Of course there is no EXCLUSIVE quote about this because when you guys announced it you guys said you will release the mounts and pets AFTERWARDS. That never came to light without any further updates, so how can there be quote for that? The "basis of my whole post" is what normal rational people (or at least it seems, according to my definition of normal and rational) would make via judgement of their own after there being absolutely no further updates done to the marketplace issue.
Of course, you will end up saying : "That was just your s**t-minded fantasy." but isn't that what rational mind should have been thinking? A "trade-off" for mounts-pets to gears on alt characters? Of course, you will always deny it by saying No, it was a GIFT & FREE STUFF. Gifts and generosity are meant to be given, not taken away after. I made this clear on the previous post by putting an example with Santa Claus, because that's what you guys compared the user-base to;"Children", back in 2015 Christmas.
Santa Claus gives children gifts. After Christmas, he decides to take them away from children and give them piles of garbage. Children are angry. Santa Claus says "Hey, it was free stuff for you anyway. I am taking away what was originally mine. Why are you upset. I don't understand."
Yeah, you guys ain't no Santa Claus. It's business at the end of the day so things can't be given out for free. But what I don't understand is why give it, if you are going to take away later? And of course, as you will say, that this was already addressed by Edifice when he said "This is subject to change".