Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
What is the Diablo III auction house system?
Acquiring epic new gear for your characters has always been a big part
of the Diablo experience. Because of this, players have found a number
of different ways to trade and otherwise obtain items both within and
outside of the game. Many of these methods were inconvenient and either
tedious (for example, repeatedly advertising for a desired trade in
Battle.net chat channels and waiting for responses) or unsafe (e.g.,
giving credit card information to third-party trading sites). With
Diablo III, we’re introducing a powerful auction house system that will
provide a safe, fun, and easy-to-use way for players to buy and sell the
loot they find in the game, such as weapons, armor, and runestones. Two
different versions of the auction house will be available in Diablo
III: one based on in-game gold, which players acquire through their
adventures, and one based on real-world currency.
What’s the difference between the gold-based auction house and the currency-based auction house?
The gold-based auction house uses in-game gold for purchases and sales.
With the currency-based auction house, players will be able to conduct
these transactions using actual currency from an authorized payment
method or from funds that have been added to their Battle.net account.
Players can choose to participate in whichever version of the auction
house they prefer, on a per-transaction basis.
How does the auction house system work?
Players can open the auction house interface from anywhere in the game
to make purchases or list items for sale. Items can be sold from the
shared stash (storage shared among all the characters on your Battle.net
account) or from any individual character’s inventory. When posting the
item, the seller picks whether it will be sold in the gold-based
auction house or the currency-based auction house. The item is then held
by the auction house system until the listing expires or a purchase is
made. Items that are not sold are returned to the seller’s shared stash,
and items that are sold are delivered to the winning bidder’s shared
stash. In either case, the auction house system will deduct a nominal
fixed transaction fee from the seller, the amount of which is determined
by whether or not the item was sold (see below). For the currency-based
auction house, players will have a few different options for how to pay
for item purchases and receive funds for item sales, as discussed
elsewhere in this FAQ. There may be differences in how this system will
work in different regions of the world. We’ll provide further details at
a later date.
How is the transaction fee determined?
A nominal fixed transaction fee will be deducted from the seller for
each item listed in the auction house. This fee consists of a fixed
charge to list the item, which is assessed whether or not the item is
successfully sold, and an additional fixed charge that is assessed only
if the item is sold. Because the listing portion of the fee is charged
even if the item doesn’t sell, it will be in the seller’s interest to
list items he or she believes other players will be interested in, and
to do so at a competitive price. Specific details related to the
transaction fee for the currency-based auction house will vary by region
and will be announced at a later date.
Please note that we plan to waive the listing portion of the fee for a
limited number of transactions per account. In other words, for these
transactions, the seller will only pay a transaction fee if the item is
successfully sold, and that fee will not include the listing charge.
We’ll have further details on this as well at a later date.
Why are you creating a currency-based version of the auction house?
Our goal with all of our games is to ensure players have a highly
enjoyable, rewarding, and secure experience. Acquiring items has always
been an important part of the Diablo series, but the previous games have
not had a robust, centralized system for facilitating trades, and as a
result players have turned to inconvenient and potentially unsafe
alternatives, such as third-party real-money-trading organizations. Many
of the transactions between players and these organizations led to a
poor player experience and countless customer-service issues involving
scams and item/account theft, to name a few. To that end, we wanted to
create a convenient, powerful, and fully integrated tool to meet the
demand of players who wished to purchase or sell items for real-world
currency, and who would likely have turned to a less-secure third-party
service for this convenience.
How will the currency-based auction house work?
Players will be able to make purchases in the currency-based auction
house using a registered form of payment attached to their Battle.net
account. As with other popular online-purchase services, players will
also have the option to charge up their Battle.net account with a
balance of funds that can be drawn from for purchases of any digital
product available through Battle.net -- this includes not only auction
house items but also things like World of Warcraft subscription time and
paid services, to name a few examples. On the flipside, when players
sell an item in the currency-based auction house, the proceeds of the
sale are deposited into their Battle.net account and can then be used as
described above. Note that this process might be different for certain
regions; we’ll provide further region-specific details as we get closer
to launch.
Can players choose to get cash from currency-based auction house
sales, instead of having the proceeds deposited into their Battle.net
account?
