Account Suspension Issue

[Fear The Wrath]

i got 4 of my 5 accounts suspended
i was on my 5 shaman last night..
woke up this morning tried to log on... only 1 account works!
so what do i do? i call blizzard..
wait 10 minutes..
"HELLO THIS IS ADAM HOW CAN I HELP YOU?"
"HI I HAVE 5 ACCOUNTS, AND 4 OF THEM ARE NOT WORKING.. *chuckle*i multibox.."
*Adam hung up*

wtf?!

i call again..
wait 5 minutes this time..
"HELLO THIS IS LANCE HOW CAN I HELP YOU?"
"HI I TRIED LOGGING ON THIS MORNING AND COULD ONLY LOG ON ON ONE OF MY 5 ACCOUNTS.."
"MAY I ASK WHY YOU HAVE 5 ACCOUNTS?"
"I MULTIBOXING"
"YOU KNOW THATS ILLEGAL RIGHT?"
"WELL I'VE TALKED TO GMs ABOUT IT.. AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE"
"IT GIVES YOU AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.*blah*blah*blah*"
"OK.. JUST RESET MY PASSWORDS PLEASE.. AND CHANGE THE EMAIL TO MY CURRENT ON ATLEAST.."
"OK WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO RESEND THE ACCOUNT SUSPENSION LETTERS TO THAT EMAIL?"
"*SIGH* YES...."


ok what is going on?! i just opened a ticket with a gm.. so hopefully we can clear some stuff up..

[Zaelar]

At least two of my accounts still work. May fools?

[Kedash00]

dont freak out yet, i had a very similar situation happen a few weeks ago and it all got taken care of within 2 days, i even gota apoligy letter from Bliz and it seems they gave me a free month of service on my main account. But i know how you feel man, i was freaked out too. just smoke a cigarette and give it a couple days to let the GM do his job.

[Fear The Wrath]

From: WoWAccountAdmin@blizzard.com >
WoWAccountAdmin@blizzard.com


Sent: 5/1/2008 11:55:54 AM


Subject: World of Warcraft Account Notice - Final Warning





* * * NOTICE OF FINAL WARNING * * *





This is a notification regarding the World of Warcraft
account <HEAVY HANDED NINJA EDITING DONE HERE> . Access to this
account has been temporarily disabled for exploitation of the World of Warcraft
economy or for being associated to accounts which have been closed for intended
exploitation. Based on a review of the information presented, this World of
Warcraft account has been given a final warning and a 72 hour account
suspension, in addition to any previous warnings issued. Until the suspension
has been lifted, the account will not be accessible. Please note that Blizzard
Entertainment will be unable to provide further information regarding the
specific time an account will become accessible again.





This action has been taken in accordance with the Terms
of Use (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html)
and our game policies (http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01712p). According to the World of Warcraft Terms of
Use, to which all players agree when installing World of Warcraft, Section 5,
Paragraph C [Rules Related to Game Play] states that you may not do anything
that Blizzard Entertainment considers contrary to the "essence" of
World of Warcraft. Be aware that any additional inappropriate actions may
result in the permanent closure of the account.

[Fear The Wrath]

thats an email i got..
i just talked to a GM and they said it was fine.. but obviously their phone service is against multiboxing.. the first guy hung up on me.. and the second guy preached to me saying it was completely unfair that i could "hurl five shadowbolts at people and kill them before they know i am there"

[Korruptor]

I would edit your post and take out the mention of your account name unless it's the not the real name.

So you've done nothing else that would have prompted this 72 h ban?

[Qlimax]

Please keep us posted on responses from Blizzard regarding the reason for the suspension and discrepency between GMs and Customer Service.

I appreciate your response and I hope that you can multi-box soon,

Qlimax

[Fear The Wrath]

i havent done anything! and they guy on the phone said "since 4 of the accounts are banned i assume its because you are multiboxing" he said multiboxing was considered an exploit..

[keyclone]

sounds like a job for ... VYNDREE !

