Yeah, they just singled out one account. Drew it from a hat and said.....Keep billing this guy's credit card even if he cancels the sub.....write some fake error code on the website but only for his account so it looks like a technical error/
Yep, they did that all just for you and you alone.
lol... people like you, along with lazy people like me are exactly why they could get away with this. It would be so easy for them to automatically & randomly block a believeable percentage of people that have not played in a while.
- why no email alerts for the suspicious activity that blocked my account in the first place? - why would the block magically go away as soon as my card expired and I might be trying to re-log in to reactivate instead of cancel? Maybe coincidence, maybe not.
I don't know if you are trying to get some sympathy OP but with your aggressive, belittleing answers you are getting none from me. You were lazy, somebody tried to fiddle around with your account, nothing more and SE probably did you a favor by blocking it (imagine the fun if they had actually managed to get their hands on your account and completely wreck your CC). You should still call them to make sure your account is completely unflagged though, it might get blocked again the moment you renew your sub.
Small word of advice, if you want answers or people to help you, don't act like an ass, not online or in RL.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
I went there and couldnt figure out how to cancel. But I did find a place where I could delete my CC information, so I did. Next month I get an email saying they are going to cancel my sub if I dont pay. lol
Totally off topic but an actual issue unlike OP's is the way Microsoft handles cancellations of Xbox Live payments. You can create an account and start payments on the computer or Xbox but to cancel you have to call and sit through a bunch of begging to get you to stay subbed.
I went there and couldnt figure out how to cancel. But I did find a place where I could delete my CC information, so I did. Next month I get an email saying they are going to cancel my sub if I dont pay. lol
This is exactly why I start with a baseline low trust level for FFXIV publishers and pretty much every other game publisher. They are full of shameful business practices.
@Dvora: how long between the moment you noticed your account was blocked and the moment you tried to cancel? Perhaps the blocks on suspicious IP's last for a set period of time which coincides with your two attempts.
@Dvora: how long between the moment you noticed your account was blocked and the moment you tried to cancel? Perhaps the blocks on suspicious IP's last for a set period of time which coincides with your two attempts.
I noticed account was blocked at the same time I first tried to cancel. No email alerts were ever received. I had let the account bill for 4-6 months without playing at that point. If it was a short term block then the odds that I had run into it at that particular time seems pretty low. If it was a short term block that had been happening multiple times then it is even worse that there had been no email alerts. The card expired about 2 months after my one and only attempt to cancel. A couple weeks after the card expired I checked again and the block was gone.
To me it all adds up to at least bad security practices (no email alerts) or downright dishonesty.
i think if you would have just done a password reset you would have gotten in just fine. im sure this has happen to me before
That is the thing, when I ran into the block, resetting password was not an option, they told me I needed to CALL their customer support. To me that is another hurdle to hassle cancellation. Otherwise if it had gotten to that point I should have received email notifications of suspicious activity.
SE's account management is generally a steaming pile of dogshit as is their customer service. The suspicious activity could have been because you logged in with a different IP or something else equally inconsequential. It does seem a bit weird that you'd have to call customer service. I canceled my FFXIV account 8 or 9 months ago after not playing for a couple of months, and I was prompted with a security input.
i think if you would have just done a password reset you would have gotten in just fine. im sure this has happen to me before
That is the thing, when I ran into the block, resetting password was not an option, they told me I needed to CALL their customer support. To me that is another hurdle to hassle cancellation. Otherwise if it had gotten to that point I should have received email notifications of suspicious activity.
theres always away around that crap ... why didnt you just cll them anyways its your damn fault for forgettign to cancel it int he first place
i think if you would have just done a password reset you would have gotten in just fine. im sure this has happen to me before
That is the thing, when I ran into the block, resetting password was not an option, they told me I needed to CALL their customer support. To me that is another hurdle to hassle cancellation. Otherwise if it had gotten to that point I should have received email notifications of suspicious activity.
theres always away around that crap ... why didnt you just cll them anyways its your damn fault for forgettign to cancel it int he first place
lol more white knights that cant read or comprehend. I already admitted I am lazy, and I'm not trying to get money back. I just mentioned it was suspicious that the block went away conveniently once my card expired and there was a chance I was trying to re-activate instead of cancel. That and no emails alerts saying there had been suspicious activity on my account adds up to fishyness.
