The scene: a customer has written both to me and my son's account with one of those annoying CS calls we all get with no information in it -- "hi R you there? I have a problem" - but without even another line to express the problem.
As this happens while we're asleep on another time zone, he's not going to get back to me right away, so I try to investigate what his problem is. Looking quickly, I see he is in a sim, and has refunded from the first box he paid, and then stayed on the second box he paid.
Background: just the day before, a tenant came and paid two boxes on that same sim; he then asked to have the two lots joined so he could count prims and have the radio stream work better. So the lots were merged and the 2 boxes left and not reduced to 1 box because you never know how long a person will stay, and it is a nuisance to re-parcel.
So getting this ticket, I assume that the problem involves the same tenant with the two merged boxes; that he is that this guy does not realize how prims work in a group, is staying on the merged lot, but paying only one box. This set-up is something we can do on some sims with more of our land and more prims; on this one we can't as there are less prims. People find it very, very hard to understand how prims work in a group and the relationship of square meters to prims. Some just never do.
Today I had another guy who has literally been in our rentals for years on end, mainly on one sim, but not only, always in groups on group land, and yet he was still sending an exasperated ticket (again, over night, on another time zone) saying he had spent hours trying to put out his house, only to discover that the parcel limit was less than his house, so he took his house down after all that trouble. It didn't occur to him to wonder why his house didn't return.
And the answer is -- dare I say it? -- in a group prims work differently, you are not limited to the parcel limit it states on that particular parcel as if it were a sole parcel. But it's not a sole, stand-alone parcel. It is in a group. So you draw from the entire pool of prims on that sim. Thus if a parcel says 175, but you want to give 200 or 250 you can -- it is the leased amount.
No other element of group rentals makes people more crazy (except possibly the home invasion issue) and makes them more likely to accuse you of fraud, to rant and scream at you, to get exasperated and angry themselves, no matter how much you explain it. It is explained on the rental info (lease card) when they pay; it is explained on the "quick start"; it is explained on "FAQs" handed out; it is in the office on signs, but even if I hired a blimp to float across the sky every time someone rented, it would not stick. I don't mind explaining it 100 or 1000 or 8 million times as I have in the last 15 years. SL is hard and bawky. What I do mind is people assuming that I'm a greedy landlord deceiving then and ripping them off. I think they have no idea how a $250L rental - with the discount a $900/month rental totaling US $1.20 at current rates -- is not going to be an arena where someone will rip you off. This is not a US $175 sim. The time it would take to rip you off would be more than what you would receive from an alleged "rip-off". Honestly...
So here we go:
[00:31] Christopher Dallas: (Saved Sat Sep 12 03:00:01 2020)hello are you online by chance? i have a problem with a parcel, sorry to bother :s
[00:31] Prokofy Neva: Hi, leave a detailed message to get help
[08:17] Christopher Dallas: (Saved Sat Sep 12 03:54:30 2020)hi thank you for replying to me, the problem is fixed :)
Note: the problem isn't fixed, because he's fixed it by refunding from a lot where he thinks he was ripped off, in order to find another one where he thinks he isn't.
[08:26] Prokofy Neva: Hi, I saw you refunded from one of your rental boxes. But the issue there isn't that you can take the square meters from the previously joined parcels, but just pay for the prims of one of them. We have to rent by the square meters as well in an area where there are multiple houses closely spaced like that. So let me know.
[08:26] User not online - message will be stored and delivered later.
Here I mix up two different customers -- understandably because they have had identical activity on the same sim within the same 24 hours. You can't remember every distinct name for every one of hundreds of transactions, although I try to. But once I went inworld -- which I did immediately -- and checked the parcels and saw the names were different, and checked the "my account" and saw the exact transactions and names, I realized the -- understandable -- error. But not right away, because next what happens, this customer is telling me of some "mistake" where something is "not what it is supposed to be" -- when in fact he has merely not read the card.
The card says this at the first rental -- from which he has refunded, thinking there was an error:
NOTE: In a group, prims work differently; you are not limited to the prims on parcel of the individual parcel nor will you take all of them in every case, you draw them from the group's holdings on this sim; don't go over your limit or you may take them from others.
