Guild traders being sold for real money... Zenimax, can we do something about this?

Rittings · February 2016

So last week saw the strong emergence of a new trend. Bogus guilds being created, spies being put in guilds to see the highest bids of those guilds who had traders (which really is a MASSIVE flaw that any member of a guild can see what their guild has bid on a trader - and changing this might actually relieve this issue a little bit)... those bogus guilds outbid their opponents by 1 gold piece to win the trader...

Upon winning the trader, those traders were then put up on forums and social media sites (like Facebook etc) and sold for real cash to the larger trading guilds throughout Tamriel...

I saw one guild trader sold for upwards of $100.00. Because those bogus guilds would disband after selling the trader, enabling that trading guild to buy it quickly for 100 gold.

What is going to happen about this kind of corruption within the game? I'm more than happy to help Zenimax nail the culprits and crooks if they need help with this matter.

ZOS_GregoryV · February 2016

Greeting,

We would like to thank you for taking the time to report this. We would like to ask if you have by chance taken a moment to submit a ticket in regards to players selling Guild Traders for real life currency? If you have not, we would like to request you do so, and please be sure to include as much information as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

myrrrorb14_ESO · February 2016

That is disturbing on two counts.

Obviously selling anything in game for real currency is bad.

But more disturbing to me at least is the fact that someone was willing to pay that much for a kiosk for 1 week!

Sounds like we should be getting some changes soon. Disbanding a guild will no longer set the kiosk free to be reaquired. Once bought, it will be unavailable until the next week bidding.

Rittings · February 2016

I think the idea of fixing a guild trader to a guild regardless of disbandment would certainly be one fix for the issue. If that was implemented alongside the ability of guild masters having the ability to limit who sees the amount bid on a guild trader, that too might also go a small way to helping this issue.

ZOS - I didn't submit a ticket because I didn't even know what to submit it under.

[snip]

The posts in question have since been removed by admins of the Facebook group I'm in - because they too felt it was inappropriate, but that doesn't mean it has stopped the perpetrator(s). They continue to sell to the big trading guilds throughout Tamriel.

These are sad times indeed. This could seriously bring the game down to its knees... either that, or spawn the "Auction House" system that everyone is already crying out for!! It could work and coincide with the guild trader system already in place - and would relieve some of the pressure on guilds to win bids.

[Naming and Shaming removed]

Rittings · February 2016

I'm pretty sure once more this week I saw a couple of guild traders change hands straight AFTER the close of bids. I would think it wouldn't be that hard to track down the history of guilds buying traders and then disbanding them, would it? Surely you guys at Zenimax can see that kind of history when the traders exchange hands. Then you can work out who is buying them up and selling them for gold - and find out exactly which guilds are involved in this game-breaking activity.

Some of the social media sites are talking deeply about this issue - and it could very well lead to a mass exit of the game. That would be incredibly sad at this point. I complain about issues and bugs, but at its core the game is solid in design and concept... I'd hate to see it go down in flames due to a few people exploiting the mechanics.

bryanhaas · February 2016

ZOS_GregoryV wrote: »

Greeting,

We would like to thank you for taking the time to report this. We would like to ask if you have by chance taken a moment to submit a ticket in regards to players selling Guild Traders for real life currency? If you have not, we would like to request you do so, and please be sure to include as much information as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Just curious, do you find it as an issue with guilds creating many bogus guilds spamming traders with little piddly bids hoping to get the trader then when one wins disbanding and picking up the trader with your main guild?

I know of a few guilds doing this and if this is kosher well then we should all do it, but if not then it probably needs to stop.

One way or another though we should all be on equal footing and know the rules we are playing by because it seems some of us may be playing by rules that are no longer current.

ZOS_AlanG · February 2016

Rittings wrote: »

I think the idea of fixing a guild trader to a guild regardless of disbandment would certainly be one fix for the issue. If that was implemented alongside the ability of guild masters having the ability to limit who sees the amount bid on a guild trader, that too might also go a small way to helping this issue.

ZOS - I didn't submit a ticket because I didn't even know what to submit it under.

Certainly - you can report problems like this by selecting "in game support" and then choosing "report a player."

Rittings · February 2016

ZOS_AlanG wrote: »

Rittings wrote: »

I think the idea of fixing a guild trader to a guild regardless of disbandment would certainly be one fix for the issue. If that was implemented alongside the ability of guild masters having the ability to limit who sees the amount bid on a guild trader, that too might also go a small way to helping this issue.

ZOS - I didn't submit a ticket because I didn't even know what to submit it under.

Certainly - you can report problems like this by selecting "in game support" and then choosing "report a player."

