Accepted [SteamRep tag removal/downgrade] Ban Appeal - Smitty Werbenjaegermanjensen

Ban Appeal​

SteamRep Block

| steamname: Smitty Werbenjaegermanjensen
| steam3ID: [U:1:159624146]
| steamID32: STEAM_0:0:79812073
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198119889874
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198119889874 ​

Type of appeal

SteamRep tag removal/downgrade ​

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

Smitty Werbenjaegermanjensen ​

When did it happen?

6/25/15 ​

What's the specified reason?

Unknowningly trading with a scammer ​

Why do you think you should be unbanned?

I recently got a "ban" after being messaged by two mods. I blocked one and was refusing to cooperate with the other because I really had no clue what steamrep was until I got a csgolounge ban. I do accept the punishment of trading with a scammer; however the fact that I was stated as "knowingly traded with a scammer" is false, as I unknowingly sold an AWP medusa to a scammer for my B/O of keys on reddit. As I did not know what steamrep was, I never have checked any people's steamreps as I did not feel the need to as my trades never involved any real life cash, just straight up CS:GO items. I was uncooperative with a mod because when he added me he did not provide me any proof he was a mod after 15 minutes of talking, nor did he link me to my offense, so I just presumed he was the regular type of scammer / phisher that I encounter from lounge everyday.

I would like to apologize to those mods that I blocked / was uncooperative with as I did not believe they were from SteamRep until I googled steamrep and looked at steamrep's mod list.

At least if you don't want to unban me please change my offense to unknowingly traded with a scammer and refused to cooperate, not knowingly traded with a scammer because that is slander. ​

 

So from the time you used csgolounge you never decided to click the button that says steamrep when you are on someones profile?
Here is an example which I decided to screenshot for you.

 

It is rather odd, considering the fact that the skin you traded is rather high in value, and that you seem to have been a high-value trader in general for a awhile, yet you've never even heard of SR til now.

 

I am the first mod you talked to.

I did not even get the chance to explain who I am, because you immediately assumed I was a scammer. Note that I did not make a single attempt to even talk to you about doing anything that might seem like a scam. I only said I have a few questions and you blocked me. You never gave me the chance to reference the item I was going to talk to you about.

Transcript of the chat:

Spoiler

Never tell your password to anyone.
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen: ?
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen: this a new type of scam?
F7are: What is?
F7are: I'm a trade moderator over at Fortress of Gamers, an affiliate of SteamRep. I simply have a few questions about a trade you've made with a marked scammer.
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen: blocked
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen: bye
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen is now Offline.

 

So it seems like you have lied about him not providing any proof as one you just blocked him when he started to talk as we can see in the transcript that @F7are has provided.

It seems here like you knew what steamrep was if you are saying that you never have checked any peoples steamreps as you did not feel the need to as your trades never involved any real life cash.

 

Yes and no to your first statement of proof. On hindsight, it was unfair for me to block him so soon, but just simply stating who you are really isn't concrete proof as ALOT of scammers claim to be someone w/ no proof. Had he directly linked me to the steamrep mod list / my offense thread that would be definitive proof. But I do apologize for blocking F7are before he could further explain because I get alot of people trying to impersonate in order to scam often.

And to your second point, I knew OF steamrep, but never really knew it's purpose actually; I always presumed it was for cash trading. If I knew it, I wouldn't have ignored mods and I also would have known of the rules of trading with a scammer.

My trade with the scammer was through the scammer's alternate account after I posted on reddit for selling a Medusa. And I did not even take any stolen items from him, as he was the first person to meet my buyout, even the Redditors forced me to take the first offer that met my B/O to honor it even though someone offered me more keys than the scammer did.

 

But yet again I am very sorry to F7are as I did not give him a chance as I have assumed for him to be one of the 50+ type of scams where someone tries to impersonate a position of power to take items. However the second mod had a 15 minute conversation with me and never provided any links/solid proof that he was a mod other than the same intro f7are gave. And if you want to consider it from the POV of someone who isn't familiar with steamrep, it's quite hard to believe as he never even referenced a list of mods or my offense thread to me, I only further investigated/believed him enough to research into steamrep after I got a csgolounge ban.

