Statement of Purpose SDN Classifieds Policies and Warnings

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Winged Scapula

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About the Classifieds
The SDN Classifieds are available for our members to trade with each other. This is the only section of SDN which permits ads to be posted by members.

About Verification
The Classifieds require verification before posting to help protect fellow members from scammers. Verification costs 99 cents and can be completed here.

ONLY USE PAYMENT METHODS THAT PROTECT YOU
We only recommend using standard PayPal transactions or other payment sites that allow you to dispute a fraudulent transaction (such as regular PayPal transactions). Our membership strongly recommends against using PayPal 'Friends and Family' or Venmo.

The use of the Paypal 'Friends and Family' option for payment is a standard method used by scammers; they use it under the guise of avoiding PayPal charges, but the option prevents you from making a complaint to PayPal and having it adjudicated. Therefore, refuse to exchange money with anyone using the Friends and Family option or similar methods that do not allow you to dispute fraud.

The volunteer staff has received numerous reports from members who have agreed with another member to purchase goods, paid for said goods, and never received them. The vast majority of these complaints are centered around the purchase of Dr. Collins PCAT study guides.

Caveat Emptor
SDN does not moderate or enter into legal interactions with users here who might be scamming other users. You are advised to take all necessary precautions to prevent being defrauded. Consider paying by personal check or credit card with fraud protection.

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DO NOT buy anything using PayPal "FRIENDS AND FAMILY" or Venmo. It's a SCAM.

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Anti-Piracy Warning
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted work is illegal. Sale or sharing of pirated materials is a crime and violates the SDN Terms of Service. Be aware that SDN reserves the right to report this activity to copyright holders and appropriate agencies. SDN cooperates with copyright holders in enforcement.

If you encounter an advertisement for a pirated product, please use the Report link located on the lower left side of the post or PM to alert our volunteer team.

End User License Agreements
Posts or messages that utilize SDN in effort to enforce a license agreement, EULA or other similar agreement between a vendor and its customer, including but not limited to notices of legal violations and threats of retaliation will be removed immediately.

SDN is not a party to such disputes. Such use of the forum is improper and constitutes a violation of SDN’s terms of service. (see, Forums Terms of Service & Website Online Service Agreement - Student Doctor Network ).

You are Responsible for Your Own Actions
In the event that anyone brings a claim against SDN related to such posts, the poster shall indemnify, defend and hold SDN harmless from and against all damages, losses and expenses of any kind (including reasonable legal fees and costs) related to such claim. Although SDN provides rules for user conduct, SDN does not control or direct users’ actions on the forums and is not responsible for the content or information users transmit, share or post on SDN.
 
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Guidelines to Prevent Being Scammed (Please Read All)

What is a Scam?

A scam is a misrepresentation in any way where you do not receive the goods/services you purchased in the condition described/expected. Scams can exist for goods and/or services. This post, if followed, limits the chance of being scammed for goods (which typically entails books on the SDN forums) and also gives steps to retrieve your money in the chance you get scammed.

Common Ways Scammers Scam/Attempt to Scam:
  1. They never ship items that were purchased.
  2. They sell you an ebook (illegal) while posting about a hardcopy/physical good/book.
  3. They ship/sell something in a condition that they do not disclose/lie about. Markings/written condition when listed as "like new/perfect/great condition" is very common.
  4. They ship the wrong item - different edition, different title etc.
  5. They try to assume no responsibility when items do not arrive at your home
  6. "half now, half later" Scam. They steal the first half.
  7. They sell an unauthorized reprint/copy
Common Issues that you should watch out for/prevent:
  1. Sellers ship much later than you anticipated/agreed upon. This is technically a "scam" because shipping time is part of the service of the goods/services.
  2. Sellers up-charge for shipping/ancillary costs that were not discussed.
Please note that conducting business with reputable sellers and students with helpful post history is useful in preventing getting scammed. A real premed who has taken the MCAT, will typically have a history of posting on the site.

Even a successful resolution of a scam is a painful and time-consuming process, so dealing with reputable students and taking steps to ensure a scam is not occurring before sending payment is important. Sending payment in the right way to ensure you can take steps to receive your money back in the case you are scammed is also important.


9 Tips:

  1. Always use PayPal
  2. NEVER send as gift or friends & family (DO SEND AS GOODS & SERVICES)
  3. Use a Credit Card as your form of payment with Paypal for extra protection. Step 1, 2, and 3 allow you to get your money back if things go south.
  4. Always make a "recap" before sending a payment.

    For example:

    You're selling me a "like-new MCAT EK 10th edition set (ISBN # ______) with minor cover wear. No writing and highlighting throughout the book" ENSURE to identify the condition as thoroughly as possible.

    This is a good template to follow: "Before sending the payment, I need you to confirm the following : You are selling me :A like-new MCAT 10th edition set ISBN #, no highlights, markings, stains, or writing. minor cover wear for $xx.xx. Is that right ?" (ask them to double check the condition to prevent the, "I forgot argument" once you receive the books.)

