1. There is no such thing as a "pending" ban or Steam admin. Anyone threatening your account is a scammer trying to scare you. Read more.

Ask A SteamRep Staff Member

Discussion in 'SteamRep General Discussion' started by Xenophobia, Jan 14, 2013.

  1. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    I feel very honored to be a part of SteamRep, but it tends to make trading more difficult. For example a few nights ago I was on some unusual trade servers, with no admins around, and saw 3 obvious scammer alts run around doing shady things. I went and reviewed the pending reports for one of them, kept getting kicked for being AFK, and if anyone actually tried to trade with me, I probably would have missed it because I was more absorbed in reviewing evidence.
    Tio José das Vacas likes this.
  2. brake™

    brake™ New User

    Messages:
    18
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:63499910
    I'll copy paste the exact words of a Steamrep Moderator - "This evidence proves that he scammed someone but your name was not mentioned as the victim".
    So obviously a Moderator admits that a certain person is a scammer but you can't prove who he scammed off.
    If You can't help someome retrieve his stollen items at least can't you ban the accused person because - "This evidence proves he scammed someone" ?
  3. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    We must establish who the scam was attempted to, in order to be sure the report is legit. hence we normally want the victim to make the report. In some circumstances someone else can make the report for them, but then we need the victims confirmation.
  4. Horse

    Horse Administrator SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    76,831
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:34690691
    You can't do it all and you shouldn't react that way either. When I'm in game playing,trading or testing I'm busy, not even my wife bothers me cause that is my time.
    You do what you can here and what you can sit time aside for but you can't let this and the acts of others ruin the time you have for your own life which is what most here that complain about lack of movement don't understand. I've invested a ton of time with WA and my servers however I still put priority first such as my own gaming life, family life, working, hunting season (yea baby) and college football.... and a new found hobby with my weather station stuff.
  5. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    Indeed, otherwise your time for having fun gets contaminated with that, and that will suck out the joy for your other activities.
  6. brake™

    brake™ New User

    Messages:
    18
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:63499910
    There is already a report. I am just asking because the accused person was buying backpacks through paypal and is still actively trading. Not gonna describe or put much details. The scammed people didn't get their items - report was made around 3 months ago. The point is that the accused person was lured by another steam user to admit. That steam user convinced him to scam people together. Also the accused person admited in steam chat (there was a screenshot of that chat ) that he is scamming people and how he is targeting and scamming them .

    I am just pissed and frustrated because even if the items of the scammed people cant be restored then at least that scammer should not be able to continue trading,especially when he admited what he is doing and how he does it. But then again there must be a proof for scamming a certain person in order to ban someone? No matter there is a proof that he admited his doings and that he will continue to do it?

    I am not trying to make a report here. I'm trying to find some answers of how are and will be banned such scammers. There is an evidence of some kind of scam scheme as I mentioned above. I am not an admin and certainly not trying to mess with Your job but Imo this/such person should be banned.
    Thanks In Advance
  7. Charles Derpin

    Charles Derpin New User

    Messages:
    4
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:53650598
    How do i become a middle man?
  8. Pacquis

    Pacquis New User

    Messages:
    35
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:35235363
    *Facepalm*
    Use the search function and see the answer.you will need to build up your reputation on a PARTNER COMMUNITY then they will decide if you become their MM for said community (this doesnt happen overnight,im pretty sure it will take a long time to become an MM).
    Also steamrep doeskin have any sort of middlemen, only partner community's have their designated MM.
    You Are The One likes this.
  9. Etcchi

    Etcchi New User

    Messages:
    12
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:29288514
    If a websites promises a service that requires a payment, the website claims its permanent, changes their policy after you pay, and takes the same service away and now says you have to pay monthly for it would this be considered scamming if tf2 items were involved?
  10. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    We've had rogue websites/owners before. Most times its telling to sell something but never delivers. Hard to fight against, we've spread the word on it back then and such. Problem is often that a website can point to any account saying it is the owner, so its like whack a mole and we've had cases that it pointed to random accounts, for the money wasn't flowing thru steam anyways. Some tricks remain, but I'm not going to discuss that.
    Wrath likes this.
  11. Megative

    Megative New User

    Messages:
    8
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:69860493
    Someone promises pay later an entry fee for a raffle and he gets the slots/tickets but he won't pay the entry fee later even though he promised so he lied.
    So my question is, do it count as a scam and if it does, can it be reported to SteamRep with all evidence?
  12. Tio José das Vacas

