SE's filters obviously are a piece of shit. Until they do something semi-drastic like limit the use of tells for people under level 30 to those on their friend lists, the problem isn't going away no matter how many times we report the stupid bots. So after receiving the same tell from oosale.com 5 times in a row from the same bot character, I decided I'd have a little fun at their expense.
When going to their site, the first thing I noticed that was extremely odd was the fact they ask you for your character name, your Paypal email address, your phone number (which I put in as 888-382-5633, spell that out on the phone if you're that bored) and what game you play. Not particularly sure why that information is relevant unless you already have an account, but since it was a required field, naturally I made a bunch of shit up.
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Tolly'
Tolly: Hello,welcome to Live Help.How may i help you please?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Hello Tolly, I had a quick question for you.
Tolly: ok
Tolly: What is the matter?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: How does it feel to work for a company that harasses the piss out of random people multiple times an hour in an illegal manner?
Tolly: It is really bad
Tolly: What is your feeling ?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Is it really or do you get that question a lot?
Tolly: Yes , so many
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Awesome, do you mind if I waste about 3 hours of your time?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Can I have all your personal information too?
Tolly: If it is necessary, i will let you know
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Where is your company located?
Tolly: Why need i tell u?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Well, I figure since for a chat, you require player names, paypal email addresses, etc, you can at least tell me where your company is located.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: I'm guessing China
Tolly: Have you ordered before?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Nope and I don't have any intention of doing so. I just want to waste your time.
Tolly: You waste your time, not me
Tolly: lol
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Not really. You see...
Haklfjfhkhklhas: You're sitting in a cubicle farm having to deal with assholes like me.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: I'm sitting at a desk being the bored asshole with nothing else to do at the moment.
Tolly: In fact , i like you
Tolly: So do i
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Riiiight. So where's your company located?
Tolly: You can guess
Haklfjfhkhklhas: What type of legit company doesn't disclose that information?
Tolly: I have not asked your information
Tolly: so please do not ask me , ok?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: No, you "Tolly" have not asked me in this chat for my information, but to even get to the point where I can talk to "Tolly", your chat form required personal information.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: It required...Phone number, Paypal Email address, Character name...
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Just for a chat
Haklfjfhkhklhas: and that's not to even mention all the bullshit you guys cause in the various games you "service"
Haklfjfhkhklhas: So again
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Where's your company located?
Tolly: on the earth
Haklfjfhkhklhas: That's a start
Haklfjfhkhklhas: now narrow it down to the continent it's on
Haklfjfhkhklhas: then the country
Haklfjfhkhklhas: then the province
Haklfjfhkhklhas: then the city
Tolly: then the street
Tolly: then the door
Tolly: then the room
Tolly: then ??
Haklfjfhkhklhas: you're getting the idea
Tolly: Yes, so you want to know , where i am sitting ?
Tolly: What i am eating
Haklfjfhkhklhas: No, just where your company is located.
Tolly: Who i am talking to
Haklfjfhkhklhas: how much do you get paid an hour?
Tolly: Why you want to know that fucking answer
Tolly: Nothing
Haklfjfhkhklhas: you work for free?
Tolly: Yes
Tolly: I am so boring
Tolly: and need somethings to do
Tolly: So i am here just for some food
Haklfjfhkhklhas: so you write bots that spam personal messages to anyone who's currently signed into a game for fun?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: or is that a diff. department?
Tolly: It is not me
Tolly: I do not do that stupid thing
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Does that guy have to talk to people at all?
Tolly: I even who you are saying
Tolly: do not know*
Haklfjfhkhklhas: The guy that writes the advertising bots, you're not him?
Tolly: Yes, i am so sorry
Tolly: I am a new guy here
Haklfjfhkhklhas: and you don't write the advertising bots?
Tolly: Of course
Haklfjfhkhklhas: who does?
Tolly: Today is my second time
Tolly: work here
Haklfjfhkhklhas: who writes the advertising bots?
Tolly: So sorry , i have no idea
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Can you find out?
