Do you trust a merch w/ no forum cred?

[Candylicks]

I am truly curious as to this, and it was brought up in the chat box today figured hey let's make a thread about it. In the traders section there is a sudden influx of new accounts selling high end items. You can't message them because they don't have 10 posts, yet bunch are posting selling: rings, fossils, red eggs... and not just one item but multiple.

They do not leave their in game name either, you have to leave yours and I guess they message you in the game probably from another random low level toon.

What's the deal? Is this how our plat farmers are selling back to us? Do you trust these people to sell items to you w/o issue? I would like to know what is going on here and if they are clearly doing us wrong.

Thanks Arlorians I look forward to reading your replies.

<3 Candy

[Jurmans]

I don't believe them.

[Ihateppl]

I trust everyone! until I have a reason not too.

[Commanderkeen]

If they have the products and gold I don't really care.

[basketholic209]

My thought exactly. But then again, it happens during and after double odds weekend, so there might be nothing wrong at all :)

[Dex Scene]

People cares but when they need something and have the gold, they won't care the sellers.
Stg just should track ip addresses and imei # and proxies cautiously and carefully.
I used to play some games where the companies used to track them very strictly.

[Schnitzel]

Personally, if i dont know the forum name, i wouldnt trust them

And if they ask for your ign, and don't give theirs, i dont think they're merching.

If you think they can be trusted, trade. Else dont give your ign

[Bigboyblue]

I wonder the same thing Candy. It doesn't mean you can't make a deal with these people but I would think they are one of the following two things:

1. A person that has spent a lot of rl money on this game and want to remain anonymous in their dealings. They don't want to make public all they have spent and acquired and would rather not have people badger them in game. This is very reasonable and understandable.

2. Plat farmers that need to create new accounts to make their deals.

Either way I would buy from these people if they had an item I wanted. Of course I would use caution as I would with anyone. Be safe when making trades!!

That being said if I were STS I may pay a little more attention to these accounts and see which one of the above two categories they fall into.

[Candylicks]

I wonder the same thing Candy. It doesn't mean you can't make a deal with these people but I would think they are one of the following two things:

1. A person that has spent a lot of rl money on this game and want to remain anonymous in their dealings. They don't want to make public all they have spent and acquired and would rather not have people badger them in game. This is very reasonable and understandable.

2. Plat farmers that need to create new accounts to make their deals.

Either way I would buy from these people if they had an item I wanted. Of course I would use caution as I would with anyone. Be safe when making trades!!

That being said if I were STS I may pay a little more attention to these accounts and see which one of the above two categories they fall into.

The thing about #1 is the majority of people in this category would not be there selling: Ring, fossil, shard, sam, singe... I can see someone in that case making a fake account to sell A ring or A maul.. but not multiple items all in the same post. That doesn't add up for me.

And OK let's say yeah I buy a maul off someone who is a plat farmer. I mean, I don't know he's plat farmer so I'm not doing anything wrong. What I want to know is are you guys or anyone here buying off these fake accounts and it's legit in the game?

Yes these accounts just scream to me something is wrong. I can assume STS can track it and are already on top of it behind the scenes. They don't like being ripped off.

[MoloToha]

Probably scammers. There are thousands of them in game. Their primary target is black market, where you can buy/sell items and accounts for real money (so it is possible to scam). After scamming, they make sure STS won't trace them and just sell it from fake forum account using fake low level toon. Easy and safe scheme, but easy to notice. I would never trade with such sellers, because if I did, I would help them in this way. Plat farmers do the same, but they scam STS instead of players.

[Kakashis]

It can always be some random new player who hit it big at the lottery and doesn't have the gold to even list the item. They followed the links and are selling on the forums. As long as they have the item, I have the gold, you double check all everything in the trade window, I don't really care who they are.

As for merchers, I buy and sell stuff through them to save time. I don't have the patience to stand in pier all day and getting "LOL" at my prices and/or my offers.

[Candylicks]

It can always be some random new player who hit it big at the lottery and doesn't have the gold to even list the item. They followed the links and are selling on the forums. As long as they have the item, I have the gold, you double check all everything in the trade window, I don't really care who they are.

As for merchers, I buy and sell stuff through them to save time. I don't have the patience to stand in pier all day and getting "LOL" at my prices and/or my offers.

Again, it's not just ONE item. No one strikes it big with shard, fossil, rings (several), maul, sam, singe... come on...

[Madnex]

Mostly it's undercover merchants who wish to lowball and overprice as much as they want. Or shady people who wish to push items aquired by scamming/platfarming.