[16:55] Christopher Dallas: i don't understand what you're talking about, i rented a parcel that was supposed to be 250L/ for 300 prims but it was only 175 prims allowed. so i abandoned it and rented another parcel that was advertised properly, what is the problem?
Supposed to be? That's only your assumption. It is clearly marked what it is on the land description and the info card in the rental box clearly says this:
NOTE: In a group, prims work differently; you are not limited to the prims on parcel of the individual parcel nor will you take all of them in every case, you draw them from the group's holdings on this sim; don't go over your limit or you may take them from others.
[16:56] Christopher Dallas: hello?
[16:57] Christopher Dallas: " But the issue there isn't that you can take the square meters from the previously joined parcels, but just pay for the prims of one of them." how would i be taking the square meters of both parcels when i abandoned and refunded 1 of the parcels?
[16:59] Prokofy Neva: I think you probably aren't understanding how prims work in a group
Indeed he does not. But you can see the confusion here -- I'm thinking he is on the first tenant's double parcel; he's on a 2nd parcel after refunding from a 1st -- different. But the issue really still is he doesn't get how prims work. You can see his belligerence -- "what's the problem. hello?" So I try again:
[16:59] Prokofy Neva: you go by what the land description and the lease says, as it tells you, you don't go by the limitation on that parcel as if it were stand alone
[17:00] Prokofy Neva: I thought you were in Itame and had two parcels merged when you rented both
[17:00] Prokofy Neva: There isn't an issue of "advertised properly" as far as I can tell but I'm glad to check
Remember, this is what he said, it was indeed an accusation -- he believes he is stating a fact, that something "isn't advertised properly" but he simply hasn't read the basic info card easily obtained from the rental box he paid. So again, his belligerent statement is this:
: i don't understand what you're talking about, i rented a parcel that was supposed to be 250L/ for 300 prims but it was only 175 prims allowed. so i abandoned it and rented another parcel that was advertised properly, what is the problem?
[17:00] Christopher Dallas: listen
[17:01] Christopher Dallas: you were accusing me of trying to get away with something
Um, no. He only imagines that. So here's my text again:
Hi, I saw you refunded from one of your rental boxes. But the issue there isn't that you can take the square meters from the previously joined parcels, but just pay for the prims of one of them. We have to rent by the square meters as well in an area where there are multiple houses closely spaced like that. So let me know.
There's no accusation here. Just an information of what the policy is and how it works.
[17:01] Prokofy Neva: um, no, I was explaining how it works, that you could link 2 parcels, and have two boxes to pay, then keep one box, but keep the square foot of the two
[17:01] Christopher Dallas: accusing me of trying to use the prim allotment from 2 parcels while i only pay for 1
Note that he goes on in this belligerent manner believing that a) he has first been deceived with false advertising b) now he is being accused of an attempted rip off -- while there is in fact a clear statement of the offer, and in fact merely a mistaken identity issue involving two tenants right next to each other (which he doesn't realize yet) and in fact never any accusation. The record shows it.
[17:01] Prokofy Neva: that's all, it's just a factual issue
[17:01] Prokofy Neva: um, not an accusation, an explanation
[17:01] Christopher Dallas: how would that be possbile when i already refunded 1 parcel?
[17:02] Prokofy Neva: because the parcels were *merged*
[17:02] Prokofy Neva: are you forgetting that part?
[17:02] Christopher Dallas: you already messaged me once and i said don't worry about it problem fix
[17:02] Christopher Dallas: how were they merged if i abandoned and refunded 1?
[17:02] Prokofy Neva: so I will now unmerge them, and you will be clear which one you are on
[17:02] Prokofy Neva: because they were physically merged together when you rented both? hello?
[17:02] Prokofy Neva: again, you're also not understanding how prims work in a group
[17:03] Prokofy Neva: but that's ok, if you want to rent just one parcel, I will unmerge them
[17:03] Prokofy Neva: but there isn't any false advertising; in a group you are not limited to one parcel's prim limit
[17:03] Prokofy Neva: do you grasp that?
