Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: CeIphTitled305 on January 27, 2013, 11:33 pm

Title: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: CeIphTitled305 on January 27, 2013, 11:33 pm
Ok fellow forum newbs.. here I go.

So as new persons to the SR/Forums, we are often asked to FE for these 'trusted vendors' foreign and domestic. Let me ask you this, would you EVER give a drug dealer on the street $50, 100, or 250+ dollars up front and expect he'll return to you with drugs? Sure the SR is different in that there is a (very flawed) rating system to keep these types of persons in check, but selective scamming 1 or 2 orders amongst the hundreds some of these vendors get a week... doesn't take a huge bite in their rep.

So i propose this for any new comer of the SR, please, do not FE, no matter what. If you do your research, there is always another vendor with a very similar quality of product, that will allow you to stay within escrow. The only reason these vendors are asking us to FE is because they know we will, and they can get away with it. This is absolute bullshit... If we as a wave of newcomers can make this practice obsolete and vendors requiring FE suddenly see a drop in business, they will have no choice but to reconsider.

Please comment/ask questions/post vendors who respect Escrow from varying drug categories as so we can keep this topic on the front page of 'Newbie Discussion' and stop this shitty vendor practice.

 ;D
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: CeIphTitled305 on January 27, 2013, 11:40 pm
I'll start out with one vendor I'm aware of that sells pretty much anything you could imagine, is extremely good with their communication, and has very fair prices.

Jesusofrave (JOR for short)

Sells a range of anything from LSD, to DMT, to MDMA, even some mid-grade weed (I believe he only sells that within the EU) all from the United Kingdom! The reason getting this shit from the UK is good is because  German/Netherlands packages raise a red flag of sorts when arriving through customs, and therefore have a little less chance of making it from what i've heard.

For Domestic MDMA, Empathy101 allows all buyers to stay within the comforts of escrow, but if you are a new buyer he has a different refund policy, which I'll take any day over having to FE.

Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: jshizzle23 on January 27, 2013, 11:41 pm
I dunno if I agree completely.  Part of this whole thing is that you have to trust A LITTLE BIT... I mean, you're asking for someone who has already put their neck on the line to get the product (by whatever means they did) to do the same for you.  I think everyone has their own risk tolerance, but I think if a vendor has been around a while, has a really high rating and constant feedback that is 5/5, that's about as good as it gets.  I was asked to FE on my first transaction and had no qualms about it because of the vendor's reputation.  I know I've gotten screwed by dealers IRL sitting next to me (for weight, or quality of product, or in some cases, product being completely bunk) - they don't have any feedback forums, or ways to track their recent transactions, so I think this is actually better in some cases (NOT the prices... but security, etc...)  To each his own, but in the meantime, do your research and do what you feel you're comfortable with...

That's my .02$
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: midlandsmafia on January 27, 2013, 11:43 pm
You might as well FE if you are new here..

If you didn't receive it and it went to resolution, I'm betting the admin would go in favour of the new vendor and not the newb with <5 transactions.. This is to deter scammers that try get shit for half price or threaten for a resend.

 FE with a trusted vendor, and don't FE if you can't handle the loss , 9/10 nothing would go wrong , just do your research on them first.
but make sure to EDIT THE FEEDBACK ONCE RECEIVED , by clicking 'account' 'view feedback'.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: CeIphTitled305 on January 27, 2013, 11:47 pm
I do agree, and thank you for your two cents really. You're right in that there are some vendors that are reputable enough to FE with, namely UnderGroundSyndicate is established and I would FE for him... but I believe this whole 'FE' deal is getting exploited. Vendors like Foxybelle77 (I think thats who) from the UK or the legendary Tony76 who have built up an established reputation where buyers feel comfortable FE'ing for them... will just pile up thousands of dollars worth of FE money and then just leave the road forever. Its been known to happen, and it could happen to anybody the next time they FE... we never know.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: CeIphTitled305 on January 27, 2013, 11:49 pm
You might as well FE if you are new here..

If you didn't receive it and it went to resolution, I'm betting the admin would go in favour of the new vendor and not the newb with <5 transactions.. This is to deter scammers that try get shit for half price or threaten for a resend.

 FE with a trusted vendor, and don't FE if you can't handle the loss , 9/10 nothing would go wrong , just do your research on them first.
but make sure to EDIT THE FEEDBACK ONCE RECEIVED , by clicking 'account' 'view feedback'.

What I'm trying to say is that even though we 'might as well FE' ... that we don't HAVE to. There are other options that exist, and the practice of FE only exists because we allow it to. The SR didn't start out that way i'm sure, its a recent way to 'protect vendors' from scammers, when really they can exploit it and scam us right back.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: Dovah457 on January 28, 2013, 01:02 am
I'm kinda torn about this. On the one hand, as a newbie, I definitely am terrified of FE...I mean, I work my ass off for my money and get really close to not making rent some months. 150+ dollars down the drain just because I'm new would piss me off beyond any degree.

On the other hand, trust is supposed to go both ways. Those high ranking sellers with lots of transactions took a LOT of risks and just as much work to get those stats. If I were in their place, I would be just as pissed at some scammers trying to rip me off. If its a big purchase, it can mess someone's business up, possibly even end it in some cases.

I do think that FE is a policy that should die quickly though. I'm not sure whether more people stop asking once you've hit 5 transactions or $1000, but I've seen both as cut offs for some people. Honestly, I think it would be a much better idea if it was based on money, although I think $500 is more reasonable. It would be awesome if it were an enforced SR policy that you couldn't ask buyers to FE after they've spent a certain amount. Maybe with the caveat of still being able to ask if its a ridiculously large amount of product/money. But alas, I'm sure the people running SR probably don't look to the newbie forum for tips on how to run this site lol.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: griffin420 on January 28, 2013, 01:13 am
Finalizing early is relative to the size of the order and the trust between you as a vendor.  Anyone can selective scan but you have to put some stock in the venue we are ordering goods from.   Use discretion if it sounds to God to be true it  probably is.

