How many trades get done in PM’s. It’s just interesting. Part of what makes the ba trading platform great is the use of trade feedback. It is very useful and helps ensure safe traders. On the other hand, on many FB trade sites the deal must be done on the public thread. This ensures the trade is clear to everyone in case there’s a problem later. Full transparency. Instead of feedback, people will just ask for vouches from other traders. Not saying there’s definitely a right or wrong. I guess my main point is: I generally find the ba system superior, but I don’t like how trades will close without any details. For example… someone posts iso: list, ft: list. I pm them making an offer and what I’m looking for has already been traded. Probably just annoying to me. Not actually a big deal. I guess I just want trading on ba to not die completely.
I'm not, and never have been, an avid trader or a trader of top tier beers. That said, I've had people reach out to me randomly and I've reached out to others randomly regarding specific beers one party thinks the other wants or has access to. All of those exchanges have been excellent, but not all of them have gotten placed into the feedback system. I have entered trades like that retroactively, because I also agree that the feedback system is great.
I think this probably happens far more often than anyone realizes. I typically get a random beer mail asking about my ability to obtain a local beer once every couple of months. I help when I can, but often times it's from members on the East Coast or deep south, and so shipping is going to be expensive. Usually they just want a couple of cans or bottles, and they tend to lose interest when I point out the shipping costs, or tell them that I'm not interested in making a trade for the stuff they want. In situations like this, we never get to the point of asking about feedback or using the trading forum.
Some interesting points here. I am technically still a trader but it’s been a while since the last one. Like @unlikelyspiderperson I’ve traded a handful of times, I also wouldn’t want the great trading system in use here to just fade away because people are admittedly less trading than several years ago. IP trades with travelers (work trip or not) still happen. The fact we barely have new Bad traders threads while a good thing also is an indicator IMO.
Agreed. That being said, I think another reason is that many traders see little point in reporting bad trader behavior. I suspect there are still many occasions when a trade partner will simply ghost the other party (either because he got a better offer, he changed his mind about the trade, or he was unable to obtain the beer he planned to trade), but no point is seen in reporting the experience. I think increasingly this is just seen as one of the inherent risks of trading (and likely one more reason why increasingly many don't wish to engage in trading).
I've done a few trades off the books here, but at this point it's with people I've done multiple trades with at this point.
