Rejected Ban Appeal - UberShyGuy

Steamrep Block:

| steamname: ÜberShyGuy
| steam3ID: [U:1:111238700]
| steamID32: STEAM_0:0:55619350
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198071504428
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198071504428

What was your in-game name when you got banned?

>{GHS}<ÜberShyGuy

When did it happen?

Approx. 1 year ago

What's the specified reason?

Attempted scamming.

Why do you think you should be unbanned?

My plan for that day of the accused scam attempt I was, ironically, trying to make a video on how to avoid scammers. So I said in the global chat of the server I was on currently ( specifically the GHS unusual trade server ) "I have a pair of uncraftable earbuds id like to sell but I don't know how much they are worth"; though I do realize that my plan was flawed since I probably should have been advertising an item I actually had. Immediately someone traded me ( Forte Engarde ). He traded me about 5 times before adding me, this intimidated me so I figured I should probably say I sold the earbuds to try to get him to leave. I thought this was a good idea since it would explain why I didn't have the earbuds in my inventory. I told him I had someone offering 14 keys for them and then Forte told me that was his offer. I said to just send a trade offer for my buds and that I would accept it later ( further stalling so that when he went offline I could remove him ). Then he told me my buds weren't in my inventory, so in a pinch to tell him something I told him they were in a friends inventory ( also implying my friend bought them, still trying to get rid of him ). But then he told me I was a scammer. I was a bit flustered so I asked him why and gave a counter-argument with "you are the scammer for buying uncraftable buds from me for only 14 keys". Then he told me that he was buying gifted buds, and there-in lies the mis-understanding. I thought he was a scammer because he was buying my buds underpriced, when in reality he mis-read what I had put in the chat. But before I could explain that to him he said he had reported me and I tried to get him to stop from reporting me, he removed me. Doubting his power I let it go for a while. Then my friend ( Sniper Pro ) told me he was friends with this guy and told me that he wasn't any regular player and that he had me banned from outpost. I'm sorry I typed so much but this is the whole story according to me and what I read in my "accused scam" post on Fortress of Gamers' forums.

I believe I should be unbanned because it was all a bit of a mis-understanding. I haven't spoken to Forte Engarde since the incident, but I have spoken to my friend of mine, Sniper Pro( who knows Forte Engrde ) about the matter. The reason why there is a mis-understanding is because he thought I was selling gifted buds and I thought he was scamming me for trying to buy uncraftable buds from me. I do believe I should get a second chance aswell because he said I was selling fraudulent items. That is true I was dumb and tried to get someones attention faster by using a more desirable item because I didn't have much of value at the time. However, I tried to get him to leave by saying I was going to sell it to someone else but he kept pushing and trading and chatting. So I simply assumed the video idea wasn't in vain so I kept talking to try to get more "scammer screenshot material" out of him for the video. Push comes to shove, I get banned. I'm asking to get unmarked because I don't really trade in tf2 anymore but I have started to play cs:go and it is detrimental to my trading carier there because it wont let me on CS:GO lounge as well as TF2 outpost. Also people think im a scammer because I have a mark on steamrep, which hurts my image and reputation with all the people on the servers I visit most frequently. You can ask my friends, they will all tell you; I am no scammer. Other than the scam I was accused of here, my history is clean. I have also not attempted a scam since the original report ( approx a year's time ). To whom it may concern, please take the time to add me if you would like any more details on the matter. Also thank you for taking the time to read all of this!

[ EDIT ] P.S. I believe Forte Engarde was actually trying to shark me because he was aware that I was advertising uncraftable buds. He even confirms several times in the screenshots he provided that he knew there were only 2 "legit" uncraftable buds. However at the beginning of the conversation, he only offered 14 keys? I believe he reported me to cover up that mistake and keep his rep clean.

 

You're full of it, lol.

You advertised selling them for 14 keys. I traded you once and you accepted and then we added each other to chat and the steam trade went down. I was well aware of your intentions to scam from the start and only played along to get enough evidence to submit the scammer report.

 

Let me clarify, I sent you one successful [/B ]trade. If I remember correctly, it was giving error messages because of the item servers being down hence why we agreed to add each other once we finally we able to get into trade.

 

So, if I got this right, you accidentally attempted to scam Forte? As in, you accidentally got the situation into a known scamming situation?

 

Please don't post here, you don't know what you're talking about. The user was banned 90 days ago, and attempted to appeal earlier but couldn't due to faults (form wasn't working for him). Also it doesn't matter when you appeal.

Also, I'm just going to state something:

- There isn't any proof that you were making a video, any scammer could use that excuse, if you were really trying to make a video about scamming, why not get a friend to take part in it?

 

Please respond to the questions above within 14 days. If you fail to do so, this appeal will be marked as invalid.

