Cargo Safe to Scoop?

[Rose]

I tried scooping cargo for the first time yesterday. I picked up three cannisters of 'rare artwork' (I think that was the phrase). Subsequently, I was fined by about 5-6000 CR more than the cargo was worth, so I made a net loss.

I had already avoided scooping 'experimental chemicals' (again, I think that's what it was) because that sounded risky, but who could possibly have any problem with me collecting rare artwork?

When scooping cargo, is there any way to determine whether the cargo will attract a fine before picking it up?

 

[ollobrains]

its all stolen by default

 

[Shads]

You have to get to a station with a black market without being scanned. Check Youtube for vids on smuggling

 

[EnFo]

All cargo you scoop from USS's will cause a fine if scanned as they are classed as stolen.

 

[Curveball]

What I have learned is that any cargo that was not initially bought by you will be marked as stolen and therefore inherit a fine if you get scanned.
You either avoid picking up cargo in space or avoid being scanned

 

[Lanceor]

All picked up goods will attract a fine. You'll have to be careful not to get caught with it when docking.

Edit: Accidentally walked into a ninja convention.

 

[FaolGlas]

If you didn't buy it, it's stolen, is pretty much the rule. Unless you are with a player who uses Jettison Cargo (Abandon) which I have heard lets the player drop the cargo so that it is not marked stolen when picked up - the only exception I am aware of, whether it's coffee or gold or rare artwork makes no difference to it being classed as nicked!

Ouch those ninja weapons are sharp!

 

[Whiterose]

The only cargo that isnt stolen, is cargo that is abandoned.....you cant tell the difference until you scoop it up. You will need to learn how to smuggle, ie not get scanned by the security ships.

 

[Rose]

Woah. Thanks all. Keen today aren't we?

 

[Negative Entropy]

try to be aware at all times where stations have black markets in your area.
when coming to a new sector (I move around a lot), I make it a point to visit all convenient outposts until I find a couple of them.

It is not too difficult to smuggle goods into a regular station but you should practice first at evading scans without illegal cargo. If your status with the station is 'Friendly' or better you seem to be scanned a lot less.

I never had trouble with Experimental Chemicals, but avoid Toxic Waste.
As a rule I dont bother picking up the cheap stuff

 

[ketch1]

In my experiance if you pick up dodgy goods take them to an anarchy system and sell on the black market for a tidy sum, but you may well get away with it in non anarchy systems as long as you aviod the police and land at a outpost not a proper station correct me if im wrong?

:-D

 

[starjump]

In my experiance if you pick up dodgy goods take them to an anarchy system and sell on the black market for a tidy sum, but you may well get away with it in non anarchy systems as long as you aviod the police and land at a outpost not a proper station correct me if im wrong?

:-D

You can land at proper stations with cops zooming around. The trick is to either sneak in by silent running (never do this myself and im unsure if its good or not), but to line up from a bit out and then go fast in = profit - everytime. Just be careful not to crash.

 

[Rose]

Thanks for the further detail.

I'll try to pay more attention to when I get scanned. I think it's been a while since I docked at an outpost so I don't recall whether I've been scanned less often (or even not at all) in such places.

Silent running is something I've not played around with before. The next few times I enter a system and dock, I may try using it to see if I have any success in reducing the chances of scans.

 

[Grand Admiral Poobah]

Thrudd's trading tool has a nice little search feature which I use to find the nearest station to me that has a BM. You then need to figure out how to get inside without being scanned assuming it's not a platform, where there are few if any sec/cops.

My chosen method is align to the letterbox about 7.5km away > full pips to engines > boost x 2 > drop landing gear and full reverse thrust > full pips to SYS just in case as you will be near the back wall when you stop. You will also needs to be quick to abort if you suddenly see an Asp or Type 9 filling the letterbox as you hurtle towards it at 410!

 

[Hokum15]

You can usually go to a smaller space dock and sell it as they don't scan you like the larger space stations.

 

[mpfj]

Unless you are with a player who uses Jettison Cargo (Abandon) which I have heard lets the player drop the cargo so that it is not marked stolen when picked up

What happens if CMDR A scoops some cargo and then abandons it for CMDR B to scoop ?

Would CMDR B have stolen goods ?

 

[Rose]

What happens if CMDR A scoops some cargo and then abandons it for CMDR B to scoop ?

Would CMDR B have stolen goods ?

Are you a software tester? If not, perhaps you should be.

 

[Whiterose]

What happens if CMDR A scoops some cargo and then abandons it for CMDR B to scoop ?

Would CMDR B have stolen goods ?

and if there was no-one there to witness it did it actually happen?

 

[Red Fox Four]

What happens if CMDR A scoops some cargo and then abandons it for CMDR B to scoop ?

Would CMDR B have stolen goods ?

Wait... are you implying a 'money laundering' scheme for the cargo containers?

What happens if CMDR A scoops some cargo, then abandons it, and CMDR A then just picks up the abandoned cargo himself?

 

[Rose]

and if there was no-one there to witness it did it actually happen?

Ah, the old 'if a man says something but there's no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong' thing...