Forum Discussion

Re: Banned for TOS Violation: Multiple Payment Methods

@axiomatic23

There is not anything anyone on an open forum can help to assist with what has occurred. 

I gather you have engaged with swtoraccountdisputes@bioware.com already as they are the only ones that can investigate from a swtor perspective.

If your EA/origin account has been banned this can also be a reason for the swtor account to be banned as they are all linked.

I am not sure if you are from a country that has embargoes IAW http://www.swtor.com/legalnotices/termsofservice para12 export control laws like IRAN or China as examples

So if you are in china at present that could be the stem of the issue....

16 Replies

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    You've never heard of "Multiple Payment Issues" being a ToS violation before then?

    I'm not a Chinese resident and don't play from there. I'm purely on a business trip at the moment, making a phone call a little frustrating.
  • proxos666's avatar
    proxos666
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @axiomatic23

    Payments made for swtor need to be based on the country of origin, given china is banned , you shouldnt even of been able to play without a VPN , and if your card was based in a different country other then china it would of been refused based on you being located in china.

    If you attempted to get around the geo blocks via different methods this may be what they are calling multiple payment issues.

    Calling CS may not be assistance to you to the best of my knowledge as per this link

    Since the studio or Terms of Service are the only teams handling these actions, customer service is unable to override them or help with appeals.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    Let me clear up some confusion: I'm on a business trip in China temporarily for a few days, my trip started after the ban. I do not play the game from here. I'm an Australian citizen using an Australian Credit Card, this was specified in my sign up. Additionally I have Origin Access, paid for with the same card, with the same details. That payment was accepted by EA and hasn't been disputed.

    The link you provided is a little scary. Are you saying that the only valid method of contacting SWTOR about a ToS violation is via that single email address?

    That seems ... incredibly insensitive?

    The only explanation for my ban has been the three words "Multiple Payment Methods".
  • proxos666's avatar
    proxos666
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @axiomatic23

    You can call CS on the phone however it isn't usually something they can deal with, so they may direct it back to the TOS team anyways, and where it comes to account disputes that email address is the funnel.

    If they determined you are physically located in china at the time they reviewed this as they can determine IP locations on account access, it likely would not of helped.

    I can only suggest emailing back and politely request further clarification on what has occurred.

    They do not place a ban on an account for no justification

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    Thanks for taking the time to reply again.

    I have already emailed them back politely and I'll be trying to contact them today via phone call. Hopefully I can get some answers.

    While I agree with you that they wouldn't place a ban on an account without justification, I would like to know what this justification is.

    I hope you can appreciate that I find the three word response of "Multiple Payment Methods" to be an unacceptable explanation for the cancellation of my account.

    I still have the option to issue a charge back to my bank over the various purchases I made for SWTOR, which include further cartel coin buys on top of the subscription.
  • proxos666's avatar
    proxos666
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @axiomatic23

    Hope you get clarification on what occurred

    the only thing i will will mention is EA tend to not like chargebacks , there is the possibility that initiating a chargeback will flow to the EA / Origin account being banned. 

    So if possible I would leave that as a very last resort

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    Thanks! 🙂

    Unfortunately it would be my legal responsibility to issue a charge back if a company is charging me for multiple services that they then cancel without adequate explanation.

    I would feel that I have no recourse but to proceed with that action, in lieu of a legal response.

    Unless EA can adequately explain to me why "Multiple Payment Methods" results in my service being revoked.

    I mean, seriously. How can they possibly think that I would accept that explanation?
  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    @proxos666

    You were correct. The customer service hotline says they cannot help me and they do not know why I was banned. They don't know what the decription of my ban refers too.

    Additionally they confirmed that there is no other way of contacting the Terms of Service department (whom I must deal with) other than a single email address: [edit: email address removed]

    I have emailed this address previously and received only automated responses so far.

    I am beginning to believe that it is unlikely I'll have my account reactivated, or even be furnished with a remotely comprehensible reason for the initial ban in the first place.

    I still have no idea what I did wrong and thus I'm obviously concerned about any further purchases from EA or Origin. What's to stop my whole Origin Access account being banned next, with no explanation?
  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved

    So I replied to the "Multiple Payment Methods" email (as per the recommendation of Customer Service) asking for more information on what "Multiple Payment Methods" means. FYI Customer Services had no idea either.

    The second reply from the disputes email address was this:

    We have received your most recent correspondence expressing concerns about the closure of your account.

    Whilst we appreciate the information that you have provided, following an in-depth investigation into your account and the complaint that you have made, unfortunately we must again advise that your account was sanctioned correctly in full compliance with our policies and procedures.

    Your account was correctly identified as violating ourpayment policy.

    For further information on our policies and procedures please follow the link below:
    http://www.swtor.com/legalnotices/rulesofconduct

    Due to the above we will not be removing the ban that has been applied to your account.

    As we have now completed two extensive investigations into your complaint we consider this matter closed and this as our final correspondence on this subject.

    As you can see, they have essentially banned my account and closed the door on the matter. Customer Services have no idea what's going on and the only email address I've been told I can contact has provided me with two incredibly vague explanations for why my account was banned.

    I have checked with my bank. There was no charge back on the card and there is no strange activity.

    Lovely behavior from a company. I like that last line: "we consider this matter closed and this as our final correspondence on this subject". How corporate dystopia of them.

    I'm curious if anyone thinks this is fair treatment or not?

  • proxos666's avatar
    proxos666
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @axiomatic23

    Given what has occurred, Recommendation is to call CS again and request to know exactly what has happened even if the agent has to get the info via escalation.

    The agent should be able to assist with this request and escalate as required to gain clarification.

    Hope this helps

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    Which, of course, implies they actually could have helped me the first time?

    So when I said to them "there is absolutely no other way you can help me here?" and they responded "unfortunately no", they were probably just lying too me?

    That would be unfortunate. And unfortunately is likely given my interaction with the people running SWTOR so far...
  • proxos666's avatar
    proxos666
    Hero+
    7 years ago

    @axiomatic23

    I cannot answer for what occurred previously

    I have sought advice on what is your best pathway to try and get this resolved as a fellow Australian and I have provided that advice in good faith.

    Like I said I hope this helps.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    7 years ago
    Approved
    My apologies, I wasn't implying your advice was bad. It's just such a round about and obfuscated process.

    I'm salty because of SWTOR, not you.
  • This also happened to me recently. 

    Phone support and ToS is a joke. EA is a joke. 

    I went through both of them like 5 times.

    I was banned for "Multiple Payment Failures" when trying to buy the Apex legends battle pass. The charge went through ONCE and I got the coins and bought the battle pass. Two days later they had refunded my charge and banned my account. 

    They will not give you ANY details on why they banned a paying customer for trying to hand EA money?

    I guess they are cool with losing a potential life-time paying customer. 

  • I know this was a while ago, but I've been dealing with the same stuff now. Did it ever get resolved?

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