 

Ok I replied it time. Alright so I want to get this straight; I wasn't trying to scam anyone. I was on the server for hours before that doing regular trading. When no one was trading me and I got bored I decided to make fun of the people who are doing the same thing as me ( spamming their trade offers in the chat without response ) by saying "Selling vintage buds for 14 keys". I thought it was funny because everyone else was selling expensive things and I just took it to the extreme. I didn't necessarily think anyone was going to trade me because I was sure everyone was in on the joke. However someone frantically traded me ( Forte ) and added me, at least I thought it was frantic because he traded me so many times then added me. He started legitimately trading me so mid way through the trade I thought it would be funny to record it, so im sorry, my main idea for that day was not to record the video but it just randomly popped into my mind. But since he intimidated me I figured I probably should just get rid of him. I am a bit shy ( as my name implies ) so I didn't want to tell him directly that it was a joke because I thought he would get mad and report me because he was so serious about it. But he reported me anyway and I TRUELY do regret not recording it or doing it with a friend but I didn't know this whole ordeal would happen so I didn't prepare for it. Also, Forte, why do you have it out for me? I am not a scammer, you can ask my REAL friends, the people I didn't just meet on the internet. They will tell you that I am not a bad person with evil intentions. Forte I want to tell you sorry that I seemed like I was trying to scam people, but I think all this is a bit much for something that happened more than a year ago on a server that doesn't have much activity anymore. I never really hurt anyone and I never have, that's why I think I should have my tag removed.

 

Notes:

Hidden Content:

**Hidden Content: Content of this hidden block can only be seen by members of (usergroups: Legacy Trade Moderator).**

 

So, your plan wasn't making that scammer video in the first place. Besides that, this is the first time in both your report and your appeal you are talking about vintage buds. It was about either uncraftable or dirty buds.

Makes more sense, but why did you lie about it before then?

You are probably already quite known with trading regulations; did it not pop up in your head that as long as you didn't attempt to scam him (and came out from the beginning saying "I was just joking in chat, I'm sorry"), or make it look like a scam, that you wouldn't have been reported?

Rather irrelevant. Forte reported you for attempted trade scam, not for 'not liking you'.

If you want your tag removed, it would be a good idea to give your post a good thinking through, and then explaining exactly what happened, because the story has had three / four revisions so far, and quite frankly I don't think any of them are correct.

 

This was years ago and I was younger ( about 13 ) and I was innocent to the extreme nature of tf2 trading. I thought it was just a game so I kinda poked a bit at the rules of it as if it didn't matter. I am older now and I realize the mistake I made. I was saying Forte had it out for me for saying "lol this guy is full of it" because that is a quite rude statement otherwise he probably would not have said if he didn't genuinely believe I had evil intentions. I wasn't necessarily lying per-say, It's just the fact that remembering something that happened several years ago isn't that easy. As I remember the full story I find loop-holes in my own logic of remembering it then I change it slightly to more fit to what might have actually happened. I don't know the full story completely because it only lasted 15 minutes and I forgot all about it until I got banned. In law, the subject trialed has a much lighter sentence because their age might have affected their choices. I am not sure if that applies here but I think it should be accounted for because I do agree, I was quite childish with my actions. I just want you guys to know that I was well-known in the community on that server and had the tag to show it, I have been on that server for years. And if I wanted to jeopardize my reputation with the friends I made there and the rest of the trading community just to make a quick buck then truly that was a stupid decision, and I am not stupid. I might do something dumb for the sake of humor but not for the sake of personal gain.

 

You now say you were unknowledged about the strict nature of the trading community, but you did want to make a video about how to avoid scammers, and you knew about the difference between gifted and uncraftable buds. This conflicts. You say that your plan of the day was to make a video, and then you say you were making one on the spot. This conflicts. You say you do not remember it clearly, yet you change your story around each time very specifically, adding that, for example, Forte was trying to scam you. For someone who does not clearly remember what was going on back then, this is a pretty serious accusation. Finally, it was not /years/ ago. The report itself was posted on SteamRep a year and a month ago, and the tag was only applied 105 days ago.

If you could provide a final, well-structured story about what happened, I think we could come a lot further than just speculating about what happened. Compare it to Forte's story, and see what actually happened on your side of this conflict. So, if you could, please write a final story about what happened, trying to remember the best of things. Take your time remembering it; you do not have to write the story within a matter of minutes. In fact, it might even be a good thing sleeping a night or two over your story, to remember the tiniest details even.

 

Like I said, in my original story, I was simply trying to come up with what could have happened with a vague remembering of the occurrence. I am remembering things as I go since I am forced to. Originally I said I was selling uncraftable buds, according to the screenshot. I don't really know Forte's story either. It only said "here's the screenshot, obvious scamming" and that's it. I need to know more about his story to try to remember what happened. And I am sorry for saying "years" as even that part is vague to remember for me. Forget all that I had said before and consider that what I'm about to say is as accurate as it is going to get without seeing Forte's perspective on this. Remember as you read this as I did meditate on what might have happened; heeding your advice. This might be a bit long as I will explain every detail I can remember.

