Market Box Raiders

[Dede]

Something needs to be done about these people! Almost every cycle there is someone who comes along, complete stranger, buys everything and leaves without a trace at the end of the cycle. Sometimes they'll even continue buying everything I put up while I'm refilling my market box.

Name Redacted did just that.



He didn't stop by my camp so there was no way I could track or block him, allowing him full access to my market box. Something I try to keep full to the best of my ability so my friends can always get what they need. I find it really hard to believe that someone would need 12 fruit beetles in one cycle. I even used honey to replenish those beetles!

I honestly think Nintendo needs to implement a setting that will either limit the amount of purchases in market boxes or restrict purchases to friends only. I know some people may think otherwise and that I should quit whining but I believe these are the worst types of players one could encounter in this game. They seem so selfish and greedy to me but there's no way to prevent them from doing this to people.
I understand there are other players who rely on purchasing from market boxes that lack the time throughout the day to hunt for themselves and really do need the items, but you need to understand that we put in so much time and effort to provide goods for everyone (yes I know I'm not being forced to do this but I want to make sure everyone can fulfill their requests). I can't keep up with everyone's demands, especially with these market box raiders everywhere. At this rate I'll probably have to quit market boxing altogether to free up some time.

Sorry for boring you all with this long rant </rant>

This is such a negative topic, I kinda regret posting it.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

I hope people don't think I'm doing this when I buy a bunch of stuff, it's usually when everyone's asking for the same things and none are showing up in the area. But I mostly buy from friends, and rarely find things I need in randoms that come through.

I did have a short bought of one of my "friends" sniping my box, and it was very clear he was using it to resell for higher prices in HIS box when I went there later to give him kudos. I like when people buy my things but if someone is sniping everything, especially because I think I sell them at a pretty low/decent price, I do get suspicious.

So to everyone on my friend's list, if I am buying lots of stuff from you, rest assured it's because I'm having crap luck, or trying to level up my friendship using request cards and the things are getting used!

 

[Imaginetheday]

You might consider raising your prices. I know people want to keep prices low so people that really need them can afford them, but I think if they really need them, they'll pay a little more, and it might discourage raiders. Having enough bells has not been an issue for me for a long time, and that's probably true for others as well. Don't forget you get bells when you fulfill a request!

I also wish Nintendo would limit to non-friends. I only buy 1-2 items from visitors and that seems reasonable to me.

 

[SpookyMemes]

View attachment 214160
View attachment 214161​

The picture says it all. I bought three things from him, it was so tempting to buy everything but I know people hate that lol

 

[Ably.Saucey]

???? Isn't that the point of a market box?
I buy stuff from people a lot but I don't clean them out, so a bit of a control would be nice, I guess.
Maybe only allowing 3 slots for non friends? I get cleaned out by my 'friends' a lot, but I don't want it since it's usually excess and I want to help others so that's why it's there.
I only spoken to like 3 of my 'friends', so there's no difference between them and random people to me.

edit for grammer

 

[Bucky42]

Ok I am like Ably.saucey, and thought the point of market boxes was so people could buy stuff. I don't mind when my boxes get sold out. I make a bit more bells than I would if I just sold the items and I feel it hopefully helped someone. I never considered it wrong or upsetting when I got cleaned out.
Is there a chance that people do it thinking they are being nice? I tend to only buy what I need from people so usually only a box or two and only if the prices are good. The exception is when there is an event going on and someone is really nice and fills my garden up with butterflies or bats depending on what is needed. I will then see if they have something higher priced in their market box & buy it as a thank you (between 5,000 & 10,000 bells).
Have a great day!


edit for grammer

 

[SierraSigma]

Raiders are the worst. That said, I havnt been raided for a while. Everyone seemed to stop listing and buying during the event, presumably using their limited play time for event rather than requests.

Ive been brutal with my friends list for over a month now, so they arent a problem. In fact, frankly, I dont think I need any more friends at all, as the game currently stands.

Thus the easiest way to prevent raiders in my book would be to insert an option where you can just opt not to appear in non-friends' games. Thats what Im hoping for anyway.

How did you translate the kanji? Can you just read it, or do you know of any apps or websites that would help me translate some of my favourite friends nicknames?

