Frequently Asked Questions AND Answers
Your Trade Thread and Making the Deal
Q: To post a new thread, does it have to be exactly 7 days since my last thread?
A: Yes
Q: Can we post "Not trading with anyone with a Negative Reference"?
A: Yes
Q: By that token, can we post “Not trading with anyone overseas or in Canada?”
A: Yes
Q: When is the deal confirmed?
A: When addresses are exchanged.
Q: My partner wants to back out, except that addresses have been exchanged. What can I do?
A: If addresses are exchanged, then your partner would be breaking his contract. You may leave them a neutral or negative reference. BUT be sure to keep your PMs regarding this deal, because more likely than not, they will retaliate and leave you a negative as well.
Q: My trading partner suddenly wants to change the trade, after addresses have been exchanged. Can they do that?
A: He/she can but expect a negative or neutral reference for changing the deal.
Q: I'm making a trade with someone, but he put down his username rather than his actual name to send to. Is that OK?
A: No, please use your real name when trading.
Q: I just want to get rid of my Yugioh collection. can I do that if that’s all I'm going to do or does there have to be a trade to go with it?
A: No, this isn't ebay go sell it on ebay.
Q: If your trading Japanese cards do you have to be specific that they were Japanese cards?
A: Yeah, language/edition should always be specified for pretty much every game.
Q: Where would I put my thread up in if I'm trading both Magic and YuGiOh? Would I put it in the section where I have the most to trade? or the Section where I want more?
A: Up to you
Q: Would I be able to put up a friend or a sibling’s trade list on my trade thread?
A: No
Q: Some people say that they want points like 100 for a secret rare how do I get those points?
A: See "CreatorOfThePointSystems" trade thread on how to do points.
Q: Isn't there a rule about not allowing to advertise things on your list that you don't have in hand yet?
A: You can advertise them, but you need to state that their not in yet.
Q: Is there a rule about really rare and expensive cards and proof of ownership?
A: Yes, you must be able to provide a picture of the expensive card.
Q: I've noticed traders who work together and trade from one binder (team binder)...Is this allowed?
A: No
Buying and Selling Cards
Q: Does buyer sent first or seller sent first.
A: Less refs have to send first.
Escrow and Mod Trades
Q: What is the official rule on escrow or mod trades
A: Ask a moderator.
Shipping Items
Q: Are you supposed to send the cards through first class mail or in a box you drop off at the post office?
A: It doesn't matter
Q: Do I have to use Top-Loaders? And where can I find them?
A: Yes, and you can find them anywhere.
Q: I didn’t put enough postage on my cards and it either took forever, my partner had to pay, or they got sent back. Is that a problem?
A: Yes, prepare for a neutral or negative reference if so.
Recurring Problems/Punishments
Q: If I trade with someone, and they send first, but I never receive the cards, what can I do? Is there anyway to prove I didn't receive or do I have to send their end without getting the cards I was promised?
A: If they were to send first, and you haven’t received, wait at least 30 days and then leave a negative or neutral reference. BUT BEWARE - This can fall into a he-said/she-said situation, since there is no way to prove you DID NOT get the cards, if you neg ref someone, and they neg ref you back.
Q: There’s a rule that says people who put rules in their thread that go against the boards’ rules get a negative reference for a certain period of time. My question is, since they have no second chances, do you just make a new thread in the PTC to report them?
A: If you feel the need to report them, use the "Report Bad Topic" button.
Q: I completed a trade with a user who is now banned or banned from trading. I was wondering if there is some way I can get in contact him, or if my only option since everyone else is having this problem is to file mail fraud?
A: Get an e-mail address or house number.
Q: What happens if I’m involved in a trade with someone who just got banned from trading?
A: Once a user is permanently banned from trading, all trades they have negotiated become null and void. If they are sending out first, you may cancel the trade and refuse the mail when it comes. However, if you accept the mail, it is your obligation to send them what you promised, OR ship their cards back at your expense. Additionally, NO REFS from this transaction are allowed.
Q: If I have pending trade with someone, and then they are banned from trading for an amount of time that is not forever, must we halt the trade in mid trade? I do not want to get anyone in trouble, so I need to clarify this.
A: No. You may complete your trade. But do not start any new ones with that user. And you may not give refs to this user until the ban period is over, likewise they cannot ref you until the ban period is over.
Q: When someone who ref scammed is forced to send first throughout all trades until a given time, can they just choose to take a break from trading until then? Or, if they do have to trade, is there a certain amount of trades they must complete? And, if they don't trade, is their sending-first time extended?
A: It keeps rolling over. If they don’t trade for whatever the amount of time is, then it rolls over.
Q: I bought a card from another user, when I received it, I found it to be in far from mint condition, and a note was included: "Here's your card, I'll be waiting for your $20. You never asked for the condition, so you can't complain about that. I guess you should have read my rules." While I think this is total bull****, I read the rules again and found nothing that related to my circumstance. I am thinking that he is correct in saying I can't complain about it because in his rules he stated that if I don't ask for the condition, he assumes that I don't care. I never asked, so he assumed I didn't care. Obviously with the note, he KNEW that I would and do care. Is it against the rules to send back the card? Or was it my responsibility to ask for the condition?
