Blizzard closed my Account - Advice?

[Chelica]

Hello,

I just received a mail today from Blizzard that my account has been closed. I was shocked since I was not even home when I received the E-Mail. So I e-mailed them back asking, how and why is my account closed. If it was an error and such. Well, I just got a reply back from one of Blizzard's Account Admin.

Here is what he said:

Greetings,

Thank you for your follow-up email. As was previously communicated, your account was created
circumventing the valid account creation procedure, violating the World of Warcraft Terms of Use.

It is implicitly stated on the account creation page that: This account creation process is only
available to customers in North America, New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore. When this account
was created, the standard, valid, creation method was circumvented, thus invalidating the account
and subjecting it to closure.

As a result, the account(s) will no longer be accessible in any way and will not be reopened under
any circumstances. Thank you for your time and understanding in this matter.

So..I do not get this, what does this mean?
I purchase the retail copy from CompUSA in California. My ID is from California. My billing is from California.

Basically, I bought the game 1 year ago, activated it 1 year ago, played and paid for 2 months, then cancelled the account to keep it frozen since I went back to school.
1 month ago, I bought a prepaid game card also from Compusa. Entered it, got 2 months in my account.
Today I got this cancellation notice with the reason above.
Am I just SOL?

Thanks all.

[Valas Azuviir]

Now this is an odd one. About the only things I can think of: did you change cc's, did you use someone else's cc to make your account, did you get hitched? (And thus have your name changed)

That's about the only reasons I can think of why they're having a fit. Because what you're describing is perfectly in line with the ToU. Might want to mail them again with the explanation you gave to us here, and then ask how exactly you circumvented the standard account creation procedure. Because their side and your side are not matching up at this moment in time.

Though, I'm almost getting the idea that they're complaining that the game was used by someone in a nation not mentioned in that section of the ToS they're quoting. On the other hand. Subsection 15 clearly states: Those who choose to access the Service from locations outside of the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

Subsection 16 also makes it clear, that if you're not on the following list that you're also in the clear: The Service is further subject to United States export controls. No software from this site and/or service may be downloaded or otherwise exported or re-exported (i) into (or to a national or resident of) Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Iran, Syria or any other country to which the U.S. has embargoed goods; or (ii) to anyone on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals or the U.S. Commerce Department's Table of Deny Orders. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you are not located in, under the control of, or a national or resident of any such country or on any such list

Plenty of Euro's on the US servers, and plenty of Yanks on the EU servers as well, so I'm not quite getting why they're having a fit to be honest. :ponder:

Well, barring if your account got hijacked by a goldseller and that's why it got canned, but then they would've said so if that was the situation.

[Chelica]

Yeah, I am still unsure. It could have been that my account got hijacked and was used out of state. This did occur after I changed my password, maybe I ran into a keylogger?

Even if, it could have been handled better with them telling me that my IP came from outside of the U.S. and then asks me to verify information and have me change my password or something. Instead, they just close my account and the reasoning behind it sounds really piss poor.

But yeah, I have not changed my account information aside from the password. Everything goes back to San Francisco, CA. The same address, billing information, and credit card information.

I guess I will just have to see what Blizzard wants to do and can do in this particular situation.

[Valas Azuviir]

Yeah, I am still unsure. It could have been that my account got hijacked and was used out of state. This did occur after I changed my password, maybe I ran into a keylogger?

Even if, it could have been handled better with them telling me that my IP came from outside of the U.S. and then asks me to verify information and have me change my password or something. Instead, they just close my account and the reasoning behind it sounds really piss poor.

But yeah, I have not changed my account information aside from the password. Everything goes back to San Francisco, CA. The same address, billing information, and credit card information.

I guess I will just have to see what Blizzard wants to do and can do in this particular situation.

It's standard operating procedure actually. Lock/ban the account and then sort everything out afterwards. It's a royal pain when it happens to an actual innocent, but considering the number of accounts they're closing down, it's about the only viable, from a manpower perspective, solution.

Most of the bad guys, just don't bother contesting it, the few who do are easily exposed, that just leaves the innocent protesters and they get reinstated. Although, I don't doubt that there are plenty of innocents, who just don't think it worth the bother and quit the game completely, because of this.

It's the age old, would you allow, harm to befall one innocent, in order to safeguard a hundred more question.

[Chelica]

Alright, so I have e-mailed them back and forth, and now my account is set to Final Warning and should be back up after 72 hours.

Still not sure why I am set to Final Warning, so basically, I cannot do anything near wrong or my butt is grass. I guess it is far better than having the account fully locked. So I guess I will just play the game casually and be ready for it to close out on me.

In any case, I do appreciate your responses Valas.

[Valas Azuviir]

Alright, so I have e-mailed them back and forth, and now my account is set to Final Warning and should be back up after 72 hours.

