Off market transactions

Hi. I don't normally read the marketing forum, but I've got a question regarding the buying and selling of IOs behind the dumpster in back of Wentworths.

When selling stuff for more than the influence cap (off the market obviously), how do you know the other guy's not going to rip you off? For instance, I recently got a Gladiator's Armor +3% Def recipe for 2bil from the market, but now I've changed my mind and would rather have the cash. So if I was to list the IO here on the forums and some wretched son of a ***** offered me big money for it, how would the deal work? Does he just hand over the dough, hoping that I'm an honest bloke? Or do I give him the IO and pray he's not the thieving ******* that he probably is? Because since we're dealing with influence above the cap, there's going to have to be a little interval while he's switching toons or something, right? How does either of us know the other one isn't going to just log off?

Anyhow, thanks.

My personal method is to send the amount over 2 Bil (Example: 2.25 Bil = 250 Mil) via e-mail first, then trade the 2 Bil in person for the shiny. This way I only get screwed for the small piece of the pie if it goes south, which I can make back in a couple hours of farming after I've finished letting everyone else know not to trade with the person

Well, the ones I've done have all been via email. However I was in a position where the poster I was trading with was a known quantity on the forums which mitigates the risk somewhat.

I have never purchased an io off market but have sold a few. Typically if its via email the buyer will send all the money upfront and once received the seller (myself) will then send the io, recipe.

As a seller there is pretty minimal risk for me. However I have to have a good rep or people will not buy ios off market from me.

I have bought 1 PvP Glad +3% I advertised I wanted one here. Someone replied. I checked their previous posts for anything ugly. Looked good. I met in person, we traded, I popped up 1 bil. On the second bill I asked for the Glad. I gave him the change after that in a 3rd transaction. I too want to keep my good name on the boards. Well, some folks love to argue with me about game issued. But I aint no I/O thief lol, and there wiull come a day when I need another one. (Although my second one I just popped 2 bil into the Market and waited 2 months. YMMV, was sometime early this year.

I have traded via email for billions over billions in trades, usually across servers. I guess you never know who might want to rip you off, but I've never had an issue. In my experience, people in this game seem to be smarter than that. I don't generally mind sending upfront, but if I suspect anything I have no issue calling it out and asking that the other upfront it. You can usually judge a person by their veteran badges.

I haven't done it yet, but I've always assumed that it would help to make the agreement over tells/email in game, so if someone does rip you off then the GMs can review the game logs and see what was agreed to vs what happened. Whether or not they'll do anything, I don't know.

I've only done about a dozen or so of these sorts of transactions with "strangers." I have not had a problem so far. But, even if I do, it's still play money. So, I am willing to risk it.

Be up-front and say something if you think there may be a problem. If the person has been around a few years or has plenty of forum posts, they have enough invested in the game that they're not likely to screw you. If they have no vet badges and only have a few forum posts, all offering billions for rare IOs, then be worried. Ask for payment up front.

There's also the safe way. If you're selling the IO, grab a few other expensive ones and trade them first. For example, trade an Apocalypse: Dam/Rech/Acc for 800M, then an Apoc: Rech/Acc for 600M. Then trade the Glad Armor: +3% Def for both Apocs plus 999,999,999. End result is 2.4B for the Glad Armor IO. But during every trade, you end up even. After you finish explaining it, the other party usually gives in and just gives you all the Inf up front. Win!

I think Fulmens has worked as a third party on such trades and probably others here on the boards would be willing to do the same. I've only done these things a few times, and I've always been willing to front the money first since I'm usually the rich one, and also the one known on the boards and The Market channel. ^_^

Usually people act pretty funny as if you are going to rip them off or something... Kind of annoying, but I don't really blame them... Though I find it's pretty easy to win them over and complete the trade just as Masque posted.

Mostly just this:

Quote:

Be up-front and say something if you think there may be a problem. If the person has been around a few years or has plenty of forum posts, they have enough invested in the game that they're not likely to screw you. If they have no vet badges and only have a few forum posts, all offering billions for rare IOs, then be worried. Ask for payment up front.

And honestly you aren't really going to know for sure, just be sure to keep up your end of the deal

one way I've seen done -since you can only do (1 billion -1) in a single trade- is something like (for a 2.5 billion inf item) 750K, 1 billion-for-item, 750K.

I tend to send the inf up front and have only had a problem once out of dozens of transactions.

I think a lot of the high-visibility folks would be trustworthy. I would trust pretty much anyone I recognize from the forums because:
1. It's just play money.
2. Name worth more than inf.
3. Who cares?

Seriously, though, no one who has 120B lying around is going to bother to try to rip you off for 2B. It wouldn't be a good use of time or effort.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread (subscription went premium for a bit), but I just wanted to say thanks for the replies!