General

Scamming Awareness Everywhere

Hello All! I'm creating this thread so that people who are new to making trades above max mesos will not be scammed. Although, not everyone can read this who plays MapleStory and will probably be scammed. But, it's better to let some know than none, right?

Alot of players are getting Fafnir or Root Abyss Weapons/Equips from Teapots and have no idea what they are worth/how to trade them without being scammed. This thread is for you people. It will not be specific, it will be more general in item trading above max mesos. If you have things to add to this thread, please comment below and i'll edit the post in the needed areas.

First, i want everyone to know the definition of 'legit' and 'vouch'

legit
Phonetic Spelling : /li-jit/
When used as an Adjective:
1) Legitimate; legal; conforming to the rules.
[b]2) (of a person) Not engaging in illegal activity or attempting to deceive; honest.[/b]
(Number 2 is the most used definition in MapleStory)

Synonyms
licit - lawful

vouch
Phonetic Spelling : /vouCH/
When used as a Verb:
1) Assert or confirm as a result of one's own experience that something is true or accurately so described.
[b]2) Confirm that someone is who they say they are or that they are of good character: "someone could vouch for him".[/b]
When used as a Noun:
[b]3) Someone who can assert or confirm as a result of one's own experience that something is true or accurately so described.[/b]

Synonyms
guarantee - warrant - certify - avouch - confirm - affirm

1) [b]Never. EVER. EVER. Trust anyone. Ever.[/b]
- As Many of you know, you cannot get into contact with 90% of the players you trade with. 99% of those 90% you have no idea who they are or have never traded with them. Just because someone looks 'legit' doesn't mean they ARE 'legit'.

2) [b]It's pretty iffy sometimes, but you gotta go with your gut[/b]
- Often times, people consult different known legitimate players to rate the player inwhich they are trading with in terms of legitimacy. But, often times, it is iffy. If Someone CLAIMS that a known legitimate player vouches for them and they are not online, never go with it. Confirm it before you conduct the trade

3) [b]Never go first in a trade unless provoked otherwise.[/b]
- If someone says "Go first" and they have no known player behind them to back them up, never trade with them especially if they aren't of high stature. Always get 2-3 people to say "Okay, he is trustworthy"

4) [b]I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH[/b]
- HANG OUT WITH THE UPPER CLASSMEN OF YOUR SERVER. I CANNOT TELL YOU ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL INPUT IN TRADES OF HIGH MAGNITUDE. If you know the top players in your server, they will most likely know whether or not someone is legit. And, even better, if you are legit, they can stand behind you and make the person trading you first go first.

5) [b]Sometimes, you have to use collateral[/b]
- I don't know much of this subject , and if someone will post me a detailed description of this process in the comments, i'll be glad to edit the post and give you credits. But, collateral is basically getting the mesos and items that are quick and easy to sell that are worth the amount that the mesos have not made up for. This is basically, the full trade. Although, i would get a price check on the items by MULTIPLE people before trading. Because often times, they will short hand you.

6) [b]Scammers are anywhere and everywhere and will take advantage of every weakness you have[/b]
- If scammers KNOW you don't know they scam, then they will definitely take advantage of that. If they know you don't know how to trade, they will always take advantage of that. BE AGRESSIVE. SHOW KNOW WEAKNESS.

7) [b]You can't catch 'em all[/b]
- When trading, if you are agressive enough, you will probably lose 4-5 customers before even selling the items or getting an offer. THIS IS GOOD AND NORMAL. DO NOT LOSE YOUR VIGOR. It's worth not getting scammed in the end.

8) [b]Be Patient[/b]
- Not everyone who offers if serious and/or has vouchers so you will have to step out of the trade and move on. In the end, you will find a legit player and they will buy it and it'll all be worth it in the end.

9) [b]Stay with your gut always[/b]
- When you feel something isn't right, always step back and evaluate the things he/she have addressed to you. Ask yourself: "Vouchers?" "Legit items they are trading?" If they fail both the questions, you should step away from the trade.

10) [b]Always record and screenshot every aspect of the trade[/b]
- Inform the person before you start the trade that you are recording and if any funny bussiness goes down, you will have proof. This will 30% of the time influence the traders behavior. But never take their word, always find people who vouch for the person and then conduct the trade.

[b]THANK YOU FOR READING THIS THREAD.[/b]

TLR- Read the steps. You will gain some knowledgeable stuff.