Jermbobian
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2016
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Id like to know how trading would work on this site im new so i want to make sure i dont get scammed and would like to know the process behind trading thank you for the time fammmmms.
Help with trading
- Thread starter Jermbobian
- Start date
chimney189
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
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A few things to consider:
- Read the rules on the For Sale/Trade forum [it is posted at the top in red, bolded, sometimes italic font]
- It might be safer to trade with a member who has trader feedback [this can be checked in a member's profile]
- Trading, buying and/or selling is a 2-way process, so communication is key. Some members require that the buyer pays for shipping, PayPal fees, shipping to certain destinations only, sometimes local pickup if possible, so make sure you know what you are getting into before committing.
I'm sure I missed a few things, but this covers most of what I have witnessed through trading, buying and/or selling.
Good luck!
Music Alchemist
Pokémon trainer of headphones
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2013
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Before doing anything else, read through these:
http://www.head-fi.org/a/for-sale-and-trade-forums-faq
http://www.head-fi.org/a/buy-sell-trade-rules
I've traded a lot of headphones here. I'll outline the general process.
First, decide which equipment to trade away and what you may want in exchange.
Then, create a classified describing what you have, its condition, what you are looking for, and any applicable terms of the deal.
It's a good idea to take photos and upload them to your listing. It's not required, but will get you more attention. I've done so many trades that sometimes both of us will just ship things out without exchanging photos. This is a little riskier if you're a beginner, so at least when starting out, I'd recommend exchanging photos, as it's the safer practice.
There are both passive and active ways of going about finding someone to trade with.
You can rely solely on classified threads you post (in the relevant sections) and wait for someone to reply. (Usually it will be via PM, but on occasion you'll get posts on the thread without a PM. Always communicate via PM.) When needed, you can bump the thread to the top of the listings every few days.
The proactive way involves more effort, but can get more interesting results. This option does not require creating your own thread. Just browse through the headphones for sale/trade section (or other sections for things other than headphones) on a frequent basis and see if anything catches your eye.
If you see something you want, you can PM the owner and see if he would be willing to do a trade with you. *Don't* PM anyone who specifies in their listing that they do not want to do trades. If they don't mention trades, they still might be willing to do a trade. The most likely prospects are, naturally, the ones who state trades are okay. (It may say something like "For Sale or Trade", "For Trade", "Want to Trade", "FS/FT", "FT", or "WTT" at the top, or they may say trades are fine in the post itself.)
If you get lucky you may come across a wanted ad by someone who wants just what you have.
You can use Google searches to more efficiently locate what you're looking for. Just do a site search and put in the right keywords, like so:
https://www.google.com/#&q=site:head-fi.org+%22for+sale%22+%22headphone+model%22
You can even narrow it down to a certain time frame by clicking Tools and selecting an option on the left.
A more advanced method is to seek out private arrangements (as in the gear is not listed for sale or trade anywhere) by networking with other members. I've gotten some amazing deals that aren't available to the public this way. (If you aren't very active on the site and don't converse with other members constantly, this cannot be done, however.)
It's fine to contact numerous people in order to find a good fit, but once a deal has been agreed upon, you obviously want to honor that. It's also helpful to notify the others (that is, anyone else you were in negotiations with) that you have found something else and won't be making a deal with them at this time.
Once you have established that you both want to go through with a trade, it's time to discuss details and exchange addresses.
Be sure the value of the item you want is roughly the same as what you are trading; otherwise one of you will have to add more to the pot, such as cash or additional items.
International trades are more complicated (especially with customs being in control of packages, causing potential delays) and should probably be avoided until you become more experienced. It's better to stick to your own country at first.
I almost always ship via USPS Priority Mail and suggest to anyone I trade with that they do the same. (You can use whichever shipping service and options you like, though. Just be up-front about it.) This way, the shipping box is free and it includes up to $50 of insurance.
Speaking of, insuring packages provides an extra layer of security. If you don't want to do it and/or if the trader doesn't bring it up, you don't need to pay extra for that. But for higher value items I would recommend insuring the package.
It's customary for both parties to ship on the same day with the intent of receiving them on the same future date, so plan this out with them.
If you have the original packaging included with the headphones, use it. (What packaging is included should have been disclosed in your thread and/or conversation with potential traders.)
If you plan on doing trades regularly, you should invest in basic shipping-related accessories like scissors, bubble wrap, and tape. If you need help with how to safely package things, there are guides online.
You don't have to go to a post office or other shipping company directly. I often just go to the local grocery store to ship out packages, since they offer shipping services and stay open late.
As soon as you send the package out, give your trader the tracking number. If the online tracking status does not show up immediately, don't worry; this is normal. It might take a few hours to update. You should receive your tracking number around the same time.
When the trade is (hopefully) complete in a few days, verify that all is well on your end, then leave positive feedback. (Instructions are on the FAQ I linked to.)
If a relevant thread does not exist, you can create one for feedback purposes, close it, then link to it.
If positive feedback is not left for you within a few days, you can send a friendly reminder via PM. Usually what I do is take care of that in advance by messaging the trader after I received the item, mentioning that I received it and linking to the thread that we can use for feedback.
