Rules for the trade forum.....Finally condensed

Before we begin, we feel the need to remind you again, as members of the ETC online community and as online traders, that these rules can also be used as guidelines for other forums and trading communities. We appreciate your time in reading the following rules and guidelines to help not only in the safety of your parcels but the efficiency and cooperation between yourselves, the online community, and the Staff here at ETC.

For Your Convenience, we have made the Rules Easier to navigate. The following is a Table of Contents to give you a preview of things to come. If you need to refer to a specific area quickly, please use the "Find" feature of your internet browser by hitting "CTRL" and "F" simultaneously and typing in the corresponding code.

Getting to Know your Staff and Forum
Rules of the Board
The Guide to Online Trading
Safe Delivery Options
Current Rates for Shipping
A Friendly Reminder from the Staff

A Friendly Reminder from the Staff

There are a few things that everyone needs to remember when trading here on ETC.

1) We are NOT Pojo. We are NOT Realms. We are NOT DGZ. If you have a Rule, or some inside joke/saying from another site, please explain it. I remember seeing the term "Japboushi". It's from Pojo. I'm still wondering what that rule means.

2) Going on the concept of here, I will explain the "Point System" for those of you who see them. It's very simple- It is the trading of MASS Commons. Every Common Card is worth 1 point. Every Rare is worth some points, as are Super Rares, Ultra Rares, and so on. Check people's individual topics for their own values when trading with them.

3) You really should ask for the details of a card you are trading for. For example, if you are trading for "Exodia the Forbidden One" (also known as "Exodia's Head"), you should really ask for the condition of the card, the language of the card, or the set of the card if it is something that concerns you. While we cannot control what people do on the site, we can advise you to control the trades you do. I'm sure anyone looking for an LOB Exodia Head will be disappointed by a MC1 Exodia head. Stay in control.

4) We are here. If you have ANY problems, whether it be disruptive traders, disrespectful traders, bad lists, fake references- anything- Send us a Report or PM. We'll get to it. If you need help remembering who you can PM, don't worry! Here's a Small List:

- DSS
- eighth dwarf
- Netter

5) In addition to problems, you can ALWAYS request a Middleman Trade. We recommend Middleman Trading because it's safe and efficient. The ONLY cost we will EVER charge you is to pay for the shipping. For example, a .41c Stamp will do fine. Always remember to check the 3-Strikes Topic if you decide not to do a Middleman trade. Or better yet, Check it anyway- If there's someone with a Strike, request a Middleman Trade. It can't hurt to be safe, right?

6) Our "powers" are to an extent - anything that you do off of the boards, which includes shipping, phone calls, personal meetings, mail fraud- are all things we have NO control over. While we will help you to the fullest, you are fully responsible for anything that occurs off of this board.

7) We do not allow buying and/or selling on this site. This isn't to disappoint you, but rather a courtesy towards Howie, this site's owner and head Admin (Known as "YugiohETC"). He runs this site, supports it, and handles it with his own funds. He has an online store for various games (Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic, etc.) and we do not want to take away from his business or sales by letting you start your own. Please don't do it or we will get "angry".

8) We don't allow references from other sites. This also isn't a disappointment rule, this is mainly to protect our traders. We do not affiliate ourselves with any other sites, and we do not have their records. For all we know you could be lying to us about your 150+ references from Pojo or Realms- we wouldn't know. If you think you references from other sites are usable here, you're wrong. You need to work just as much as a reputation here as you did there. Sorry to disappoint you, but we find it MUCH easier to build up trust here more than anything.

9) Use your heads when trading. We will be there for you, but it is your responsibility to make your own decisions. We set up our own Reference system- USE IT. We have the Reference Rule in place for your courtesy. Make good use of it. If someone seems as though their reference are fake, built up way too fast- Do Some Research! Check for faulty references, check their references to see if they are reliable. References are people- Feel free to ask any of them how their trade with a user went, should they be able to recall the event.

10) Trust is a main component of Trading. If someone has a reference count Equal to or Lower Than your own, then be cautious. If they ask you to send first- DON'T! If they promise to send out the same time- DON'T! If they say they'll be getting a certain amount of references tomorrow and need you to send first- DON'T! If they have 5 more references in 5 minutes of asking you to trade- CHECK THE REFERENCES! We will help you out, but you are ultimately responsible for any trust issues you have on this board that we didn't already suggest. The person with fewer references sends first or both traders use a middleman- anything else you agree upon as a trader is your own responsibility. We even say so in our rules- We are not responsible for bad trades.

11) If you have cards on your list that you don't want to trade them, please take them off your list. Lists are for trades, not for show.

12) When purchasing your stamps, it would be a GREAT idea to purchase a stack of 100 Index Cards and an Index Card box. This is to help you organize your Trades. Simply write on each Index Card the trades you do as they are accepted- include both member's names and the trade on one side, and the address of the trader on the other side. Put it in the card box, with the card(s) you are trading behind it. The next trade/indexcard goes behind that, and the trend continues for a nice, neat, and organized way of handling your trades. You can even include that index card in with your end of the trade to ensure Accuracy! Doing this will make sure you know that all of the cards are in one tight little space. This will also help in case the boards are reset or turned off temporarily, allowing you to complete your trades without confusion.

13) Please limit bumping to once every six hours.

14) We do not allow the trading of "My Rarity for your same Rarity" trades, unless doing so with a Trade Mod or Non-Approved Mod Trader (list found here). This type of activity tends to lead to inflated, non-earned References, which in turn can lead to easy Ripping for "Bad Apples." The Mod Traders can break this Rule for verification purposes.

Thank-you, and have a safe and enjoyable trading experience while here on ETC.

~ The YugiohETC Trading Staff