More problems giving EA/Mythic/Broadsword/Origin money

[Theo_GL]

Who actually owns this game? Its such a complete and utter cluster its unbelieveable! Everytime I try to buy gametime code for one of my accounts I am sent into the endless cycle of 'I can't help you' support.

I go to the origin store to buy a code and I have to log into my 'Origin' account to buy it. I complete the process. I get a receipt saying my CC was charged but my code is still processing. What does that mean? Who needs time to process a code if they took my money?

The only button on the screen there for support for Origin says 'Origin Support' that dumps me into a screen for 'EA Support'. When I search for my 'game' Ultima Online on the EA Support site it routes me to [email protected]. I email them and I get an email back now from Broadsword saying they can't help - contact Origin support.

Is anyone as confused as I am as to who owns/manages this game? I play browser games on my iphone/ipad and I can initate a payment and have my addtional feature in 5 seconds. Twelve hours later here and I can get a $13 code sent to me to activate my account and there is NO number, email whatever on the Origin page for support from Origin which I was directed to.

Does anyone see the crazy circle they are putting people in? Origin Support Points to EA Support points to Ultima Online support points to Broadsword which then tells me to contact Origin Support.

Freaking HOW???????????????????????

 

[Scribbles]

Yep, such a pain in the ass. I refuse to buy anything from origin at this point. If i cant find it in the game to buy it isnt worth the hassle of going through origin.

Supposedly @Mesanna was going to have these sorts of problems taken care of. Instead we got a new expansion that gave them more bugs to deal with...

Sorry you cant give the game money. Asinine.

 

[Mesanna]

Theo contact me please

 

[Grazz't1970]

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn....

 

[Gilmour]

Like any company i am pretty sure the amount is only reserved until it actually go through/is approved, at least that's the pracsis here and I believe required by law. But the laws may be different over there, I dunno

That said, it's a P.I.T.A when your purchase isn't instant, this is 2016 not 199x

 

[Uriah Heep]

Welcome to Ultima =)

 

[Lythos-]

Looks like certain CCs are flagged for preapproval meaning they have to fully process your payment before they're giving the code. I have gotten a message that it could take as long as 72 hours. I think buying multiple codes one right after another (lol?) flags the card since you can't make multiple purchases (a bigger lol).

When I started playing in 1999, it was less of a hassle to make an account, to pay for an account and learning how to play. We're going BACKWARD with this game not forward.

 

[Tyrath]

I have got to say this is one area that I have not had a lot of problems. Was annoyed a few weeks ago that it was not giving me the codes instant anymore from the store and taking a full 3 days but that squirrel seems to have left the cage with its nuts. Account management is not that difficult either, just use the drop down in the master account to select the individual account and click the subscribe or apply code options. No problems ever removing old/expired credit card info in account management and adding the updated info. That being said I very much liked the old account management about 100X more and my accounts not linked in groups of 10 under different master accounts. Don't care for all the additional clicking and trying to type in those verification codes that I can never read and have to try 10 times before I get one right. But in general I just have never had the problems many seem to complain about with the new acct management..... Its is better than the new runebooks

 

[Barok]

I always use EA Cash cards. I go to GameStop to buy them. Sometimes with cash, sometimes with CC. This disentangles my CC from Origin. I always get my codes instantly when I do this.

 

[GarthGrey]

I bought an item off of the store using a seperate cc from the one that i normally use. Up until then i've never had a problem, with the site. I got the "processing your request" reply after being charged for the item. Less than 24 yrs later the purchase was approved, and the code was in my inbox. I've since activated an old account, and it used the newly entered cc without issue.

 

[Theo_GL]

Theo contact me please

I appreciate that you want to get personally involved Mesanna but my point is that you shouldn't have to. This is a trivial exercise in terms of buying a gametime code that most other games have as the number one priority for smooth transactions, communication and customer service. After about 30 minutes I did manage to go another route and finally get a ticket open that is being worked (although when I tried to a get live chat after 30 minutes no one showed up) and as other have suggested it may be due to the transaction pending (I see it on CC side that way) that is holding things up for no real good reason. This has not been a problem in the past but whatever, I'll let this take its course and see how it ends up.

However, here is what you should be focusing on :

1 - The entire account/payment process is completely confusing to users. I have a Mythic Account. I have an EA Account, I have a UO account. What is what here and why do I need so many? This is the start of the confusion for everyone.
2 - When you log into your Mythic account where I can see my UO accounts tied to my mythic account, I can see the status, the upgrades everything - great. I can even add a CC in here for monthly processing. Great. Why can't I buy a gametime code right here or at least have a link? I literally have to google it to find the Origin site. I can put the code in here - but no reference to where I would go to buy one. Odd.
3 - When you buy something on the Origin site - the support options literally give you the run around as evidenced in my note. I BOUGHT it through the Origin site - why isn't there an email or link right on my purchase to contact customer support for my order number? Why do I need to hunt around for links that point me to EA to UO To Broadsword who points me back to Origin for help? Literally when you click 'Origin Support' from the top menu you are sent to an EA page.
4 - On www.uo.com - there is a link to 'Store' that takes you to www.origin.com with no 'Deep links' to show you the UO available items. You are advertised for a bunch of non-UO junk and you have to search for UO to find anything. You know I came from www.UO.com - Why can't it take you to the Origin store with it already showing UO items filtered?

These are the things to focus on fixing. I'll get through the convoluted support process and get my issue addressed. I'm more concerned about less expereinced players or new players trying to navigate this train wreck of systems and giving up.

Thanks for your attention here.

My fuse is short here as the last time I went through this process I was sent a non-working code which made them have to void my order and I had to create a new one. I only interact with this system a few times a year and it never goes well. I can't be the only one.

