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MarketPlace Scams?


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So basically what is Linden Lab going to do to stop marketplace scams, and I really dont want to hear things like buyer beware what you buy.

1. Lets assume someone was selling full perm Textures/Sculpts or something for like 8k L$ and  I purchase that item but instead all I get is a cube with a NoteCard and some random pictures in it, what is Linden Lab going to do to keep this from happening, or players from abusing the system?

2. I am not sure about how the new MarketPlace works I really havent used it since it changed at all other than buying items but from what I know anyone can use the marketplace even a 30 day old account with a false registered email, fake IP address, and spoofing mac address therefore anyone can scam a resident like this put incorrect information on a product discription get 6k L$ or more, quickly launder or cash it out, and what will Linden Lab do.

Linden Lab has a policy they do not get involved in residentual disputes.

If the person already cashed it out fast then either LL Looses money, or the buyer looses their money.

To me it seems like Linden Lab should impose a limit on L$ and hold it for at least 72 hours before the merchant actually gets the L$ to give the buyer time to file a complaint if the product isn't as described and investigate for a refund then banning the seller after X number of times unless its an obvious scammer. The only exception I can understand is if its already a merchant who has provided.

1. Real World ID.
2. Been in World for a long time.

In which case they would instantly get the L$ without any hold, however accounts who do not have payment information or verified RL identity would have a 72 hour hold to allow a person to file a complaint and LL to recover scammed funds.

While I understand LL has the no dispute policy it The Anonimity second life has gives a user the ability to abuse the system and constantly get away with it with no Legal Action that can really be taken and even if it were possible it costs so much its not even worthit.

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Any countermeasure has to be carefully weighed to avoid being itself abused by dishonest users. I, for example, have been tracking a serial scammer not unlike those you described, so I can spot each of his new listings the moment they appear, before anyone falls for them... but of course I can't post my warning review unless I buy the darn things myself... and yes, I sometimes wish I could post free reviews; but if I could, what's to prevent dishonest competitors and otherwise malicious users from unjustly attacking perfectly good items?

You mention LL getting involved in hypothetical buyer complaints... but I wouldn't bet they have anywhere near the necessary human resources to effectively manage that... not when there's ample evidence that they're already quite short-handed with the current system as it is.

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GothGirl Demonia wrote:

So basically what is Linden Lab going to do to stop marketplace scams, and I really dont want to hear things like buyer beware what you buy.

1. Lets assume someone was selling full perm Textures/Sculpts or something for like 8k L$ and  I purchase that item but instead all I get is a cube with a NoteCard and some random pictures in it, what is Linden Lab going to do to keep this from happening, or players from abusing the system?

2. I am not sure about how the new MarketPlace works I really havent used it since it changed at all other than buying items but from what I know anyone can use the marketplace even a 30 day old account with a false registered email, fake IP address, and spoofing mac address therefore anyone can scam a resident like this put incorrect information on a product discription get 6k L$ or more, quickly launder or cash it out, and what will Linden Lab do.

1. Nothing. LL doens't give a crap about people losing L as it has nothing to do with them. All they'll say is it's a "resident dispute", solve it yourself.

2. Nothing? How will LL know fake addresses? This happens in every MMO o.O

Anyone who purchases expensive items on marketplace from unknown sellers well... they deserve it if they got scammed. Would you go out onto some shady back alley and sign a contract to buy a car for $50k from some stranger in real life? Don't think so. I only use marketplace to grab freebies or stuff from extremely well known sellers.

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There is nothing to stop this from happening in world either.  Many merchants use vendor or pay scripts so you can't determine what you are getting by checking the edit contents.

If you file an AR it will get the same response.  LL doesn't get involved in resident to resident disputes and the TOS specifically says buyer beware , which applies to MP and in world.

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When it comes down to it, I do not even think Linden Labs HAS the jurisdiction to step in on Customer/Vendor disputes if they wanted to, since the Linden is a real tradable currency. That Jurisdiction would lay with a Small Claims Court of some sort.

 

It is the customer’s responsibility to protect themselves when purchasing goods or services from a vendor and nobody else’s. It is this way in both Second Life AND the real world. If a customer is unhappy with their purchase, there is absolutely no legal obligation for the vendor to provide a refund or exchange. Of course, under certain legal circumstances, a customer can try take a vendor to court over a dispute, but who is really going to do that for $8k Lindens (like $35)?

 

The best thing you can do is protect yourself and be careful about what you purchase. If the product seems weird in the slightest or not enough information about the product is given, then don’t buy it. In the event that you are scammed, unless the amount of money you lost is significant enough to take somebody to court and you are sure that you will win, just chalk up your money as lost and be careful of that vendor in the future if they do not provide an exchange or refund. This is where customer service steps in and it can make or break a vendor’s success.

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I've always gotten a reasonable facsimile of what was promised.  Sometimes not the quality I would have locked, but far short of fraud.

If I ever got and empty box, then snubbed by the vendor I would fine an abuse report.  (I would expect to hear nothing from LL, and I would certianly not expect a refund from LL.)  But the only reason I can think of that this kind of scam is uncommon  is that LL must take action to stop it, after enough people file abuse for the same scam.

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My opinion is that if a merchant fraudulently sells a product on the MP and LL take a commission on that sale then they are an accessory to fraud. If a merchant sells a stolen item on the MP and LL take a commission on that sale then that is complicity to theft.

Based on this I think LL should be doing everything in their power to better manage the merchants and content that is being sold on their website, if for no other reason than to lessen the possibility of the company incriminating itself..

 

 

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Ciaran Laval wrote:

LL take commission on marketplace sales, they really shouldn't be ignoring issues like this on the marketplace or trying to suggest it's a resident to resident dispute.

agree

i dont see how a online selling service can be any different from a realworld one. specially when is touted and sold as a respectable establishment to the mainstream in which to conduct business trading

 

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  • 4 months later...

LL should do something agains the scammers, thay have to bcause thay run the service named "Markedplace" even when they sau "bewarefu**" or something like that thay have to do something for the ppl that got scammed and something against that one that was the scamme like ban and marketplace listings closed.  even when its only 1700 L$ thay have to do something bcause thay get some of that 1700 for themself so thay have a bit of my money x3 maybe i should go to an  lawyer and try to make them pay after the support was an totally and extreme fail that should be fired.

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