[Eteocles]

Sounds like you ganked a GM's player character lol; tell them Blizzard has PUBLICLY stated Multi-Boxing 5 characters is 100% legal and if they don't provide evidence otherwise you're gonna throw a major Customer Service Forum shitstorm and chances are they'll be reprimanded for opinionated and instant final bans.

Speaking of Final Bans, why are they instantly perm-banning you? They usually go with 3 strikes and you're out...72hour ban, few days ban then permanent...and that email says stuff about exploiting the economy rather than pvp-related GM's opinions so it makes me wonder if this is really the reason you're banned...just gives off a whole "VAC Forums - I was banned cuz my brother was on my acct and must've downloaded cheats!" vibe, no offense :p

Edit: And funny you should word your post like that Keyclone...I've got a post coming later tonight after I get home and have access to youtube that's related to that ;)

[Fear The Wrath]

ok look i havent done anything wrong... no gold selling or anything. but the guy on the phone said that it was considered exploiting.. because you have an unfair advantage.. and you can farm stuff.. [which he considered an exploit cuz you can get loads of gold]

look this is getting annoying XD haha
i wsa just gonna simplify the phone convo.. but now im like elaberating more.. and more.. and more.. haha

[StormClouds]

ok look i havent done anything wrong... no gold selling or anything. but they guy on the phone said that it was considered exploiting.. because you have an unfair advantage.. and you can farm stuff.. [which he considered an exploit cuz you can get loads of gold]

look this is getting annoying XD haha
i wsa just gonna simplify the phone convo.. but now im like elaberating more.. and more.. and more.. hahaCall em back, skip the smuckle, go straight to a supervisor. Escalation paths are pretty much apart of any customer service system.

[Marathon]

If one of the accounts is under a different name I could totally understand ... if not ... i totally feel sorry for you and hope everything gets alright with you.
Best of Luck :thumbup:

[ahnubis]

Its possible he was sent gold by a farmer and was suspended by doing such. I had that happen when I got hacked and it was overturned. Trust me you did not get a suspension for multi boxing it was something completely different. If it was due to multi boxing it would have stated such in the e-mail. No need to freak out about this as it was not in regards to multi boxing.

[Fear The Wrath]

well as i said the person i talked to on the phone said that multiboxing is unfair in pvp and pve. he says that i can farm easily and he thinks that i probably sell gold. i mean you cant have biased workers like that.. but i called back a 3rd time asking about multiboxing.. this time the guy said it was fine. i gave him the two names of the people who game me poor service and i described to him what happened.. he apologized and said the two would be taken care of:/

as for my accounts.. i had to email wowaccountadmin@Blizzard.com
so i did that.. just waiting for a reply..

but also WHY A FINAL WARNING??

[Fear The Wrath]

Its possible he was sent gold by a farmer and was suspended by doing such. I had that happen when I got hacked and it was overturned. Trust me you did not get a suspension for multi boxing it was something completely different. If it was due to multi boxing it would have stated such in the e-mail. No need to freak out about this as it was not in regards to multi boxing.but i just dinged 20:[[[[

[Zaelar]

5x20=100. Stop circumventing the level cap.

...sorry I have nothing constructive to add.

[Stabface]

Ya something is up, either you got 2 bad reps or something is fishy... are all 5 of your accounts in your own name, and, only played by yourself (or a single child <= L13)?
Maybe you got a keylogger and someone did something naughty with your account... but I doubt that as they typically change your password right away and strip your toons and such.
If you really have done nothing wrong then just follow the instructions you get from customer service about appealing suspensions, and, the action taken against your accounts will be cleared up pretty fast. You can also try posting an appeal on the customer service forum, they are actually pretty good about getting back to you there.

[twobztwop]

If I recall correctly they tell you they will not discuss account actions over the phone. It has to be via email.

I've heard of people getting their acct hacked and not catching it for a few days and meanwhile their accts are being used to exploit/gold transfer. They must then get picked up under some automated system Blizzard has and suspended/banned before even knowing their acct. was hacked... or so they say.

