Read the CAG Guide to Trading and Selling. This is also part of the FAQ found via the FAQ button at the top of every forum page. Chock full of great tips and best practices for making your trading at CAG as enjoyable as possible. Every CAGer is strongly encouraged to read the entire guide before beginning to trade, buy, or sell.
STOP! Have you really read the
Trading FAQ? If not just go do it.
Questions on these guidelines, the trading FAQ, or trading in general may be PMed to a mod or asked right in this thread.
Please note that there is a new set of Feedback Rules and Guides below:
- You trade on CAG at your own risk. If you think you are getting a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is - especially if you are supposed to ship first. Don't risk it.
- CAG Feedback is the most important safeguard against being scammed in a trade here at CAG. Each trader has their own policies, but in general the CAG with less feedback should send first in any trade. If you are a new (0 FB) trader EXPECT that you'll have to send your item first for your first several trades on this site. ONLY take CAG FB into account when determining if you should pay or send first to another trader. The vast majority of true problems that arise here (thankfully infrequently) occur when someone pays or sends first to a CAG with 0 or very low FB. If you have 0 FB yourself, get your feet wet with an experienced CAG trader. In the end, remember rule #1.
- You must be a registered member for 30 days before posting a new thread to this forum. Before then the system will redirect you to an access denied page if you try to create a new thread.
- CAGs may be placed in Trading Time Out by the mods due to various issues. Continuing to trade while in Time Out - other than to fix outstanding problems or complete trades already outstanding - is a bannable offense. Any CAG in TTO will have the custom rank of "Trading Time Out - Rule Violation" or "Trading Time Out - Under Investigation" which will appear under their username under any post and on their profile page. The first category is for people who break rules, such as the below point. The second is for users that have received complaints or are suspected scammers.
- No multiple tradelists. One topic per user. If you haven't posted in your tradelist in a long time, you can make a new one. However, creating new TL's every 1 or 2 weeks is not acceptable. There's no need for "single purpose TL's - if there are new things FT/FS/WTB, please add them to the existing TL. Repeated violation of this rule will result in loss of Trading Forum privileges.
- Your topic title needs to be informative, explaining what's in the thread for sale/trade/buy. Make it a quick summary, and go into detail in the OP of the thread. Please stop with all the attention grabbing stuff. For ideas of how this should be, please look at topics in the deals section.
- No threadcrapping in TL's. If someone has a question or concern about pricing in a TL, please take it directly to the OP of the TL. Threadcrap, as well as insult posts will be looked at seriously. If you don't like someone's prices, don't comment.
- Do not bump a thread more than three times a day. Posting in a thread to ask or respond to a question is of course fine, but do not carry off topic (i.e. non deal related) conversations in a trade thread. Give others a chance at first page glory. Bumps include saying things like "PMs replied to". Tradelists are not chatrooms or the OTT.
- Instead of making items as *gone* or using the strikethru function - just delete the item from your tradelist. It will still show up in the CAG search, and people looking for the game don't need to see that you traded it away already. No real reason to keep a game listed if its not available. PENDING is fine, however. On the same note - try to refrain from listing your entire game collection or items you have no intention of trading away. Again, this is because the CAG search will pick these up and cause headaches for users trying to locate a copy of a certain item.
- The following items are not for sale, trade or purchase on CAG:
* Modded consoles and console mods of any type. This rule includes other electronics as well, such as an Itouch or IPhone.
This is not up for discussion.
* Software such as
HDLoader, HDAdvance and the like, due to the possible illegal uses that such applications can be used for.
This is not up for discussion.
* Freeloaders, or any other software that allows for the playing of import games, which is beyond the scope of the functionality of the console.
* MP3 players with MP3's preloaded. Unless original copies of the CD's containing the MP3's are included with the MP3 player, all MP3's must be removed from the MP3 player before sale. If the MP3's were purchased directly from a online store, they're normally attached to the person buying the songs, not the device. Obviously, this might vary for the online service in question, though it's more likely than not that it's attached to the person and not the device.
* Burned/backup copies/illegal copies of games, which include CD, DVD and cartridge-based media.
This is not up for discussion.
* Coupons. No way to verify if coupons have/haven't been used. They can be given out for free, though they can't be sold.
* Pornography (this included hentai), or any other items that have age-restrictions, such as cigarettes or alcohol. There are users under the age of 18 on CAG, so this can't be allowed.
