Littledarc said:
just because they are manipulating the AH doesn't mean they are RMT (although it is likely). i talked to a GM and he told me that AH manipulation isn't against SE policy (however if they are doing it and the proceeds go to RMT then it is). so in all honesty, they could be legitimate players with lots of gil.
flame on.
What info you get on that depends on which GM you get and their interpretation of both what policy is and what they
think you are talking about.
According to SE staff I've spoken to, and a person I know in real life who was eventually band, repeated price fixing IS an offense even if you aren't RMT.
Buying an item low and waiting a few days/weeks/months and selling back high: not an offense.
Buying an item, and selling it back and forth between your mules to deliberately manipulate a price by controlling its history: an offense. Doing it enough to be noticed will result in being investigated, then warned. Repeating after the warning gets you suspended. Keep going after that you get banned. Someone I knew at work in real life kept it up till he got banned.
Its like the stock market. Buy low, sell high, but don't get caught in any price fixing collusion or insider trading, the feds will get you ;p
Jaerik said:
I do kind of wish people could agree on whether or not the RMT legions are scheming to raise prices, or to lower them. I seem to hear an equal number of accusations either way on a daily basis. =)
Both do happen. Not every RMT group gets together and decides to all do the same thing, and certain items get pushed down while they stock up, then pushed back up to sell them. In the past certain large LS's have done this as well.
That isn't to say a lot of players don't jump to the conclusion its RMT happening when they see a price they don't like..
We have a lot of non RMT and not against the rules at all anti-competitive practices going on in Vana'diel anyway.