You'll end up with an email like this... this is not mine btw. I've never heard 1 word from a gm/blizzard about regarding my accounts and multiboxing and this email had nothing to do with multiboxing. Just an example of what you will typically see if you get banned.

Account Name: xxxxxx

This is a notification regarding your World of Warcraft account. Access to this account has been permanently disabled for exploitation of the World of Warcraft economy or for being associated to accounts which have been closed for intended exploitation. While we try to be as lenient as possible in our assessments of the results of exploitation investigations, reoccurring trends in exploitative endeavors on your account have ultimately resulted in account closure.

The actions detailed above have been deemed inappropriate for World of Warcraft by the Support staff of Blizzard Entertainment. Please review the World of Warcraft Terms of Use at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html which state that your Password is to be kept confidential at all times and you are solely responsible for the security of your Password. You may not disclose your Password to anyone, or allow your Password to be used by anyone other than yourself and/or your one (1) minor child. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Password, and you will be responsible for all uses of your Password, whether or not authorized by you. Also, note that the security of the Account is your responsibility. Furthermore, Blizzard Entertainment does not recognize the transfer of Accounts, and any unauthorized transfer of the World of Warcraft software (as set forth on the worldofwarcraft.com ('http://worldofwarcraft.com/') website) will result in the permanent deletion of the Account attached to that software. As such, this World of Warcraft account has now been closed by the Account Administration staff based on review of the above account infraction incurred. This action has been taken in accordance with the Terms of Use (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html) and our game policies (http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01712p). The recurring subscription on the account has been disabled to prevent further charges.

Lastly, according to the World of Warcraft Terms of Use, to which all players agree when installing World of Warcraft, Section 5. [Rules of Conduct], Paragraph C [Rules Related to Game Play] states that you may not do anything that Blizzard Entertainment considers contrary to the "essence" of World of Warcraft. This entails access to another World of Warcraft account, including, but not limited to, the deletion of items/characters and redistribution of in-game currency or possessions. The bottom line is that we want World of Warcraft to be a fun and safe environment for all players. Game Play] states that you may not do anything that Blizzard Entertainment considers contrary to the "essence" of World of Warcraft.

Thank you for your time and understanding of our position in this matter. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

[Vyndree]

sounds like a job for ... VYNDREE !

I am allergic to phone calls. :P

However, if you were to post in the Customer Service forums, you'd get the response to "e-mail/call account admin to have them re-evaluate the decision". Many people get accidental bans due to uninformed Blizzard staff. Heck, a bunch of people got banned for using Linux back in the day.

The key components to winning an argument with a company:
- Be polite. You may want to scream and yell, but you're less likely to get help if the customer service rep doesn't like you.
- Be consise. Have all your facts ahead of time. Write them down on a sheet of paper -- when were you banned, the reason for the ban as per your e-mail, a reference to the WoW customer service forums' post on Multiboxing (i.e. Belfaire) which is stickied, and a statement that you have, to the best of your knowledge, broken no rules.
- Ask questions, don't point fingers. If they tell you that that multiboxing is bannable (which it is not), don't start calling them idiots for not knowing their own rules. Instead, ask "Who may I talk to to appeal this decision, as I believe my case is being misunderstood?"
- Get names. "Would you mind letting me know your name for my records?" is a polite way to ask. Customer service reps do have managers, and knowing how to identify who you've spoken to goes a long way to making the rep act on their best behavior. Make sure to note the time that you called, along with the name.
- Make a public post on the customer service forums when all else fails. The blues there are very well-educated, and while they are not the account admin folks, they can assist you to finding the next step or person to contact.

Furthermore, you don't have to answer WHY you own multiple accounts. Be truthful, but it's your right to play the way you wish as long as it's within Blizzard rules.
Rep: "Why do you have 5 accounts?"
Response: "Is having multiple accounts against the rules?"
Rep: "No"
Response: "Oh, good. Because I enjoy playing them."



