Scammers SUCK! Is it time to upgrade the “Exchange Rules” ???

FnF people sometimes are escaping ludicrous taxes. I have tried to copy/paste a "standards" paragraph of what I can do for you, how I will ship with photos at the post office and tracking, but that seemed to be ineffective, or harmed my chances of a sale because of the reminder of the possibility of a scam. Next knife I listed, I included no Standards post and knife sold instantly. Still provide people with pics, next day shipping, and tracking along with a personal means of communication. People like transparancy I think, but not to be reminded of scamming, even if you are assuring against it and stacking your cards against scamming.

Imo, my knives either sell in a flash of the fingers, or not at all. Very trust based, very trustworthy userbase, too.
 
Dknight16 said:
Someone saving $10 on their taxes is not worth the risk of me being ripped off.
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It isn't about that, if I was only worried about a little fee, I would sell GnS all day. I am not wanting to be taxed as a small business or something for selling two knives a month, evidently based on some arbitrary cap. It's wild.

But yeah, what you are saying is a fair personal rule.
I, personally, scored a lot of good knives, some of my favorites, through FnF, and sold many to those cool enough to give me a chance. I am hoping, once I have enough green reputation, I will be seen as less and less of a chance.
 
I for sure am not letting anyone send me a 1099 for taxable income on items that I paid taxes for and later decided to sell. NO F'ing WAY. It could also cause me trouble reporting income for my disability insurance. I had to drop doing Amazon Vine Reviews because of that.
 
Dknight16 said:
I’ve kept track of what I buy, when, from who, and what paid for many years now. If I have to fill out a Schedule C to ensure my sales aren't taxable, I will.
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I stopped keeping track when I shut down my medical practice and didn't need to do a schedule C anymore, and especially when my wife couldn't file a home office deduction anymore for part-time occupational therapy on top of her usual job.
 
Jsega51 said:
Come on, I bet you can give 5 valid reasons why knife enthusiasts would want to sell some of their knives.
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Ok, (1) maybe a new wife that says either me or the knives. I would say, "Goodbye sweetheart".
(2) He's about to kick the can and his kids want him to sell his collection. I would give them to someone worthy of them.
(3) ?
That's all that I can think of right now.
 
If someone wants to steal and comes here with the intention of scamming almost no amount of rules will prevent it.
In my 15 years of membership I have done hundreds of transactions and never had a problem. I followed 2 primary rules.......

Always deal with Gold or above long standing members.

Always check a persons post history and see that the majority of their posts are not in sales/trade forums. That way they are actually invested in the forum and the hobby.

My 3rd rule was always only use PP G&S but recent tax legislation has negated that so I am happy to default to my original 2 rules.

The problem comes in when someone wants to sell something in a rush to fund another purchase, which is time sensitive, and they rush to do a transaction with the first person who contacts them. Or if it's a trade, the trade item is just too good to be true....well it is. Scammers know this and look for appropriate marks.

Be patient and conservative and you don't need more rules.
 
000Robert said:
Ok, (1) maybe a new wife that says either me or the knives. I would say, "Goodbye sweetheart".
(2) He's about to kick the can and his kids want him to sell his collection. I would give them to someone worthy of them.
(3) ?
That's all that I can think of right now.
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What a weird outlook on knife collecting, especially with the amount of participation you have on this forum. The only reason one might sell a knife that can be formulated involve a divorce, death or instead, the financial need is so strong that you suggest pawning them?

1. They want an updated model of something they already own.

2. They don’t like the knife after checking it out or using it.

3. They trade it for a variant (color, blade shape, lock type, etc) that they prefer more.

4. They find someone who really wants one so they sell an extra.

5. They see one really expensive knife they want to buy so they sell 2-3 others to cover the expense.
 
tokerblue said:
There is absolutely no reason to use F&F in 2023.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-an...or-third-party-payment-platforms-forms-1099-k
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There still may be in 2023, but it turns out there wasn't in 2022. So far it is delayed for this years filing april 2023.
Though I still will not choose F&F to get around the filing. Nor will I file on income I didn't make. I use money orders.
The exchange certainly worked better with G&S and I hope the Feds adjust this law, so we can go back.
One member mentioned that the 1099-k would increase the likelyhood of being audited. I don't know by how much but it certainly would not decrease the chances, and there is no benefit to that.
 
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Steven65 said:
If someone wants to steal and comes here with the intention of scamming almost no amount of rules will prevent it.
In my 15 years of membership I have done hundreds of transactions and never had a problem. I followed 2 primary rules.......

