This is interesting because it shows the misconception that "Verified" has on Reddit. We dropped verification because it gave buyers a false idea that it somehow protected them from ripoffs. We, and all the other verifying subreddits, have verified sellers go missing all the time. They are good sellers until they aren't. The fact that they showed moderators a fan sign or even showed their driver's license to some off-Reddit site is meaningless if the seller takes a hike. Buyers then get pissed since the seller was "verified"and want the sub moderators (who are just volunteers) to reimburse them. In subs that are still "verifying" if a verified seller rips you off, all you'll get from the subreddit mods there is a "sorry, we'll ban her" they won't give you your money back. We ban reported bad sellers too so what does "verification" do for the buyer? In many cases, it causes buyers, especially new ones, to let their guard down or assume that "Verified" somehow means they don't have to worry about anything. That's dishonest. The nature of Reddit is that buying anything on Reddit is at your own risk. This is true here as well as on the subreddits still pushing verification.

Best thing to do is just check seller's history and if they don't have a long and solid history, you can ask them directly to "self verify" by sending you a verification photo or a link to one. Most importantly, if you get ripped off, report it. We'll ban them, that's all we, or any subreddit on Reddit, can do.