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I've never used it before. Just wondering if anyone experienced with the Dakka Swap Shop could give me some advice on using it.
Thanks

I'm not familiar with Dakka Swap Shop but when I did the equivalent for CCGs you could request that both parties send stuff to a neutral 3rd part (like a moderator) who would only forward them to their receiving party after getting both parts of the trade (though it was easier with CCGs because of not paying for shipping)

Also you an always just file mail fraud if something happens.

There is a reputable traders list. Searching someone's username and +1 (Ex. Eldarain +1 ) in the swap shop specifically will bring up their feedback.

 CrownAxe wrote:
I'm not familiar with Dakka Swap Shop but when I did the equivalent for CCGs you could request that both parties send stuff to a neutral 3rd part (like a moderator) who would only forward them to their receiving party after getting both parts of the trade (though it was easier with CCGs because of not paying for shipping)

Also you an always just file mail fraud if something happens.

Yeah, that's not a thing here.

Like all online trades, there's no way to guarantee it. You'll just have to dip your feet and hope you don't get burned.

This is part of the reason why I only do trades with people I can meet in person.

Anytime you buy something from someone over the Internet your taking a risk. There is a area in the swap shop that gives good and bad reviews on people. Just type their screen name into that pages search and you will see if they have any feedback from people. Communication is key, pm the person and ask questions. If your going to send money use PayPal or something similar if you don't get your item file a complaint with PayPal. Ask for pictures of the item. And always trust your gut... If it sounds to good to be true it usually is

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
Like all online trades, there's no way to guarantee it. You'll just have to dip your feet and hope you don't get burned.

This is part of the reason why I only do trades with people I can meet in person.

I've been trading on Dakka, Bartertown and locally for years and have gotten screwed (missing bits) exactly twice. In neither case was it substantial and in one of them, I got paid the difference. If you are careful, you'll be fine.

I use to do ebay deals and got burned a few times too. It all depends on luck, which I'm bum out of. I think Lady Luck hates my body odor or something.

Thanks for the help everyone!

I've had a better record on Dakka than on eBay. I mean, be on alert for red flags, and do a search for their username in the Swap Shop to reveal positive feedback and negative TRs, but it's a pretty good community.

Usually people with a high forum presence or post count are safe bets. I will go through their post history a bit to make sure its not just spam posts. I ALWAYS ask for pics, and will not deal if I don't get any. I also usually ask follow up questions on the item for specifics, its usually apparent after a couple of questions if the guy is legit or not.

I also do not do international trades. Too much to go wrong, plus shipping kills you. Finally, ALWAYS GET TRACKING, ALWAYS. Whether you're buying or selling, its proof that the box is on its way and both parties can check it at will.

Other than that, its all down to trusting your gut and being willing to take a risk. I've not gotten burned *yet* but its bound to happen sooner or later. Dakka's pretty good though, every trade has gone well and talked to some cool people and gotten some awesome deals in the process.

On top of all the other great advice, think about the offer you are considering. If it looks too good to be true, it might be. Can you afford to miss the money if it goes wrong? I've made a few transactions here, buying, selling and swapping, and have yet to have a problem.

Here is the official policy statement on DakkaDakka Swap Shop.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/247459.page

Check the accounts of the person you are buying/ selling. I wouldn't trust an account if it's less than a week old.

Having done a lot of trading, buying, and selling on the swap shop, I can say that I have never been burned before on a deal. As others have said, you have to be careful. Check their name in the swap shop to see what comes up. I usually won't trade with someone who has joined dakka within the past 6 months and has less than 100 posts. Always get tracking and use paypal so you have proof of the package being shipped and can try to get your money back if something goes wrong.

I use the swap shop and ebay as the primary way to build up my armies. I would definitely give it a try.

I will say that my experience is much like that of several others in this thread. I have conducted dozens of trades, purchases and sales on this site and others. I have been burned once.

If an error is made in any direction, good communication goes a long way towards resolving most problems. When using paypal, use the goods and services tab (unless it is someone who you know or have dealt with successfully in the past). there is a slight charge for it, but the buyer protections included are generally worth it. If buying an item from someone here or on bartertown, it isn't out of the ordinary for someone to request a new pic of the item, with a date on it for 'proof of life' (okay a joke but it is generally a solid idea).

Even if someone asks for you to send them the money as a gift to get around the paypal fees, you may want to send it as payment for goods anyway. The Paypal fees are straightforward, and you can easily find them online (2.9%+$0.30). It isn't terribly difficult to figure what you would send throughput.

I've only attempted the one trade, but it went off with no issues at all.

I think the other party being one of the swap shop mods probably helped with that, but hey ho.

Always ship with tracking, and expect it from those you deal with. Lowest rating ships first, and always give feedback.

One thing that can be helpful, is if you look at the post count of the person trying to make the trade. Generally someone active, and someone who has been around for a while, is less likely to try to scam you than someone who hasn't. Mostly because if you're scamming, you're probably using a burner account or intended to be booted, as opposed to sticking around, which isn't as common for older accounts, that are active, and have lots of posts.