I was scammed in game, what can I expect Anet to do about it? - Guild Wars Forums

luetkemd · Oct 06, 2010, 03:58 PM // 15:58

I was scammed in game and am awaiting a response from Anet. Just wondering if others have experienced the same, or can tell me what response I can expect. Below is the content of the e-mail i sent via the "Ask A Question" feature wiki told me to use.

--------------

I was playing my character *removed* and I noticed in trade chat that *removed* was offering a Gwen Doll for 30e (this might have been in Kamadan, but the scam occured in LA d1).

I offered to trade a Brown Rabbit for it. We haggled for a bit, finally I offered him 19e and 75k for the Gwen Doll. He said yes, we set up the trade, but he offered me a Miniature Gwen instead. I told him that's not what I wanted. I wanted the one with the large head from Nicholas the Traveler. He said, this is that one, it has the same icon as the miniature gwen. He said he just opened it from a travelers gift and had shown it to his guild members. I told him to take out the miniature so i could see it. He showed me a Gwen Doll with large head walking by his feet. I asked him one more time, "you don't just have 2 and are showing me a different one?" he said no. So i did the deal: 1 Miniature Gwen for 19e and 75k. When i double clicked on it, it was in fact a Miniature Gwen, NOT a Gwen Doll as he he told me it was. I pm'ed him to trade back but he never returned my whispers. In anger i logged off, realizing a moment later that was dumb per i could have made screenshots of our chat and reported him in game before he left the district. I did not do either of these things

I logged back on, told him he had 5 minutes to respond before i reported him. He did not, so now I am reporting him.

I will hold on to the Miniature Gwen until I hear word back from you. Not sure if you'll take any action; I'm really hoping you do--I love this game. I'm also hoping you are able to check the chat logs (between players *removed* and *removed* in Lion's Arch district one between 10-11am US Central on Tuesday October 5, 2010).

Thanks for offering this avenue for reporting, hope to hear back from you soon.

---------------

I realize i was being really dumb; must not have had my cornflakes that morning.

So, any advice? Thanks!

ALSO, I'll edit this post with the final out come when it happens in case anyone else is curious how Anet resolves these issues.

Edit: removed character names per suggestion

------------------

ANET'S RESPONSE

Just got this five minutes ago.

Hello,

I was able to find a violation by reviewing the game logs of the incident and the account was suspended.

Thank you for submitting your report and helping keep Guild Wars a fun and safe place to play.

Regards,
GM FruitSnake
The Guild Wars Support Team

-----------

Well, that's the response. I've got mixed feelings. I'm glad they acted quickly. I'm not that concerned about the money loss. I take full responsibility for being dumb. But it seems hardly a suitable punishment to "suspend" the account. That's like a slap on the wrist imho. And it seems like Anet would have better luck dealing w/ scams if any scam, no matter the magnitude meant a total loss of the account. In however many days time the scammer will shrug off the suspension and keep playing. In the meantime he's probably still playing only on a different account. Well, ugh. Wish I could be happier.

Yet with all trouble comes learning. I"ll be way more careful from now on.

Yol · Oct 06, 2010, 04:25 PM // 16:25

You might want to remove character names from your post.....

He might be temporarily banned (most likely won't though), but no, you won't get your stuff back. Always get screenshots of trades just in case, and always check what's in the trade box before clicking 'accept'.

Ailina · Oct 06, 2010, 04:49 PM // 16:49

Anet does, however, have access to chat logs from areas, even if you don't take screenies, but they'd greatly prefer if you do.
Be sure to tell them the date and time of the scanning, so they know where to look.
Also, NEVER believe someone if they are trying to convince you that one item is clearly another. That would be if someone was trying to sell me a Shimmering Scale Necklace as an Amulet of the Mists. They can tell me they got an endgame weapon with one all they want, but the fact is that it's a simple lie.
The wiki puts it best:
"If trading for a quest item, make sure you look it up on the wiki first to ascertain the EXACT name of the item you need."

