Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: dolphin on June 05, 2013, 03:03 pm

Title: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: dolphin on June 05, 2013, 03:03 pm
n00b here,

I recently placed an order with a seller who states they will provide a tracking number when the product ships. The product shipped over 24 hours ago, but I have not received tracking...

Is this normal? Should I message the seller? Should simple messages like asking for tracking number be encrypted?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: deepinblu on June 05, 2013, 03:07 pm
Pretty normal to me. It depends on the vendor - how fast can he sort out orders (including sending tracking numbers). I always had to ask the vendor to send me the tracking number. And I don't find the encryption necessary. Just make sure NOT to check the tracking via TOR 
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: 95sc on June 05, 2013, 03:15 pm
... Just make sure NOT to check the tracking via TOR

How come?

If there's a chance that I might want to deny knowing anything about said package, I definitely don't want an IP traceable to me being logged as checking the shipping status before the package arrives.  Wouldn't this be exactly where we should use TOR?
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: deepinblu on June 05, 2013, 03:19 pm
You see, each time you use tor, your IP is different. Let's say you ordered something to the UK. You check the tracking via tor and you are technically checking it from China (example). The next day you do the same and you are checking it with a german IP. So if a package heading to the UK was checked from 10 different IP addresses, from which none of them is from UK, it definitely raises a bit of suspicion (if someone checked it). Everybody on the forums with some experience will tell you the same.
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: 95sc on June 07, 2013, 08:07 pm
Interesting, thank you for explainging.

Just thinking out loud here, not arguing, but it seems that a legitimate package shipped from one continent to another could easily rack up quite a few unique IP inquiries from multiple countries.  Say I buy a widgit from a seller on eBay.  The seller is in HK and I'm in the UK.  Between the seller checking the status from 1 or two locations, eBay's package tracking and update service checking, me checking, and a third party billing program that the seller uses that is hosted in AU we could end up with more than 10 checks from all over the world.  WHile this might not be the most common situation, it's definitely not rare.

So, if the commonly held belief is that the intended recipient should not use TOR to check status and a recipeint definitely should NOT check from their own machine/IP, than what is the recomended way of keeping tabs on a package in transit?
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: RobLoblaw on June 07, 2013, 08:43 pm
honestly i never check tracking numbers. just my opinion but i think vendors should hold them just for resolutions if it is necessary. if they are logged like people are saying, its just giving LE information on someone checking its whereabouts. its going to come the exact same time whether you check it or not. if i felt like something was wrong and its been a few weeks and still no show, then i would check it but from a free wifi spot
Title: Re: Messaging Sellers on SR
Post by: acidicmonkey on June 08, 2013, 12:58 am
Quite normal, just have patience