11 hours ago
What is a Trusted Trader?
A Trusted Trader is a member who has been around for a while, joins in on the forum, and has earned some goodwill. You can spot them by the green name and the Trusted Trader title under it.
What it means
This person is an established, active member, not someone who signed up yesterday. That makes it a good place to start when you are deciding who to deal with.
What it does not mean
It is not a guarantee, and PBWire does not insure or hold money for any deal. It is based on account age and positive trade feedback from other members, but feedback can still be wrong or incomplete, so always read someone's feedback yourself (see below).
How members get it
Nobody applies and nobody hands it out. It happens automatically, in two steps:
Why the badge can be trusted
The green name and the title come from the group, so nobody can fake them. Custom titles that claim to be staff or a Trusted Trader are blocked. If you set your own custom title, your name stays green, so the badge is still there.
Losing it
Staff can remove the title at any time, for example for scams, fake feedback, or ignoring the marketplace rules. Serious cases mean a ban.
Before you trade, with anyone
After the deal
Leave feedback so the next person can see how it went. Here is how feedback and reputation work.
Quick answers
Do Trusted Traders get extra powers? Mostly it is recognition, plus a bigger photo upload allowance. They follow the same rules as everyone.
Can I earn it faster? Not really. Once your account is two weeks old, it comes from three good trades with three different people.
Can I set my own title? Yes, any title that does not pretend to be staff or a Trusted Trader.
A Trusted Trader is a member who has been around for a while, joins in on the forum, and has earned some goodwill. You can spot them by the green name and the Trusted Trader title under it.
What it means
This person is an established, active member, not someone who signed up yesterday. That makes it a good place to start when you are deciding who to deal with.
What it does not mean
It is not a guarantee, and PBWire does not insure or hold money for any deal. It is based on account age and positive trade feedback from other members, but feedback can still be wrong or incomplete, so always read someone's feedback yourself (see below).
How members get it
Nobody applies and nobody hands it out. It happens automatically, in two steps:
- A new account becomes a Member after 7 days and 5 posts.
- A Member becomes a Trusted Trader once their account is at least 14 days old and they have positive trade feedback (4 or 5 stars) from at least 3 different members, with more positive than negative feedback overall. Feedback comes from real trades, so it is earned by dealing honestly. There is no post count or reputation requirement.
Why the badge can be trusted
The green name and the title come from the group, so nobody can fake them. Custom titles that claim to be staff or a Trusted Trader are blocked. If you set your own custom title, your name stays green, so the badge is still there.
Losing it
Staff can remove the title at any time, for example for scams, fake feedback, or ignoring the marketplace rules. Serious cases mean a ban.
Before you trade, with anyone
- Click Total Feedback next to their name and read the recent comments. Look for specific, positive ones from different people.
- Pay with PayPal Goods & Services. Friends & Family gives up your protection.
- On Markers and Gear listings, check the verification photo (their username and the date).
- Be careful with pressure to hurry, moving the deal off the forum, or prices that look too good.
- If something goes wrong, tell us in Trader Feedback & Scam Reports.
After the deal
Leave feedback so the next person can see how it went. Here is how feedback and reputation work.
Quick answers
Do Trusted Traders get extra powers? Mostly it is recognition, plus a bigger photo upload allowance. They follow the same rules as everyone.
Can I earn it faster? Not really. Once your account is two weeks old, it comes from three good trades with three different people.
Can I set my own title? Yes, any title that does not pretend to be staff or a Trusted Trader.
