I've been pretty active on the Steam Marketplace over the last several months and there have been an explosion in the number of people using bot programs to buy and sell skins, cosmetics and emotes on the marketplace. I'm not sure if you guys (Tripwire) can do anything about it or if it's solely an issue that Steam is responsible for, but it's becoming incredibly frustrating trying to sell deluxe emotes and neon skins.
The reason this is a big problem is because the bot program automatically places buy or sell orders to match yours (actually go above your buy order slightly or under your sell order slightly with their currency), which pushes people selling items on the marketplace to selling them for really lowball amounts. And oftentimes the same individuals with bot programs selling those items also have buy orders on the very same items. Effectively pushing people to sell to the top buy order, which is them.
It's hugely discouraging to people buying neon and emote crates.
I don't know if there's any way Tripwire can handle the situation or to get into contact with Steam. Afaik, using a bot program results in a ban from the marketplace along with a person's steam wallet and inventory being confiscated.
The reason this is a big problem is because the bot program automatically places buy or sell orders to match yours (actually go above your buy order slightly or under your sell order slightly with their currency), which pushes people selling items on the marketplace to selling them for really lowball amounts. And oftentimes the same individuals with bot programs selling those items also have buy orders on the very same items. Effectively pushing people to sell to the top buy order, which is them.
It's hugely discouraging to people buying neon and emote crates.
I don't know if there's any way Tripwire can handle the situation or to get into contact with Steam. Afaik, using a bot program results in a ban from the marketplace along with a person's steam wallet and inventory being confiscated.