 

[Vonny]

I have friends that buy 5+ (x3 items for 100) items at a time sometimes and it doesn’t bother me and I hope my friends don’t mind when the game screws me and I’m forced to buy 9 olive flounders I do it

 

[Imaginetheday]

???? Isn't that the point of a market box?
I buy stuff from people a lot but I don't clean them out, so a bit of a control would be nice, I guess.
Maybe only allowing 3 slots for non friends? I get cleaned out by my 'friends' a lot, but I don't want it since it's usually excess and I want to help others so that's why it's there.
I only spoken to like 3 of my 'friends', so there's no difference between them and random people to me.

edit for grammer

The problem is that it appears that people are buying simply to resell. When someone clears you out, then you check their market box and it's filled with the stuff they just bought from you, but at higher prices, it's frustrating. It's happened to me a couple of times, and I don't even sell as cheaply as others do.

 

[Livvy]

Sometimes (not super frequently) I buy a lot from friends when I have less than 5 of something, even if I don't immediately need it, because I know I will need it pretty soon probably. I don't do it to resell though, as I try to keep my own box decently priced as well. I didn't know some people saw it as bad, because I've never minded when my friends buy out my market box. Once I put something for sell in the market box, I figure it's not mine anymore and it's open to anyone. You can't really communicate what you want in the game, so it's kind of hard to set rules about what you do and do not want. Sorry it bothers you though!

 

[zoetrope]

I couldn't care less what someone does with stuff after buying it from my market box. If you don't want people flipping your stuff then price it higher...

 

[Ably.Saucey]

The problem is that it appears that people are buying simply to resell. When someone clears you out, then you check their market box and it's filled with the stuff they just bought from you, but at higher prices, it's frustrating. It's happened to me a couple of times, and I don't even sell as cheaply as others do.

I can see that. I've had that happen in real like a lot (I do estate sales/antiques), but in the game, once they buy it, they can do what ever they want with it, it's not like they're begging for me to make it lower so they can jack up the prices later (rl, it makes me mad). I have them low because it's still better than 10 bells or whatever the base price is.
It's just a game, so I don't mind, if they're raising the prices; they'll most likely loose it to make room, since there are many who keep they're prices reasonable, they wont have business.

 

[Angel-Rae]

I don’t mind if other players resell my stuff if they’ve only bought two or three items. I don’t mind my friends buying four or five items or occasionally a lot. What I mind is a non friend who has obviously had me in their town just totally cleaning me out, whether it’s to resell or just to fulfill requests.

My marketbox is for my friends to help their game. My prices are the lowest they can be and that’s because I don’t need the money. I am not very interested in expanding my camper so I have between 400,000 and 500,000 bells. I fish and gather to keep my market box full as much as I can, and if I’m away from the game because of real life stuff and have only a limited amount of game play time I feel stressed when I have to run around to fill my box up. I worry I’m letting my friends down when my box is low or empty.

I can see how a newer player could be trying to be kind by buying a lot. They might think they are giving me bells for my spare stuff. They can’t know my approach to selling and early on in the game you do need bells.

 

[Dede]

It's not a bad thing to buy a bunch of items from a market box and there are definitely people who do need them. What troubles me is when people buy everything all the time. I've seen those who buy for example: 2 slots of pale chubs, 1 slot of perch, 1 slot of carp, 2 slot of flounders, 1 slot of squid, 2 slots of monarch, 2 slots of fruit. And I'm totally okay with this because this is something like what the villagers would request plus extra if then need it for later. But there are also those like my cousin who are too lazy to hunt at least a little bit himself so he just cleans out every market box he comes across even though he has more time throughout the day than I do (I've never friended him and don't plan to).

Yes the market box is meant for selling items, but it's not meant to be abused by a single player, especially one you've never met before and doesn't even drop by to say hello. It takes away from the social aspect of the game in my opinion.

I don't mind people "flipping my stuff" as long as they do need it. Sure they can even list it in their market box if they want. But when it's every single item and they don't bother to show you that they paid any attention to you, then that tells me that they don't want to put any of their own effort in this game and would prefer to use other players to get what they want. I've seen this kind of behaviour in other games and it shouldn't be tolerated.

