Good Morning from Sweden

[daytonadragon]

What's the difference between friendly and hostile money?

Friendly money is money you borrowed from a friend, hostile money is money you borrowed from a friend who's not a friend anymore because you didn't return the money?

Is it safe to assume that the RG member who was scammed paid "friendly money" via Paypal gift instead of goods and services.

[TheOldDude]

How can a newbies get 103 posts in 3 weeks and start scamming people here?

Answer: thats with the help of such posts as "the never ending word associating game" - its easy to get 30-40 posts a day there.
Maybe we are all part of a team helping scammers to get the min req for posting fake sales within no time, giving all users the impression that everything should be fine.

Would it help, if sellers need to get a "ID number" from a mod which is only available with prior VIP membership with registered real life address, proofed by postal identification?

I know, I know... "Who shall perform this effort?". But I find it very strange that one can join the community, boost 100 posts in 3 weeks and start scamming colleagues here.
Whom shall I trust now in the sales section? I think, the post count is no longer a good index for this.

@mysterio +1000 on this. Such threads should be banned same as what XXX are you wearing today. Never have and never will post to such threads. Sole purpose is post padding.

[mysterio]

@mysterio +1000 on this. Such threads should be banned same as what XXX are you wearing today. Never have and never will post to such threads. Sole purpose is post padding.

Removal of those threads won't eliminate scammers. The adage "Where there's a will, there's a way" applies. Actually, by eliminating these threads you're actually making it harder to detect people up to no good.

As for the earlier suggestion requiring an ID, we are not an authoritarian state. Plus the irony seems lost that in a forum based on a hobby where items are replicated to such a high degree that most people would not be able to tell, members cannot make that leap of faith that an ID can't be faked. If you don't believe an ID can be faked, I have a bridge to sell.

You see a spammer, there is the report button. You come across a deal too good to be true, use some sense (which is unfortunately not common). Not saying everyone who just reached 100 posts and posts a sale is not to be trusted but do your due diligence.

The only solution to that is to close M2M. If you can't buy anything, you shouldn't be scammed (did not use can't as some people will go behind our backs, we don't have any solution for that). If you can't be bothered to practice some sense in M2M, then just buy from the TDs. All the groundwork necessary to vet the seller has been made.

[Grapeshot]

If you don't believe an ID can be faked, I have a bridge to sell.

How long is it as I've been caught out before. The last one I bought was too short.

[JMS1988]

You see a spammer, there is the report button. You come across a deal too good to be true, use some sense (which is unfortunately not common). Not saying everyone who just reached 100 posts and posts a sale is not to be trusted but do your due diligence.

That's all there is to it. The idea with the ID, while obviously with a noble goal in mind, is a pretty bad idea to be honest.

Also, spammers do not equal scammers. There's a lot of people who are in a rush to gain selling privileges in order to offload some watches but don't have any plans to scam. On the other hand, there were several high-profile scams on rep forums which were orchestrated by high-post-count, long-standing members. So, one does not equal other. To be fair, however, it's safe to say that someone who's well known and invested a lot of time into the forum is less likely to scam you than a newcomer who just finished his quick run to the hundred post mark. Key word: less likely.

Common sense and luck. Rest is just semantics

[daytonadragon]

That's all there is to it. The idea with the ID, while obviously with a noble goal in mind, is a pretty bad idea to be honest.

Also, spammers do not equal scammers. There's a lot of people who are in a rush to gain selling privileges in order to offload some watches but don't have any plans to scam. On the other hand, there were several high-profile scams on rep forums which were orchestrated by high-post-count, long-standing members. So, one does not equal other. To be fair, however, it's safe to say that someone who's well known and invested a lot of time into the forum is less likely to scam you than a newcomer who just finished his quick run to the hundred post mark. Key word: less likely.

Common sense and luck. Rest is just semantics

Well said.

[mysterio]

How long is it as I've been caught out before. The last one I bought was too short.

It's as long as you imagined the ideal length would be.

Well said.

Proves my point about people increasing their post count using threads other than the What XXX are you wearing threads (dd won't post there as his collection is so massive he can't wear even one. ).