I was attracted to RCs because you could buy them online with a credit card. Except for one friend who smokes pot, I don't know anyone who has access to things like MDMA or LSD, or any other illegal drugs. I'm not about to approach someone I don't know and ask them "for the good shit" or do anything really sketchy like that. Plus, who knows what's in an E pill you get off the street. It could be aspirin or caffeine or some other rubbish. At least I can charge back my credit card with the online stores.
I guess it's a matter of networking - knowing people with these things, but I don't know anyone like that in my group of friends.
So my question is - were you attracted to RCs because you could buy them online, or did you just want to expand your drug choices?
I would say that purchasing chemicals online with your credit card is pretty sketchy and could put you at great risk. RCs aren't exactly "legal" everywhere. In the USA they are technically illegal. When I got into RCs in 2005, I thought that they were completely legal as well, and yes, this attracted me to them. I had no way of getting LSD to experience a trip, and the more I read about RCs the more I wanted to try them, and so I did.
Also, some people have died because of mix ups among RC vendors. It wasn't too long ago that this sort of mix up happened in the community. The substance shipped had an extremely low dosage recommendation. People assumed that the vendor had sent the correct chemical that they wanted, they dosed way too high for the chemical that was actually sent, and rather bad things happened. You are still taking a risk when you are dealing with these substances.
A few years ago things started to change in the RC scene. Instead of vendors focusing on providing chemicals that would facilitate a trip, they began to place greater emphasis on providing chemicals that mimic the effects of other drugs. Mephedrone is one example. I decided to leave the 'scene' when that sort of thing started to happen. Perhaps you've read about many people's terrible experiences with these new chemicals that have been coming out onto the market, the struggles with compulsive dosing and addiction, trips to the ER and such. I don't like where it is going now, but every individual is going to have his own opinion about that sort of thing.
I think a lot of people new to this sort of thing incorrectly assume that, because these drugs are not explicitly illegal, they are safe and they can throw caution to the wind. People have been prosecuted for possession, distribution, and use of these substances before. They assume that, when they send payment to a vendor, that the vendor will be honest and send the correct product. There have also been many cases where one chemical, or a mixture of chemicals, or very cut chemicals, have been sent out, mislabeled, or sold as something other than what they really are. These days it seems like the people providing these substances are more interested in making as much money as possible and that their user base are expendable. Not all of the vendors are like this, but enough of them are. How are you to know?
Be safe.