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.

Accepted Appeal: 76561198044741994 - (KidwithSmurf / BANNED BY SR)

Discussion in 'Archived Appeals' started by Blah!, May 2, 2015.

  1. Blah!

    Blah! New User

    Messages:
    7
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:42238133
    Appeal for BANNED BY SR

    Steam profile: 76561198044741994 (KidwithSmurf)

    Appeal Plea: I committed some of the listed offenses, but not all of them
    Appeal Reason: [Evidence] Missing - Evidence is missing or not enough
    Victim Repayment: No, I committed no fraud or had no direct victims
    Previous Appeals: No, this is my first appeal here

    Alternate Accounts:
    http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198163921676 - used to trade once or twice though doesn't have minimum purchase so it's pretty useless​

    Appeal description:
    To SteamRep Admins,

    I was banned roughly 2.8 years ago to this day and am appealing now as I am relatively older and realized I actually could. With this said, I was banned 2.8 years ago when I first heard about the website. I was banned for a "Attempted fake middleman scam".

    At the time my understanding of what happened was this: A guy named “Gregor”, probably not their current Steam Name, wanted to trade Batman Arkham Cityfor a CD-Key of a game that I had. This was all good as I knew the CD-Key worked and all but they didn’t. So I invited a friend “Chaggels the Cat”, probably not their current Steam Name, to the chat as I had recently given them a Steam CDKey which had worked, to tell “Gregor” I had done so.

    However, unknown to me “Chaggels the Cat” was already a known scammer on Steam Rep. Now I had never heard of Steam Rep until “Gregor” told me he was reporting me on there. So, I obviously went to check it out and sign up to the forums. Check my Forum Register Date for proof.

    Now if I had have known “Chaggels the Cat” was already a known scammer, I wouldn’t have tried to get them to vouch for me saying I had given them a working cdkey before as I didn’t want to be banned from anything.


    Therefore, this was the first time using the Steam Rep Website and the first time ever being reported on it and I was perm banned without a warning or even knowing how the website actually worked.

    But I digress. I never actually traded anything or forced “Gregor” to give me Batman Arkham City and nor did I give him the cdkey. It was entirely up to him if I did and I wasn’t forcing him. I brought in “Chaggels” as I thought he was a reliable source as I had given him a cdkey that worked. As I didn’t know about Steam Rep, I didn’t know he was a known scammer and thought he was reliable at the time, had I known he was a scammer I wouldn’t have included him.

    Now, as stated in the report I committed some of the listed offenses, but not all of them. I state this as mentioned I never traded with “Gregor” nor did I force him to trade with me. I admit to inviting “Chaggels the Cat” to the chat to vouch for me. I don’t admit as stated to knowing they were a known scammer as I didn’t know of Steam Rep until “Gregor” told me he reported me.

    Now, I also think there is limited evidence to fully ban me on my first ever report on Steam Rep. I say this as the only evidence supplied in the report which can be found here: http://forums.steamrep.com/threads/report-76561198044741994-blah.4018/ was a screenshot to imgur.com that no longer works. Also I made a post with a screenshot in that thread of my friends, admitting I was friends with “Chaggels” as of that day and the only reason I invited him into the chat even though I hardly knew him was the fact I had given him a cdkey that day that worked.


    Also another reason why I think this should be lifted is because I was banned in May 2012 and in November 2013 there were Policy changes to bans. These changes found in this thread http://forums.steamrep.com/threads/notice-changes-to-investigation-policy.47952/ state the following:

    CD Keys/Game Code scam reports:

    · Please report to the community where the trade originated and make a steam support ticket. https://support.steampowered.com/
    · Game keys/codes are impossible to verify as legitimate to begin with or what account the code is redeemed on. Before we only accepted if a user had solid proof, but now are rejecting all such report.

    Therefore, as I understand it as I was reported for trying to trade a cdkey and using a “Chaggels” who I’d just given a cdkey too and they told me it worked, that the whole report is based on me trying to trade a cdkey which you now state are impossible to verify as legitimate and now you reject all such report. Since youare now rejecting all cdkey reports, I am under the impression this one should also be rejected under the new policy?

    Overall, it’s been 2.8 years since I was banned for this. I have matured, changed and have never been banned from anything on Steam ever (Other than this). I’m in good Standing with everything including Vac. I have also started using SteamGifts to legitimately find people to trade legitimately with and I’ve traded successfully with many people and many have given me positive feedback and I’ve received no negative feedback as can be found here: http://www.steamgifts.com/user/KidwithSmurf/feedback I’ve also never been reported on SteamRep or any associated Steam Site to my knowledge related to scamming, middleman or anything of the likes since this one report 2.8 years ago. Also, using SteamGifts for trades and getting positive feedback provides further evidence I haven't traded dodgy cdkeys or tried to use a dodgy middleman again.

