FAQ: EA Store and Game Items

Question
What is the Sim Store ?
Answer
The Store is part of the EA Website where you can buy extra items for your Sims. All items there are approved and created by EA employees.

Question
Are there any faulty EA objects or clothing ?
Answer
Yes there are. A list can be found in the official forum: List of Faulty EA Items. Please post there if you know of more.

Question
Are faulty items being updated by EA ?
Answer
There are so called Store Updates. They can be downloaded through the launcher. The majority of the faulty store items is not fixed though.

Question
Are there any free items available in the Store
Answer
Yes there are. A list can be found in the official forum: Free Stuff, Sales, & Offers at the Sims 3 Store!

Question
What's the difference between the Exchange and the Store ?
Answer
While the Store is a place where you can buy extra items directly from EA, the Exchange was made for the users. This is where you can upload your recolors, your houses, your Sims, your stories and more. All items there are made by users and therefore EA will take no responsibility for everything that's available there.

You waiver all rights for your stuff to EA by uploading it to the Exchange. It's theirs to do with it whatever they please (so it says in the TOS). Items in the Exchange are culled periodically whenever there are not enough downloads/recommendations.
  
Question
Can I redownload my stuff I bought at the Store ?
Answer
Yes, you can. All items you buy can be redownloaded through your purchase history.

Unfortunately the items are sometimes many times in it and you can't distinguish between bought and gifted

Question
Can I find in-game pictures of the Store and game items somewhere
Answer
Yes, refer to these pages: The Simalogue or SimsVIP

Question
What's the Daily Deal
Answer
During the Daily Deal you can buy stuff usually half price. Sometimes it's a little more but there can be real bargains in there. It changes every day and contains one thing you can find in the store (items, clothing or even a set). The only have a set number they are giving away and once that number is reached, the deal expires. It expires after one day if not all available are bought. There are shorted deals and sometimes they are messed-up.

Further Reading

• FAQ: Barnacle Bay
• FAQ: Riverview