Trade is just Horrible... Current State of Trade Needs an Overhaul

The Current State of Trade Needs an Overhaul

Trade in POE2 needs significant improvement. As it stands, the trade system is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience. I’m finding my interest in POE2 diminishing because of the many issues surrounding trade.

Trading should be a seamless and enjoyable experience, enhancing the community, market interactions, progression, character development, and build optimization. I genuinely enjoy POE2 and believe it’s a fantastic game, but lately, too much of my playtime has been consumed by the flaws in the trade system, including scams and inefficiencies.

Here’s why I believe the current trade system is the worst I’ve experienced in any game:

Non-responsive sellers: Hours are wasted sending purchase notifications to sellers who never respond.
Overwhelming responses: When listing an item, I’m often bombarded with 10+ responses immediately. What’s going on here? Scammers or just 10+ people stalking me and my items?...
Scammers (Part 1): Many scammers respond quickly, only to claim the listed price was a mistake and demand more.
Scammers (Part 2): Some list items at a lower price to manipulate the market/sellers. They never respond to the lower price. They have another listing of the same item at a higher price. I tested this by listing an item, and the same seller attempted to buy it instantly.
Scammers (Part 3): The trade/global chats are flooded with more scam tactics, making it a minefield for legitimate players.
Scammers (Part 4): Inspect what you are getting in return for selling!! Scammers attempt to give you a different item (looks similar) or less hoping you don't notice prior to trade complete.
Trade site usability: The interface is unintuitive and requires excessive effort to display items properly with filters. For example, stats like the numeric values for “+ to Armour” have multiple filter options, but only one works—trial and error is often the only solution.
Selling frustrations: I can’t justify purchasing larger storage space when the trade system is in such a poor state. Additionally, there’s no easy way to let buyers know I’m currently busy, unavailable (e.g., during a trial or waypoint). Changing my status manually is tedious and unrealistic to maintain consistently.

Suggestions for Improvement:

In Game Trade / Auction House, to reduce the need for excessive trade website use and back-and-forth with communication.
Implement measures to counteract scams, such as penalties for fraudulent behavior or stricter listing requirements.
Enhance the usability of the trade site, ensuring filters are accurate and intuitive.
Add a feature to automatically notify buyers when the seller is unavailable, like during trials or specific activities.

I love this game and want to see it succeed, but the trade system is holding it back. Fixing these issues would go a long way in improving the player experience and keeping the community engaged.

I agree 100% procent with you. Yesterday I sent 50+ whispers to players trying to buy some gloves. This took me around 1 hour of shitty gameplay. I have around 1-2 hours game time each day and I want to spend that time enjoying the game. If this is the future of poe 2 sitting idle waiting for replys I will lose my interest in the game. Despite how good it is.

yup i did not want to bother with poe trading mechanism that i alrdy dislike in poe 1 so i went fot SSF but tbh i'm surprised they did not improve it (exept the currency exchange wich is something i guess).

kinda bowring cause ssf progression can be tedious i dont realy get why we can't have some simple auction house mechanism but it is what it is.

yep agreed, its horrendus, i have been trying to buy a amu for 3 days now, f this i may as wel play ssf

Just spent over an hour trying over 80 plus listings. No a single answer from any of the “just listed” to 3 days listed. I didn’t mind it in poe1 on pc but the poe1 consuls system is way ahead of this. It’s not working out.

I’ve been on the other side too. The inconvenience of leaving a map to do a trade… this whole trades need to remain personal is just terrible.

I agree, I agree with all of your views.
The only thing needed is a “Buy Now” button.

I rarely wirte in this Forum but i have to reply on this and tell you that this is the most frustrating part of the game for me... you can choose to do maps and get exp/loot or stand in your hideout and trade... Yesterday i traded 2 hours because i like selling maps and small stuff like skill gems... but you dont have any time to play then. The REALLY need to get a Auctionhouse here... i would prevent so much scamming and frustrating time consuming trades...

so THUMBS UP!!

Lol, someone's new to PoE

Here is the most recent actual policy discussion around trade (not actually recent) https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2025870

They do seem to be relenting from this a bit with the currency exchange, but I'm not sure I would expect much more.

The scammer gave me an item with very similar attributes and cheated 70 div
I sent an email to GGG for this purpose, which included screenshots of the transaction process.
May I ask if this can help me recover my losses or punish scammers?

Absolutely agree with every authors word in post. But unfortunately, I think nothing will change. I don't know how it was in poe1, but my trading experience 5-6 years ago was very positive and in poe1 there was no such horror when you sit all evening, respond to the product and the seller just doesn't answer...-=(