Once again EA Customer Service SUCKS!

[Salivern_Diago]

As some of you may/may not know over the last what.. 2 months I've been trying to track down two of my missing accounts. After spending some time talking to the EA reps in the UK they inform me that someone has stolen them (And it was the EA Rep's exact words) but everything that they tried didnt work.. the only had access to the OLD account system and not the stupid migrated one. While they tried to help me reclaim the accounts nothing worked and they said I would have to try the American EA helpdesk.

Now I cant call the US so I end up emailing.. Finally after several reminders and the complete lack of replies for weeks on end they finally reply... Only to tell me that the details I gave for the accounts dont match (Like my name, address, characters etc). Well duh if someone's stolen the accounts then I doubt they would match but if they looked at the history then they would see it... Oh yeah cos this happened just before or during the migration you DONT have the data... thats right cos you SCREWED UP the migration didnt you!

Anyway they've refused to help me reclaim them and once again EA supports criminals. Yayy EA, what a good little corrupt company you are! You can bet that I wont buy any of your software and I'll be slagging you off every chance I get.

Email support is worthless and slow.. If you dont live in the US or cant afford the stupid rates to call the US then obviously according to EA you DONT MATTER.

Yeah thanks for nothing

[EDIT] Just had another email saying to give them a call.. How many times I've told them I dont live in the US and cant call them I cant remember.. but they just dont get it. Either they are as stupid as they seem or they are just as bad as the criminals that took the accounts. Either way I'm done with it all.

 

[NBG]

Is it so hard to call EA's US number via Skype? its reallly cheap price wise and as long as you have a decent connection the sound quality is just fine.

I use Skype to call US when I'm overseas. I don't understand why calling a US number would be such an issue these days.

Stay up late or wake up early to makeup for the time difference.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

The question is though why should I have to call the US for this issue? What cant my local EA team deal with it?

TBH I dont want to use skype (I dont have a mic anyway) and I dont want to stay up late to do so (I have kids who get up early). I should be able to just call a number thats native to the UK to speak to someone to get this dealt with. I'm a paying customer just like the few US players so why cant I get the same level of service?

 

[Kage]

Sadly if they have been stolen and the person who now has them has been paying for them for a few months there is nothing that you can do because they're only going to look at who has been paying for the account for the past 30 days.

The only way you could get the account back is if you have the orginal key code for the accounts, and like most UO players you probably do not.


Also I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope you're more careful in the future.
If you really do enjoy this game then don't let it defeat you! Pick up a new account and start playing!

 

[Salivern_Diago]

Luckilly it wasnt my main accounts, I've still got my stuff etc (well most of it). What I'm annoyed at is that its taken over 2 months to even bother looking at the account and then they send emails which are (to me at lest) insulting. I told them so many times I'm in the UK and cannot call the States, so they send me an email telling me to call them in the States...

Things like that really hack me off, its a complete lack of any customer care or service. I've sent several complaing emails to EA about it (Some cordial, others less so). I'll just amuse myself by rubbishing EA to everyone now and hope that it'll cost them some sales.

 

[Kage]

Trust me I understand your frustration... I had EA give someone my account info a few years ago just because the person knew my E-mail, and name and he didn't know my CC info or anything like that...

But he lucked up and talked to someone who had no idea what they was doing and ended up getting my main account.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

Ouch, what did EA do after?

 

[Kage]

I ended up getting my account back. But they didn't replace anything. I lost a lot... 50+ Mill Siege Gold that's like 5-7 prodo. And a ton of items.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

Ouch that seriously sucks, EA.. HA

 

[Kage]

I was still playing the account at the time so I lost it one day and got it back I believe that same day. In your situation though I think you haven't been playing that account and who ever has it probably has been playing it for over a month I'm guessing. So the chance of you getting it back will be pretty bad but I would at least try to get it back.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

I've been trying since october to get it back. No-ones interested at Mythic/Bioware support it seems. I have to admit I've lost hope on them now. When a company dosnt respond to a hack complaint for several weeks... You know that they dont give a care!

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

The only way you could get the account back is if you have the orginal key code for the accounts, and like most UO players you probably do not.

Actually, I imagine there's a lot of UO players that still have every UO box they've ever bought. I still have every insert and code that came with each one too.

SD, sorry to hear you've lost the accounts. Maybe not always for the same reasons but I'm just as disgusted with EA/Mythic as you and many others are.

This game is worse than crack though. I just can't make myself quit.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

LOL Yes I agree. As much as it hacks me off I cant just quit. I'm talking to a Live person chat on ea.com at the moment to vent a bit. Currently in the middle of making a full formal complaint.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

Why is it that CS can't call CS? They are the insiders, They researched the account, They know the details. Since a ticket has already been started, why wouldn't They contact the 'other' CS and compare notes, instead of causing an all New ticket to be opened and starting all over again, cold? A needless duplication of work, and a waste of that representative's time. If euro CS can't, and still doesn't have access to the current account db... it's very hard to believe something wasn't put in place for this.

