Got banned? :(

[tazbb]

Yesterday I built latest version of bot and left it running overnight. In the morning I found all my listings are removed.

I looged into Steam Client and I got message from Steam Support there, saying my account violated TOS and trading functions are disabled :(

I sent ticket to their support, waiting for reply now.

[Maxx53]

Congratulations, you're first. I think, reason is no-cahe fix for newly listed. https://github.com/Maxx53/SCMBot/issues/110

[midnightclub2]

@Maxx53 whats wrong with the no-cache fix?

[kitzik]

I ran that fix for two weeks before make it public

[midnightclub2]

u mean "&nocache=" + DateTime.Now.Ticks.ToString() will get you banned?

[Maxx53]

@midnightclub2 Yes, If tazbb provided true information.

[midnightclub2]

@Maxx53 @kitzik how is that even detectable? its just sending another parameter in the GET method

its more likely that he's spamming http requests and his ip got caught by steam

[kitzik]

or was reported by some Mr.GoodGuy lol

[midnightclub2]

correct me if im wrong, but sending that extra parameter seriously should not be detectable?

[Maxx53]

@midnightclub2 Steam can detect all your activity. Internet browsers normally don't send this parameter.

[midnightclub2]

@Maxx53 i think its more likely that they catch you by number of http requests than by the data you send in the request

the former is so much easier to track

[kitzik]

yep, it's just silly to implement "&nocache=" string catching method to all steam servers change this to "&fuckcache=" and it wont work anymore

[midnightclub2]

lol. anyway unlucky peeps will get caught once in a while, this is part of life :)

[Maxx53]

@midnightclub2 So why there was no bans before? Bot user always sends a lot of requests.

[midnightclub2]

@Maxx53 there might be but just that you dont know. not everyone will annouce to the world "HEY IM BANNED :("

[kitzik]

i think ban system doesn't ban immediately (at least Microsoft Live works so) several months can pass before it triggers the ban nocache fix is too new to make conclusion

[midnightclub2]

yep thats what i think too. there are just soooo many possible reasons and singling out nocache fix as the scapegoat is just not being fair :/

[midnightclub2]

but i would seriously like to know how they catch botters :D I know you cant run away but at least try to avoid for a month :P

[xienxienzai]

is it you duping items in the past few days ?refer to this link. http://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/2a4y0v/how_is_this_possible_autograph_dendi_the_superman/

[UgaBugaBoo]

This a different case mate. It used the new immortal bug to duplicate the autograph gems.

[UgaBugaBoo]

@xienxienzai more over it's not past few days, it happened yesterday

[iDeception]

I use bot for about a year, still not banned. I do not scan more than 3-4 items at the same time.

[l4m0r]

No issues here so far.

More information please:

• What did you scan? How many items? Newly listed? Both
• Did you use a delay?
• Did you use HTML or JSON?
• Did you get "Too many requests per second" often?
• Did you use other bots?
• Most importantly: Did you change the steam guard device name from SCM to something else? That is a bad default setting btw @Maxx53, assuming valve knows about this git by now.

P.S: Also, no offense, but I wouldn't give too much on this. Joined Git yesterday and got banned in 1 day? Might be other botters trying to get rid of/scare away competition :dancer:

[midnightclub2]

welcome to steam :)

[tazbb]

@l4m0r Answering your questions: I scanned newly listed with 200ms delay. I didn't name SG device like "bot" or something ;) Didn't get "too many requests" often. I used that steam market extension from userscripts.org before.

I also botted 24/7.

About github account - I have older account, but it has the same name as my steam acc, so I decided to create new one to cover my identity :)

[wazerstar]

Like i always said, those insane low delays will get you banned sooner or later, they are just analyzing people and gathering information from all their accounts, and sooner or later all accounts ever been in touch with you will get raped by them and if they can link any items or anything to them you will feel the force once again.

[xdmate]

Are you buying + selling?

[l4m0r]

@tazbb: Can you answer my other questions too, please? Maybe those are important as well

[UgaBugaBoo]

@l4m0r He might dupped the Dendi Autograph gem.

[midnightclub2]

@sabbir9985 @l4m0r anything can happen. no point guessing :P

[srdecny]

How many items is it safe to scan at default delay? I currently scan 9 items, and it doesn't yield me that big profit I would wish. How does the "newly listed" tab work? It loads a single tab, and then it parses all item on the tab page, or it loads a new page for every item? Is it safe to have a LOT of items on "newly listed" tab or not?

[tempuraleon]

@tazbb I think u abuse the immortal bug and dupe autographs no? The timing for the ban is exactly timing for when valve start to ban dupers permanently, 8th-9th july like your screen.. if u did dupe please mention to us

[tazbb]

@sabbir9985, @tempuraleon I wasn't involved in autographs duping.

[midnightclub2]

@tazbb i think the more important question is how long have you been botting (i.e. using any form of automated scripts/programs)

[UgaBugaBoo]

@tazbb any feedback from Steam Support ?

[midnightclub2]

dead

[l4m0r]

Still no other ban report, so I think it's save to say we are "save" (or at least as save as we used to be and can be, there is always a risk of course).

[midnightclub2]

are the buy orders for items killing u guys? seems like more and more items have now implemented the buy order system :|

[midnightclub2]

@sabbir9985 @l4m0r are the buy orders for items killing u guys? seems like more and more items have now implemented the buy order system :|

[UgaBugaBoo]

@midnightclub2 not really, I don't really buy those items

[l4m0r]

+1. Still plenty of ways to make profit.

[midnightclub2]

@l4m0r what do u mean?