Ninja Trading - Why is it not bannable?

[ACat]

Hello, I'm unsure if this has been discussed before but it's something I've been wondering after getting into the trading scene more since returning to CS.

'Ninja Trading' is a term used for users that deliberately target unknowing players for their high value pets in exchange for low value ones as they don't know any better. This is often targeting COPPA players and especially prevalent around December 18th.

My question is, why is this not a bannable offense? Especially if repeated by the same accounts? It doesn't really make sense morally considering you can get banned for other things ('scamming'.

Clearly they can monitor trades as you can be warned for it, so why not ninja traders?

Edit: I've heard some of the staff ninja trade, is this true? :<

[Darkcloud!]

The argument I have seen (and gotten from staff) is that it is the responsibility of the user accepting the trade to ask for help and know the worth on their side.
Obviously, this works well for adults who have access to each other, the forums, and direct messaging, who can get replies within seconds, if they know who to trust.

COPPA players have nothing. They can message staff, but it can take a day or more, and during events, pets get traded away within milliseconds. So they become easy to pressure into trading.

That said, I firmly believe ninja trading can happen to even adults- I came back after years and got ninjad over an event pet that multiple other adults swore up and down was worth many old rares, only for the event to end and it to be "oh, it's not worth that at all, lol".

[ACat]

The argument I have seen (and gotten from staff) is that it is the responsibility of the user accepting the trade to ask for help and know the worth on their side.
Obviously, this works well for adults who have access to each other, the forums, and direct messaging, who can get replies within seconds, if they know who to trust.

COPPA players have nothing. They can message staff, but it can take a day or more, and during events, pets get traded away within milliseconds. So they become easy to pressure into trading.

That said, I firmly believe ninja trading can happen to even adults- I came back after years and got ninjad over an event pet that multiple other adults swore up and down was worth many old rares, only for the event to end and it to be "oh, it's not worth that at all, lol".

I see, I can get their argument to an extent but shouldn't they still do something if players are continuously sending one sided trades knowingly? I'm not sure how the system works on viewing trades from the staff side though haha

I'm sorry that happened to you :<

[Darkcloud!]

I see, I can get their argument to an extent but shouldn't they still do something if players are continuously sending one sided trades knowingly? I'm not sure how the system works on viewing trades from the staff side though haha

I'm sorry that happened to you :<

You know, I'm not sure either. I know when I view a trade sent to me, that any messages exchanged aren't visible- and that's the link staff asks for when reporting. So maybe they can't view what is and isn't being said, so they can't take any action.

That shouldn't matter though, especially not for COPPA where one party can't say anything at all.

No worries! I know now who I can ask about trades, but it did almost make me quit again out of frustration. I can't imagine what it's like to be a kid on the other end of it :(

[Nicnova]

Because they don't want to do anything about it. And I say that having been part of many discussions and suggestions wanting ninja trading to be banned or punished in some way. The m​ods will give the same answers and go around in circles without actually considering people's arguments, and get defensive when people question them. And there's been a ton of great, feasible suggestions from the community regarding the subject. Sooooo I gave up on that long ago.

They just believe it would be "too much work" to moderate, so they won't.

In reference to your edit; Yes, it hasn't happened to me but I've heard from people that were ninja'd by staff members.

[ACat]

Because they don't want to do anything about it. And I say that having been part of many discussions and suggestions wanting ninja trading to be banned or punished in some way. The m​ods will give the same answers and go around in circles without actually considering people's arguments, and get defensive when people question them. And there's been a ton of great, feasible suggestions from the community regarding the subject. Sooooo I gave up on that long ago.

They just believe it would be "too much work" to moderate, so they won't.

In reference to your edit; Yes, it hasn't happened to me but I've heard from people that were ninja'd by staff members.

It's a bit disheartening that they just sort of ignore the issue :< I get some players should "know better", but we all start from somewhere. It shouldn't be their fault for not understanding a confusing trading hierarchy.

That's awful... I'd have thought staff would be leading by example.

[Darkcloud!]

To add onto this: I think the users are just as much to blame for a lot of the issues around how ninja trading happens with unknown rarities.

I have had two separate people, completely different circles, claiming that the blue-black cow from this even is going to be extremely rare! to me in trades, even going as far to say "you and i both know" as if to wink-wink-nudge-nudge me to agree with them! And I'm an adult with a old join date! This is the kind of thing being repeated to impressionable, new-to-the-site people.

[ACat]

To add onto this: I think the users are just as much to blame for a lot of the issues around how ninja trading happens with unknown rarities.

I have had two separate people, completely different circles, claiming that the blue-black cow from this even is going to be extremely rare! to me in trades, even going as far to say "you and i both know" as if to wink-wink-nudge-nudge me to agree with them! And I'm an adult with a old join date! This is the kind of thing being repeated to impressionable, new-to-the-site people.

Yeesh... Event pets are like rare at most when they get rarities aren't they? Maybe there should be a warning on the exchange page or something. People really take any opportunity to take advantage of others :<

[BlingBling]

To add onto this: I think the users are just as much to blame for a lot of the issues around how ninja trading happens with unknown rarities.

I have had two separate people, completely different circles, claiming that the blue-black cow from this even is going to be extremely rare! to me in trades, even going as far to say "you and i both know" as if to wink-wink-nudge-nudge me to agree with them! And I'm an adult with a old join date! This is the kind of thing being repeated to impressionable, new-to-the-site people.

There is 0% chance that cow will be ER! The PPS Otter this month is harder to find and I've been treating it like the 2024 rare it may or may not become. Hyperinflation on the new "rare" pets has always been a thing, though

[bark]

Because they don't want to do anything about it. And I say that having been part of many discussions and suggestions wanting ninja trading to be banned or punished in some way. The m​ods will give the same answers and go around in circles without actually considering people's arguments, and get defensive when people question them. And there's been a ton of great, feasible suggestions from the community regarding the subject. Sooooo I gave up on that long ago.

They just believe it would be "too much work" to moderate, so they won't.

In reference to your edit; Yes, it hasn't happened to me but I've heard from people that were ninja'd by staff members.

Agreed, ninja trading can be combated by case-by-case basis, and investigations. It's VERY easy to find evidence if someone is ninja trading. (Heck, it doesn't even take LONG.) But like you said; the strange belief of "too much work" is often used