Turns out scaming is ok in this game

[Alko]

So I am here to tell story about how anyone can scammed in game and devs are ok with this or maybe they aren't, but this should be cleared I hope in this thread.

So I play this game all fun and nice one day on Trade channel I see message [03/15 02:45:09 PM] [Trade] {NAME OF THE PLAYER}: 'wts minas morgul collector edition or 5k lp code ps price.'
I think to my self looks like a good deal to get some LP assuming they are legal won't need to grind deeds and I have more gold then I need in this game. So we arrange deal with this player I send gold first well i risk just in-game item and he buys code with RL money (I place value on RL money above some currency in game). Well turns out he need to buy code I do not mind to wait maybe who knows how it goes with buying LP codes. Turn out he need 5-10 min ok fine by me later on it becomes 7-24 hours who do I know maybe seller need to confirm money transfer after this it becomes 48 hours fine by me. I can wait if its a scam devs should help sort it out and who in right mind would risk well geared acc? worst case I lose 15k gold but player risk well geared acc I think to my self. One morning it was still less then 48 hours I see same player offering code for some other in game items then it clicked this must be scam. So I contact same guy and say hey can you send a code or gold back? and then I hit wall off silence. well I think to my self time to make a ticket and I wrote one:

Hello Dear Dev who will read this letter. I have problem with Twisted minded player in this comunity of {SERVER NAME}. In one of playing sesions I had saw chat message: [03/15 02:45:09 PM] [Trade] {NAME OF THE PLAYER}: 'wts minas morgul collector edition or 5k lp code ps price.' Because I trust people I got into contact with such player turns out I have a lot of gold from tradeing with free people of midlle earth. Started chating with this player and he sed "[14:48] {NAME OF THE PLAYER}: sending golds by mail and than i sending code on this chat or mail as u you wish" I trusted and send him 2 mails containing 9000 gold and 6000 gold. I do understand I lost hard earned gold, but I wish such comunity weeds would be removed with roots. So 15000 gold is small price to pay for it. and I hope you will make well deserved desision on this player actions.

And what do you think meny hours latter I resave dev team responce:

Greetings {MY NAME}! Thank you for contacting in-game support. We are sorry to hear about this incident. We do encourage caution when engaging in player trading, however we are unable to intervene in player trades and apologize for the inconvenience! +{dev name}+

Then it was like you for real? you can read chat I provided time stamp for reference and you decide to do nothing I didn't ask to get gold back I asked some action and you say you wont deal with it? so I come here to this forum asking maybe different dev to read it discus and do something as this opens possibility for many more scams as I witness my self this guy offering deals to others with no consequence. How many people must be scammed till you will do anything? I will include ticket ID#: 5249224

And for other player plz have in mind in 11 years I never encountered any scam as community was grate lets keep it this way. Its not about gold or game items its about community we have with out bad seeds of SOURON.

[Laurelinarien]

I always assume those messages are scams.

Sorry it happened to you, I don't know if the Devs actually intervene when this kind of scam happens.

My suggestion: instead of in-game help, send a ticket via their website (if you have screenshots or a chat log, you should add them there).

I wonder if what happened to you falls under the CoC term #11:

11. You may not advertise the intent to, commit the act of, or facilitate the ability of others to commit the act of, unauthorized selling or buying of Game items for real-world monetary values or other consideration.

Could "other consideration" mean in-game gold? I don't know.

[Polymachos]

Apart from the fact that it is hard to find an end and a beginning within the sentences of the original poster - when I read this, I remembered a discussion that we had in this forum just recently. Maybe it was too hidden in the vast number of new threads...

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...-myth-debunked

The odd thing is, it went exactly the other way around; the specific person in the world chat did not want to sell an expansion code, but buy it. Are these incidents related? If yes, you've received a lot of counter advice for sure, because such an offer will just call for scammers. I don't understand why you would not take these warnings for serious.

See, even if we're an honest group, which makes up 9.99% of the players total, we cannot prevent the 0.01% of bad apples, that each group of people will have. They come in, look around, and will take what they can get, even before we have noticed that they are already there. The only way to deal with them (as we don't have the powers that a GM has) will be: 1.be wary, 2.don't make trades that cannot be done via Cash on Delivery. Actually, I give away things for free (eg drops from old instances), when I don't need them; but this is a decision on my side. I would never send money/gold in advance to someone I do not know.

And be assured that the GMs have examined the case and banned the scammer instantly. They just don't tell it; because this is common practice in MMO's that bans are not discussed whatsoever. The problem is: If they refund one player that got scammed, they open a Pandora's Box, with people of all kinds wanting their money back, be it for a sound reason, or not; and the GMs would have to examine each case separately, with a good deal of these cases being hard to resolve, because each of the two sides had done something wrong in the process.

Imagine what would happen, if they complied: Some players might even complain over a petty sum of a few silver. Where should the GMs draw the line? In which cases should they act, and when not? Which players will then feel unjustly treated? How much work will this cause, as there will always be some who won't be content, and start to appeal? And will this make the players in general reckless or careless, as they can be sure that in case something is going wrong, they can reclaim their expenses? Will they expect and demand that they from now on will be nannied?

As hard as it may sound, but the GMs are forced to leave you out in the cold. If you went to a civil court and demanded your money back, the judge would probably tell you that you are a grown up person which knows how the world works, and has the faculty of judgement to tell when something is probably honest, and when not; and that you gave your money away willingly. And he will tell you that you should turn to the law enforcement authorities with your request, if you want this scammer to be dealt with. A game master isn't the police. He is more the person that stands in front of a shop and says, okay, there is a pickpocket in there which got identiied, we'll inform the police in order to get him arrested, and in court we will testify. They can also keep this person from entering the shop again (aka ban them).

But the shop cannot take the money from the thief, and hand it over to the person which got pickpocketed. Only the law enforcement judge can decide that the thief will have to compensate. It is not the job of the shop.


Sorry to tell you this, but this is how life goes.


Polymachos

[Alko]

this guy who scammed me now going free in in trade world chats offering same deal and shoping spree on my gold so yes dev didn't do anything at least before they had generic message:

Greetings, I am a Game Master for Online Support. I will investigate this incident and take appropriate action. I am unable to discuss any actions or details related to this incident with other players, but I appreciate your Report. Thank you for helping us maintain a great community.

And he just makes fun of me and community like yeh I am innocent devs didn't ban me so I am good. Its reason I included ticket number in this post just with small [hope token +1] maybe there will be someone on devs team who will look into this with a bit more care only thing is read up messages check mail between me and this player its should be visible what hapend. Lets make Lotro comunity grate again!!!

[Sanduill]

A player called Tbillisi on Evernighti cost me 15k gold as well. Never gave me the 5k LP code.

Sad that SSG won't do anything about it either. At least ban the guy? They even advertise their community on their loading screens

Saddest part is that the guy keeps ''selling'' codes on trade chat while he uses his other account (Tbillisi in this case) to say it's a legit deal that he just bought one from the seller........................ .............................. .........

[IcarusLSC]

Call them out in game and let people know its a scam.