We can't report the player in question because we have no idea which player is the guildmaster of these guilds (especially since they have so many accounts that it's difficult to tell). All we see is the traders being purchased by the same type of named guild...

Incidentally I didn't name and shame another player - that's the name (and variations of it) that the player usually uses as guild names.

Synfidie · February 2016

You could report the stall name.

Greiver · February 2016

Happens in wayrest almost every week. Zos do something about it. It's getting old. Originally there shouldn't have been guild store locations. They should have just put in a global broker.

Artemisshrikes · February 2016

Greiver wrote: »

Happens in wayrest almost every week. Zos do something about it. It's getting old. Originally there shouldn't have been guild store locations. They should have just put in a global broker.

Auction Horse

Blevil · February 2016

Greiver wrote: »

Happens in wayrest almost every week. Zos do something about it. It's getting old. Originally there shouldn't have been guild store locations. They should have just put in a global broker.

I like the guild trader idea because it keeps people from undercutting so easily. By this I mean FFXIV had a global board and there would be people watching the board all day adjusting prices to be the cheapest. At least with the trader stalls, you could actually "shop around" a bit before finding the best price.

Best way to fix this is to make the guild trader unavailable upon guild disbandment till the next week's bidding.

RAGUNAnoOne · March 2016

Artemisshrikes wrote: »

Greiver wrote: »

Happens in wayrest almost every week. Zos do something about it. It's getting old. Originally there shouldn't have been guild store locations. They should have just put in a global broker.

Auction Horse

I miss seeing @Gidorick here...

vic4ert · March 2016

On PS4 lot of money from people.
Virgo simply no where.
It is necessary to consider how to deduce money from the game, otherwise inflation will destroy the market!

Mettaricana · March 2016

Ps4 its so bad only got like 12 guild choices and they all in eachothers guild strangle holding the market I could literally name everyone of the leaders and their alts but not allowed Forums....

Ni7eWa7ch · March 2016

Greiver wrote: »

Happens in wayrest almost every week. Zos do something about it. It's getting old. Originally there shouldn't have been guild store locations. They should have just put in a global broker.

I totally agree with the global broker idea , it's better in every way , everyone can put an item for sale wich can be viewed by everyone to bid on the item and no more need different localisations for different guilds etc ..

RocDonald · April 2016

There's 3 traders in Hew's Bane with the same name (pretty much, just slight variations of the same). A prime example of what's going on with the guild traders. I'm with 3 trade guilds, all of which have lost their bids for traders this week. It seems almost impossible for these guilds to be able to afford to buy 3 traders. I don't really know what a kiosk goes for but can't be cheap. Needless to say, but something needs to be done with this system.

VampiricByNature · April 2016

I think the global broker idea goes against the way to control the ESO economy. If guilds didn't dump loads of gold into the guild trader bids each week, inflation would become a problem. Maybe it would work if they implemented more expensive in-game gold items- but let's face it- a lot of the best traders in this game are awful at other aspects of it (pvp, dungeons, etc) and visa-versa.

I think it would really help to eliminate the ability for everyone to see your bids. I know that means that guilds could siphon money or potentially throw their bids- but isn't that why you should choose your guildmasters wisely?

Who cares if they disband a guild and scoop it for 100 gold? They won the bid at the trader, it's theirs for the week. If they are going to sell them for real life money, then yes, the ability to repurchase a trader should be eliminated. That's a whole different ballgame. At this point, if your mad they have ownership of an area, don't shop there! There are plenty of traders in lesser traveled cities that can actually have some legit stuff for sale.

Csiminae · April 2016

The ability to buy a guild trader with real money is disturbing. Buying gold and in game items for real money is just as bad. I have seen where it takes millions of in game gold to win a bid on most traders. Each week. That is obscene and unfair.
I am hoping a world bazaar will be implemented to reduce the chicanery that goes on with the bidding process for guild traders. And, instead of calling it chicanery, how about downright extortion and in the case of using real money to buy a trader, totally an exploit and therefore against the TOS.

Rittings · April 2016

Sadly, until we get something like a world bazaar, this will continue... it would be nice to have at least a market whereby EVERY player can list a certain amount of items for sale, regardless of whether they are guilded up or not. This would reduce the cost of guild traders, and would be a LOT less profitable and interesting to people trying to exploit the game.

I doubt ZoS will be able to nail the culprits... they are way too sneaky, and are rarely using their actual PSN accounts to do the deals...

myrrrorb14_ESO · April 2016

World bazaar / global traders will make things worse. There is a simple solution, but it requires some coding so it just won't happen. It's difficult to justify the man hours on a corporate level when it's not related to new profits / content.

