Flakwolf

How is Flakwolf different?

1. Little to no waiting in line

We've drastically decreased (or even eliminated) the amount of time each user waits in line. How? With our innovative Tier system! Each game is assigned a tier (from highest to lowest.) Extremely popular games are usually in the first few tiers...and are very high in demand. in order to keep lines minimal, we require that you have a Tier 1 credit to request a Tier 1 game! In other words, if you put up something of value on our site you receive something of value in return. (As opposed to receiving a long wait in line.)

2. Location based trading

Why wait for someone to ship you the game when you can go pick it up right down the street? The answer is easy! You shouldn't have to!

And ad Flakwolf...you DON'T have to. We've built our system around knowing which games are available and knowing exactly how many miles each game is from you. It takes but one second for any user to know any game available within 5, 10, or 20 miles of your home! Once you've selected the game you want, everything is easy!. Just get in contact with the seller and figure out a place to meet. Before you know it, the game is yours!

Best process to getting a game in one day: 1. List a game 2. Receive a loaned credit (feedback has to be over 90%) 3. Search for games you want, hopefully you'll find one in your area 4. Sort results based on feedback scores, avg time to accept trades, and if they are willing to meet. 5. Request the game 6. Wait for that user to contact you (hopefully soon, but not more than 24 hours 7. Arrange to meet. 8. Pick up game 9. Don't forget to leave feedback for that user so he can receive a credit and request a game himself!

3. Flakwolf Classifieds

Of course, there will be times when trading one of your games for another game isn't quite what you're looking for. Sometimes...we just need cold hard, cash. And with Flakwolf Classifieds, you'll get exactly that... and if everything works well, you'll get it fast.

Just list your game in the "classifieds" section and let it be seen by everyone! People, both locally and out of state will see your ad. We want it known that if you are either looking for a video game, or looking to get rid of one, Flakwolf is the place to do it!

Credits

What is a credit?

A credit is what you use to request a game. Think of it as the money you spend when you go to Wal-Mart to buy a game. When you request that copy of Halo 3, you are required to use a credit. All games require only one credit.

Each credit has a Tier assigned to it. If you have a Tier 1 credit, you can request a Tier 1 game (or lower.) If you have a Tier 6 credit, you can request a Tier 6 game (or lower.) The Tier assigned to your credit is determined by the game you list for trade. For example:

If you list Halo 3 (Halo 3 is a Tier 6 game,) you will receive a Tier 6 credit. If you list Super Mario Bros (a Tier 1 game,) you will receive a Tier 1 credit.

How do I get credits?

You receive credits by listing games to trade, and then sending them when another user asks for them.

If another user requests my copy of Halo 3 and I send it to him, he should leave me good feedback. Once good feedback has been received, I would immediately receive a credit to trade with.

THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO GET A CREDIT! Depending on your feedback score, you might qualify for a loaned credit. See loaned credits.

What is a "loaned" credit?

A loaned credit is a credit received immediately after you list a game. It's a credit that FLAKWOLF has given you early because we trust that you will pay it back (by sending your game when it is requested.) Normally, when you are trading, you don't receive a credit until you have sent a game and positive feedback has been left. Because we trust that you will pay it back, you are able to request a game immediately.

Loaned credits are tied directly to your feedback. High feedback scores (starting with 90% or higher) enable you to receive loaned credits. The higher your feedback score, the more loaned credits you receive.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT SCREW UP YOUR FIRST TRADE!!! Receiving negative feedback on your first trade will result in a loss of the "loaned credit" privelage. As soon as you drop below 90%, you will no longer have the ability to use loaned credits. The only way to receive credits at this point would be the old fashioned way (sending a game and receiving good feedback...which results in an "earned credit.")

How do I get loaned credits?

