Home > Forums > Trade >

Rate Beer Trading Guidelines III

Beer trading is an exciting and important part of Ratebeer.com. We have compiled a list of guidelines that will help both new and experienced traders. As always, if you have questions feel free to post in the trader forum or contact the site�s administration.

1. Use the Golden Rule
Trade with others the way you would have them trade with you.

2. Patience is a Virtue
After contacting someone regarding a prospective trade, give him/her time to accept all offers, ruminate and get back to all parties. There�s no reason to harass your potential trading partner. Likewise, if you are accepting offers for a posted trade, please reply to all concerned parties within a reasonable period of time. Three days is reasonable, 2 weeks is not.

3. Monetary vs. Rarity Value Trading
Some people trade only dollar value for dollar value, while others prefer to accept whatever the market will bear for them. Both styles are valid and effective trading methods. If you don�t agree with a person�s trading style simply don�t trade with them. There will be plenty of people on the site with whom you share trading philosophies�find one of them. Once you have engaged a trade with someone, it becomes much more complicated to iron out differences.

4. New Member Trading
It is perfectly reasonable for a member with a trading profile (history) to request that a new member, without said trading history, send his/her package first. Much like any online auction/sale, those with a positive history of feedback are usually more secure in their community and have more to lose, reputation wise, should they default.

5. Packing
Use common sense when packing your trade. A good rule of thumb is that your package should be able to be dropped from chest height and not be internally damaged. Use plenty of bubble wrap, peanuts, highly protective shipping paper, or a styro shipper. Cushion is key. Don�t hesitate to ask more senior members about packing tips. The trade forum is a good place to seek advice.

6. Timeliness
A prospective trade may drag on for weeks or months, until both parties are satisfied that the negotiation is fully in order. If you want the trade negotiation to proceed quickly, you are obliged to advise the other party as to your wishes. Once the trade negotiation has been finalized and both parties have agreed to an estimated ship date, timeliness becomes more important. The trade countdown begins when the first party has sent out his/her package. As with all things, communication is vital if there will be a delay (see number 7).

7. Communication
All due diligence must be pursued within the confines of a trade agreement. Communication is KEY. During the entire process, if there are any requests, notifications, delays, personal proceedings, etc. that may delay, postpone or cancel your trade, you should convey this through written communication to your trading partner.

8. Default
A default on an agreed upon trade is defined as any period of time after 30 days, during which time the other member has had no communication from their trading partner, after more than 5 contact attempts. After that time, it is reasonable for the aggrieved party to rate the trade accordingly. Any member defaulting on a trade will be subject to account suspension or termination, at the discretion of the site Administrators. Furthermore, members who default on a trade will have a warning attached to their trade history warning other members not to trade with them.

9. Mediation
While a trader who feels a trading partner has defaulted may act as set forth in #8, TheBeerSommelier has agreed to act as a mediator to attempt to settle disputes between trading partners. Mediation need not wait until the Default stage however, so feel free to contact this Admin at any stage of the trading process.

10. Trades and the Forums
Please do not post complaints about a specific trade in a forum, or �call out� other members. If you have a complaint, you should either contact the Trade Mediator, or simply rate the trade. Also, trade request threads are meant for that - trades. If you�d like to discuss the beer(s) being offered or sought, please create your own thread about it/them in the �Beer Talk� forum. Likewise, those posts not offering positive, constructive support to a trade thread, will be summarily removed. Repeated offenses may result in the offending member being sanctioned, up to and including a temporary loss of posting privileges.

11. Liability
RateBeer will in no way be held liable for any negotiations, miscommunication, or fault in any non-profit beer exchange. This responsibility rests solely with the traders.

12. Gambling
No illegal gambling. Games of chance are heavily regulated and as such cannot be used in offers that require any kind of buy-in that isn't completely free.

13. Beer Trade Is For Trading Beer
Beer Trade is for beer trading only. While other items, such as spirits, wine, rare Justin Beiber records, etc. may be added to trade packages, they should not be listed as Beer Trade offers.