Yes, as an advanced feature, players will have the option of attaching
an account with an approved third-party payment service to their
Battle.net account. Once this has been completed, proceeds from the sale
of items in the currency-based auction house can be deposited into
their third-party payment service account. “Cashing out” would then be
handled through the third-party payment service. Note that this process
will be subject to applicable fees charged by Blizzard and the
third-party payment service. Also, any proceeds from the sale of items
in the currency-based auction house that have been deposited into the
Battle.net account will not be transferrable to the third-party payment
service account. Not all regions will support this advanced feature at
launch. Region-specific details, as well as details regarding which
third-party payment services will be supported and the fee that Blizzard
will charge for the cash-out process, will all be provided at a later
date.
Is the currency-based version of the auction house optional?
Yes, the currency-based auction house is available as an option for
players who wish to purchase or sell Diablo III items for real money.
Players are also able to buy and sell items through the gold-based
auction house, and they can trade items with each other as well through
direct character-to-character in-game trading.
Why would I want to pay real money to buy or sell in-game items?
Acquiring items has always been a core part of the Diablo series'
appeal. With the previous Diablo games, many players have shown a great
interest in buying, selling, or exchanging items for their characters
using real-world currency, turning to potentially unsafe avenues to
accomplish this goal. The currency-based version of the auction house
provides players with an easy-to-use, Blizzard-sanctioned way to collect
money for items obtained while playing Diablo III. In addition, it
helps protect players from scams and disreputable third-party sites by
providing a secure, in-game method to search for and purchase items
posted by other players that are a perfect fit for their character and
play style.
The currency-based auction house is completely optional. Players who
aren't interested in paying real money for items will still be able to
rely on items they acquire through their own adventures, and they'll
also be able to trade with friends and use the full-featured gold-based
auction house.
Can I play on a server without a currency-based version of the auction house?
We want to provide a secure, fun environment for our players to purchase
and sell in-game items using gold or real money and have no plans to
divide the community. Players are free to participate in the gold-based
auction house or the currency-based auction house, or to opt out of
using any of the auction houses at all, progressing through Diablo III
using only the items they obtain through their own adventures or direct
trade with other players.
Does Blizzard plan to post weapons, armor, and other such items for sale in the currency-based version of the auction house?
The currency-based auction house is a place for players to purchase or
sell items they’ve obtained within the game. Blizzard does not plan to
post items that affect gameplay, such as gear or character-enhancing
runestones, for sale in the auction house.
Will Blizzard sell anything directly through the auction house?
We don't have any plans at this time to post items for sale in the auction house.
Does the currency-based auction house signify a shift in Blizzard’s business and revenue model?
We’ve always tailored our business models to match what we’ve felt would
be most appropriate and effective for each game and in each region, and
that’s the case with Diablo III as well. The item-based nature of
Diablo gameplay has always lent itself to an active trade-based
ecosystem, and a significant part of this trade has been conducted
through unsecure third-party organizations. This has led to numerous
customer-service and game-experience issues that we’ve needed to account
for. Our primary goal with the Diablo III auction house system is for
it to serve as the foundation for a player-driven economy that’s safe,
fun, and accessible for everyone.
What’s Blizzard’s cut?
As with other online auction sites and real-world auction houses, our
fee structure will vary by region. However, we plan to collect a nominal
fixed transaction fee for each item listed in the auction house. This
fee consists of a fixed charge to list the item, which is assessed
whether or not the item is successfully sold, and an additional fixed
charge that is assessed only if the item is sold. The listing portion of
the fee, which helps encourage sensible listing prices and discourage
the mass posting of items that are very low quality or would be of
little interest to other players, will be waived for a limited number of
transactions per account. For players who opt to have the proceeds of
their auction house sales go to their third-party payment service
account instead of to their Battle.net account, Blizzard will collect a
separate “cash-out” fee. Specific details regarding these fees will be
announced at a later date.
Why would I even want to use the gold-based auction house?
We recognize that not all players would prefer or have the means to
participate in the currency-based auction house, and it was important to
us to provide these players with a full-featured alternative.
