How do you *not* get scammed?

[NevoH72]

Hey, I really want to know how the usage of a trustworthy MM can actually get me a good trade.

You see, Middlemen won't take responsibillity to what happens *after* the transaction between 2 people, (Disputes for example, refunds and such), So they are not exactly helpful in that way...

Is there a way I can literally shield myself from being refunded? (I want to sell items in MC in-exchange for real currency, that said, they could just refund the money easily and I won't be able to do anything even WITH a MM)...
What should I do if I want to sell my items safely?

 

[NevoH72]

I'll clearify what I need, if anyone could help: seeing even the biggest members of this forum being banned makes me feel insecure AF.

I would need someone who can help me AVOID the buyers chargebacking their money after the transaction, I would let myself go first, but even if it was the opposite, they could still charge their money back..

so again, I need someone who can take care of it, or at least GUIDE me. I've done my research, but I still can't understand the process of it... (Assuming i'm using PAYPAL) for a safe choice.

 

[Choo]

Only accept Bitcoin as payment

 

[Zyger]

Use a middleman, and only accept bitcoin, as Choo said

 

[Ally]

You see, Middlemen won't take responsibillity to what happens *after* the transaction between 2 people, (Disputes for example, refunds and such), So they are not exactly helpful in that way...

If they are directly responsible for the course of action then MC-Market will hold them accountable.

Middlemen will often have strategies for dealing with scammers themselves, better or more often and consistently than regular members. Oftentimes, having a middleman there is a mental, more trust-creating idea than anything else, and could potentially discourage scams and other various situations.

When you sell or purchase any item, you expose yourself to a minute risk of being scammed, ripped off or other negative thing. On the flip side, there is a high chance you get said item/service, or rewards thereof. You can't "directly" minimise the risk yourself. You simply control who you deal with, and use middlemen where practical.

FYI anyone can scam. Even you could scam for all anyone else knew. It's entirely situational.

Only accept Bitcoin as payment

You could also convolute the whole process by using a currency which is annoying af to deal with but secure in process.

 

[HeroMC]

hey man just ask them to use pay pal friends and family

 

[NevoH72]

If they are directly responsible for the course of action then MC-Market will hold them accountable.

In what regard? They'll deal with them only on the forums, but not with the actual money problem that was charged back.. am I wrong? I might be wrong, I have no clue on this one, I have never done this before.

While yes, you're right that I can minize my chances of being scammed "directly"
But having a middleman allows me to use the mm's service and knowledge to negate it, (by that I mean, he'll know how to get the money back and such)

 

[Ally]

In what regard? They'll deal with them only on the forums, but not with the actual money problem that was charged back.. am I wrong? I might be wrong, I have no clue on this one, I have never done this before

I said hold them accountable. I.e. MCM will punish on platform (ban via scam report) but not in payment. You have to deal with that, which is where middlemen come in.

 

[HeroMC]

if u are selling setups send them it without the permissions folder and the plugins folder then once they pay send them the rest

 

[hgbf]

hey man just ask them to use pay pal friends and family

You can still chargeback with f&f, and using it for business deals can potentially put your Paypal account at risk, as it is only intended for gifts etc, not what many people here are using it for. I am no expert at this, but I have heard of multiple people here getting their account in trouble because of this.

 

[HeroMC]

You can still chargeback with f&f, and using it for business deals can potentially put your Paypal account at risk, as it is only intended for gifts etc, not what many people here are using it for. I am no expert at this, but I have heard of multiple people here getting their account in trouble because of this.

good to know thanks :tup:

 

[hgbf]

Hey, I really want to know how the usage of a trustworthy MM can actually get me a good trade.

You see, Middlemen won't take responsibillity to what happens *after* the transaction between 2 people, (Disputes for example, refunds and such), So they are not exactly helpful in that way...

Is there a way I can literally shield myself from being refunded? (I want to sell items in MC in-exchange for real currency, that said, they could just refund the money easily and I won't be able to do anything even WITH a MM)...
What should I do if I want to sell my items safely?

There's no way to be completely safe, but the best thing you can do to avoid scams is to use common sense. Always confirm onsite, don't give out massive loans, use a middle man or escrow service whenever possible and be careful around new / low rep users. Read the reputation instead of looking at the number.

Again, you cannot be 100% safe. Even high-rep people scam sometimes. Though, you are a lot safer dealing with old, high rep users than new ones (as they are more likely to be ban evading etc.) Most people are nice and will not scam you, but there is that small group that are out to get you. Don't let these people discourage you - keep going.

 

[Webmaster]

As a business we are always at risk of charge backs / disputes but we limit these by doing some basic checks

Example google the persons username followed by the word scam, this can sometimes bring up scam reports from other sites as most people keep to the same username on most forums

Another tip is if you feel uneasy ask them to screenshot the PayPal account name and address and ask for some type of ID that matches the address information (Allow them to hide certain information, such as if its a passport / drivers licence the ID numbers) or if they do not have this ask for a photo of their bank card only showing 4 and last 4 numbers and check the name matches the PayPal screenshot.

Also do some basic social media checks, facebook, instagram ect

 

[Zyger]

1) Use a middleman for the deal
2) Accept the payment in Bitcoin, as it's impossible to charge it back after 1 confirmation
3) When you're 18 register on a Bitcoin exchange
4) Move the Bitcoin to that exchange then sell it and withdraw it to your bank account in your local currency

 

[icecub]

I suggest to always be very clear and upfront in your communications. Keep in mind that the risk goes both ways. If you use Paypal. it's safer for the buyer, but not for you. If you use bitcoins or some other crypto currency, it's safer for you, but not the buyer.

I personally think it's only fair for any developer / designer etc that does a custom job for me to ask for a small amount of money up front that I will not be receiving back. I consider that payment for the time / efford they put into the work, whether I'm happy with the end result or not. Only exception to this would be the seller being unable to show any work done. So if you're doing a custom job, you can easily ask for this and make the buyer pay it in such a way that is most secure for you, like bitcoin.

Next, depending on the job you do, there are ways to protect your work even after delivery. Like for plugins you could use some activation license that you can revoke on your server. I think chargebacks with Paypal are only possible for a certain amount of time, so after that time period you can always give the customer a new version that doesn't require a license.

As for logos and other art work, you can use a third party like Getty Images and make the user buy it there. Getty Images is very aggressive in protecting their artists and will fine (or bring to court) any person that uses art work sold on their website without a license.

 

[MarkElf]

I avoid being scammed pretty easily: I only deal with users who have been on the site for a while (by which, I mean 2+ years) and only buy from reputable sellers.

 

[HeroMC]

You can chargeback a F&F payment through your bank and claim it was an unauthorised transaction.

very true

 

[Brandon_gaming33]

Hey, I really want to know how the usage of a trustworthy MM can actually get me a good trade.

You see, Middlemen won't take responsibillity to what happens *after* the transaction between 2 people, (Disputes for example, refunds and such), So they are not exactly helpful in that way...

Is there a way I can literally shield myself from being refunded? (I want to sell items in MC in-exchange for real currency, that said, they could just refund the money easily and I won't be able to do anything even WITH a MM)...
What should I do if I want to sell my items safely?

accept bitcoin, and f&f only. F&f can be chargedback but you have to go through your bank and it is a hassle and usually takes 3 months, so most ppl won't go through all that work.

 

[cts]

bitcoin