[17:03] Christopher Dallas: when someone clicks "refund time" on a payment box that usually means they're not interested in that parcel any more -____-
[17:03] Prokofy Neva: so on a parcel that says "175" as its limit, in a group, you can have 200 prims or 300 prims or whatever, whatever the group has on that sim
[17:04] Prokofy Neva: well if you have refunded it because you believe it is in error or something, I'm explaining how it works
[17:04] Prokofy Neva: if you want only one of two parcels you had *which were merged* they will then be unmerged, pretty basic
[17:05] Christopher Dallas: you'd think refunding your time on a box would do that
You'd think that your reason for refunding, which was based on a misunderstanding of how prims work, and a pre-set belief that landlords ripped you off, once explained as misplaced, would be dropped. You think he might even grasp he could go back to his original parcel with a nicer view. But instead, he doubles down, so I persist in explaining -- because I still don't realize he's a different guy.
[17:05] Prokofy Neva: you're still not grasping the problem here
[17:05] Prokofy Neva: you rented two parcels
[17:05] Prokofy Neva: you spread a house over two parcels; they were merged
[17:05] Prokofy Neva: now you want to keep *the square footage* of that combined 2 parcels and spread out your house
[17:05] Prokofy Neva: while paying only for the prims of one parcel
Note I still haven't figured out he is a DIFFERENT tenant (on the same sim, next door) but soon I will, so he is only getting more angry, having started with a) a belief he was ripped off b) a belief that he is "accused" of some rip-off when in fact something is merely being explained to him.
[17:06] Christopher Dallas: i never rezzed anything
[17:06] Prokofy Neva: and while that sometimes can be done as I explained
[17:06] Prokofy Neva: it can't be done here
[17:06] Christopher Dallas: and i never wanted 2 parcels or the prims of 2 parcels
[17:06] Christopher Dallas: i just wanted to refund that one
[17:06] Prokofy Neva: ok well I am trying to see where you are to see the issue
[17:07] Christopher Dallas: wait did you think i have 2 parcels that near each other or are you just using the rez house as example
[17:07] Christopher Dallas: because i never rezzed anything yet
[17:07] Prokofy Neva: no
[17:07] Prokofy Neva: because two parcels in Itame were merged
[17:08] Prokofy Neva: ok I see the issue now
[17:09] Christopher Dallas: wait nothing was merged with me
[17:09] Prokofy Neva: on that sim is a tenant who had two parcels merged and spread his house over those 2
[17:09] Prokofy Neva: he has two rental boxes and both are paid, but it's not you, it's another name, it's just merely the same sim
[17:09] Christopher Dallas: oh probably added to confusion
[17:09] Prokofy Neva: well he also refunded one
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: at the same time by coincidence, but then repaid it
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: so you are on no. 6 up on the hill
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: on one parcel
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: so I see now where the confusion is
[17:10] Christopher Dallas: yeah just 1 parcel for now
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: if you previously rented ANOTHER parcel and refunded
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: then you get a refund of the cancellation fee
[17:10] Prokofy Neva: so what was the number on the previous parcel
[17:11] Christopher Dallas: yeah i just moved parcels and refunded the other one because i thought it was lower prim but i think everything is fine now
Finally admitting that he misunderstood the offer -- he could have stayed at had the needed prims beyond 175 and not refunded at all. Better late than never.
[17:11] Christopher Dallas: my only concern is that you thought i was trying to get away with something or w/e
There is no text that would prove such an intent; this interchange is typical of the mindset of the tortured insecure, always imagining someone is hating on them and plotting on them.
That there is a BELIEF there is an intent is a common problem due to the built-in, knee-jerk reaction to landlord situations, where because of the bad actions of a tiny number of mainly ISLAND landlords turfing their customers off without refunds or explanations, there is a belief that any landlord is a potential thief (carried over from RL as well).
