This seems a bit strange to me. I mean you can click on anyone’s profile and see a post count. Why impose some arbitrary number on lurkers and such, when there’s no way it’d substitute for common sense and a conversation
You automatically filter out all the bots and whatnot. Also preventing is easier. Anyone with a low post count could easily send a moderator a PM or start a sticky where they can explain why they want to sell inside a very small community driven forum without being an active member. Other forums do this as well and that seems to work fine!!
Im not sure about post counts and the likes - it’d just encourage junk being posted - but something should be suggested as good practice. I’m not sure what though. Maybe insisting on photos that also include, say, todays paper for the date which would be a small step to increasing legitamacy.
Educating buyers and sellers to beware of pitfalls is equally important.
After some thought, and reading the replies, it could just simply be enough to encourage wise choises. If you intend on buying from a forum user, check their post count. Read their thread involvement. If these few things don’t seem to add up, simply be careful moving forward and ask a lot of questions. As a seller, I don’t think it’s a hassle to have to explain yourself a bit to a person who might be skeptical.
Awareness and logic by potential buyers should be common sense in these days.
Is it possible with this forum platform to connect buyer/seller feedback to individual user accounts? I’ve seen this on other forums where I’ve bought and sold gear and it seems to help as an added safety measure.
Another strategy, which I don’t really like, is to charge a small annual fee to be able to post items for sale. They do that in the Talkbass forum and it seems to be enough of a hurdle to deter scammers.
I used to frequent a forum (can’t remember which) where there was an open thread for feedback. Something simple like
Just bought a MnM from X, quick replies to messages, very helpful, fast shipping and arrived in condition stated.
Don’t need to discuss prices, but may work to help.
Hello, please read in my first post that is was suggested that a non active forum member could ask an admin for an exemption to the rules. Not sure what the protocol would be for this but presumably it would help deter dodgy users. Also, we are just having a discussion about it at this time, nothing is changing at this time so no need to get yer pants in bunch 
And as we speak there is one dodgy forum user trying to get his post count up and has already stated himself to be Swedish in public and Polish to a potiental buyer of his “big ticket item”… hmm…
Yes, ultimately it comes down to a bit of common sense, I find referring to previous posts a very usefull tool for determining the legitimacy of a seller (or buyer). Big ticket items I always ask for a phone number which I immediately call , I also ask for an address, absolutely no bank wires etc, any shifty or “scripted” behavior is noted and then there’s just good ol gut feeling so far so good but a couple scary moments… turns out a guy I bought 3k worth of PA amps from ended up in the hospital for a month before he could ship them… ?
Some method, whatever that might be, of making this a less ideal breeding ground for potential scammers would be good though as not everyone is savvy and it is for the most part a trusting environment around here, it is easy to get a little too comfortable…
i notice he pulled his original questioning sell thread, but there’s an unsettling insight from this thread (2nd & 4th post) and a few other things seem odd from the outside, not to prejudge or anything … there’s a new buy thread, i don’t think i’d ship it, if i had one, based on the confused nationality amongst other things !
EDIT: ^ too slow reading other forums and google caches !!
we have feedback threads pinned for each relevant subforum.
While we are having this discussion, and especially after reading the most recent replies… i think as a community, we have to look out for each other. If you think somebody is trying to scam your forum friends, step up and say something. I understand that we are trying NOT to pin point people as forums can generally be a very combative environment… and so far we seem to do pretty well without it here…but if its a legitimate concern, lets voice it.
If you think somebody is trying to scam us. Say something. I think it is within reason to name forum names in the context of protecting the community as a whole. At the very least, PM any of the Mods and let us know. I try to keep an open eye, but i dont always skim the “for sale” sections unless i am in the market. Also note, that as Moderators here we only have access to our specific sub forums. I can only moderate the A4/AK forums for instance. However, send us a message with details and your personal opinion. I would gladly contact the person in question and try to get some sort of validity from them without overstepping what i assume to be personal boundaries. At the very least we could provide an unbiased opinion. If it is quite obvious and a no brainer, absolutely let us know. We will inform Jon (head mod honcho), and he can take further actions such as banning or “probationary” actions.
the original poster of this thread had the “spider senses” mentioned …
I must say (imho) trust your senses (spider, bat, Betazoids …)
in general, the idea of a minimum count of posts was welcomed, except for some users who are regulars and never post … well -shrug- …
another thing that popped into my head was:
how bout we offer all prospective buyers (and sellers) - HELP -
(hence we would act as a 3rd party MAYBE hold the money escrow till unit is shipped and arrived, or we want to see proof of ID, recommend having a phone number supplied, double check pictures of units with daily newspaper and / or serial number)
Well said fully agree.
i think that’s a terrible idea…what is estzblished forum menber??? i’m pretty sure to follow eu and elektronzuts for a longer time than most of the people on this thread, and sell some gear by this board, but as it’s very rare i post; i suppose i’m not "establshed’… so whzt?? very close minded and a bit fascit to me…
You’re input to this discussion is more than welcome, but I have to say I find your comment a bit close minded. We are just sharing ideas here that relate to keeping trading via this forum somewhat safer. Please feel free to add something constructive. How would you propose making this a less friendly environment for scammers?
I suppose the best thing we could do is have it set so that any trades and or sells would have the participants send their item and or moneys to my P.O. box and I’ll broker the deal. You can trust me. This my 62nd post.
Yeah! Let’s call it “ELEKTRONAUTISM” !!!
+1
Been thinking about this for the past few days, and even more so this morning in light of Nils’s recent encounter with ben-hart. Not sure how much I have to contribute beyond what’s been said already, but FWIW:
I’d like to be cognizant of the fact that there are people who visit the forum often but don’t post much. I am a lot less active myself these days for various reasons, and I belong to a few other forums where my post count is quite low, sometimes in the single digits. But when it comes to business, I deal honestly with other people and I get irritated personally when they don’t take me at my word.
That said, we’re touching upon larger questions in this thread that concern everyone who does business electronically: How do you know who you are talking to? How can you establish trust between two parties who do not have a precedent relationship? The answers are not trivial: Lots of professional mathematicians make their living by creating cryptographic techniques that (to take one example) banks use to ensure the safe transfer of money.
I’m not saying we need to take things to that level on our buy/sell/trade page. But I am saying that if you are not, in some tangible way, a known quantity to the people you are dealing with, you cannot reasonably expect them to trust you. It’s human nature, and the less active members of a community need to accept this as a fact of life.
Perhaps post counts alone are not the best benchmark, because it would be all too easy for a scammer to make a few dozen innocuous posts of a few words apiece before striking. But we do have an easy way to check what members have said and done in the past via their profile page. So whether we make a hard and fast rule concerning post numbers (or anything else), I do not find it unreasonable for buyers to expect more than a seller’s word that they and their gear are legit.
So my humble $0.02: If you one day might offer your property on a forum and expect success when you do, get involved and be involved actively as much as you can. Potential buyers can and will talk about you, and you want them to have reasons to say good things.
well i retire the term fascist, was a bit exagerated, but in years of dealing by internet, here and on other place,for dozens of dozens transactions, i never had any problem.
but, even if each case was different, i never make deals without some kind of assurance.
i often use paypal. sometimes i asked copy of official paper coresponding to the address. one time i asked the seller to send me the psu, and paid only when i had it. i asked question, test the guy. and of course it’s more easy if the name is familiar to me. i prefer deals in my country, even if a bit expensive ( i am not on rare things too…)
the guy sell an unit but never asked question on it?? …
i mean i don’t see a reason to lock anithing, internet is a jungle, we all know that.
so being prudent is the first and only rule to me.