• The user is on the /r/UniversalScammerList
• Goes straight to PM and refuses to comment on original thread when asked
  • This can be innocent- they may have forgotten to comment- but if they won't do it when asked, it could be an attempt to delay them from being outed as a scammer.
• Wants payment via an unprotected method of payment
  • Paypal Gift (Friends and Family)
  • Gift Cards (any gift cards, for example Amazon, G2A, preloaded debit, etc)
  • CryptoCurrency (bitcoin, Litecoin, dogecoin, etc)
  • Chase Quickpay
  • Western Union (rare, but present on occasion)
  • Google Pay
  • Zelle
  • Cash App
  • Venmo
  • Apple Cash

• Sends no or bad timestamps
  1. Ordered List ItemIllegible writing
  2. Blurry shot
  3. Doesn't get whole product in photo
  4. Timestamp of unsealed box (no product)
  5. Timestamp looks out of place (edited in with software)

• If a Deal Is Too Good…
  • Then it probably is. Avoid users who seem quick to give you the “deal of a century.” They can make great efforts to paint an amazing picture full of why they're justifying the sale, but if the deal is just too good, there is a good chance you won't ever see that item.

Although a lot less common, the occasional morally-deficient buyer will attempt to claim false claims about a product received in order to get a refund/free item. Some ways to protect yourself from them:

• Document the state of your current item well.
  1. Note parts list
  2. Take good pictures
  3. Test the item before shipping
  4. Detail any potential negatives that a user could find.
• Always ship with tracking!
  1. No proof of shipment is an instant loss for a seller during a dispute.
  2. Most times you get a small bit of insurance with a tracked package, anyway.
• Always ensure to ship to the address sent with the payment.**
  1. Shipping to an alternate address voids seller protection
  2. If it's an honest mistake, an honest person will have no problem taking a refund and correcting the address on a second payment attempt.

If you don't like how something feels, you are not obligated to continue. This is a free market, and no one is obligated to partake in any trade they do not want to partake in. Just because someone offers you something does not mean you are at all obligated to work with them.

We do not want those selling/buying/trading here on /r/hardwareswap or the HardwareSwap Discord to think that we only want tenured swappers participating. However, with new accounts, or accounts with little/no flair, there is obviously a slight elevation in risk due to the sheer fact of the unknown.

New users (accounts that are new, or accounts that seem to have been created solely for the purpose of a trading subreddit) are not instant scammers, however, you should definitely at least exercise caution in dealing with those users. Again, we are not trying to alienate legitimate users with new accounts or low/no flair. We are only interested in protecting the majority of the community.

In general, it is wise to avoid high-dollar items being sold by a flair-less or new account. A good deal may be had, but the risk almost always outweigh the benefits. What good is a sweet deal if you never receive it?

Taking all these things into account can still leave one open to a scammer. There is always risk involved in a free market such as this, however you can Greatly reduce these risks by using your head, following the steps and guidelines on this page, and treading lightly. At the end of the day, the vast majority of this community has the same goal in mind: recover money or get great parts and great prices. Just stay alert to the little details.