About Monopoly Market

Greetings and welcome to the official announcement thread of Monopoly; a direct deal, walletless, userless, XMR exclusive, drug-focused, marketplace aimed to provide a portfolio of well-vetted vendors for reliable, safe trading. Over the course of the past few months, we have built Monopoly from the ground up while taking keynotes from comments made on Dread, especially within /d/DarkNetMarkets. Below we will share a short explanation of our features and why we decided to implement them;

Userless - Not only do we want to mitigate phishing attempts, but due to the slow way in which the network runs, we want to reduce the number of clicks required to place an order. Before you would create an account or log in, find your desired listing, make a deposit, wait for confirmations, likely have to re-login, place an order, then check back for it to be accepted all while logging in and out to check its status. With Monopoly it’s a much more lean process when ordering and checking the status of an order is as simple as entering your order code. While phishing for order codes is a lot more convenient with this type of system all trades are locked in which means if you lose your order code or is obtained by an unwanted party it can only be reset using the PGP key provided during checkout, this goes for refunds as well. Vendors who decide not to follow this are liable to compensate you for any losses. An added security benefit is you are no longer linked to multiple orders assuming you have encrypted your messages with PGP. A real-world example of this would be a vendor was caught and had stored customers information physically, after police reviewed the accounts of his customers they noticed a specific user John Doe had made a large number of orders and suspected he was purchasing drugs for resale, resulting in John Doe being investigated and raided.

Walletless - Payments are made direct to the vendor, we do not generate wallets or have any control of them. It is very unlikely we will ever have an onsite wallet/balance or hold user funds. We are dedicated to making this direct deal system work as the current trend is only to offer it to established vendors, which we intend to do. So you know any vendor on our marketplace is as reputable as a marketplace where they would have select FE privileges anyway.

XMR Exclusive - We think its time Monero became the standard because not only is it superior but people are too lazy and simply don’t care about the tracks they leave. Every hit against our community is a bullet in the hands of law enforcement and the mainstream media propaganda who denounce the “big bad deep web” in their low-quality articles. It is time we bankrupted these blockchain analyst dogs because they are profiting off our misfortune and as a community, we need to put an end to it.

Drug Focused - Due to the way in which our marketplace functions we want to focus on physical drug sales as fraud/digital products come with a lot of accusations and problems validating if an item was actually sent as described.

Segregated Design - The vendor panel is entirely separate to the marketplace, which means if our main URLs are attacked, then vendors are still able to fulfill orders without an issue. If a vendor URL is leaked we know which vendor the link belongs to thus can thwart the attack fairly quickly.

Link Distribution Network (LDN) - During the current climate we have introduced an automatic mirror rotation, for now, this should be the only place you obtain links to Monopoly.

Purge Order Data - Again you should treat Monopoly as if it was a law enforcement operation, you do not hand us information that can be used against you. All of your messages should be encrypted and when a trade is final we don’t even want record of these so as a perk for leaving feedback to the seller we offer the ability for all order information to be deleted minus the feedback you leave.

How does the ordering process work? Just like any other market, you send your Monero to a given address and obtain the Transaction ID plus Secret View Key (for that specific transaction) then verify the payment. By default your payment needs to have ten confirmations, we do not have any automatic queue or cron job, you confirm the transaction on your time, and it will trigger our script. To reduce spam, messaging is disabled and your order is not visible to the vendor until your payment is marked as funded. All unfunded orders will expire after 12 hours, which should be more than enough time for your payment to be confirmed. We have provided an in-depth tutorial covering the entire process located at the bottom of this post.

Methods to reduce scamming We do not control any wallets nor forward on payments which allow us to avoid the annoying confirmation delays, technical issues, price fluctuation, vendor complaints/delays, and generally, shorten the time it takes to make a purchase. To avoid evil vendors before they are even allowed to sell on the marketplace we conduct the following checks;

Past feedback on other marketplaces. Posts within the community (mainly Dread) to review how complaints were dealt with, involvement in drama, and other general activity. Age of their vendor profile and how long they have been in the community.

Once we have established a positive footprint we will allow them to vend on our marketplace applying limits to the following;

Defect Rate - Which is essentially how many disputes a vendor can have open at any given time. Once this limit is reached, their selling abilities will be automatically restricted until it falls below the threshold. Yes we are aware this will be abused and if we suspect orchestrated attacks against our vendors they will be removed and the funds will remain in control of the vendor.

Pending Orders - To avoid huge exit scams from taking place when a vendor hits their limit for simultaneous orders, they will be unable to take any further orders until they fall back below the threshold.

Listing approval - All listings are manually approved before going live. This is to ensure the quality and to keep the marketplace tidy.

We are hoping that with the limits described above, detailed statistics on each vendor, and the power of Dread an informed decision can be made by each buyer to ensure scams do not take place. While 2/3 multisig is our main goal we feel that at this stage it is far too much of an ask and simply wont be used. We will revisit this option later down the road.

What options are left for you to be scammed? As we have zero control over user funds the only way we could possibly scam users is by;

Replacing all sending addresses to our own, which should be seen fairly quickly resulting in an absolute collapse of our marketplace within a few hours. Creating fake vendor accounts and boosting our limits which is again a quick red flag for an inside job because nobody is going to fall for some random vendor nobody has heard of that magically has insanely high selling limits.

We respect that there is no way in this world we can launch a marketplace and demand trust so we have tried to design it in a way that from the get-go you can physically see we have no intentions of ripping people off. Even our own money in commission is paid the following month, so we stand to lose money just as you do.

