ZOS, It’s Time to Take an Official Stance on the Conversion of Crown Store Items to Gold

Peekachu99 · May 2018

With the immanent launch of SS on all platforms, your player base deserves to know if crown gifting > gold is intended as in-game premium currency counter to gold selling (ala WoW/ GW2), or if it’s just something that will end up getting those who participate in the behavior banned. The TOS are NOT clear on in game trading, since the currency is not being traded, and rather “exchanged” then given.

What is the answer? @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom? Is this allowed or not? An article detailing the dos and don’ts of the process is overdue and would be tremendously appreciated.

Lakashi · May 2018

I would love a clarification about using gifting for gold and items from @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom! But it does seem pretty clear about it. If anything I concluded here is wrong, official clarification would greatly be appreciated.

There are 3 important lines relating to it in the Terms of Service. Without confirmation, it's clear gifting in exchange for items is allowed in the current TOS. Gifting for gold is less clear, but what happens with the item after you trade it is up to you.

"Any Virtual Currency balance shown in Your Account does not constitute a real currency balance or reflect any monetary value."

"You may not sell, and You may not assist others in selling, Service(s) or in-Game items for real currency, or exchange those items for value outside of the Services. "

"Virtual Currency will only be used by You to obtain virtual goods within a Game (e.g., durable goods that become part of Your inventory in the Game and consumable or single use items that are used and expire after use within the Game)"

Crowns are a virtual currency with no real world value. Their sole use as stated above is to obtain virtual goods within the game. Items like motifs, reagents, etc are all virtual goods. Gifting involves using Virtual Currency which has NO real world monetary value. Therefore, exchanging them in game for another Virtual Currency like gold does not seem to violate the TOS.

I'm not a fan of exchanging them for gold personally, but if you are a PvEer and want PvP content, or vice-versa, it gives an opportunity to obtain things you couldn't get normally.

xaraan · May 2018

I've seen several threads pop up on this, but haven't seen an answer yet. Did I miss one somewhere if zos did answer? If not, for such a common question that they've surely seen, it's pretty shady they've ignored this issue.

CHIMCHIMCheree · May 2018

There's no good reason not to answer these queries. Maybe they think that by not engaging with them, they can let people purchase crowns with the intent of turning them into gold, while maintaining plausible deniability in their argument that it's not a supported behaviour if it ever hits the fan for them.

If that's the case, ZOS are relying on a terms of service which they are keeping intentionally vague so they can pick a position at a later date. That's a deliberate deception on their part and dreadfully unethical.