Quote Originally Posted by 'Majo',index.php?page=Thread&postID=39203#post3920 3
1.) Here's my opinion: I compare buying points with the idea of buying BOE epics on the auction house. It's a way to spend your hard earned gold to better your character. Buying BOE epics gets you up to par for PvE content faster, and buying points gets you up to par for PvP content faster.
There is a very significant difference. Clearly BoE epics are condoned by Blizzard, since they set the BoE flag on the item and allow them to be placed in AH. Just as clearly, they don't condone this team selling stuff, as we can see by the coming changes in 2.4.

To be perfectly honest, I could extend that line of reasoning to include buying chars/gold on ebay. Both are trading my time for items (whether its in game gold, which takes time to make, or my personal assets which do the same). Probably not an apple/apple comparison, but its pretty close imo.

It's just gear, and all it does it accelerates you to a competitive level. What it doesn't give you is player skill; it doesn't get you top dps on the damage meters, nor does it give you the glory of good arena ratings/titles. That's a whole other achievement -- buying gear merely brings you to the starting line of the *actual* race.
And an ebayed character is just a character, and also doesn't supply player skill, but most people frown heavily on this.

My personal opinion is that it would be nice if this was not possible via some game mechanic (which, hopefully, eventually will be the case). I know it sucks for newly minted 70s, and they are trying to address that in future patches; however, if we going to go with the notion that in-game achievements should have merit, then they should be unadulterated by both external influences (cash & ebay) and gaming the system ala current purchasing teams thing.

Of course, that's what I like, what I'll get is probably much different.