Another lawyer-threat

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

So, I am now in charge of a team that provides tech support for a specific online game. For privacy reasons, the team members don't have access to the customers' details, only I (and my superiors of course) do.
Now, one of the guys from the team (young and at his first tech support experience) came over to my desk with his eyes wide open and an expression of panic on his face.
"There is a guy who is threatening to sue us if we bill him for the period in which his account had been disactivated, what do we do?", he said.
I started picturing all types of CS posts. So I asked the guy from my team to forward me the e-mail so I could take care of it (in case there had been an issue I could even have asked for him to be reimbursed).
I got the e-mail and I went down to check what had happened.
The guy had written us the previous day complaining that on the day before his account had been de-activated and he didn't know why. Well, apparently his account had not been de-activated - he had been banned for 24 hours for some in-game infraction that was specified in the ban log. The 24 hours had expired and his account was back up. So, the days in which he couldn't play were no less than ONE!
Of course I also checked his billing situation.
Yes, you can already imagine it.
He is on a free trial.

[chainedbarista]

all that over...nothing. it doesn't bode well for future subscriptions, and you know he'll be back, or keep riding the freebie train as long as possible.

[roxtar]

i think more encounters with the banhammer are in his future.

[Frantic Freddie]

Most people that threaten to sue are fulla BS,they don't have the money for a lawyer & don't wanna spend the time it takes.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Freddie - of course, it has been discussed quite often here. Still, my job wants me to ensure Customer Satisfaction.
And yes, he was SO upset because he wanted us not to charge him... nothing.
And now the Banmaster now knows his name and gaming ID

[Geek King]

He already earned a 24-hour ban during the free trial period? Oy. If you're really about Customer Satisfaction, your bosses would perma-ban this guy to protect the game experience for everyone else.

[chainedbarista]

i agree with geek, but sadly, corporate brains don't work that way (when they work at all). :\

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Unfortunately when I talked to GM he said that he "can't ban if there is no in-game report". Too bad... but I'm sure it won't be long.

[Mr Hero]

When he signed up for the game, was there a ToS he had to agree to? And if so, do the ToS cover his specific infraction and that people on a temp ban are not entitled to a refund? If so, you should be covered.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Hero - yep, I am fully covered, he agreed to the Terms and Conditions (without reading them, as most will, but still)... and I don't think there will be an issue about refunding him... nothing

[PepperElf]

Heh just wait until he gets into the paid play.

Back when I played EQ, there were no refunds for banned accounts. Yeah I actually read the TOS once or twice. And we had to click "I agree" on it Every. Single. Time. we logged in... so there was no way for someone to claim it "wasn't available"

[Shalom]

"But you know that nobody ever reads those things!"

I guess that to them, it's just something that they have to click away to get to the game play. It has no meaning, it's just a box to click on. I remember once driving my grandmother somewhere, in my grandfather's car, and made a point of putting on my seat belt before starting the car. Grandma asked why, and I said "So the seat belt buzzer won't buzz, I don't like listening to it." She said "Is that what that's supposed to be for? I thought it just buzzes every time you start the car." Now this is a car they'd owned for more than ten years.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Indeed, there IS no refund for banned accounts. If somebody is so [expletive deleted] to get banned, tough goings for them!

[Rapscallion]

The stupid, it burns like hygiene!

Let me guess, it was a ban over his interpretation of some sort of principle?

Rapscallion

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Let me guess, it was a ban over his interpretation of some sort of principle?

Of course! The Game Master "didn't understand" that he "was actually following the rules", albeit "his way"! He is one of the speshul ones, you know.