Difference between revisions of "Linden Lab Official:Private Region Transfer FAQ"

Revision as of 07:58, 25 November 2009

Can I transfer my Private Region to someone else?

Yes, Linden Lab can perform Resident-to-Resident transfers of Private Regions (Islands), but both buyer and seller need to agree on a price. Keep reading to get answers to your questions.

Important: If the buyer's payment fails for any reason, then the transfer is cancelled and no action is taken. Both Second Life accounts must be in good standing (not delinquent/in debt) for the transfer to take place.

How do Private Region transfers work?

Both buyer and seller must submit support tickets, via the Support Portal, that name the Region to be transferred and the transaction amount they've agreed upon. This amount can be in either U.S. dollars (USD) or Linden dollars (L$). Both sides also have to confirm other details about the Region being transferred.

Here's how to submit a ticket:

Go to the Support Portal and login with your Second Life account.
Click New Ticket Submission.
Select Ticket Type: Land and Region Issues with these details:
- Region Request: Region Change
- Region Change: Transfer
- Transfer type: Select "I am buying..." or "I am selling..." as-appropriate.
Complete the other required fields; the information must be consistent for both the buyer and seller tickets.
When all the details have been entered, scroll to the bottom and click Finish >>.

If both tickets match (that is, they state the same details and value), we charge the buyer through their Second Life account, either in USD or L$ as specified in the tickets. Once the charge has been successful, we credit the seller the same amount minus the transfer fee that we normally charge. The transfer of the Region then goes ahead as usual.

If buyers use PayPal as their payment method, they need to have their PayPal agreement set to a high enough spending limit (by default PayPal limits are relatively low).

Is there a transfer fee?

Yes. The USD$100 (or L$28,000 for L$ transfers) Region Transfer fee, which is always debited from the seller's account, is for the backend work by Linden Lab, which includes:

Changing Estate ownership settings
Billing transfer
Region name change
Moving the Region

This means buyers need valid payment information on file with Linden Lab (or have the necessary account credit in USD or L$). The Increase Credit link on your Dashboard (shown when you click the Manage link under the Linden Exchange heading on the left) can be used to add USD credit to an account.

How long does a transfer take?

After both the buyer and seller have submitted their tickets to Support, you can normally expect your Private Region transfer to take 5-10 business days. Depending on the size of our current Region transfer queue, your transfer may occasionally take longer than 10 business days. If the next billing date for the Region is coming up soon, and both the seller and buyer want to have the transfer done by then, we'll try to make that happen. We need to have at least 5 billing days' notice from both parties. Please submit your transfer ticket and include the next billing date in the summary line (for example, "NOVEMBER 12 transfer Oleo Isle to Pony Linden"). Then contact Concierge support through chat or phone, provide your ticket number, and confirm that the billing date has been noted.

Can I sell part of a Private Region?

Yes. Parcels can be sold to other Residents, but you remain responsible for the monthly payments. You can make arrangements for these new parcel owners to pay you for use of the Private Region, but that's between you and the other Residents. Many Private Region owners use the Private Region's Covenant to explain their payment structure.

What changes can be made to a Private Region for the new owner?

We can rename the Private Region and move it from its original location at the time of the transfer for no additional cost. Please include these requests in the buyer's transfer ticket.

What happens to the monthly billing?

The new owner assumes the monthly billing, which is charged on the same day of the month as it always was. Private Regions, unlike the mainland, bill for the coming month. If the Private Region bills on, say, the 12th of the month, it will continue to bill on the 12th of the month. This means that if the Private Region is transferred on the 14th, the current owner pays for that month (as the current owner had the Private Region when it billed). Consequently, if the Private Region is transferred on the 10th, the new owner pays the fee for the month (as the new owner had the Private Region when it billed).

Important: To request transfer of a Private Region be completed by a specific date, we require a minimum of five business days' notice from both parties.

What if it's an educational/not for profit Private Region?

Educational or non-profit Regions (those that are billed at the discounted rate) can only be transferred to someone who already has educational/non-profit islands, or who is eligible for that level of discount.

What if we change our minds?

Either party can cancel the transfer by closing out their ticket prior to the transfer being performed.

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 == Is there a transfer fee?==
-Yes. The USD$100 (or L$28,000 for L$ transfers) Region Transfer fee, debited by default to the buyer's account, is for the backend work by Linden Lab, which includes:
+Yes. The USD$100 (or L$28,000 for L$ transfers) Region Transfer fee, which is always debited from the seller's account, is for the backend work by Linden Lab, which includes:
 * Changing Estate ownership settings