So yes I will take the offense of being uncooperative to mods/ rude to them as I apologize for perceiving them as the typical scammer.

However the offense of knowingly trading with a scammer is not true. I have only read recently why it is a bad offense and at the time I did not know as I previously stated I was just following reddit's rules of honoring my B/O, which was 300 pure keys for a medusa:

reddit.com: over 18?

 

I've heard of steamrep but never looked into it. Always went with the false presumption that it was for cash trades as that's where "rep" is needed to see who would go first. I never cared to look into steamrep because with that presumption, I didn't ever care to sell for cash and I'm quite wary of many types of scammers so I'm pretty confident/aware of scammers.

 

on my POV at the time I blocked you for 2 reasons:

1. I get alot of adds from scammers trying to pull impersonation scams; you had no items on csgo to trade further making me think you were a scammer
2. At the time I never recalled trading with scammers because I did not know of steamrep's rule of not trading with banned accounts, leading me really think it was a type of scheme as the only trades I had completed at the recent time were trades from /r globaloffensivetrade, not csgolounge.

Again this may seem like flawed logic to you, but to me as a trader I've never encountered a scammer from reddit but PLENTY from csgolounge, which is what lead me to my rash decision
of blocking you right away. I further apologize after looking into the situation more. You must try to consider from my point of view as I get many adds daily from scammers as I keep bumping on csgolounge.

 

Could you clarify the difference in these two statements? The second statement suggest you absolutely knew what SR was, what it does and why it's involved.

 

I'm the 2nd mod who you blocked and if you don't remember then let me refresh your memory, here's a screenshot of our chat: http://files.f-o-g.eu/1bab90
Anyhow, what we need is a screenshot of your trade history from when you traded away your "AWP | Medusa (mw)", it was around 11-12.6.2015 (dd.mm.yyyy). Could you please upload it to the link below and post the link to the screenshot here. Also make sure that the screenshot is from your entire screen and that it's not edited nor cropped in any way.
Fortress of Gamers - File Hosting

 

sorry for the confusion, meant to say I've heard of steamrep here and there by looking on top of lounge and whenever people post cash trades they would link their steamrep, though I did not know it's real purpose or its significance until after I got banned and researched into it more

The second statement may have looked like I knew what steamrep was, but that is my statement after I googled up steamrep (due to getting banned on csgolounge) and read all the rules as to find out why I got banned and why steamrep is even important for trading sites.

 

will that suffice? 300keys

Imgur

Imgur

 

Please upload them at Fortress of Gamers - File Hosting and post the links below.

 

http://files.f-o-g.eu/c49032

http://files.f-o-g.eu/ab789a

 

can i get an accept or decline on this appeal?

 

Bumping your appeal will only delay a verdict. Please be patient.

 

CS: GO Lounge and TF2Outpost are wayyy different when it comes to Steamrep. Hell, even high tier traders on cs go lounge don't even know what the rules are for trading with scammers marked on steamrep (with the exceptions of few reputable cash traders). Most players on lounge don't even look at steamrep, unless they are trying to sell/buy something.

If you add almost anyone on cs go lounge saying "I'm an admin of...." most of them will suspect you are a scammer. Nothing new

He never knew the rules because he was never expected to up until now..

Sorry if it's out of place but I find this really strange because this stuff hasn't been forced upon reddit/csgolounge like it is on outpost.

 

Outpost is an SR partner, and Lounge is a friend affiliate. Both have links to SR profiles on each user's respective profile on their sites. So yes, I do expect that people would use those links in trading. Outpost bans quite often, and is usually the first to, ban for trading with marked users. I'm not aware of Lounge banning independently for trading offenses, but does autoban for SR marks upon connecting.

 

thank you, you actually REALLY understand the csgolounge community very well, I have been a csgolounge slave until now. and I will reiterate again, as a csgolounge user that NEVER dealt with cash trades ( i auto blocked them) I saw 0 need to even use steamrep (as I did not know about the whole trading w/ scammers thing) - I did not ever see scammers as a threat as I am a cautious enough trader to not fall for easy scams. The only real scams that I saw that could be pulled off were "trust" scams and the good ol' paypal chargeback.

But thank you for giving a good viewpoint on csgoloungers. Most are plebs as was I.