Always deal with Gold or above long standing members.

Always check a persons post history and see that the majority of their posts are not in sales/trade forums. That way they are actually invested in the forum and the hobby.

My 3rd rule was always only use PP G&S but recent tax legislation has negated that so I am happy to default to my original 2 rules.

The problem comes in when someone wants to sell something in a rush to fund another purchase, which is time sensitive, and they rush to do a transaction with the first person who contacts them. Or if it's a trade, the trade item is just too good to be true....well it is. Scammers know this and look for appropriate marks.

Be patient and conservative and you don't need more rules.
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If everyone was like my good friend Steven, we wouldn't need anything more than a handshake...real or virtual.

Of course, if everyone was like Steven, I'd have had to find a real job. ☺️
 
Talking of trusting……early in my time here I saw a Busse ASH1 I wanted to buy. Seller was new, I was new he didn’t use PayPal and was in he US. We agreed that I would get an international bank cheque and mail it over to him and he would ship the ASH over. Given the hours I was working I explained it was going to be the following week before I could get to an open branch of my bank to get the cheque. He was fine but I also said that if a buyer arrived cash in hand before I could get my end organised I understood. Anyway, following week I got the cheque and got to the post office the following day to get it in the mail. While sending that the staff let me know I had a package there. You guess it, the ASH ! That was his only interaction on this forum. I thanked him and assured him the $s were on the way with tracking. He confirmed receipt and away we all went happy.

Some people are just honest. Some are not.
 
Fodderwing said:
True. I stepped straight into his scam with carelessness and tunnel vision to secure a grail knife. I didn't bother to notice he had just joined a few months ago. Three positive feedbacks is of little to no value. Could have easily been avoided had I exercised a modicum of caution. He's still a bankrupt hollow shell of a human being but I assisted him in his deceit.
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I agree with Blues Blues you’re being harder on your self than you deserve “shit happens.” That scratted bone is a grail on my list too. I almost reached out to him too but I didn’t have the exact lambfoot he was looking for. Don’t let it stop you from enjoying the hobby and community. I try to give people “the benefit of the doubt.”
The punk was interacting with us on the forum and had positive feedback.

It’s unfortunate that one bad apple can ruin it for the newbys.

Great discussion's 👍
 
fishin1635 said:
I agree with Blues Blues you’re being harder on your self than you deserve “shit happens.” That scratted bone is a grail on my list too. I almost reached out to him too but I didn’t have the exact lambfoot he was looking for. Don’t let it stop you from enjoying the hobby and community. I try to give people “the benefit of the doubt.”
The punk was interacting with us on the forum and had positive feedback.

It’s unfortunate that one bad apple can ruin it for the newbys.

Great discussion's 👍
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Thanks Ralph. I appreciate your input and that of Blues Blues as well. You need not worry about it turning me sour on the porch. I've not met a finer group of guys (and gals) than this bunch. This has been no more than a "blip" on the screen. I'm over it. :)
 
Jsega51 said:
What a weird outlook on knife collecting, especially with the amount of participation you have on this forum. The only reason one might sell a knife that can be formulated involve a divorce, death or instead, the financial need is so strong that you suggest pawning them?

1. They want an updated model of something they already own.

2. They don’t like the knife after checking it out or using it.

3. They trade it for a variant (color, blade shape, lock type, etc) that they prefer more.

4. They find someone who really wants one so they sell an extra.

5. They see one really expensive knife they want to buy so they sell 2-3 others to cover the expense.
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I forgot to add, maybe they are young. Like I said, I'm 62 and set in my ways and I just know what I will like. But I kind of understand why some people would sell a knife now. Thanks. Also, we can add wealthy people.
Wealthy people can buy anything they want and check it out to see if they like it. People like me that aren't wealthy have to be pickier and that goes for being careful not to get scammed. It isn't that big of a deal for a wealthy person to get scammed out of $1000, but it would hurt me.
 
Jack of All Blades said:
I don’t know if it could be enforced in the rules, but if enough people started doing it, current members and newcomers might catch on and it’ll become a habit.

Kind of like removing the original sales price.
There was no rule that I know of enforcing it or discouraging it, yet most members do it.

If enough members do it consistently, in a few months it might become the norm.
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Yeah, when I started using the Exchange I edited out the sale price because that's what everyone else was doing. I'm going to start leaving it in, because when I've got something to sale it's really helpful to know what people are actually paying, helps to know if my price is in the right range.
 
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