How many forum members as percentage have been scammed by new sellers

[Spyder]

Hello to all forum members

This is a general question "How many forum members have been scammed by a new forum member who has decided to sell metals they had?

I keep seeing as soon as someone registered on the forum, the first thing everyone says to them is "only buy from sellers with plenty of feedback".

Now how is a new seller supposed to get feedback if no one buys from them.

Trust is a two way street. 

Send us what you are selling and when it arrives we will pay you I am told.

I have put up three listing for what I can see is very fair prices and no one was willing to trust me and the people who will benefit is not forum members but dealers in Hatton Garden this weekend. I was willing to meet buyers and do cash on pickup and have even offered to swap where I would still be trusting someone else to send me their metals in exchange for mine. 

I have purposely not bumped any of my listing as it is pointless as new member. 

So I ask the question again "How many members have been scammed by a new seller"

Spyder

[modofantasma]

2 minutes ago, Spyder said:

Now how is a new seller supposed to get feedback if no one buys from them.

 

Being an active member in the forum without buying or selling would be a great start. For eg there are long standing members here with very few feedback but they have been here a while and regularly contribute in threads, whilst they have no sales feedback many would buy from them without hesitation.
Some members have started with smaller items and built up from there.
Others have done the pay on receipt option. 
Some have used intermediary services or met in person

 Not a conclusive list but some ideas to start. 


 

[Paul]

As a new member on the forum, it can be intimidating to engage in discussions and transactions with more established members who may have a higher reputation or a longer history on the forum.

It is important to remember that trust is a two-way street, and both parties should be willing to make an effort to build trust in any relationship, whether it be on a forum or in real life.

One of the ways that you can build trust with other members on the forum is by being transparent and honest in your interactions.

This means being open and upfront about your intentions, and being willing to share information about yourself and your experiences on the forum.

It is also important to remember that a member's reputation and contributions on the forum are not the only factors to consider when building trust. While it can be helpful to see an established feedback history or to see how long someone has been a member, it is important to keep an open mind and not make assumptions about someone based solely on these factors.

Ultimately, building trust on a forum or in any relationship takes time and effort from both parties.

By being open, honest, and willing to communicate, you can work towards building a strong foundation of trust with other members on the forum.

Personally ive had no bad dealing at all 

[Spyder]

2 minutes ago, modofantasma said:

Being an active member in the forum without buying or selling would be a great start. For eg there are long standing members here with very few feedback but they have been here a while and regularly contribute in threads, whilst they have no sales feedback many would buy from them without hesitation.
Some members have started with smaller items and built up from there.
Others have done the pay on receipt option. 
Some have used intermediary services or met in person

 Not a conclusive list but some ideas to start. 


 

Sorry that does not answer the question. How many have been scammed.

I guarantee if someone had been scammed it would be all over the forum

[Paul]

As a new member on the forum, it is natural to want to get your listings and offers noticed by other members. However, it is common for new sellers to find that their offerings may be overlooked in favor of those from more established sellers.

There are a few reasons why this may happen. One reason is that established sellers may have built up a reputation on the forum, and other members may be more trusting of their offerings as a result. Established sellers may also have more experience navigating the forum and be able to craft more compelling listings and offers.

Another reason is that there may simply be an abundance of deals and offers available on the forum at any given time, and new sellers may get lost in the mix. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult for new sellers to stand out and get noticed.

As a new seller on the forum, it is important to be patient and persistent. It may take some time to build up your reputation and get your listings and offers noticed. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to increase your visibility:

Be active on the forum. Participate in discussions, ask questions, and engage with other members. This can help you build relationships and establish yourself as a valuable member of the community.

Make sure your listings and offers are well-written and easy to understand. Use clear, concise language and include all relevant information.

Use tags and categories appropriately when posting your listings and offers. This can help them show up in relevant search results.

Consider offering promotions or discounts to attract attention to your offerings.

Remember, building a successful presence on the forum takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Keep working at it, and eventually your listings and offers will get the attention they deserve.

[Mrpound]

Unfortunately as in life you will get a couple of bad apples everywhere.

I strongly suggest you follow the advice given above to become successful or trusted here.

It doesn’t really matter if anyone has been scammed members should always be cautious.

Edit: I should add there are a lot of trustworthy people here 👍

Edited January 5, 2023 by Mrpound

[modofantasma]

6 minutes ago, Spyder said:

Sorry that does not answer the question. How many have been scammed.

The word 'how' implied a question when you said

"Now how is a new seller supposed to get feedback if no one buys from them."

