Ok so after reviewing this thread and others:
-- This message is a fake.
-- I probably won't be banned unless I am a seller.
-- I won't be messaged in game
-- Since I have a clean account I should expect a suspension first (true?)
-- I should use some sort of automated reply addon with a custom reply.
trimmed some here:
try to sell in limited lots.
as a shareholder of Activision Blizzard
Yes, the message is a fake and everyone who falls for it is an idiot. Sorry, maybe you are being cautious, but even thinking Bllizzerd is a GM who sent you a message to go to Stealmyaccount.com apparently NOT Blizz...
Banned since not seller...WRONG. You can be banned if anyone reports you for botting, you sell gold, you get caught botting, suspected of botting, or look like your mom dressed you. The EULA pretty much says they can end your subscription at any time. Bot at your own risk. Bot only what you can afford to lose without bitching about it.
You may be messaged in game. The GM will have the Blizzard logo, it will be a GM, it will be something like "May I ask you a question?" or "Are you there?" or anything else a human might type...or a canned introduction. They may test whether you are a bot, or just watch you and ban you...seen it both ways, but contact is rare and only when your bot is spectacular and they have doubts to your being a bot or human.
Clean account only means you MIGHT get a second chance, and really depends on a couple factors. If players are reporting you and enough warrant an auto-ban you might get a 72 hour suspension. If you are investigated, even momentarily by a GM, then expect a perma ban if they know you are botting. Even if you get a 72 hour, they might investigate you and perma ban you without warning any time after...
Auto-reply should be damn good...half the time I ignore replies, even if I am right there, especially "Wanna tank CoC ones"...if they ask again, I tell them no, and to stop asking and put them on ignore. No auto reply should reply "hi!"...I'm always a dick, so I say "What?" or "Kinda busy atm" or "Was that you stealing my herbage when I was fighting off that croc, ass?" Keeps em on their toes and they usually say "fuck off" which triggers a "fuck you too"....rarely use auto-rply, I'm within earshot of the PC's so even a minute wait makes you human enough.
Any selling to chinese buyers could result in a ban. Selling to other players seems safe enough to do guild drop or withdraws from a main account, but that is no guarantee. Sell at your own risk, use vanilla accounts, or find some way of doing it safely.
Shareholder? Suck it, they don't give a shit...Verizon isn't offering us free cell phones despite me owning $30K in stocks...just means you get a piece of the pie when you get banned and they profit off you buying a new account.