    Also, I have stated the reason as evidence is missing, I stated this earlier in this appeal as I believe there wasn’t enough evidence in the first place. However, if for whatever reason there is enough evidence I have had a change of heart and will never scam again. As mentioned above I’ve started using SteamGifts for all my trades, I’ve never been banned on Steam other than this one SteamRep issue and honestly it’s been 2.8years, I’ve grown more wiser, mature, older, I’m living by myself and studying Accounting/Finance at University full time.

    Thankyou again for taking the time to look at this and evaluate my situation. If you need more evidence feel free to let me know and if I got the appeal layout wrong, please let me know so I can amend it.

    Kind Regards,
    KidwithSmurf

    PS: I have attached a screenshot of my Store Transactions on Steam of when I activated Batman Arkham City to prove I didn’t trade anything with “Gregor” and to further prove that he had no knowledge whether my cdkey would have worked or not if I gave it to him (I personally know it would have).

    Attached Files:

  2. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

    Messages:
    11,991
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:0:89705646
    Been a LONG time to appeal...
  3. Blah!

    Blah! New User

    Messages:
    7
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:42238133
    Hello SilentReaper(SR),

    I know it's been a long time to appeal and if I could go back in time and appeal closer to the date I was reported, I would. But since that is not possible then here I am. I believe it's better late than never to appeal, for if I appealed 2 years ago or if I appealed 2 days ago and was found innocent, time shouldn't play a part, for if I'm innocent, I'm innocent (Likewise if I'm still found guilty).

    The main reason as to why I didn't appeal sooner is because I didn't know of the website until "Gregor" reported me and told me he had reported me. Therefore, I tried to reason in the thread he created to report me and I thought once it was locked and the Admin decision was made there was no way of changing or appealing that decision. However, a few years later I came back to check the website out and realized there was a section for appeals and so here I am trying my best to make a proper appeal to appeal the decision made.

    Now a lot can happen over 2.8 years but since the day I was reported, i've never used a middleman, never traded a CD-Key for another good since that day (I have done giveaways involving CD-Keys on my website but that's a giveaway and not trading for anything), never been reported on here again or any of the affiliated sites listed on here according to my knowledge, have never talked to "Chaggels the Cat" or "Gregor" again and started using trade sites such as www.steamgifts.com all which is listed in the appeal above. Also as stated above SteamRep Policy has since changed on the stance of CD-Key reports which mine was evidently related too. However, I'm not going to restate the appeal above as you can read that above.

    Overall, I believe everyone is entitled to one appeal and this is my appeal whether it be today or 2 years ago. So, this is my appeal and it's now up to SteamRep Admins like yourself or whoever deals with the appeals to make the final decision of which I have to accept and can not change. Again, I'm sorry for taking such a long time to appeal and hope that you'll look at the evidence and still be able to make a fair decision.
  4. FrozenMeat

    FrozenMeat New User

    Messages:
    28
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:16520943
    Hey. So KidwithSmurf (or Blah!) contacted me on Steam to talk about this topic, and has politely asked me to leave a comment in this thread.
    I don't know what to say really. I think that I was overreacting those ~3 years ago, judging from my attitude in the old report thread. Maybe we've both matured a little since then.

    Considering that the "evidence" from before is indeed gone (was an imgur link) and that Blah! seems like a genuinely decent person nowaday, I don't mind if he gets appealed.
  5. Blah!

    Blah! New User

    Messages:
    7
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:42238133
    Firstly, to clarify, I did contact FrozenMeat to talk about this out of courtesy, just to clarify everything was good on there end with my appeal (Not that I owed them anything as I didn't take anything from them that I had to repay/return).
    Therefore, thank-you for taking the time to talk your report over with me and posting this comment FrozenMeat, I appreciate it. Also in regards to the "Evidence" aka the "Imgur Link" being removed, according to what I have witnessed, the SteamRep Staff/Admins are still working on Ban Appeals from 2013. Therefore, even if I had posted an appeal earlier, the link may have still been removed by the time a SteamRep Staff/Admin member had time to deal with my Appeal.

    Thanks again FrozenMeat, you seem a decent person too and I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot.
  6. Teeny Tiny Cat

    Teeny Tiny Cat SteamRep Admin Partner Community

    Messages:
    955
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46722104
    Given the time this appeal has been sitting without a response, the fact that the original evidence has been lost, and the lack of reports against your account since, I am removing your tag. Be aware that you have been given an exceedingly rare second chance, and if any evidence comes to light that you lied in this appeal, or you are reported again in the future, you may be retagged without the chance to appeal.

    Hidden Content:
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  7. Blah!

    Blah! New User

    Messages:
    7
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:42238133
    Words can't describe how happy I am to wake up today and see my appeal of over 5 years be finally accepted. I appreciate you taking the time to look into my appeal and decide it be accepted. I can never thank you enough. This means the world to me and I have now decided Cats are my new favourite animal going forward. I'll always remember this day. Thank you for blessing me with a clean slate.