When it comes to large amounts of money like that, never believe someone if they are telling you that common knowledge that is found on both wikis and the guru etc is wrong.
Same goes for anything else, for example "secret farming spots" etc.
ALWAYS trust the wikis over players when you smell something fishy.
There are jerky people out there, it's the sad truth.
Just be wary.
Also, just in case:

http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Scam
and

http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Common_scams/Item_scams
They actually call what happened to you a "Bait and Switch"
"Scammers offer a valued item in chat, while substituting a less-valued item in the trade window."

Check that out, so as to avoid problems like this in the future.

And best of luck with Anet! When my account was hacked, they responded extremely promptly, so you have a fair chance with them.
Hope this helps.

mathiastemplar · Oct 06, 2010, 04:57 PM // 16:57

Tough luck...

Really, do some research if you are in doubt of anything, in this case I don't really feel sorry for you tbh.
We learn by our mistakes and Anet cannot rly do anything about this since you didn't take any screenshots - which wouldn't make much of a difference anyway.

I hope you get a Gwen Doll eventually

Cheers!

luetkemd · Oct 06, 2010, 05:01 PM // 17:01

Thanks for the info so far. I did receive an e-mail from GM Martina about 4 hours after i posted my report saying they are looking into it. So I"m confident they are working on it. But while I'm patiently waiting, I am also curious what they may do (hence why I posted here).

I am sad to hear Yol say I won't get my money back. That seems to be a simple thing for Anet to do. Any reasons why they won't give it back? Or is Yol incorrect?

Thanks again.

mathiastemplar · Oct 06, 2010, 05:33 PM // 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by luetkemd

Thanks for the info so far. I did receive an e-mail from GM Martina about 4 hours after i posted my report saying they are looking into it. So I"m confident they are working on it. But while I'm patiently waiting, I am also curious what they may do (hence why I posted here).

I am sad to hear Yol say I won't get my money back. That seems to be a simple thing for Anet to do. Any reasons why they won't give it back? Or is Yol incorrect?

Thanks again.

They cannot give you the money back unless they transfer them from the scammer...
Remember... YOU pressed accept. You made a deal. Sadly for you he managed to trick you, this is a part of life and you better get used to it.

Masmar · Oct 06, 2010, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Why do people make these threads. Don't be dumb, make sure you are buying what you want, if you don't trust the guy then look it up.
Summary - Don't be dumb

FalloMeh · Oct 06, 2010, 06:51 PM // 18:51

u have to treat this game more like real life bcuz these are real ppl. dont take anyones word for it, make sure u know what ur buying. personally before i spend any massive amount of money i like to find a price check, and ALWAYS read the text , if it dosent match DONT BUY, u kinda walked into that one..

Fallo

Warvic · Oct 06, 2010, 07:47 PM // 19:47

So he made a dumb mistake. No need to flame the guy. He actually has the balls to admit that he made a mistake. Not like all those trolls in here who keep defending themselves. He also managed to get another scammer out of the game. Wich is a good thing.

I'm sorry for ya and hope you get a mini Gwen doll some day

Ailina · Oct 06, 2010, 08:02 PM // 20:02

Seriously people, he wasn't here to complain about what happened, he was asking what to expect from Anet in terms of a response, and what he should do to make everything work.

Geez people, have some compassion. Everyone messes up, and there's no problem with asking for help.

Trolls will be trolls, and I keep a giant club on me at all times whenever I feel like playing some Troll Whack-a-Mole.

*bop bop bop*

Artisan Archer · Oct 06, 2010, 08:59 PM // 20:59

A suspension is fine. Perma banning for scamming is way over the top and apparently Anet doesn't return your items so yeah.

Kamatsu · Oct 06, 2010, 09:33 PM // 21:33

OP's question has been answered, and before this thread degenerates further into a flamefeast and trolling..

Thread Closed.