About being scammed... It doesn't happen often. The higher a member's feedback and post count, the less likely it is for you to get scammed. These stats are something you should look at around the time you contact anyone.
If there is a problem and the trader isn't helping, eventually you should click the red flag in the PM to report the issue (and automatically, any updates in the PM) to the moderators. They will then contact you and work things out.
I hope this brief overview gives you a good starting point to work with, and happy trading!
http://www.head-fi.org/a/for-sale-and-trade-forums-faq
http://www.head-fi.org/a/buy-sell-trade-rules
I've traded a lot of headphones here. I'll outline the general process.
First, decide which equipment to trade away and what you may want in exchange.
Then, create a classified describing what you have, its condition, what you are looking for, and any applicable terms of the deal.
It's a good idea to take photos and upload them to your listing. It's not required, but will get you more attention. I've done so many trades that sometimes both of us will just ship things out without exchanging photos. This is a little riskier if you're a beginner, so at least when starting out, I'd recommend exchanging photos, as it's the safer practice.
There are both passive and active ways of going about finding someone to trade with.
You can rely solely on classified threads you post (in the relevant sections) and wait for someone to reply. (Usually it will be via PM, but on occasion you'll get posts on the thread without a PM. Always communicate via PM.) When needed, you can bump the thread to the top of the listings every few days.
The proactive way involves more effort, but can get more interesting results. This option does not require creating your own thread. Just browse through the headphones for sale/trade section (or other sections for things other than headphones) on a frequent basis and see if anything catches your eye.
If you see something you want, you can PM the owner and see if he would be willing to do a trade with you. *Don't* PM anyone who specifies in their listing that they do not want to do trades. If they don't mention trades, they still might be willing to do a trade. The most likely prospects are, naturally, the ones who state trades are okay. (It may say something like "For Sale or Trade", "For Trade", "Want to Trade", "FS/FT", "FT", or "WTT" at the top, or they may say trades are fine in the post itself.)
If you get lucky you may come across a wanted ad by someone who wants just what you have.
You can use Google searches to more efficiently locate what you're looking for. Just do a site search and put in the right keywords, like so:
https://www.google.com/#&q=site:head-fi.org+%22for+sale%22+%22headphone+model%22
You can even narrow it down to a certain time frame by clicking Tools and selecting an option on the left.
A more advanced method is to seek out private arrangements (as in the gear is not listed for sale or trade anywhere) by networking with other members. I've gotten some amazing deals that aren't available to the public this way. (If you aren't very active on the site and don't converse with other members constantly, this cannot be done, however.)
It's fine to contact numerous people in order to find a good fit, but once a deal has been agreed upon, you obviously want to honor that. It's also helpful to notify the others (that is, anyone else you were in negotiations with) that you have found something else and won't be making a deal with them at this time.
Once you have established that you both want to go through with a trade, it's time to discuss details and exchange addresses.
Be sure the value of the item you want is roughly the same as what you are trading; otherwise one of you will have to add more to the pot, such as cash or additional items.
International trades are more complicated (especially with customs being in control of packages, causing potential delays) and should probably be avoided until you become more experienced. It's better to stick to your own country at first.
I almost always ship via USPS Priority Mail and suggest to anyone I trade with that they do the same. (You can use whichever shipping service and options you like, though. Just be up-front about it.) This way, the shipping box is free and it includes up to $50 of insurance.
Speaking of, insuring packages provides an extra layer of security. If you don't want to do it and/or if the trader doesn't bring it up, you don't need to pay extra for that. But for higher value items I would recommend insuring the package.
It's customary for both parties to ship on the same day with the intent of receiving them on the same future date, so plan this out with them.
If you have the original packaging included with the headphones, use it. (What packaging is included should have been disclosed in your thread and/or conversation with potential traders.)
If you plan on doing trades regularly, you should invest in basic shipping-related accessories like scissors, bubble wrap, and tape. If you need help with how to safely package things, there are guides online.
You don't have to go to a post office or other shipping company directly. I often just go to the local grocery store to ship out packages, since they offer shipping services and stay open late.
As soon as you send the package out, give your trader the tracking number. If the online tracking status does not show up immediately, don't worry; this is normal. It might take a few hours to update. You should receive your tracking number around the same time.
When the trade is (hopefully) complete in a few days, verify that all is well on your end, then leave positive feedback. (Instructions are on the FAQ I linked to.)
If a relevant thread does not exist, you can create one for feedback purposes, close it, then link to it.
If positive feedback is not left for you within a few days, you can send a friendly reminder via PM. Usually what I do is take care of that in advance by messaging the trader after I received the item, mentioning that I received it and linking to the thread that we can use for feedback.
About being scammed... It doesn't happen often. The higher a member's feedback and post count, the less likely it is for you to get scammed. These stats are something you should look at around the time you contact anyone.
If there is a problem and the trader isn't helping, eventually you should click the red flag in the PM to report the issue (and automatically, any updates in the PM) to the moderators. They will then contact you and work things out.
I hope this brief overview gives you a good starting point to work with, and happy trading!
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