Bench Points and Trades

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Meliah

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As a reminder to you all here on The Bench you get a Bench point for each completed trade. Bench points are used to determine Trader of the Month and HOF status; one other very important feature completed trades have is that you have the chance to rate the transaction which factors into a trader's overall Trader Rating. This is a great tool that people can use to judge other trader's on and also determines when and if special avatars need to be used on a person.

A deal that involves you giving away a free card, or in exchange for a SASE, is to be posted as such and NOT an actual trade. Since nothing is being actually traded no Bench point is to be awarded in such cases. The Trade Manager allows you to set up free card transactions so they can be tracked for the convenience of the traders.

As always though there has to be a few bad eggs in the bunch. Today a trader was caught using false trades to boost Bench point totals and ratings. The thing that bothers me the most about this is that it takes two to tango to cheat like this and this was done not with the help of one person but multiple Bench members--many of which are established members here and in the Bench HOF. I'm not here to call anyone out but I must say I was a bit dismayed to see the list of members that were involved in this. The main cheater has been suspended for 6 months and all Bench points and ratings will be removed. Does anyone out there really think that "a thank you" in exchange for a "shout-out on a YouTube video" is a worthy trade for a Bench point?

From here on out when we catch people trying to cheat the system we will come done harshly and for BOTH parties involved.

We will catch you if you try to cheat.
 
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They probably should be called out. That is a trait someone may not appreciate in a trade partner.

On an unrelated note...Anyone got any "yo's" to trade for a vintage "wassup?"

I'm not here to call anyone out but I must say I was a bit dismayed to see the list of members that were involved in this. The main cheater has been suspended for 6 months and all Bench points and ratings will be removed. Does anyone out there really think that "a thank you" in exchange for a "shout-out on a YouTube video" is a worthy trade for a Bench point?

From here on out when we catch people trying to cheat the system we will come done harshly and for BOTH parties involved.

We will catch you if you try to cheat.
 
I think it's a good idea to enforce the free trade rule. i also think its a good idea to just warn traders not to do this practice as well. I think you start banning people it just takes the fun out of this site.
 
I think it's a good idea to enforce the free trade rule. i also think its a good idea to just warn traders not to do this practice as well. I think you start banning people it just takes the fun out of this site.

There have been a few hundred people banned from this site. Still seems fun to me. Just saying

Shawn
 
There have been a few hundred people banned from this site. Still seems fun to me. Just saying

Shawn

Ha, was just going to say something along those lines:) I've personally banned over 100 people I think over the years here, thing is you just don't notice it usually. The Mod team here acts so quickly even the bans don't ripple the water much.
 
Ok i should of said it better. I think banning someone over this would be a mistake. (unless they've been warned of course)
 
As a newbie, what exactly are the behaviors that gets one banished around here...

The FAQ explains many circumstances where a ban is warranted. Basically if you are thinking about doing something that you wouldn't want done to you, its a good idea to not do that.
 
Ok i should of said it better. I think banning someone over this would be a mistake. (unless they've been warned of course)

In a situation such as this, cheating the system, a 6 Month suspension is your warning. The site is for trading, an exchange of goods of some sort (Doesnt always have to be cards or sports related i.e. Misc. FT/FS Forums).

Meliah explains very well that Bench points and trader ratings are the tools we use as traders to determine someones credability. IF the sytem is abused in this way, it makes our tool untrustworthy. We simply won't tolerate behavior such as this.
 
I have to agree with the above. Even if they were not banned they should be called out and give other traders the chance to at least choose if that is the the type of person that they want to deal with.Trust when trading online is all you have and charter goes along those lines to me,Just my thoughts,but as they always do the mod team will do what they feel is best for the Bench and it seems to be working.Keep up the good and hard work that it takes.
 
Trade as the FAQ dictates and you'll be fine.......................If you don't, you're a "TOOL" and deserve to be banned.................
 
Anyone that's trying to "rush up the ladder" so to speak more than likely has other motives at stake....what reasons could one have to get to the Hall of Fame other than a small amount of respect, the enjoyment of your hobby and the pleasure of helping others obtain their goals as well ?
 
Perhaps it's not a rush up the ladder to the HOF, but enough trade points to earn credibility, in order to wrong someone. Who isn't going to trust that guy with 75 trades and a 5.0 rating, only to find out most trades were faked or small $ deals and #76 is now SOL.

That is something to always consider, be it a trade site or ebay or other. High point levels almost always mean trustworthiness, but not always. I could have 250 $1 trades and then decide I am ready to rip someone off for major value. I look trustworthy, but only because I have been planning for this great heist, using small trade amounts in volume. It may sound sinister, but if I thought of it, someone else can too.

Still looking for takers on the "yo" though...I'll even take a "swell" or "gee golly"!

Anyone that's trying to "rush up the ladder" so to speak more than likely has other motives at stake....what reasons could one have to get to the Hall of Fame other than a small amount of respect, the enjoyment of your hobby and the pleasure of helping others obtain their goals as well ?
 
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