You receive loaned creits when you attain certain levels of feedback with certain numbers of completed trades under your belt. These benchmarks are arbitrary numbers that we have created that help us feel like we can trust you. For example:

Level 1- 90% feedback and 0 completed trades (qualify for 1 loaned credit)
Level 2 - 96% feedback and 10 completed trades (qualify for 2 loaned credits)
Level 3 - 98% feedback and 20 completed trades (qualify for 3 loaned credits)

Every user has attained Level 1 upon creating an account. All that you need to do is post a game to receive your first "loaned credit." In other words, we start off trusting you. (Remember, having a loaned credit is a privelage that can be taken away!!) Level 2 can be attained when you have at least a 96% feedback score and have completed at least 10 trades. When you reach this level you will receive 2 loaned creits instead of 1. Level 3 allows you the privelage of 3 loaned credits.

How do I pay back a loaned credit?

Paying back a credit you've borrowed is simple. Just send the game you used to receive that credit when it's asked for. For example:

Say you're a new user and you list Halo 3 and get a loaned credit. Assuming you use that loaned credit to ask for a game, the only way to get that loaned credit back is to send Halo 3 to someone once it's asked for.

My credit's page says I'm allowed a loaned credit, how come I don't see one?

Even though you might qualify for a loaned credit, you don't actually receive it until you post a game. Once you post a game, you will receive a loaned credit. That "loaned" credit needs to be tied to a game (so you can pay it back.) This is why it's necessary to actually post a game to receive the loaned credit.

If you qualify for 3 loaned credits, then you need to have at least 3 games listed for trade. If you qualify for 2 loaned credits, then you need to have at least 2 games listed for trade.

Is there a maximum amount of loaned credits I can receive?

As of right now, the maximum amount of loaned credits one can have is 3. This might change later on.

What is an "earned" credit?

An eared credit is a credit earned the old fashioned way, (ie) by sending a game you've listed to another user and having that user leave positive feedback. As soon as positive feedback has been left, you will receive an earned credit. You've effectively "earned" a credit by sending a game to someone. You can have an unlimited amount of earned credits.

Listing a Game

How do I list a game?

You can list games by using the seach bar (across the top of every page) to search for games and then selecting the "List Game" button located under the image.

What does listing a game do for me?

Listing games for trade with what makes our site go! When you list games, you build oru nationwide library of tradable titles and make it easier for another user to find what he/she wants. Listing games is also the only way to receive credits to trade with.

I just listed a game, how come I didn't receive a credit?

Remember, listing a game and immediately receiving a credit is a privelage given to users that we know we can trust. If you listed a game and you didn't immediately receive a credit, it's either because:

1. Your feedback is not high enough (90% or above) to receive a credit right away
2. You've already used (or are using) the maximum number of loaned credits that you are eligble for.

Why can't I cancel a game I have listed?

Most of the time you can. The only time you can't is described below:

If you receive a loaned credit for listing a game and use that credit to request another game, you are unable to cancel a listing. Why is that? Because if you were able to cancel that listing you'd be getting a game for free...and that would mess everything up. Here's and example:

John lists Halo 3 and gets a "loaned" credit to use right away. He uses this credit and requests Gears of War. Once he receives the game (Gears of War) he decides that he wants to cancel his Halo 3 listing. (Now, we've built the site so that can't be done, but if it were possible, you can see the problem.) If John were able to take down his Halo 3 listing AFTER he'd received Gears of War, then he nobody could ever request his Halo game, and he'd never have to send it. And that's messed up.

Any other circumstance, feel free to cancel your listing!

Requesting a Game

How do I request a game?

Requesting a game is done by searching for a game you want, and then clicking the "request" button. (It's pretty simple.) A credit is required to request a game (that includes getting in line for games too.)

What's the best way to request a game?

You could probably request any game you wanted to and be okay. But there are a few things you could do to have a better experience. Pay attention to the following information when you are looking through potential games to request:

1. Look at a users feedback score. Is it high enough for you to trust him? Does he have many trades under his belt?
2. Look at a users distance (total miles from you.) Is he close enough for you to pick the game up? Is he willing to meet with you?
3. Look at how active a user is. Does he look at the site very often?
4 Pay attention to how long it takes for a user to accept a request. You normally have 24 hours to accept a request, but it should never take that long. You are notified by email as soon as your game is requested...as soon as you get on a computer, you should be accepting the request. A user that accepts requests to trade quickly is a user that will get you your game quickly.