As a side note; if I have blocked anyone for mass buying while you only lack the time to play, then I apologise. There is no way to tell if you lack the time and really need the items or if you're just being lazy and using me.

@SierraSigma: I can read it. His name is written in katakana. Most of the Japanese names are in hiragana or katakana so you could probably use a chart off the net to cross reference each individual character. If the character looks really complex though, then it's most likely kanji so it'll be a little more difficult to figure it out. Feel free to send me a message if you want to discuss it further.

 

[Ras]

I've got friends who wipe me out. I don't care. I like to keep my market box completely stocked and it's to help them out anyway. I will actually buy items from peoples' market box in order to keep my box stocked, but I'm more than likely not making money doing it. I list everything 3 items for 60, no exceptions. And, I only buy a couple of things anyway.

I'm not keeping it stocked so much right now, because I need to do my own requests to get flower seeds. I'm going to need those red flowers when phase 2 starts up!

 

[J087]

I really don't get what the fuss is all about. The point of the Market Box IS selling items...?

Shame on you for making other players feel bad about buying "too many" items at once. Your market box isn't some kind of status symbol to show everyone you're active and can afford to sell items. And if you see it as an obligation to spend money on products like honey or fishing nets, than this is your own choice.

If you dislike people "raiding" your box than raise your prices and enjoy your higher income, stop selling stuff all together, or simply block them and move on with your game. Don't go around forcing people to limit their purchase only because you don't agree with it. The thought of offering low-priced goods to friends is really thoughtful. But I'm not under the impression that money if hard to come by in this game.


As a side note: The going price for 3 bugs or fish is actually 100-150. But that's my opinion.

 

[Dede]

I feel like people aren't understanding the point I'm trying to make. People can buy as much as they want. I mean no hostility towards anyone that needs to buy a lot of items. It's all about the player's attitude. Players are free to clear out my market box if they want. But if the player's attitude is like "I'll let you do all my work. I don't care about you" then I can't support them. It's not about money. It's not about status. It's about how buyers perceive sellers. A magical dispenser or a friend? I have plenty of friends who clear out my box but they look out for me while I'm away. Not ignore me completely.

Look, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. Like I said I regret posting this topic but I really needed to know what everyone's thoughts are about the subject. I really don't like blocking people because of this and seeing how the majority of you feel about it has given me a little more insight.

 

[Cheshire]

I agree with everything you said, Dede, and I don’t understand why others don’t (want to?) understand your point. The last few days, I‘ve had my marketboxes completely emptied by strangers pretty much constantly (mostly directly after refilling), so I definitely feel your pain. I want to help my friends/people who help me, but I just can‘t keep up with this.

Before that, I‘ve only ever had problems with a handful of players on my friendlist who raided my boxes and had nothing but ultra-rares at max prices in their own (I blocked those experts). Don‘t get me wrong: I don‘t mind my friends emptying my boxes, at all. I just disapprove of people who treat others as dispensers without ever even trying to contribute themselves.

So yeah, I, too, would very much welcome an option to lock strangers out of your marketboxes.

 

[Xyla]

I do agree it’s the way they appear to be treating u when strangers clear u. Tbh it’s only happened badly once to me and this guy got me annoyed. He started by clearing like half of the stuff so I hunted and refilled. Then he cleared about half again so I removed him from friends (he had only just friended me when he bought the first lot).. so I refilled again and it felt like outta spite of me unfreinding him he went and bought the whole lot. I blocked him lol

 

[Angel-Rae]

I don’t feel annoyed if my friends buy lots of items because I have the stuff to be a friendly player. Most friends won’t buy everything you’ve listedat once, they will buy as they have the need.

I don’t think my annoyance at a non friend buying my entire box at once is shaming to them or me. It’s merely my reaction to the experience of not being able to help any of my friends until I can gather more items because one non friend player has bought it all. Keeping prices low and preferring my friends to have access to items is an attempt to be friendly. It has no relation to status from my point of view.

I don’t believe that any one player could need 45 items in order to fulfil current requests so therefore I don’t think that buying everything in one (non friend) players box is in the spirit of fairness. It is using other people’s efforts without making any yourself. And it can’t be reciprocal because they aren’t on your list.