[17:11] Prokofy Neva: well as I'm trying to explain, you don't go by parcel limit but by your lease
[17:12] Prokofy Neva: well that was never said, I was trying to explain the issue with trying to keep 2 merged parcels is all, that we can't rent it that way in this region, we can in others where there are more square meters and prims
[17:13] Christopher Dallas: how do i keep track of how much i have rezzed on this parcel? just inspect land and will the parcel land impact exceed the parcel land capicity ?
[17:13] Christopher Dallas: capacity
[17:13] Prokofy Neva: right click on the land to get the about land menu
[17:13] Prokofy Neva: tab over to objects
[17:13] Prokofy Neva: see prims on parcel
[17:14] Prokofy Neva: management prims do not count on your count
[17:14] Christopher Dallas: ah right but im just curious because it says parcel land capacity 351 but you can actually rez more or?
You can see that while I have explained multiple times now in the last 15 minutes, and just explained it YET AGAIN, that yes, you rez more as your lease says because you can do it in the group, there is still this disbelief and doubt and suspicion. Over and over.
[17:14] Prokofy Neva: ok I've explained that to you several times and you are not seeing it so let me visually demonstrate it
[17:15] Christopher Dallas: no no
[17:15] Christopher Dallas: don't worry
[17:15] Christopher Dallas: i was just curious how to keep up with the prim count of things i rez i was wondering if it will show my prims past the 351 count or if thats something i have to be aware of myself
[17:17] Christopher Dallas: because the only count i have is the parcel land impact
Well this is another misunderstanding. It's not true at all. The "about land" menu shows multiple counts and the limit. Maybe I need to make a giant poster with this very dumbed down. Parcel land impact IS IN FACT your count of what you put out. It is parcel land CAPACITY that you will ignore.
[17:17] Prokofy Neva: the limit is 351
[17:17] Christopher Dallas: object owners and prim count per owner is not displayed for me
No, they are only viewable by the officer of the group. But the parcel land IMPACT is viewable, as is the capacity -- which he noticed and erroneously thought was a hard limit he could not cross, not realing in a group it's different. He is still oblivious of what he can see on the menu right in front of him, whether Firestorm or the SL viewer, which is PARCEL IMPACT NOT PARCEL CAPACITY.
So there is where I come over to demonstrate it by rezzing a high prim house, Minimal's Philippines scene.
[17:17] Prokofy Neva: so how many prims are in this scene I just rezzed
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: 267
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: now let me rez it again
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: Now there is 534
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: now how could I do that if the limit was 351
[17:18] Christopher Dallas: xD
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: they don't bounce back, they don't return
[17:18] Prokofy Neva: how could that be
[17:19] Christopher Dallas: i don't think yo understand
[17:19] Christopher Dallas: its ok
[17:19] Prokofy Neva: so where do you go to track this
[17:19] Prokofy Neva: the about land menu
[17:19] Prokofy Neva: as I said, the upper right hand corner has the entire number of prims on this sim
[17:20] Prokofy Neva: so if there is 2015 on the sim as a whole in our group, and your limit is 351, are you being cheated and deceived as you claimed, is something inaccurately marked?
[17:20] Christopher Dallas: listen man
[17:20] Prokofy Neva: No, you're just not understanding that you have whatever your lease says to put here, you are not limited by the square meters
[17:20] Christopher Dallas: you're not listening its already been discussed xD
Apparently this guy still doesn't see where he went wrong, or where to watch, likely because he's not really studying the about land menu in good faith; his perception is still blinkered by his hatred and suspicion of landlords and his belief a landlord has accused him of wrongdoing.
Trust me, this is not about virtual life missing facial cues or verbal tones. That would help, and it's nice to have, but it's a deeper problem. It's about free-floating hatred and fear that swinging dicks like this bring to every transaction, likely in RL too.
