Marketplace Rules, Guidelines, and Tips

Posting Rules

• Please tag your threads with one or a combination of the following:
  - [BUY]
  - [SELL]
  - [TRADE]
  - [AUCTION]
• There are currently no member requirements to post in the marketplace, but there might be later as the forum grows.
• Limit one [BUY/SELL/TRADE] thread per person. [AUCTION] threads can be a standalone post, but should be limited to one auction at a time and a maximum of three per month.
• There are currently no bumping limits, but there might be later if the marketplace grows and is active enough. If your thread is on the first page of the marketplace, then don't bump your thread.
• The marketplace is mainly for FFTCG and related merchandise. However, other items, like other TCGs for example, can be traded away or towards FFTCG cards and related merchandise.
• Marketplace transactions will be done at your own risk. The FFTCG Forum and community is not responsible for any losses that may occur to you. Please trade wisely.

[AUCTION] Rules

• All bids must be posted in the auction thread. No PM bids. This is for transparency for other bidders and to prevent shill bidding.
• Auctions must notify the end date by at least the day. Auction end dates must have one of the three formats:
  - Standard Ending Time - Auction ends by the date and time specified at the beginning of auction.
  - Range Ending Time - Auction ends within a range specified at the beginning of the auction.
  - Rolling Ending Time - An ending date and time is determined at the beginning of auction, but any bids placed near the ending time will extend the whole auction by 5 minutes. This is to give other bidders time to make a new bid and prevent bid sniping.
• 75% or more of the auction items must have a low starting price, with the maximum being $1 per item.
• All auction items must have no reserve. This means that you must sell the item at whatever the ending price was, even if it was lower than what you wanted the item for.
• Any flakers, whether as a bidder or seller, that do not follow through with the transaction after the end of auction are subject to neutral/negative feedback on the feedback thread.

Tips and Guidelines for Safe Buying/Selling/Trading

• Please check other's referral lists and feedback to help you in your decision to proceed with a transaction with someone. There is a feedback thread to check people's past transactions. Deal with people that you trust enough.
• Send payments safely through a protected method, such as PayPal. Be sure to send the payment as goods/purchases for Paypal buyer protection. Sending payment as a gift bypasses fees for sellers, but it also negates your buyer protection.
• Avoid sending unnecessary personal information to another and avoid sharing anyone else's personal information with another (exceptions are for when disputes arises and a mod needs to step in).
• Shipping items with a tracking number is preferred. Sleeve cards if you can for protection. If shipping cards through flat letter envelopes, cut up thin cardboard (like cereal boxes for example) and put around the cards if you need to for frugal but solid protection.
• For transactions done in person, please meet in a public and safe location. Bring a friend if you can for extra caution.
• Who sends first?
  The person with more references has the say on who sends first or if they want to send at the same time. Usually, people with less or no references send first to people with more references. After the person with references receive their item, they send their stuff. Yes, the person with little/no references will have to wait longer, but that's just how to protect yourself from new traders. When you have several feedback under your name, you can require new traders to send first.
  
  Once you start trading with people with a good amount of references, even if it's less than your amount of references, then both parties usually send at the same time.
  
  If you still have no references and must trade with someone who's in the same boat, then it's a proceed-with-caution type of trade. Both send at the same time and hope for the best.

If you have any other suggestions or tips for trading, feel free to comment below.