 

[MalagAste]

I don't see why one CS Center can't work with another to solve something like this for a customer. Seems stupid and lazy to me.



Ezekiel Zane: You are correct. I still have EVERY last box and CD I ever bought... each and every map and disk. So yep I could go back and give EA all the codes right off the CD's I even know which CD goes to which account. But I'm also a Lab Tech and I'm known to be a bit you know... well lets just say that I'm into keeping data.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

After speaking to the live support from the EA website, they have upgraded it to a higher tier of support and have said they will get back to me within 72 hours. Last time I heard that, I didnt hear anything for a month...

Needless to say I'm not keeping my hopes up although they did apologise for the inexcusable wait I've had to endure and also said that I have reason to be annoyed.

[EDIT] And as for Mythic/Bioware support, they still keep sending the same email out about having to call the states. I've made a formal complaint about this and I'm pushing it as far as I can. Disgusted isnt the word I'm feeling about this, I will find out who's responsible (Even if its a line manager) and make sure thier working life is hell.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

someone just the other day said they don't have tiers anymore, just 'specialists', be nice to hear something 'official' about this process, or maybe Dev's don't know either?

 

[LadyNico]

Surprised you haven't tweeted Jeff yet.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

I would assume that Jeff hasnt got access to that department, however I was tempted. But tweets dont allow enough information to be posted.

 

[LadyNico]

Why would you assume that? You're threatening to bad-mouth his company to anyone who'll listen and all without even giving Jeff a chance to address the issue despite being on record as tweeting with the man.

 

[smip]

You know... why don't you just report it as being hacked so they shut the account off? Then go from there. If you KNOW that account is being used by someone else then it is hacked.

You can read how to do it here:

https://help.ea.com/article/what-should-i-do-if-i-think-my-uo-account-has-been-hacked

You can also go here:

Contact Info | Mythic Entertainment | Ultima Online

Unfortunately, If you can not afford to call them, then you should have thought about the TOSS BEFORE you started playing. Unfortunately, that's the risk you take if you are not willing to call.

But I would HIGHLY suggest you report the account or accounts as being hacked so they can freeze them before more harm can be done to them.

 

[Zosimus]

I would suggest to do what LadyNico just said.

Tweet Jeff. You wont know unless you try.

Plus try to PM Mesanna.

 

[Zosimus]

One big question I do have if the account is hacked, are you the one paying for it still or was it inactive account?

 

[goldenpower]

EA Support is available for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's pretty good availability in my opinion.

10AM - 10PM Eastern = 3PM - 3AM in the UK. I find it hard to believe you can't find some time to call within that timeframe.

and here's Skype subscription for 1 month unlimited calling to US landlines and cell phones.

as far as a headset, cheap ones are available for less than $10 in the US, and I'm sure you can find one there from an online retailer or at a store for a comparable price. it's a good investment because you won't just be using it for one phone call to EA, you will be able to use Teamspeak / Vent / Skype or just the headphones if you feel like it.

now I agree with you that there should be a local support number that can help you, but the fact is there is not, so your only choice is to call the US

 

[Salivern_Diago]

@ Nico - Becuase in the past Dev's have noted that they do-not have any say in the customer service department, I cant see it changing now. I'm more hacked off that its taken months to get this anywhere near sorted and it still isnt

@ Smip - They are aware its hacked as they were the ones telling me it was hacked. I've spoken to several different Reps about it and yeah, that was the result. I'm sorry but I find the comment about the TOS slightly shocking. In the past you could call ANY EA office to get issues sorted out, its only since the migration that its changed. I'm sorry but you cannot blame me for someone taking one of my accounts and then EA not wanting to sort it out.

@ Zosimus - It was inactive hence why I didnt know it was hacked till I was told by the Guildford Rep. I just assumed it went missing during migration but I was dutifully informed that someone else was using it.

I have tweeted Jeff about it btw.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

EA Support is available for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's pretty good availability in my opinion.

10AM - 10PM Eastern = 3PM - 3AM in the UK. I find it hard to believe you can't find some time to call within that timeframe.

and here's Skype subscription for 1 month unlimited calling to US landlines and cell phones.

as far as a headset, cheap ones are available for less than $10 in the US, and I'm sure you can find one there from an online retailer or at a store for a comparable price. it's a good investment because you won't just be using it for one phone call to EA, you will be able to use Teamspeak / Vent / Skype or just the headphones if you feel like it.

now I agree with you that there should be a local support number that can help you, but the fact is there is not, so your only choice is to call the US

Yes they are all options, but why cant Guildford in the UK deal with it all? Having to pay out for extra hardware and extra bills just to call EA isnt acceptable. As I've said before though I've given up the accounts for dead now. 3 months on and Mythic CS refuse to do anything, screw it. Whoever has it can keep it.

