Dear Residents,
Recently, Linden Lab has changed their TOS regarding the usage of currency exchange services. Since May 7th 2013, it is no longer allowed to use third party exchanges to trade Linden Dollars.
The only allowed money exchange service will be the official LindeX from Linden Lab / Second Life itself.
The most important message ahead:
If you have never used another money exchange service than the official Second Life one anyway, this news does not affect you at all!
The Terms of Service say:
5.3 There are other exchanges that are operated by third parties on which Linden dollars are exchanged.
Third party exchanges are not authorized by Linden Lab and Buying or Selling Linden dollars on third party exchanges are not authorized transactions. Third party exchanges are wholly distinct from both the LindeX exchange and Linden Lab and they have no affiliation with Linden Lab. We do not endorse or otherwise guarantee the legitimacy of the Linden dollar transfers offered on them, and we are not liable for purchases of such Linden dollars. Buying or Selling Linden dollars anywhere other than the LindeX is done so solely at your own risk. If you Buy Linden dollars that are traced to unauthorized credit card activity or other fraudulent activity, we will recoup these Linden dollars from your Account. The only authorized exchange is the LindeX.
While it does not explicitly say that it is not allowed to use these services, and you act on your own risk when using them, the TOS also say, that
Buying or Selling Linden dollars on third party exchanges are not authorized transactions
which also renders the usage of these services illegal. Most third party exchange services have reacted immediately and stopped trading Linden Dollars.
Does that affect you at all?
If you’re not already using LindeX, you are now obligated to use the official Second Life exchange service, LindeX, in order to buy or sell Linden Dollars for your Second Life use. You can also use the viewerside functionality (Buy L$ Button) to purchase Linden Dollars. In order to use these convenient functionalities, you need either a credit card signed up with Linden Lab or a verified and credit-card backed up PayPal account registered with Linden Lab (Click here).
The LindeX is a very reliable exchange service, and it’s integrity is guaranteed by Linden Lab. There is no such risk on giving some unknown person your Lindens to have them exchanged for USD or other currencies.
Under the line, the supply for fresh Linden Dollars is guaranteed as always by Linden Lab and there should be no issue exchanging money using LindeX.
Where can i get new Linden Dollar (L$) from?
Please use the official Linden Dollar Exchange of Second Life, LindeX (click here). To use LindeX, you have to update your billing information (click here) with Second Life.
Can i still use Linden Dollars to pay my Lionheart Tier?
Yes of course. There are no restrictions on how you pay for goods and services in-world at all.
Are there other methods to pay my Lionheart Tier as well?
Completely independently from your L$ sources, we do offer alternative payment methods for paying your tier for your land at Lionheart. From your terminal you can directly access our payment portal for PayPal or Credit Card payment services. We do not require a verified PayPal account, and you can also use your debit card or bank transfer to charge up your PayPal account, so you can pay your tier fees using your PayPal balance. This makes paying your Tier much more convenient and independent from Linden Lab’s billing system.
Even more convenient: PayPal Subscriptions!
Do you completely want to forget about your tier payments every week or month? Then use our payment portal to sign yourself up for a recurring subscription! You choose yourself how often you wish to pay, and PayPal will automatically pay your tier payments in the interval you chose. Our system then will process your payment and top up your tier time account accordingly, and send you a confirmation message each time. Enjoy your second life and your stay at Lionheart, and stop worrying about due dates and regularly running to feed your terminal!
Where can i find more Information?
Official Second Life Blog Post: Click Here
Second Life Terms of Service: Click Here
SL Universe Forum Discussion: Click Here
Second Life Forum: Click Here
I have more questions about that change. Who can i ask?
Please direct your questions about the policy update directly to Second Life Support: Click here or direct your browser to the website of your money exchange website, in order to see how they react on the TOS update.
Please understand, that Lionheart Support can not answer questions about Linden Lab’s policies, nor about the business decisions of the affected money exchange services.