Can I contact the guy whose game I reqeusted?

You bet! You can alwasy send him a note letting him know that you want the game as fast as possible or any specific instructions on shipping the game.

If a user has indicated that he is okay meeting in person, you will receive contact information relevant to meeting up with that guy. If not, that information will not be available.

Sending a Game

What is "Acknowledge a trade request?"

Acknowleding a request to trade is when a user acknowledges that he sees a trade request and is making arrangements to send the game (either mail or pick up.) When a user requests a game, a "Acknowledge a trade request" is sent to the user who listed the game. As soon as he clicks the button, the requesting user is notified that the game is about to be sent.

You have exactly 48 hours to acknowledge a trade request. Why so short? Well..we don't think it's short at all. It shoudln't be too hard for anybody to hop on a computer and click the button. And it makes the requesting user feel at ease...as he knows his game is on the way. And FLAKWOLF is built around getting you a game as fast and as cheaply as possible. This is just one of the steps that ensures that things remain speedy.

Why does my credit get dinged if I don't acknowledge a request in time?

Each user is given 48 hours to acknowledge a trade request to send a game. We feel that 48 hours is ample time to hop on the internet and let the other user know that you're on it, and the game will be sent shortly.

The reason you get dinged is because we want to ensure that things continue to move forward. If you requested a game from someone and that user DID NOT plan on sending you a game, how would you ever know? The only way is for you to wait a week or two and realize nothing has come through the mail. The "acknowledge a request" feature is in place to ensure that doesn't happen. If a user doesn't acknowledge a request in the 48 hour time frame, you can safely assume he wasn't going to send your game, and you don't have to wait 2 weeks to find out! When the timer runs out, you get your credit back to request someone else's game.

Isn't meeting people dangerous?

Yeah, there are some definitely whackos in the world...and we hope that you would be extremely careful as you exchange games with people, but we also hope that our users will be smart enough to not put themselves in stupid situations. That's also why we require that our users be at least 18 years old or have a parents permission.

That being said, it's probably a good idea to follow some guidelines if you are picking a game up from another user:

1. It might be a good idea to go pick the game up with another friend/parent/sibling. There are strength in numbers and you could probably beat someone up a lot easier with 2 people instead of alone.
2. It would probably be a good idea to meet at a public location where there are many other people to be found.
3. You could always just ship the game if you are worried about it. We definitely don't want to force anyone to meet with anyone. It is always your option to ship games, and have them shipped to you.

Feedback

How does the feedback system work?

Feedback is extremely important. Not only does it help identify which users are trustworty to trade with, but your feedback score also helps determine how many loaned credits you can have at a given time. There are only a few options that each user has when giving or receiving feedback. They are:

1. Received the game as described (count as 100%)
2. Received the game, but not as described (counts as 85%)
3. Received an unworking game (counts as 60%)
4. Did not receive the game (counts as 20%)
5. Trade request was never acknowledged (counts as 10% less than your current score.)

These levels are pretty all-inclusive, which is why we've created them. Users are able to leave comments as much as they'd like, but the percentages are set. (Although they might change in the future.)

What is considered good feedback?

Good feedback is considered to be 85% or above. Basically if you receive the game (whether or not it came as described in the original listing.) However, not sending the game as you described in your listing (although still considered good if you send the game) will hurt your feedback score and knock you lower than what you need to receive loaned credits.

What is considered bad feedback?

Bad feedback is considered lower than 85%.

What are the different feedback levels?

Level 1 - 90% feedback, 0 completed trades
Level 2 - 96% feedback, 10 completed trades
Level 3 - 98% feedback, 20 completed trades

Why does my feedback start at 90%?

We choose to start it at 90% instead of 0% because we wanted everyone to start out with the ability to receive a loaned credit. Basically, we wanted everyone to be able to start trading right away.

Alerts and Messages

What is an alert?

