FB Groups that sell expansion materials for actual cash.

Plus it sounds like a good way to get your farm perma-banned. I wouldn’t recommend buying them, because you never know when the ban hammer might catch up to their buyers.

Agreed. No need to do so. Absolutely unnecessary and dangerous, too as shepherdgirl and Cowslips stated. I also don't see the point in jeopardising the work of years with such silly "deals".

Hopefully this message will reach as many players as possible to avoid serious consequences. 

greenleaf 

Thank you very much for starting this thread. 

Dear greenleaf

I never, never anticipated you would approve such behaviour. So don't worry. I'm very sure I don't speak for myself but for all members who know you.

Weird, now when you mentioned this theme...it also occurs on another platform. Fortunately it was quickly discovered and deleted.

Exactly. It is definitely cheating. And mostly yourself! I wonder if I should take screen shots and send to SC?

This can't hurt. 

Warios, the difference in spending RL money for diamonds in the game as opposed to using a 3rd party to buy items, is that the 3rd party is NOT authorized to sell items that are the intellectual property of SC.

If for some reason the transaction goes awry, there is no recourse, and there could be huge consequences.

Unfortunately it is a practice that applies also to some other games and I do not support such a practice like many. It is really good that you have brought it up greenleaf .

There are different reasons why people buy such virtual items from unauthorised sellers (e.g., expansion items). I suppose the main reasons are that it is a very fast way to expand barn/silo/land, that it is very easy to acquire the items and that it is certainly very cheap. I guess this is the fun for people who buy from unauthorised sellers. Hayday has become a very expensive as well as partly or mostly imbalanced game with the intro of the machines, which has, in turn, fuelled such a demand and accordingly well-established supply in the market. I think it is of importance for game developers to think about the aspects that are imbalanced and to make some balancing in their games in order to diminish demand (e.g., one game developer has been pretty professional in reducing such a demand for one of its famous games, and there is almost no supply in the market).

I am not specifically working within the IPRs area (recently jumped in) so I can surely be wrong. But I really am not sure which IPR may be violated by such sales. Perhaps copyright (?) - but not certain. Moreover, such virtual items for different games are sold through the web-pages (though not exactly the same as web-pages but call it "OP") that are dedicated to the sale of such virtual items. Depending on the jurisdiction of the OP, game developers can hardly touch such an OP by law. Therefore, such OPs prefer such jurisdictions that provide low protection to the detriment of game developers. While such sale offers can be taken down on FB and similar platforms as they are different, the OPs may hardly be touchable (as said) and the problem is much bigger mostly due to the OPs that are well-organised.

In addition to virtual items, farms are also offered for sale, which poses the risk of being "scammed". This is a very serious problem mostly for the buyer and the seller because the prices asked for farms (high level and with big barn) are extremely high, and the buyer or the seller is financially damaged in case of scam. The payment institution involved may not necessarily provide any protection. This certainly must be stopped in one way or another. 

So, the only "effective" mechanism that Supercell seems to have is impose a permanent ban, since buying virtual items from unauthorised sellers and transfer/sale/purchase of farms are explicitly prohibited according to the terms. A permanent ban surely has a deterrent effect on some or most players but not on all players that are buying from unauthorised sellers. Once faced with a permanent ban, the player will go with a new or another farm.

Bottom line in my opinion: It is of importance to diminish such a practice, and both players and game developers must work to do so.

- game developers must adjust certain aspects in their games in order to reduce such a demand from players. Reduced demand will accordingly affect supply adversely, which is certainly needed.

- players should avoid using such a practice. There is a very easy way: trading.
Having a well-established trading group helps quite a lot and it is also fun (really). Of course, it is much better if one knows the trading members, knows that their farms are "clean" etc. I am a member of such a trading group for a long time. Though many quitted playing, I still find it very helpful and fun, and I can get the items (e.g., it is my turn to make bread and lobster pasta for my trading group - bread is the least desired task among us as one must be glued to the game to fill the bakery, and we don't have time but I will receive a good amount of items in turn). 

lynnk2021

I think Lily77 meant with IPR = International Property Rights. Your guess was close.

I quoted the posting from Mom’sCar because that's the jumping point in my opinion. There is no discussion about it. However, the second point stated from you  is important as well. The issue with laundering dirty money is obvious. That's unacceptable and everyone has to to everything what he/she can to contain such practise.

Don't misunderstand me, our possibilities are limited, I know that. We can do only little things, but we should do it. Like greenleaf wrote, to make screenshots and report it is a good way.