2 months one side battle with "legendary" customer support

n421r · September 2016

Hey!

In this post I want to show how Elder Scrolls Online support "works". As a player with more than 20 years experience I've never encountered anything like that in any other game.

I'm not here to look for a solution to my problem. My post only serves to show how you can be "neglected" by "creator", especially that this is not the independent creator, but one of the major brands on the market mmo.

A warning to others...

Files contain:

- printscreen of two tickets, which were started more than 2 months ago

- printscreen showing the full content of these tickets

Correspondence should be read from the bottom.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022221/uploads/editor/bc/qyik9gzqbxsi.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022221/uploads/editor/bi/npbgnpnphwhf.jpg

Kyleran · September 2016

A short summary would go a long way, at least for us on our smart phones.

Sovrath · September 2016

Where did you buy the game from?

WBadger · September 2016

TL:DR
Customer: "Help, I can't login!"
Automated message: "We get a lot of tickets. Don't say anything if this is fixed (pls)"
Customer: "Still not fixed"
CS: "Well...did you add a game key?"
Customer: "Yes"
New CS: "Are you suuuure?"
*CS Rep marks the ticket as solved*
Customer: "Uhhh....wat?"
Automated message:"We're currently experiencing high ticket volumes"
*Customer now pissed*
CS: "Can you login now?"
Customer: "No"
CS: "Well....how bout now? OHH, And don't forget to check our twitter for info on tamriel unlimited!"
*CS Rep marks second ticket as solved*

Their service is so gud. Five different customer service reps and everyone of them just does what amounts to "Well, did you actually buy the game; and did you change your password?"

n421r · September 2016

Wankyudo said:

TL:DR
Customer: "Help, I can't login!"
Automated message: "We get a lot of tickets. Don't say anything if this is fixed (pls)"
Customer: "Still not fixed"
CS: "Well...did you add a game key?"
Customer: "Yes"
New CS: "Are you suuuure?"
*CS Rep marks the ticket as solved*
Customer: "Uhhh....wat?"
Automated message:"We're currently experiencing high ticket volumes"
*Customer now pissed*
CS: "Can you login now?"
Customer: "No"
CS: "Well....how bout now? OHH, And don't forget to check our twitter for info on tamriel unlimited!"
*CS Rep marks second ticket as solved*

Their service is so gud. Five different customer service reps and everyone of them just does what amounts to "Well, did you actually buy the game; and did you change your password?"

and this is "short summary", thx!

filmoret · September 2016

It appears you are trying to use ESO through Steam? Even though you buy the game from someone else. I don't think Steam will just let you link the game through them when you paid from someone else. Which is why the game won't let you login because your credentials aren't from steam they are from something else. Also I would like to mention that you cannot switch regions with ESO.

FlyByKnight · September 2016

Did you get your money back?

If not, what's more important? Getting your money back or being able to play?

Good luck.

Vrika · September 2016

Reminds me of the time when a game's installation refused to start, and customer support told me to re-install the game.

Have you tried installing Elder Scrolls Online outside Steam? I haven't played for a long time now, but if I remember correctly it did not require Steam to work. Though maybe it has changed.

filmoret · September 2016

Vrika said:

Reminds me of the time when a game's installation refused to start, and customer support told me to re-install the game.

Have you tried installing Elder Scrolls Online outside Steam? I haven't played for a long time now, but if I remember correctly it did not require Steam to work. Though maybe it has changed.

It looked like to me he had the game then tried to convert it over to Steam. Which would be the cause of all those problems.

abnesher · September 2016

That's insanely bad CS. It looks like ESO CS is run by bots

n421r, please can you tell us:

Where did you buy the game? I know others has asked you, but you haven't told us yet

Gdemami · September 2016

Legendary customer...