An alert is a notification from FLAKWOLF that something important is happening (or has happened) with regards to your account. Most alerts require that some action be taken (usually to your benefit.) The following are common alerts you might receive:

1. When someone has requested a game you have listed.
2. When your trade request has been accpeted by another user.
3. When feedback has been left by another user and you have received a credit to trade with.
4. When you need to leave feedback for someone that has sent a game to you.

How do I know if I have an alert?

Alerts will show up in the information box on the top right corner of every page you visit. If you have an alert that has been unread, you will see a number. Once you read the alert, the number will disappear and we assume you are on top of it. You can delete alerts any time you want.

What is a message?

A message is communication sent from another user. If a communication comes from FLAKWOLF it will arrive in the form of an alert.

How do I know if I have a message?

Your screen will display a little envelope in the information box at the top right hand corner of every screen. Once you have read the message, the envelope will disappear.

Classifieds

What are the classifieds for?

There might be times when you're not in the mood to play another game. Or maybe you lost your job and need to pay rent. Whatever the reason...if you need cold, hard cash, this is where you can get it. Anything related to video games (consoles, games, or accessories) just list it on the site and watch it sell.

Does it cost anything to use the classifieds?

Nope

Proximity based Classifieds

Just like with game trading, we've built the classifieds system around proximity. In other words, we want you to be able to buy and sell locally. You should be able to see everything in your zip code and you can determine the distance each ad is from where you live. Just sort everything by distance and you're on your way!

Game Rankings

What is a Tier?

A tier is basically a level. It's what we use to categorize the value of all games. The higher the "tier" the more in demand a game is. The highest tier is 1 and the lowest tier is 7. Tier 1 games are typically the most expensive and popular games on the market.

Why does each game have a Tier?

All games are definitely NOT created equal. You wouldn't want to trade away Halo 3 and get Pong (the old one...for Atari) in return now would you? Tiers were created to fix this problem. Each game has a Tier (a value) so we know what's considered equal.

How do you determine which game a Tier is in?

We have created an equation based on a variety of factors that help us determine the market value of a game. This equation contains variables such as:

1. Price
2. Used Price
3. Sales
4. Popularity (Demand)
5. Release date

Friends and Members

How do I add friends to my friends and members page?

You can add friends by searching for their user name, or by clicking their name if it shows in the NEW MEMBERS IN YOUR AREA section. Once you are looking at that users profile you can click add friend.

What can I do with my Friends and Members page?

From your friends and members page you can see the recent activity of your friends, see what games they have been playing recently and send note

How can I remove a friend from my list?

If you get tired of someone because they've offended you and you need to spite them, simply click their name and click remove friend

Waiting in Line

How come I can't get in line for a game?

You either don't have a credit to use or you are trying to get in line for a game that is in a higher tier than the credit you have. To fix this problem you need to make sure that you have posted a game of equivalent tier level and have received either a loaned credit or an earned credit for that game.

What if I want to get out of line?

You can get out of line any time you want by clicking the "LEAVE LINE" button from your "Requested Games" page.

Guaranteed Games

What is your Guarantee?

We guarantee that you won't get ripped off. In other words, if you send one of your very precious games and happen to ask for a game from some idiot user who never sends it... we guarantee that you'll get a game. So you'll get your credit back, and you can pick another user to trade with. Then we'll hunt down that idiot user and...

I just got ripped off, now what?

So you asked for a game and never got it, huh? First off, you need to make sure you've given the guy enough time to send the game. Although it definitely shouldn't take this long, we usually give the sending user at least 20 days to send the game. During that time hopefully you tried contacting the user to see what's going on. If there is no response, and the 20 days have passed, then we ask that you contact us and explain the situation.

Searching for Games

How do I find the game I want?

FLAKWOLF has an easy to use search bar that is always conveniently located at the top of your web browser. You can search by game title, platform, tier level, zip code and proximity, or by and variation of those options!

How can I find out what game is available for me to request right now?

The best way is to use FLAKWOLF's powerful "sorting features." While searching, select the platform and the tier level of the credit that you have, then click on the "COPIES AVAILABLE" column twice to put the most available games at the top of the list.