Why not just buy things straight from the item search counter?

[Smokie23]

Here's an idea that could work as a compromise to both warring sides here. The only caveat is that it would require a delivery system to be implemented first.

So let's assume they do decide to put a market window just outside the wards. At this window, which acts as the item search counter, you can do all the searching you can already do today, with improvements as SE implements them. After you search for the item you want, you can choose to leave the search counter and go find the retainer selling the item, as normal. Or, for a small fee based on purchase price (as mentioned above) you can 'purchase' an instant-buy service from the NPC at the search counter. Without bothering you to go find the NPC yourself, they will send a liaison into the wards on your behalf to find the specified retainer, purchase the item for you, and send it through the currently unimplemented delivery system. All you have to do then is go to wherever you pick up your mail (probably one of your retainers) and get your item(s).

The net effect is this. Those who don't mind going into the wards and doing their shopping can do so normally without incurring a fee and being able to instantly have their purchased items in their inventory upon purchase. Those who are inconvenienced by entering the wards can have their instant-buy service, and all it will cost them is a small fee and the time it takes to gather their purchases from the delivery system. Having those detriments to the instant-buy feature would still give the edge to going into the wards yourself, but not so much that the instant-buy is more of an inconvenience to those who want it than simply entering the wards.

Thoughts? Flames?

I could edge towards this but one thing I do not understand is the persons that ARE inconvenienced by MW are probably in the same boat still as they STILL have to travel to a different destination to obtain their goods. If they are going to pay a fee then they should get top notch service and have the item delivered to them personally and fast without a hassle to travel to another destination - which is why they paid the fee in the first place?. If they have to travel to another destination then they might as well just travel to the MW to get their goods. Only thing I can think of is have the item delivered to the Loot list or have the item transferred directly to their inventory...if they do not have space then the whole transaction is cancelled with a message saying inventory full.

[BlaiseLallaise]

I could edge towards this but one thing I do not understand is the persons that ARE inconvenienced by MW are probably in the same boat still as they STILL have to travel to a different destination to obtain their goods. If they are going to pay a fee then they should get top notch service and have the item delivered to them personally and fast without a hassle to travel to another destination - which is why they paid the fee in the first place?. If they have to travel to another destination then they might as well just travel to the MW to get their goods. Only thing I can think of is have the item delivered to the Loot list or have the item transferred directly to their inventory...if they do not have space then the whole transaction is cancelled with a message saying inventory full.

I can understand your view. It may seem like no difference when they're only purchasing one or two items. The real difference is when they buy 5, 6, 10, or more items at once. They only travel to pick up their items once, as opposed to each and every different retainer they wish to purchase from. I figure if they want a higher level of service, then the fee would increase proportionally. It's a trade-off, really. Gain a little, lose a little. Gain a lot, lose a lot. Besides, I feel a fee in this economy isn't enough to keep the instant-buy method from becoming the highly-preferred buying mechanism. The purpose is to balance the two.