Today we removed the 30 days before posting in the beer trading forums restriction. Why? It "punished" new users by forcing them to jump through an unnecessary hoop. It caused confusion on a daily basis. "Why can't I post?!" It didn't deter new users from trading; they just traded via conversation, attempt to in other forum sections, etc. We'll be working on a proper FAQ instead, and continue to cultivate your feedback on how we can make the beer trading community a better one. Thanks,
Hope all see this and tune up their spidey senses to be more careful about noobs. I know lately it isn't PC to single noobs out for the need to be careful, but there is nothing wrong with asking folks new to BA and to trading to send first. If you do this it actually can be more rewarding to trade with noobs, as they send first, you get to see what extras if any they send before you send, and many times they try to make a good rep with crazy boxes.
Those are excellent points, cavedave. When I began trading I preferred shipping 1st. I knew I was honest but I didn't know if my untested packing skills were up to snuff. Some people stated they'd ship as soon as they got a tracking # but I requested they wait until everything arrived safely. On another thread many of us, including some experienced traders, learned that any package sent FedEx can be recalled by the shipper up until it's in the truck for delivery! People not only need to be careful, they should continually reassess what 'careful' means to them. Crooks tend to learn new angles faster than honest people because they're generally looking for ways to scheme & scam unlike the majority of honest people. Most bad traders are more slack than dishonest. They neglect to do right rather than actively plan to steal. Obviously, slack at some point tips into dishonest, regardless of intentions. Slackers generally are easily discovered & avoided by future traders. Unfortunately this isn't true with dedicated, calculating thieves. People should assume that the career criminals will return again & again sporting a shiny new bag of tricks & IDs. Life inherently carries risks. At this point I'm comfortable assuming the risks involved in trading. IF that changes I'll quit trading.