[Ssneakykills]

Some people know that forums is a easier way to sell stuff and get more people to know about it maybe

[matanofx]

If you just scammed an arcane ring from someone and you want to get rid of exhibit A, you make a new forum account and use it to sell the ring.

I dont trust anyone and i have no reason to, im not lending them anything im just making an offer, if they have it ill buy it if they dont have it, its nothing but a waste of time.

Another thing candy was smart to mention is plat farmers, a real problem and the absolute biggest threat to AL's economy, these comments get deleted but we all know where all those arcane rings come from.

[aarrgggggg]

I trust everyone! until I have a reason not too.

Lol im the exact opposite, I trust Noone until they prove themselves.

Respect is earned not given thats my motto

[aarrgggggg]

Mostly it's undercover merchants who wish to lowball and overprice as much as they want. Or shady people who wish to push items aquired by scamming/platfarming.

Undercover merchants is what i believe it could be, for instance the same person has 3 accounts and "trades" amongst the three acoounts by doing so they manipulate prices how they see fit.

[obee]

Sometimes I think some merchers merchant in a way that is comparable to scamming

[Visiting]

Sometimes I think some merchers merchant in a way that is comparable to scamming

I have most merches in game on my ignore list....

[Zeus]

I have most merches in game on my ignore list....

I must be special!

[Commanderkeen]

I must be special!

Some would say "very". Didn't know you merched I've never seen you in towns.

[Visiting]

I must be special!
Someone unfriended me in game anyways... :P

[Zeus]

Someone unfriended me in game anyways... :P

I cleared friends list once it gets over 200 friends just to make sure that my list is updated and efficient. Re-add me! :)

[Zeus]

Some would say "very". Didn't know you merched I've never seen you in towns.

I'm not one of the typical merchants that will sit in town buying and selling all day. Instead, I like to control supply/demand or merchant during times of economic turmoil.

[Tehh]

I trust forum merchers less. Because with randoms they know its harder to make a deal with no cred and they can be more coopertive. My opinion

[Commanderkeen]

I'm not one of the typical merchants that will sit in town buying and selling all day. Instead, I like to control supply/demand or merchant during times of economic turmoil.

Ah.

[obee]

I'm not one of the typical merchants that will sit in town buying and selling all day. Instead, I like to control supply/demand or merchant during times of economic turmoil.

I'm sorry I don't speak money/economy XD

[Visiting]

How do you define "Forums rep" btw, I have 7 bar thingies here, but if I asked to hold an arcane ring/kersh/50mil/etc.. I'm assuming my forum bars wouldn't be the deciding factor in how much you can trust me....

[Commanderkeen]

How do you define "Forums rep" btw, I have 7 bar thingies here, but if I asked to hold an arcane ring/kersh/50mil/etc.. I'm assuming my forum bars wouldn't be the deciding factor in how much you can trust me....

Just cause your "loud" on the forums doesn't mean you can be trusted.

[obee]

Just cause your "loud" on the forums doesn't mean you can be trusted.

Yep we've seen that a lot lol

[Commanderkeen]

Yep we've seen that a lot lol

When it comes to the AL forums it's just different than others including other Spacetime games and other developers forums. People here just are different I don't know how to explain it.

[Visiting]

When it comes to the AL forums it's just different than others including other Spacetime games and other developers forums. People here just are different I don't know how to explain it.

Al forums for some reason causes some people's egos to inflate to gargantuan sizes if you ask me....

[Commanderkeen]

Al forums for some reason causes some people's egos to inflate to gargantuan sizes if you ask me....

Yes and all of the other fourms I've ever been a member in I have never seen some many actually helpful post ignored and troll post thanked. To me it makes no sense.

[Candylicks]

I mean a new account. Not bars under your name. I mean, if you have a sig with your Ign on it this post has nothing to do with u.

[Visiting]

I mean a new account. Not bars under your name. I mean, if you have a sig with your Ign on it this post has nothing to do with u.

My answer to the OP, is that I don't trust merches, ever.

[Arpluvial]

Hey guys! I have cleaned up this thread. Let's make sure that we aren't calling out any forum users or players by name, okay? :) Let's keep it friendly.

[Gensin]

I do this, But I dont plat farm.

I pvp so much, and I cant deny the fact that my name is soiled in pvp, cause I kill alot of people in twink levels.
So I have figured to make alts, Alts that will sell items in auct for me and will trade for others.

[Serancha]

Personally I would be highly suspicious of any unknown selling multiple arcanes. It took me well over a year of monthly opening to even get a single one. For brand new players to have a stack of them is just not possible if they're playing honestly.