EDIT: On a side note, since I know I'm going to have to deal with all the wowforum nublets who come running in here screaming in the wow general forums about how multiboxing is now illegal...
Multiboxing is not against the rules, and has been confirmed by numerous blues -- links are available on the wiki ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/wiki/index.php/GM_Conversations'). Since it is not against the rules, you can not rightfully be banned for multiboxing. However, bans can happen for numerous other reasons -- including mistakes/misunderstandings on the part of blizzard employees.

As a further note to the multiboxing community -- realize the dual-boxing site gets alot of traffic, including non-multiboxers who may or may not be familiar with the current blizzard rules. While I understand that receiving an unjust ban can put you in a panic, please be careful when choosing your post contents and title. We have had experiences where malicious forum trolls have purposely misquoted posts from this site in order to bait other players into thinking that what we're doing is wrong. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help the community and help yourself by writing posts and post titles that appropriately describe your situation in ways that can not be misquoted or taken the wrong way.

For example "MULTIBOXING BANNED?!" would probably be less appropriate than "Banned - Blizzard reps miseducated?"

[Dawnstone]

Its funny and depressing that Vyndree has the foresight to post a disclaimer ahead of any forum trolls crashing here. Her post is correct tho, as usual :thumbsup:

[Tasty]

Response: "Oh, good. Because I enjoy playing them." Man talk about cutting someone down :P

[Kaynin]

For example "MULTIBOXING BANNED?!" would probably be less appropriate than "Banned - Blizzard reps miseducated?"

Exactly.

1) Caps.
2) Punctuation.
3) Immature.

...

Oh and ofcourse a little bit of "4) MISINFORMATION!?"

*whistles*

New Mboxing whine thread in EU general as well. No blue yet. <o/

[thinus]

If I phoned Blizzard CS and they talked to me like I am a 5 year old and hung up on me I'll be seriously pissed off.

[Nitro]

You guys should record your conversations with the cust service reps and post them. It sounds like they would be funny to listen to.

[Majestic_Clown]

Please remember:

Technical Support = Software and Media Related
Billing Support = Account Changes, Additional Services (Character Transfers, Tourny etc)
Account Admin = Suspensions and Bans.

Don't call account and billing to find out and protest cos they cant help you, if this was the 1st warning you ever got on your accounts, it sounds like final warning suspension sounds serious like you have been accused of using a 3rd party app by an incompetent GM.

This wouldn't of happened if you were on the EU servers :P:P:P (joke)

EDIT: Thread Titled Changed to something suitable.

[Mak]

I am allergic to phone calls.

You too? Good to hear I'm not the only one but great information. I'll definitely keep this in mind if my acc'ts get banned but so far, so good.

This is ridiculous to read though that a Blizzard employee hung up on you. That is definitely grounds for a customer service complaint. Good luck, hope everything works out for you (and I know it will!)

[Crucial]

My past experience dealing with blizzard through the phone has concluded that the support people on the other end are just there to put on a smiley face and actually have no power to do anything useful for you. In order to get anything done it has to go through billing or the wowaccountadmin email support. They do this so you have no opportunity to verbally make your case to anyone that has the ability to do anything about it... correct me if I'm wrong but that's been my experience thus far.

[Maz]

New Mboxing whine thread in EU general as well. No blue yet. <o/
Blued and locked.

[Mak]

Quoted from "Kaynin" New Mboxing whine thread in EU general as well. No blue yet.
Blued and locked.

Link? I love reading this BS and I'm bored at work =P

[Kaynin]

Quoted from "Kaynin" New Mboxing whine thread in EU general as well. No blue yet.
Blued and locked.

Link? I love reading this BS and I'm bored at work =P

Blued and locked one:
https://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=1829233895&sid=1

Another one, also very recent.
https://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=3778920000&sid=1

[Eteocles]

As usual I'm gonna request a copy/paste of the OP and any funny replies since SOME of us at work can't troll the wow forums like other lucky workers ;)

[Mak]

Quoted from "Kaynin" New Mboxing whine thread in EU general as well. No blue yet.
Blued and locked.

