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Recurring Billing Issues

Kayhynn

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
So here we go again.

EA billed for an account. There is money on the card, the card shows pending transaction for $13.93 for the renewal for that account. I have received an email from EA saying that my credit card was declined and the account is closed.

Last time this happened, I was told to wait till it posted and wasn't a pending transaction. I waited. I contacted EA. I was told they have no proof that it processed and they received the money and they couldn't give me game time because they have no proof, even after I sent screenshots and bill logs to show it. I was then told to cancel the charge.

I cancel the charge and my master account got banned. I'm not eager to replay this scenario, but it's extremely frustrating to see this happen over and over and over. I don't want to pay double for time I've already paid for that they're claiming card was denied on when it wasn't. But I still want to get my Christmas gifts and other things that that account does.

I will post an update on this if it goes to posted transaction, but really - this needs to get fixed.
 

DJAd

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I was then told to cancel the charge.

I cancel the charge and my master account got banned.
What an absolute joke this is. Sorry to hear about this @Kayhynn and hope you get it sorted. Glad I swapped to gametime ages back now as after seeing so many people have this issue.

I wonder when they new account management is coming? Surely it should take priority over a pet revamp right?
 

Capt. Lucky

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
When it has happened to me I usually pay it again and it's no problem. It was some glitch somewhere. As a result I usually get billed twice for the same account for the same time period, I then get really pissed over how stupid that is and just suck it up cause it isn't worth the irritation to try and get my 13 bucks back.
 
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Kayhynn

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
As a result I usually get billed twice for the same account for the same time period, I then get really pissed over how stupid that is and just suck it up cause it isn't worth the irrational to try and get my 13 bucks back.
I was considering that - and may still do it. The fact of the matter is, this isn't the first time it's happened. It won't be the last. I can count at least four times in the last two years this problem has happened, besides the time I got banned because I caught it happened and had the audacity to do as instructed and asked my card to cancel the charge. Before that, who knows how many times it happened and then I went and paid for it. Repeated $14 charges add up and frankly it's become more of an inconvenience than anything else.

There are many people who have automatic billing set up for when they are gone on extended trips or shipped out due to being in the military. When it declines and closes the account, they run the risk of their houses falling due to no fault of their own.

I may just go back to the gamecode route at this point.
 

Capt. Lucky

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
I was considering that - and may still do it. The fact of the matter is, this isn't the first time it's happened. It won't be the last. I can count at least four times in the last two years this problem has happened, besides the time I got banned because I caught it happened and had the audacity to do as instructed and asked my card to cancel the charge. Before that, who knows how many times it happened and then I went and paid for it. Repeated $14 charges add up and frankly it's become more of an inconvenience than anything else.

There are many people who have automatic billing set up for when they are gone on extended trips or shipped out due to being in the military. When it declines and closes the account, they run the risk of their houses falling due to no fault of their own.

I may just go back to the gamecode route at this point.
It's happened to me more than once also. My donation to UO
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
@Kayhynn They continually bill my CC from other countries... which my CC company then denies... So then I get a call from my CC company asking me if there is fraud on my card and would I like it blocked to which I say NO.... But they deny it anyway and I then have to go back and get things straightened out with EA/UO and such... but it's extremely annoying because it more often than not happens on a Friday and then my CC company blocks up my card all weekend long leaving me unable to use it.
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Do you live in the USA? Why is EA billing you from other COUNTRIES?
Yes I live in the USA and I have NO CLUE why they keep billing me from the Netherlands and Switzerland... and other places... but my CC will not allow any billing from outside the US...
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Yes I live in the USA and I have NO CLUE why they keep billing me from the Netherlands and Switzerland... and other places... but my CC will not allow any billing from outside the US...
You need to report that to EA and you CC Company because someone is using their name and trying to bill you. There is ZERO reason that EA would do this. Your CC # may also be compromised.
 

Spartan

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
You need to report that to EA and you CC Company because someone is using their name and trying to bill you. There is ZERO reason that EA would do this. Your CC # may also be compromised.
Agree on compromised. If CC company is on the ball, a fraud alert query should have been received. Someone setup a CC# matching my old number and tried buying $200 worth of goods at a Kroger in Georgia. <grin> CC company immediately texted me because that purchase was outside my normal spending area (and hundreds of miles from where I was physically).

Took one call and about 4 days ... new card, bogus charge wiped and I found out later the people were arrested on CC fraud. Sooo, what's in your wallet? :D
 

Enziet

Journeyman
18 years of sub payments. Monthly payments via CC. Never once have I had any issues with them taking my money at the same time every month. And I don't live in the USA.

Seems strange that people in the USA would have issues. Everyone loves getting an American dollar. It's like getting a buck fifty anywhere else in the world :p
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
18 years of sub payments. Monthly payments via CC. Never once have I had any issues with them taking my money at the same time every month. And I don't live in the USA.

Seems strange that people in the USA would have issues. Everyone loves getting an American dollar. It's like getting a buck fifty anywhere else in the world :p
I live in the US and all my accounts are on the 6 mo renew and I have never had a problem either. I use a major CC VISA from a major bank Wells Fargo.
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
You need to report that to EA and you CC Company because someone is using their name and trying to bill you. There is ZERO reason that EA would do this. Your CC # may also be compromised.
No it's EA is a bunch of morons... they can't seem to understand how to do billing. It is MY accounts and they shut them off when they bill me from the wrong Country... and it gets denied. So then I have to go through reset it up and renew it after getting my card turned back on. EA does this randomly to one or two of my accounts every year. Hasn't happened in awhile and now that I've talked about it then it'll probably happen again soon... but it's extremely annoying... my suggestion to the OP is that they call their CC company and see if this is the case as often it is.
 

Kayhynn

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
Let me put it into a different perspective.

If you pay for a service anywhere else and they don't provide it, you can cancel the charge with justification: service not provided. However, most companies will work with you to rectify or "make right" the situation before you cancel the charge because they don't want to lose your money or you as a customer.

With EA, if you pay for gametime and some glitch in their system sees the card as declined, even though it wasn't (and yes, it's a major card company who has provided verification documentation for me to send to EA in the past for a declined charge and showed not only was it not declined but that it cleared the account) and the amount is still processed and taken from your account and given to the company in question and you cancel the charge because you aren't getting the service (gametime) paid for, you get your master account banned.

For a game this old, we shouldn't have such a buggy billing system and we shouldn't have the repeated issues like mine and other people's issues that are happening.

This isn't the only MMO I play. The only billing issue I've ever had with other companies has been due to me screwing up (forgetting to pay off a card before the MMO's billing cycle, forgetting to put in a new card number (thus being rejected), etc.). The issue I'm having with EA is not a user error. It's on their billing side and it's not just me it's happening to.

TL;DR version: If I get charged for a service, I expect to get it. I don't expect to pay for a month of gametime I don't get and have to pay a second time and deal with a run around due to the company's bad billing system. I don't pay for poor performance.
 

Keith of Sonoma

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
I live in the US and all my accounts are on the 6 mo renew and I have never had a problem either. I use a major CC VISA from a major bank Wells Fargo.
Same, but Chase. Not a problem one. Now when I have to change expiration dates next year I WILL be crossing my fingers! :)
 

Merlin

The Enchanter
Moderator
Professional
Governor
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
Email Bonnie directly. She has helped out UWFers with hacked accounts and CC issues in the past. I'm sure other people here will have a story of when she couldn't help, but can't hurt to try.
 
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