SE's account management is generally a steaming pile of dogshit as is their customer service. The suspicious activity could have been because you logged in with a different IP or something else equally inconsequential. It does seem a bit weird that you'd have to call customer service. I canceled my FFXIV account 8 or 9 months ago after not playing for a couple of months, and I was prompted with a security input.
Yes, but if the suspicious activity was simply me logging in on a different device or IP, why would I not have run into the same thing after my card had expired? That only makes it more suspicious, not less. The only out there is that because my card was inactive, there was less possibility of a hacker making fraudulent charges, and that could be seen as justification for removing the block. This still would not prevent people from thieving gold/items from my characters however, which is a known way that gold sellers make their gold to sell... So why no block after card expired? It's all just relatively odd and suspicious behavior from a company that is already of questionable ethical standing.
#1 i would bet that the account status and the payment status are both handled by separate areas. So it is perfectly normal for one company, or part of company to submit payment to a CC company and if it goes through know nothing about any blocks on logging into the account or games.
#2 Once they tried to collect payment and were told that the card was out of date and not accepting new withdrawals. I bet the account was canceled on their end along with the account status (blocked) and that if/when someone tries to re-open that account the block will return as well.
Reminds me of the company that would fire people a year before their retirement. They had alerts setup in their computer system. Now with the socially acceptable term laid-off, it's even easier. That being said, never underestimate the desire of people to make extra money. Accounts with zero logins over a certain amount of time could be flagged as suspicious if someone is trying to suddenly access the account. After calling in a guy probably says ok and then tries to talk you into renewing or at least putting off canceling for a few months.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
#1 i would bet that the account status and the payment status are both handled by separate areas. So it is perfectly normal for one company, or part of company to submit payment to a CC company and if it goes through know nothing about any blocks on logging into the account or games.
#2 Once they tried to collect payment and were told that the card was out of date and not accepting new withdrawals. I bet the account was canceled on their end along with the account status (blocked) and that if/when someone tries to re-open that account the block will return as well.
#2 - your reader failure. I did indeed log back in and was debating on restarting the account and actually playing again. THE BLOCK WAS GONE. That is what made this all fishy, along with the initial "must ***CALL*** customer service" and no email alerts. The block by itself and continuing charges were never the issue, that was my laziness.
Blocks always occur when trying to log in, not when trying to pay for reactivation after already sucessfully logging in. Why was I suddenly not required to call customer service to reactivate my account? Only reason I would have to log in to a canceled account would be to reactivate, and they have every reason to make that easy, just as they have every reason to make cancellation more difficult than it should be.
Reminds me of the company that would fire people a year before their retirement. They had alerts setup in their computer system. Now with the socially acceptable term laid-off, it's even easier. That being said, never underestimate the desire of people to make extra money. Accounts with zero logins over a certain amount of time could be flagged as suspicious if someone is trying to suddenly access the account. After calling in a guy probably says ok and then tries to talk you into renewing or at least putting off canceling for a few months.
I know several services that allow you to sign up online, but you have to call or even write a letter to cancel. It's not really unheard of (as some others also mentioned) for companies to make cancelling more difficult than it has to be. IMHO, it should be possible to cancel in the same way you signed up, no matter what.
Also, i'm sure companies keep track of inactive accounts. How else would they sent you an email that offers a "welcome back" gift if you log in again? Other companies disclose how they define "active players", like "logged in in the last x days" or whatever. Again, they have to know who did that to actually arrive at a number.
It also is probably good practice to "block" accounts that haven't been used for some months if there is usually no two-step login or so, so that you can send someone an email asking if it's really them when suddenly after five months someone logs in.
Having to call is a bit over the top though when it's just for a few months and the sub was still running anyway.
The most interesting question is why they didn't send an email notification about the account being blocked. I thought that would be common practice, given that i received several such mails from different services. Usually, they tell you to log in within the next x days to avoid that.
Overall, i don't think he's been singled out or anything, thats too costly anyway even when he's still paying sub. But all the stuff to track inactive accounts and to block (inactive) accounts should already be in place.
Most likely they just screwed up, with both the system itself and the practices of the company as such not really being on par. That they actually get *more* money (by making it difficult to cancel, and not reminding people to do so etc.) by not investing more money (to fix it) is just the icing on the cake.
I'll wait to the day's end when the moon is high And then I'll rise with the tide with a lust for life, I'll Amass an army, and we'll harness a horde And then we'll limp across the land until we stand at the shore
Many banks give you the option to allow or disallow online use of your credit card. You could have just disallowed it for a while, causing the subscription to end due to failed payment, then later allowed it again.