[17:20] Prokofy Neva: No, I listened
[17:20] Christopher Dallas: here
[17:20] Christopher Dallas: don't worry about it
[17:20] Prokofy Neva: I don't think you realize that your lease of 375 prims is good on a sim with 351 limit
[17:21] Christopher Dallas: last night i already replied to your message
[17:21] Prokofy Neva: because you draw from the whole pool of sims
[17:21] Christopher Dallas: and i said "don't worry problem fixed"
[17:21] Christopher Dallas: xD
[17:21] Prokofy Neva: yes but you moved because you inaccurately believed you had only 175 prims
[17:21] Prokofy Neva: which is not true
[17:21] Prokofy Neva: you had what the ad said and the box said in Hector, a different sim with an even bigger pool
[17:21] Christopher Dallas: yes but it was just a confusion
[17:22] Christopher Dallas: i was only claifiying because you bought up the whole thing about me trying to use 2 parcels and pay for 1
[17:22] Prokofy Neva: no, it's your belief that landlords are out to deceive you and rip you off, your projection
[17:22] Christopher Dallas: remember?
[17:22] Prokofy Neva: and your failure to read the info card and the description
[17:22] Christopher Dallas: you already admitted to confusing me with someone else.
[17:22] Christopher Dallas: remember that?
[17:22] Christopher Dallas: xD
Yes, I readily did that because I have no reason to lie, and provided him with a full explanation. But he was still asking me how he counted prims; when told multiple times, he was still incredulous -- really? I can put out more than 351? So it was physically demonstrated to him, and he is still trying to claim that when he said "problem fixed" it was -- and all along supplying the smug "xD" sign. You can see what we're dealing with here.
[17:22] Prokofy Neva: yeah, and remember how you claimed you were ripped off because a parcel "only had 175" and "the ad was wrong'
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: so I've been trying to explain that you are simply lacking information about how prims work in a group
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: and are unwilling to read an info card and FAQs card sent to you
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: that's all
[17:23] Christopher Dallas: copy paste where i said i was ripped off
Um, well, copy-paste where I said you did something wrong, Big Guy. I merely explained the policy about not using square meters with less prims.
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: so find another rentals? that would be my advice
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: this is a self-service rentals
Here he refunds. Good! In doing so, he imagines in his tiny mind that he is somehow "teaching me a lesson". That he is depriving me of...what was it again? ... US $1.20 PER MONTH and that this is a huge loss for me and I am crying at my failure to give good customers service LOL.
[17:23] Christopher Dallas: i said i was confused xD
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: if at any time you are unhappy with service
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: who will you blame now?
[17:23] Prokofy Neva: you will blame yourself
[17:23] Christopher Dallas: i literally don't know what you're talking about
[17:23] Christopher Dallas: haha
[17:23] Christopher Dallas: you've lost me
[17:24] Prokofy Neva: well you can always re-read the chat some other time
[17:24] Christopher Dallas: at the start of all this i just wanted to clarify that it i wasn't trying to use 2 parcels and pay for 1"
[17:24] Christopher Dallas: to which you replied
[17:24] Christopher Dallas: oh yes sorry, that was someone else.
[17:24] Prokofy Neva: well because you are literally right next to a lot of another person who did this at the same time, that's all
[17:24] Christopher Dallas: i don't understand what you're continuing on about xD
Because you were still incredulous that you could rez out more than 351 prims, see above.
[17:24] Christopher Dallas: so how is that my problem?
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: lol
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: I immediately came to view it and saw, oh, that's another guy and explained it
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: well
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: there you go
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: see?
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: meanwhile I've been trying for half an hour to see what was that OTHER lot you said you were ripped off at in order to refund your cancellation fee
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: you make mistakes too
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: :)
This macho man can't resist gleefully rubbing it in -- but his self-awareness of where he went wrong is still missing.
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: yes but I don't accuse people of ripping me off as you do
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: where in my text does any accusation appear
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: i never said anything of the sort
Let's rehearse it again, because his original belligerent message may be forgotten by now:
: i don't understand what you're talking about, i rented a parcel that was supposed to be 250L/ for 300 prims but it was only 175 prims allowed. so i abandoned it and rented another parcel that was advertised properly, what is the problem?
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: an EXPLANATION of the rule appears
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: i dare you to find any text i sent to you
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: accusing of being ripped off
[17:25] Prokofy Neva: now here's your loss: you don't get any cancellation fee back at all
[17:25] Christopher Dallas: I DARE YOU TO FIND THAT
Well, I just did. You said "supposed to be" and "advertised properly" shifting the blame to me and INDEED making an accusation, without any awareness of your own mistake.
