I made this post ages ago after the last spate of scamming but forgot to post it up! I think it's in the best interest of any new people we're trying to help to keep this thread as tidy and clutter free as possible (maybe just 1 post at the top which is updated with any new info people post below it, then the additional posts can be deleted) otherwise people won't be arsed to read it.
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General Guide to the World of the Classifieds & Buying Safely.
Ok guys... In lie of all the recent scamming, including me myself being scammed I've decided that writing this may help others learn from our experience.
Here are some simple steps you can take to help you out while trading. Some are quite pedantic and you won’t perform all the steps for each transaction, and some are more applicable to America, but it’s all pretty good info.
1. Get as much information about the seller as possible:
Full Name (first and last)
Address (house number, street, city, post code)
At least 1 working phone number (always get the phone number first and call it before sending any money)
All screen names you've talked to them on (P8ntballer Screename, MSN, AOL, ICQ, etc.)
2. If the person is under the age of 18 TALK TO THEIR PARENTS and make sure they understand what their child is purchasing and deal with the adult if possible. This will cover you’re a$$ so they can't come back and say they didn't know what was going on or accuse your of selling dangerous paintball equipment to a minor. If dealing with parents get a cell phone number or a number where you can reach them outside of the home.
3. After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like 192.com or www.bt.com/directory-enquiries/ to perform an address lookup to verify that they really live there.
4. When selling items within the country or particularly internationally make sure you INSURE THE PACKAGE FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BUY EVERYTHING NEW. I know this may increase the postage costs and customs fees a little but if anything were to go wrong nobody would be screwed.
5. If you have no feedback and are selling a gun don't expect people to send first or at the same time. If you feel like you can't trust someone ask a mod or admin about 3rd party services. It can be worth the extra £10 or so to make sure you don't get scammed. (This hasn’t been hugely utilised in the UK, but people who have offered to do this before are Tom Allen & AJermstad)
6. If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list by dropping them PMs.
7. Always do checks with as many forums as you can. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person is trying to scam you.
8. When shipping something you value, I would suggest fully insuring it. Also request a signature confirmation (this way they can't deny they received it). More info on this later.
9. If you've been scammed, don't hesitate to let the rest of P8ntballer know.
10. Whenever possible, Pay with PayPal, MO, or Check. This will insure you that you can see who cashed the money.
11. If someone tells you that they will send you a $2000 MO and you're to keep the agreed amount and then use Western Union to send rest to them and there Shipping agent will pick up the package..... IT'S A SCAM!!!! This is called the Nigerian Scam.... The MO is fake and won't show until 3-7 days later.... Which leaves you screwed because you would have to pay back the bank....
12. SAVE ALL OF YOUR PMS! You can do this by selecting the ones you wish to save and then changing the ‘Selected Messages’ drop down box at the bottom of the page to one of the save options and clicking ‘Go’.
Some info above taken from a post originally made by CodyT
Guide to Selling Effectively
If you’re a new seller then it’s highly advisable that you take good quality photos of what your selling with a piece of paper bearing your username next to the item and possibly a recent newspaper. This proves that you currently have the item in your possession, and therefore less likely to be a scammer.
Don’t be offended if a potential buyer asks for some information like your phone number or address if it’s a high price item as this will be to help cover their a$$ if you turn out to be a scammer.
Posting Photos
If you have photos but don’t know how to put them on the forum there are two easy options.
1. Become a P8ntballer-Forums.com Platinum member. http://www.p8ntballer.com/platinum.php
This will enable you to host pictures in your posts and also allow you to start a feedback thread should you wish to do so (plus get you loads of other goodies).
2. Go to a free photo hosting site like www.Photobucket.com and create an account. It’s free, easy, and don’t worry about registering – they won’t spam your e-mail. Then you can post links in your threads.
Accepting Payment
Lots of people use ‘Paypal’ now. It’s on online form of paying someone which is very quick and easy, initially started by ebay.
You can register at www.Paypal.com for free. Once registered you should associate your bank account with your Paypal account and become ‘Verified’, just follow the instructions. This means that Paypal will take some of your details and give you ‘verified’ status, so if you decide to scam anyone Paypal can track you down
You can then receive money into your Paypal account by giving people your e-mail address. Any money in your Paypal account can then be transferred to your real bank account.
NOTE: There is a fee associated with receiving a payment. Usually about 3.4% of how much somebody is paying you. This is the price you pay for the hassle free, easy and secure payment method.
Shipping Paintball Gear in the UK
Always insure the package for what it would cost to replace it. We all know the Royal Mail is notorious for losing packages. Also make sure you secure your package well with masking tape, brown papers etc. to prevent damage to or loss of contents.
There are 3 main shipping options within the UK to consider:
1. Low value, easily replaceable items:
Standard 1st Class – No insurance, cheap, usually arrives in 1-2 days within mainland UK.
2. Low-medium valued items (Up to £32):
1st Class ‘Recorded Delivery’ – This is the orange slip in the post office. It only costs a small amount more for recorded delivery and it guarantees that the recipient signs for it and insures the package up to £32.
3. High value or priority items (Up to £2500):
‘Special Delivery Next Day’. This is the silver slip at the post office and the best method for guns, bottles etc. Gets delivered the next day as long as you mail it by about 5-5:30pm. There is also a 9am option of special delivery, which is a tad more expensive, although in my experience most of the ‘next day’ special delivery packaged arrive with the regular mail in the morning anyway.
For both 2 & 3, keep the slip and payment receipt as proof of postage. Plus they have tracking numbers on them.
