How to safely TRADE accounts?

Hello,
I am, nowadays, mainly a Usenet user and I'm not really desiring to go back to torrenting, unless as a last-use resource, and I have been trying to get inside the harder to join Usenet indexers I am currently outside, so I was told to try a trade.

The type of content I look for ("cinephile" international movies at max possible quality) is usually considered a niche content and only available at somehow hard to enter PTs (like TIK and KG), so in the end I spend a long time even browsing binary groups on Usenet to find releases outside the most known indexers. (Yes, I have been hunting rar parts).

I really don't like the idea of using private trackers as ladders but if that's the one way, maybe I'll try.

I have seen many trade forums and, even searching a lot here at SB-I, I have found many warnings about not using these types of sites (although most were about sells, not trades).

My question is: How safe is trading PT accounts/invites? What trading invites experience you had that was safe? What are the recommendations for someone who needs trading as the only way to get inside those too difficult to enter indexers and PTs?

Any guidance or shared experience on this subject will be very appreciated.

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Originally Posted by sbestran

I have seen many trade forums and, even searching a lot here at SB-I, I have found many warnings about not using these types of sites (although most were about sells, not trades).

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I'm pleased to hear you have actually taken time to search, and saddened to inform that if you think tracker staff are less aggressive about trading because no money is involved, you are mistaken. And it's not hard to see where they're coming from: while I have nothing against those who are genuinely interested on a tracker and will make good use of it but resort to trades as they can't afford the time and effort of playing recruitment games, as is apparently your scenario, that description applies to 5% of cases at best.

As for the titular question, my recommendation after observing the community for a long time and dealing with many scam reports myself is to trade with established members and use middlemen when available. Unless trading an account at one of those trackers that bans or closely monitors IP2Country changes, you'll pretty much eliminate any risk. Note that in your particular case, you'll be facing a double credentials paradox situation, being a newcomer yourself and having nothing of the same value as KG or Tik (or .in or OMG) to offer in return. How to deal with that and whether the whole ordeal is worth it is up to you.

PS: many traders also sell, and usually trade to sell. The warnings you've read about how an axe could fall on you at any time due to tree bans and hijacked accounts apply here too.

invites are less risky, but accounts are risky for large trackers, not only risk banned by staff of trackers, also by seller.
some sellers (mod/admins of forum) are not scammers, but highly chances for ban by staff of trackers.

i never had good experience of buying acounts if itss not from the tracker itself

None of the top trackers sells invites to the public, and such a thing is...

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Originally Posted by anon

...disreputed in the community under the following reasoning: most private trackers are kept safe by a combination of at least nominal exclusiveness, small size compared to the usual targets, and good opsec from staff and site owners. Selling invites to absolutely anyone who can muster up enough money kills the first reason, dilutes the second and tests the third (handling donations securely for all parties involved isn't easy).

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Although BTMusic did a time-limited promo once.

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Originally Posted by JohnWick

some sellers (mod/admins of forum) are not scammers

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I won't take as a recommendation. But would you mind saying which forum or seller are you talking about?

For most top-tier trackers, I think you will get banned inevitably so long as the person you traded with is actively selling/trading. Even after, there is a risk albeit a bit less.

Where can I find a trustworthy escrow service when selling?

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Originally Posted by galhund

Where can I find a trustworthy escrow service when selling?

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No idea. :tongue:

Whenever I traded accounts, I gave them the account, and all data associated with it. It was thought as, if they'll problems in the future, the person will be able to prove that it actually is him that is using the account. I was surprised to discover that I was the only one doing this; everybody else was just passing out credentials. Next to nothing about how it was used, where, etc. Any change in a given system raises suspicions.

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Originally Posted by Master Razor

Whenever I traded accounts, I gave them the account, and all data associated with it. It was thought as, if they'll problems in the future, the person will be able to prove that it actually is him that is using the account. I was surprised to discover that I was the only one doing this; everybody else was just passing out credentials. Next to nothing about how it was used, where, etc. Any change in a given system raises suspicions.

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Done that too, was giving away though. never succeeded trading/selling anything. Eventually, accounts get banned though :stupid: