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We need changes to our Fair Trade Laws to Govern Internet Games

  • Thread starter imported_Salarah
  • Start date
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I

imported_Salarah

Guest
In what other place on the face of the earth could you sell someone currency other than online internet gaming? Lets face it I choose to buy internet "simoleans" because the Company--EAGames put a fair market value on them. A fair market value--for play money, in a Beta Test Game-- <Shame on EA> <Shame on me>! I am not a person who typically wants laws to govern every step I make to insure that I don't do stupid things. However, this is a piece of history that I would not like any other Company in future to attempt to repeat. My feeling on how this should have been done/should be done are:
1.) In all fairness the ATM never should have been put into the game until they were certain they had a viable product which would have a fair market value.
2.) The moment that EA knew that this game was closing the ATM should have been disabled...I believe that would have been weeks ago.

I do honestly believe because of this moment in online gaming history, laws can and will be changed.
I also believe that EA has forever tarnished there Brand name.

On a personal heartfelt level,
 
G

Guest

Guest
Please, you were given the option to read the ToS and you agreed to it. That is your fault. Not the company's. They wrote the ToS to save themselves headaches and to keep you from thinking you can do whatever you want.

In my opinion, no one should get anything back. You agreed to the ToS. And it does say, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, this includes being non playable. Go figure.
 
R

Roger Wilco

Guest
Quit trying to blame EA for your own bad decision. Most of us were amazed they didn't kill the game off ages ago.
 
I

imported_Founder

Guest
Nothing lives forever...and you still have over 3 months to use the currency in any way you want...TOS states 90 days and they gave us just that, I think...
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
But if you do read their terms of service, it clearly states that they will post any changes to subscriptions 30 days in advance on the EA site to give us the option of canceling our subscriptions. See I did read the terms of service and there was no post on EA. Did you actually read it or do you just assume you knew what it said?
 
G

Guest

Guest
They are.

Why do you think they are giving you 3 months free to play?

Easy assessment there. Thought everyone understood why they were giving us 3 months free to play.
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
Actually they didn't give me 3 months notice. They billed my 3 accounts yesterday and changed their billing method today. That is about 18 hours according to my bank records. So I am paying for something that others get for free. I know it is hard to follow this line of thinking but the billing method changed TODAY, I did not get a 30 day notice before my billing date to cancel. There are no more billing dates so there is no way to notify us the BILLING METHOD has changed.
 
I

imported_corpatortis

Guest
If you had a 30 day notice it would have come just after a previous bill.. so you would complain about that one, too.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Well let's see here. According to ToS they only have to give a 30 DAYS notice. Well, they just gave us a 3 MONTH, AKA 90 DAYS, notice. So I fail to see how you can be upset. They gave you more time than they needed too.

O, and I play for free anyway cause I'm on a free account. So are you mad that I haven't had to pay for months now?
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
No I would have played up until the day before and cancelled. So wonderful of you to go around to every forum and instigate though.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Funny that you automatically consider what I say as instigation. I think someone is pissy cause they are losing an online life and lost an argument.
 
I

imported_Salarah

Guest
That I am loosing Simoleans or ATM money is not the end of my world, in the least..my complaint is the company EA in my opinion did not practice fair standards of business by bringing this type of ATM structure into a game that they knew could be slated for the scrap heap in months of being put into the game. I based my decision on the game souly on the notifications that the officials of the game were telling me. And up until a few weeks ago everything, including my simmy garden, were coming up roses...you really believe they didn't know more before I did??
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
Nope don't give a crap what you do, free accounts had their limitations and that was fine. And no their BILLING METHOD is not changing in 90 days it changed today. Here is what it says:

EA reserves the right to change our fees or billing methods at any time. If you pay a periodic (e.g. monthly) subscription for the Service, EA will provide you with notice of any changes to our fees or billing methods at least thirty (30) days in advance by posting such changes on EA Online. You are responsible for reviewing EA Online to obtain timely notice of such changes.

They changed their billing methods today. If you are a free player, why are you even responding? Just to aggravate an already touchy situation?
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

Funny that you automatically consider what I say as instigation. I think someone is pissy cause they are losing an online life and lost an argument.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually if you had paid attention again instead of assuming once again you would see that the reply I made was not to you at all. But go on thinking you are a winner roflmao.
 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Funny that you automatically consider what I say as instigation. I think someone is pissy cause they are losing an online life and lost an argument.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually if you had paid attention again instead of assuming once again you would see that the reply I made was not to you at all. But go on thinking you are a winner roflmao.

[/ QUOTE ]
(silence)

 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

You are responsible for reviewing EA Online to obtain timely notice of such changes

[/ QUOTE ]

Guess you didn't do like it says. So that makes you responsible. Cause it says EA, not the blog. And I pay for other EA games. The billing stuff changed months ago for all EA online games.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Maybe my math is faulty, but... We just got our 90-day notice, in accordance with the ToS. We are being given 60 days of free play, according to the blog. That leaves... 30 days, yes?

Am I missing something here?
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
When they made the game free today, that was a change to the billing method, they should have given the notice 30 days before our last billing. Unless you are paying again in 30 days.
 
G

Guest

Guest
in march, they announce the deadline for all the promises of grandour if you subscribe has been extended to 4/30...on 4/29, the plug is pulled with none of those promises delivered on...what's the word for that? fraud huh?
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
And what is really odd to me is that all fo my accounts have seperate billing dates, but suddenly they were all billed on the same day, yesterday. Two of them shouldn't have been billed yet.
 
I

imported_Salarah

Guest
I totally agree with your math on this one..It looks alot like they want us all to believe that today some Corporate Big Bad Wolf with an ax chopped our game all up. But lets all face it this is just bad, bad business planning. The ATM should have had cash in/cash out feature to be fair. THe moment the Dev's went silent 3 weeks ago the Atm should have been shut down. Not ignore us and taking their money. And finally the 3 month notification to changes in billing..I too got $ taken out today but my billing wasn't due till May 5, 10, 11 just more of my money taken in an unprofessional way by a company that isn't regulated closely enough and that doesn't care about its future in the gaming world.
 
I

imported_TraciRK

Guest
I did go to the EA site and sent in a note to support, with their own TOS copied and pasted into it. I am to be billed every 30 days, yet two accounts were billed early. If it is not rectified, I will be notifying the Better Business Bureau and here is a link to the cyber crimes unit http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/cyberhome.htm

If you consider all the people they did this too, I am sure the dollar amount they took yesterday is quite a bit.
 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

And what is really odd to me is that all fo my accounts have seperate billing dates, but suddenly they were all billed on the same day, yesterday. Two of them shouldn't have been billed yet.

[/ QUOTE ]
If this is true, it *is* actionable.
 
I

imported_Salarah

Guest
TYSM for the link and the reminder that all States have an internet fraud division. File your cases!!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Under EA, as of several months ago, all of my multiple accounts got linked to one main EA account. They are separate accounts under one log in and I got to choose which is my main. And after that, all of the accounts got billed at the same time. So, this happened months ago to me.
 
I

imported_Salarah

Guest
I have only the Sims Online accounts with EA and all my accounts to date came out in seperate billing dates which are weeks out from their billing date.
 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

Under EA, as of several months ago, all of my multiple accounts got linked to one main EA account. They are separate accounts under one log in and I got to choose which is my main. And after that, all of the accounts got billed at the same time. So, this happened months ago to me.

[/ QUOTE ]
I can't express how happy I am for you - but it didn't work that way for all of us.
As of this time last month, all my accounts were billed on the dates they were activated, which was different in all cases - one at the end of the month, one at the beginning, one in the middle, etc.
Now, I find the EA site is no longer active, and I can't check to see if my billing was handled properly - fortunately, EA has no control over my credit card billing and I can get the info there.
 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

And what is really odd to me is that all fo my accounts have seperate billing dates, but suddenly they were all billed on the same day, yesterday. Two of them shouldn't have been billed yet.

[/ QUOTE ]Okay, that's different. And I fully agree - bumping billing dates in order to get in front of the 90-day notice like that is unethical and probably illegal. Hopefully it was just an automated billing snafu that happened as a result of the subscription change, and they refund a pro-rated amount back to everyone whose billing dates got bumped.
 
G

Guest

Guest
<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Under EA, as of several months ago, all of my multiple accounts got linked to one main EA account. They are separate accounts under one log in and I got to choose which is my main. And after that, all of the accounts got billed at the same time. So, this happened months ago to me.

[/ QUOTE ]
I can't express how happy I am for you - but it didn't work that way for all of us.
As of this time last month, all my accounts were billed on the dates they were activated, which was different in all cases - one at the end of the month, one at the beginning, one in the middle, etc.
Now, I find the EA site is no longer active, and I can't check to see if my billing was handled properly - fortunately, EA has no control over my credit card billing and I can get the info there.

[/ QUOTE ]
Just checked - all my accounts were billed correctly - on the proper (and different) dates.
I will monitor for the next several days to be sure no 'snafus' occur.
 
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