Europa vendor ethics

[Kaj]

As some of you might know I run a vendor house, along with F&T in Tokuno.
I started running a vendor at my house a few months ago. Mainly because I had some spare items and some big vendor houses turned me down when I begged to place a vendor there.
Little did I know what I got into. I sold quite well, so I placed more vendors, sold more items and so on, until I bought another house, just to place my vendors in. I teamed up with my neighbour from the famous F&T vendors and together we run a 'mall' sort of thing.
But then the harassing started. Some people are obviously childish enough to drop runes to their shop at my vendors, block the gates with boxes, tamed sheep, or just use 2 stealth characters to harass me for an entire evening. Or just purposely start spamming over my gate with another shop. I've had 8 visits from GMs due to supposed unattended gating (all proven wrong - not been banned). And this is just me, there's several people gating to our mall.
I'm just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this kind of harassment? GMs are reluctant to act, usually when they arrive the boxes and the stealth chars have gone.

I love running a vendor on Europa and won't stop doing it and the fact that they bother to block my gates just means they care enough to do so, but still it's a pity some people drop to that sort of level.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about this.

I´ve never before heard about players harassing shop owners. Why would anyone wanna do that?

Not sure what to say but just keep doing your thing and if they wanna spend their time doing such childish things then just let them and don´t let them make you lower yourself to their level.

Keep your head up and good luck!

 

[SilentFoxXy]

Hi Kaj,

Im sorry to hear that you are having such troubles. I have my 45 vendors a few blocks away from you and have had little problems, I also have 28 vendors on Umbra Road in the CoD shop, and that also has been well received.

I must admit when I first started a year ago, I used to drop runes on the main pathway in Luna, but after a chat with a shop owner there realised it was a bit off, so nowadays I only drop in Brit Bank, Luna Bank, Luna Gate, and New Haven. I fully agree that the practise of dropping infront of shops is a bit of a touchy subject.

Addressing your other concerns is another matter, and obvioulsy I hope that they soon stop and you get to have a peaceful fun vendor life in our lovely Locale'.

With regards gating again a touchy subject, but there are several less scrupulous vendors who definately script/Macro gate, folks who you can talk to , drop on etc who never respond, personally I always like to have a few words with folks just so they see I am at the keyboard.

If you want a lil chat or anyting at all I'm on 14 hrs a day every day, please feel free to shout and ask.

Chin up, heres hoping its just a few bored kids who had nothing better to do.

Mandz (SilberCatT/FoXxy)

 

[nickdafunk]

I recently had a similar experience. Someone Kept bagballing my gate spot, and I couldn't work out who it was, or why it was happening. Then a GM turned up to see if I was at my comp, which I was.

I was running a small 3 vendor shop and the character I was on for the gate was my secondary account and unknown to anyone, so I knew for a fact it wasn't someone who i'd p*ssed off taking some kind of revenge...

It really annoyed me though. Some people...

 

[Guest]

Couldn`t say I've ever been harrassed running vendors, even when The Broker was open in Felucca. The worst I ever got was when some PKs moved in next door, and would relentlessly mind blast me when I was restocking. But we came to an arrangement after a while

Couple of things that I find helpful. Always use a range of marked runes for your gates covering each of the tiles surrounding your shop sign. Less likely to be blocked then. I always make sure I have my recall spot though. I've never advertised in Britain as I hate the spamming in the place. I tend to avoid it like the plague.

Dropping shop runes in front of another vendor is a big no-no in my book. I'd never do it to someone else, and would quickly clear up any runes dropped outside my place.

Back in the days of the vendor ring, we had a good collection of shops all helping each other out and trying to stabilise pricing, but it seems nowadays in the world of scripters and arties, the prices are getting out of control and shop ethics have taken a nose-dive.

Saying that, there are some fantastic places I've seen since I returned (Zento, Bluewolf etc) and I think that as long as your quality is maintained, the people who matter will always return to you regardless of what other people do to influence that.

Drake

PS: The Broker has now moved to NW of Luna

 

[LeBaiton]

You told me about it last night, I hope this childish behavior stops. Perhaps it's simply jealousy?...

 

[Guest]

Sorry you're having problems but look at it this way: you're obviously doing well, and present them with real competition, otherwise they wouldn't bother you!

Stick with it, and best of luck!

XXXX

 

[davebobbit]

I think that the ones who are gating unattended have brought this upon the more innocent amongst us. I guess that some people get so frustrated with the unattendeds that they just target everyone gating with their help request.
That doesnt explain or excuse anyone bagballing your gates etc, I'd put that down to someone who is just bored, assuming you havent offended anyone.

I used to help run a shop a while ago and had people accusing me of being unattended all the time, which really annoyed me as at the time there was one particular character who was blatantly unattended and nothing ever happened to them. People would re-name/take my runes, would stand telling everyone in brit my shop was junk etc as i was gating and all sorts of other crap. I never did anything to offend these people but it still irritated the [censored] out of me and i wished i could smash them in the face.

