Everything I've learned from 300,000 rounds and 30,000 hours of sending

For the past 4 years I've been the Admin at r/USGunSubs. For the first 2 years it wasn't uncommon for me to send out 100 different PMs a day out of my set of 128 subreddits. I can safely say I've replied to atleast 30,000 different users in the same PM thread as I've replied to many requests and offers in the same thread. I'd easily estimate that I've typed over 300,000 words in these PMs sending over 300,000 rounds. I've also been to over 20 gun shows and purchased from literally over 150 different vendors. I've had over 500 people come to my house for meetups to trade over 100,000 rounds, never had an issue with one. For me I feel this is an important post because I've seen this sub go from 100 people to 300k, I wanted to write down all the things I've learned when it comes to sending and receiving. In my opinion I've developed a system that will ensure 99% of the time you will never have a problem. I've also learned what to do when that 1% comes up as well.<br><br>*Be a pillar of the community and talk as much as you can with people*<br><br>The first thing I've learned is that the more people you talk to the more they know you. Its very important to be as active as possible and try to build a relationship with as many people as possible. In my opinion, the more people that know you the less likely you will be scammed and the more likely people are to trust you. On the flip side, the more people you build those relationships with the more people will trust you. I get alot of pm's from people saying "I'm from Florida" and think that will automatically get them trusted. That is not true.<br><br>*Always use a middle man*<br><br>A middleman is a third party person that holds the funds until the other party delivers the product. This is the safest way to send and receive by far. There's many reputable people on chambers that offer this service. You should always check the person's feedback, should be 100% positive, and read through the feedback to ensure everything has gone smooth with them. I and many other people don't charge for this service so there's no reason not to use a middleman, it's always a no brainer to use a middleman. I can safely say I've been a middleman atleast 1,000 times and never had one single issue, and I'm not the only person who's had this much success. A middleman is the best way to send and receive. I'd say 80% of my trades go through a middleman.<br><br>*Do not use PayPal*<br><br>I've used PayPal for trades many times before, well over 800 times. The problem with PayPal is that should there be any issue they will side with the person who sent the funds, if they have to side with someone. PayPal's definition of an issue is very broad as well. A friend of mine had paypal freeze his money for 180 days because he sent an unlicensed handgun (at the federal and state level). The problem with paypal is you will not be able to get your funds back, so PayPal is never a good option. I personally do not use PayPal for any reason.<br><br>*Be careful with credit card services*<br><br>A lot of people use services like Zelle, Venmo, and Amex to send payments. I've personally used Zelle only and never had an issue. The problem with these services is that should someone call and and report an issue they will freeze your funds. It is crucial when using these services that they are used for a purchase, and the amount of the purchase should be exact, as well as the category of goods should be correct. When sending with these services you should never write something like "gun money" "ammunition funds" etc. You should always write something like "ski stuff" "bike parts" to help mask what is actually being purchased. A friend of mine had $2,000 frozen by Venmo for literally sending a picture of an AR, he had to delete it to get his funds back. I would say I've used Zelle over 400 times and never had and issue. The key with these services is to use them correctly and make sure the person you're sending to knows this is not a gift and that you're purchasing something from them.<br><br>*Beware of scammers*<br><br>The only scam I've seen are when people will try to say your purchase went over and they need $20 extra before they can ship. I've been lucky enough to have never personally been scammed but I've heard many other people have. If you're ever in a situation where the purchase isn't adding up, you're much better off safe than sorry.<br><br>*Use a trackable service when shipping*<br><br>So many people forget to purchase tracking when sending. It's crucial that you use a trackable service to ensure that the person does receive the package and if they don't then you can give them the information for the tracking so they can go pick it up. I've literally had people contact me about a trade that was supposed to be completed 9 months ago, I of course don't have the tracking info anymore so they are out of luck. Use a trackable service every time.<br><br>*Always be honest with people*<br><br>Trust is a huge thing in this community and you will not be able to build trust and send/receive safely if you are not upfront about everything. If you're selling something and know it has a flaw, let the buyer know. If you're purchasing something and cannot send the funds immediately, let the seller know. Being upfront and honest can go along way in building trust.<br><br>*Trust your gut*<br><br>So many people are to quick to dismiss their gut feeling. If something does not feel right to you, trust your gut and back out. If you're purchasing from someone and they don't want to use a middleman, trust your gut. There's plenty of people that have been scammed by not trusting their gut when they're first talking to someone. If they are unwilling to compromise with you, trust your gut and back out. In general, if someone is unwilling to compromise at all, it's best to trust your gut and back out.<br><br>*Be prepared to lose money*<br><br>Regardless of how careful you are, at some point you are going to have an issue. I and many other people have been scammed, its just part of sending and receiving. So if you send expecting to lose your money, you can't go wrong. There's been so many people on chambers that I've talked to that send expecting to get scammed, its best to go into a trade like that.<br><br>*Use a throwaway wallet when sending cryptocurrency*<br><br>So many people do not use a throwaway wallet when sending cryptocurrency. When a person discovers your wallet you can literally follow the entire history of trades that person has made. There's so many people who by not using a throwaway wallet have exposed all of their trades. Using a throwaway wallet is a must, do not skip this step.<br><br>*Always be willing to compromise*<br><br>I've personally been in many trades that have went on for 3 days, because someone wanted to use a middleman but the other person did not. Should a person be unwilling to compromise at all, it's best to walk away. I will not send to a person unless they agree to use a middleman. I've done this with atleast 100 people who have refused to agree to a middleman and said they will not compromise and eventually they are willing to compromise. Never be unwilling to compromise, trust me it will help you out in the long run.<br><br>*Make sure everything is in writing*<br><br>Regardless of how and what service you use, you should always have a paper trail. If you're sending through a middleman, make sure you have everything in writing. I personally email myself all my trades just in case something happens to chambers, I can always refer back to my emails. I've sent over 300,000 rounds, the easiest way to ensure nothing will go wrong is to always have a paper trail.<br><br>In conclusion, what I've learned is that there is ways to ensure you will not be scammed, but that doesn't stop people from getting scammed. I can safely say I've only had one issue in 4 years of sending and it was a result of myself acting careless. The key is to take your time when sending, don't rush into anything. I can safely say I've built a system that will ensure 99% of the time you will never have a problem. I've also learned what to do when that 1% comes up as well. I feel very lucky that I've been able to avoid being scammed in 4 years and have built a system that works so well.<br><br>Edit: I get so many people from tiktok messaging me wanting to buy drugs, please stop.