So tl;dr after returning my sharked unusual with extra (Mind you I didn't get even half of what I paid back) more than a year later I'm still getting appeals denied and lots of hate and insults over this. I've tried building rep, I've added several unboxers and have helped many people throughout this time. Meanwhile all I get are these denials. I've tried to change, and have had many chances to shark or scam easy targets. I can't remember the last time I made a large profit trade. And all I get on my appeal is that it was declined for my behavior? What? This isn't the only community to have rejected me. Outpost, here, Backpack.tf's forums, PPM, TF2-t, and many other places. These sites have all told me to fix my mistake, return my hat, and what do I get in return for my patience and loss of money? Denial. I'm just giving you all a message. If you are ever thinking of or have ever scammed or sharked someone, Don't reverse it. You'l just be lied to, and manipulated just as I was. that's just my advice. I'm here looking for some advice. What do you guys suggest I do? I may just be better off continuing to shark or even get into scamming, because for all TF2 cares that's all I am and all I ever will be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since steam won't let me put TWO comments without a restriction, here's the two comments I had meant to send to Charlie http://steamcommunity.com/id/Eoj_Charlie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1st: if there's a reason why you've declined the appeal I'd like to hear exactly why, especially considering I've had my appeal open for MONTHS and am only hearing about this just now. If you were referring to other "sharks" those are all bullshit and I've proven that they are in fact false claims made against me. Are all communities fucking retarded? I've returned the hat with EXTRA UPON outposts request and am still banned everywhere. I'm a clear example that there's no such thing as second chances on any community anywhere and was blatantly lied to by multiple staff communities. What kind of message you sending to other scammers sharkers or people that've made a mistake? I've helped several users from getting scammed, done a multitude of Paypal trades so its obvious that my rep is not the issue here. I'm banned for sharking a hat I returned WELL OVER A YEAR AGO with more. My ban has nothing to do with behavior or how I've treated any of you. Jesus fucking Christ. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2nd: Sorry if I camee across as a major prick but quite honestly I have every right to be one to you guys. I was lied to, manipulated, and humiliated by you people. I could have prevented a $2,000 lost, but rather returned my item. I've lost more than the woodsman, as the unboxer wasn't able to repay me fully. I've also made a video on full explanation that I had paid about 43% of the items value, no where near as low as most sharks you come across.. I'd like to ask that ONE community give me a fucking break. I've done well over a year in time, lost $2,000, and have been kicked aside and bullied and I'm done with that. I've proven that I've changed having brokered a gold pan, burning tip lid, crown of the old kingdom, and have had MANY Opportunities to shark again, and haven't due to my dumbass thinking that a community like TF2 gave second chances. All I'm asking is that you reconsider and do more digging into the case. I've sent you an add. Oh, here's another example of denial, from Vatican. "I've got news for you slick, your unban request was shit. I don't even care what happened, don't come here acting like some kind of bigshot. You mean nothing to me. Try again. Or go fuck yourself, whichever." -Knuckles (Vatican's owner and manager.) Also in my sig as a daily reminder that no one gets second chances. Another example is if you go to Backpack.tf's forums, and try to type my name, it gets erased. You can't view it at all. I'm permanently removed from their system for being a crook and a trouble maker.
This Really Upsets Me, I Must Give You A Clap Of Hands For Returning The Unusual. It Was The Right Thing To Do.
I understand the entire rest of your statement, but this part really stood out to me as well. If this rant was about trying to make us view it from your point, it worked for me at least. At the same time however, you are encouraging people who have scammed or sharked to not try to change as you have, which regardless of if your story and the way you have been treated by communities is not OK. And plasma, he is basically saying that if he really wanted to continue sharking he would have done it by now.
First off thanks for being understanding. I would typically apologize but for this particular statement but I can't. I've always been honest to people when giving advice, and this is a clear example of that. There have been very few instances where people have been forgiven and forgotten. I'm warning people because people will manipulate you into trying to do the right thing as THEY see fit, and that particular thing may not be the best choice for your own overall being. This is a game revolving around a economy, it's a dog eat dog world. Some people just don't realize that yet.
"I've got news for you slick, your unban request was shit. I don't even care what happened, don't come here acting like some kind of bigshot. You mean nothing to me. Try again. Or go fuck yourself, whichever." -Knuckles (Vatican's owner and manager.) Sounds like a cool dude. (And also the link doesn't work)
Well good luck and although not knowing exactly want went on I do agree with a lot of what you are saying
Although I would say you shouldn't have even sharked in the first place, but you are making a great point in what you are saying. Based on what you've said, it looks like you have gone to immense lengths to show that you have changed, including brokering, Paypal trades, and helping others avoid scams. One would say that your "Are all communities fucking retarded?" comment was uncalled for, but you are obviously frustrated and fed up with waiting (I would be too). The way Knuckles responded to you was very rude and unprofessional, and in my personal opinion, you deserve a second chance and have so for a while, especially considering you returned the hat a long time ago and have gone to extreme lengths to prove that you have changed.
To be honest, there's a large reply I could give you and perhaps still may, but regardless of all the good you've done. And I do agree, your offense has followed you for quite some time, I think there's two things that I would want to point out. I don't see people as targets, and neither do many of the traders out there. I'm glad you haven't sharked or scammed anyone since, but while that is a good thing, it's not worth extra points, it's the common behavior. To put it in extreme, if you don't go around punching people in the face, we don't applaud you for not punching people in the face. That's just the assumed default. Any credibility you gained with your complaints about being mistreated are almost completely nullified by this statement. When people are given appeals, at least at Harpoon, I do it because I see that they regret and are apologetic for their actions. That they didn't realize the severity. This statement comes off merely as a "I only reversed the trade to get unbanned, and since I didn't, might as well not have at all." and that's not the mentality that this community, or many of the trading communities at large want. While there are still points you've made about the offenses, and punishments given, I won't speak to those without further consideration, but I will address those above points. I've been quite busy, and I may respond to your posts in greater detail, but I wanted to at least address two large issues I saw and felt were unnoticed.
That still doesn't answer my question on why I was specifically banned. You listed it as behavioral issues and my past issues with other communities. I'd like some specifics. Furthermore, yes I only returned my unusual to get unbanned. The way I see it and others should see it, what I did was not a shark and I don't feel bad for doing it in the slightest. Does this mean I'd do it again? No. But does that mean I'm going to cry buckets and beg for forgiveness for a trade that I felt was fair enough? No. Getting emotional over pixels is pathetic, I'm not some cry baby. There are several different forms of sharking, my example being one of passive. If you compare myself to users like Vox, Guns, who barely pay 5-10% of an items value, you'd understand why my ban is absurd.