Tolly: It is a little hard
Haklfjfhkhklhas: I'm sure if you work at it, you can find out.
Tolly: But i have no right to do it
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Sure you do. You work for a company that's using an illegal means of advertising.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: As well as selling illegal goods.
Tolly: I am unable to do what you hope to do
Tolly: so sorry
Haklfjfhkhklhas: So back to my original question for now. Where's your company located?
Tolly: Why are you interested in it ?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Why are you interested in hiding it?
Tolly: Becaues it is private
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Why is it private?
Tolly: i do not know
Haklfjfhkhklhas: You guys make a public nuisance of yourselves. One would think the rest of the company would be public.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Is it private because the boss told you not to tell anyone?
Tolly: Bingo
Haklfjfhkhklhas: So you willingly work for someone doing illegal things?
Tolly: illegal?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Yep, illegal.
Tolly: It is legal
Tolly: Why you say that
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Is it? You guys pretty much violate the Terms of Service for every game you provide currency for.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: The whole "not allowed to advertise the sale of virtual goods" and "not allowed to sell the intellectual property" part of the Terms of Service
Tolly: What is the difference between legal and illegaal?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: the difference between legal and illegal is often times just the border to a country.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: or hiding behind one's govt. while essentially stealing someone's property and profiting off it.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Which is why you guys are doing.
Tolly: But we do not do that thing
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Do you not?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: You sell WoW gold right?
Tolly: I am just talking to you, it is my job, i do not care other things
Haklfjfhkhklhas: So if you were employed by someone selling child sex slaves, you'd just sit at your desk and do it cause it's your job and not care about anything else?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Here's an example of what I'm talking about:
Tolly: But that thing my company do not do
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Section 11:
Tolly: ok
Haklfjfhkhklhas: World of Warcraft Terms of Service:
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Ownership/Selling of the Account or Virtual Items. Blizzard does not recognize the transfer of WoW Accounts or Blizzard Accounts (each an "Account"). You may not purchase, sell, gift or trade any Account, or offer to purchase, sell, gift or trade any Account, and any such attempt shall be null and void. Blizzard owns, has licensed, or otherwise has rights to all of the content that appears in the Game. You agree that you have no right or title in or to any such content, including without limitation the virtual goods or currency appearing or originating in the Game, or any other attributes associated with the Account or stored on the Service. Blizzard does not recognize any purported transfers of virtual property executed outside of the Game, or the purported sale, gift or trade in the "real world" of anything that appears or originates in the Game. Accordingly, you may not sell in-game items or currency for "real" money, or exchange those items or currency for value outside of the Game. "
Haklfjfhkhklhas: There's a section like that in virtually every game you guys "service"
Haklfjfhkhklhas: and yes, your company does not sell child sex slaves, but to say "it is my job, i do not care other things" is simply turning a blind eye to the actual issues
Tolly: I just want to say that if you want to buy something and the other buy want to buy it , this is busniess
Tolly: sell*
Haklfjfhkhklhas: That's the drug dealer mentality.
Tolly: So you care all things
Haklfjfhkhklhas: The whole reason drugs exist is because "you want to buy something and the other buy want to buy it, this is business"
Haklfjfhkhklhas: No I just find it humorous there are actually people in this world who get involved in things like that in the first place.
Tolly: I agree with you
Tolly: It is not good
Haklfjfhkhklhas: LOL! no you don't. you wouldn't be working there if you did :)
Tolly: But i can not find other work
Tolly: Maybe one year later
Tolly: I can do it
Haklfjfhkhklhas: That's still no excuse.
Tolly: I am just leaving school
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Lots of people can't find work. Don't see them resorting to illegal business practices to make ends me.
Tolly: it is difficult to find a desired job for mr
Haklfjfhkhklhas: So go back to school?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Work fast food?
Tolly: I have graduated
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Where from?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Did you just get fired or are you currently selling something illegal to another person?