MilwaukeeScott · April 2016

Just add a bunch more Guild Traders.

Chillic · April 2016

I don't give 2 *** about inflation... Because it's a video game. I just want to quickly find what I am looking for and buy it... Cause it's a video game. This way I can spend more time playing the game. Don't you wonder why sought after items sell for around the same price? People shop around and are well aware of what the item is selling for at other guild traders. Undercutting still happens, over-charging still happens, high priced *** because the ring in this game blows, still happens. I've played several games and this system is no different, other than ridiculous travel time to find something. Well thought out, like many of their other decisions.

Leaving it up to the community to manage the trade systems was always a bad idea because just like with exploits and all the other ***, people are the main part of the problem.

Rittings · May 2016

I did report this issue, and recently posted screenshots proving guilds are doing this - but seems that you can't even mention the names of guilds here - nor can you show them in your screenshots... needless to say, I'm hoping ZoS show as much concern for this scourge on our community as they do for us honest gamers trying to keep one another in the loop and allow for honest, and genuinely competitive gameplay.

I think it's a crying shame that we can't support one another to bring down these terrible abusers.

Reevster · May 2016

The guild trader system is broken anyways, get rid of it already, its just sad that the only way to get enough gold to bid on locations is to ask for gold from all its members. Not just a few hundreds gold either, 1000 to 5000 gold, if they don't they will not have enough gold to win the bid or attempt to win .

OR

They really need to have like 2 or 3 Trader Hubs only , not this guild trader locations spread out all over the map some you cant even find unless you spend a bunch of time running around.

Rohamad_Ali · May 2016

Selling them foe real money ? That ain't right ! No wonder everyone gets mad when a auction house is mentioned . It's not immersion they're worried about breaking ... It's their coin purse .

Gold farmers tear up every MMO economy .

ManwithBeard9 · May 2016

Rittings wrote: »

I did report this issue, and recently posted screenshots proving guilds are doing this - but seems that you can't even mention the names of guilds here - nor can you show them in your screenshots... needless to say, I'm hoping ZoS show as much concern for this scourge on our community as they do for us honest gamers trying to keep one another in the loop and allow for honest, and genuinely competitive gameplay.

I think it's a crying shame that we can't support one another to bring down these terrible abusers.

You can post the screen shots, just have to cover the names. Yes, it wont have as much exposure as it need, but its makes the problem more visible.

Rittings · May 2016

ManwithBeard9 wrote: »

You can post the screen shots, just have to cover the names. Yes, it wont have as much exposure as it need, but its makes the problem more visible.

Problem is, if I cover up the names, how can you tell the trader has changed hands?? lol. Blurry no.1 sold the trader to blurry no.2??? haha. Plus, you have guild tabbards - would that also be considered a means to identify the guild and therefore needed blurring out too??

It's not like I'm naming individuals involved... I know of only one (and

VampiricByNature · May 2016

I think this concept goes hand in hand with the uprising of guilds that are financed with gold made from the recently fixed crafting writ glitch. It is what it is. Just assume the big money in the game is corrupt- just like real life, lol.

Everyone wants to be a chief and there just aren't that many popular stalls. It's harder to be a follower than a leader.

That being said, Zenimax can only go so far with figuring things out. They have no access to ebay or social media which would allow them to see the person who actually made the transaction. They're ZOS- not the CIA. I buy guild traders for 100 gold if I miss my bid and find an unclaimed one. How the heck would I know if I accidently stumbled on a disbanded one and scooped it up? Then I can end up with my little guild reported by a Witch Hunter?

"How do you know she's a witch? - She looks like one!" It's all a bit Monty Python to me. Let's just find out who weighs the same as a duck and get it over with.

ManwithBeard9 · May 2016

Rittings wrote: »

ManwithBeard9 wrote: »

You can post the screen shots, just have to cover the names. Yes, it wont have as much exposure as it need, but its makes the problem more visible.

Problem is, if I cover up the names, how can you tell the trader has changed hands?? lol. Blurry no.1 sold the trader to blurry no.2??? haha. Plus, you have guild tabbards - would that also be considered a means to identify the guild and therefore needed blurring out too??

It's not like I'm naming individuals involved... I know of only one (and

If the conversation actually talks about about something against the ToS, it's worth it even with things blurred out just to confirm to the public unequivocally that it is indeed happening.

Rohamad_Ali · May 2016

There are so many sites selling items and gold , I wish ZoS would just go them , make orders and permaban IP's then retract all credit card payments on fraud terms . That'd put a dent in this cheating .