SR is brilliant, especially when you consider it can only be accessed with Tor. For someone with limited computer knowledge, it certainly isn't a cakewalk to get to (nor is it intended to be - the URL seems almost made to be forgotten), but I assure you it's not that difficult, either. If you use it properly, none of your online traffic should be traceable. Tor functions by essentially scrambling a user's IP address - it uses a sophisticated network of relays to send packets of info through a meandering route to their destination. Each relay along the path knows only the relay from which the data came and the relay to which it is going; no individual relay ever knows the complete path that the data packet is taking. It's essentially like leaving New York, passing through Los Angeles, Seattle, Kansas City, then Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, then Dallas, to Detroit, to Salt Lake City, to Connecticut, through Denver, and ending up in Miami with your footprints having been erased between each city. Now consider the same scenario with thousands of cities. It is also worthwhile to point out that Tor is used for much more than just SR; it in fact was developed for the purpose of protecting US Navy and government communications (ah, what beautiful irony!), and today Tor is used globally to protect online anonymity.
Sellers on SR receive feedback after each transaction, much like eBay. Buyers do not receive feedback, but the results of their transactions are recorded and displayed to sellers to evaluate before engaging the customer (a seller may be inclined to avoid selling to someone who has reported many packages as being 'never received'). Transactions are processed through an extremely diplomatic escrow system for an underground marketplace - all monies remain in escrow until the buyer 'finalizes' the transaction and releases the funds (usually when the order is received); when a package is lost, all monies remain in escrow until an acceptable resolution is agreed upon by all parties involved. Most sellers are more than fair when dealing with lost merchandise; it's not surprising that a certain degree of financial risk is involved with each transaction - and usually a buyer and seller will agree to split this risk. SR administrators also have a record of being extremely helpful and fair when resolving issues. Now this is obviously not to say that a buyer couldn't make a false assertion, but this is one of the reasons that a transaction record for each buyer is kept, and if you're thinking you can just make a new account for each purchase, know that it can often be difficult to find a preferred seller willing to work with a first-time buyer. Besides, when a purchase is received in the mail, odds are good that the buyer would want to order from the same seller again (now that the seller's integrity has been personally validated), and would likely not want to jeopardize the connection. Sellers on SR are seriously conscious of their reputation, which can be easily tracked through not only feedback, but also through online forums.
The only time an actual name and address are exchanged are when you provide information for delivery to the seller. The seller is the only person to receive this information, and experienced buyers will use GPG encryption to send this info so that it cannot possibly be intercepted. GPG encryption uses a 'public' key that the buyer would use; and a 'private' key that only the seller has, which is the only way of decrypting the message. This is, of course, in addition to the encryption methods that SR already employ. Sellers are given general guidelines and instructions on how to discreetly package their product, but the exact details of each seller's packaging methods are never revealed. The only information about a seller that is provided is his/her country of origin, and even that is optional.
I am personally aware of someone having much success - 6 out of 6...100%
- ordering from SR, both domestically (US) and internationally. Price deviation from what may be considered typical for a specific product will vary among products, but prices are generally fair, and you must remember that you're paying for a service that makes an otherwise illegal transaction quite convenient. In fact, one product in particular, because of inflated prices here in the US, is quite a good deal when ordered from overseas. Because the value of the Bitcoin is so volatile, product prices on SR are constantly adjusted in order to allow for a somewhat consistent price in dollars or euros. So unless you want to gamble, you're best off making any purchases on SR as soon as possible after your purchase of BTC. Also, Bitcoins, like Tor, are used much more extensively than just for SR; many claim, in fact, that the BTC is the international digital currency of the future. But the evolution of the Bitcoin is well beyond the scope this thread (and even somewhat beyond the scope of my understanding) - so you can do your own research. I will say that there have been millions made by the creators of the Bitcoin, which, when originated, had essentially no broad-spectrum market value whatsoever. From 2009, it has soared from a value of zero, to as high as USD$30, back down to $3, and now sits at around $6-7. I speculate that the Bitcoin's extreme volatility is at least partially due to its esoteric nature, combined with a rapid increase in the number of traders that fail to understand exactly what it is.
As far as potential legal interference goes, very few reports have been made (if any are even accurate). And believe me, news of any successful law-enforcement investigation would spread like wildfire on SR. Besides, let's be real - are the authorities really that interested in the five or ten E-pills that 'Joe the plumber' orders, when there are hundreds of distributors in possession of quantities of drugs a hundred times over? Clearly it's the seller that assumes any true legal risk. Since a lot of the more seasoned sellers on SR are likely ones that helped develop its infrastructure, they are the ones whose cahonies are largest for having such confidence in their own creative work, and to date, it has paid off.