Just my 2 cents
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: CeIphTitled305 on January 28, 2013, 01:17 am
I'm kinda torn about this. On the one hand, as a newbie, I definitely am terrified of FE...I mean, I work my ass off for my money and get really close to not making rent some months. 150+ dollars down the drain just because I'm new would piss me off beyond any degree.

On the other hand, trust is supposed to go both ways. Those high ranking sellers with lots of transactions took a LOT of risks and just as much work to get those stats. If I were in their place, I would be just as pissed at some scammers trying to rip me off. If its a big purchase, it can mess someone's business up, possibly even end it in some cases.

I do think that FE is a policy that should die quickly though. I'm not sure whether more people stop asking once you've hit 5 transactions or $1000, but I've seen both as cut offs for some people. Honestly, I think it would be a much better idea if it was based on money, although I think $500 is more reasonable. It would be awesome if it were an enforced SR policy that you couldn't ask buyers to FE after they've spent a certain amount. Maybe with the caveat of still being able to ask if its a ridiculously large amount of product/money. But alas, I'm sure the people running SR probably don't look to the newbie forum for tips on how to run this site lol.

Yeah I agree, it should be largely dependent on size because of its potential to ruin business. But I like the point you made about trust working both ways- with the risk that said vendors had to take to get where they are today. Never really thought about it like that, still won't make me FE, but it does make a tad more sense why they are. I mean, I get why they are... I just don't like it based on the fact that they could go MIA whenever. Blah, either way
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: grouptherapy on January 28, 2013, 07:06 am
I think it's easy enough to find reputable vendors who don't require buyers with <5 or so transactions to FE. There are plenty out there. Its worth it to not FE in my opinion.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: DayDreamer on January 28, 2013, 02:42 pm
you guys should also check out if the vendor is active in forums.. then you can see for yourself if you would like to order from someone who "talks" the way he does. Lots of vendors resolve issues in the forums, follow the thread, see how the issue got resolved, see who YOU think was right or wrong, etc etc...
Some vendors are really nice people.. they might still require you to FE, but at least you will be able to answer this question with a certain amount of certainty: "what are the chances that this guy won't send my package? hmmm......"
sending a pm or two in advance, asking about his success ration shipping to your area/country, can set the scene for a pleasant conversation which will help calm you down a bit more.
although you will still be worried about losing your money, and yes, the risk still does exist, i find that doing this helps a bit. at least you know that the vendor is aware of your concerns...
to maintain that relationship, it extremely important to not annoy the vendor during the first 10 days of your order being marked in transit, by sending him pm's. i stop all communication once the vendor confirms that the order is in transit.. and then wait.. patiently....
but then i am patient when it comes to this... hehe


The best example as given above, is JoR. Very friendly,  very active in forums, does not require FE, has a wide range of product and i have not heard yet of anyone unhappy with his service.

Tyler durden is another very pleasant person, who sells Nbome products. As far as i know, he does not require FE, even for newbies.

Dutchanbood (NL - MDMA ) seems to have either gone rogue, busted or facing some serious issues with his business. but he never required FE, even for international orders and newbs,

some vendors may allow you to stay in escrow for smaller sized orders if your buyer stats are close to their "cut off" for FE requirements.
e.g., if a vendor says "transactions<5 FE", and you are on 4 flawless transactions (say about 100 bucks spent ), they may allow you to stay in escrow.. just be nice and ask politely.

getting digital goods for 0.1btc to rake up 5 transactions is easily seen as total amount spent does not amount to much, so that won't help you, so don't waste BTC if that's the only goal.
in stead, bite the bullet and FE if you really want the product that that particular vendor is selling ( based on your specific needs ), otherwise find another vendor that respects escrow. There are just a few of those, but they're there...
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: Dovah457 on January 31, 2013, 03:48 am
See, people keep talking about there being plenty of vendors out there that don't require newbies to FE, but that is totally dependent on what you're looking for. For instance, most of the vendors in the LSD section I noticed require FE for not even just newbies, but most buyers.

Not to mention that us newbies can't access the rest of the forums where we could more keenly look for vendor activity on the forum. It's a hard life for a newbie man lol.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: TambourineMan on January 31, 2013, 03:51 am
spam
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: GuyLeDouche on January 31, 2013, 04:16 am
Well, how I see it, I own my little coins, I work damn hard for them...so if one guy doesn't want them, another will.

I will not FE, it's strongly advised against doing so anyway.

I was patient enough to find this place, I was patient enough to learn PGP and patient enough to learn how to use Bitcoins. With this in mind, I am patient enough to find a good, trusted vendor that will not require me to FE. Simple.

Even MORE so because I am a newbie, and my first purchase could totally put me off ever using the website again. Hopefully a lot of vendors keep this in mind. Newbies = money and new, loyal clientele.

Just do things by 'the book'.

Patience patience patience.

Just my $0.02.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: shastafarian on January 31, 2013, 05:41 am
FE isn't good or bad.

Some people are cool with it cause they get a lower price, other people would prefer to pay another vendor more to be safe.

All depends on what level of risk you're comfortable with.
Title: Re: FE - Starting at the SOURCE
Post by: Trappy on January 31, 2013, 06:13 am
FE is a disgusting demand.

Shame on any vendor that demands it. It should not even be an option until two days after purchase.