Special Delivery Next Day Prices:
Special Delivery 9am Prices:
----------------
I hope that helps a little.
------------------------------------
General Guide to the World of the Classifieds & Buying Safely.
Ok guys... In lie of all the recent scamming, including me myself being scammed I've decided that writing this may help others learn from our experience.
Here are some simple steps you can take to help you out while trading. Some are quite pedantic and you won’t perform all the steps for each transaction, and some are more applicable to America, but it’s all pretty good info.
1. Get as much information about the seller as possible:
Full Name (first and last)
Address (house number, street, city, post code)
At least 1 working phone number (always get the phone number first and call it before sending any money)
All screen names you've talked to them on (P8ntballer Screename, MSN, AOL, ICQ, etc.)
2. If the person is under the age of 18 TALK TO THEIR PARENTS and make sure they understand what their child is purchasing and deal with the adult if possible. This will cover you’re a$$ so they can't come back and say they didn't know what was going on or accuse your of selling dangerous paintball equipment to a minor. If dealing with parents get a cell phone number or a number where you can reach them outside of the home.
3. After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like 192.com or www.bt.com/directory-enquiries/ to perform an address lookup to verify that they really live there.
4. When selling items within the country or particularly internationally make sure you INSURE THE PACKAGE FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BUY EVERYTHING NEW. I know this may increase the postage costs and customs fees a little but if anything were to go wrong nobody would be screwed.
5. If you have no feedback and are selling a gun don't expect people to send first or at the same time. If you feel like you can't trust someone ask a mod or admin about 3rd party services. It can be worth the extra £10 or so to make sure you don't get scammed. (This hasn’t been hugely utilised in the UK, but people who have offered to do this before are Tom Allen & AJermstad)
6. If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list by dropping them PMs.
7. Always do checks with as many forums as you can. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person is trying to scam you.
8. When shipping something you value, I would suggest fully insuring it. Also request a signature confirmation (this way they can't deny they received it). More info on this later.
9. If you've been scammed, don't hesitate to let the rest of P8ntballer know.
10. Whenever possible, Pay with PayPal, MO, or Check. This will insure you that you can see who cashed the money.
11. If someone tells you that they will send you a $2000 MO and you're to keep the agreed amount and then use Western Union to send rest to them and there Shipping agent will pick up the package..... IT'S A SCAM!!!! This is called the Nigerian Scam.... The MO is fake and won't show until 3-7 days later.... Which leaves you screwed because you would have to pay back the bank....
12. SAVE ALL OF YOUR PMS! You can do this by selecting the ones you wish to save and then changing the ‘Selected Messages’ drop down box at the bottom of the page to one of the save options and clicking ‘Go’.
Some info above taken from a post originally made by CodyT
Guide to Selling Effectively
If you’re a new seller then it’s highly advisable that you take good quality photos of what your selling with a piece of paper bearing your username next to the item and possibly a recent newspaper. This proves that you currently have the item in your possession, and therefore less likely to be a scammer.
Don’t be offended if a potential buyer asks for some information like your phone number or address if it’s a high price item as this will be to help cover their a$$ if you turn out to be a scammer.
Posting Photos
If you have photos but don’t know how to put them on the forum there are two easy options.
1. Become a P8ntballer-Forums.com Platinum member. http://www.p8ntballer.com/platinum.php
This will enable you to host pictures in your posts and also allow you to start a feedback thread should you wish to do so (plus get you loads of other goodies).
2. Go to a free photo hosting site like www.Photobucket.com and create an account. It’s free, easy, and don’t worry about registering – they won’t spam your e-mail. Then you can post links in your threads.
Accepting Payment
Lots of people use ‘Paypal’ now. It’s on online form of paying someone which is very quick and easy, initially started by ebay.
You can register at www.Paypal.com for free. Once registered you should associate your bank account with your Paypal account and become ‘Verified’, just follow the instructions. This means that Paypal will take some of your details and give you ‘verified’ status, so if you decide to scam anyone Paypal can track you down
You can then receive money into your Paypal account by giving people your e-mail address. Any money in your Paypal account can then be transferred to your real bank account.
NOTE: There is a fee associated with receiving a payment. Usually about 3.4% of how much somebody is paying you. This is the price you pay for the hassle free, easy and secure payment method.
Shipping Paintball Gear in the UK
Always insure the package for what it would cost to replace it. We all know the Royal Mail is notorious for losing packages. Also make sure you secure your package well with masking tape, brown papers etc. to prevent damage to or loss of contents.
There are 3 main shipping options within the UK to consider:
1. Low value, easily replaceable items:
Standard 1st Class – No insurance, cheap, usually arrives in 1-2 days within mainland UK.
2. Low-medium valued items (Up to £32):
1st Class ‘Recorded Delivery’ – This is the orange slip in the post office. It only costs a small amount more for recorded delivery and it guarantees that the recipient signs for it and insures the package up to £32.
3. High value or priority items (Up to £2500):
‘Special Delivery Next Day’. This is the silver slip at the post office and the best method for guns, bottles etc. Gets delivered the next day as long as you mail it by about 5-5:30pm. There is also a 9am option of special delivery, which is a tad more expensive, although in my experience most of the ‘next day’ special delivery packaged arrive with the regular mail in the morning anyway.
For both 2 & 3, keep the slip and payment receipt as proof of postage. Plus they have tracking numbers on them.
Special Delivery Next Day Prices:
Special Delivery 9am Prices:
----------------
I hope that helps a little.