What are our future plans? One reason why we love this community is because the users are unfiltered, and real. For too long have new marketplaces popped up with “X coming soon,” and “Y coming soon,” which is just pathetic and shows a lack of dedication to launch a complete build. Everything should be ready and then built off based on what the community wants. We feel as if we have a very solid, lean, functional marketplace prepared to be flooded with ideas and implemented. Monopoly was built off very few minds, and we are so excited to see the direction it goes once feedback has been obtained.

I would like to vend on Monopoly We do need vendors however, we are only taking on current/established vendors. If you are interested, please respond to this post and we will vet you accordingly. You can expect a private message via your Dread account or your XMPP address. Our current commission rate is 0%; however, it will be raised to around 4-5% once we have a decent sized portfolio of listings. Balances are due on the first of every month, this is paid for the previous month and is visible on your account overview. Vendors will be issued with a dedicated access link (segregated vendor panel) and is complete with PGP 2FA security.

Commission rates for sellers that excel can be negotiated as we do not have one flat rate for every vendor. Your listings are ordered fairly by the number of successful sales, and stickied listings are limited to 3 per subcategory to reduce low-quality spam.

You will never have to withhold packs or worry about why your latest withdrawal is delayed, as long as you treat your customers right we will look after you and provide you with every and any possible addition you may need to shorten your workload and scale your operation. How to Order on Monopoly Market

If you’re planning on making Monopoly your main source for purchasing it is advised to read this information below to obtain a better idea on how our marketplace functions.

FAQ

How does the buying process work?

Instead of creating an account, depositing, waiting for confirmations, then creating a trade, you find the item you would like to purchase and fill out the form. Once the form has been completed you will be issued with an order code, amount and address to send your funds to. Once the transaction passes one confirmation, you will be able to chat with the vendor and proceed with the delivery process. To revisit an order, all you need to do is enter the order code into the search bar located in the top right-hand corner of every page. If you have any issues during your transaction, click the dispute button, if you do not see a dispute button but are confident you have sent the funds then head over to our sub-dread and create a post. Please note, you should never send your funds from a marketplace address. You can read our guide here for further information on sending payments.

Why do I have to use a unique address for each purchase?

We need to be able to validate the payment you sent, and for us to do this we require a unique address from the buyer for each trade.

Why do I need to provide my PGP Public Key?

If you ever lose your order code we will only be able to recover it by sending you a verification message linked to the PGP public key you specified on the checkout page. If you do not know how to use PGP then follow our tutorial here.

What happens if I lose my order code?

You can get in contact with us on our sub-dread, we will then locate your order and verify you own the PGP public key that was provided during checkout. After this has been done we will re-issue you with your order code. I think there is a vendor attempting to scam, what should I do?

If you think a vendor is up to no good then you should alert the community immediately by creating a post on our sub-dread. We do not tolerate this sort of behavior from vendors, and we will not deal with these situations behind closed doors. Everything we can make public will be made public and discussing with the community on how to deal with problem vendors as well as alerting potential customers to vendors who may be up to no good is our number one priority. With this being said mistakes can be made but we will not tolerate false accusations or attempts to start drama against our vendors. How can I avoid being scammed?

Before making a purchase you should always check Reddit, Dread, and other marketplace forums for possible reviews made for that specific vendor. If that search finds no results and you are still unsure about a vendor keep an eye on their open orders, feedback, and dispute count to see if users are receiving their goods. How can I contact staff?

If you have any issues with a trade you should always try to resolve the matter with the vendor. If for any reason you are unable to then simply dispute the transaction and staff will mediate. If for any reason you cannot dispute a transaction visit our sub-dread and create a post outlining your issue. What type of feedback can I leave?

Constructive feedback is welcomed both negative and positive. If you leave silly comments or immature insults that provide absolutely no insight, it will be removed from the vendor’s profile. What if I send the incorrect amount?

If you send more than required the vendor should send the difference back to you if the value is of a large amount, if you send just below then the status of the order will not change. If you have sent less than you should have do not send the difference, create a post on our subdread and we will assist you. Somebody is asking for my order code, what do I do?

Ignore them, if it is a vendor asking you for your order code you need to report them to us immediately on our subdread. Not even staff will ask for your full order code as it is sacred just like a password. Do not share your order code with anybody, for any reason, at any time! Vendor Guide

Vendor Information

Without vendors we do not exist, we are always looking for trusted vendors. Our commission rate is unbeatable, and we offer various benefits including no vendor bond so read the information below if you’re looking to set up shop here.


What fees do I have to pay as a vendor?

The current commission fee is 0% (this will increase to around 5% at a later date and decreases per sale mileage), there is no vendor bond as we vet every vendor in detail before they are allowed to vend. Optional extras like promoted listings are available for purchase.

How do I obtain top vendor status?

Top vendor status is for the top 1% of vendors on our marketplace, those who have displayed excellent customer service skills, activity within the community, and most importantly satisfied customers. With this comes a lot of added benefits which are discussed on a private basis. We are planning on implementing an insurance fund where top vendors customers are compensated for any losses you may cause to them. This means that your sales as a top vendor will increase because of this added security. While this is currently not an active feature, it will be once we begin earning commission. Can I purchase promotions for my listings?

Yes, we offer vendors the ability to bid for their listings to be promoted. More details of this are available on the vendor panel.