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OPSkins scammed me of $4000 in account balance and over $1000 in items

Discussion in 'Discussion Archive' started by Jambozx, Jan 2, 2016.

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  1. Jambozx

    Jambozx New User

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    As said in the title, I got suddenly banned without a valid reason on OPskins soon after my account total climbed from $1000 to $5000 from deposited items. You can read the story here: https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/comments/3z30ys/opskins_stole_4000_in_cash_and_over_1000_in_skins/. I'll also paste it down below.
    You should NOT use OPskins if you plan on having too much money on the account. They will ban you even without a reason just to steal your money. First they claimed I was botting and after they realized I wasn't, they claimed I was flooding their servers and then they realized I wasn't and since then I've had no reply. I'm considering of sueing them after I ask a lawyer a few things. I'm pretty positive I would win the case and it's a pretty simple one for a lawyer.

    Here's my post on their subreddit:

    This is my banned profile at OPskins https://opskins.com/?loc=shop_users_page&steamid=76561198181228231

    I've been an OPSkins user since March. I was also previously banned without a valid reason: https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/comments/36vbjt/opskins_is_ridiculously_unprofessional_and/

    On December 30th I got banned from OPSkins for using my greasemonkey script that would alert me with a sound notification when the current browse page had an underpriced item for sale. It removed all other items on the page, except the item I would buy. The OPSkins staff have stated that as long as a script/addon doesn't break the ToS, it's allowed to use (https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/comments/3n82c9/opdeals_safe_to_use/cvlplk9). This led me to believe I was on safe ground with mine aswell.

    I had been actively using the script for months already and I wasn't getting any warnings from OPSkins so I was sure there's no risk in using it. During this time my account balance was fluctuating between $100 and $1300 but I was gaining wealth in skins. When I started out with the script I put in almost all my savings of $1400 to get the business going. I also let a few of my trusted friends run the greasemonkey script and buy items they wanted and also for my profit.

    At around half way through December, I decided to try gambling and I got extremely lucky and won a few huge pots. Here are a few that I had screenshot: http://prntscr.com/9ct0k6 http://prntscr.com/9ct18j http://prntscr.com/9d0y0r. There are also other wins that I didn't save. As time passed I gradually sold some of the skins on opskins so I could have more money for the underpriced items. Around December 27th-28th I decided to sell the rest of the items I had won to cash out. I put all my items worth over $70 on sale and these totaled to a few thousand. I was about to move to my own place next March-April and I need money for the rent. However, on December 30th I was banned for "Autobuying underpriced items". I thought it was just a misunderstanding and decided to open a ticket to explain the situation. At this point I had $2500 in cash and over $2500 in items on the account. Now as time has passed and I've sold more items, I have over $4000 in cash and at least $1000 in items on the banned account. It's also weird I got banned as soon as I had the most amount of money I've ever had on the account, as if they were trying to get the most out of me.

    They replied to the ticket pretty quick (they've gotten a bit better at it since summer I suppose). They said that their only reason to ban me was because I was flooding their site. This is a direct quote from Daniel B.: "According to the logs, there were over 8800 requests made on December 28th that link directly back to you." I tried to figure out what this is from and noticed it was my uptime logger script running on my server. I had forgotten OPSkins.com on the list of websites to check when I was testing the script. I was supposed to remove it but I forgot as I added more other websites. The script uses the same IP for the request as I used for my account. The script requested opskins.com every 10 seconds and never any faster, which, as almost everyone should agree, doesn't cause any visible stress on their servers/services/website. However this is the only reason they banned me. The whole script wasn't even related to my OPSkins usage and they're certain I was flooding their site with 1 request every 10 seconds.

    I explained to them that 1 request every 10 seconds is not flooding by any stretch of imagination and Dan B. replied the following:

    Let's use an extremely generous estimate that the average user uses the site for 30 minutes a day. This is not an accurate number (as it's much more distributed. Most people use the site in bursts of short periods of time, and there's a subset of people who spend a lot of time on the site). If that user used the site for 30 minutes a day and made 8800 requests, that'd be ~293 requests per minute, or 4.8 requests per second.

    There's a huge difference in making 8800 requests in 30 minutes vs 24 hours. I just can't accept this as a valid reason to rip me off of over $5000.

    I explained to them the deal with the uptime script as soon as I found out about it and I haven't received a reply from them since. It's been almost 3 days.

    I feel like a powerless little child who's being teased by adult people just for their own fun. I don't know what to do anymore. I had all my savings and plans for the future tied in that money and now they're taking it from me only because they have the power to. At the moment I'm just constantly angry and frustrated. I can't believe what's happened and I feel like giving up.

    The reason I'm posting this here is because I want to share my story and I don't want OPSkins to get away with this with no consequences what so ever. The public needs to know they might not be as great as they make themselves seem. I was banned on their subreddit on my main account a while after I made my post there (https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/comments/36vbjt/opskins_is_ridiculously_unprofessional_and/).

    TLDR: Had $4000 in cash and over $1000 in items on my OPSkins account. I was using a greasemonkey script to help me make profit and thought that was the reason for the ban. They replied to my ticket saying they banned me because I was "flooding their site" with 1 request every 10 seconds with a script that wasn't related to my OPSkins usage. It was also unintentional. Those were most of my savings and I was about to move and study and now I can't.
  2. Ansonia - Selling GTA V

    Ansonia - Selling GTA V New User

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    I would tell you something like "Well, maybe you shouldn't have used the script in the first place". But I'm sure you've heard that about half a million times from some of the crappy people on Reddit.

    If you feel so strongly about how you were cheated out of your money, maybe you should consider going through legal proceedings and sue them. I mean, if you're going to go through such lengths to make a post not only here, but on their subreddit maybe you should start considering that next.

