Merchant Archive
Thread: Mall Owners Make empty vendors disappear
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LaurnaRose
Sat Feb 05, 2005 8:31 am
#1
Okay, so you have a merchant in your mall who has "disappeared" and left his vendor sitting there empty ... /sigh. Obviously, you cannot remove the vendor from the mall. CSR wont help you. So what do you do? I know there is no "good" solution to this problem currently, but when I was mayor, I would visit the malls frequently and place clothing and armor crafting stations named "Empty Vendor" over top of the empty vendor. No, it doesnt make the vendor technically disappear, but the vendor would no longer be visable, the customers to the mall would know not to waste their time looking at that vendor, and then it is just a matter of time before the storage purges and the vendor disappears completely.
Another thing that i did to help new merchants decide where to place their vendor in the mall was to place locked or unlocked containers with a chemical survey tool floating over them named "PST/Email Name for Vendor Placement" whereever there was an empty spot for a vendor. I would allow my merchants the use of a cubical size area to set up a "display" for their items. only one person was allowed admin at a time so if any items came up missing, there was only two possible culprits, me and the person who had admin at the time.
/sigh i really wish they would implement the mall idea in the revamp proposal LOL it would make all this so much more easy
CalArsou
Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:14 pm
#2
Well our mall recently came under new ownership and we needed to get rid of a couple of disappeared vendors quick, so everyone that was alive was told to clear their vendors out and the place was redeeded. For a mass clean-out seems like the only thing to do as of now.
Ani_cul
Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:39 pm
#3
CalArsou wrote:
Well our mall recently came under new ownership and we needed to get rid of a couple of disappeared vendors quick, so everyone that was alive was told to clear their vendors out and the place was redeeded. For a mass clean-out seems like the only thing to do as of now.
It seems that way, but be forwarned this can and is considered a form of greifing.
Even if you are entirely certain that a vendor is empty and abandoned, deeding a structure while it is still in it can be used as a complaint against you by the vendor's owner.
Mindthat yes it is their chance they take by placeing a vendor in a structure not owned by them, but we still do not have the 'right' to remove them.
It's a sad little thing about malls but it is one reason folks should actually know who they are pulling in for business and not just suck up the first person who offers to fill a spot.
I miss the days where it was just a partnership for most business' and two or 3 people shared a shopfront with thmese and displays and maint,
instead of this hall of horrors we find so common now of mass merchant's crowding for veiw spot and empty vendors barking look at me...
CalArsou
Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:53 pm
#4
Well the three groups of vendors that were needed to be removed were all guildmates of ours (stupid WoW) so it's not just random passersby that disappear 
. Still, I didn't know that a complaint could be filed beacuse of it. If we (unfortunatly) ever need to do this again, documenting the attempts to contact or permission to redeed might be something to consider.
Thanks for the heads-up
.
. Still, I didn't know that a complaint could be filed beacuse of it. If we (unfortunatly) ever need to do this again, documenting the attempts to contact or permission to redeed might be something to consider.Thanks for the heads-up
.
LaurnaRose
Sun Feb 06, 2005 9:31 am
#5
something else to consider it to create an agreement document between the structure owner and the merchants. It may be extremely helpful if something like this were to happen again. Have a premade contract that you can load in via copy/paste or through the notepad and send them the contract to read and "sign" using their character's full name, the number of months their account has been active (not just that server, but all together), and the date.I used to use contracts like this for interior design work. it was very helpful.
Subject: [ Mall Name] Vending Contract
Merchants using the [Mall Name] must abide by the following rules and guidlines:
- The place for you to "set up" your vending area will be marked off using [item name] named "New Vendor". You may place up to [amount] items within this area for your store display. Any items over the specified amount or outside the boundaries will be removed and offered onto your vendor. You will be given sole administration rights for a period of 24 hours upon completion of contract in which to place your vendor and set up a display for your store. Should any items come missing from any other displays during this time, you will be held accountable.
- You will keep your vendor stocked at all times. Having less than 10 items on your vendor is unacceptable for long periods of time.
- You [MAY/MAYNOT] allow your vendor to bark in the [Mall Name]. (If MAY - ) If your vendor holds less [amount] items than you must disable the ad barking on your vendor.
- You MAY NOT clothe your vendor in a way where either the top or bottom part of the vendor appears naked.
- If you will be taking any sort of absence from the game for longer than one week, you will be responsible for contacting [Structure's Owner] or subsequent owners.
- Should there be any problems concerning your vendor remaining in the [Mall Name], you will be contacted by [Structure's Owner] or subsequent owners. They will be obligated to contact you no more than once a week for two weeks before taking any diciplinary action.
- Diciplinary action may include simple warnings via email, your vendor having an item placed over it to deter business traffic, or complete demolition of the mall structure to remove your vendor.
Please sign in the following manner to show your acknowledgement of and agreement to the rules and guidelines:
Character's Full Name:
Months Account Has Been Active:
Today's Date:
Then you can keep this contract in your mail. As long as it has been sent from them then you have proof that they agree to the rules. If a problem arises, be sure to type cc: [Your Name] at the bottom of any email you send to them and then add your name in the "To:" line of the email so you recieve a copy of it. This way you have all the records you need if they come back and report "greifing".
As well any subsequent owners would need to have all of the merchants resign their contracts before taking possetion of the structure. Any problem vendors would need to be dealt with before transfering the structure to a new owner as well.
Message Edited by LaurnaRose on 02-06-2005 11:44 AM
Cafa
Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:08 am
#6
As I have pointed out in various situations, a simple contracts management system that is enforced by a CSR would take care of a lot of these problems, from mall management to city placement. I envision a contract wherein someone promises to not break a set of rules. When the other side of the contract thinks they have been violated a ticket is submitted and an evaluation is performed.
Contracts should be invalid if the require some function that a toon is incapable of performing. Fraud would be easily trackable under these conditions.
Fivo Asia
Elyssa
Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:15 am
#7
A lot of potential griefing could be avoided in situations like this if it were possible to have the game empty the contents of a destroyed vendor into a sort of temporary holding area that could be accessed from your bank.
It could even be set to operate differently under various conditions:
Things go into storage if:
-The structure containing your vendor is destroyed.
-Your vendor is evicted.
-Any other circumstance that the owner of the vendor has no control over.
Things go poof if:
-The time limit expires under the current system.
-The vendor poofs if it reaches 0% condition.
-Any circumstance that arises from vendor owner neglect.
CalArsou
Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:16 pm
#8
Elyssa wrote:A lot of potential griefing could be avoided in situations like this if it were possible to have the game empty the contents of a destroyed vendor into a sort of temporary holding area that could be accessed from your bank.It could even be set to operate differently under various conditions:Things go into storage if:-The structure containing your vendor is destroyed.-Your vendor is evicted.-Any other circumstance that the owner of the vendor has no control over.Things go poof if:-The time limit expires under the current system.-The vendor poofs if it reaches 0% condition.-Any circumstance that arises from vendor owner neglect.
Well that sort of poof to bank was suggested as an alternative to the new Condemned system by the Pols. It could also work here to clear up empty vendors. Need to find that post on the Pol forum though...
Elyssa
Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:36 pm
#9
As an architect, I'd also prefer to see something likethat happen.
Who's gonna buy new houses from meif the old ones never go away?
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