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Valve To Implement Trading Escrows For Users, Unless They Utilize Mobile Authenticators.

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r9gzg

 

This is a very real update and it will have very real negative impacts on trading as a whole. Not just in TF2, but in every Valve game that utilizes any sort of trading and market use.

 

The premise is that henceforth, users will be expected to utilize the Steam Mobile App as a mobile authenticator for their Steam account. Whenever a trade is initiated, it will require the mobile authenticator be active on BOTH traders' accounts, or the items being traded will be placed into escrow for an undisclosed amount of time, unavailable to both players until the alloted time period has passed. THEN, if neither player has cancelled the deal, and only then, will the items be traded.

 

Valve's reasoning for implementing this erroneous update is to reduce the amount of hijacking measures that would result in people losing their items. Not much information has been divulged on this yet, but at the very least, we are HOPING that this is an opt-in measure and not something to be completely enforced to all accounts.

 

Obviously, everyone who uses Steam doesn't have a phone, and some of those phone users may not even have a phone compatible with the Steam Mobile Client (Cough cough, Windows Mobile). Hopefully, Valve realizes what a mistake this is, or at least takes the community backlash into consideration.

 

This measure would effectively make trading a very difficult and time-consuming process, not to mention it would kill off any and all bot-based trading services like scrap.tf.

 

If you would like to speak your mind against this measure, a petition has been created for this update. You can sign it here:

 

Steam Escrow Petition

 

Reddit Thread: [x-post /r/tf2trade] Valve to add "escrow" to trading, which holds items in every trade for a period of time likely up to several days, unless both parties have mobile app Steam Guard enabled • /r/tf2

 

Backpack.tf Thread: Steam Escrow Discussion and Speculation - Team Fortress 2 Discussions

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Even so....

 

It's bullshit that it's being enforced in the first place, simply because people are incompetent and can't figure out how to use the trading confirmation. So all of us have to suffer because a select few got scammed?

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Even so....

 

It's bullfudge that it's being enforced in the first place, simply because people are incompetent and can't figure out how to use the trading confirmation. So all of us have to suffer because a select few got scammed?

Meh :/ I would like to see like an enterprise system where you can sign up for a more streamlined trading user. Then these services wouldn't be affected. That would be so nice.

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I mean, it's a nice service to have, but only if it's opt-in and DOESN'T affect other players if you don't have it.

Well yeah haha :D Valve hasn't said anything about these trading services so it feels like in the past year they have really come out against them.

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Since I have yet to find actual info from valve regarding this I am kinda thinking that when people say the steam guard mobile app they prolly mean just steam guard.... which you can use via email.

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I'm just hoping that if you can opt out steam guard can get your items back if they get stolen.

 

Well, Valve has already announced that they are no longer returning looted items. So I seriously doubt it. T.T

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Wow, the mobile authentication is locked to 1 account per phone number. So unless you have friends or family that you can trust with their phone, or have a second one with its own phone number you can't trade between alts. That basically means no more accounts that you keep all of your currency on. GG Valve

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Wow, the mobile authentication is locked to 1 account per phone number. So unless you have friends or family that you can trust with their phone, or have a second one with its own phone number you can't trade between alts. That basically means no more accounts that you keep all of your currency on. GG Valve

Means you can't make an alt account to scam people.... good :)

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Obviously, everyone who uses Steam doesn't have a phone

Such as is the case with me. I'm hoping you can opt out, but I feel like if that's a possibility you'll get the whole "Then you can't get stolen items back" thing that Steam Guard and Email Confirmations have. I guess we just wait to see how this plays out

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