How does selling a WoW character work?

[Beev]

Lots of people claim to sell their WoW characters for absurd amounts of money, but how do they do it? Do they buy an account, level one character specifically then sell? What about accounts that have multiple characters? Or what if the seller actually likes to play, but has an old character they don't want anymore?

General Warning to possible posters in this thread:

Do not attempt to use this thread to buy / sell your MMO characters, it is forbidden under forum policy to sell your WoW accounts here.

No sales or trades of game accounts (Steam, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, etc.)

-Schadenfroh

 

[techwanabe]

If it's like another game I play they would have to sell the account, then relinquish the username ad password and the new owner would possess by changing the password. Right?

 

[KaOTiK]

I sold my WoW account and other MMO accounts on Ebay (they would get pulled sometimes other times I was able to sneak by). The way I did it was I listed everything I had for every character and such, made emphasis on very rare or not in the game anymore items. My WoW account for examply had 4 lvl 60's (This was a couple of months before BC came out) and I did have people want to buy just one of the characters but I didn't want to break it up. If you want to break it up, you can make a new WoW account under the name that your current WoW account is on then do a paid transfer from one account to the other of the character, but the accounts have to both be in your name that is the only way Blizz will transfer characters from one account to another.

You'll only make good money if you have a pretty nicely geared character and some fair amount of gold usually. Now, if someone buys your account you will give them the username/password but also the secret question and password cause that is how they can get help from Blizz is with that info, the secret question and answer can not be changed and the account will always be in the name of the person who originally made it, but they can change most all the other info.

For example, the WoW account I sold, I had 4 lvl 60 characters all in tier 2 epics except my main character (rogue) that had 5 peices of T3 and other goodies from Naxx and AQ40. I listed all my gear, skills, talents, how many times I had reset talents as that cost would go up each time (only to 50g, but I only ever respected 2 times), had all bank slots all with 18 slot bags, stacks abound stacks of rare herbs and all the alcehmly reciepes in the game, the original lvl 60 NE mount before they added the armor on it in the first patch, my account was a collector editions so it had the mini pet you could select and got with every character you made, how much gold I had, my rep with factions. You get the idea, I did this is great detail for my rogue as it was my main character and the highlight of the account (at the time T3 armor characters were not being sold as Naxx was only around for like 4-6 weeks so only higher end guilds even were getting far into it). My other lesser characters I detailed out equipment, skills, and all the other but didn't list all the other smaller stuff like rep unless requested.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: KaOTiK
I sold my WoW account and other MMO accounts on Ebay (they would get pulled sometimes other times I was able to sneak by). The way I did it was I listed everything I had for every character and such, made emphasis on very rare or not in the game anymore items. My WoW account for examply had 4 lvl 60's (This was a couple of months before BC came out) and I did have people want to buy just one of the characters but I didn't want to break it up. If you want to break it up, you can make a new WoW account under the name that your current WoW account is on then do a paid transfer from one account to the other of the character, but the accounts have to both be in your name that is the only way Blizz will transfer characters from one account to another.

You'll only make good money if you have a pretty nicely geared character and some fair amount of gold usually. Now, if someone buys your account you will give them the username/password but also the secret question and password cause that is how they can get help from Blizz is with that info, the secret question and answer can not be changed and the account will always be in the name of the person who originally made it, but they can change most all the other info.

For example, the WoW account I sold, I had 4 lvl 60 characters all in tier 2 epics except my main character (rogue) that had 5 peices of T3 and other goodies from Naxx and AQ40. I listed all my gear, skills, talents, how many times I had reset talents as that cost would go up each time (only to 50g, but I only ever respected 2 times), had all bank slots all with 18 slot bags, stacks abound stacks of rare herbs and all the alcehmly reciepes in the game, the original lvl 60 NE mount before they added the armor on it in the first patch, my account was a collector editions so it had the mini pet you could select and got with every character you made, how much gold I had, my rep with factions. You get the idea, I did this is great detail for my rogue as it was my main character and the highlight of the account (at the time T3 armor characters were not being sold as Naxx was only around for like 4-6 weeks so only higher end guilds even were getting far into it). My other lesser characters I detailed out equipment, skills, and all the other but didn't list all the other smaller stuff like rep unless requested.

wow, how much did you make from that?

 

[invidia]

1. If you only want to sell one of your characters and keep the rest on your account, you have to create a second account (pretty much buy WoW and BC keys). Blizzard checks if they are the same accounts by verifying the last names in each account and that you know BOTH answers to your secret question of BOTH accounts.