Oct 06, 2010, 03:58 PM // 15:58	#1
luetkemd Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Jun 2010 Guild: Those Red Guys Profession: R/	I was scammed in game, what can I expect Anet to do about it? I was scammed in game and am awaiting a response from Anet. Just wondering if others have experienced the same, or can tell me what response I can expect. Below is the content of the e-mail i sent via the "Ask A Question" feature wiki told me to use. -------------- I was playing my character removed and I noticed in trade chat that removed was offering a Gwen Doll for 30e (this might have been in Kamadan, but the scam occured in LA d1). I offered to trade a Brown Rabbit for it. We haggled for a bit, finally I offered him 19e and 75k for the Gwen Doll. He said yes, we set up the trade, but he offered me a Miniature Gwen instead. I told him that's not what I wanted. I wanted the one with the large head from Nicholas the Traveler. He said, this is that one, it has the same icon as the miniature gwen. He said he just opened it from a travelers gift and had shown it to his guild members. I told him to take out the miniature so i could see it. He showed me a Gwen Doll with large head walking by his feet. I asked him one more time, "you don't just have 2 and are showing me a different one?" he said no. So i did the deal: 1 Miniature Gwen for 19e and 75k. When i double clicked on it, it was in fact a Miniature Gwen, NOT a Gwen Doll as he he told me it was. I pm'ed him to trade back but he never returned my whispers. In anger i logged off, realizing a moment later that was dumb per i could have made screenshots of our chat and reported him in game before he left the district. I did not do either of these things I logged back on, told him he had 5 minutes to respond before i reported him. He did not, so now I am reporting him. I will hold on to the Miniature Gwen until I hear word back from you. Not sure if you'll take any action; I'm really hoping you do--I love this game. I'm also hoping you are able to check the chat logs (between players removed and removed in Lion's Arch district one between 10-11am US Central on Tuesday October 5, 2010). Thanks for offering this avenue for reporting, hope to hear back from you soon. --------------- I realize i was being really dumb; must not have had my cornflakes that morning. So, any advice? Thanks! ALSO, I'll edit this post with the final out come when it happens in case anyone else is curious how Anet resolves these issues. Edit: removed character names per suggestion ------------------ ANET'S RESPONSE Just got this five minutes ago. Hello, I was able to find a violation by reviewing the game logs of the incident and the account was suspended. Thank you for submitting your report and helping keep Guild Wars a fun and safe place to play. Regards, GM FruitSnake The Guild Wars Support Team ----------- Well, that's the response. I've got mixed feelings. I'm glad they acted quickly. I'm not that concerned about the money loss. I take full responsibility for being dumb. But it seems hardly a suitable punishment to "suspend" the account. That's like a slap on the wrist imho. And it seems like Anet would have better luck dealing w/ scams if any scam, no matter the magnitude meant a total loss of the account. In however many days time the scammer will shrug off the suspension and keep playing. In the meantime he's probably still playing only on a different account. Well, ugh. Wish I could be happier. Yet with all trouble comes learning. I"ll be way more careful from now on. Last edited by luetkemd; Oct 06, 2010 at 05:49 PM // 17:49..

Oct 06, 2010, 09:33 PM // 21:33	#12
Kamatsu Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: Australia	OP's question has been answered, and before this thread degenerates further into a flamefeast and trolling.. Thread Closed. __________________ Have a moderation related issue or just want to chat? Send me a PM

Oct 06, 2010, 04:25 PM // 16:25	#2
Yol Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Feb 2007 Guild: GameAmp Guides [AMP] Profession: E/	You might want to remove character names from your post..... He might be temporarily banned (most likely won't though), but no, you won't get your stuff back. Always get screenshots of trades just in case, and always check what's in the trade box before clicking 'accept'.

