Off-Topic Forum

So, obviously, leaving negative feedback is one way to combat scamming, but has there have been any discussion on TCDb about having a "'scammers list"? Hopefully it wouldn't turn into anything reactionary and perhaps there would be a way to petition to get off the list if there was an actual misunderstanding (or some natural disaster caused the corresponding delays

This has been a new feature request for some time 

https://www.tcdb.com/FeatureTracker.cfm?MODE=VIEW&ID=691&PageIndex=4

ONCE AGAIN... THIS is why I ONLY ship cards with tracking numbers. If you can PROVE that you shipped something, you also have proof that someone got what you sent to them. If they have no way to prove they sent something to you, then you have no mail fraud case against them, whether they did or didn't send you a package or envelope. That's the cut and dried version of it. I wouldn't claim fraud if someone actually did send the cards to me in PWE, but that doesn't mean others won't try to do it to you. Use tracking when trading cards and you will NEVER have a bad trade that isn't resolved. Negative feedback isn't really productive if you have nothing to back it up. When you have complete proof of someone ripping you off, you also have proof of mail fraud AND enough to get the police involved. While it's rare, police will get involved with mail fraud when there is enough proof that it happened. Shipping with tracking numbers gives the police and the PO enough info to use to track down the offender. Mail Fraud is a "Federal Offense" and basically becomes a felony charge against the violator.

I keep telling everyone on TCDB to cover your a$$ in every way and people still ignore me by constantly flying cards PWE through the mail. PWE is not trackable and you have no claim if that is how you trade cards. When cards are sent with tracking numbers, you have proof that you sent them and that they were or were not received. That is how you prove to the USPS or local PD that mail fraud has been committed. Both agencies will investigate it if you have proof that you mailed your end of a deal!

Tracking numbers don't prove that someone actually received anything. A tracking number proves the date and time that a postal carrier scanned the tracking number.

This is the truth. I’ve received my neighbors packages and they have received mine.

That's actually a good idea.  I often wonder if scammers who have gotten 5 or 6 negatives in a row create new IDs to allow them to start over with new people.  If you don't know their real name and address, you wouldn't know not to trade with them since there is no way to connect the IDs as the same person.  I saw a forum once that allowed you to click on a user ID and see all other IDs that ever posted using any of the same IP addresses.  Maybe something like that could be used.

If it's the post office screwing up, usually the other person you traded with will respond back to you and try to work something out.  Scammers tend to stop communicating.

I've dealt with both.

One trader agreed to the trade.  I sent the cards... 30 days go by and nothing back.  I messaged them on the trade and waited a full week.  No response.  Messaged them through their account and waited another week.  At this point it was a full month and a half.  3 other traders had already left negative feedback by the time I finally left a negative and it was fairly clear they had scammed us.

In the other case, 30 days went by and before I could message the other person messaged me asking if I'd gotten the cards.  I said no so they picked new cards form my want list and sent them with tracking.  In this case, even the 2nd package disappeared but because they put tracking on it I went to the post office to look at what happened.  I had another incoming trade at this same time that hadn't shown up either.  The post office was able to see the package in a video from the last scan but never saw any trace of it after the cart was rolled out of the camera covered area.  While they never found any of my cards, the post office did make an arrest at that office for a postal worker caught taking people's mail.  And in this case both traders offered to send further replacements, which I said no need since it wasn't their fault, and one of them had already send replacements even.

I recently spoke to another user who seemed to be having the same issue I had in this second case.  He mentioned he had 5 or 6 trades all seeming to be missing for several weeks.  If it were 1, then scamming is suspected but 5 or 6 all at once... that's a sign something is up at your post office.