If they are not new, just hiding their identity, that is fishy at best. Someone hiding who they are and also stacked with arcanes? I'd steer well clear unless they were someone known in game. It's either a plat farmer or a scammer. More likely the first, since there just aren't that many scammable people with arcanes.

People with a forum rep are much more likely to get my business. At least I have the ability to look up their posts and see a bit of their history. Usually if I don't know a forumite personally, someone I know does, and I can find out if they are for real or not.

[SacredKnight]

It can always be some random new player who hit it big at the lottery and doesn't have the gold to even list the item. They followed the links and are selling on the forums. As long as they have the item, I have the gold, you double check all everything in the trade window, I don't really care who they are.

As for merchers, I buy and sell stuff through them to save time. I don't have the patience to stand in pier all day and getting "LOL" at my prices and/or my offers.

Off topic but, did you get your username from Naruto?

[Speedofsound]

Tbh i never care or pay attention since my mindset is on the item they are selling.

[Xeusx]

That's why STS need to improve the register system.

[epicrrr]

He/Seller got the items i want and thats all what matters to me I will be making it hard on myself to think of other things regarding the items consciously, that will be mentally exhausting.

[Rare]

I don't see how they could be doing people wrong. There have been fake sellers since the beginning. If they actually have the item you want, that's all that matters. Whether they are a troll seller or not isn't anything but annoying. To answer your question, I generally don't trust anyone i don't know. But with the new accounts i usually just assume they're trolling.

Hell, I've even seen this:

"Selling, 5m fixed"
"5m"
"5.01"
"Any higher bids?"

Just as bad imo.

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[utpal]

sorry, but I m.not up to date with game (quit since ursoth event end) and forums too, but what r these plat farmers? I m seeing sudden influx of threads regarding plat farming and abusing.

[Candylicks]

sorry, but I m.not up to date with game (quit since ursoth event end) and forums too, but what r these plat farmers? I m seeing sudden influx of threads regarding plat farming and abusing.

It has ruined the economy and driven up prices to redic amounts. They are obtaining plat by scrupulous ways (not purchasing or completing offers the correct way) and merching arcane items for extraordinary prices. For honest players who spend REAL money on plat, it now puts a lot of things we would have been able to buy slightly out of reach. Some of them have been caught by StS, but a lot of them have not. I didn't fully understand what was going on until a friend of mine told me how plat was being farmed. I was like whoah... it's actually pretty easy to do. :/ And now these plat farmers are trying to hide and making new forum accounts to sell their wares, and you can't message them nor do they give their IGN. You have to say your IGN and they meet you in game on some low level toon for the transaction, which I assume then they delete until the next one. It sucks. It hurts because on the other hand there are a ton of us who have invested serious money into this game, and serious time and now we are being screwed by the plat farmers.

[Rare]

Meh... economy has been ruined since season 3 when a weapon was selling for 25+ million. 6 months into gameplay or so.

As for the plat farmers... I don't know if its fair to directly associate low post count or low level toon to some plat farmer. And it would be a bad generalization to make. I myself have several low level toons that I used to buy/sell with. Merely because I did not like dealing with friends and found it difficult to negotiate if I knew they knew who I was (this, btw, also lets you see which of your "friends" are actually quality people). Its painting with a broad brush. And I don't think its good idea to make the connection personally.

Besides, what benefit do they have to deleting and remaking low level toons. In fact, what would it benefit someone selling things (ill got or not) to not use their real names?

[Candylicks]

Yes you are right Rare, not all low level people are farmers. I didn't mean to overgeneralize that way.

[killarrow]

It has ruined the economy and driven up prices to redic amounts. They are obtaining plat by scrupulous ways (not purchasing or completing offers the correct way) and merching arcane items for extraordinary prices. For honest players who spend REAL money on plat, it now puts a lot of things we would have been able to buy slightly out of reach. Some of them have been caught by StS, but a lot of them have not. I didn't fully understand what was going on until a friend of mine told me how plat was being farmed. I was like whoah... it's actually pretty easy to do. :/ And now these plat farmers are trying to hide and making new forum accounts to sell their wares, and you can't message them nor do they give their IGN. You have to say your IGN and they meet you in game on some low level toon for the transaction, which I assume then they delete until the next one. It sucks. It hurts because on the other hand there are a ton of us who have invested serious money into this game, and serious time and now we are being screwed by the plat farmers.

Sorry for going off topic. I have posted the below in suggestions and feedback section as well. Hope those who buy plats would agree and see to this get implemented by STS. LINK (http://www.spacetimestudios.com/showthread.php?175145-Solution-to-stop-plat-farmers-blowing-the-trust-of-plat-buyers-in-this-game&p=1822008#post1822008)



It really hurts to know of plat buyers have to compete with the plat farmers.

