Trading etiquette

Good communication and trading etiquette will always help reduce friction and mitigate potential issues that may arise during the process of a deal, resulting in swifter completion and positive interactions. However, knowing what exactly is considered good trading etiquette may be daunting for both buyers and sellers when first getting started.

This wiki will outline steps that can be taken by both buyers and sellers to achieve the most positive results.

Contacting a seller​

After finding the seller’s thread, first read their thread to locate the preferred contact method whilst ensuring that either the product listed fits your needs or that the seller has the required skill set. In the case of a commission, before contacting the seller, write up documentation specifying exactly what the seller is required to do, along with all details they may need to know about the project to get started. Once contacted, ensure all key details are sent along with the documentation as swiftly as possible, this can include the following information:

• Pricing or budget
• Method of preferred payment
• Deadlines

Ensuring that all parties agree to deadlines, payment, and expected workload will greatly minimize potential confusion or friction down the road caused by conflicting expectations.

Contacting a buyer​

If you have found a buyer via a thread requesting your product or service, open a conversation by stating how you found their contact information, link your portfolio or product along with any other useful information that the buyer may need. This can include the following:

• Your availability
• Price range or hourly rate
• Examples of previous similar work
• A description of the product or service and how it fits their needs

Verifying identity and logging evidence​

If the seller or buyer prefers to discuss off-site, be wary of possible impersonators even if you add the contact yourself. A surefire way to confirm their identity is to have them start a conversation with you on BuiltByBit in which they include their Discord tag and ID if applicable, and confirm that you are indeed talking off-site. Please [click here] for more information on Confirming Identities and instructions on how to view Discord IDs and how to record evidence for a Transaction Dispute.

If a user adds you on Discord you can check the Discord tag and ID available on the user’s MCM profile under the “Information” tab, if they have provided it. Using a character checker on the discord username can also assist in limiting the risk of falling to an impersonator:
https://characterchecker.com

Discord is an extremely unsafe place to do business, as is explained in our wiki on confirming identities. If you nonetheless choose to deal on Discord, know that you are always at risk of your chat logs disappearing, and follow the above wiki’s guidance for creating provable logs of the agreement, the transaction, and any other evidence which may become relevant in a dispute. If you’re just keeping logs for yourself, and don’t need to be able to prove that they weren’t edited, a chat formatter tool may be of use to you:
https://format.chat

Payment and PayPal invoicing​

PayPal invoicing can include a description, additional information, contact details and Terms of Service. This can be useful for logging transactions, ensuring Terms of Service are agreed to and providing further evidence if needed within a Transaction Dispute.

Issues with the received product or service​

If you have received a product or service that you believe is not as expected or is faulty, first contact the seller to convey your issues and see if a fix can be arranged, using the documentation that was sent previously to specify what exactly is lacking. If the issue is a bug within a program, ensure you covey directions or evidence that can be used to replicate the bug.

If a fix cannot be arranged and you believe you have been misled or received something that was not as expected, a [Transaction Dispute] can be opened and one of our on-site Transaction Arbiters will assist you in reaching a resolution.
It is highly recommended that you read the [Merchant Agreement] which we enforce in all Transaction Disputes where terms within a mutual agreement fail to be present.

Leaving feedback​

After a deal is completed, navigate to the users BuiltByBit account and leave feedback on their profile to contribute to their overall reputation. Here you can convey exactly what you liked or disliked about dealing with the user and include images that illustrate the points you make.