A: "Ask about condition or you don't care" rule DOESN'T EXIST and NEVER has so don't put it on your trade thread. If you get bent or messed up cards you may leave a negative reference.
Q: If a card I am trading for is damaged before it reaches me (meaning that it's not in the condition as promised due to an incident before it was sent), what can I do?
A: Either ask for compensation (to make up for the damage), ask for a mint one, or accept it and leave neutral or negative feedback.
Q: Hey this guy contacted me to make a trade, and I know for a fact he's a ripper from another board. What do I do?
A: Don't trade with him and report him to the PTC.
Trading Ratings and References
Q: How do I get a ref? I know about Trader Ratings and how they increase, but how do I get my ref count to increase?
A: A “ref” is a trader rating. You get a Trader Rating by completing a trade on here. it's basically done in the mail and no person to person trading is allowed. You cannot trade with people you know in person or are related to either. Your trading rating is your refs count. you get your refs count to increase by completing trades here online and other members leaving you a ref. there is also the old master refs list that some users still have refs on, they count towards your trading refs too. You add the ones from the master refs list if you have any and the trading rating to equal your total amount of refs
Q: How do I get master refs, or is it too late? Are those the things that I see on people's profiles that have a link that says: Refs: 22 (or whatever)
A: You don't. Master refs are refs that people gave to each other prior to the trade tracker being implemented. You can only receive refs from the trade tracker system.
Q: Is it a rule that you have trade through the mail to ref each other, or can we initiate a trade here on the Forum then trade through another form of trading, would that be allowed or considered ref scamming?
A: You MUST send through the mail if you're trading on this forum. No other methods are allowed. The ref system is set up to determine how trustworthy you are in SENDING THROUGH THE MAIL. Now, that’s not to say you can’t actually trade in person, go right ahead. JUST DO NOT GIVE EACH OTHER A TRADER RATING. That’s ref-scamming, and can get you banned.
Q: If you have the same number of refs who sends first? I assume that you'd try to agree on something, but what if you can't reach to a decision? Just a hypothetical situation..
A: You both send same time, or you use a moderator as escrow.
Q: When conducting a trade with a person who has 1 or 2 refs less than you mentions their unsigned refs that they're pending on, or better yet, count their Pending refs with their total, should you send first, or not count the pending refs at all.
A: Pending refs do not count at all. Trader rating is to be compared at the time the offer is made and accepted.
Q: Is a reference required to be left?
A: No.
Q: Can you negative ref someone for they refusing to ref you?
A: No.
Q: I've noticed people trading cards (commons, rares, w/e) off for refs. Is this allowed?
A: No.
Q: If the person was to send first, but the cards never got here, and the other guy keeps saying he already sent. What do I do? Since I never got the cards, would I have to send my cards out?
A: Wait 30 days, and then leave them a neutral or a negative rating. But make sure you hang on to your PMs just in case your trading partner decides to retaliate. It’s the only way you’ll get a possible negative retaliation rating removed. And again, just like above, it's difficult to PROVE that you never received, so if you neg ref them, they might just retaliate and neg ref you back. And in that case, neither neg gets removed because it cannot be proved either way.
Q: Do I have to wait 30 days before leaving a negative?
A: NO! You do not have to wait 30 days. It would be NICE if you gave your trading partner 30 days to work out their issues, but YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT. If cards came damaged, or haven't come in a reasonable amount of time, then you have every right to leave a negative. JUST BE SURE TO SAVE all the communications between you and your trade partner, because if they retaliate, the ONLY way you will get that negative removed is if you can show that there is good cause.
Q: Say you trade with someone twice and they give you positive feedback both times. does that count as a ref? Ex: say you have 3 refs and you traded again with the same person and your trade rating does not go up. can you say that you have 4 refs or three?
A: Nope. You get a +1 for each different USER you have traded with, not each trade.
Q: Does the master list have to be enforced? You see, I'm in a scenario similar to this one: Trader A has 5 refs on the new list, Trader B has 15 refs on the trader rating system. Trader B refuses to simul-send because he/she has more "new" refs.
But Trader A has 20 refs on the Master list as well, while Trader B has 0 Master list refs. Can a simul-send be forced, or is Trader A forced to send 1st?
A: The Master Ref List is not optional.
Q: How do refs from the Edos board add into your ratings system? I have like 9 or 10 from there and I would like to know how and if they carry over before I start a post of my own.
A: They don’t.
Q: Can you transfer your ref. from another user name I no longer use?
A: No.
Q: I asked my trading partner if he had any refs at all and he gave me a link the to his eBay refs. Is that kosher?
A: Nope.
Q: If someone contacts me offsite and asks me to sign their trader rating on this site should I post something about it?
A: Absolutely. That's a ref scam.
Q: I reffed wrong person by mistake, how can I fix this?
A: Post a thread in the PTC forum with a link to your mistake and it will be taken care of.
