Scam Reports: Only for on-site deals.

[Samuel]

I'm ready for the influx of disagree ratings here. My butthole is prepared.

To encourage users to deal safer, I think it would be a not-so-bad idea to require deals to use on-site features and nothing else in order to be covered via the scam report section.

Essentially, anything that is not completely an MCM-based deal, it's up to the user to protect themselves. Not MCM scam reports.

The reason I recommend this is because:

• Less risk. You know who you're dealing with, their username is right there.
• Encourages users to check reputation.
• Easier for scam report staff to investigate (IP checks, PMs, etc.).

"BUT SKYPE/DISCORD/TEXT MESSAGING IS WAYYYYYYYYYYY FASTER!!!!"

Sure. I completely agree. For this reason, I want to clarify on what I mean by "completely an MCM-based deal". This does not mean discussing the details. This just means that anything that must be agreed upon should be put into a PM.

I could PM Justis and offer to buy their hair. They would then add me on Skype where we could discuss details such as "Do you want any of it cut?" - then I would screenshot those discussion sections into a PM.

The PM would show the entire deal. Final agreements & payment information must be sent through the PM system in order for a scam report to be handled by staff.

Edit: this would not affect deals made before the rule is put in place, obviously. That would be silly.

 

[Ivain]

The one major thing that worries me is that this would mean we would have confirmed scammers on the site, but it would not be possible to make a scam report on them because they will only deal through skype, and won't say a thing about the deal in PM.
I feel like any deal that originated on McM should be valid for a scam report.
AKA if you want to make a scam report about a deal where the evidence is from skype, you have to link to the thread/PM that started it.[DOUBLEPOST=1486911239][/DOUBLEPOST]To illustrate, the idea of letting someone stay on the site even though they've scammed people out of $1000+ just because they never did so anywhere on the site itself is ridiculous. If we're gonna be like that we might as well stop scam reports entirely, because we'll just be re-inviting scammers to the site. They'd be able to prey on new members and other inexperienced individuals repeatedly, because those could never make a scam report on them because they didn't deal through PM at all (because they didnt realize they had to).

How long do you think it will take for people in general to realize you HAVE to deal through PMs to be able to make a scam report? Each new member will likely end up having to be scammed at least once in order to realize. I mean, we all know how much trouble people have with reading the rules and guidelines. normally that'd end up with people being a nuisance and/or getting warning points.
With this implemented, it'd end with people being scammed.

I know I've argued that something is people's "own responsibility" a lot, but this is several steps too far.


TLDR: instead of requiring people to start and close the deal in MCM threads or PM for a scam report, make any deal that can be proven to have started on MCM valid for scam reports.

 

[Ivain]

I would agree to this, but the reason I'd have to disagree is because, as a developer, I advertise my services on numerous forums sites including this one and if somebody scams me from x forum and that forum is not mcm, then I have no power to open a scam report on that person, even if they had an account here.

that is exactly the thing they're trying to stop, and the one thing I do agree with. deals started and orchestrated completely outside McM should not be scam-reported here. negative reputation should apply, but scam reports are for things to do with this site.

 

[Ivain]

Markets like sp**ot don't care about scammers and you would understand my point if you operated in multiple markets.

I do operate on multiple markets, thank you. I also have a thread on spigot, and I get people via Sellfy, PMC, Reddit and via word of mouth. And while I do understand what you mean, A deal that takes place COMPLETELY off the site should not be McM's responsibility.
I would definitely give them negative rep and otherwise warn people of them, but if we were to completely allow any off-site deals to be scam-reported here we'd not just have legit scam reports, M6 would be flooded even further with even more frivolous reports not just from McM deals, but from spigot deals and minecraft forum and PMC deals, etc.

And that's just the minecraft sites. It could include deviantart, facebook (idk who does deals via facebook but shit happens), all sorts of smaller sites and forums, etc etc.
We simply don't have the resources to process that. And yes, it would happen.
I do agree with this suggestion at heart, but i disagree strongly with the boundary they intend to set, as that would be too far.
As you said, spigot doesn't give a shit about scammers.
It's fortunate that McM does, to some extent. Yet to take on all scams from other sites? M6'd be overworked in a week.[DOUBLEPOST=1486912837][/DOUBLEPOST]lets elaborate further, I haven't ranted enough yet apparently.
The goal of scam reports is to make McM a safer place to do deals on. If deals take place completely off of McM, they don't generally affect the safety of McM as much, as said scammer does not operate via McM.
As soon as someone uses McM to try to scam people, they're viable for banning. As long as they don't, site staff won't touch them. You're free to neg-rep and otherwise warn people of them if you don't break site rules doing so.
If its a building related deal, add them to the MCAU blacklist.
It is not the role of McM to police the entire commercial minecraft community. It is their role to keep this site safe.
Taking on scam deals completely outside McM will not significantly increase the safety of the site compared to the effort it will require.

 

[Nrevi]

Spoiler: Conversation with Glove

(this conversation did actually happen, Glove can confirm it for us)

How did you make your PM be that clean/modern?

 

[Zeiyon]

How did you make your PM be that clean/modern?

Exactly what I'm wondering.
Is it a new type of PM?

 

[Mick]

Denied, this simply isn't possible at this point in time.

Thanks for the suggestion.