Can we buy gold from the currency-based auction house?
Players will be able to buy and sell gold through the currency-based
auction house at whatever the current market price is, as established by
the player community.
If I no longer need an item I bought in the auction house, can I relist it in the auction house?
Yes. Once you've purchased an item you can do anything with it that you
could if you had acquired it through your own adventures, whether that
be using it yourself, or, after a cool-down period, trading it to
another character or relisting it on either the gold-based or
currency-based auction house. In fact, you can generally do any
combination of these things -- for example, you can purchase an item in
the auction house, use it for a while, and then relist it or trade it to
another character. Aside from certain quest items, there will be very
few (if any) items that will be “soulbound” to your character and
therefore untradable. Please note that the duration of the cool-down
period mentioned above will be discussed at a later date.
AUCTION HOUSE FUNCTIONALITY
What items can be traded in Diablo III?
Nearly everything that drops on the ground, including gold, can be
traded with other players directly or through the auction house system.
Aside from certain quest items, there will be very few (if any) items
that will be “soulbound” to your character and therefore untradable. We
are also planning to allow players to buy and sell characters in the
auction house at some point in the future and will have more details to
share on that at a later date.
What is "smart searching"?
When players launch the auction house interface, they’ll be able to
select any Diablo III character associated with their Battle.net
account. The "smart search" feature will assess which item slots have
available upgrades and will sort items available in the auction house
based on which upgrades would be most beneficial to the character. You
can also search for specific stats to match the requirements of a
particular character build.
How does bidding work?
Players will be able to place a current bid as well as a maximum bid if
they wish to engage in automatic bidding. In addition, they’ll be able
to check the status of their bids on the "Currently Winning" page and
the "Outbid" page in the auction house interface.
Can I buyout items that I want to purchase immediately?
Yes, the Diablo III auction houses will support a buyout feature as well as standard bids.
How do I pay for items?
For the gold-based auction house, purchases will be made using in-game
gold. For the currency-based auction house, players can make purchases
using a registered form of payment attached to their Battle.net account.
As with other popular online-purchase services, players will also have
the option to charge up their Battle.net account with a balance of funds
that can be drawn from for purchasing items in the currency-based
auction house. Note that this process might be different for certain
regions; we’ll provide further region-specific details as we get closer
to launch.
How do I receive the items I’ve won?
After winning an auction, the item will be available to pick up through
the built-in auction house interface in the Diablo III client. Players
will then be able to immediately send that item to their shared stash
(storage shared among all the characters on a Battle.net account) or
repost the item in the auction house after a cool-down period. The
duration of the cool-down period will be discussed at a later date.
How do I sell items?
From the auction house interface, players will be able to select items
from their shared stash or from a specific character's inventory. They
will then be able to post items for sale by listing a starting bid and
buyout price.
How do I cash out from the currency-based auction house?
As an advanced feature, players will have the option of attaching an
account with an approved third-party payment service to their Battle.net
account. Once this has been completed, proceeds from the sale of items
in the currency-based auction house can be deposited into their
third-party payment service account. “Cashing out” would then be handled
through the third-party payment service. Note that this process will be
subject to applicable fees charged by Blizzard and the third-party
payment service. Also, any proceeds from the sale of items in the
currency-based auction house that have been deposited into the
Battle.net account will not be transferrable to the third-party payment
service account. Not all regions will support this advanced feature at
launch. Region-specific details, as well as details regarding which
third-party payment services will be supported and the fee that Blizzard
will charge for the cash-out process, will all be provided at a later
date.
Will buying or selling items in the auction house reveal my identity?
No. All player transactions in the gold-based and currency-based auction
houses will be anonymous, and neither your real name nor your character
name will be revealed to other players.
Will there be a mobile or Web-based auction house?
We're always on the lookout for opportunities to enhance the game
experience and keep our community connected to our games through the Web
or mobile devices. However, we do not have any plans to share along
those lines at this time.
When will this be available for testing?
We'll share more information on our auction house testing plans as we get closer to launch.
REGIONAL AUCTION HOUSE DETAILS
Which regions will have currency-based auction house support?
