Theft

Theft is against the rules on Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates and is a bannable offense. However, because the game allows for flexible operation and management of shoppes, stalls, ships, and houses, it is possible for theft to occur in some situations.

Reporting theft
By reporting a theft, players may get a partial refund for any stolen items. Players are encouraged, however, to first seek out the thief, point out the theft policy, and try to get the full amount back without Ocean Master assistance. If the thief refuses to refund the sum or ignores the request outright, report them using the /complain feature.

All reported incidences of theft are investigated. To report a theft, please submit a complaint listing all of the following information: If the report does not contain all the above information, the investigating Ocean Master will not be able to help.
 * The pirate name of the thief.
 * What and how much was stolen from each vessel/shoppe/house.
 * The name of each vessel/shoppe/house.
 * On which island the vessel/shoppe/house is located.

Penalties for theft
Players may be permanently banned for stealing. Regardless of whether or not a thief is banned, a theft goes on his or her permanent record.

Preventing theft
There are several ways players can protect themselves against theft:

Ships

 * Lock the helms of ships where PoE and commodities are stored. Only deedholder of a locked ship can access that ship's hold and coffers, and sail the ship.  This is especially important when merging crews, where not all of the new crew members are trusted yet.
 * Be cautious when appointing fleet officers, senior officers, and captains&mdash;only grant these ranks to those that can be trusted with the belongings on unlocked ships. Be wary of people who demand to be promoted to those ranks, particularly if they appear to have spent very little time playing the game, or have respectable standings and relatively little experience (these pirates might be alts).
 * Do not trade deeds to anyone unless it is being sold permanently. There is no way to enforce loans; all loans involving deeds (or anything else) are granted entirely at the owner's risk.

Shoppes and stalls

 * Only add managers that are known well and trusted. Be wary of strangers who ask to be managers.
 * Players who are added as a manager should be very careful about adding their own money and possessions to the stall or shoppe's inventory and coffers&mdash;the owner can remove them as manager at any time, leaving the former manager with no access to their items. Players should only manage for people that they know well and trust.

Houses

 * As with shoppes and stalls, players should only add roommates that they know will not rob them. Be wary of strangers who ask to be a roommate.
 * Do not store money and items in a building that has roommates. Keep all valuables away from roommates by storing them in a shack (every character gets one free), and by configuring that shack to have no roommates.

Sales transactions

 * Do not "buy" an existing house or stall from someone else. Ownership of houses and stalls cannot be transferred, and they will remain the legal owners in the eyes of Three Rings.  Players who have been scammed in this manner should report it according to the format above.
 * Do not "buy" a crew or a flag. There is no real way to own or claim ownership over either of these entities.  Captaincy of a crew can only be transferred according to the crew's politics.  The monarch position in a flag must be voted upon by royalty.
 * When trading with another player, always make sure that all items in the trade window are what is expected before clicking the "Ready" checkbox.

Things that do not qualify as theft
There are several things that, while unpleasant, do not qualify as theft:
 * It is not theft when a player has given someone something, and has subsequently changed their mind and wants it back. It is the recipient's choice as to whether or not to return the item.
 * It is not theft when a player trades with someone, clicks the "Ready" checkbox, and the other player accepts without having put the correct items in the trade window. Never click the "Ready" checkbox until all the correct items are placed within the trade window.  Do not trade with people who suggest alternative forms of trading or paying for items, such as via the /pay command. All valid item trades can be conducted easily via the trade interface; there is no need to use an alternative.
 * It is not theft when a player has loaned someone something, and they refuse to give it back--loans are not enforceable. Players should not loan anyone anything unless they know the other player very well and trust the other player completely.