Okay guys, time for some tough love.
Remember that Simpsons episode where Homer walks into the same wall five times and says ouch? That's you signing up for another site without Multi Signature Escrow (Multisig).
In case you haven't heard of it yet, Multisig means that you, the vendor and the market enter a three-party transaction where nobody can get the money without at least two approvals. Vendor approves on order, buyer approves on received, market approves/declines if there is a problem. Techies can verify the market transactions on the blockchain so a bad market would get caught.
Yup. It means it's pretty safe. Not perfect, but a lot better than attracting every script kiddie scammer. Right now, they're flocking to this community, because they think we're a bunch of idiots. Don't blame them, we've proven them right over and over again.
So fuck new sites. Seriously, fuck them. DO NOT sign up for sites because they (1) have pretty pirate graphics (2) claim to be competent (3) claim to be different (4) claim to be charitable (5) have a catchy name (6) Claim to be the fifth reincarnation of the Dalai Lama (7) use any other gimmick, branding or marketing technique. There is nothing wrong with marketing, but right now it should do only one thing: Demonstrate strong security.
ONLY sign up for sites that claim to use proven security techniques, such as Multi Signature escrow. DO NOT accept early finalization, it may be nice for vendor finances but it attracts scammers like flies on a pile of shit. Maybe later, when there is more trust again. Maybe later, when there are markets several years old again, and five star vendors with thousands of transactions. Then, maybe. Now, you are just waving money at scammers begging them to fuck you. I don't care that this is bad for you, you can do whatever you want with your money. But this is unhygienic for the community because it attracts scammers. If you get scammed, you are an asshole because you have proven to them that it is profitable. Don't get scammed, or YOU are a dickhead, a selfish antisocial prick whose stupidity is hurting everyone. You are slobbering a deadly virus in everybodies face if you do not ake securit seriously. Take precautions, DO NOT GET SCAMMED. Only use MultiSig escrow, and do not use wallets that know your secret keys.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT creating another market with some stupid gimmick if you will not get down and dirty and create multi sig escrow to ensure the safety of your customers. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT holding the secret keys to your customers wallets. That is communicating to any intelligent person that you think they should be fucked. Hard. That is communicating to scammers that either you are scum like them, or you are a collecting a bunch of suckers in a convenient, easy to exploit trap, for their convenience. I don't care how good your intentions are, if you create another market without multisig escrow or see your customer's secret keys in any way, you are an asshole. Period. I don't care how good your intentions are, security is the name of the game. If you can't do that properly, don't play. Don't. Really, don't. REALLY, DON'T. SHUT DOWN YOUR STUPID DEATH TRAP BEFORE SOME SCUMBAG PROFITS EVEN MORE. I am part of the same community as you, and you are INSULTING ME with your incompetence. I take it personally. Shut down everything except your wallet withdrawal, and set up multisig escrow. THEN come back. Anything else is DOWNRIGHT IMMORAL.
GOT IT?
EDIT: Old version said three approvals are necessary for MultiSig, while it is only two.
Completely agreed. Any marketplace that wants trust needs multi sig. However, in truth, the vendor and market hold supreme power over the buyer. If the market is stable and doesn't go rogue, then the vendor is in the place of power if they have good feedback and they scam you. Always find vendors you can "trust" and build a relationship. Find reliable connects before flocking to the cheapest seller hocking his wares on a market.