Everyone needs to use their own best judgment when deciding which parts of the web are safe to browse and which are not. Do your research. Be smart. Learn the basics of Tor and GPG and use them extensively, especially for activities that would be of interest to Big Brother. Protect your own personal freedom and right to privacy.
Sellers on SR receive feedback after each transaction, much like eBay. Buyers do not receive feedback, but the results of their transactions are recorded and displayed to sellers to evaluate before engaging the customer (a seller may be inclined to avoid selling to someone who has reported many packages as being 'never received'). Transactions are processed through an extremely diplomatic escrow system for an underground marketplace - all monies remain in escrow until the buyer 'finalizes' the transaction and releases the funds (usually when the order is received); when a package is lost, all monies remain in escrow until an acceptable resolution is agreed upon by all parties involved. Most sellers are more than fair when dealing with lost merchandise; it's not surprising that a certain degree of financial risk is involved with each transaction - and usually a buyer and seller will agree to split this risk. SR administrators also have a record of being extremely helpful and fair when resolving issues. Now this is obviously not to say that a buyer couldn't make a false assertion, but this is one of the reasons that a transaction record for each buyer is kept, and if you're thinking you can just make a new account for each purchase, know that it can often be difficult to find a preferred seller willing to work with a first-time buyer. Besides, when a purchase is received in the mail, odds are good that the buyer would want to order from the same seller again (now that the seller's integrity has been personally validated), and would likely not want to jeopardize the connection. Sellers on SR are seriously conscious of their reputation, which can be easily tracked through not only feedback, but also through online forums.
The only time an actual name and address are exchanged are when you provide information for delivery to the seller. The seller is the only person to receive this information, and experienced buyers will use GPG encryption to send this info so that it cannot possibly be intercepted. GPG encryption uses a 'public' key that the buyer would use; and a 'private' key that only the seller has, which is the only way of decrypting the message. This is, of course, in addition to the encryption methods that SR already employ. Sellers are given general guidelines and instructions on how to discreetly package their product, but the exact details of each seller's packaging methods are never revealed. The only information about a seller that is provided is his/her country of origin, and even that is optional.
I am personally aware of someone having much success - 6 out of 6...100%
- ordering from SR, both domestically (US) and internationally. Price deviation from what may be considered typical for a specific product will vary among products, but prices are generally fair, and you must remember that you're paying for a service that makes an otherwise illegal transaction quite convenient. In fact, one product in particular, because of inflated prices here in the US, is quite a good deal when ordered from overseas. Because the value of the Bitcoin is so volatile, product prices on SR are constantly adjusted in order to allow for a somewhat consistent price in dollars or euros. So unless you want to gamble, you're best off making any purchases on SR as soon as possible after your purchase of BTC. Also, Bitcoins, like Tor, are used much more extensively than just for SR; many claim, in fact, that the BTC is the international digital currency of the future. But the evolution of the Bitcoin is well beyond the scope this thread (and even somewhat beyond the scope of my understanding) - so you can do your own research. I will say that there have been millions made by the creators of the Bitcoin, which, when originated, had essentially no broad-spectrum market value whatsoever. From 2009, it has soared from a value of zero, to as high as USD$30, back down to $3, and now sits at around $6-7. I speculate that the Bitcoin's extreme volatility is at least partially due to its esoteric nature, combined with a rapid increase in the number of traders that fail to understand exactly what it is.As far as potential legal interference goes, very few reports have been made (if any are even accurate). And believe me, news of any successful law-enforcement investigation would spread like wildfire on SR. Besides, let's be real - are the authorities really that interested in the five or ten E-pills that 'Joe the plumber' orders, when there are hundreds of distributors in possession of quantities of drugs a hundred times over? Clearly it's the seller that assumes any true legal risk. Since a lot of the more seasoned sellers on SR are likely ones that helped develop its infrastructure, they are the ones whose cahonies are largest for having such confidence in their own creative work, and to date, it has paid off.
Everyone needs to use their own best judgment when deciding which parts of the web are safe to browse and which are not. Do your research. Be smart. Learn the basics of Tor and GPG and use them extensively, especially for activities that would be of interest to Big Brother. Protect your own personal freedom and right to privacy.
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