Transaction Feedback & Scam Protection — read this BEFORE you send anyone money (including me)
This is the permanent feedback thread for r/XianyuGuide.
Right now it is empty. Zero transactions, zero feedback. I'd rather show you an empty thread than a fake one, and I'd rather you knew that on day one than found out later.
This post exists for two reasons, and honestly the second one matters more than the first.
Part 1 — How to protect yourself (from anyone, me included)
Sourcing agents are one of the most scammed-in categories on Reddit. People lose real money to this every week. So before anything else, here is how you avoid it — and note that every rule below applies to me too.
Red flags. If you see any of these, walk away.
| Red flag | Why it means "scam" |
|---|---|
| They ask for PayPal "Friends & Family" | It strips your buyer protection entirely. There is no legitimate reason to ask for this. None. |
| They ask for crypto, gift cards, Western Union, Zelle or Venmo | Same thing. Irreversible, no recourse. |
| They DM you first, offering to help | Real people don't cold-DM strangers to sell them things. I will never DM you first. |
| They pressure you — "today only", "someone else is asking" | Manufactured urgency is the oldest trick there is. |
| They won't put the full cost in writing | Any "we'll sort that out later" line item is a line item designed to grow. |
| They guarantee authenticity | Nobody can. Xianyu is C2C with no platform authentication. A guarantee of authenticity is itself a lie — and someone who lies about that will lie about other things. |
| They offer to under-declare the value to save you duty | They are offering to commit a crime in your name, using your address. Think about what that tells you. |
| They have no verifiable public history | Which, right now, includes me. |
How to actually pay
PayPal Goods & Services, or Wise. That's it.
G&S costs the seller a fee and leaves you with 180 days of dispute rights. A legitimate agent will eat that fee without complaining, because they'd rather you felt safe. If someone pushes back on G&S, that's your answer.
Impersonation
If anyone DMs you claiming to be me, or claiming to be a mod of this sub, it's a scam. Screenshot it, post it here, report it to Reddit. I will only ever talk to you in public comments unless you message me first.
Part 2 — Timestamps (new rule)
From today, any photo of a physical item posted here as proof must carry a timestamp: the item in frame, together with a handwritten note showing the poster's Reddit username and the date.
This is the standard anti-scam mechanism across Reddit's trading communities, and it exists because photos are trivially stolen. A stock photo proves nothing. A photo of the actual item, next to a note with today's date and a username, proves someone is physically holding it.
This applies to me. Every warehouse photo, every inspection shot, every "here's what arrived" picture I post will carry my username and the date. If I ever post an item photo without one, call me out publicly.
(Seller screenshots and listing photos are fine for discussing an item — they're just never proof that anyone actually has it.)
Part 3 — Leaving feedback
If you've transacted with anyone through this community — me or anyone else — leave feedback below. Bad experiences are more useful than good ones. Do not soften them.
Format:
Who: [u/username](/u/username)
What: what you bought / what service
Date: approximate
Went well:
Went badly:
Would you do it again: yes / no
Photos: (timestamped, personal info blurred)
Blur your address, phone number, order IDs and full name before posting screenshots.
I will not delete negative feedback about myself. If I ever do, assume the worst and say so loudly, somewhere I can't delete it.
Where this stands today
Zero completed transactions. Zero feedback. No track record.
I'm not going to dress that up. If you're weighing whether to be my first customer, you are taking a real risk on an account that is days old, and you should price that in. The honest advice is: start small, use PayPal G&S, and don't send anyone an amount you'd be upset to lose.
That applies to me exactly as much as it applies to anyone else here.
Commercial disclosure: I moderate this sub and I run a warehouse and package-forwarding service in China. I make money when people ship things, which means I have a direct financial interest in you trusting me — which is precisely why the first half of this post is about how not to.
Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Xianyu, Goofish, or Alibaba Group.
Posted Jul 11, 2026, 2:34 PM UTC