 

[goldenpower]

Yes they are all options, but why cant Guildford in the UK deal with it all?

I don't know but do you really care? just call the US number.

Having to pay out for extra hardware and extra bills just to call EA isnt acceptable.

headset is not really "extra" hardware when you are an avid online gamer. I'm surprised you don't have one.

1 month Skype costs as much as an energy drink. small price to pay to get your accounts back.

if phone service is such a rip off from your land line provider maybe you should ditch them. when I cut off my land line provider they sent 1 day FedEx Air Mail w/ offer to give me a better deal. I threw it out. they should have treated me better while I was still a customer.

 

[Lightning 1]

The Ultima staff really helped me once or twice with some account problem, but EA has a huge reputation for being useless. If you can actually get thru their automated response system on line, during which you spend hours wishing you could reach a human being, you are still disappointed in the EA company. It is often said that EA is only interested in sports games and profit.

 

[AirmidCecht]

What I'm trying to understand is how a simple call with an email address would lead to an account being turned over to a stranger?

I mean our log in info is unique, we're encouraged not to share it with anyone. It seems a unique place to start before handing out accounts. I'm not talking password here, but our sign in to play account name. That would take a lot of guessing outside of an email to get right in order to hack.

I guess my other concern is how much this affects CS when dealing with the account migration issue on who exactly is telling the truth anymore? The random guy calling with an email address and a real name trying to steal an account or the ones who truly can't find their account in the link to list when migrating all their accounts.

I hope it all gets sorted, that's for sure

 

[LadyNico]

@ Salivern

1) Jeff's NOT a dev.

2) EA UK knows sweet bugger all about UO, never have done. This is not new, nor should you be surprised a local call cannot solve a UO account problem.

3) If what you want is a remedy, then tweet Jeff, email Mesanna, and hit the online help section and do all the stuff folks have suggested right here in this thread for you as well as in the stickied thread about account problems.

4) If what you're really after is a platform to vent your spleen and whinge here on Stratics where no one can possibly assist you, then by all means, have at it.

5) For whatever it's worth, good luck, and I hope it's sorted for you soon.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

@ Lady Nico - I have already done most of the things people have suggested, the issue is that it shouldnt take nearly 3 months for any form of resolution.

@ Goldenpower - I've never had any real need to use a headset on my computer. Last time I had one was when I was a DJ for Whispering Rose Radio, my kids broke the headset in about a week :|

These are the things I have done.. I've called Guildford, contacted EA directly, used the live support on EA.com, emailed [email protected] loads of times and I've tweeted Jeff earlier. What I cannot understand is what can they do over the phone that they cant do over email? I gave them ALL my details (they said they didnt match... figures). What would be nice from EA is an apology and an explination as to why this has happened and why its taking so long for resolution.

I'll see if I can get my xbox headset to work on the computer (Prob is wrong sized plug) but I'm not hopeful.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Salivern...

Not sure if it would work, but have you tried calling your local office and asking them to three-way call to the US for you? My argument would be that if they're going to require a call to the US to straighten this out, it should be on their dime, not yours.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

Hmm I didnt think of that, I'll give that a try in the morning. Thanks!

 

[elspeth]

Hmm I didnt think of that, I'll give that a try in the morning. Thanks!

And I would say don't take no for an answer. Be nice and polite but firm. That always works best and if they keep saying no then ask for a manager. Usually when I do that the person comes back and does what I want probably because the manager doesn't want to be bothered. But stay polite if you can, it does get them to try harder for you, maybe you can even joke a bit about how frustrating it has been, getting sympathy from person on phone is best way to go at least initially. If they become rude and totally hardnosed then you have no choice but to get tougher as well and perhaps some stern talking, but still don't yell at them. You lose if you lose your cool. also Good luck!

 

[elspeth]

And yeah, most companies have crappy customer service. Fact of life. Be glad if you can understand the person on the other end of the line because getting someone with such a heavy accent that you have to ask them to repeat every sentence 3 or 4 times is NOT fun.

 

[Ludes]

There is always another side of a story that should be looked at.. EA has absolutely no proof you didn't sell the accounts and now are trying to get them back. For all they know you are the hacker trying to steal an account.

Many people who didn't use the Account transfer option got scammed this way.

 

[Ludes]

Just wanted to add a side note:

Most of us on Stratics know you Salivern.. I highly doubt you are in the wrong here.

But how would that nameless, underpaid, EA customer service rep know?