My depot items selling with advertising off

[nowheat]

This just started happening about a week ago. I'm using my depot mostly for storage. I'm really careful about keeping advertising off (until I need to clear out items, then I turn it on for a while). But recently -- I thought I must have been getting careless! -- I log into the game and one, two, maybe three items have sold and I am sure I didn't have advertising on. I was still doubting myself until today, I logged in, found one item had mysteriously sold. Went through the few items on my depot, thinking, "Well, advertising must have been on the one that sold" because it wasn't on, on anything left there. But while I was in there checking, two more items sold! I had been away for hours, so it would be an unlikely coincidence if the one item that sold had just sold in the 30 seconds while I was logging on. And it's happening *way* too often. 

Is there a bug in the personal depot system that is making it "advertising leaky"? 

[PinnacleValley]

Hi nowheat,

Three things come to mind, if you’re in a club your teammates have access to your depot advertised or not...but you would see their name. After a certain time frame Daniel will come in and purchase your items but again you would see his name.

My best guess is you have a lurker, sounds somewhat sinister but in most cases it’s not...as an example I purchased an advertised item from your depot and received a call and when I returned I was still in your depot you had started putting items in for storage (which from the base game perspective is questionable...but to each their own) and as I had entered your depot when it was advertised I purchase what I need or want completely legal and ethical as I have no way to know it’s not advertised.

To offset this situation I would wait 3 to 5 minutes after your advertised items are sold. In my case that would be to put an item up for a teammate. Hope this helps.

[nowheat]

Thanks for your answer. Sorry for the long delay in saying so.

I've found another way depot items could be bought with advertising off -- tripped across it inadvertently from my side (didn't use it but am somewhat alarmed at the hole in the game). If I invite a stranger to my game, their name appears in my chat, and I have been able to get to their depot that way, presumably whether they have advertising on or not. I assume they can also get to my depot. Alternatively, if I've been invited, I must appear in their chatlog, so the same can happen. I don't use chat much so I could conceivably get to those depots for a long time. 

[PinnacleValley]

No problem at all Nowheat and you’re absolutely correct Facebook friends have access to your depot and honestly really don’t know that you put an item up for a specific individual or not...we had a similar situation with a member that had several friends from a former club visiting her depot regularly...she simply deleted their access. Great insight and thanks for sharing.

[latte7girl]

too bad i can't delete access. the people in my region who are not on my friend list just help themselves the same way. i don't put on button and there are three individuals who buy out my entire stock. it makes it appear as if i do not sell nothing so they can make themselves look better. lol. the same greedy individuals are always sending me requests for the 1 light bulb, 1 tree plant, 1 suit, etc. all in the name of harassment.

i can't find my original post about this. then some girl responded to me and made excuses for the people harassing me.

the individuals change their username which is different from the city name which is allowed according to the menu and game permissions. which is reason they cannot get caught nor banned. so rather than helping anyone i stopped filling orders because of constant harassment.  all because the programmers refuse to give us a "block" button to block people who harass me.  i will need to stop playing game anyways because the game takes up too much ram space and data charges.