Originally posted by: amexblue
I am shipping an item to this guy whose heatware id and anandtech id are the same. He has all positive remarks. Is it safe to send to him?
That is a loaded question. Every time you deal with someone over the internet and buy or sell sight-unseen, you both take risks regardless of who ships first.
There are a number of ways to hedge that risk:
1) Use some sort of buying/selling protection (Credit Cards, Escrow, Money Orders, etc...)
2) Use some sort of history tracker (heatware, ebay feedbacks, etc...)
3) Vary the order of ship/paying based on amount of history and referrals.
4) Make multiple payments for large orders and potentially multiple shipments.
5) Get to know the person on the other end and use a gut feel determination.
Ultimately, though there are always risks. 13 heatware means nothing unless you have established a gut feel for that person. If your gut feel says go for it, then give it a shot. If your gut feels says slow down, then you may want to protect yourself a little. If your gut feel is even more negative, then I wouldn't do the deal.