Q: Am I allowed to ref a banned member?
A: Yes, you may ref a banned user, however, make sure they’re really “Banned”, i.e. it says “Banned User” underneath their user name.
Q: If you make a trade with someone and you received their end, and you can't ref them because their PM box is full, what can I do?
A: Wait until their box is empty.
Negative Reference Removal
Q: I don't agree with this negative somebody left, I want it removed.
A: OK, that's your opinion. OBVIOUSLY your trade partner disagrees. Think of the rating system like the one on eBay. You cannot easily get a negative removed there.
Q: If I Download Private Messages as Text to my computer can these be use as proof if I need them in the future? its easier for me to save all my pm's this way.
A: YES, absolutely. We will ONLY accept Private Messages as evidence in any trader dispute.
Q: You know how on eBay that you can get a ref from somebody even though the transaction went bad but he/she took care of the problem. Can you do that here too? for example I’m doing a trade with somebody right now and he sent me his card but I think this is his first trade and he didn't send the card in a top loader. He lives in England too, well the card came bent and I told him I didn't want it. He wants me to ship it back and I guess I will do it but that means I didn't gain anything from this. can I still give him a ref for sending the card and can he give me a ref once he gets the card back?
A: No. Once a rating is left, it’s there for good. There are only CERTAIN circumstances where we will remove a negative.
Q: When a person gets a negative ref from a mod does he have to send first then?
A: Only if the reference says "this user must send first" in the negative ref.
Q: Some one leaves positive feedback for you and they turn out to be ripper. If I leave negative feedback for them can he once again leave me a negative feedback for same trade, just to do it?
A: Retaliatory references are not allowed, however, to get it removed you must have the obligatory PMs proving that you haven’t received what you were promised.
Q: I couldn't get my negative removed because I "didn't have enough evidence..." But what evidence do I need? The guy obviously gave me a retaliatory reference.
A: If you didn’t post the required evidence, or your evidence wasn’t compelling, then you’ll have to accept the negative reference. For this reason we suggest you download and keep ALL correspondence relating to the trade. ESPECIALLY if the trade involved high dollar items. Additionally only evidence from the Forum or valid emails will be allowed. No MSN/AIM chat sessions. Finally, if you lose once, there’s no recounts.
Q: I just got a ref notice from someone I never traded with. What should I do?
Edit: I just realized that jerk gave me a negative ref, all I did was tell him his "misprint" card was worthless. How can I get my ref back?
A: Start a thread requesting your negative to be removed, stating you have never traded with that individual.
Rip-Offs
Q: What if someone ripped you off...with high refs...what should you do if that is the case....what kind of proof do we need to prove my case to you if that should happen?
A: The same as in all cases. However the evidence must be clear without a shadow of the doubt s/he ripped you.
Q: Would priority mail and tracking number give enough evidence?
A: Tracking and Delivery Conformation would be better.
Q: Can you file mail fraud in the United Kingdom (or any other country besides the United States?) And how would you do so?
A: We believe you can but we have no idea how to go about doing so. Contact your local postal service.
Q: If I see someone who is making an outrageous to good to be true offer and that person is trying to get the other person to send first, can I
request an IP check to see if they have an alias?
A: If it is someone who is trying to get you or other user's to send first, just let us know about the situation by using the Reported Bad Post link.
Q: If a user is banned and comes back under a different name is that legal? I always thought that if a user is permanently banned they can't come back under a new name
A: They will try to come back, most of our users think they’re smarter than us and will try to come back. So ALWAYS be wary of people with under 5 trader ratings who have just joined. If you see someone you believe may be a banned user who has come back, use the report-bad topic button on one of their posts or trade threads and we’ll handle it.
Q: A user and I are working on a trade, and then he mentions something about him being user a user that is now banned, and he claims he has way more references that I do. Does his "old" username count?
A: No it doesn’t not count. And if you’re negotiating a trade with someone who says they’ve been banned once already, bring it to the attention of a PTC moderator IMMEDIATELY for investigation,
Q: Ok, I was reading the master reference list and noticed that there was no banned traders list and that I was on the bad-traders so that brings up my question: am I allowed to trade?
A: No
Q: After seeing how another user got someone banned for ripping him off, does that mean we can make a new thread asking for someone who ripped us off to get banned? Just wondering.
A: You can ask.
Q: I was wondering if you Insured/confirmation #'d a package, and got ripped from it, what you could actually do to get it back or what compensation I can expect.
A: File mail fraud. When you use delivery confirmation and tracking then you have a much better chance of the USPS recovering something for you, and/or the ripper being convicted of a felony.
Q: Can the mods email a guy that ripped me off and got banned and ask him to send?
A: No.
Q: If a month has passed since I've sent my end of the deal and the other person has not contacted me whether they have or haven’t gotten it yet, am I obligated to inform them that I will file mail fraud?
A: Not at all. Leave them a negative ref if you like, but no one is ever under any obligation to tell someone else they're going to file mail fraud on them.
~Special thanks to Pojo.com for letting me use this.
