In Housing, Is Cheating is the Only Way To Win?

[MerchantOfSoul]

At any open plot, there will be one or more characters that, like clockwork, check for the ability to buy maybe 10-20 times a minute, for 12+ hours straight, usually with an exact timing between each of their actions.

They are blatantly using scripting/botting (i.e. a 3rd party program), and unfortunately, it works really well. Despite reports to GM's, no one from Square-Enix comes to stop the bot securing their ill-gotten gains.

I spoke to a GM directly about this, however they only said they cannot handle abuse of 3rd party software directly, and to report it to the task force. This cheating is obvious for every player to see, yet Square Enix does nothing to stop it, and has taken a very "hands-off" approach to punishing it, if they punish it at all.

How is a player is supposed to acquire housing on a highly populated server without resorting to cheating? Is housing just not something we should expect to be able to participate in?