Tolly: I am a good boy
Tolly: Just the life is hard
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Still just excuses.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Your life is hard, your boss' life is hard (although probably not as hard), so to make ends meet, you guys make things hard for other people by irritating the piss out of them
Tolly: But what can i do to satify your need?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Well for now, you can find the guy that writes the advertising bots and punch him in the nuts repeatedly.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Preferably once for every person, every day he's irritated.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Which should come out to around a few million ballsack punches.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Then go do that to your drug lord/boss.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: If you were playing a game to get away from things after a hard day of work, would you want to be receiving advertisements for a product you're not interested in repeatedly?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Likely not. So why work for a company that does that to other people.
Haklfjfhkhklhas: How many customer service representatives do you guys have?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: And can I just say, your english is a lot better than the guy who writes those advertising bots?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: Hello?
Haklfjfhkhklhas: I think I'll do this at least once or twice a day. This was a lot of fun. I'm sure we'll run into each other again. :)
Obviously, "Tolly" has had several of these conversations. Obviously, he doesn't care and he's a smart ass. However, I managed to waste about 30 minutes of his time and because this was such a fun exercise, I think I'll go through with my promise there at the end.
That or I'll find someone to write me a bot and just spam their LiveChat...
lol, I liked this guy, but in all honesty, if he's in China, he may not be kidding about being unable to find gainful employment.
ReplyDeleteI don't really care if he's kidding or not. He works a job that simply involves him sitting in a desk talking to people and possibly farming up currency he sells. You can't tell me that he looked very hard for a job and you can't tell me you would stoop to doing what amounts to illegal things to make ends meet. He's no better than a drug dealer on the corner of the street in my opinion. :)
ReplyDeleteViolating a ToS isn't illegal, it just nullifies your contract with that company and they no longer are required to uphold their end of the contract. There are no laws, as far as I know, outlawing the sale of digital currency on the books for any major country.
ReplyDeleteAnd, honestly, on the same level as drug-dealing? Please :P They're a nuisance, at worst, hardly on the same life-destroying level as drug-dealers and drug-buyers.
I don't like what they're doing or the service they're providing, and the people who enable them by actually purchasing gil are just as bad, but you're taking this nonsense waaaaay too seriously :P Save the melodrama for crap that matters... like lighting things on fire.
The sale of someone else's copyrighted, intellectual property w/o express, written consent is theft and that's illegal almost anywhere you go. The only thing really stopping a company like Blizzard or SE from actually pursuing something like this further than they do is the lack of hard law over the sale of virtual goods (and a country's borders...).
ReplyDeleteThe drug-dealing reference just shows the mentality. Why does someone sell drugs? Cause some dipshit will buy them. Why does someone sell virtual currency? Cause some dipshit will buy them. You can argue these games have the same, devastating potential both physically and mentally (re: agreement one clicks every time they log in about not letting it destroy their lives), which is similar to what drugs have the potential to do. The difference between most drug dealers and these clowns is simply the tangible level of the goods they sell.
And no, I don't take it seriously enough to really waste any emotion over it, but on a slow day (like today) and after being slightly irritated by getting the same tell from the same character 5 times in about 1.5 hours (like this morning), I decided to simply waste the time of someone else for a change. "Tolly" was a good sport about it. :)
We deal with the same people in World of Warcraft all the time. As for how they get the information I can only assume their copyright and infringement laws are different. You can go to any comic or gaming convention and find bootleg copies of movies that are out now. The catch is they are from (normally and possibly stereotypically) an Asian country. Someone at one of the cons said the copyright laws there are less strict and can allow people to bring over the merchandise.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, as someone who has been hacked, I am on the fence as to whether or not the main companies allow this to happen. Blizzards response time on the matter of hacked accounts or botted accounts are staggering somedays. You are looking at roughly a week to get all items back and then it is heavily suggested you get an authenticator to tighten up your account security. I personally think that Blizzard hacks their own accounts to promote the sale of Authenticators and overlooks the bots and pirates of the MMORPG seas.
But this is just my opinion