We plan to roll out the currency-based version of the auction house in
as many regions as possible with the launch of Diablo III. In regions
where the currency-based auction house will not be available, players
will still have access to a gold-based auction house. We'll share more
details in the future.
Will there be separate auction houses in each region? Will I be allowed to bid on items from players outside my own region?
Due to various factors, including technology, language, and currency,
there will be multiple separate auction houses serving different player
communities around the world. We’ll share specific details on how the
auction houses will work for each region as we get closer to launch.
If I live in Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia, what server will I play Diablo III on?
As with StarCraft II, players who purchase the Australia/New
Zealand/Southeast Asia version of Diablo III will have their own
regional servers, offering lower latency and more action during peak
hours. While we encourage players to play on these servers, we recognize
that many have longstanding friendships with North American players and
would like to continue playing with them. Because of this, we're again
giving Australia/New Zealand/ Southeast Asia gamers access to both
regions' servers so they can choose where they'd prefer to play.
How does this impact the items I have purchased in the auction house?
Auction house purchases are bound to the servers in the region in which
they're bought. Any items acquired on the Australia/New
Zealand/Southeast Asia servers, in-game or otherwise, are bound to those
servers and are not transferrable to the North American servers (and
vice versa). Please keep this in mind when making purchases in the
auction house.
What currencies will be available? What currency will items in the
auction house be viewed in? Can players purchase items using local
credit cards or bank accounts?
Our goal is to make the auction house experience in each region as
seamless as possible for players, and we are currently exploring various
currency and payment options to help achieve that goal. We’ll provide
further details as we get closer to launch.
AUCTION HOUSE GAMEPLAY ISSUES
Will I be able to use third-party mods to track auction prices?
For a variety of gameplay and security reasons, we will not be
supporting bots or mods in Diablo III, and they’ll be expressly
prohibited by our terms of use for the game.
Can Hardcore-mode characters use the currency-based auction house?
No. Hardcore characters will only have the option to buy and sell items
together with other Hardcore characters via a separate "Hardcore-only"
gold-based auction house; they will not be able to use the
currency-based auction house. Hardcore mode is designed as an optional
experience for players who enjoy the sense of constant peril that comes
with the possibility of permanent death for a character. All of a
Hardcore character’s items are forever lost upon that character’s death,
so to avoid the risk of a player spending real money on items that
could then be permanently lost when the character dies, we decided
restrict the use of the currency-based auction house in Hardcore mode.
If my character dies in Hardcore mode, will I lose the items that I
purchased in the "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house for that
character?
Yes. Again, Hardcore-mode characters will only have access to a
"Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house, not the currency-based auction
house, and will not be able to trade with non-Hardcore characters.
Hardcore is an optional mode designed for players who enjoy playing with
the risk of permanently losing their character if the character dies,
and that includes the items they acquired with that character.
Can I just buy the most powerful items and breeze through the game?
Items will be level-restricted, meaning your character won't be able to
use an item until he or she is at the appropriate level for that item.
AUCTION HOUSE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
What happens if a player does not receive a purchased item?
The auction process is automated, but if a player purchases an item and
for some reason does not receive it, he or she will be able to contact
our customer service team to look into the issue.
What happens if there is a patch and the item I purchased is altered?
It's important for us to ensure that Diablo III remains balanced and fun
for years after launch. To that end, it may be necessary to change
stats or alter abilities of items from time to time. It’s very important
to note that Blizzard will not be providing refunds or making other
accommodations if a purchased item is later altered in a patch. Given
this, it's up to players to determine whether they're comfortable
purchasing items in the currency-based auction house.
Someone bought an item on my account without my permission. Can I get a refund?
Please note that account sharing will be forbidden in Diablo III's Terms
of Use. In cases of compromise, our customer service team will look
into the situation and determine the appropriate course of action.
I accidentally lost or dropped an item I just purchased -- can I get a refund?
No. After a purchase is made, players will be responsible for what they do with the item.
How will you address bots or cheaters?
We take cheating very seriously, and we've designed Diablo III and
Battle.net to include measures to detect and prevent unfair play. In
addition, we will have anti-cheating policies in place and will take
action to address any issues as they arise.