You will have to supply the seller your username, password, e-mail address, CD-key, and answer to the secret question.

2. If you want to sell the entire account make sure you contact the person selling VIA phone or in-person. There are so many ways to scam and get scammed. The onyl information you CANNOT change is the secret question/answer. It CANNOT be change via manually or even through customer service.

You have to give him your answer to the secret question and your CD-key number. To change you e-mail address to his address, you HAVE TO CALL BLIZZARD. You cannot change it manually through the accoutn webpage. Blizzard DOES ask for the CD-key and answer to the secret question to verify that you own the account.


Things to know:

1. *THIS IS A WAY TO TAKE BACK YOUR ACCOUNT, DON'T BE AN ASS AND DO IT TO THE BUYER, YOU SHOULD WARN HIM ABOUT IT TOO* The only way to change your e-mail address is through Blizzard's customer service via supplying your secret question answer and CD-key. By calling Blizzard to have your e-mail changed and then requesting that you have forgotten your password, a new one will be sent to THAT e-mail address. This is one way you can take your account back.

2. Ebay does take your auction down (may be immediate or days later, but it will be taken down nonetheless). I've sold quite a bit of accounts since I started playing WoW. Don't sell your characters to gold farming companies, ie. IGE.com, etc. They rip you off and resell that character for triple that price.

3. DO NOT sell your account/character through e-mail or chat. You must either confront the person or have him give you his cell/home number. It is better that way and good way to gain his/your trust.

4. PvP servers are worth more than PvE servers. A semi-geared character on a PvP server is worth more than a tier 5 geared character on a PvE server. Also, the more gold you have, the more your character is worth.

 

[KaOTiK]

videogames101,

$1050

Got lucky too cause eBay pulled the listing after the guy used Buy It Now so I didn't have to pay any eBay fees on top of it

 

[Skott]

Also those so called 'absurd' amounts are more of the exception rather than the rule. For every account that makes $$$$$ there are dozens that sell for much less.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: KaOTiK
videogames101,

$1050

Got lucky too cause eBay pulled the listing after the guy used Buy It Now so I didn't have to pay any eBay fees on top of it

lol, sweet

 

[Hecubus28]

[q.

You have to give him your answer to the secret question and your CD-key number. To change you e-mail address to his address, you HAVE TO CALL BLIZZARD. You cannot change it manually through the accoutn webpage. Blizzard DOES ask for the CD-key and answer to the secret question to verify that you own the account.
q]


This has been changed in the last few months, You are now able to change the email address online.

The seller of the account can always get the account back, nothing you can do as a buyer can prevent this. Ive botted and sold quite a few accounts over the last 2 years and have been scammed a few times, but it used to be a pretty easy way to make some extra money. I always sold to the third party companies because I got tired of people trying to scam me, however these were just generic level 60 characters and not geared at all.

 

[CPA]

How do you change the billing information. Or more importantly, how do you insure the buyer changes the billing information so you don't keep getting charged the monthly fee?

 

[Oakenfold]

Originally posted by: CPA
How do you change the billing information. Or more importantly, how do you insure the buyer changes the billing information so you don't keep getting charged the monthly fee?

Use game cards, I'm not sure about how the billing information would work as it's been a while since I've played.

 

[novasatori]

just cancel the sub, so it has whatever left and then they reactivate
it will all be removed

I wouldn't even consider selling anymore unless its worth a lot, and you're willing to risk it

The market for mmo accounts has changed dramatically and there are a wealth of scammers, both buyers and sellers. Paypal enables this with the easiness of disputing non-physical sales and reporting paypal accounts "hacked".

Its also too easy to reclaim accounts via secret words, drivers license, address, and original CC# used for the account.


Back a few years accounts were worth much more for much less work (less power leveling services etc) and now the value has plummeted its just not worth it... imo anyways.


edit:
The only way I sell accounts lately is to friends I played w/in game who are interested in my account after I've said I'm leaving.

They usually offer fair compensation, which is worth it compared to being left with nothing via eBay and having to fax all sorts of documents to get your account back.

 

[BD2003]

Selling accounts, botting, power leveling services (!), buyers AND sellers scamming, third party gold farming companies.....

Does anyone actually PLAY the game anymore?

It took me like 6-8 months to get up to lvl 60 a while ago. I just cant understand how it remains to be fun after youve done the same dungeon a zillion times.