A short list of things that experienced buyers do that new buyers do not. None of these are secret; most are just habit.
Always copy mirrors, never retype them. A v3 onion is fifty-six characters. The probability of typing it correctly on the first try is low; the probability of typing it incorrectly and landing on a clone is non-zero. Copy.
Bookmark the directory, not the onion. The directory rotates with the operator. A bookmarked onion will eventually fall out of rotation; a bookmarked directory always shows the current set.
Read the vendor profile before placing an order. Both platforms expose feedback count, on-time-shipment ratio, and dispute outcomes on the vendor profile. Spend ninety seconds there before clicking buy.
Use the rating filter on every category page. Both platforms rank featured listings ahead of best-rated by default. Switch the sort to rating-descending before you browse.
Fund in Monero. Bitcoin still works on both platforms but is actively de-emphasised. Funding in XMR removes the chain-analytics tail risk and the on-chain fee is negligible.
If the dispute system feels slow, give it the published SLA before escalating. The panel processes tickets in order of submission with a small priority for high-value disputes. Posting on the forum to demand attention does not move the panel faster, and it does occasionally annoy the panel.
Save your seed and your 2FA setup material to a password manager from day one. Account recovery is friction-heavy on both platforms.
