Trade Brokering

I am tired of going into trades with people, only to find out that I'm not actually not trading with who I think I am. Of course I only find out b/c there has been a problem like an account going red, etc.

I don't have a problem with it in theory, but I want to know before I decide to trade with them or not. It really seems to be a problem with family members who get reds for multiple accounts or IP address or whatever.

I do not think it is a widespread issue but all I know is that when my GF is doing offers, I let the person whom I am trading with know but I also overlook her when she is completing the offers so that she does not screw anything up.

Currently there isn't a rule, and I'm not sure we need to add one -- too many rules tend to cause information overload, and people are not reading and following the rules as it is now. What I think we would prefer is to maintain a minimal set of basic rules, then let folks specify their own terms in their trades.

When I traded here, in my trading posts I would stipulate things like, if you're brokering for somebody else, you go first regardless of TR. Or you could stipulate that you pay only on approval for brokered trades. As long as you establish the terms up front, you can make your own (reasonable) trading rules. The other party must agree to those terms before trading with you.

Also don't forget that the person you setup a trade with is responsible for the outcome of the trade, regardless of whether they completed it themselves or not. So they would have to make it up to you anyway, and if they refuse they will be dealt with like any other trade scammer.

Yeah, I hated to say 'add another rule' b/c I agree with dmorris about too many rules. But, I guess I will start stipulating it on my own. Thanks!

There is a rule that if a trade is being brokered then that does need to be disclosed beforehand. So if you find out that one of your trading partners is doing this without your knowledge then you are justified in withholding payment until you are satisfied that they are legit.