Caliandris Pendragon
Waiting in the light
Join date: 12 Feb 2004
Posts: 643
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05-02-2006 01:06
In a discussion thread about the recent auction exploit, it as claimed that someone-who-will-remain-nameless has been bidding on auctions, winning them, and then defaulting on some.
It seems to me that, if true, this is a way of defrauding other customers of their right to win an auction in a fair and square way...and I wondered what the rules were, and whether they are fairly applied to all players, or include exceptions for some.
Obviously, there is leeway within an auction system to allow someone who has made a mistake to remedy that mistake, and so I would expect LL to be fair and merciful to someone who made an error. But if this is a business tactic, I think it is unethical and unfair to the other players.
So...does anyone - without naming names - regularly default on auctions? Is defaulting on auctions allowed? Is there any financial penalty? Are the rules different depending upon how many sims you own? What happens if someone bids up an auction and then defaults on it?
I can see that those people who own a lot of land and have a considerable investment in SL should have a special relationship with LL, but I think any rules which vary from the norm should be explicit, open, and available to all to see. In oder to have a fair system, you have to let people know what system they are bidding against. If land barons are able to bid up an auction, prevent another resident from winning and then default on the auction, the system most certainly is NOT fair to all.
If it is true that people are doing this regularly, it is tantamount to defrauding other residents of auctions which they would have fairly won, and undermines the credibility of the auction system as a whole. Cali
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Numbakulla: Pot Healer's Mystery, free to play and explore http://caliinsecondlife.blogspot.com/ http://www.nemesis-content.com]Nemesis Content Creation _________________________________________________ The main obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge~Daniel J. Boorstin
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Torley Linden
Enlightenment!
Join date: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 16,530
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05-02-2006 17:59
Asking further about this...
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Jack Linden
Administrator
Join date: 15 Dec 2004
Posts: 158
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05-03-2006 15:47
Caliandris,
Sometimes people do default on auctions, most often due to misunderstanding the way that it works, or the values involved. Sometimes their circumstances change between bidding and winning the auction. We understand that people make mistakes, therefore defaulting can happen in a small number of cases.
Repeatedly defaulting on auctions, whether someone chooses to default or simply fails to claim land they have won, will result in that account losing the right to take part in future auctions. As stated on the Auction pages, defaulters are charged a fee for each parcel defaulted. The second highest bidder is then offered the land at their highest bid. If they decline, the land is taken back and auctioned once again.
This applies regardless of how much or how little land that person owns. It is probably fair to say that we are becoming more efficient in applying policy like this over time, which is a natural part of our growth.
The systems we have in place to deal with auctions in general, including defaulted parcels, are being improved currently so that auction policies are applied fairly and consistently to all residents. It is in our interests and yours that the auction process be the best it can be.
Jack Linden
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