I've started you off with some constructive ideas to help you with your apparent issue of not yet having much trading feedback, there might be others with additional or better ideas that will chip in to help you also  

 

[SiCole]

In the time i have been on here once and the seller had no feedback.

Thats why most sellers on ebay won't sell to people with no feedback as they are disproportionately going to try and pretend they haven't received the item.

[James32]

Just now, Spyder said:

Sorry that does not answer the question. How many have been scammed.

I guarantee if someone had been scammed it would be all over the forum

A few ok?  Some with eventual resolution/recourse, some unfortunately not. As it's a very sensitive nature for obvious reasons..you won't find it "broadcasted" across the forum.

The reason it's such a small number compared to overall trades completed is trust. The members kind of police it themselves ( obviously the moderation team are watching, but the less intervention needed the better) trust is earned and takes time but well worth it once you achieve it. There's no fast track way and for good reason. The guys above have given excellent advice, I've offered help/advice on one of your threads and you could of been paid by now.

I completely understand the frustration, but we have all been through it and it's part of the journey.

Get involved more or sell smaller items first, do not give up though and again if I can help in anyway, don't hesitate to ask.

[Paul]

14 minutes ago, Spyder said:

Sorry that does not answer the question. How many have been scammed.

I guarantee if someone had been scammed it would be all over the forum

https://www.thesilverforum.com/feedback/

These are the forum stats for ALL feedback left for the whole forum 

• 30 bad deals, and they might not have been scams but could be bad packaging, bad comms, withdrawing from deal, late delivery, lot showing up at a meeting, not honouring deal, damaged or misdescribed coin)
• 9 neutral deals 

and 37,000+ (plus a lot of people don't leave feedback or don't wish to have it left and request it not to be left so it will most likely be a good few 1000+ more positives)

Think we have a tight ship here, not a sh*te-tip !  

Stay and enjoy its nice here 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Paul

[ShineyMagpie]

i Personally have only bought a few things from the forum and am a relative newbie myself. so to answer 2 of your questions; 1) i have not been scammed myself although only a small amount of transactions. 2) how can you build feedback, well trading feedback works for buying as well as selling so specifically if you wanted to build that you could make purchases. but as others have said i suppose you get a "feeling" from interactions and conversations with people. i think you ask a valid question just my thoughts.

 

I'm not sure with regards to your sales, and there again could be a few factors, did you list near Christmas when not everyone has spare income, you mentioned you didn't bump so your listing are "hidden" to non premium members for 3 days during which they could be several pages deep in the listings & did anyone engage with you regarding your prices (or attempt too?)

19 minutes ago, Spyder said:

I have put up three listing for what I can see is very fair prices and no one was willing to trust me

[Spyder]

We are not talking about me, I am more interested in "have members been scammed"

Scammers are more likely to operate on ebay or facebook marketplace.

Very few would seek out this forum or even know about it

[Paul]

3 minutes ago, Spyder said:

We are not talking about me, I am more interested in "have members been scammed"

Scammers are more likely to operate on ebay or facebook marketplace.

Very few would seek out this forum or even know about it

this is a good little example of how you can begin to grow rep and forum presence. myself and others have explained in detail and provided proof to answer your questions to reassure. 

Not a reply of "thanks"

or a "like or thanks" click reaction to the time they've taken. 

it is these small things that folk will remember and build yours and other forum rep

[modofantasma]

I think I just found your listing...

It looks good, clear photos and information. The coin isn't something I'm personally collecting but give it more time and a buyer will likely come along.
Some members might like to see a piece of paper with your username and date on the photo to show the coin is in hand, also the silver trade option seems to value silver quite low in my opinion although spot price has been a little volatile recently. I'd give it a bump and just hang on
Good luck with the sale 

 

[James32]

6 minutes ago, Spyder said:

We are not talking about me, I am more interested in "have members been scammed"

Scammers are more likely to operate on ebay or facebook marketplace.

Very few would seek out this forum or even know about it

We are talking about you, you started the conversation therefore you are front and centre. Your question would not have arose if your sales past smoothly.

The forum has a very low percentage of "scams" because between the active moderation team ( you won't see them but there watching 😂) and the integrity and effort of its members, stranger danger is often caught quickly and effectively!! It's nothing personal but we all had some hoops to jump through. It's what makes the place so successful and if you follow the sound advice already given, you will be the one handing out similar advice in the near future 😊

[motorbikez]

I've been here since day one when the forum started in March 2014 both as a moderator & member. To my knowledge there have been only 2 people scammed here. This is one of the best & probably safest selling platforms out there.

