TOS favorites

From the terms of service:

All data on Linden Lab's servers are subject to deletion, alteration or transfer.

When using the Service, you may accumulate Content, Currency, objects, items, scripts, equipment, or other value or status indicators that reside as data on Linden Lab's servers. THESE DATA, AND ANY OTHER DATA, ACCOUNT HISTORY AND ACCOUNT NAMES RESIDING ON LINDEN LAB'S SERVERS, MAY BE DELETED, ALTERED, MOVED OR TRANSFERRED AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON IN LINDEN LAB'S SOLE DISCRETION.

I interpret the above to include real dollar balances shown in your account. Maybe I'm mis-reading it?

If you payed them actual money (i.e. premium account or island fees) then they would have that on file but if you make US$1,000,000.00 in there you can't expect anything back if that info gets erased.

Also, I think paying money for L$ is considered paying LL for a service so you can't get that back if it goes away.

That's why it's a good thing for people to read the fine print before quitting their dayjobs to make a living off of someone else's computer game!

Cash out regularly and you don't have to worry. LL isn't a bank, you shouldn't have tons of $$ sitting around piling up.

Good advice. If you are a money earner in SL, set a predefined threshhold you are comfortable with and cash out at that time. Then immediately transfer out any US$ amounts, save for maybe enought to cover tier and account fees.

For me its L$100,000 and I cash out L$60,000, leaving me L$40,000 ingame for misc. expenses.

I never leave more thatn US$195 in my US$ account (that is my monthly rent on my island).

At worst, if LL pulls the plug, I'm never going to be out more than US$500, your comfort level may vary.

Actually I don't think it applies to any US$ balance for which actual laws would apply.

The best example I can think of is when you don't pay your tier: your land is put up for auction in US$, what you owe is deducted from the proceedings, plus a lateness fee, but if there is any money left after that, then you're entitled to what's left.

Right, but that's all technically service fees. If you were to give them money to buy $L you can't expect to see that money again because it becomes content in the game and not "real" money.

As long as it's on your US$ balance, it's real money.

And in the majority of cases you don't give US$ to LL to get your L$, your money is far more likely to another resident who's cashing out.

The TOS really isn't all that awful, just read the fine print on your insurance policy and see what they all won't cover .