    Tio José das Vacas SteamRep Admin Partner Community Donator - Tier V

    Messages:
    6,204
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:32194479
    Also is pertinent to point out that the majority of websites have on there rules "any vip/premium can be altered without warning" (example) . So always read the conditions of the services because they usually have the power to change it (if the rule is on there site).
  13. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    Very easy to set a rule on raffles that says: Only paid slots count.

    but you don't happen to have that "agreement" do you?
  14. Megative

    Megative New User

    Messages:
    8
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:69860493
    Well the thing is that someone would buy 11 slots/tickets but he can't buy them now because his keys are untradeable for now so he pays them later.
    And no, I haven't done the agreement yet. I just wanted to know it is valid scam to report before I do the agreement so if he lies, I can report him for scamming.
  15. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    That agreement is at that time that it was made, or MAYBE a admission after the fact. But to say "I just wanted to know it is valid scam to report before I do the agreement so if he lies, I can report him for scamming." is a awful high expectation after the fact.
  16. ☣Solaire☣

    ☣Solaire☣ New User

    Messages:
    129
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:87098464
    I would like to ask a question, is sharking considered scamming in some way? is sharking similar to lowballing? Please give me an explanation of what sharking is for I am very very confused about it :confused:
  17. Knucklejoe

    Knucklejoe New User

    Messages:
    554
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:46918739
    The definition of sharking changes depending on who and which community you ask. As for SteamRep, I found this:

    The information is a bit dated, but still works. Low balling is not quite the same thing as sharking.
    My personal definition of sharking is trading low value items for high value items from a new player or misinformed player. I don't normally consider a trade a shark unless the difference in value is more than a few keys. A good median would be the value of a Bill's if we are talking TF2 items.

    TL;DR
    There is no clear, widely accepted definition of sharking that I know of. Do some research on your stuff before you trade it to your first offer.
    ☣Solaire☣ likes this.
  18. ☣Solaire☣

    ☣Solaire☣ New User

    Messages:
    129
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:87098464
    Thanks! :)
  19. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    Sharking and scamming are 2 different things, and no sharking is not considered scamming by SteamRep's definition. Although a lot of kids who run around screaming "scammer" they are often referring to a shark or a trade they feel was unfair (buyer's remorse).

    Sharking is when an experienced trader knowingly and blatantly misleads a newer trader (or often a non-trader), who was themself acting in good faith, about what that trader's items are worth, with the objective of making mass profit, and causes unreasonable harm to that new trader. If it's not deceptive or exploitative, then it's not a shark. If there is an agreement/acknowledgement by the "victim" it's not a shark, and if the victim came to the "offender" or they themselves made the offer in the course of negotiating, it's not a shark. Getting a "good deal" doesn't mean you sharked. If the "offender" has a trade somewhere which says "buying items at 10% of bp.tf price" that's not a shark. If the "offender" buys/sells an item at a price different from backpack.tf/trade.tf/traderempire/market/whatever, that's not a shark. If the "offender" makes an absurdly low offer for something, that is not (in itself) a shark, although if (s)he lies about what items are worth to convince the (inexperienced, stalked) victim to follow an unrealistic guidline for that trade, clearly in favor of the offender, it is a shark. Sometimes a trade may be considered a shark if the victim is doesn't normally trade, and was sought out by automated scanning tools, such as for having low hours but holding valuable items. It's important to note that unfair trades do happen, and more often than not they aren't a result of sharking. When the person who got the short end of that deal regrets trading or seeks to reverse the trade, it's called buyer's remorse. SteamRep doesn't ban for sharking, but most partner communities will ban on their own servers so you could end up not a lot better off than getting marked.

    Scamming (with a few exceptions) requires a breach of an established trade agreement. If you agree to trade X for Y, and one party breaches that agreement, then (s)he is scamming. PayPal is probably the most common example, but the same applies with any trust trade, as well as things like quick-switch scams where one party distracts the other to switch an item out for something else that wasn't agreed upon. If you breach a trade agreement, or otherwise steal items, you will get marked on SteamRep, and consequently banned from all partner communities.
    Tio José das Vacas likes this.
  20. Whitechapel™ ©

    Whitechapel™ © New User

    Messages:
    17
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:22512159
    on average how long does it take for reports to be reviewed.. i have 3 reports up all spread out and most recent was today. just wondering cause they could be scamming people as we speak