GM Smiths Beware of Frauds

[Bazaaro]

This is a warning to GM smiths on Bert. It seems there are people gathering the items for the combines on the high end armor. They are trying to pay people to do the combines for them "for their alt characters". These people then sell the armor in the bazaar and rinse repeat the process.

Since they did not drop all their cash into smithing, this is basically instant profit for people. Everyone should beware about this, because it creates competition against yourself.

So far I have only seen people asking for smiths to create Fierce Heraldic, but I am sure they will branch out once all the human smiths know about them.

[Unidin]

careful with this one...the discussion on what happens once the item leaves your hands has been discussed in rants many o times. If this gets heated or ANY names come up, I will lock the thread down.

[Bazaaro]

Yeah, just a warning. It just sucks to see someone being nice to a fellow player and charging a couple k for a combine because they are doing a favor for the player, then the player turns around and sells the armor on their own vendor for going rates. Or even worse, cut rates to make cash fast.

There are a few people talking about it on the server already, and they are sharing names, but I thought it best not to post names here.

[Piikaa]

I'm actually about to hire a dwarven smith to make two Underfoot Breastplates, one for Piikaa and one for my friend Snuffbox. I've got all my skills over 150, with smithing at 188 + geerlok, so I will be making all of the pieces for the final combine. However, with the cost of ingredients and the disparity between where I am now and where I need to be to make the final combine, I am willing to pay a combine fee to a 250 dwarven smith.

Not everyone is looking for the quick buck, some of us just can't wait until we hit 250 to get this really sweet BP. Additionally, I like the idea of supporting my fellow tradeskillers and understand the value of their accomplishments. The smith we have made this arrangement is willing to do this for us for $10,000 per successful combine, provided I bring him all the parts, which are all trivial to me at my current levels...

This is actually, in my opinion, a very good way for all of us to do well with what we have. The retail cost for the BP is $30,000, so I'm certainly happy with what we have worked out.

[Bazaaro]

Yeah Piikaa, but what you are doing is up front and honest. The only issue I have is people telling lies like "I want X item created for my alternate character and will supply you all the parts and a fee" and then turning around and just selling it on the open market and doing the same things again. I see no problems if people are honest about their intentions of selling items, or whatever, after the combine. I think it is just nice to let people know up front, since some people may have an issue basically "competing against themselves" in the market by doing this.

Dunno, perhaps I am old fashioned expecting folks to be honest with everyone. LOL

[Piikaa]

Yeah Piikaa, but what you are doing is up front and honest. The only issue I have is people telling lies like "I want X item created for my alternate character and will supply you all the parts and a fee" and then turning around and just selling it on the open market and doing the same things again. I see no problems if people are honest about their intentions of selling items, or whatever, after the combine. I think it is just nice to let people know up front, since some people may have an issue basically "competing against themselves" in the market by doing this.

Dunno, perhaps I am old fashioned expecting folks to be honest with everyone. LOL

But then again, we are dealing with just a bunch of immature pixles most of the time, aren't we...

[Valorale]

There are several suggestions on ways to counter this.

1) Do the first combine for a modest price, but any other peices after that raise the cost for combines.
2) Only do one combine for a person, and only accept items from a person from their main. You can tell the difference when a level 60+ person asks you to do a combine for one of their alts, vs some green anon ogre in the bazaar asking you for 10 combines.
3) Advertise your services and not your product. Charge a fee for the combine that is reflective of its market value. That way if you charge 6-7000pp for the combine of a Tae Ew Chain tunic, the best they will get is maybe 10-12k.
4) Just dont offer your services on combines of high profit items. If they want you to combine a mistletoe sickle? sure. High end cultural armor? No, let them buy it from you or knock off a few thousand pp on your price if they bring you all the pieces for the final combine.

[Darury]

Just dont offer your services on combines of high profit items. If they want you to combine a mistletoe sickle? sure. High end cultural armor? No, let them buy it from you or knock off a few thousand pp on your price if they bring you all the pieces for the final combine.

This is the method that I actually prefer when I'm shopping for an item and there's no guild member around to make it.

Say item x sells for 10k. I'll be happy to pay 3-5k and provide the materials as long as I'm not going to be charged for an unsucessful combine and don't have to hand over enough for 20 attempts to get one item.

I'd rather get a discount on the finished item since I don't have to risk random failure on a combine.

[Piikaa]

Here is what I'm thinking would be a "fair and good" method, allowing a discount to the buyer, without causing problems to the tradeskiller or crashing the market.

High-end and Cultural Armor pieces, Full price is the straight-up deal. If the buyer provides One (1) full set of ingredients, including all sub-combines, then reduce the price by $1,000. If the buyer provides ten (10) full combine's worth of materiels, then discount the item by $10,000 pp.

[Kimba]

Combines and Scams

Just dont offer your services on combines of high profit items. If they want you to combine a mistletoe sickle? sure. High end cultural armor? No, let them buy it from you or knock off a few thousand pp on your price if they bring you all the pieces for the final combine.

Actually, I really like this idea and have begun to use it myself. Having been ripped off several times, I now encourage people to just buy heraldic from other human smiths if I do not have the item(s) available. I even supply the names of the only two active heraldic smithers of whom I am aware.

Kimba
GM Smith, Bertoxx

[raistron]

Ok

Ok now I see why I cant get anyone to combine my Fetid Armor, I aint sellin it but dang for 10K and supply 3 sets of the bits to combine is a bit much I think but hey thats just me.