BST Anti-pattern 1

Every member should read through the old S***list threads. It is fascinating how history repeats - again, and again.

Here is one: not necessarily a scam, but one with historically poor outcome for the buyer:

1. Seller either creates a thread which increases his reputation and subtly soft-sells, or opens a BST with an apparently awesome product or service.
2. Seller takes interested parties outside BHW.
3. Seller reveals another offer totally outside BHW, which is typically an upsell. It will either give a much better return on investment or promise money for no work.
4. Buyers pay the extra money.
5. The next steps are different, but they involve the buyer waiting patiently.
6. Money is gone. Poof.
7. Most buyers understand why the money is gone. Seller is not a scammer according to them. Things just happened. Some may get a partial refund.

In this pattern, the seller may not always be scamming. Maybe the seller is a good person, but things just happened. Maybe the seller learned on your dime. Maybe the seller was a good person, but turned greedy in the end. Maybe some of the buyers got their money, but you just happened to be unlucky.

The one step you can be 100% sure of, is step 6.

Your money will always vanish. Always.

What you need to ask in these situations is:

If you didn't meet the seller on BHW, and if the upsell was offered first, would you have bought it?
Why did the seller create the upsell outside, where there is no recourse for the buyer?
Is it too good to be true?

If you don't have time to analyze, that is fine. But remember step 6. Always remember step 6.

Step 6: Your money will be gone, for sure. Always.

I have never seen a single instance where step 6 has not happened.

Did it happen to you?

krishnaverma said:

Did it happen to you?

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Almost, multiple times. I always realize when the upsell comes up.

But mostly, I have learned by going through the old threads here.

Someday I will write more about these patterns.

The most common one I had noticed was not able to keep up with Tat, and even if he fails he fails to commicate to the buyer. I have seen this but members need to be careful if they deal outside BHW

Mr Positive said:

The most common one I had noticed was not able to keep up with Tat, and even if he fails he fails to commicate to the buyer. I have seen this but members need to be careful if they deal outside BHW

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Ah - the "Silence after payment" pattern
There will be one response close to the deadline, in response to the anxious buyer's questions, saying everything is going well.
Then radio silence, with some promises of delivery occasionally.


The pattern posted in this thread is what I call the "Upsell pattern".

Other than the one recently mentioned yesterday, I don't see any other thread in the previous shitlist showing similar tactics

C4rnage569 said:

Other than the one recently mentioned yesterday, I don't see any other thread in the previous shitlist showing similar tactics

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chailak (thread deleted from BHW), EnlightenedOne, Erik Creed, moneymanzz, ...
The list goes on. There are several others.

There are others too, but since they were not outright scammers, not posting their names here.

Okay one thing that i haven't done ever as a seller here is take people out of the BHW. I don't even wanna take risk of losing this account or getting a shitlist for any reason. People contact me on skype I tell them if you want to order, just DM on BHW

alonelywriter said:

Okay one thing that i haven't done ever as a seller here is take people out of the BHW. I don't even wanna take risk of losing this account or getting a shitlist for any reason. People contact me on skype I tell them if you want to order, just DM on BHW

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Best to have everything in one place.

To be clear, I am not saying all deals done outside BHW are scams; just that if you see the pattern, with variations or in a camouflaged form, make sure you make decisions with the logical part of your brain.