Still not sure why I am set to Final Warning, so basically, I cannot do anything near wrong or my butt is grass. I guess it is far better than having the account fully locked. So I guess I will just play the game casually and be ready for it to close out on me.

In any case, I do appreciate your responses Valas.

I'd suggest you keep your nose clean for about six months, and then check with a GM, if you're still up that high. Vaguely recall something about there being "decay" on ye old warning meter.

And I happen to share your confuzzled state as to the how's and why's in this instance. Good luck and good hunting.

[KalziEast]

Wow, the first time I've seen an actually good person on this forum get banned. Also, for REALLY no reason. Well, good luck with your account since you're only at a 72 hour suspension. Lately Blizzard's being crazy, and randomly attacking people, as well as catching Bots and stuff. So just try to get into a guild and talk at least once in awhile so they know you're not a bot or something, cause that's the closest thing I can think of that they thought you could've been doing since (Not being racist, just truthful) most Botters and Farmers are from Asia.

[Chelica]

Wow, the first time I've seen an actually good person on this forum get banned. Also, for REALLY no reason. Well, good luck with your account since you're only at a 72 hour suspension. Lately Blizzard's being crazy, and randomly attacking people, as well as catching Bots and stuff. So just try to get into a guild and talk at least once in awhile so they know you're not a bot or something, cause that's the closest thing I can think of that they thought you could've been doing since (Not being racist, just truthful) most Botters and Farmers are from Asia.

Thanks. I am already in a pretty big guild and I do speak to them. That is why I find the whole thing kind of odd.

Not too sure what Akoto is talking about since my name is not Mark. I would click on the link to see what that site is, but I really don't feel like getting keylogged.

[KalziEast]

Yeah, he's posting that in a bunch of places, I'm asking in a couple threads that he posted in to get him banned.

[Nakh]

I sent a PM to Valas.. hopefully he'll get banned soon.

[andyoubob]

Frequent change of IP adress may be the reason

[bwirum]

That would be really strange, considering lots of people get a new IP every time they log on to the net.

[Krollin]

That would be really strange, considering lots of people get a new IP every time they log on to the net.
They may get a new IP Address but they usually don't vary outside of the 2 least significant parts of it. Not only that but the IP address usually resolve to a name which indicates the provider and they can be traced to a rough geographical location.

[mesonm]

They may get a new IP Address but they usually don't vary outside of the 2 least significant parts of it. Not only that but the IP address usually resolve to a name which indicates the provider and they can be traced to a rough geographical location.

Well, I've used my account while on travel, on the East and West Coasts of the US, and have never had problems....

And, this has nothing to do with account creation violations...So, I doubt different IP addresses is the cause.

Further, with the high number of students playing the game, I doubt blizz polices all IP differences....

[kcma]

i agree with mesonm. i travel all through asia and play at many locations in CA (and i move alot too). changing IP won't get you banned.

[KalziEast]

As far as I know, your IP changing is just from you not only being safe from virus's and stuff, but also the Earth is moving very fast, and satellites in the sky change position above you all the time, so that can also change your IP. So I highly doubt that the IP thing is the problem, because my computer's IP changes close to every 30 seconds or so.

[Oipunx]

Chelica,

If I were you I would continue emailing them and try to have them remove your Final Warning status. When your account is at Final Warning you virtually can't get in trouble for ANYTHING. Any petition against your account during that time will more than likely lead to your account being closed.

[Chelica]

Chelica,

If I were you I would continue emailing them and try to have them remove your Final Warning status. When your account is at Final Warning you virtually can't get in trouble for ANYTHING. Any petition against your account during that time will more than likely lead to your account being closed.

Yeps, I just dispatched another E-Mail. Here is what I found out if anyone ever encounter a sticky situation such as this. Do not reply from a response e-mail that they send you. No one will reply back. I tried it like 4 times, still have not received a single reply back. What I do now is copy and paste my last email response and go to their web email form. I get a same day reply that way. So tips for anyone who want to contact the account admin at a faster rate, or at least get a response at a faster rate.

I currently trying to get them to remove my Final Warning and set me to something else aside from that. Anyone know what is it called? If I provide them with an option, I am thinking that it is going to be easier for them to make the decision.

It is good that my account is making the progress of going from close status to suspended status. Is it possible that they will move me from Suspended to Close again if I keep e-mailing them? I just don't want that to happen. In all of my emails I try to be as proper and nice as possible. Even though I want to just scream and get really verbal...lol

Oh, also, they are now saying my account was set to final warning because I gave away my account information to someone else. So it has nothing to do with the account creation. I am not sure how that occurred. I might of gotten keylogged or something. So I reformatted my comp. just today hoping that nothing like this will occur again IF I do get my account back.