Player owned structures are currently seen as risky destinations for courier contracts due to the simple scam where a delivery is set to go to a locked down base. The player accepting the contract pays the collateral, picks up the delivery, flies to the destination only to find they’re unable to dock and so when the time runs out they lose the contract collateral.
Due to the above scam, only NPC bases are considered by many couriers. The solution is simple, if you accept a courier contract to an otherwise locked base, simply having the cargo on-board needs to grant landing access, irrespective of the base landing rules. If this was done the scam would instantly become obsolete and PO bases would become just as desirable for couriers as NPC bases.
Alternatively, don’t be dumb enough to fall for the scam, and if you want to use courier contracts to deliver to your player-owned structure then try building up trust with people. This is a much better system then a docking permission mechanic that would be exploited to gain access to stations you should be locked out of.
It would only be exploited if anyone could set up a courier contract to a locked station. As long as only players who were allowed access could set up that station as the destination then any potential exploit goes away.
Why should you be able to subvert the ACL of my citadel by making courier contracts with your alts?
The best solution, and the one floated by CCP, is to have a “dropbox” that allows you to complete a delivery to a citadel without docking rights. I could see something like that working to increase confidence in public contracts without putting a massive loophole to let strangers dock at your private structures.
The option to pickup/deliver courier contracts from tether has been under discussion as long as Citadels have existed. CCP doesn’t appear to be in any rush to implement it and, in a game where scamming and piracy are honorable professions, it isn’t obvious they believe the system is broken.
I believe that reliable courier service is a prerequisite to widespread adoption of citadel markets and CCP will eventually need to address the issue.
I also think they mentioned in one of their keynotes about planning on doing something to make “freeport” citadels more permanently a freeport/official. This might have something to do with courier contracts.
That’s not the issue at hand, if you’re already setting the ACL to a limited spectrum of users. This is regarding people using citadels as contract destinations, and then revoking the courier’s docking rights when they accept the contract in order to basically blackmail the collateral out of them (usually in exchange for items worth maybe 10% of what the collateral was).
If I own a citadel, and I only want blues able to trade in it, you don’t get to bypass that restriction simply because someone not me, who is blue to me and has access to my citadel, generates a contract.
Then the easy solution is similar to how ESI works: if you have anyone NOT on your ACL in any shape or form, your structure is an invalid destination, OR origination point, for any public contracts. Simple as that.
Beyond that, stop being a thickheaded idiot. If someone obviously does not have docking rights in your structure, WONT PICK UP THE ■■■■■■■ CONTRACT. Is it that hard to comprehend for you? The problem this is attempting to address is the ■■■■-waffles who purposely create scam contracts by virtue of ACL toggle abuse. Not abusing the ACL to blackmail people? No problem, YOU ARENT A PART OF THE PROBLEM. Not even related to it, in fact.
Scams are 100% part of EvE. Don’t like it, play another game.
If you aren’t permanently blue to a citadel holder, it is 100% your responsibility.
Stop being whiny and entitled. You accept the contract, you take the risk. If you got scammed in a courier contract, suck it up, learn from it, and move on.
Why must you constantly try and get rid of what minute traces of risk still remain in this once great game?