I wouldn't go as far as to stay away from trades completely....but I would advise to make sure you do your research first and know who you are trading with. There are a lot of folks here on Fauna that I wouldn't think twice about trading with...even shipping first. (I'm not going to name names, because there are a lot, and I don't want to leave anyone out and hurt any feelings, lol)
As far as a trade with someone I don't know.....well, if it was something I REALLY wanted, and got a favorable response from folks here that have done business with them before, I might....but someone who I don't know, and I can't find any reliable references for them.......forget it.
Trades can be an awesome way to get something, if done right, IMO. Unfortunately, it didn't happen the way it was supposed to in this case.