Information Regarding Appeals

Were you banned? Have it appealed here.

Information Regarding Appeals

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:26 am

So you got banned and you want to see if you can get unbanned for whatever possible reason you were banned for? You can read this thread to get an idea on if you can get the action reversed, and if the report was invalid, you're welcome to post an appeal. More information can be found below!

Who can appeal their ban?
Anyone can contest their ban with an appeal, however if the report is valid per the Rules, you cannot get it appealed. If you know your report is valid, please don't post an appeal. If you truly think it's unfair, however, you're welcome to post an appeal.

Is the ban I received permanent or temporary?
Suspensions are temporary with a timer counting down to how long you have until you're unbanned, including 24 hours (1 Day), 72 hours (3 Days), and 168 hours (7 Days/1 Week). Any and all bans are permanent, these will not show a timer upon attempting to log into your account.
Note: If your account shows "your account was suspended by a Moderator" or "your account was banned by a Moderator" you cannot appeal these bans. These are Administrator-sanctioned actions. Any Appeal threads on these will be closed upon notice.

How exactly do I appeal my ban?
All you have to do is click 'New Topic' at the top of the Appeals Forum. From there, enter a thread title with the following format:
Appealing: UsernameHere

In your post, explain why you are appealing your ban (i.e: You think it's unfair, you think you were suspended incorrectly, etc). Once you post, a robot called TrialBot will come and post your reports on your accounts for us to take a look at. (Please don't try to talk to the bot; it won't respond to you. It isn't a person.) If the report shows you broke the rules, an appeal will not be granted.
Flavorable is the only staff member able to grant an appeal to anyone. Please do not message other staff members trying to get an appeal, as they cannot grant you one. Also avoid messaging any staff about an appeal unless it's been at a minimum of 7 days since your post and a staff member has not come around to at least comment on your appeal.
Note: Appeals are dealt with only in this forum, and are not dealt with in PMs or other forms of communications, such as Discord, etc! They are handled 'first come, first serve' in the list of threads in the forum. If you keep replying to your own thread, you'll put yourself in the end of the line.

Can I appeal on behalf of another account?
You cannot. The user who has been banned has to come and appeal their own ban. You or another person cannot do it for them. Any threads created requesting an appeal on behalf of another account will automatically be denied and locked, with a note explaining that the account themselves have to come and post a thread requesting their ban appeal. The thread will later be canned to prevent clutter.
Note: If you have multiple accounts, make sure you're posting on the correct account, or your thread will get closed, as TrialBot only posts reports based off the original creator of the thread, not who you title it to be about, or who you mention it to be about.

So-and-so used my account and got me suspended or banned. Can I get unbanned?
No. People often use this excuse to get their punishment revoked, and as such we don't accept this as an excuse. You are responsible for what happens on your account, regardless whether you are responsible for what happened in-game to get you reported and suspended. You also aren't allowed to share accounts in the first place, as that alone is in violation of our Terms of Service, and that alone is punishable, so it's up to you to make sure your account is secure, used by you and only you, and make sure it isn't abused.

I feel that the decision about my suspension or ban appeal wasn't fair. What do I do?
Please message Flavorable once here on the forum and explain why you think it isn't valid. Again, keep in mind that if a report is valid, it cannot be appealed, so if you broke the rules, chances are your punishment won't be changing. Please give her several days to respond before replying to your initial Private Message.

I was banned prior to November 1st, 2020, and my reports are 'archived' or don't exist. Can I appeal?
Unfortunately not. As of November 19th, anyone banned before November 1st, 2020 cannot appeal their ban, as all reports regarding anything in previous years were lost. This includes anyone asked to attempt to re-appeal at a later date. More information can be found here;
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8913&p=3542650#p3542650

I only want [insert Mod/Judge name] to reply to my appeal! Can I ask that other Mods not comment?
You can, but it won't be respected. The Moderators are there to help try to explain to you why you were punished, and just because you don't like hearing it from them, doesn't mean you can tell them to go away. That isn't how this works. If you think a Moderator is genuinely harassing you, please message Flavorable.

Why was I permanently banned instead of suspended on a first, second, etc strike? Don't you use the strike system?
We do still use the strike system, yes. Four strikes and you're out. However you can easily skip this and be permanently banned even before getting one strike by falling under any of the following situations (please note this is not an exhaustive list, just the most common);
  • Racism
  • Homophobia
  • Transphobia
  • Pedophilia content of any kind ("i touch kids", "pedo", etc.)
  • Notorious gamethrowers, spammers, etc.
  • Moonman/Marmu/Mannequin/Renze accounts (and pretenders, since you have no reason to behave like these people)
If you fall under any of the above, you will not be able to Appeal, nor will you even get a first chance.

