap. Be sure to send an e-mail confirmation to the person you are swapping with to tell them exactly when their package went out and when you receive the items they send you. This final piece of communication is very important and can really make a good trade even better
- A newer trader may be asked to ship their items first from the more established traders. While this may be acceptable, please be aware that is in no way mandatory. However if there is someone who has no trading history, is not on the GTL, DO NOT SEND FIRST. This is the number 1 area where people get burned and it's not worth taking a chance.
- After the trade either: post your feedback to the Good Trader List, or see the section about problem trades below.
Shipping Tips
- Be sure to properly pack and pad your item when shipping. If you are shipping a game BE SURE it is not lose in its case. Some traders will also put in a single folded paper towel inside the case to make sure the disc does not come loose or rattle around. If the prongs on your case are broken and the disc is loose consider replacing the case before sending it.
- When sending PS2 Games we use a #2 padded envelope (8 1/2 x 10 1/2) which you can pick up at Office Depot or other Office Supply sore
- Always use order confirmation when sending via USPS. For any item sent via Priority Mail it is only 35 cents. That way you can always see when the item has been delivered. Include a card of some sort listing the sender’s and recipient’s address information INSIDE the package
- If the item has some value (like a $45 PS2 Game) you may want to strongly consider some form of insurance. This way of the item is damaged or lost you will not be out a considerable amount of money.
- DO NOT USE PRIORITY MAIL PACKAGING IF YOU ARE NOT SENDING PRIORITY MAIL. Some people think it's OK to turn a priority box inside out for shipping via regular mail, but the truth is - It's a Federal Offense. We'd hate to see a trader get a hefty fine or other serious legal issues for a box they could pick up for under $1!
- Use block caps in addresses, avoid punctuation, and leave 2 spaces between state and zip code. Use a ZIP+4 code whenever possible. USPS
When Trades Go Bad - Resolving Problems
- Sometimes Good Trades go bad for very innocent reasons. Once in a while someone will actually put the incorrect address on their package, actually honestly forget to send something, or do something that can earnestly be considered 'human error'. Your first step when you feel a trade has gone bad is to contact the person you are trading with and let them know what's wrong (i.e., you didn't get your package yet, something is missing, something is damaged)
- If you find yourself in a position where you honestly messed up, you should do all you can to fix the situation. If you wrote the wrong address, then you should re-send it with upgraded/expediated shipping. If something missed the box, you should rush it out to ASAP.
- If for some reason a disagreement erupts, try to talk through the issues. Many Good Trades gone Bad are resolved simply by both sides clearly communicating the issue and working together for a solution.
- If things are truly fouled up, consider agreeing to cancel the trade and send the person back their goods while they send you back yours. Sometimes killing a trade gone bad can be the best way to resolve it.
- Sometimes people use honest excuses dishonestly, and after a week or so of waiting, it's obvious that someone is using excuses not in ernest but to delay your reporting of a bad trade, if this happens... it's time to report it!
Reporting a Bad Trade
- To report a bad trade, e-mail your problem/question to the DVD Exchange Moderator. This can easily be done by clicking on the 'Report this post to a moderator' in your trade thread.
- When reporting a bad trade please be as specific and detailed as possible, including what items where agreed upon to be traded, when things were sent, and any copies of communication which you may have had after the point the trade went bad and ALL contact information for both parties.
- Our moderator will do what they can to contact the other party and facilitate a resolution. This may involve issuing formal warnings and/or account suspension while a bad trade is resolved.
- Please note, our mods will do all they can to help, but they are not responsible for Bad Trade resolution. We will ban bad traders from our forum and we do everything we can to prevent bad traders from returning under other names. So please understand the mods/admins are here to help because they WANT TO, not because they are obligated.
If All Goes Wrong And Nothing Can Be Done To Solve It
If you've tried to resolve a bad trade on your own and failed. Reported the bad trade to us and we are unable to resolve it, then there are some resources which you can use to take your resolution to the next level.
If you've been truly defrauded (and the person used the US Mail to send or receive goods) then you can file a report with the USPS Mail Fraud division. Bad Trades are Mail Fraud which, you guessed it IS A FEDERAL offense! Here's a link to the reporting form: http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors...dComplaint.htm . As a federal offense you can also report it to the FBI http://www.fbi.gov/interagency/ifcc/filingcomplaint.htm . Finally, you can contact the local law enforcement agency of the town the person you've swapped with lives in - That's right a Bad Trade is also theft, another legal offense.
[NOTE TO BAD TRADERS - ask yourself, is defrauding someone out of a game worth time in jail???]
We hope these tips and guidelines will help you make good and happy trades!
DVDTalk, its moderators, and affiliates shall not be held responsible for any trades/sales/comments which take place through this forum.
05-29-05, 05:58 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
If you're wanting to sell something, then you MUST list the price! Any FS thread without prices will be locked or removed.
Last edited by namja; 03-05-08 at 02:13 AM.
03-05-08, 02:12 AM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
The Good Trader List is maintained in the DVD Exchange forum. When you have a good or bad trade with someone, please post it to the threads in the DVD Exchange Forum:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6
07-01-13, 12:16 AM
#4
Moderator
Re: Exchange Forum Guidelines + Good Trader List + Why was my thread locked/removed?
A note on digital downloads
Recently, a number of games have been made available for digital download DRM-free via various "indie bundles" and other promotions. Unfortunately, because we cannot verify whether users have the rights to resell these games, we cannot allow these to be traded or sold.
Downloadable content via codes (such as Steam Keys, Xbox Live Marketplace codes, and PSN codes) are acceptable.
Recently, a number of games have been made available for digital download DRM-free via various "indie bundles" and other promotions. Unfortunately, because we cannot verify whether users have the rights to resell these games, we cannot allow these to be traded or sold.
Downloadable content via codes (such as Steam Keys, Xbox Live Marketplace codes, and PSN codes) are acceptable.
