Accounts Closed due to "Billing Discrepancy"

[Lazzadorabcd]

This weekend my accounts were closed (saturday AM) blizzard isnt available to talk to you at all until monday 8am PT.

More importantly you can only talk to accountadmin which isnt available via the telephone.

Most importantly - no one at blizzard will comment about the multi boxing I have been doing. They basically arent telling me anything or giving me any reason why the accounts where closed. They said i can reactivate them if I fill out a form and notarized. Or I can contact a GM or someone on the forums. BTW - I cant log into the forums or the game because my accounts are locked - gg blizzard.

All and all i am pretty amazed at how poorly blizzard handles this stuff.

It terms of the accounts. I use keyclone and in game macros only - nothing else. I play all four accounts on one computer.

The only thing I can think of is that I bought and pay for one of the accounts but its in my wifes name. She played it for all of one day 2 years ago when I bought it. But if that is the only issue, I dont understand why blizzard would close all my accounts.

I am really annoyed and seriously considering just walking away from the whole thing. I have called blizzard twice and they dont even want to help me it seems.

[kllrwlf]

It's most likely because one of the accounts is your wife's and considered account sharing.

This also happened to a couple of other people, which is why we always suggest having all accounts have the same exact info.

[Lazzadorabcd]

Yeah I guess if that is the case I need to buy a new account and just ditch the wifes toon.

Its probably not worth chancing using a game card.

Do you guys think that blizzard just said - well we know that there is only one person playing all four accounts and they arent all registered to the same person? If so why would they close them all and not just the one in question?

Thanks - yeah i didnt really think it is due to multi boxing. I just feel like blizz does a poor job of actually explaining the problem and a lot of there t/c are pretty vague.

[Vyndree]

[quote='Lazzadorabcd',index.php?page=Thread&postID= 75266#post75266]I bought and pay for one of the accounts but its in my wifes name[/quote]

Please see my posts in [url='http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=8272']this thread[/url].



Particularly this part:

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html

Establishing an Account.
You may establish one (1) user account (the "Account") on the Service for each Authentication Key you receive from Blizzard. To establish an Account, you will be required to provide Blizzard with certain personal information and the Authentication Key provided to you by Blizzard. Your failure to supply accurate information to Blizzard when requested, or to update that information as it changes, shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement.
During the registration process, you will be required to select a username and a password that are unique to the Account (collectively referred to hereunder as "Login Information"). You may not share the Account or the Login Information with anyone other than as expressly set forth herein.

Blizzard’s Absolute Right to Suspend, Terminate and/or Delete the Account.
BLIZZARD MAY SUSPEND, TERMINATE, MODIFY, OR DELETE THE ACCOUNT AT ANY TIME WITH ANY REASON OR NO REASON, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, most account suspensions, terminations and/or deletions are the result of violations of this Terms of Use or the EULA.

Also review the blizzard support page:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/artic...460&rhtml=true

Limitations placed on Account Access
The ToU speaks extensively about what you may and may not do with a World of Warcraft account. This section highlights a few passages from the ToU that are most relevant to this policy. The core message is that you, and only you (with the exception of a minor authorized to use an account by a parent or guardian), should be accessing an account registered in your name.

Blizzard Entertainment does not recognize the transfer of Accounts between individuals. (Section 1E of the ToU)
You may not share your Account or password with anyone, except that if you are a parent or guardian, you may permit one (1) minor child to use the Account instead of you (in which case you may not use that Account at the same time). (Section 1A of the ToU)
You are liable for all activities conducted through the Account, including any activities which may be conducted by your minor children that you allow to use your Account. (Section 1A of the ToU)
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your User Name and password, and you will be responsible for all uses of your User Name and password whether or not authorized by you. Security of your account is your responsibility. (Section 1D of the ToU)

Do you guys think that blizzard just said - well we know that there is only one person playing all four accounts and they arent all registered to the same person? If so why would they close them all and not just the one in question?

All accounts logged in from the same IP, making the same exact keypresses at the same exact time? Furthermore, there's a likelihood of player reports claiming that you are "botting" or "multiboxing".

Blizzard isn't stupid -- they know that you're logged in and playing the game as a SINGLE player connected to multiple accounts. They also know that the account information on the simultaneously-played accounts is not matching. So, since they don't know if your wife is account sharing or stealing your accounts or vice versa, they shut down all of the accounts until they get proof of ownership.

You broke the rules. They have the right to ban you without warning. They do not owe you any customer service at this point, sadly. I do, however, wish you the best of luck in getting this sorted out. :S I understand it's a frustrating experience and I hope you and others reading this thread can learn from it.

The rules are black and white. No account sharing.

[Bollwerk]

Moral of the story:

When playing more than 1 account at a time, make sure the all have the same billing / contact info.

This is easily the #1 reason for account action on multiboxers.

[Heenan]

I had a semi-long reply, then I saw Vyndree's post... so, what she said. Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

[Hellzchildren]

I actually had to get forms to a notary and then fax them into blizzard to confirm my identity. I just hit 70 last week and had grinded out 20k honor during AV weekend, so I did what i had to do to get the accounts back.

[Lazzadorabcd]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Yeah it was stupid for me to not get clarification on this issue. I just assumed that since the federal government recognizes us as one so does everyone else. Which is pretty much the case apparently not in blizzards eyes tho.

Well you're right good lesson learned. I did get all the accounts forms filled out and notarized so it looks like ill get the accounts back.

I still think that even if you break the rules blizzard should explain it to you.

Oh well live and learn! Ill have to remake Lazzadord!!!

At least it will be easy to get him thru instances

[Vyndree]

I still think that even if you break the rules blizzard should explain it to you.

I do agree with this. The blizzard reason for not being extremely clear on what went wrong is that botters/malicious cheaters will use that information to figure out how to get "around" the system.

They also put in their EULA that they can ban you for any or no reason, so they TECHNICALLY don't owe you an explanation.

In any case, as a customer I don't like that policy. But that's just me, and I DID click "I agree" every time the ToU/Eula pop up so it's my own fault for agreeing to it with my dollars.

[Knytestorme]

I have always wondered though, what would happen if someone took Blizzard to court over getting banned. It would only be able to be small claims court really, but given that we pay in advance and get no refund if banned it could be possible for someone to take them to get a refund and use that as a way of getting info on what they were banned for or how they were detected.

If Blizzard fell back onto the "we can ban you if we feel like it for no reason" then one would assume that there should be a pro-rata reimbursement of money paid in advance since they just decided to discontinue their contract with you through no fault of your own, while if they banned someone for exploiting then it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone to decide to take them to small claims to get a refund or for Blizzard to prove they exploited and it's during that phase that info could be gleaned.

I'd assume though that in either of these situations, Blizzard would just pay up to avoid the hassle, legal cost and potential for info leaks...but it would be an interesting scenario.

Actually, now I think about it, I'm surprised that details about Blizzard's investigation techniques and bot discovery tools haven't leaked already from the Glider case unless they haven't entered the discovery phase yet.