    Good luck I guess.
    Roudydogg1 likes this.
  3. a Gentleman

    a Gentleman SteamRep Moderator Partner Community Donator - Tier V

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    Hello, several things:

    1. The General Discussion section of the forum is no place to file reports. If you have the requisite evidence for a report, please file one here. Read the requirements here.

    2. Here is an official response from OPSkins' Daniel, an OPSkins Support Staff member regarding you being "wrongfully" banned for using autoscrape/fetch scripts on their website:
    Initial Response:
    Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/co...e_4000_in_cash_and_over_1000_in_skins/cyj1hi5

    Second response:
    Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/opskins/co...e_4000_in_cash_and_over_1000_in_skins/cyj1iay

    3. Please read OPSkins' ToS before continuing with these posts. It is found here, pending revisions/updates.

    4. Just like Steam/Valve bans users who use market bots, OPSkins may have banned you for the same reason.

    5. I've personally had several thousands of dollars on OPSkins at a given time. The only issue I've ever had was having to be re-whitelisted after an address change.

    If you truly believe that you were wrongly banned after reading over their ToS, I highly advise that you commence legal proceedings in order to claim your lost assets. Best of luck!
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2016
  4. You Are The One

    You Are The One SteamRep Admin

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    This sounds like a dispute between you and the site, something SR does not investigate.
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    Penguin The Fluffy likes this.
  5. Jambozx

    Jambozx New User

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    Even if I was using autoscrape/fetch scripts, it's not against their TOS. Please don't make assumptions but educate yourself before you make replies like this to make me look bad.
    There are users who do way more than 1 request every 10 seconds. There's no way 1 request in 10 seconds can be considered flooding. The timespan doesn't matter, it's the reqeusts per time that matters.
  6. a Gentleman

    a Gentleman SteamRep Moderator Partner Community Donator - Tier V

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    Please don't purport to assume that I am not well-versed in these issues. I am quite well-informed.
    I am simply quoting an OPSkins Staff Member's response to your posts on their subreddit.


    Again, I wish you the best of luck with your issue. Let's not turn a PSA post into something between me and you.
    This is not a matter for SteamRep to deal with.
    Roudydogg1 likes this.
  7. Salmon

    Salmon Caution on SteamRep

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    Doing something shady on a site and then expecting to not get banned just because it isn't explicitly against ToS is never going to end well.

    Pretty sure that the site can ban you for whatever they want whenever they want.
  8. SilentReaper(SR)

    SilentReaper(SR) Retired Staff

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    I've been thinking about this a bit. And I'm (personally) of an opinion that if a site "holds" somebody's items or cash, banning the account does NOT resolve the balance issue. It doesn't absolve the site's obligation to give reasonable access to funds or items.

    Now, that does NOT deal with whatever their underlying reason is for banning such account. If funds where wholly or partly to blame for unfair dealing, hacking, breaking their terms etc, that still would have to be taken into account.

    All I'm saying is that they cannot take it all without good reason. Also, as I understand it, they are not really the wronged party when items are being offered under the "going" price. That was the "sellers", not the site. So legitimacy of them taking the money has another hit there.

    Disclaimer: I Never used "Opskins", and I'm not familiar with it in any way. I assumed that:
    - It is a site that allows users to have an "account" there, with items / cash on it.
    - Users can "offer" items they traded up to bots of the site for a price, and other users can buy them with current funds.

    I'm not judging on the Greasemonkey scripting, automation tools, etc. That all goes with the terms of the site regarding what they consider abuse.
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2016
    Enstage, Roudydogg1 and Rosalina like this.
  9. The Wayne Train

    The Wayne Train Unconfirmed Reports

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    Curious if there is any update on this?
  10. tjackzone

    tjackzone New User

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    OPSkins is 3rd site, what you expect ?
    I wouldn't trust them with more than 500$
  11. Enstage

    Enstage SteamRep Admin Partner Community Donator - Tier V

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    SteamRep is also a 3rd party site. Just because they are not owned and operated by Valve doesn't make them evil.
  12. Horse

    Horse Administrator SteamRep Admin

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    So is Google, Amazon, eBay..... omg lots of 3rd sites!!
  13. Edward.

    Edward. SteamRep Admin Donator - Tier V

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    I am sure nobody is getting a ban for no reason, especially on OPSKINS. Most of the banned users are using something that gives them some sort of advantage of selling and buying items there that is against OPSKINS terms of service of course.
    I saw a bunch of stories but in the end there is always something they did to deserve the temporary or permanent ban.

    That opinion is pretty vague... As Enstage already said just because something is not owned and operated by Valve doesn't make them malicious and I am sure you are using 3rd party sites like everyone else right?
  14. tjackzone

    tjackzone New User

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    Yeah I am using 3rd party sites but not really believing them with all possible money. Thing is that they banned for actually possibly using a "script" , they basically scammed , I would make a site , would wait for a big trader or something and I would ban when he has tons of balance and would tell that he used some kinky scripts and broke my ToS , even 10 years old kid would say that you broke rules.
  15. Enstage

    Enstage SteamRep Admin Partner Community Donator - Tier V

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    Theres a difference between a site thats been running for years and handling hundreds of trades of this value, and a site some random guy set up hastily 2 weeks ago. You can't just blanket all "3rd party sites" as scammers.
    Edward. likes this.
  16. AkkyX | CSGO2x.com

    AkkyX | CSGO2x.com Unconfirmed Reports

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    I have nothing to do with this, but I personally, will tell Daniel to trade back ALL of the items deposited on the site from your account. If not THEN I would call a lawyer and do that court stuff. Still, I don't want you to think this will not harm any of us. If OpSkins shuts down due to something like this, us users won't really have anywhere to legally sell our items other than BitSkins or some other place where they don't even use ID verification.
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