Abuse by origin staff

[maliusmaximus]

Hi everyone,
I've had multiple issues with Ea including buying Bioware points for Mass effect 3, billing issues and issues with payment
I've been contacting them for a long time and they haven't got back to me.
Today they threatened me with a permananet ban because I keep following up on my enquiries.
Has anybody else experienced this? what can I do? who can I go to?

 

[casualcolors]

Can you elaborate on what your issues were, provide at least a transcript of your interaction with EA and anything else that might provide enough perspective for someone to actually help you? What you have posted is utterly insufficient in every way for the purpose of seeking actual help.

And to clarify, I mean can you provide the actual transcript for your interaction with EA. Not your interpretation of it, which has obviously led you here already.

 

[Rumbletum]

Contact their press office, and explain your issues saying that you are giving the company an opportunity to assist rather than you having to undermine their reputation. Cheers

 

[maliusmaximus]

Th particular chat where she threatened a permanent ban unfortunately is lost to me as I logged straight back in to talk to someone else and thus lost the chat window.
I have been having multiple issues with credit card, the origin client, server disconnection and most recently buying bioware points then having the points disappear with no purchase made within mass effect 3.
Since the bioware points issue has repeated itself, I keep needing to contact them to let them know that the issue has occurred again, and when the KPI promised expires, I contact them again to find out why. so far no resoluton has been made and the timeframe has kapsed multiple times. I will say that I'm definitely contacting them alot and when I do I'm pretty angry, but they directly and clearly threatened to permanently ban me if I kept asking. i'm working on getting that transcript now.

 

[HEXiT]

personally i have never known abuse off origin/e.a staff. i had an issue with bf2 a last year where my account wasnt registering veteran status. i jumped on e.a chat support ant the girl at the other end literally bent over backwards to help me out... yeah any1 can have a bad day so im not gonna say its your fault. but because the chatbox cant show body language and facial expressions or vocal intonation, sometime when you type the person at the other end can be a little WTF is he saying that to me for. especially if your abrupt and dont say please and thanx...
then everything that comes after can come over as more and more aggressive.

we often forget this and i myself am guilty of it... even on here... you see a reply and think hey dude back off. when the other person is just trying to cut thought the bull and get to the point.

all i would say if you start getting into it with 1 of there reps. just log off and reconsider how your wording your response because you are making a complaint which is in most cases a form of aggression the recipient will often become defensive. so to defuse it try to be a little more polite than you normally would when your face to face with some 1...
i know its a pain but i have found it works wonders and people will in the most part be even more cooperative. if you still get a snotty reply then log off and chat to some1 else.
also in a day or so you will get an email off e.a asking about your experiance... this is where you can go to town if you wernt happy with the service you got. but while you on live chat be oober polite...

 

[maliusmaximus]

Wise words HEXit.
I used to be a supervisor in an internationally recognized and awarded call-centre, so I've receieved a lot of training on this and whilst I definitely have been agressive towards them recently, they've lead me to that point due to a string of incompetencies, lies and failed KPI's.
I'm most concerned about the use of a threat of a ban. Its a dangerous precedent when a company can revoke your right to play the games you have bought and paid for, because you aren't happy with their service and are following up on things.

 

[casualcolors]

Wise words HEXit.
I used to be a supervisor in an internationally recognized and awarded call-centre, so I've receieved a lot of training on this and whilst I definitely have been agressive towards them recently, they've lead me to that point due to a string of incompetencies, lies and failed KPI's.
I'm most concerned about the use of a threat of a ban. Its a dangerous precedent when a company can revoke your right to play the games you have bought and paid for, because you aren't happy with their service and are following up on things.

They can potentially ban you for any reason, but that doesn't prevent you from seeking a refund through any of the numerous consumer protection groups that exist. Just remember that you have the same options when it comes to returning a video game as you would in returning a sweater, even if they do their best not to impart that feeling on you as a customer.

 

[HEXiT]

if they ban you and you live in the uk or e.u then get in touch with a legal rep. they can then handle it for you and more often than not you will get unbanned and compensation. e.a eula says you basically have nbo legal rites to the software. whether it be in that its in working order and you have no right to complain if its not...
in the e.u and uk this will not stand up in a court of law as the judiciary dont take kindly to companys making up conditions that explicitley infringe on your rights. in america they seem to be getting away with it. but in the eu e.a have been getting laughed out of court... if you can find a small group of people who have had the same experience and then you can come together and start a class action something e.a prohibit in your acceptance of the eula... this is where they loose there cases because a class action is a right of a group of individuals to take legal recourse against unfair or bias treatment from any source
e.a will not only settle they will also compensate in return for your silence. its then up to you to accept...
thing is with a class action if more than half accept and you dont the case will be settled. but at least you will get a day in court where as if you live in the good ol U.S of A you wont...

so yeah if you get banned for percived abuse when in fact your just making a standard complaint. email e.a, tell em you live in the e.u tell them you were mistreated by 1 of there reps and if your not unbanned within a reasonable time of reviving that email (2-5 working days) you will start legal proceedings...
remember you can get 1 hour of free legal advice on any legal matter in the uk. so if you need it, its there. if your unemployed or on low income you can get legal aid some soliciters may even take a no win no fee stance. and claim all legal fees from e.a on the win... this will be a goodly size amount compared to your reparations but at least you wont have to pay.

 

[HEXiT]

They can potentially ban you for any reason, but that doesn't prevent you from seeking a refund through any of the numerous consumer protection groups that exist. Just remember that you have the same options when it comes to returning a video game as you would in returning a sweater, even if they do their best not to impart that feeling on you as a customer.

exactly... a lot of them will say they dont do refunds but they are legally obliged to this in itself could get you banned so b4 you start the conversation make sure your able to make a record the whole thing.

 

[maliusmaximus]

Really good advice thank you.
whilst I was being aggressive, it was to cut down on handling time as I had been through the process many times before, and my enquiry was legitimate. EA have since acknowledged that the chat team were wrong to make the threat, but I doubt that anything will be done.
Thanks again everyone.