Why Have I been IP Banned?
You haven't been IP Banned. The IP you're trying to use has been restricted temporarily due to abuse. Read this thread below for more information;
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=116114
NOTE: These are not appealable. Please don't make a post asking to be unbanned. The staff cannot handle IP Restrictions, lifting them or otherwise.





-- UPDATES TO ORIGINAL POST --

July 2021 Update:
Updated outdated information in the thread, and gave it an overhaul in general, i.e: "Anyone can appeal" updated to "Only invalid reports", etc.
Included manual bans/suspensions in updated information, also increased the time between your post and lack of a response on an appeal. Included a FAQ question regarding the Strike System and being banned before the 4 strikes.

November 19, 2020 Update:
As of November 19, 2020, any user banned before November 1st, 2020 is not eligible for appeal, as we will have lost all reports regarding anything in the previous years by that point. This includes any users who were asked to attempt to re-appeal at a later date, as we will not have the reports any more in order to look into them. More information can be found here;
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8913&p=3542650#p3542650

March 2020 Update:
Users who are manually suspended or banned by an Administrator in-game are not eligible for appeals. This is mostly due to the fact users are not usually manually suspended or banned unless it's the worst-case scenario. (i.e: Racism, Pedophilia, etc.) You can tell you're manually suspended/banned if it says "Your account has been suspended(or banned) by a Moderator".

February 2019 Update:
Validly banned players prior to November 2018 are not eligible for appeal unless they were told to re-appeal in a prior appeal thread.

2/10/18 Update -
Judges can now reply to appeal thread to clarify why you have been suspended or banned.

Current approved users who can post on appeals:
Any users in Trial Judge
Any Global Moderators

6/09/17 Update -
Please don't post an appeal to find out why you were banned. Please message TrialBot for why you were suspended. It will send you all Guilty reports. It replies in intervals of 5 minutes. (i.e: 7:00, 7:05, 7:10, etc.) If it still doesn't reply, try sending it another message. It should respond the second time. If you want to see all reports and not just Guilty ones, please include 'All' in the body of the message.
Also included what to do if a staff member denies your appeal, and what steps you can take if you really think it was unfair, including what is appropriate and what isn't.

5/02/17 Update -
Please only post in Appeals if you've been banned/suspended. TrialBot will only reply to Appeal threads with Guilty reports. It will not acknowledge 'All' being in posts. You have to PM TrialBot with 'All' in the body of the message in order to get all of your reports. If you're not suspended/banned and you post a thread, your thread will be deleted.

1/25/17 Update -
Small change to appeals - You may only appeal limited suspensions if you have a direct case that the suspension was incorrect. If the report/suspension was correct, you must wait out the time; you may appeal these older suspensions later upon a permanent ban if you happen to receive one.

8/04/16 Update -
Users are able to appeal their suspensions after a few changes in the way reports are handled. If you'd like to appeal your suspension, feel free to make a post.

5/29/15 Update -
Most users banned recently were due to harsh, foul language, and the Developers do not believe you should be in this community. You are likely not to get your ban appealed anytime soon, as they don't believe you should be a part of our community if you act this way, and as such, are not focusing their time and energy into appeals at this point in time. If you're suspended, this should be incentive to stop what you're doing before you're banned, as you'd likely be unable to appeal.

5/24/15 Update -
Please do not reply to appeals. This is not a discussion forum. This is for banned users to post asking what they were banned for (if they don't already know) and if they can get an appeal. At this point in time, the Town of Salem Staff are the only ones who are allowed to reply to threads here in the appeals forum, as they can decide whether a user gets an appeal or not. This can change with the release of the Trial System, however, I will repeat, the Town of Salem Staff are the only ones to reply to threads at this current time, so please, do not post in a user's appeal thread. Thanks!

This post will be updated when new information is available on appealing an in-game ban.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

Thanks.
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Re: Information Regarding Appealing a Ban

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Wed May 13, 2015 12:03 am

May 13, 2015 Update:
The original post has been updated to reflect suspensions and appealing on behalf of other members.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing a Ban

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Fri May 29, 2015 1:34 am

May 29, 2015 Update:
Original post updated to reflect recent ban influx, the reasoning, and the likelyhood of getting your ban appealed at this point in time.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing a Ban

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:13 pm

July 21, 2015 Update:
Original post updated to reflect that there are now a total of 3 suspensions before you're banned. The first is for a day, second is for three days, and the third is for 7 days.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing a Ban

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Thu Aug 04, 2016 7:45 am

August 8, 2016 Update:
Original post updated to reflect changes in the way reports are handled. Users may now appeal suspensions in the Appeals forum.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing a Ban or Suspension

Postby TurdPile » Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:52 am

January 25, 2017 Update:
Small change to appeals - You may only appeal limited suspensions if you have a direct case that the suspension was incorrect. If the report/suspension was correct, you must wait out the time; you may appeal these older suspensions later upon a permanent ban if you happen to receive one.
I have mostly rescinded my role as Admin.