Link? I love reading this BS and I'm bored at work =P

Blued and locked one:
https://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=1829233895&sid=1

Another one, also very recent.
https://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=3778920000&sid=1You're awesome! Many thanks. On to reading ---

[Mak]

As usual I'm gonna request a copy/paste of the OP and any funny replies since SOME of us at work can't troll the wow forums like other lucky workers ;)Original Post -

I just kinda discovered this and got interested, but I would like some clarification from some Blizzard posters about the rules over multiboxing.

Is it ok to have three WoW accounts running on the one single PC, played by the one single owner of those three accounts?
Is it ok to use Keyclone or any other software to assist in relaying keys to the other clients while monitoring the "main" one and controlling them through that?

Blue Response

This thread (as pointed out above) http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=5288579356&pageNo=1&sid=1#2 ('http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=5288579356&pageNo=1&sid=1#2') should answer all your concerns on multiboxing.

Locking.

My Response

Haven't read through everything yet but seems more like they're questioning it rather than complaining (even though there are a few definite QQers). I've definitely seen worse but still a good read.

[Tamu]

As usual I'm gonna request a copy/paste of the OP and any funny replies since SOME of us at work can't troll the wow forums like other lucky workers ;)The Blue poster (Slorkuz) linked back to Belfaire's response to Vyndree's famous post:

"

2. Re: Multiboxing, rules, and semantics | 03/11/2008 10:58:27 PM PDT
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/images/icons/blizz-post.gif ('http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=5288579356&sid=1&pageNo=2#23')http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/images/en_US/quote-button.gif ('http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/post.html?forumId=11112&topicId=5288579356&postId=52352771034&op=3&sid=1')http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/images/en_US/reply-button.gif ('http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/post.html?forumId=11112&topicId=5288579356&postId=52352771034&op=4&sid=1')
Q u o t e:

Semantics issue #1:
Is using one keyboard to send signals to multiple instances of WoW automation? In other words, what is the definition of automation as it applies to WoW?

Using a keyboard setup like what you're describing? Not automation.
Setting up a macro with said keyboard that would, for example, automatically press Fireball each time it was available? Automation.

Q u o t e:
Semantics issue #2:
Software (such as Keyclone, Octopus, etc) to emulate a keyboard multiboxing solution is, by nature, "3rd party". Is "3rd party software" synonymous with "bot" or "automation"? Are all types of "3rd party software" bannable?
Likewise, hardware, by nature, is "3rd party". What kinds (or uses) of 3rd party hardware are bannable?

Is it sending an identical signal to all client windows or switching between them to send commands? Not automation.
Is it playing the game for you, or rather, for one of your client windows? Automation.
All hardware is considered neutral as long as its commands and features are not being used to automate gameplay.

Q u o t e:
Semantics issue #3:
Does multiboxing give a player an in-game advantage?

Yes--and so does grouping.

Q u o t e:
Therefore, can multiboxing be considered an exploit?

No. We consider it be an alternative playstyle; not everyone can do it, but if a person is willing to devote the concentration and capital to such a venture--legitimately--we're perfectly fine with it. Five multiboxed accounts can be feared and CCed just like five solo accounts.

Q u o t e:
Semantics issue #4:
Multiboxing can be considered by some as "against the spirit of the game" or, at least, "against the spirit of the game the way I want to play it". Is multiboxing against the "spirit of the game"?

See above.

Q u o t e:
Semantics issue #5:
Multiboxers provide Blizzard with a significant amount of extra income, and that, and only that, is the reason why is it currently allowed. True/false?

Patently false. All accounts should be allowed to be played as they see fit provided that they're playing within our policies. In cases of mulitboxing, all accounts involved are playing the same as any other account, only simultaneously.

Q u o t e:
Semantics issue #6:
Multiboxing is only allowed because there is no reliable way for Blizzard to find, identify, and catch them. True/false?

Almostly hilariously false.

Q u o t e:
Unrelated issue #7:
Cake or death?

I'll have the cake, please. [ Post edited by Belfaire ]"

[Kaynin]

I found this post quite funny. From someone in the EU thread.