I was on the server and I was trading to try to sell my unusual (as I remember). I had not noticed Forte was on the server at the time, if he was. I had been trading for hours, getting offers here and there but nothing interesting. I had been talking to my friend moments before and I explained the situation to him, he is on my side and I could use him as evidence for me. I will get him to post on this thread with what he remembers, if it is not private, as my defendant. Anyways, I had gotten bored and decided it would have been funny if I had posted an ad saying I was selling uncraftable buds and stating that I didn't know how much they were worth, which is imperative to the story, im glad I remembered this. I said I didn't know how much they were worth, trying to bait scammers for fun. And if I was a scammer, why wouldn't I ask for a specific amount? Anyways a few people offered a low price and I was going around collecting numbers (12 keys, 13 keys etc.) to see what people were offering, but I canceled every time to see what else people offered. Other people were in on the joke and were laughing and such. I don't believe my mic was working at the time, im not sure; minor detail. I posted the ad again like 10 minutes later and Forte traded me, except this time I said in the ad that I had an offer of 14 keys and if anyone else would like to offer something higher I would like to know. He finally added me and discussed prices. He said he was offering 14 keys for it and I said that someone else had already offered that, I was trying to get him to offer higher because for humors sake I was keeping track of the highest offer. But he got serious and started getting too far into it by looking in my inventory and saying I didn't have them. I didn't want him to ruin the joke so I dodged his question, which indecently made me sound like a scammer by saying it was in a friends inventory. Forte stated he was aware that I was trying to scam the whole time so of course he would take everything as an attempt to scam. I tried to turn it on him to buy myself more time to think of a legitimate reason to explain that it was a joke without him ruining it whilst also trying to buy myself time to think. And by the screenshot it only lasted 6 minutes. That is a very short period of time so I was a bit flabbergasted at how he jumped to conclusions so fast. Right before he said "reported" I tried to explain to him that the bud doesn't exist to ease him into the joke(according to the screenshot). But before I could continue explaining he said he had reported me, then he removed and blocked me (he might not have blocked me but when I tried to add him back it errored) so I couldn't explain to him in time that it was a joke. At that point it was the end of it and I went on with my business and stopped posting the ad to avoid another similar situation. I am also pretty sure he left the server immediately after that so I couldn't find a way of contacting him to tell him it was a joke. I did plan to record the situation because I thought it was funny and I have a youtube account but since the situation ended so quickly (no more than 8 minutes) I decided not to record because it wouldn't have been much of a video after that. Everyone on the server was confused and about 10 minutes later, after talking to the people on the server about the situation, I had left and forgot about it. I hadn't even thought about it until nearly a year later where I couldn't join outpost again. I tried to quickly remember what had happened and post a appeal (I didn't read the rules about posting so I squandered my chance to tell the true story) hence the inaccuracies.

According to the screenshot, I did indeed say that I wanted him to trade me the keys so I could buy the bud from my friend. I realized immediately after saying that that I sounded like a scammer so I regretted saying it. I was trying to buy some time in the short amount of time that I had left that I didn't really think about what I was saying, so I ended up saying stuff that might have seemed like a scam. I was not intending to scam him rather simply stall him so I could come up with a better reason to keep the joke alive. I realize now that that was a bad idea since whatever I might have said after that would have probably tied my words together thus making me look more like a scammer. At that point I had said something dumb for a dumb cause and I couldn't fix it without making myself look more like a scammer. There is no way of making myself not look dumb here but I am still innocent. I said something dumb that I never intended to look scam-ey neither did I try to scam him.

Conclusion: I got bored, I decided to innocently troll some people on the server whilst keeping a few people in on it, I did something dumb un-intentionally as a cause of it, and I regret it. I hope a permanent ban will not be the final decision for my account, because even if it was intentional, a permanent ban seems like an over-the-top punishment. Especially since I had never been reported for anything else before that, which had been over 1000 hours of trading. I had gained trust from many people and because of this ban many of my friends doubt our relationships. I'm not trying to sweetheart my way out of the ban, I'm just stating minor details.

 

I didn't block you. If I did you would still be blocked to this day. If you get blocked, unless it was by accident, I never unblock. I have well over 1,000 users blocked and none of them are getting unblocked... ever.

Also why did you try to tell me i couldn't get you marked for scamming. you basically told me to go ahead and report because there was nothing I could do about it.

 

I thought you were like the rest who threat people but never do it because they don't know how. I had no clue you were such a famous and reputable member of the community, hence the innocence at the time.

 

So, can this be treated as your final version on this story?

 

Id say so. Forte can add his perspective and I could probably explain a few inconsistencies if there are any with that. This isn't really a story rather the truth based on what I saw, but ok.

 

Since you changed your story multiple times while trying to appeal your tag here, we cannot be sure on what story is the real one.
On this matter your appeal will be declined for trying to deliver false evidence.

Declined & Locked.