CGOnline.com have an interview with Torrie Dorrell of Sony Online Entertainment about their new Station Exchange auction system for EverQuest II.The main points from Dorrell are that most players would benefit from a secure means of buying & selling items, and that without an official auction system, Sony's customer service department was being burdened with requests to resolve disputes:
This was never a revenue stream for us. However, unsanctioned auction sites tend to cause our customers grief and tax our customer service department. Currently, whether transactions occur through an unsanctioned auction site or through two players shaking hands on a street corner, they can be a losing proposition for either party. If the "buyer" pays first, he or she risks not getting what was paid for. If the "seller" delivers first, he or she risks not getting payment. Meanwhile, SOE bears all of the customer service costs involved in being asked to resolve these many disputes.
Everquest II Station Exchange Interview via Joystiq
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