Just my two cents and a solution that would help STS retain plat buyers and their trust/ interest in this game.

Split the buckets into two: #1: Bought Plats bucket #2: Free offers bucket (call it nickel or free tokens and not platinum)
Plats bought - unrestricted to spend on anything of your choice. You bought it with real money and deserve to use it as and how you please.

Nickels from free offers/ farmed:
Use Nickels as plats to
1. Quick buy a lix
2. Revive

Limit the use of farmed Nickels to -
1. Open not more than one locked per day (24 hours)
2. Upgrade not more than one gem day (24 hrs)

Remove the following options stores/ stable
1. Buy weapons
2. Buy Pet eggs
3. Buy premium bundles and vanity
4. Buy pets Premium exclusive plat pets with nickel
5. Buy Jewellery and 10x lix bundles from the store

Technically I know this is not a tough solution to implement considering the use cases of event tokens can be extended to resolve this issue. I am surprised why STS did not choose to plug this revenue hole for so long. Wish the designers and devs give this some priority over a double odds/ shark weekend kind of events that just boosts the plat farmers revenue.

[Anarchist]

It has ruined the economy and driven up prices to redic amounts. They are obtaining plat by scrupulous ways (not purchasing or completing offers the correct way) and merching arcane items for extraordinary prices. For honest players who spend REAL money on plat, it now puts a lot of things we would have been able to buy slightly out of reach. Some of them have been caught by StS, but a lot of them have not. I didn't fully understand what was going on until a friend of mine told me how plat was being farmed. I was like whoah... it's actually pretty easy to do. :/ And now these plat farmers are trying to hide and making new forum accounts to sell their wares, and you can't message them nor do they give their IGN. You have to say your IGN and they meet you in game on some low level toon for the transaction, which I assume then they delete until the next one. It sucks. It hurts because on the other hand there are a ton of us who have invested serious money into this game, and serious time and now we are being screwed by the plat farmers.

I am sure you know or suspect some people.
Report 'em.
Support really bans, this time.

[killarrow]

I am sure you know or suspect some people.
Report 'em.
Support really bans, this time.

How would you know for sure that they are plat farming? Would you keep shouting wolf on every suspicious looking sheep?

Support are just going to be overwhelmed with the volumes of reports. At some point, support are going to put these reports on the back burner if the reported vs actual plat farmers don't hit a significant number.

Do they really have a support base to handle 1000 reports a day? If they do this may work for some time, but defenitely not a good approach for the long run.

[Anarchist]

You dont need to know. You dont need to gather proves either.
The problem is they cant start looking at every account since the creation of AL so tell them a name and if the platfarmer was careless enough to farm on his main he will get banned.

But ehi who wants to get his buddies banned here ? nobody, so we back on spot 1.

Major plat farmers in major AL guilds were banned in response they came back with new toons. So its not just a trouble of banning but also keeping who gets banned banned.

And +1 to your suggestion, though i usually do paid offers and would like to be able to spend my plat on what i prefer.

[Rare]

You dont need to know. You dont need to gather proves either.
The problem is they cant start looking at every account since the creation of AL so tell them a name and if the platfarmer was careless enough to farm on his main he will get banned.

But ehi who wants to get his buddies banned here ? nobody, so we back on spot 1.

Major plat farmers in major AL guilds were banned in response they came back with new toons. So its not just a trouble of banning but also keeping who gets banned banned.

And +1 to your suggestion, though i usually do paid offers and would like to be able to spend my plat on what i prefer.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/12/ytusa7eg.jpg

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[Candylicks]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/12/ytusa7eg.jpg

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I spit my coffee Aed. That was good.

[Candylicks]

It really pisses me off that legitimate players who buy plat, farm, and do some small scale merching are unable to compete with the plat farmers. I have saved up a ton of gold only to find I STILL can't buy a ring because these people have floated so much gold into the economy. Screw you people who are selling rings for 130M and have acquired it for FREE in the first place.

The next part is this. They don't even want you to spend 130M on it, they have so much gold already. The rings are mostly being sold for CASH on the black market now. I was offered to buy one for $650 by one person and $750 by another. It sure was tempting being as I spent over $5,000.00 on plat already, but I refuse to give cash to someone stealing from STS.

And yes all of you two faced people who come here on the forum saying 'let's squash the plat farmers' but are the exact ones who are stealing? I know who you are. My moral compass is telling me to hand over what you are doing and I shouldn't be friends with criminals anyways.