This is not up for discussion.
* Flash carts for systems (GBA, etc....) / flash-based "backup" devices . These can be used to make illegal copies of cartridges.
* Betas for games. Most TOS's/EULA's for the beta say that the beta discs can't be sold/given away, during the beta or after the beta has expired. Depends on the terms of the EULA/TOS for the beta, though if planning to sell/trade them on CAG, please provide a copy of the EULA/TOS that explains thet can be sold. Without that proof, betas can't be sold.
* Stolen merchandise. Not that it's expected that anyone would admit to selling stolen merchandise on CAG, it's not allowed.
This is not up for discussion.
* MMORPG's that disallow the sale or trade of their accounts in their TOS/TOC. The games themselves can be sold, just not their accounts.
* CD keys by themselves without the associated media. There's no way to determine if the CD keys have been used, or if they're even valid.
* Software installed on a PC must have the original CD's/DVD's included with the trade/sale. If the software was pre-installed on the PC, the original restore discs must be included with the PC, otherwise the software needs to be removed before trade/sale. Otherwise, this violates copyright rules/EULA for the software.
* iTunes codes without being on an iTunes card. There's been more than a few instances of fake/counterfeit iTunes codes making their way around the Internet, so this is trying to save CAGs from possible issues with using fake iTunes codes. If you're selling iTunes codes, they must be on cards, and a pic of the cards is visible in the TL.
One additional topic of note. Tradelists are for trading/selling/buying items, not for gambling pools, sweepstakes, lotteries and the like. Lotteries, sweepstakes and gambling pools (with monetary entry) are violations for local, state and federal legal issues for such items, and due to this, they can't be held on CAG. Contests without any monetary cost for entry are allowed in the Contests and Free Stuff forum, though anything that requires money for entry isn't allowed, due to possible scam concerns, as well as the previously mentioned legal concerns.
If it's unclear if the item should be sold/traded/bought on CAG, please contact the mods or CheapyD for clarification.
If you do not meet guidelines, you are going to risk getting your topic deleted and further disciplinary action.
We would like to remind our users that
PayPal's User's Agreement states:
"
You agree that you will not impose a surcharge or any other fee for accepting PayPal as a payment method. You may charge a handling fee in connection with the sale of goods or services, as long as the handling fee does not operate as a surcharge and is not higher than the handling fee you charge for non-PayPal transactions."
Violating PayPal rules can put your PayPal account in jeopardy.
Feedback Rules and Guidelines (edited 3/18/2008)
-When should we leave feedback?
- Feedback should be left when both parties participate in an exchange of items of specific value. Some examples outlined below or when and when not to leave feedback.
- User 1 trades his Bioshock for User 2's Mass Effect. Feedback is left by both parties.
- User 1 buys an Xbox 12 month code from User 2. Feedback is left by both parties.
- User 1 gives User 2 a free 48 Xbox Live code. NO Feedback is left.
- User 1 gives User 2 a free Playstation 3. NO Feedback is left.
- User 1 gives User 2 a Playstation 3 and User 2 pays $20 for the shipping. Feedback is left for both parties.
- User 1 trades a gmail invite for a qmail invite from User 2. NO feedback is left.
-What should feedback contain?
- Feedback should be specific. This is what another CAG will use to determine the trustworthiness of another. If someone is selling a high valued item, it would be important to know if the user has done so in the past.
- Good format =Traded Mass Effect for his Bioshock. Fast Shipping, great Trade!
- Bad format = A+++++ Trade, thanks!
-Should I be worried about retaliatory feedback if I have a negative experience and I completed my end of the deal with no issues?
- Retaliatory feedback will be removed, provided sufficient proof can be shown that it is unwarranted. For example, if user 1 ships an item timely and user 2 doesn't ship for a month. User 1 leaves feedback and User 2 retaliates.
Feedback special cases
Trading on CAG is "at your own risk". However, there are some special cases where feedback is not allowed and engaging in this specific trading activity warrants a special warning. Onto the list :
1. Playstation 3 gamesharing. You are opening up your account to trouble here. You know the risks.
2. Disney Movie Rewards Codes/Soda Rewards Code, etc. No Feedback is left.
3. Nintendo game codes. No Feedback is left.
I bump mine about 2-3 times a day...sometimes none, I'm assuming that Kathie Lee Gifford Naked broke the last straw/camel's hump 