 

[imported_kray2s]

I can only say it has happend to me on 2 occassions -

Had gms called on me when gating to shop- i was there as always if i do it - then the gate got blocked with all manner of things i just gave up for the night!

Tuned out it was a guild member i had kicked out!

The thing i kinda asking is i dont suppose anyone has had any kind of altercation / argument / grievance against you?

.p.s. i hope that wasnt ur shop in tokuno i saw being closed i loved that place

 

[Kaj]

<blockquote><hr>

I can only say it has happend to me on 2 occassions -

Had gms called on me when gating to shop- i was there as always if i do it - then the gate got blocked with all manner of things i just gave up for the night!

Tuned out it was a guild member i had kicked out!

The thing i kinda asking is i dont suppose anyone has had any kind of altercation / argument / grievance against you?

.p.s. i hope that wasnt ur shop in tokuno i saw being closed i loved that place

[/ QUOTE ]
Yesterday we found out at least some of the grieving came from a person who indeed was upset with us for turning down a deal of his in the past (the stealthers). At least we know who it is for sure now!

The shop that currently is being closed in Tokuno is Tweety's. That one isn't mine

. I own a plot west of that. Immediately at the first north gate from the moongate.

 

[Guest]

I'm the owner of the former F&amp;T shop on Tokuno and I was the other gater that had been harassed. I experienced the same issues Kaj mentioned in the OP - I found the stealthers and the sheep tamers the worst. Boxes can be cleared away easily after all.

My gater Elorion basically has all other gaters at the bank on ignore (and a few choice people who have been harassing me in the past) so I can actually see if someone talks to me. Of course I was always able to respond to GM's as well. He's running on a separate computer so I don't mind gating much as I can do something else on my main computer besides.

When all of this started to happen about 2 weeks ago, I've un-ignored everyone and found a certain person inviting my gater to groups all the time. I am talking about 20 times per minute. That person also is in the same guild as one of the stealthers.

I am apalled about the length and breadth that person is going just to get back to me/us for turning down one of his scam deals. If you - you know who you are - are reading this: I have no words for the fact that you are dragging your guildies into this, that you are ruining not just mine and Kaj's gaming experience but also deny fellow players and traders to take advantage of some of the services we offer (such as free weapon engraving, etc).

Now that this is off my chest, I'm already feeling better

S.

 

[Guest]

Im also getting the harrasment
im a part owner of Three's A Crowd and where based in umbra and luna.
the same things are happening to me ppl blocking gates with items them selfs and ive had the gms contact me sometimes 3-4 times a week
i do think its ethier jealousy (not been big headed) or its some kids who havent a clue and dont realise we as vendor runners (all shop owners/vendor owners) are provideing a service to everyone while we gate which saves ppl time and effort running round all the shops looking for items, instead then can go to brit and search for items they need.

in all it gets very inoying at times but like a few have said weve got to stick with it and hopefully they will get bored =)

 

[Guest]

It always sickens me when after u have done a big rune drop at all the banks and then u return and all your runes HAVE BEEN PICKED UP !!! then some daft shop owner as obvoiusly over written all the runes on the floor and replaced the whole lot with a carpet of his/her runes.......CABBAGES!!!

Also the afk gating on europa at wbb is getting out of control!!!!

 

[imported_kray2s]

Greetings to my fellow shop owners and others reading this board -

I have recently reopened my small - but i hope - nice little shop **GoldStretchers** (feel free to icq me for vendor spots lol) -

my question is this - Are these stealthers still active? my gate was being blocked last night and i wondered if this was a sig of things to come for a while untill they get bored enough?

Also, i noticed last time i had a shop open that runes i dropped were being picked up by people and put in the trash chest at brit bank - i dont chuck em all over the floor i just make a nice little pile, sometimes 2 stacks next to me so peeps can get a free rune - is the habbit of disposing of shop runes a regular trait or is it people trying to wind shop owners up? i used to spend a small fortune on the damn things to see them thrown away irratated me beyond belief!!

ty in advance

 

[BlackBetty]

<blockquote><hr>

Also the afk gating on europa at wbb is getting out of control!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have to agree completely with this statement. While I am sure that there has been some gate griefing going on, I have seen it only happen after trying to speak with someone that is gating and they do not respond for a long period of time.

Dropping runes in front of other vendor houses, while usually considered rude, is not a big deal. If they are not interfering with your gating/recall spots it shouldn't be an issue of any real concern. If you are a consistent business like BWT or Threes a Crowd, (same spot, same vendors, decent choices) then what does it matter?

Lastly, if you are gating on one computer and playing a character on another computer, one of them is UNATTENDED. There is no way to play both screens without looking away or being involved more with one or the other.