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Customer service. -Horrible-
Uvray
Member Posts: 5
No really the worst customer service rep I have ever dealt with in my life. I will never purchase another Turbine game. Farewell to all who do. Know that if you have an account issue you will more then likely not get any help with your trouble.
See the folks at Turbine have a hard time with the concept of the customer is always right. Hope your game key isn't defective or lost. They simply want to charge you again to play the game. Worst 60 dollars I have ever spent.
Oh well, see you all in better games, such as AoC.
Comments
So strange, I never had problems with Turbine's CS.
Good Luck with AoC!
PS.: Where did you bought the game at $60? It's normally at $20
Anyways OP seems set on AoC no matter what. Good luck with it, I am one of those who plan to stick with LOTRO but check AoC. I hope they deliver the decent product but I am sceptical about overhyped games and grapevine infor did little to shake that feeling.
Sorry if it looks like some kind of hype booster, but no I was hoping to play LotRO again, since I preordered it at beta. I played for a few days after launch, and was still active in another game, my PC couldnt make the game look like what it should be like at the time. So I continued playing the other game and forgot to use my key. I moved soon there after and thought I had kept the key somewhere. After looking every where for the key just recently and having no luck at all, I thought, Oh well I am sure some one over at turbine understands such problems and will be able to help me.
So I send in a series of emails thinking they can aid me, oh no, they want me to go buy the game again, so I tell them that I paid for it once, I as a customer paying for IP should never have to pay for such an item twice. Because as it is, its something not physical. But no they reply saying they have no way of verifying if I actually paid for the game, Yeah...calling me a liar? Whats with that. So I simply tell them they will not recieve any business from me in the future. Because simply put, they didnt even try to let me prove I purchased the game from Eb games online. All they care about is proving that I didn't.
I am glad to see you had little to no trouble with there CS, I was not so fortunate. Oh and sorry if I misquoted the original preorder price. I am not too worried about that anymore
Well, I can truly understand your grief, it must be hard to have lost every proof that you actually own(ed) the game.
But take a deep breathe, count to 10 slowly, and try to understand Turbine's view: if you cannot prove in any way that you owned the game, how can you expect them to just simply *believe* you? Anyone could come up and lie this (even though you are not one of them, how on earth would they know?).
Loyalty should be rewarded, but you cannot expect commercial companies to work on pure "trust" and loyalty. They work on the market, and the market has no "honour of word", just facts and proofs.
I do not agree that this a customer service issue to begin with. Iif they were rude to you or didn't reply, that IS bad customer service. But if they answered to you in a normal manner saying they can't determine if you are saying the truth or not - I don't think you can call that unfair
(of course, it is all true as long as you really can't prove that you used to be a customer!)
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
How can they determine if you purchased the game, if you haven't registered it? Its your responsibility to look after game keys etc, no one elses.
You can always download the trial free to see what the game looks like now. If you like it, you wont need to purchase the game again, if you already have it - just subscribe.
get your 7 day FREE sub to SWTOR
http://www.swtor.com/r/7DDKjQ
Sorry, I dont get it. If you have been active after launch, you should have already a user name and a password for your turbine account and hence already have used your key after launch. You should be able to reactivate your account without purchasing a new key then.
Couple things... first, thank you for being more detailed - though I can't say you've cleared anything up or made any stronger a case.
First.. .this bit:
I played for a few days after launch, and was still active in another game, my PC couldnt make the game look like what it should be like at the time. So I continued playing the other game and forgot to use my key.
How were you playing the game after launch if you hadn't registered it already? If you registered it already on a purchased account, then you don't need to enter the key again. Just log in with the username/password you created at registration and re-activate your account. Bam, problem solved.
If you don't remember that info call their CS and explain the situation. After asking you for some personal info to verify that it is you, they'll likely have no problem giving you your info - or at least creating a new/temporary password for you to log in with.
Other than that, it's unfortunate... But it's not Turbine's responsibility if you lost your registration code. The customer is "not always right" - certainly not in cases like this.
Look at it from their perspective. What's to stop anyone from calling in and saying "I bought the game and simply lost the code.. Can you believe it? So, can you take me at my word and give me a new code?" Do you realize how much that could be abused if they had that policy? I mean heck... could you even prove you bought the game in the first place?
I think your situation is unfortunate. I don' t agree it's a case of Turbine having poor customer service.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
There is something that people need to understand.
The customer is NOT always right!
And I can say this as I am in a customer-service related industry. As the OP began to expand his/her explanation of what took place we have the ability to see where both sides stand. As others have posted, how the OP was able to play the game after launch but not have his key is the biggest issue but for the OP to blame LotRO for not "honoring his/her word and dropping another key in your lap" is not Turbine's problem.
