TSR: Let’s Talk

Hi Everyone,

We’re posting this in response to some of the threads we’ve been seeing over the past couple of weeks, and really, over the past couple of years. To start off, we’d like to say that The Sims Resource changed ownership back in 2019 and since then, we’ve been working hard to make things better for our users.

To address a thread that was being circulated recently:  we’d like to say that the adblocker message that some of you may receive is due to the caching and cookies that browsers have when you go to a site. If you DO NOT have adblocker on, or have just turned it off, please try going into your settings and clearing your cache/cookies and see if it fixes it. In addition, there are many browsers AND anti-virus tools that now have built in ad-blockers. It could be a matter of disabling or trying the site with a different browser. If you’re having any issues with the adblocker and can’t seem to resolve it, feel free to email us at [email protected] and we can see what other ways we can try to support you.

We have seen many threads about our website and we’d like to address the common issues that we’ve seen brought up multiple times to clarify how the site works for our users.

Why does The Sims Resource have ads and an extended wait time if you have an ad-blocker on?

The Sims Resource hosts over 1M+ files from many creators across the community. In order to host the servers and 20 year’s worth of custom content (CC), we have ads so that we can continue to provide you CC for free. We recently had to make changes to how you download (adding the download now button) due to requirements from advertisers so that we can continue to provide users with millions of free CC.

During our most recent site update, we’ve also removed MANY ads. There are threads out there saying that we are continuously adding ads to the site, but it’s actually the opposite!  We have been removing ads on many pages. We are aware that there was a bloated number of ads on the pages previously, that when compounded on top of old website coding, made the site even slower. We’ve removed over 6+ ads on some of the pages where advertisements were bloated and are working hard behind the scenes to improve the website functions and the loading speed.

We also recently made changes to the ad-blocker restriction. Prior to changes, having an Ad-blocker on meant that you weren’t able to download at all. We’ve removed the restriction so that you are now able to download, but with an extended wait time. Once again, if you’ve turned off your ad-blocker and are still having issues, please try clearing your cache/cookies, also check that your anti-virus software is not blocking adverts and pop-ups (Norton and Avast are examples that do), try using a different browser (if you try this, don’t import cookies and plugins as that might import the problem too), or take a look at our detailed ad-block help page for all the causes and fixes you can try.  Alternatively, email us at [email protected] – we’ll be glad to help.

We appreciate that adverts can be frustrating and that’s why we’re working hard to make them as non-intrusive as possible.  At the end of the day, they are vital.  Our advertising partners help pay for people to continue to enjoy free access, and all they request in return is that we advertise their goods and services.  If you choose to add TSR to your ad-block whitelist so that adverts are permitted, we thank you for supporting our partners too.

Does The Sims Resource Pay their artists?

The answer is quite simple… Yes, Yes we do. We pay our Featured Artists and Select Artists for their work and also support that they have Patreon for Patreon exclusive items and other content they wish to upload to Patreon. Featured Artists and Select Artists often create exclusive items for The Sims Resource, and we strongly believe that their time and effort placed into creating this CC should be compensated. Advertisements and VIP membership goes towards paying these artists and ensuring we can continue to host the servers along with maintaining and improving the website.

If you’d like to become a paid artist on The Sims Resource, please note that there is no application for this. By submitting CC to The Sims Resource, you are essentially submitting an application. You will receive an invitation to become a paid artist if you are submitting creations that we’re looking for!

What is VIP?

To start off, we’d like to remind our users that VIP is NOT required to use the website. We are NOT a pay site since all the files are available to you for free, with a short 10-15 second wait time. For items that are on early access, items are available after 14 days of early access for our VIP users. All items released from early access can be found here. 

Our VIP membership provides users with a faster shopping experience and provides users with tools that change the way they download CC. VIP members are given access to a download basket, the CC Manager (if they choose to use it), viewing the site without advertisements, VIP discord and 14-day Early Access to some CC items that are on VIP Early Access. You are not required to have a VIP membership to download items, and you do NOT need to have an account if you don’t wish to have one with us. We only ask that ad-blockers are turned off, and if things aren’t working, send us an email so we can try to help.

VIP Early Access & EA TOS

We’d like to address that once again, The Sims Resource (TSR) is NOT a pay site. VIP membership gets you access to tools that make downloading easier and an ad-free experience. Non-VIP Early access items available immediately at release with a 10 second wait time if you have a FREE account with us or a 15 second wait time if you choose to not have an account.  Early access items are available after 14 days, and can all be found here.

Viruses from The Sims Resource

There have been claims that individuals are getting viruses from files from The Sims Resource, and we’d like to address this. All files that are uploaded onto the site have to go through a submissions check, that ensures that files do not have viruses and that the file meets our criteria before being approved and available on the site for you to download. If there are files you’ve downloaded that seem to have caused your computer issues, please report the file so that our submissions team can review it again. To report an item, you simply need to hit the “Report this download” button that can be found on the detail page of the CC item.

If you are seeing bad ads that you suspect are giving you a virus, please also report them. We use Google Adchoices and multiple advertising partners that display advertisements on the website. We do not have direct control on what shows up on each individual’s computer, and have no way of seeing what ad you are seeing when you are on our website. On the corner of each ad, there is a triangle or X that can be clicked on, and you can report these by clicking through to report the ads itself. If possible, also screenshot the ad and send us the image via [email protected] so we can send it to our partners to have the issue addressed.

Security and your Information on The Sims Resource

We are a GDPR, PCI compliant company and website, and value your privacy when it comes to your personal data. We do NOT share your data with any third-party and do not do anything with your information without your consent.  Additionally, any payment information you provide is secured by a specialist payment service and not kept anywhere in our service at all.  Even our site staff have no access to this.

The Search Functionality

We are aware of the flaws that come with the search functionality, but this feature is not locked behind any type of “paywall”. We simply ask that you sign up for a FREE ACCOUNT, that would also provide you with the ability to create a profile, and also have access to your own download history.

We will be making upgrades to the search functionality as we are working through many changes/upgrades that will be coming for the site.

Final Remarks

We value your opinions and feedback, so we’d like to say that we are reading what the community is writing. We only ask that you politely give us the feedback, as the people behind support and social media are not robots… we are indeed humans. If you have any questions, concerns or need help with the site, reach out to us anytime via support at [email protected]. We try to respond to your inquiries within 24-48 hours.

We’d also like to address that we support CC creators whether or not they upload to The Sims Resource or not. We ask as a member of the community, that the community support all CC creators by either supporting them directly on Patreon, Tumblr or wherever they are uploading their items. Custom Content takes time for these creators to make and time is not free. Whether it’s donations, being a patron or subscriber or viewing advertisements, please know that these are ways that CC creators are paid so they can continue creating wonderful CC for you to enjoy.

Thank you,

The Sims Resource Staff