gem store trade-in

[narwhalsbend.7059]

Could we have a way to trade in gem store items? Maybe for black lion statuettes if not gems.

I have some items I purchased on the gem store which now have zero use, and a whole lot of dumb things cluttering my bank like revive orbs.

It should be easy to implement I imagine - just like any other trader.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"narwhalsbend.7059" said:

> Could we have a way to trade in gem store items? Maybe for black lion statuettes if not gems.

> I have some items I purchased on the gem store which now have zero use, and a whole lot of dumb things cluttering my bank like revive orbs.

> It should be easy to implement I imagine - just like any other trader.

 

This isn't going to happen. Every time a similar topic has come up, ANet has said the same thing: they won't offer any sort of refund or trade in, because they consider that we've already gotten "fair use" of the item. In effect, any sort of exchange would mean undermining current and future sales.

 

I save all sorts of things from BL chests etc for which I have never had any use, e.g. the instant-TP vendor. And I have a number of extraneous items, which once had great value but no longer (e.g. extra infinite gathering tools became obsolete with shared inventory). And that doesn't include things that aren't "items," such as an extra crafting license (useful before Mistlock Sanctuary added a "return to sender" for crafters, the magic carpet I never use (because of the ugly guild emblems imposed upon it), etc.

 

So I feel your pain. All the same, I don't agree that ANet needs to provide a way for me to recoup any value; I've already had plenty of time to make use of them (or not).

[Deimos.4263]

It'd be nice if we could trade in all the "dumb things like revive orbs" for other dumb things like transmutation charges, etc. We probably all have at least one dumb thing we do use, and it'd help clear these items out of the system -- a dumb thing sink, if you will. I think this could be done without significantly affecting the gemstore or gold markets, while keeping all the dumb things account bound. They already did something like this with the various boosters, combining them down into a single form.

[narwhalsbend.7059]

In response to the other comments:

It doesn't have to be trade in for gems, it could be trade in for something else usable, like why i suggested the black lion statuettes.

[jezebel.7054]

How about a "swap meet" tab in the BLTC? Players would be swapping unneeded items with other players, not Anet. Maybe we could list the items we have to trade and items we would trade for them, not including gems or gold. Not sure if or how this might include the countless "account bound" items I have no use for. It seems like such a waste to just "destroy" if another player can use it.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"narwhalsbend.7059" said:

> In response to the other comments:

> It doesn't have to be trade in for gems, it could be trade in for something else usable, like why i suggested the black lion statuettes.

 

No, that doesn't address the root issue: any sort of exchange undermines current and future sales.

[Mea.5491]

We shouldn't be able to trade in BL Chest rewards (Revive Orbs, etc) and stuff in the wardrobe but I'd like this option for unwanted "passes" (Royal Terrace, etc) and gathering tools that were purchased from the Gem store but they are no longer needed. But like others have said, it probably won't happen.

[jezebel.7054]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> > @"narwhalsbend.7059" said:

> > In response to the other comments:

> > It doesn't have to be trade in for gems, it could be trade in for something else usable, like why i suggested the black lion statuettes.

>

> No, that doesn't address the root issue: any sort of exchange undermines current and future sales.

 

I understand what you're saying. Being an idealist, I still believe it could work for everyone, the same with having all items in the gemstore always available with an occasional sale. However, perhaps I have missed the proof that would allow me to be more realistic on these issues.

[Sojourner.4621]

> @"jezebel.7054" said:

> > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> > > @"narwhalsbend.7059" said:

> > > In response to the other comments:

> > > It doesn't have to be trade in for gems, it could be trade in for something else usable, like why i suggested the black lion statuettes.

> >

> > No, that doesn't address the root issue: any sort of exchange undermines current and future sales.

>

> I understand what you're saying. Being an idealist, I still believe it could work for everyone, the same with having all items in the gemstore always available with an occasional sale. However, perhaps I have missed the proof that would allow me to be more realistic on these issues.

 

At least in the second regard, limited time offers are a tried and true sales technique. They use it because it works, and often makes a lot more money than permanent items, because people tend to take permanent items for granted as something that will always be there. "I can buy that later" can often mean never getting around to it vs "If I don't buy that right now it will be gone, maybe forever". It's designed to play on our psychology. This kind of sales tactic even has the side benefit of these kind of items having even greater sales on second release windows.

[Solvar.7953]

The interesting part of this is that since a good portion of BLC chest items I consider worthless (revive orbs, teleport to friend, merchant expresses) that I'm in fact not inclined to ever by BLC keys. However, if I could trade in those useless items for something of some value, even if of less value, I might entertain the idea of buying keys every once in a while to help fund the game.

I do understand that the entire point of RNG in BLC is that they are random. But of the common rewards, there are some that are of use to me, and some of no interest. As it is now, I might by 25 keys, open a bunch of chests, get 1 or 2 items of some value, and bunch of some value but none to me, and decide I'm not going to do that again.