Before or at the same time as gear check, this is needed

The Duty Finder NEEDS a penalty lockout debuff for leaving a group before anything else.

I've been level 50 for 6 days now and have been able to run maybe 3 level 50 instances because of Tanks and/or Healers either instantly leaving after we all get in, when someone says they are new to the instance. Or having the Tank and/or Healer leave in the MIDDLE OF A FIGHT when one person dies for the first time on a boss.

I don't mention DD because we don't leave since we have a 1 hour+ wait time.

How are people supposed to learn fights/ instances, etc... if they can never even TRY them?

There already is one. If you are the first person to leave the group, you get a 15 minute lockout penalty. It grows the more times you use it in succession.

I agree, I've had a few cases of people leaving Wanderer's Palace when I said I was new, now I'm rolling in vermillion tank gear from running that alone. Though, earlier I did leave AK when my party failed, we went to re-queue, but as soon as my two DD buddies left, a lone lala blm appeared. I still feel bad, because I just left. I know the guy probably had to wait hours just for that ;-; crap. I'm sad now. Sorry dude, if you're reading this! Orz

Level a WAR or Healer. Ya I know it's not the fix your looking for.

... There is tank gear in WP? I've run it 4 times and never seen even one piece.

15 minutes is not enough, lockout should be the same as dungeon run time.

I'll tell someone they aren't geared enough to progress and tell them why before leaving. Also recommend a piece to upgrade and even give tips of a new rotation if I'm familiar enough with the job.

Ultimately you're on some random server and we'll probably never meet again so instead of investing my time to help out a stranger for one run it's easier to just leave. It's a sad truth. Now if you were on my server and we could look forward to grouping together consistently in the future it might be a different matter entirely.

And thus the unfortunate nature of the duty finder rears it's head. I've had more positive than negative experiences with the duty finder but it's been terrible for networking.