WoW battle chest

[sandemon]

how do you get the free month of play

[Baboon]

If you just fill in a credit card number, it won't be charged I think the first month.

[waflob]

This is an area that I didn't like at first. You can't just play the free month and then decide to carry on. You have to provide billing details and then cancel if you want to stop.

I actually consider this to be slightly dishonest on the part of Blizzard.

Delboy

[Kalos]

This is an area that I didn't like at first. You can't just play the free month and then decide to carry on. You have to provide billing details and then cancel if you want to stop.

I actually consider this to be slightly dishonest on the part of Blizzard.

Delboy
They can't be called dishonest if they're being forced to do it by law. The Patriot Act, amongst other new laws, strives to identify users legitimately in any financial transaction. Age verification laws in games are similarly demanding this. The credit card is needed for proof of age and identification, they don't like anonymous money transfers, opens the gateway to fraud and deception, as well as outraged parents when they realise, for example, a dodgy porn site simply asks you to press a button to verify you are eighteen. They believe there should be more iron-clad checks upon if someone is of suitable age other than a sticky button or a little symbol from some advisory approval board on the side of a box, more made to inform than actually stop.

This system is more complicated, but when it is legally required, blame the US Senate not Blizzard. And this line of thought is becoming popular in many different regions.

[waflob]

hmm - I see what you mean, but it doesn't really cover the point I was making.

You can buy the game and it says there is 1 month free included. However, it isn't possible to just use this 1 free month and stop. If I could do this, I wouldn't be involved in a financial transaction, so all this kyc stuff wouldn't apply.

Another example: if I choose to pay using prepaid cards, I have to enter a valid card to get my 'free' month. Or put another way, you only get the free month when you buy extra time, not when you buy the game.

It genuinely annoyed me to not be able to evaluate the game first and then decide if I wanted to carry on and how I wanted to pay.

DelBoy

[Valas Azuviir]

hmm - I see what you mean, but it doesn't really cover the point I was making.

You can buy the game and it says there is 1 month free included. However, it isn't possible to just use this 1 free month and stop. If I could do this, I wouldn't be involved in a financial transaction, so all this kyc stuff wouldn't apply.

Another example: if I choose to pay using prepaid cards, I have to enter a valid card to get my 'free' month. Or put another way, you only get the free month when you buy extra time, not when you buy the game.

It genuinely annoyed me to not be able to evaluate the game first and then decide if I wanted to carry on and how I wanted to pay.

DelBoy


That's why they have the 10 day trial version. :tongue:

[Wintrow]

It genuinely annoyed me to not be able to evaluate the game first and then decide if I wanted to carry on and how I wanted to pay.

So you are saying you are unable to obtain a credit card? While CC-companies are practically throwing them at you?

I say get a CC (from the ones that offer the least fixed costs) and only use it for validation purposes. Then you can activate anything you want without it costing you more than the yearly cost of a CC.

If that's not the case (you HAVE a CC) then you were not "unable", you were simply "unwilling". Which I'd rather label as "being a PITA" :wink:.

- buy game
- install game
- activate game-key
- add CC-information
- play for a day
- remove CC-info from account
- play for four weeks more
- decide whether to play on using pre-paid cards or cancel it

The other case may be that you're under-age in which you're trying to do exactly what the system is designed to prevent you from doing :tongue:.

[waflob]

My expectations were like this:

I register an account using the code with the game and it tells me that the account will be playable for 1 month (10 days is available to anyone who can dl the file - it isn't 1 month, which is what it says on the game), after which I would need to provide some payment details in order to carry on playing. This way, the onus is on me to actively do something to carry on. A sort of 'opt in' situation.

The way it is, I have to provide credit card details / bank account info before being able to use the free time and then would have to actively do something to stop. This is more of an 'opt out' situation. I realise that once having 'opted in', I will have to do something to cancel it.

Also, I have developed a healthy paranoia about entering CC/bank details online, so the add/remove details is something I consider at least twice.

Before anyone says "well, why didn't you use the 10 day trial before buying it?", I didn't buy it, I was given it by someone who mistook WoW for WC3, which she had seen me playing and wanted to get for her son.

However, it's all rather a moot point, as I really like the game and decided after a week or so to carry on p(l)aying anyway :-)

I hope I've explained the situation more clearly.

Peace

DelBoy

[Wintrow]

Well, I already understood your sentiment about it. And I can relate to it.

I guess I was rather nitpicky on your usage of the word "unable". It's like saying "can't" instead of "won't". I guess that's a bit "spelling police"-ish :grin:. You weren't unable, you were unwilling.