Economic Friction Instead of Moderators
Every action on Pastehub that could be used to manipulate the marketplace has a cost attached to it. The costs are public, the results are public, and everyone can read the data and make their own decisions.
Core Mechanics
The Mechanisms
Review Credits
Anyone can buy review credits for $1 each. A credit produces a single-use review link. Buyers and sellers both pay the same cost — every review on this platform has a dollar behind it.
Endorsements & Flags
Any logged-in user can endorse or anonymously flag a listing. Free and zero-friction, providing a public ratio of community confidence to counter-balance each other.
Paid Warnings
Permanently attach a detailed warning to a listing for $20. Visible to all future visitors. Verified sellers can post a public response.
Promoted Listings
One free boost per day. Promoted Status available monthly for priority visibility. Verified sellers get automatic daily boosts.
Philosophy
Why It Works This Way
Reviews cost money
because free reviews on forums are trivially faked with alt accounts. Attaching a cost doesn't make fake reviews impossible — it makes them an investment that's visible in the seller's spending patterns.
Flags and Endorsements are free
because the community needs a zero-friction way to signal confidence or problems. Individual actions are noise; the aggregate ratio is the signal.
Warnings cost $20
because detailed accusations need friction to prevent weaponization. The cost doesn't eliminate bad actors — it raises the floor. The warning content is permanent and speaks for itself.
All data is public
because the platform doesn't make trust decisions for you. Review counts, flag counts, and paid warnings are visible on every listing. The information is there — interpretation is yours.
Platform Costs
Verified Seller Premium
Integration