There is a very fine line between what's acceptable for multi-boxing and what isn't.
Pressing the buttons yourself in one game client? Ok.
Getting a program (or piece of hardware) to press the buttons for you in one game client? Not ok.
Getting your dog to press the buttons for you in one game client? Ok, as long as it knows what it's doing.
Pressing the buttons yourself in one game client and getting a program (or piece of hardware) to press exactly the same button in other clients? Ok.
Pressing the buttons yourself in one game client and getting a program (or piece of hardware) to press different buttons in another game client? Ok if it always presses the same button in that client, not a different "calculated" one.
Getting a program (or piece of hardware) to press the buttons for you in all game clients? Not ok.

It's not a whine, but "Getting your dog to press the buttons for you in one game client? Ok, as long as it knows what it's doing. " is definatly account sharing! xD

Other then that, most whiners are pretty unconstructive. x(

[Eteocles]

I appreciate it guys(and gals) thanks :p

Edit:
Rofl at the Dog one..."Well shee-it ol' yeller, they's done gone and banned you...guess I'll hafta take ya out back movie-style with mah shotgun"

[Ughmahedhurtz]

It's not a whine, but "Getting your dog to press the buttons for you in one game client? Ok, as long as it knows what it's doing. " is definatly account sharing! xD

Other then that, most whiners are pretty unconstructive. x(Actually, considering smart dogs operate at about the level of a child of 2-3 and that they are definitely dependants, it meets the ToS. :)

As soon as someone teaches a dog how to /spit and /rofl after a PVP kill, let me know.

[Stabface]

Guessing this will just be a repeat of the last guy who posted "I got banned for multiboxing", anyone want to place a bet?

[Silly Gooooose]

thats an email i got..
i just talked to a GM and they said it was fine.. but obviously their phone service is against multiboxing.. the first guy hung up on me.. and the second guy preached to me saying it was completely unfair that i could "hurl five shadowbolts at people and kill them before they know i am there"

Or call back and ask to speak to a supervisor or something and file a complaint.



I suggest you call and ask to speak to a supervisor when you get such an uninformed answer. I say that mainly because it needs to be fixed. Those fucktards on the blizz phones need to understand whats legal and what isn't. And they sure as shit better not be fucking hanging up on people.

[Vyndree]

Guessing this will just be a repeat of the last guy who posted "I got banned for multiboxing", anyone want to place a bet?

Let's not start pointing any fingers until there is proof of wrongdoing. Keep in mind that we're still a community.

Also, keep in mind that, if this is indeed as the OP describes, it would not be the first time Blizzard had messed up and wrongfully banned a legitimate multiboxer...

Hi Franchesca,

From what I can see the initial suspension was due to suspicion that you may have been using a third party program to control your characters, not for the multi-boxing itself. Since then, the matter was investigated by our Account Administration team and you should have access to your accounts again.

There is no problem with you playing multiple characters, as long as you are the owner of the accounts and are in control of them (i.e. no third party programs, and no macro-usage that is not normally possible in-game).

Have fun playing ;)
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html;jsessionid=2537DAB869934A1E146BCF0133F C2302.app03_02?topicId=268157261&pageNo=4&sid=1#77

[Stabface]

Sorry that came across wrong - I'm not pointing fingers, I'm just guessing that we probably won't hear back as to what actually happened.
Blizzard gets back to you very quickly on account actions once you contact them, typically within 24 hours... if this person has contacted account administration yesterday about the ban then they should definitely have some sort of reply by Monday, if not already.

If you haven't appealed the ban then I recommend doing so ASAP, because while Blizzard does keep pretty extensive logs, they don't keep them forever (at least in an easily-accessible form) it would seem. The sooner you appeal the easier it is for the account people to review the situation and reverse (or not) the ban.

If you already appealed and they are not responding to it, then I would suggest Monday that you post on official Customer Service forum that account admin people are not getting back to you about what you believe to be an unwarranted account ban, mention that it has been 5 days your accounts have been unplayable. Be sure to include a character & realm from an account that is banned so they can track things down. If you want to keep your character names hidden then you can post and then edit it out, they can see post edit. Don't post your account name!

Good luck.