Member verification ideas

S

sh00ter01

Feedback: +6 / =0 / -0
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
1,703
Locutus D'Borg said:
That gives one hope. Have the mods discussed possible ways to deter scam-sters. Like requiring traders to have paid memberships. Or be an active member (paid or not) for certain period of time. I don't know what the answer is, and even paid members behave badly, but it seems like a paid member would be more psychologically invested in the community. Just a thought.
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Maybe a 30 day trial period for a new member that excludes them from the exchange section and at the end of it, an automated message (possible?) about proper use of the exchange section and what to watch out for (I know there are tons of stickys and Rev has blog post about it but they seem to go unread by newer members until there's already a problem).

-sh00ter
 
I like that, Sh00ter01. At least it would deter fly-bys.

sh00ter01 said:
Maybe a 30 day trial period for a new member that excludes them from the exchange section and at the end of it, an automated message (possible?) about proper use of the exchange section and what to watch out for (I know there are tons of stickys and Rev has blog post about it but they seem to go unread by newer members until there's already a problem).

-sh00ter
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Just make them verify themselves like a lot of sites do. For instance if you want to have trade permission here then your phone number, email address, physical address, employers name and address, drivers license number or a scanned photo of it and any other info you require need to be on file, plus you have to be a member in good standing for x amount of time. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a basic membership to trade anyway since you already have to have it to sell here. Just my two cents.
 
ashtxsniper said:
Just make them verify themselves like a lot of sites do. For instance if you want to have trade permission here then your phone number, email address, physical address, employers name and address, drivers license number or a scanned photo of it and any other info you require need to be on file, plus you have to be a member in good standing for x amount of time. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a basic membership to trade anyway since you already have to have it to sell here. Just my two cents.
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That's a bit over the top and I don't want on all my personal information listed on a knife forum. Like I said, I think a trial period with no access to the exchange for 30 days would help cut down on the problems.

-sh00ter
 
ashtxsniper said:
Just make them verify themselves like a lot of sites do. For instance if you want to have trade permission here then your phone number, email address, physical address, employers name and address, drivers license number or a scanned photo of it and any other info you require need to be on file, plus you have to be a member in good standing for x amount of time. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a basic membership to trade anyway since you already have to have it to sell here. Just my two cents.
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And whom pretell is going to compile all that information in addition to regular mod duties and real life stuff? This is overkill, might as well submit a DNS sample, a genealogical report on who your ancestors were, and submit to a retinal scan to log in, as well as pictures of you entire living family from the grandparents to the newborns. :rolleyes:
Seriously, a waiting period of 6 months for members to be able to sell and trade is something I would strongly petition for.
This forum is not run by the NSA, CIA, or FBI...We just want people with some integrity to act like adults and quit screwing each other over and their own reputation for a simple stupid knife. Common sense plays a huge role in this, but I fear that it's slowly dying amongst people at an alarming rate. Some folks can't even be bothered to ask for help before jumping into something with both feet.

If people think they can come on here and scam away and it will go un punished, they are sorely mistaken. The knife community is small and has an extremely long memory. I will agree with your point on having a basic membership to be ale to trade. BUt at the same time, people have to start taking more responsibility for the way they conduct their trades and other transactions. The mods won't and can't bail you out of every jam you get yourself into. We win some and we ban some.
 
jtoler_9 said:
keep us posted OP. I am sorry for the bad trade so far. I have been a bit leary of trades when people with no feedback or history ask for a trade. I have had other great trades with new members as well. I have asked a few to send there's first. I have found them very willing to do it in order to build up credability here on the forum. Good luck to you.
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There is a Todd Begg knife for sale right now. Check out some of the posters showing interest. Couple of posts each and zero feedback. A problem waiting to happen.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
There is a Todd Begg knife for sale right now. Check out some of the posters showing interest. Couple of posts each and zero feedback. A problem waiting to happen.
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Yes, you proceed at your own risk. As moderators we really can't jump in and mediate every bad situation, we try but it's not realistic. Folks have to somehow try and find a way to incorporate their own common sense into the mix as well. This is done by doing research on the person in question, reading through post history, asking questions, etc. verification on an individual level is and should always be the number one priority.
 
RevDevil said:
And whom pretell is going to compile all that information in addition to regular mod duties and real life stuff? This is overkill, might as well submit a DNS sample, a genealogical report on who your ancestors were, and submit to a retinal scan to log in, as well as pictures of you entire living family from the grandparents to the newborns. :rolleyes:
Seriously, a waiting period of 6 months for members to be able to sell and trade is something I would strongly petition for.
This forum is not run by the NSA, CIA, or FBI...We just want people with some integrity to act like adults and quit screwing each other over and their own reputation for a simple stupid knife. Common sense plays a huge role in this, but I fear that it's slowly dying amongst people at an alarming rate. Some folks can't even be bothered to ask for help before jumping into something with both feet.

If people think they can come on here and scam away and it will go un punished, they are sorely mistaken. The knife community is small and has an extremely long memory. I will agree with your point on having a basic membership to be ale to trade. BUt at the same time, people have to start taking more responsibility for the way they conduct their trades and other transactions. The mods won't and can't bail you out of every jam you get yourself into. We win some and we ban some.
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How about using feedback from another site (Ebay, for example) to determine whether or not to allow a new member to sell and/or trade from the "get-go"? For example, I have a 300 feedback rating on Ebay (all positive going back a decade) but, when I first began here, no one knew a thing about that and several people (all of whom were pleased with their purchases and/or trades) were leery. No problems now, as I have substantial positive feedback here. Just an idea. Not sure if anyone has suggested it before.
 
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Not everybody ebay's. Matter of fact, I avoid it like the plague due to all the friends I have that have been ripped off or scammed on the bay.
It's actually a turn off when I see someone post " I have 100% rating on eBay" . I am happy for them but that don't mean squat here. Just my opinion.
 