  5. Then ask for pictures of the products you are purchasing with today's date and time and the sellers username and your username included in handwriting alongside the books. For extra caution, ask for a picture of 2-3 random pages to ensure condition and to guarantee the owner does indeed own the books. Step 4 and 5 are the very important in preventing most issues. Then, ask the seller to send an invoice via PayPal containing the exact same details as you asked and pay the invoice. Make sure your Paypal includes your current address.
  6. Screenshot the whole conversation you had with the seller. Put the screenshots in a folder. (This might sound extreme some people, but you'll be more than happy records if you get scammed). Save the pictures you requested about the items from the seller as well.
  7. Check the seller's SDN post history. If the deal looks too good to be true, well it might be but it could be a good deal so don't miss out! The more extensive and helpful the student - typically the more trusting they are - but still make sure to follow the other tips!!
  8. If you are scammed, open a case on PayPal as soon as you can. And DO NOT close it until you have your money refunded back into your account. Some scammers will be very persuasive or try to give you a partial refund. It's the SELLERS FAULT if you get something you don't want. Pursue the refund/agreement you seek. If they don't cooperate, escalate to PayPal with the information you documented about the case. If Paypal does not give you a resolution you seek, seek one through your Credit Card company.
  9. This guide is also applicable when selling. Screenshot your conversations, take pictures of the books before you send, and do a recap of what you are sending. Also, make sure to ONLY send to the PayPal address listed on the persons Paypal (and try to see if it matches up with the one they list for you). Keep your shipping receipt and tracking information.
Item received that are not as described ?

If the seller answers your PM(s)..
  1. Explain the situation to the seller and work out an agreement.
  2. Ship back the item to them and ask the seller to pay at least 1/2 of your return ship cost (ideally all of it +$2 for your time/effort/gas/ if THEY messed up). This will mean the seller is out of to and fro shipping charges but in a transaction, the party at fault takes responsibility to make things right.
  3. Get your refund via PayPal + Shipping Concession before you ship out the books/or at the same time.
  4. You could also consider asking for a partial refund that compensates for the difference in condition if you are willing to accept a difference in condition. If you aren't, refer to #2.
If the seller is not responsive about the situation:
  1. Tell them you're going to open a PayPal dispute.
  2. Wait 3 days for an answer,
  3. Open a PayPal dispute and give all the details, including the fact that you informed the seller about the situation.
  4. Get your money back.
  5. Report the post/user to the moderators of this SDN Forum.
Identifying a scammer

There's no 100% efficient method to identify a scammer, but here are some tips
  1. Are they new to the forum? No post history?
  2. They refuse to send you pictures of their books with their SDN username and/or a message of your choice (your username and today's date and time is good).
  3. Seller only accepts:
  • Cryptocurrencies (ie : Bitcoins, etc..)
  • Google Wallet
  • Amazon Payments
  • Giftcards - including Amazon Gift card
  • Venmo
  • SquareCash
  • Apple Pay
Reporting Scammers

If you ever encounter a scammer, immediately inform the moderators on SDN and report the post and the user. Based on the experiences of victims of scams, here are some things to keep in mind before proceeding with a transaction:
  • CHECK THEIR ACCOUNT HISTORY. THOROUGHLY. The more extensive (length, content, quality) their post history on SDN, the more likely they are to be trustworthy. The longer their account has been active, the more likely they are to be trustworthy. Just remember that there are never guarantees.
  • Some users try to claim "they are active on a different account." Why buy something from someone who hasn't proven themselves on these forums?
  • Be extremely wary of anyone who insists on using apps such as SquareCash (Cash) & Venmo for payment. Apps like this tend not to have much buyer protection so you should assume that once you fork over the money, it's gone for good.
  • The use of the Paypal "friends and family" option for payment is a common method used by scammers; they use it under the guise of avoiding PayPal charges but the option prevents you from making a complaint to PayPal and having it adjudicated. Refuse to exchange money with anyone using the Friends and Family option.
  • Payment processors like PayPal (ONLY with the Goods & Services option), on the other hand, are very friendly to the buyer.
  • Just because a user is willing to add you on Facebook, text you, call you, or add you using iMessage does not make them reliable.
  • Just because someone is in Medical School, Graduate School, a Doctor, Nurse etc DOES NOT necessarily make them reliable. Assume the worst case scenario unless proven otherwise.
Goods

Read this if you have been scammed out of goods.
  1. Screenshot Everything: posts, PMs, timestamps, anything that had to do with the transaction and put it in a folder.
  2. Start a dispute with the payment processor.
  3. Unless a solid resolution has been reached, DO NOT close a dispute (i.e., the seller says the dispute must be closed before they can send a refund). The case will be closed automatically once the seller and you agree on terms(either for a refund or replacement). Generally, disputes CANNOT be reopened, if you close the dispute you are 100% at the mercy of the other party. If you mistakenly close a case, your best bet is to call the PayPal/the payment processor.
  4. If your case is not resolved and marked as closed, and you are still due a refund, immediately contact your local postal service regarding mail fraud.
If a seller refuses to comply with the type of communication that following these tips require (timestamp w/ product for sale, pictures of pages of choice, confirmation of edition, PayPal) it is not worth conducting the transaction.
 
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