 

[MalagAste]

I appreciate that you want to get personally involved Mesanna but my point is that you shouldn't have to. This is a trivial exercise in terms of buying a gametime code that most other games have as the number one priority for smooth transactions, communication and customer service. After about 30 minutes I did manage to go another route and finally get a ticket open that is being worked (although when I tried to a get live chat after 30 minutes no one showed up) and as other have suggested it may be due to the transaction pending (I see it on CC side that way) that is holding things up for no real good reason. This has not been a problem in the past but whatever, I'll let this take its course and see how it ends up.

However, here is what you should be focusing on :

1 - The entire account/payment process is completely confusing to users. I have a Mythic Account. I have an EA Account, I have a UO account. What is what here and why do I need so many? This is the start of the confusion for everyone.
2 - When you log into your Mythic account where I can see my UO accounts tied to my mythic account, I can see the status, the upgrades everything - great. I can even add a CC in here for monthly processing. Great. Why can't I buy a gametime code right here or at least have a link? I literally have to google it to find the Origin site. I can put the code in here - but no reference to where I would go to buy one. Odd.
3 - When you buy something on the Origin site - the support options literally give you the run around as evidenced in my note. I BOUGHT it through the Origin site - why isn't there an email or link right on my purchase to contact customer support for my order number? Why do I need to hunt around for links that point me to EA to UO To Broadsword who points me back to Origin for help? Literally when you click 'Origin Support' from the top menu you are sent to an EA page.
4 - On www.uo.com - there is a link to 'Store' that takes you to www.origin.com with no 'Deep links' to show you the UO available items. You are advertised for a bunch of non-UO junk and you have to search for UO to find anything. You know I came from www.UO.com - Why can't it take you to the Origin store with it already showing UO items filtered?

These are the things to focus on fixing. I'll get through the convoluted support process and get my issue addressed. I'm more concerned about less expereinced players or new players trying to navigate this train wreck of systems and giving up.

Thanks for your attention here.

My fuse is short here as the last time I went through this process I was sent a non-working code which made them have to void my order and I had to create a new one. I only interact with this system a few times a year and it never goes well. I can't be the only one.

You are not alone... every month there are literally dozens of posts about it... EVERY MONTH. Years ago when I was so irritated I wrote the CEOs of EA and BEGGED for help and BEGGED them to fix the Origin store.. and save my beloved game... They wanted specifics I could not give. They wanted me to give them contact information days and dates of incidents and names of those involved... but I couldn't give that to them... I could only link them the 100's of posts of people irritated with the Origin store and Account Management system.... but years later NOTHING has changed.

And the worst of it is it is now IMO too late to do anything about it... most folk who got fed up and super frustrated moved on... likely so ticked off I'd be surprised if they EVER tried to come back to UO ever again.... THAT is the worst part... it's been too little too late... the opportunity for something to have been done should have been with the great milestone of the 15th anniversary.... but obviously they were unprepared or unwilling to take that opportunity and really bring UO back into the mainstream..... my guess is that in a very short while when UO hits the most amazing 20 year mark... it will also be a wasted opportunity... and will come and go without so much as a blip on the radar of anyone but those of us who still play.

 

[Uriah Heep]

You aren't. It's why some of only buy codes and stuff from a 3rd party, instant delivery, and live chat during the whole process. Amazing, huh.

 

[Zosimus]

I always use EA Cash cards. I go to GameStop to buy them. Sometimes with cash, sometimes with CC. This disentangles my CC from Origin. I always get my codes instantly when I do this.

The quote above is the best solution to these issues.

 

[Uriah Heep]

I just use a throwaway card (Greendot) and only load it monthly with enough $$ to pay the account and a couple other monthlies I have assigned to it. Steal It? ya dont get much LOL. Only time I had a problem with it going thru account management was when it expired, the replacement was the same # but had a different sec #. That seemed to melt their system down for a bit

 

[Beldin Brightaxe]

I had problems a few years ago using my CC numbers to pay for and renew accounts. At first through the account management system and then through the Origin store. I ended up just switching to my PayPal account that I've used for a few years and haven't had any problems. It just seems to work better for me all around. I think the only problem I've had is from a couple of months ago when they "ran out of codes" or some nonsense like that, but that was quickly fixed. Now I just buy a code, apply it to my account and I don't have to worry about any renewals not going through or anything. Just much easier for me all around.

 

[Tanivar]

Wonder how many just take the "We don't want your money." hint and leave their accounts closed and go play another game?

 

[Arcus]

Theo contact me please

Or here is an idea. FIx this garbage.

 

[Lord Nabin]

I always find this odd,

When I buy account time it displays a transaction complete page with the code on it. I never have to wait for an email to get the code.

 

[Tyrath]

I always find this odd,

When I buy account time it displays a transaction complete page with the code on it. I never have to wait for an email to get the code.

That is how it had always been for me. I discovered that by updating my credit card info when it expired (I always get a complete new debit card # and Cvs # when a card expires) So it is like entering a new credit card that the system does not recognize, so it holds up the transaction for 24-72 hours. Tried it by entering a Different CC than what I normally use and same delay. Now it recognizes the updated cart and goes to the completed here is your code screen again.

 

[Slayvite]

*sits in corner of room quietly chuckling to himself*
Don't even need to stir this pot.....

 

[Yadd of Legends]

I always find this odd,

When I buy account time it displays a transaction complete page with the code on it. I never have to wait for an email to get the code.

That's always been the case for me too. But it seems the codes aren't ready for some people at the time of purchase. Why the difference?

 

[Gilmour]

A guess is that: at some point it was decided to approved credit/debit cards manually, cards used prior to that point was pre-approved, if you get a new card you will need to get it approved manually.

But is this approval for the card or for the specific purchase? if approval is by purchase and not card, then this theory is wrong obviously.

Personally I never had to wait either.