Pet Codes - Clarification about buying/selling

InappropriateMount

So there's a few mixed signals regarding pet codes, TOS and if people can sell them for gold. I've seen a few WTB pet codes, I've seen old posts on this matter and it would be awesome to get some clarification.

This forum thread has a post from ZOS_MollyH which states that:

Provided any in-game content (including pet codes) are not non-transferrable (such as game accounts etc) they *may* be exchanged for in-game resources as any other game content (like crafting materials and non-BOP items).

This post was from 2015, is this still today? If someone had a pink torchbug pet code, they can sell it to other players for gold? Isn't the code itself not an in-game item and the pet you get non-transferable? Or does the fact you can redeem the code in game that makes the code an in-game item?

Now a second thread has a post from ZOS_DaryaK that says

Yes. You can give the codes away but you may not sell them for in game gold or real money.

This is in a different context (imperial edition upgrade codes) but it's still regarding codes.

I'm not aware of anything more recent that permits pet codes to be sold for in-game gold or not (if anyone has a more recent source of info, that would be appreciated as 2015 is a long time ago!)
But is it allowed/tolerated like crown trading or is it a complete no?

Necrotech_Master

i think the only reason "crown trades" are tolerated by zos at all is cause they profit from the sale of the crowns lol

i think if they were more ok with it then they should just make a legitimate way to trade crowns or have some kind of currency exchange

as for a giveaway pet, i honestly dont know, in the 9 years ive played this i think the only time ive had to claim an item not directly in game was that one infernium spiderling pet many years ago lol

SeaGtGruff

I would think that gifting or selling a "not non-transferable" code for a pet is okay.

As far as the old statement regarding the sale of a code for the Imperial Edition Upgrade, I don't kniw whether that specific situation would still be frowned upon, but it seems likely that with the ability to gift Crown Store purchases, plus allowing players to trade in-game gold for such a gift, would now make that specific situation okay as long as it involved in-game gold and did not involve IRL money.

InappropriateMount

The problem I have with "not non-transferable pet codes" is potential loophole abuse. Crown store trading - the crown store is in game, the gifting is in game, it's basically all in game.

But codes? The code itself of course is not an in game item. Sure some can be redeemed in game but all of them as far as I know can be redeemed via the website. What you get from the code is non-transferable in all cases. What if someone had a reward code for Crowns? ESO+? For a chapter?

Take the Bristlegut Piglet - some of the codes would have been from giveaways in 2014/15 but a lot would be from a Humble Monthly Promotion in 2017. Something that's paid for. And that code includes ESO+ and Crowns. So someone could sell ESO+ and Crowns to other players for in game gold with something that paid money for because it's a 'pet code'.

Both of these posts date back to before crown store gifting was even added so it's possible that policy has changed, who knows?

Just opening to get a more recent confirmation on what's allowed than a post from nearly 8 years ago. A foolish hope but one can dream, eh?

InappropriateMount

ZOS_Icy wrote: »

[snip]

So players can help decide what is and isn't a Terms of Service violation?

[edited to remove quote]

kargen27

"The problem I have with "not non-transferable pet codes" is potential loophole abuse. Crown store trading - the crown store is in game, the gifting is in game, it's basically all in game."

The crowns are outside the game. They are a currency that is specific to items that can be purchased in game but are not in the game themselves. Kind of like buying tokens for use in an amusement park. In that sense the crowns and the codes are the same thing. Both are used to gain specific in game items.

Amottica

Concerning trading crowns for gold Zenimax has said both are in-game so it is ok to trade them. That seems to reinforce the statement the OP quotes.

The issue seems to be if someone trades real world money or items of value outside of the game for in/game items.

Dr_Con

There's opportunistic potential for abuse and support can only rule in favor of the complainant in these cases- if a transaction occurs and it's only one-way, they may rule in favor of the person issuing the refund request unless additional information is provided. I've "heard" in the event of a scam, support may issue a refund as a one-time courtesy (though i've also "heard" that some people have had support help multiple times, so user experience may vary).

There is no safe way to initiate a code torchbug pet trade for gold, similar to how there's no safe way to have it so that someone can buy subscriptions for gold. Both transactions are opportunistic and incur risk, however these transactions are player-player but are goods and promotions that in some way or another are provided by and support Zenimax, so while Zenimax can discourage the trade on one hand, they may do little in terms of reinforcing these rulings and may issue warnings or punishments in the event of a scam (scams like this are allowed in other games, but not ESO).

IMO- trade gold for promotional things at your own risk, and don't expect Zenimax to refund exorbitant trades. Also, don't be stupid. If there's a twitch prime promotional, don't give people your account information/pw so they can link to their twitch, don't give them account details so they can log on and buy you subscription time with their credit card- no matter how honest or compelling they seem. Otherwise, Zenimax may reverse a trade, or they may rule against it- a ruling can completely depend on the context of the situation, and it can be troublesome to respond to this (though I expect them to reply to this topic if the answer is clear-cut).