Can you trust a forum member?

jpumper

I realize many of you know each other and would trust them. I have bought on this board before and the gentleman sent me the coin for evaluation before I paid for it. Very kind indeed. I only ask this if you're are selling or buying a coin on the BST board. I see alot of you over there and would trust you, but others, I don't know??? If selling, would you require clearing the funds from your bank or buying, would you send the money hoping for the goods you purchased?
Many thanks,
John

Sequitur

O.K. What happened?

jpumper

Nothing happened, just curious of my recourse if, and only if, the deal goes sour and I pay money, don't get the goods---what do I do???.

agentjim007

I've bought and sold many coins here (including one I sold over $6K) never a problem.

coinlieutenant

Trust your judgement. If you are unsure, ask another one of us to vouch. In this business, there is no insult if you ask for references....

John

Dog97

It would be foolish to trust somebody simply because they are a member of this board!
Scammers are here just like on sleazeBay. 12,000 members worldwide here, you think every one of them is honest?
At least on sleazeBay somebody has to have a credit card or a real email address. Anything goes here.
If I'm selling I don't worry about the check clearing unles it's a big one. Hey, write me a hotcheck and your ass goes to jail.
If I'm buying, well unfortunately I have to send the $$ first because that's the way it works in real life.
But there are a few members here that I fully trust enough to send coins to without payment and they do the same for me but we "know" each other.

razorface1027

Haven't had a problem yet! Same goes for Ebay. Call it ...LUCK!...

nwcs

It depends on the buyer. If it is someone I've seen post a lot I'll trust them because they have a reputation at stake (same as me if I was buying). If it is someone I haven't seen much of, and the coin is expensive enough, I will be more cautious.

rottnrog

Just made my first purchase from a board member. Will let you know when I recieve coins!!

Russ

Every transaction I've done with forum members has been silky smooth. But, it's like anything else in life. Use a little common sense when approaching the deal. There are some members here I wouldn't trust past the end of my nose, others I'd have no problem sending substantial money or coins to, and most in-between.

Russ, NCNE

JMOORE

I too have had many smooth transactions with fellow forum members.

The key is to trust your instincts, there is always a chance of getting ripped off.

If in doubt ask the seller for references from other forum members that they have had transactions with.

Jim

291fifth

Just because someone is a forum member it doesn't mean they are on the up-and-up. A con-artist could very easily build up a supposedly good reputation on the forum over a period of time and then, over a period of a few days, make his/her score and disappear. Always be wary...especially if the member is not in the US.

Lakesammman

Can you trust a forum member?

Yes, but not all of them

KAJ1

What Russ said.

michael

it depends.............................


michael

Bear

Trust a forum member? If you have seen our pictures, you should be afraid.

You should be very afraid.

Wondo

I give the benefit of the doubt to someone who exposes himself in this forum. There will always be the scumbags no matter where one looks, but I would think the risk is reduced if the individual is participting in this wholesome activity. IMHO.

Bear

By an large, the members who have been around and are clearly

accepted and respected by the Forum Members, are generally a good guideline.

these people are fair, honorable and nice to do bussiness with. I believe that

with our regulars, their isnt a cough in a carload.

ibzman350

I must say I was a bit leary about buying on this forum, but my transaction went smooth as silk and the price was fair, better than I could have done on ebay. I look forward to mnay more purchases from forum members.

Herb

ColonialCoinUnion

I'd be inclined to trust forum members that have been around for a while and with whom you have had some rapport - though it would be logical to assume that dishonest members exist in the forum in the same approximate percentage as in the overall population.

MICHAELDIXON

I've done thousands of deals with Forum Members and have never had any problems. These were both buying and selling. But...trust your gut feeling.

clackamas

I would trust most members here more than a unknown party, an ebay seller or anyone else I don't know. I have sent thousands of dollars in raw coins to some members asking for opinions. Sent multi thousand dollar coins on approval and purchased coins from members and had them represent me at auction. You will have to make your own choice but generally I would trust members due to the fact that you know them a little. I did have a bad transaction on Ebay with a seller who turned out to also be a member here, the fact he was a member here is the ONLY reason I got my money back. Had I been just joe public I would have been hosed. I guess that the board reputation was more important than the bay reputation.

NoGvmnt

Hmmmmmmm, how do I approach this?

Many/most of the members here are stand-up individuals. I have conducted many transactions with a lot of them and have gotten some excellent deals. Just (as many here have stated) use common sense, if the buyer/seller is a newbie, or has been a member for a while but doesn't post much (get along with others), or doesn't post pictures of the item/s, or doesn't offer a DECENT return policy, then ask the forum for their experiences with that particular member. Basically, take the same cautions that you would with an Ebay purchase.

HOWEVER, "misunderstandings?" do happen, and some of the members can be quite bullheaded. When this happens, many members here will be more than happy to jump into the fray, whether to help you or the offending party!

Jim

Dabigkahuna

I don't think that any of the members here that are selling or buying a coin would mind if you asked for a reference. Most of them are truly stand up people but like in any transaction you should know something about the person you are dealing with.

PayPal is a great tool for this, I think. The buyer and seller both have some recourse beyond the message boards in the rare case things turn out poorly. A lot of members also have Ebay feedback that you can view.

Larry
Dabigkahuna

jpumper

I appreciate the input. Great advice and thank you. I especially like using references and asking other members about the buyer/seller.