If you lose the keys to your car, do you walk into a dealership and say "Hey, I bought a (insert manufacturer's name) car over a year ago from some guy at some dealership but I lost my keys and all proof that I owned the car...can I have a new car? AT NO CHARGE?!"
Silly example? Certainly, but there is absolutely no difference.
We're no longer responsible for anything we do and when something occurs that doesn't go in our favor, the first thing we do is run to whatever mountaintop we can find and scream at the top of our lungs that everyone is against us.
At some point in time, we need to take back our responsibility. I would humbly suggest to the OP that he/she begin now with an apology here to the Turbine company for it was definitely not their fault that you lost all proof of purchase along with the key.
But that is an apology that would leave me "standing in the rain waiting for" so I'll just move along and try not to stand on any mountaintops myself.
I didn't have any problems, lucky me:)
To be fair to the OP. i seem to remember that thay gave us like a week to activate our retail Product key. Due to shipment problems and time it takes for the game to reach places. Now he would of had to activate a open beta key to play the game to begin with. There is his proof he bought the game. Providing he played in open beta.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
DB
I stand corrected. i must be getting old. Thanks for correcting me.
To be fair with the OP, I actually didn't have to register the Game for the first couple of days after launch.
I was able to play for "free" a few days, since they gave a grace period for those that ordered the game online and were waiting for their boxes.
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
I'm assuming the OP wrote this thread before he has had a chance to calm down and think about it. I'm sure if you have definitive proof you bought the game you may be able to get somewhere. Though I doubt it, however you look at it it is your fault. If Turbine were to give you anything it would be a great kindness on their part.
Customer Service is not giving customers what they want, you can give impeccable customer service and have the customer calling you every name under the sun and feeling robbed. Being in customer service is a hard thing to do so please don't take it out on them unless they were rude or took ages to respond.
I can think of a counter argument to anything you present, even a receipt for the game. They could just say you've given the key to someone else because you can not trace each activation key to a certain copy of the game. Once the product has been bought the physical presence of it is you responsibility no one elses.
At least that is what I remember about the limited time-frame to activate the retail key. The did give extensions to those that asked for them due to shipping problems. I remember quite a few forum threads how people who pre-ordered through internet dealerships were having to wait almost a week to get the game, but the in-store copies were available on launch day.
sadly...i have to agree with everyone else in this thread. No matter what game you play, or what company you use. If you did not register after the grace period, Turbine has no record of it.
It was shitty customer service, no doubt about that. I've dealt with companies that charge monthly fees (cell phone, internet, cable, etc...) and when there is a problem, they are the first ones ready to give me a break. I had a shitty experience with my cellphone company last year, they knocked 50$ off my bill which made it basically free at the time, they did this for no other reason but to make me happy... and I'm still with them paying $79.99 a month. The #1 companies know that customer service is KEY, and they will go the distance to make you happy so they can remain at the top because it makes them a lot of money.
So what if he didn't have proof, Turbine should have just given him a damn key code, they don't make shit off the retail product anyways ($19.99 retail now)... it's all in the subscription, which they apparently just lost.
And then every hired cronie of the gold farmers calls customer service asking for a key code.
Perhaps Turbine could have done something different but without their side of the story should we dare assume that the op is telling us everything?
And then every hired cronie of the gold farmers calls customer service asking for a key code.
Perhaps Turbine could have done something different but without their side of the story should we dare assume that the op is telling us everything?
And then the gold farmers pay for the subscription? Doubtful... besides, do you actually think the gold farming companies actually have a problem dropping the 20 bucks for the game... they probably make that every half second.
If I was doing the customer service, I'd offer him a product key if he commited to 3 months of service or something... anything would have been better than "too bad".
Maybe a reciept from your credit card company showing the purchase of the game..ask to speak to a supervisor maybe you can work something out if you can prove you purchased it. If it's really that important to you that you would go through the trouble to supply some proof..might show your not a freeloader. I dunno if it would change anything..but maybe try a different approach or something...be reasonable. A phone call isnt enough on your part IMO. This was your mistake after all..so the burden is with you. If you did all this then OK.
See you in the dream..
The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.
And then every hired cronie of the gold farmers calls customer service asking for a key code.
Perhaps Turbine could have done something different but without their side of the story should we dare assume that the op is telling us everything?
And then the gold farmers pay for the subscription? Doubtful... besides, do you actually think the gold farming companies actually have a problem dropping the 20 bucks for the game... they probably make that every half second.
If I was doing the customer service, I'd offer him a product key if he commited to 3 months of service or something... anything would have been better than "too bad".
Well since you bring the point up, gold farmers cut costs very effectively. They obviously make high profits or else every tom, dick, and harry would NOT be in the business. Personally I see that Turbine has gone further than every other MMO out there to stop gold farming.