Oct 06, 2010, 04:49 PM // 16:49	#3
Ailina Krytan Explorer Join Date: Jan 2010 Guild: Whats Prot Spirit [FoR] Profession: R/	Anet does, however, have access to chat logs from areas, even if you don't take screenies, but they'd greatly prefer if you do. Be sure to tell them the date and time of the scanning, so they know where to look. Also, NEVER believe someone if they are trying to convince you that one item is clearly another. That would be if someone was trying to sell me a Shimmering Scale Necklace as an Amulet of the Mists. They can tell me they got an endgame weapon with one all they want, but the fact is that it's a simple lie. The wiki puts it best: "If trading for a quest item, make sure you look it up on the wiki first to ascertain the EXACT name of the item you need." When it comes to large amounts of money like that, never believe someone if they are telling you that common knowledge that is found on both wikis and the guru etc is wrong. Same goes for anything else, for example "secret farming spots" etc. ALWAYS trust the wikis over players when you smell something fishy. There are jerky people out there, it's the sad truth. Just be wary. Also, just in case: http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Scam and http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Common_scams/Item_scams They actually call what happened to you a "Bait and Switch" "Scammers offer a valued item in chat, while substituting a less-valued item in the trade window." Check that out, so as to avoid problems like this in the future. And best of luck with Anet! When my account was hacked, they responded extremely promptly, so you have a fair chance with them. Hope this helps.

Oct 06, 2010, 04:57 PM // 16:57	#4
mathiastemplar Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Denmark Guild: Jade Reapers [JD] Profession: W/	Tough luck... Really, do some research if you are in doubt of anything, in this case I don't really feel sorry for you tbh. We learn by our mistakes and Anet cannot rly do anything about this since you didn't take any screenshots - which wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. I hope you get a Gwen Doll eventually Cheers!

Oct 06, 2010, 05:01 PM // 17:01	#5
luetkemd Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Jun 2010 Guild: Those Red Guys Profession: R/	Thanks for the info so far. I did receive an e-mail from GM Martina about 4 hours after i posted my report saying they are looking into it. So I"m confident they are working on it. But while I'm patiently waiting, I am also curious what they may do (hence why I posted here). I am sad to hear Yol say I won't get my money back. That seems to be a simple thing for Anet to do. Any reasons why they won't give it back? Or is Yol incorrect? Thanks again.

Oct 06, 2010, 06:15 PM // 18:15	#7
Masmar Krytan Explorer Join Date: May 2008 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland Guild: We Gat Dis [HRUU] Profession: E/	Why do people make these threads. Don't be dumb, make sure you are buying what you want, if you don't trust the guy then look it up. Summary - Don't be dumb

Oct 06, 2010, 06:51 PM // 18:51	#8
FalloMeh Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Oct 2010 Guild: Faint Luminance [FL] Profession: R/Rt	u have to treat this game more like real life bcuz these are real ppl. dont take anyones word for it, make sure u know what ur buying. personally before i spend any massive amount of money i like to find a price check, and ALWAYS read the text , if it dosent match DONT BUY, u kinda walked into that one.. Fallo

Oct 06, 2010, 07:47 PM // 19:47	#9
Warvic Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Netherlands Profession: A/W	So he made a dumb mistake. No need to flame the guy. He actually has the balls to admit that he made a mistake. Not like all those trolls in here who keep defending themselves. He also managed to get another scammer out of the game. Wich is a good thing. I'm sorry for ya and hope you get a mini Gwen doll some day

Oct 06, 2010, 08:02 PM // 20:02	#10
Ailina Krytan Explorer Join Date: Jan 2010 Guild: Whats Prot Spirit [FoR] Profession: R/	Seriously people, he wasn't here to complain about what happened, he was asking what to expect from Anet in terms of a response, and what he should do to make everything work. Geez people, have some compassion. Everyone messes up, and there's no problem with asking for help. Trolls will be trolls, and I keep a giant club on me at all times whenever I feel like playing some Troll Whack-a-Mole. bop bop bop

Oct 06, 2010, 08:59 PM // 20:59	#11
Artisan Archer Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2007 Guild: Free Wind Profession: R/	A suspension is fine. Perma banning for scamming is way over the top and apparently Anet doesn't return your items so yeah.