Sovrath · September 2016

filmoret said:

It appears you are trying to use ESO through Steam? Even though you buy the game from someone else. I don't think Steam will just let you link the game through them when you paid from someone else. Which is why the game won't let you login because your credentials aren't from steam they are from something else. Also I would like to mention that you cannot switch regions with ESO.

That's the thing, the CS reps are asking him a question but I don't see (maybe I missed it?) that he answered it.

It's not the CS reps fault if he isn't giving them the correct information. Because, what it looks like, is he bought the game from "somewhere else" and then tried to use it through another means. That looks sketchy.

Maybe it's not, but that's why I asked "where did you buy the game". Because, shooting from the hip (and I could be very wrong) it looks like he purchased the game from a place that Zenimax doesn't recognize as a legitimate seller and then, at least according to what you said, if he is trying to use it through steam then that looks suspicious.

Sovrath · September 2016

Stizzled said:

Sovrath said:

filmoret said:

It appears you are trying to use ESO through Steam? Even though you buy the game from someone else. I don't think Steam will just let you link the game through them when you paid from someone else. Which is why the game won't let you login because your credentials aren't from steam they are from something else. Also I would like to mention that you cannot switch regions with ESO.

That's the thing, the CS reps are asking him a question but I don't see (maybe I missed it?) that he answered it.

It's not the CS reps fault if he isn't giving them the correct information. Because, what it looks like, is he bought the game from "somewhere else" and then tried to use it through another means. That looks sketchy.

Maybe it's not, but that's why I asked "where did you buy the game". Because, shooting from the hip (and I could be very wrong) it looks like he purchased the game from a place that Zenimax doesn't recognize as a legitimate seller and then, at least according to what you said, if he is trying to use it through steam then that looks suspicious.

He says that he's played the game before, some 140 hours, so I'm assuming that wherever he bought it was a legitimate retailer. I'd say that @filmoret is right here, he's simply trying to use a non-steam key through steam.

I don't know why anyone would want to play this game through steam anyways, I had nothing but trouble trying to even install the game through steam.

ahhhh but at one point people purchased the game and were playing it and then Zenimax found out that some of the keys used weren't legitimate. They then shut down those game accounts.

That's why I asked. I saw that he played it the 140 hours but because all the reps repeated the question regarding the key it seemed to ring a bell that maybe he didn't buy it from a legitimate place.

But again, as I mentioned, perhaps that's not the case.

edit: now again, I don't know if his issue falls under this but perhaps it does and perhaps his was caught in this "shutting down":

http://massivelyop.com/2015/05/25/elder-scrolls-online-begins-cracking-down-on-fradulent-game-keys/

WielebnyB · September 2016

Guys.
If OP was able to run ESO, then it means that the key was correct. He is having trouble to login ingame.
And look. He isn't searching how to end his problem, he said that. He is just angry about CS and their copy-paste style.

GladDog · September 2016

ESO customer service is not the best, but its not like anyone out there has great CS in the game industry, at least from my perspective. My last dealings with ESO CS was actually pretty good, although a previous time it was not so good.

If you bought the game in a box or as a digital download, you need to uninstall what you got from Steam and install the game from the ESO website download link. Yes, it will take a while, 8-12 hours, but in the end you will get to play.

filmoret · September 2016

WielebnyB said:

Guys.
If OP was able to run ESO, then it means that the key was correct. He is having trouble to login ingame.
And look. He isn't searching how to end his problem, he said that. He is just angry about CS and their copy-paste style.

I do agree they should have been able to simply answer his question. But I do not see him answering any of theirs either. Unless he is using an email that is not linked to the account. That would explain the reason they cannot do anything. They also should have mentioned the fact that he cannot change regions either. But if he is using the email that the account is under then there really is no excuse that Zeni didn't give him a solid answer to begin with.

Sovrath · September 2016

WielebnyB said:

Guys.
If OP was able to run ESO, then it means that the key was correct. He is having trouble to login ingame.
And look. He isn't searching how to end his problem, he said that. He is just angry about CS and their copy-paste style.