All previous contact should instead be redirected to Flavorable.

If your inquiry doesn't directly have to do with Trial 2.0 or TrialBot, then please refrain from messaging.

Thank you.
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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Tue May 02, 2017 4:16 pm

May 02, 2017 Update:
Please only post in Appeals if you're banned or suspended. PM TrialBot otherwise. TrialBot cannot (and will not) post all reports in threads, even if you include 'All' in the body. It has to be done in PMs. Thanks!
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:15 pm

June 09, 2017 Update:
Please don't post an appeal to find out why you were banned. Please message TrialBot for why you were suspended. It will send you all Guilty reports. It replies in intervals of 5 minutes. (i.e: 7:00, 7:05, 7:10, etc.) If it still doesn't reply, try sending it another message. It should respond the second time. If you want to see all reports and not just Guilty ones, please include 'All' in the body of the message.
Also included what to do if a staff member denies your appeal, and what steps you can take if you really think it was unfair, including what is appropriate and what isn't.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

Thanks.
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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby Lexiam » Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:01 pm

February 10th Update:
Judges can now post on Appeal threads to clarify why you have been suspended or banned.
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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby TurdPile » Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:49 am

Delayed post...

February 2019 Update:
Validly banned players prior to November 2018 are not eligible for appeal unless they were told to re-appeal in a prior appeal thread.
I have mostly rescinded my role as Admin.

All previous contact should instead be redirected to Flavorable.

If your inquiry doesn't directly have to do with Trial 2.0 or TrialBot, then please refrain from messaging.

Thank you.
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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:37 am

March 22, 2020 Update:
Users who are manually suspended or banned by an Administrator in-game are not eligible for appeals. This is mostly due to the fact users are not (usually) manually suspended or banned unless it's the worst-case scenario (i.e: Racism, Pedophilia, etc.), otherwise you're worked through the Trial System like everyone else.
You can tell you're manually suspended/banned if it says "Your account has been suspended(or banned) by a Moderator".
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appealing

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Thu Nov 19, 2020 6:58 pm

Hello Townies.

Trial System was down for a little more than two weeks, between November 3rd and November 18th to migrate from the old server it was hosted on, to the new one the Developers had ready. Unfortunately, the Developers are pruning all old reports, save a select few that are necessary that we have personally had pulled for future reference. I am currently going through Appeals with some of these reports before they're also gone once maintenance finally completes sometime tomorrow, roughly End of Day (hopefully). (November 20th, 2020.) With that said, we're having to change things due to this. Reports will basically be starting from the ground and we will be working our way back up again.

Below is a quoted Q&A from TurdPile regarding the circumstances surrounding this with regards to Appeals;
1. Why everything?
There were a few factors that led to this that I don't really want to delve deep into, but in very, very short: server migration (old to new), all reports were zipped into a file before old server shut down, extracting these reports back is taking an obscenely long time the farther the extract gets (ie ~75-80% in, we start getting 1 file per 2 seconds in my tests). In combination with webserver having very little storage (not much is needed on a webserver), these reports were consuming quite a bit of the space. Devs considered the time and energy spent to do this is not worth the investment and opted to clean the slate.

2. How does this impact currently banned or suspended players?
Current appeals are being processed. Other than that, the old "November 2018" denials will now be "November 2020" denials. In other words, if someone is banned prior to November 2020, they will not be eligible for an appeal (since we don't have the reports anymore to verify anyway). Chances are an invalid report would've been appealed by now, so the rest are considered valid.


In other words, anyone banned prior to November 20th of this year (2020) will not be able to appeal, even if told to appeal in a thread prior. We no longer have the reports, so this cannot be done. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience.

This is the November 2020 update to Appeals.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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Re: Information Regarding Appeals

Postby LevinSnakesRise » Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:45 pm

July 2021 Update:
Updated the overall main post to remove outdated information and put in current information. Included three FAQs;
1.) I was banned prior to November 1st, 2020, and my reports are 'archived' or don't exist. Can I appeal? (This was originally at the top of the thread as a mini-info notice.)
2.) I only want LevinSnakesRise to reply to my appeal! Can I ask that other Mods not comment? (Because everyone seems to think they can tell Mods to not post and it means something.)
3.) Why was I permanently banned instead of suspended on a first, second, etc strike? Don't you use the strike system? (Been asked a lot, should have been included to begin with.)
Also included more information about Admin bans.
Please contact BMG with any questions regarding your account issues;
support@blankmediagames.zendesk.com

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