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hannockq's avatar
hannockq
5 years ago

Unable to Redeem Game Codes

January 2019 I bought the Sims 3 Dragon Valley along with the Monte Vista/Hidden Valley Bundle. These extras are different from other store content on store.thesims3.com. They cannot be bought with sim points, and must be purchased through origin. From the beginning I didn't even receive the game codes. EA thankfully provided some, but they didn't work, because I cannot redeem them. They have to be redeemed on the store website because they come with free sim points. However, my account is no longer able to access to portions of the website like my purchase history, or redeem a code so for two years I have had game codes without a game to play. I have contacted EA over, and over, and over again. Received sympathy, scripted responses, standard protocols, and elevated tickets. Yet there is still a problem. 

This is serious enough to get past the bottom tier of the help desk process. I was told that a supervisor would call me back within 24 to 48 hours. Has not happened. I was told I would receive an email from the IT department. Has not happened. I was only promised those things because I insisted. This is not good customer service. This is disrespectful, and intolerable. 2 years is plenty of time to fix a problem, and at the very least respond back to the customer as to why it hasn't been fixed yet.

pc
technical issues

2 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @hannockq  I take it you've tried using different browsers, and perhaps a different device, to add your product codes?  I really have no idea why you wouldn't be able to access your purchase history or the Redeem a Code screen.

    Technically, EA customer support may be able to add the codes to your account, since they can remove and replace other items (like expansion packs) that aren't showing up properly.  Then it becomes a question of whether you can download directly from the product pages; there's no need to use your purchase history.  Can you see these pages while signed into the store?

    https://store.thesims3.com/dragonvalley.html?categoryId=12642

    https://store.thesims3.com/montevista.html?categoryId=12642

    https://store.thesims3.com/hiddenSprings.html?categoryId=12642

    If you know the names of other items you own, you can try downloading those from their product pages first, as a test.

    As for how helpful customer support has or hasn't been, I don't know what to tell you.  Most of the people who post here are other players, with the occasional EA community manager, but they don't handle account issues.  If you want to hear from one of them, I can flag your post; I'm just not sure whether this is something that they could fix.

  • hannockq's avatar
    hannockq
    5 years ago

    Puzzle, thanks for the reply! I have tried everything. Different browsers, computers, OS, LANs, countries even. In 2019 the most helpful person I reached actually tracked down what was wrong: an old and obscure bug that is breaking my account. He passed it off to someone who recognized what it was, but it never got fixed. Recently I have had multiple EA staff access my account, witness what is wrong, acknowledge that it is weird, deserving of attention, and escalate my case. Then nothing happens. I go through the same set of procedures every time I call, with no results.

    As to downloading it from the website, my understanding is that Dragon Valley, Monte Vista, Roaring Heights, etc. are different because they partnered with a third party (could be wrong on that), and the contract requires them to sell it for money, not simpoints. I can download Hidden Springs, but Dragon Valley/Monte Vista still only give me the option to purchase them. One of the times I called I was told they weren't able to add the content or simpoints to my account, that I had to redeem the codes on the sims 3 website. They have added simpoints/content in the past; when I originally first started playing and Riverview/starting points didn't get added, and they fixed that. I believe this specific content is different, or perhaps there have been permission changes for the people who customers actually talk to.

    There are a lot of well meaning support people in EA, but the system is broken, and I am getting lost in it. I figure 2 years is enough time to start getting vocal.

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