Boy I sure would have hated to wait six months.

Make it a 50 post minimum to start. No matter how shady a person is they are bound to give enough information in 50 posts for you "profile" the type of person they are.

Being the new guy I sent money first, had no issue with it at all. Whoever has the lower score sends first whether it is money or trade. If you can verify ebay feedback you can also use that. If the feed back score is the same the tie breaker is number of posts.

If they both have zero for positive feed back then it is the wild west. At least you can research their 50 posts to see what they have been up to.

Trust is earned. It will not stop all issues, but when someone has a good reputation they tend to want to keep it that way.
 
I totally support a paid membership to trade. It's not at all unusual on forums and will certainly reduce the number of these threads.
 
red1965 said:
Not everybody ebay's. Matter of fact, I avoid it like the plague due to all the friends I have that have been ripped off or scammed on the bay.
It's actually a turn off when I see someone post " I have 100% rating on eBay" . I am happy for them but that don't mean squat here. Just my opinion.
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Of that I am completely aware...which is why I wrote "(Ebay, for example)". There are alternatives.
 
91a2jettavr6 said:
How about using feedback from another site (Ebay, for example) to determine whether or not to allow a new member to sell and/or trade from the "get-go"? For example, I have a 300 feedback rating on Ebay (all positive going back a decade) but, when I first began here, no one knew a thing about that and several people (all of whom were pleased with their purchases and/or trades) were leery. No problems now, as I have substantial positive feedback here. Just an idea. Not sure if anyone has suggested it before.
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The challenge with Ebay feedback is it's a bear to verify that you, or anyone for that matter, are the same Ebay seller you claim to be. Not to mention all the Ebay acts that have been hacked. When I deal on BF, the BF feedback means more to me. Just my .02 When I started to deal here, I bought some stuff to build my feedback prior to selling some stuff.
 
It was merely a suggestion, if nobody wants to make an effort to eliminate these scammers then there shouldn't be any complaining when they get ripped off. You assume these risk when you enter into these agreements and a loss should probably be chalked up to bad judgement. I also highly doubt that making someone wait 30 days is going to eliminate this problem. There are a few things you can do to guarantee you don't get ripped off when dealing with questionable members. 1. Wait till the item you have traded arrives before shipping your item. 2. Have the person send a Paypal payment for the value of the knife and you send it back when your item arrives. you would just have to consider the fees a cheap insurance cost. If you assume your going to get ripped off and you take the appropriate measures to prevent this then you probably wont ever have a problem. If you trust everybody before you get to know them or they prove themselves then it is just a matter of time before you get the shaft. Good luck guys.
 
RetiredGuns said:
I totally support a paid membership to trade. It's not at all unusual on forums and will certainly reduce the number of these threads.
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I think it's unnecessary to require paid membership for trading (would it be required to buy too?), besides we've seen several longtime paying members throw their reputation away in the last few months.


Like I said, I think a 30 day 'trial period' would be best for new members...
sh00ter01 said:
Maybe a 30 day trial period for a new member that excludes them from the exchange section and at the end of it, an automated message (possible?) about proper use of the exchange section and what to watch out for (I know there are tons of stickys and Rev has blog post about it but they seem to go unread by newer members until there's already a problem).

-sh00ter
Click to expand...

-sh00ter
 
jtoler_9 said:
The challenge with Ebay feedback is it's a bear to verify that you, or anyone for that matter, are the same Ebay seller you claim to be. Not to mention all the Ebay acts that have been hacked. When I deal on BF, the BF feedback means more to me. Just my .02 When I started to deal here, I bought some stuff to build my feedback prior to selling some stuff.
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OK, again..."EBAY, FOR EXAMPLE.". THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES ;) .
 
ashtxsniper said:
It was merely a suggestion, if nobody wants to make an effort to eliminate these scammers then there shouldn't be any complaining when they get ripped off. You assume these risk when you enter into these agreements and a loss should probably be chalked up to bad judgement. I also highly doubt that making someone wait 30 days is going to eliminate this problem...
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The problem will never be eliminated, but you do what you can. 30 days give the member a chance to show their colors and you can get a feel for them. If they don't post in that 30 days and then become active in the exchange, well then, you know to potentially watch out for said member. Also you'd be surprised how many it would indeed deter (many would just move on to another forum that doesn't require any wait).


ashtxsniper said:
There are a few things you can do to guarantee you don't get ripped off when dealing with questionable members. 1. Wait till the item you have traded arrives before shipping your item. 2. Have the person send a Paypal payment for the value of the knife and you send it back when your item arrives. you would just have to consider the fees a cheap insurance cost. If you assume your going to get ripped off and you take the appropriate measures to prevent this then you probably wont ever have a problem. If you trust everybody before you get to know them or they prove themselves then it is just a matter of time before you get the shaft. Good luck guys.
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#1 has been stated many times, yes. And #2 is just inviting more headaches IMO.

-sh00ter
 
ashtxsniper said:
Just make them verify themselves like a lot of sites do. For instance if you want to have trade permission here then your phone number, email address, physical address, employers name and address, drivers license number or a scanned photo of it and any other info you require need to be on file, plus you have to be a member in good standing for x amount of time. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a basic membership to trade anyway since you already have to have it to sell here. Just my two cents.
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I agree with the others in that these would be too hard to implement, and too invasive. There's some of that info I'd never give any forum.



RetiredGuns said:
I totally support a paid membership to trade. It's not at all unusual on forums and will certainly reduce the number of these threads.
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This is what I've been advocating all along. Basic or higher to trade, Gold or higher to sell. Paid with paypal, gives at least a little ID verification.
 
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