Quote Originally Posted by 'Vyndree',index.php?page=Thread&postID=89711#post8 9711
Did you break the rules? Yes.
Can we promise that breaking the rules won't get you banned? No.
Can blizzard promise that breaking the rules won't get you banned? No.

They aren't avoiding the question. The question is clearly answered in the ToU -- which you accepted upon opening each account, and on each patch.
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html



3. 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.
That IS your answer. Breaking the rules can get you banned. The only way not to get banned for breaking the rules? Create new accounts, and don't break the rules.

It's a sucky answer, but it's the right one.

Blizzard might let one slide, but that doesn't mean they can't change their minds tomorrow... or the next day... or the next. You broke the rules. It's their choice whether they want to make you live up to the consequences of your actions -- today, tomorrow, next month, next year...
I appreciate your candour but it's actually not quite as simple as that

Basicly, what I was trying to do was to establish knowledge on Blizzards part so they could choose to ban me right here and now or let me play, to some degree constituting sort of a tacit agreement (I'm not sure if "tacit" is the right term). Allow me to give an example: Under other circumstances, assume that I buy a bicycle agreeing before the time of purchase that should I use it to drive on dirt roads I will forfeit my warranty (this would be conflicting with consumer law in most civil law countries, but for the sake of the argument...).

Now, suppose that I used it to drive on dirt roads anyway and while doing so run in to the store clerk/owner/mechanic who sees me and see me riding the bike on the dirt road. Due to our original agreement he may now choose not to repair my bike under the warranty should it break, but if he does chooses to fix under the warranty, knowing I rode it on the dirt road, he won't be able to refuse fixing it under warranty the next time it breaks (you could probably argue that he didn't have to if the next break-down was due to riding on a dirt road, but that's another matter). This could apply to the situation on hand.

Of course all this doesn't really matter since I would never ever dispute Blizzards decision in a court of law, but my point is that the case isn't as clear cut as you suggest (mind you that being a citizen in a EU country and being a consumer in legal terms would mean that the applicable law on the contract would be the law of the consumers country of residence). I never asked anyone (but blizzard) to promise that I wouldn't get banned - I simply shared the information I had and the case with the multiboxing community.

Can blizzard promise that my previous breach of the rules won't get me banned? Of course they can. Will they? Hardly. Keep in mind that I'm not actively breaking the rules - I did it when creating my account and possibly up until I explained the situation to Blizzards customer service by withholding the information that I had breached the rules. I'm not asking them to promise that breaking the rules won't get me banned, but rather that my previous breach of the rules that they're now aware of won't get me banned in the future. Of course they don't have to give that promise to me and they probably won't, but that's not really the point.

So yes, the CS team is avoiding the question as they didn't answer it. While the rules are stated in the eula/tos/etc that is simply a starting point for the evaluation. Were I a CS-representative I certainly wouldn't answer the question either, but again, that's not the point.

Yeah, breaking the rules can get you banned, in fact (well, in theory), not breaking the rules can get you banned as well ("BLIZZARD MAY SUSPEND, TERMINATE, MODIFY, OR DELETE THE ACCOUNT AT ANY TIME WITH ANY REASON OR NO REASON, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE") - the real question is whether my original breach WILL get me banned. Should Blizzard chose not to provide this information (as I expect them not to) I WILL create new accounts and level up more huggable shammies (in fact I already purchased the accounts).

Anyway, I digress - my point is that in contractual terms, letting the information I provided to blizzard (twice) "slide" actually could mean (in theory, since I wouldn't dispute a ban) that they would have to let it slide tomorrow, next month or next year