Quote from: twisted87 on June 10, 2012, 01:15:53 PM

p.s. write in the first post what theymos said Wink

Thanks for the suggestion; I've added a few notes relating to that to the first post.

Quote

So you may be wondering whether you should trust someone based on those fancy coins under their name, or perhaps their post count. The short answer is: Do not use these rankings to determine trust!
This post is intended to show you as a future trader how easy it is to get a rank, so that you can be wiser when conducting a trade. As a side note, I always recommend using escrow when possible, especially when you have not previously traded with someone. Always read their posts in their profile to help determine whether they are contributing positively and to attempt to determine trust. Search the forums for more detail and read the other stickies relating to trading discussions and trust.

Basically, escrow means that you agree with your trading partner who to deposit coins with for safe keeping. Once you have decided on an existing known user that has provided such services in the past, negotiate with him for rates (some do it for free), and then the buyer deposits the coins with the escrow provider. Once he has confirmed the deposit, he will notify the seller to ship the item. Once the item arrives and is to your satisfaction, notify the escrow provider and he will release the coins (minus a fee, if any) to the seller.