At least where I come from (Finland) this can be done online through your banks services and doesn't even cost anything.
Some companies will still go after the money if you don't cancel the account and that is their right to do so. Not many will pursue this but some will keep charging every month till it goes thru. Actually had this happen to me years ago because I had traveled without letting my card company know and they locked down the card after I used it in a place 3000 miles from home. I forgot about it for months cause I hardly ever use the card then when I did try use it again and called to turn it back on I got hit with a charge for the a game I was no longer playing. The account was still open I had never cancelled it so it was on me not the company. It would have been different if i had tired to cancel the account but to be honest I had forgotten about it. It is on the player to cancel the account. Just not paying does not remove an actual contract agreement which is agreed upon when you create the account. And in many countries you could actually be liable still for that money in court, I doubt a gaming company would take it that far for this small amount of money, would cost more than they would get but its the idea of it.
Do I think some companies have shady business practices when it comes to cancelling, yup some do. Some hide the actual cancel button or make you call to cancel so they can beg you to stay with lower prices etc...But again it is on the consumer to cancel the contract.
And then they send email notifications to your significant other making it look like you used their credit card to subscribe to questionable sites on the Internet.. If you still don't re sub, they send people dressed in black to your house to kick your dog. Oh, and if you ever find your car was scratched by a carriage in a parking lot, Yep....SE has people everywhere.
I mean, if we are going to make shit up let's go for broke here and have some fun.
Comments
- why no email alerts for the suspicious activity that blocked my account in the first place?
- why would the block magically go away as soon as my card expired and I might be trying to re-log in to reactivate instead of cancel? Maybe coincidence, maybe not.
Small word of advice, if you want answers or people to help you, don't act like an ass, not online or in RL.
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
To me it all adds up to at least bad security practices (no email alerts) or downright dishonesty.
For others info,
#1 i would bet that the account status and the payment status are both handled by separate areas. So it is perfectly normal for one company, or part of company to submit payment to a CC company and if it goes through know nothing about any blocks on logging into the account or games.
#2 Once they tried to collect payment and were told that the card was out of date and not accepting new withdrawals. I bet the account was canceled on their end along with the account status (blocked) and that if/when someone tries to re-open that account the block will return as well.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
As for your #1. that is a given.
#2 - your reader failure. I did indeed log back in and was debating on restarting the account and actually playing again. THE BLOCK WAS GONE. That is what made this all fishy, along with the initial "must ***CALL*** customer service" and no email alerts. The block by itself and continuing charges were never the issue, that was my laziness.
Blocks always occur when trying to log in, not when trying to pay for reactivation after already sucessfully logging in. Why was I suddenly not required to call customer service to reactivate my account? Only reason I would have to log in to a canceled account would be to reactivate, and they have every reason to make that easy, just as they have every reason to make cancellation more difficult than it should be.
Also, i'm sure companies keep track of inactive accounts. How else would they sent you an email that offers a "welcome back" gift if you log in again? Other companies disclose how they define "active players", like "logged in in the last x days" or whatever. Again, they have to know who did that to actually arrive at a number.
It also is probably good practice to "block" accounts that haven't been used for some months if there is usually no two-step login or so, so that you can send someone an email asking if it's really them when suddenly after five months someone logs in.
Having to call is a bit over the top though when it's just for a few months and the sub was still running anyway.
The most interesting question is why they didn't send an email notification about the account being blocked. I thought that would be common practice, given that i received several such mails from different services. Usually, they tell you to log in within the next x days to avoid that.
Overall, i don't think he's been singled out or anything, thats too costly anyway even when he's still paying sub. But all the stuff to track inactive accounts and to block (inactive) accounts should already be in place.
Most likely they just screwed up, with both the system itself and the practices of the company as such not really being on par. That they actually get *more* money (by making it difficult to cancel, and not reminding people to do so etc.) by not investing more money (to fix it) is just the icing on the cake.
I'll wait to the day's end when the moon is high
And then I'll rise with the tide with a lust for life, I'll
Amass an army, and we'll harness a horde
And then we'll limp across the land until we stand at the shore
Do I think some companies have shady business practices when it comes to cancelling, yup some do. Some hide the actual cancel button or make you call to cancel so they can beg you to stay with lower prices etc...But again it is on the consumer to cancel the contract.
I mean, if we are going to make shit up let's go for broke here and have some fun.