[17:26] Prokofy Neva: so find another landlord to torture
[17:26] Christopher Dallas: i already got my money back xD
[17:26] Christopher Dallas: moron
Here he doesn't even grasp that his refund is minus a $25 cancellation fee. Oh, well.
[17:26] Prokofy Neva: you said the ad was "misleading"
[17:26] Prokofy Neva: and it wasn't, your ability to read was "misleading"
[17:26] Christopher Dallas: when i was confusing, not in an aggressive or attacking way
Um, really? anybody who belligerently says "what's the problem" and that they moved to where it was "advertised properly" has made an accusation and is being belligerent. They have no self-awareness. None.
[17:26] Prokofy Neva: so I'm done, have a nice Second Life : )
I block him, but then unblock him when I think to send written proof of the policy that was at his original rental.
[17:28] Inventory item 'Rental Info' offered
[17:28] Prokofy Neva: Note the lease card from your first rental with "175 prims"
[17:28] Prokofy Neva: NOTE: In a group, prims work differently; you are not limited to the prims on parcel of the individual parcel nor will you take all of them in every case, you draw them from the group's holdings on this sim; don't go over your limit or you may take them from others.
[17:28] Christopher Dallas: thats no problem
[17:28] Christopher Dallas: we will see how people enjoy your threats maybe?
Threats? Where is there any threat from me? See, this is the moment when a person ends up in "Rental Dementia". They claim falsely of false advertising; they claim falsely that they are accused of wrong-doing; they claim falsely that they have been threatened. It's how the tiny, belligerent macho mind so often works. It's like a machine that grinds in circles and can't do anything else.
[17:28] Prokofy Neva: so there is nothing misleading here
[17:28] Christopher Dallas: :)
[17:28] Christopher Dallas: have a nice day
[17:29] Christopher Dallas: im done talking with you really .
[17:29] Prokofy Neva: that you believe you are being "threatened" even as you behave nastily and threaten others lets me know what you're all about
So what is the conclusion?
This guy has gotten a polite statement of policy that was made on the basis of a faulty understanding of why there were two refunds from him (because another customer made two payments on the exact same sim); when the confusion was clarified it was readily explained to him; how prims work in a group was visually demonstrated and explained verbally multiple times. But all he can do is this:
xD
xD
xD
Like a monkey.
So, I check out the guy's profile, which I haven't done before now because I rarely do that with tenants unless there is a problem. Now there is a problem. It's a border-line case, because he hasn't made a threat; he's accused me falsely of making a threat, but that's stupid, and if he goes to tell 10 of his friends not to rent from me, I don't care.
Sure enough, he is a macho man. He's actually a body-builder with a grossly exaggerated muscle-bound body. I haven't seen that in SL to such an extent. That is, you see avatars with exaggerated muscles like they work out and are buffed out; this guy has the crazily exaggerated body of say, not Jack LaLane, but an early Arnold Schwartzenegger -- but even more crazy.
He's American (no kidding) -- from the south (surprise).
There might be a Trump vote there were it not for the fact that among his various picks and groups you realize he is gay and has a gay partner.
His real-life bio says "On your knees".
Um, ok. Got it now. A wannabee, or an insecure wimp who does this body-building stuff in SL to be tough and who does BDSM to show you who's boss. That doesn't work on me, and likely it doesn't work for him in RL, either. His name is blanked out because he hasn't made a threat (I will publish people who threaten me with any kind of harm and promise to destroy my business). If it turns out I then get threats later, that will be reversed.
But he has provided an object lesson in the type of belligerent, suspicious and not very bright type who constantly causes havoc in communications in SL. To be sure, this was compounded by my error and misunderstanding based on the fact that I mistook him for another tenant on the same sim who also rented two lots. But I readily corrected my error. He belatedly acknowledged his, but not really, and continued that swaggering gloating, belligerent xD behaviour we all know so well in SL. And here we all are.