Feedback on the Item Trading System and Price Manipulation Issue

I would like to raise a concern about the current state of the player-to-player item trading system on the website. While the platform is a great tool for facilitating trades, it is being exploited by some users in a way that harms the integrity of the system and the experience for honest players.

The issue revolves around price manipulation through fake listings. Some players are deliberately posting items at unrealistically low prices—far below their actual market value. For instance, an item with a true value of 300 Exalts is being listed repeatedly for just 1 Exalt. This practice is carried out across multiple accounts to saturate the price list with false data, misleading less-informed players.

When unaware players check these prices to determine how to list their own items, they see these abnormally low listings and may mistakenly price their high-value items for a fraction of their worth. This manipulation benefits the exploiters, who then buy the underpriced items and profit from reselling them at their actual value.

Additionally, the trading system does not enforce any obligation for the poster to sell the listed item. As a result, these fake listings remain active indefinitely, creating further confusion and undermining trust in the system.

This situation creates an unfair environment where honest players are at a significant disadvantage. Those who rely on the platform to set prices are particularly vulnerable to this predatory behavior. It discourages participation in trading and damages the overall player experience.

I suggest implementing measures to address this issue, such as:

-Enforcing Listing Integrity: Require players to commit to trades if an item is listed at a specific price and a buyer expresses interest.

-Enhancing Price Transparency: Introduce tools to display historical pricing trends for items, allowing players to make informed decisions based on actual trade data.

-Monitoring and Penalizing Abusive Behavior: Identify and take action against accounts engaging in price manipulation or spamming false listings.
I hope you will consider these concerns and take steps to ensure a fair and enjoyable trading experience for all players. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I don't think Devs are obligated to do any of this, as it's a general issue in MMOs regardless of the game.
What they should do is put some actual effort into bot purges.

Between this, the general hassle of trading and the lack of currency dropping I am quickly getting tired of the whole ordeal.

When players spend real money for access to this service, they expect it to function fairly and effectively. Allowing exploits like price manipulation to persist undermines the value of the premium stash tabs and creates a poor experience for the paying customer base. It also diminishes trust in the game’s ecosystem, which can lead to player dissatisfaction and ultimately harm the game's reputation.

Solution:

1. Make so players can buyout item for listed price without seller acceptance.

2. Buff crafting and SSF, so there's no incentive to buy items through trading.

Both solutions have been blatantly ignored by GGG for a loong, looong time. Either because they're want to stuck to their opinion, even if it's wrong or they have some business to keep things this way.

Was problem already in PoE 1 (one of reasons I quit), now with much larger player base problem is exponentially worse.

"

skullder#7274 wrote:

Solution:

1. Make so players can buyout item for listed price without seller acceptance.

2. Buff crafting and SSF, so there's no incentive to buy items through trading.

Both solutions have been blatantly ignored by GGG for a loong, looong time. Either because they're want to stuck to their opinion, even if it's wrong or they have some business to keep things this way.

Was problem already in PoE 1 (one of reasons I quit), now with much larger player base problem is exponentially worse.

Yep, they really should make crafting viable for SSF in either case, but the current means of trading is pure, unwashed, ass.
We need to be able to just pick an item and buy it.

Yeah, direct buyouts for listed prices is an excellent idea to combat fake listings, it might indeed be technically complex to implement through the website. It would likely require significant backend changes to ensure secure transactions and prevent abuse. However, the long-term benefits—such as increased fairness, trust, and usability—could outweigh the initial challenges, making it a worthy investment for the game's overall health.

"

ConradN7#7540 wrote:

I don't think Devs are obligated to do any of this, as it's a general issue in MMOs regardless of the game.
What they should do is put some actual effort into bot purges.

Is it a general issue?

Like are you really sure?

"

loopax55#5378 wrote:

The issue revolves around price manipulation through fake listings. Some players are deliberately posting items at unrealistically low prices—far below their actual market value. For instance, an item with a true value of 300 Exalts is being listed repeatedly for just 1 Exalt. This practice is carried out across multiple accounts to saturate the price list with false data, misleading less-informed players.

The solution is an Auction House or Brokerage system

This way items listed for 1 exalt will sell for the listed price.

"

Mouser#2899 wrote:

"

loopax55#5378 wrote:

The issue revolves around price manipulation through fake listings. Some players are deliberately posting items at unrealistically low prices—far below their actual market value. For instance, an item with a true value of 300 Exalts is being listed repeatedly for just 1 Exalt. This practice is carried out across multiple accounts to saturate the price list with false data, misleading less-informed players.

The solution is an Auction House or Brokerage system

This way items listed for 1 exalt will sell for the listed price.

Exactly, how this is rocket surgery is beyond me.