[Covert]

I don't trust ppl with or without forum cred \o/

[notfaded1]

It really pisses me off that legitimate players who buy plat, farm, and do some small scale merching are unable to compete with the plat farmers. I have saved up a ton of gold only to find I STILL can't buy a ring because these people have floated so much gold into the economy. Screw you people who are selling rings for 130M and have acquired it for FREE in the first place.

The next part is this. They don't even want you to spend 130M on it, they have so much gold already. The rings are mostly being sold for CASH on the black market now. I was offered to buy one for $650 by one person and $750 by another. It sure was tempting being as I spent over $5,000.00 on plat already, but I refuse to give cash to someone stealing from STS.

And yes all of you two faced people who come here on the forum saying 'let's squash the plat farmers' but are the exact ones who are stealing? I know who you are. My moral compass is telling me to hand over what you are doing and I shouldn't be friends with criminals anyways.
This is 100% true and it also really really make me mad. This is completely ruining the game for people that legitimately pay for their platinum. I would suggest stopping all offers until a technical solution is found because this is getting worse not better!
The way it should work is more items come into game and price goes down but since these people have basically printed money in the game it's driven the price up instead of down. They don't mind paying 140M for an arcane ring cause for them it's all FREE anyway. This really really makes me mad. It's stealing from not only STS directly but indirectly it's stealing from every legitimate customer of the game which is just plain wrong. My concern is that its going on and STS is aware and they are allowing these offers to continue.

STOP ALL FREE PLAT OFFERS UNTIL a technical solution is found period.

[Rare]

It really pisses me off that legitimate players who buy plat, farm, and do some small scale merching are unable to compete with the plat farmers. I have saved up a ton of gold only to find I STILL can't buy a ring because these people have floated so much gold into the economy. Screw you people who are selling rings for 130M and have acquired it for FREE in the first place.

The next part is this. They don't even want you to spend 130M on it, they have so much gold already. The rings are mostly being sold for CASH on the black market now. I was offered to buy one for $650 by one person and $750 by another. It sure was tempting being as I spent over $5,000.00 on plat already, but I refuse to give cash to someone stealing from STS.

And yes all of you two faced people who come here on the forum saying 'let's squash the plat farmers' but are the exact ones who are stealing? I know who you are. My moral compass is telling me to hand over what you are doing and I shouldn't be friends with criminals anyways.

Oh that is happening for sure. But its not just from plat farmers. Legit players as well.

[Zeus]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/12/ytusa7eg.jpg

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This post is win!

[Jurmans]

Best solution in my eyes is that sts removes the plat offers and gives each account every month 5-10 plat (only problem here is that people will make like 20 acc's.

[Anarchist]

We are all getting cooked on the same fire.

[Zeus]

We are all getting cooked on the same fire.

We are all getting cooked in the same pot & then getting overdone in the kettle. :/

[Visiting]

We are all getting cooked in the same pot & then getting overdone in the kettle. :/

The AL community would taste of hypocrisy and noob if it were put into a stew....

[obee]

Why can't sts just remove free offers. At the same time, they will lose a ton of people. What I don't like, is that they like plat farming threads, and say if you have an issue, send an email to Spacetime support. This isn't an issue, this is a legit problem

[Zeus]

Remiem has assured me that they are working on it and will have a fix for plat farming in the nearby future.

[Gensin]

Remiem has assured me that they are working on it and will have a fix for plat farming in the nearby future.

Of course, Self explanatory.
No company will let there income gone to waste.

[Anarchial]

The only fix that can be given to plat farming is to give a special currency that would only allow to buy non tradeable items(as suggested by killarrow).
But others have pointed out what would happen to paid offers? Special code for them? I don't know why STS didn't take any stance on it. Now that plat farming has gone viral and its working illustrated by various posts in forums, STS has decided to act on it. Although I haven't seen any post by any STG employee that any fix or any tweak is coming for it. Only rumors that its going to be fixed.

The problem is the game has gone too far with free offers. Now if they remove plat offers altogether its gonna affect a mass level of players.
All in all if STS really wishes to give a fix they have to write some code for it. Introduce third currency and only allow third currency to be farmed from offers.

Edit: as a side note I totally forgot that this plat farming would have never populated the market if proper loot table was assigned to elites like Serancha always suggested. The F2P model here is distorted. Making gold from elites is tough and loots get devalued. Maybe the mythic pendant questline from planar tombs might change.
P.S. just look at the crafted egg concept. Bla bla and then arcane. Have some capped mythics(if not arcanes) within reach of us. Less frustrated players would mean less people would be willing to buy op items which infact would lead to plat farmers eventually quit.