I think most MMO's secretely support gold farming to the point that they believe it supports their economy. Call me crazy but if these MMO's would seize a few accounts after the gold farmer spent a lot of money buying the gold either from players or hired employees, and hit the gold farmer where it hurts that is their bottom line. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you seize the account and take away their profits and actually cost them money it would stop real fast. And the fascinating thing about computers, the internet and software is that everything makes code and that code can be traced.
But back to the subject, I just gave a reason why Turbine may have not given the code out. But for us to hear one side of the story and then make a judgment is wrong. I mean every criminal in the prison system is innocent if you hear their side of the story.
Edit: And by 'national bank', I mean wichever institute is in chrage of controlling the printing and release of new money to market etc. I'm not from USA so I don't know what it's called in there /Edit
And then every hired cronie of the gold farmers calls customer service asking for a key code.
Perhaps Turbine could have done something different but without their side of the story should we dare assume that the op is telling us everything?
And then the gold farmers pay for the subscription? Doubtful... besides, do you actually think the gold farming companies actually have a problem dropping the 20 bucks for the game... they probably make that every half second.
If I was doing the customer service, I'd offer him a product key if he commited to 3 months of service or something... anything would have been better than "too bad".
That does not make sense. The pricing policy of the company is as follows, $XX for the box, $YY per month. Everyone who pays $XX needs to pay $YY. Why should the OP be allowed to waive $XX b/c he is willing to pay $YY? How about everyone else who pays both?
Even if the OP proved that he paid $XX that is still not good enough. It is absolutely possible that he paid $XX then ebayed or resold it to a friend, and claimed that he owns the game but lost the key. The product key is the only proof of ownership, the payment receipt is NOT. Everyone on earth can pay for his friend in the purchase of a copy of LOTRo and then dial up the customer service pretending to have lost the key.
Before crying foul at LOTRo, think about your arguments again. Customers are NOT always right, they are human beings, as much as the seller. A customer throws in $50 for a copy of the game, Turbine throws in a few million doors to provide the game. As it stands, I would give equal respect to both parties, and go by reasoning to try to seeth thru the dispute.
If you look at the reasoning given by the OP in the second reply (he only have 2 posts in total so far), he does not make very good sense. He bought the game, he have some issues with his PC, so he does not register the game, and he put it aside and lost it. That is at least stupid. You register the game on the web, that has nothing to do with the game, just logon to the web and register the key. The issue with the PC has nothing to do with not registering the key. Second, if I remember correctly, pre-order players are founders, and they need to register within a month to get the founder status (I hope my memory serves). Why would the OP pre-order and not claim his founder status (lower monthly charge) and leave the key idle only to have lost it. Sounds stupid, or maybe sounds fishy.
I would not take the claims of the OP as final evidence. It just do not add up to the full picture.
Well I see this thread to be some what active. I see a lot of the same views and concepts, though I do have to disagree. Which obviously is what lead me to this very site to warn other players of this issue. I thought I said this before, they didn't give me a chance to prove that I have a receipt for the game, or any such thing. as its more then likely still on my bank statement. They said the same thing 3 times. That they can not, and will not issue another key. Such a sad way of proof in the IP industry. Which is a young industry, also would explain the simple ideals in their customer service philosophy.
But I look at this from a very broad business standpoint a) If you prove to your customer that you can help them with ANY issue, even if you are being out right robbed one second and truly helping the other, you will be more profitable. People are generally honest, society would like you to think otherwise. b) Giving more of an explanation to that customer then, "No I don't care, now leave me alone. Oh and if you have any more questions please respond to <Put address here>."
I am not mad, I am disappointed. I work in customer service myself, in one of the most profitable companies in the world. Many of the philosophies on business are wrong, but one they always get right is simply, the customer is always right. That isn't to say that they cant be proven wrong later. But when giving them customer service, they are right. If you can't trust the people handing you money, who can you trust.
Like someone pointed out earlier, they could have said well ok, let's see what we can do. Can you fax us a copy of a physical receipt? Or if it is a online purchase, can you have said company (in this case EB Games) Email us a receipt? Yet why didn't they do this? Because they didn't want to listen to me. To me that tells me several things. 1) They don't want me to buy another game, because in the past I have seen defective game card key's and other anomalies. 2) They are lazy, it would take them less then a week to sort out my issue and make me happy. Unfortunate for them, it will take more then time for this to roll over.
Like I said. Good luck to those who enjoy playing that game, it isn't the game makers fault. But aslong as Turbine runs the CS end of things, I will spend my money else where, with less lazy individuals.
Farewell kind readers, and not so kind posters alike. Maybe in the future I will have better things to post here.