That's not necessarily true. To the article I posted, people were able to play the game but then Zenimax shut off their accounts.

It's possible that this is an ongoing thing for them and that, if he wasn't caught in the first round then he was caught in subsequent "closings". Or, Zenimax just can't solve the issue.

But It's helpful to know all the facts.

Sovrath · September 2016

Stizzled said:

Sovrath said:

Stizzled said:

Sovrath said:

filmoret said:

It appears you are trying to use ESO through Steam? Even though you buy the game from someone else. I don't think Steam will just let you link the game through them when you paid from someone else. Which is why the game won't let you login because your credentials aren't from steam they are from something else. Also I would like to mention that you cannot switch regions with ESO.

That's the thing, the CS reps are asking him a question but I don't see (maybe I missed it?) that he answered it.

It's not the CS reps fault if he isn't giving them the correct information. Because, what it looks like, is he bought the game from "somewhere else" and then tried to use it through another means. That looks sketchy.

Maybe it's not, but that's why I asked "where did you buy the game". Because, shooting from the hip (and I could be very wrong) it looks like he purchased the game from a place that Zenimax doesn't recognize as a legitimate seller and then, at least according to what you said, if he is trying to use it through steam then that looks suspicious.

He says that he's played the game before, some 140 hours, so I'm assuming that wherever he bought it was a legitimate retailer. I'd say that @filmoret is right here, he's simply trying to use a non-steam key through steam.

I don't know why anyone would want to play this game through steam anyways, I had nothing but trouble trying to even install the game through steam.

ahhhh but at one point people purchased the game and were playing it and then Zenimax found out that some of the keys used weren't legitimate. They then shut down those game accounts.

That's why I asked. I saw that he played it the 140 hours but because all the reps repeated the question regarding the key it seemed to ring a bell that maybe he didn't buy it from a legitimate place.

But again, as I mentioned, perhaps that's not the case.

edit: now again, I don't know if his issue falls under this but perhaps it does and perhaps his was caught in this "shutting down":

http://massivelyop.com/2015/05/25/elder-scrolls-online-begins-cracking-down-on-fradulent-game-keys/

It's possible, though I'd think the OP would know if that had happened. I believe he says he can log into the website fine, but not the game, which is what leads me to believe it's a problem with the client he's trying to use and not his account.

yeah, I noticed that as well. The only thing I can think of is that one can make a "website account" and then add a key. Their response seems to indicate that is a possibility.

gervaise1 · September 2016

OP could you:

Confirm that you bought and were playing the game via Steam.
And if you bought through Steam you have played through Steam. Or if you bought from a non-Steam source that you played it through Zenimax - and which retailer you used. (If the key is suspect that would be worth highlighting.) Oh and confirm its not an Xbox or PS key!
And that you are trying to play on the same region as you previously did.

As far as support in general goes ESO started as a subscription based game with "procedures" and a support team set up to handle subscriptions. Post launch reports suggest the support team was "greatly diminished", they then changed to a b2p games - which don't as a rule have "extensive" support but retained an optional sub - so some will expect support and the procedures still exist with no option to "remember" you as their is with e.g. Steam. A mixed bag therefore.

filmoret · September 2016

He has 1 post. We will probably never see him again.

FrodoFragins · September 2016

The OP was super rude and appears to have bought a key from an illegitimate site.

/thread

SaunZ · September 2016

He used the F Bomb... CS Bots hate the F Bomb

CS Bots are ALWAYS very helpful to me until I use the F Bomb

Sz

Belgaraath · September 2016

I have to admit that I'd be pretty pissed if that was the kind of customer service I was getting. I think the OP has actually been quite patient considering the time that elapsed and his cursing IMO is justified lol.

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2 months one side battle with "legendary" customer support

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2 months one side battle with "legendary" customer support

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

The world is going to the dogs, which is just how I planned it!