Can we get an official statement from ZOS on gifting crown store items for gold?

tannips · May 2018

Buying gold has always been a bannable offense. Are players now allowed to do this because ZOS can monetize it or is this still something that can get people banned? If it is bannable, what if someone wanted to tip their gift giver in gold as a thank you? I understand this is a grey area at the moment but that's why I'd like to try and get an official stance on the subject from ZOS.

Valkysas154 · May 2018

They wont say any thing about it since that's what they want ppl spending money on crowns for in game gold but they wont
confirm it since then they will have to deal with the scammers atm i bet they have a use at your own risk stance on it

DanteYoda · May 2018

I don't get if i gift some one something and they gift me some money why should that get me banned?

If i get scammed doing it though well.. thats my fault and i'd never seek support as i'd deserve what i got..

Inoki · May 2018

It's like all the MMOs are owned and run by one person, because eventually you see this business model everywhere, or as if all the marketing dept. employees went to the same seminar together.

Lakashi · May 2018

You are not buying gold. You are buying crowns, a virtual currency. Crowns are then exchange for another in-game currency or virtual items. Crowns have no real-world value.

But yeah, they are gonna let us buy tons of crowns, THEN actually make a comment on it. I'm sure that exact strategy came up in the Shareholders meeting. I doubt anyone is actually officially ALLOWED to comment on this for a certain period of time.

Lakashi · May 2018

As I posted before:

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.