Most if not all members here operate like gentlemen where the saying my word is my bond hold true.

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by motorbikez

[Spyder]

I would like to thank everyone who has left an opinion. I am sure it will also help others

Edited January 5, 2023 by Spyder
spelling mistake

[Bigmarc]

Have been here two years and I "think I have seen it once or twice. I have seen a handfull of members kicked out before getting the opportunity but these are usually sussed out by the community before hand. 

I think I was here 5 months before making my first sale but I waited until I had a rep of about 400 (personal preference). I started of small, selling lots of less than £100 until the point I was comfortable selling sovereign's. The only issue I had was my bank stopping a incoming payment until I got there details. Turns out she was not the name on the account and a couple of item not getting feedback. 

[codenamedtango]

Slightly off topic, but still along the lines of feedback.. 

In what instances as forum members, would you need to experience in order to leave a Neutral feedback rating for someone? 

Edited January 5, 2023 by codenamedtango
Typo

[JamesH]

Hiya Spyder. I only joined the forum in July of last year. Personally I started off buying a few items before I sold but for the first few sales I sent the item and got paid upon receipt. Even did that recently with a larger sale, despite my decent rating/feedback. Was a trusted member and was happy to send first. Also, one of the members here backyardbullion offers an intermediary service which you could make use of to help shift your gear. Good luck and stick around. I’ve personally found it a great place to be the last few months 👍🏼

Edited January 5, 2023 by JamesH

[Gordy]

1 hour ago, Spyder said:

We are not talking about me, I am more interested in "have members been scammed"

Scammers are more likely to operate on ebay or facebook marketplace.

Very few would seek out this forum or even know about it

i'll answer, no i have not... if you are selling something i want i will buy it off you mate... 

[Fenlander1]

Hello and thank you for this interesting point raised.

I personally have not been scammed on here or ebay when purchasing items but I do quite alot of due diligence 100% feedback lots of sales wording ect basic stuff really.

As a new member myself I can only speak from personal experiance. When I found the forum via byb y tube channel i was looking to learn a little a more regarding the pm subject, it wasn't with a view to selling or buying straight away as I understand the trust issue we all have in place to keep safe.

I went on to join as a platinum member not to get the "bargains" from the sales thread early but to join in with discussions gain trust in others and learn i have since had 2 transactions on the forum both for purchases not sales with no issues both required me to place trust in the sellers and them to place trust in me. 

I don't think that sales are solely based on feedback several factors come into play as they should on a trust based system.

I think your question may have been better presented possibly, I may be wrong ( i usually am). It appears you are disgruntled your items did not sell straight away.

Whilst your items are not in my sphere of interest your items do look nice and are well presented in the photos and the descriptions are clear and I am sure they are reasonably priced.

Your items do appear to be quite a specialist subject and may only be of interest to certain specialists I too have a cpl of items that I could realistically only sell to dealers.

You could try using byb intermediary service but i would imagine by them time you payed the fees a dealers prices would be similar.

I personally sent a few kilos of silver in my 1st trade for a cpl of gold coins i wanted but because of due diligence I never once felt that other than the postal service I had anything to worry about.

Sorry for the long ramble but I thought another new members perspective can't hurt.

 

[James32]

3 minutes ago, codenamedtango said:

Slightly off topic, but still along the lines of feedback.. 

In what instances as forum members, would you need to experience in order leave a Neutral feedback rating for someone? 

Good question, if you feel you have been let down or misguided in anyway, please reach out to the seller first..give them a chance to make amends ( we can all have bad days) be polite but clear and concise..it should get resolved before any need of neutral feedback.

If you still feel like your not being listened to or seller is being unreasonable, then next step is honest feedback. Only you can decide what warrants neutral feedback.

[Paul]

One thing not mentioned is the feedback system is not perfect and never will be. Sadly a stalemate can still happen where if you leave a neg for a bad buyer it leave you open for one back. So there may be some unreported or unscored like this. But have to be honest for everything to work or every man and their dog would be perfect 100% FB 

It's a combination of everything time a member here, paid subb, content contribution, reactions made, reactions received. Vibe of posts. Adding value and replying to others regularly.

It not just one thing 

[Gordy]

1 hour ago, Spyder said:

the first thing everyone says to them is "only buy from sellers with plenty of feedback".

i dont see this often tbh, maybe as part of an intro members says look at feedback but i've never seen anyone say 'only' unkess of course i'm wrong