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Troubleshooting your Hearthsteed woes
If you're having trouble claiming your Hearthsteed -- the game's latest mount, acquired by winning three battles in Hearthstone -- you aren't alone. Apparently plenty of players have run into issues trying to tame this wily mount, but that means Blizzard support is out in force with fixes. Over on Reddit, Customer Support rep Araxom has a suggestion: Araxom If you've won three games of Hearthstone in "Play" or "Arena" mode, but have not yet received the Hearthsteed mount in WoW, please try this: Log out of the BNet App/all games > Log into the BNet App > Log into Hearthstone > Log out of Hearthstone > Log into WoW source If this doesn't help, you can head to the Reddit thread to talk to Araxom or contact support directly for more assistance. Good luck with your Hearthsteed-wrangling!
Reaching Blizzard support if you can't log in
Earlier this year, Blizzard launched a new Support Callback feature that allowed players with account issues to simply fill out a form and wait for a callback from support. This was a fantastic move in terms of getting rid of the need to spend hours on hold -- but it did have some players concerned and wondering how, exactly, one was supposed to contact support if one was locked out of their account and could not access the appropriate Battle.net page. Customer Support representative Araxom has written up a response to just that particular situation over on Reddit. If you cannot access your account, or log into Battle.net, there is a support page that will still allow you to live chat with customer service, set up a callback, or even submit a ticket, all without having to log in. Although callbacks and live chat may not be available every hour of every day, you can still submit a ticket with this method and get a response in a reasonable amount of time. And remember -- if you're worried about account security, picking up an Authenticator is always an excellent idea.
Authenticator problems? You'll need to contact support
Removing an authenticator from your account is pretty easy -- so long as you have the authenticator handy. But if you don't -- like if you've upgraded your smartphone and your mobile authenticator doesn't work anymore -- then you've got a bit more trouble ahead. Usually Blizzard has an online form to help you out of a problem like this, but the form is currently MIA which makes getting help a bit harder. Blizzard is working to get the page back online, but in the meanwhile, you'll have to resort to contacting customer support directly for help. Customer Support rep Araxom says anyone having trouble removing an authenticator will need to contact support using one of the methods at the bottom of the support page -- which means you can open a ticket, set up a phone callback, or jump into a live chat. None of these methods are instant, but they will wind up getting you the authenticator help you need without too much of a wait. Just remember to add a new authenticator once you've removed this one -- it's a security feature you won't regret having.
Tips for getting customer support live chat working smoothly
No one likes having to interrupt their game time to contact customer support, but doing an online chat with is at least slightly less painful than waiting on hold to talk on the phone. However, browser snafus can ruin the chat experience which makes your wait even longer. Fortunately, CS rep Araxom has some tips on avoiding chat trouble, which is commonly caused by pop-up blockers. So before you try to start a live chat, here's what you should do: Turn off any pop-up blocking addons you might have. If you're using Google Chrome, it usually blocks pop-ups by default. You can use another browser or check out Google's instructions for allowing pop-ups. Now you're ready to chat! Just head over to the North American or European Support Portal, answer a few questions about the problem you're having, and then select Live Chat. Good luck!
Heading out of town for the holidays? Don't get locked out of WoW!
Over on /r/wow/, Blizzard CS rep Araxom offers some tips to avoid getting locked out of your WoW account if you're traveling this holiday season. Logging on from a different physical location can trigger some security features on Blizzard's side -- especially for accounts that don't have an authenticator attached. Avoiding holiday account lockouts is pretty simple: Make sure you have an authenticator attached to your account, which makes it less likely your account will get locked for something like this. (And if you use the mobile authenticator app, be sure you have your restore code written down or screenshotted in case you run into issues with your phone.) Enable SMS Protect, which can let you bypass your authenticator using your cell phone if you run into any problems. Both of these are generally good ideas, but during the holidays having the right security setup can mean the difference between relaxing with some WoW and wrestling with resetting your password -- and we're pretty sure you'd all prefer the former. Not sure where to get started with account security? Check out our security guide for a walkthrough.
Blizzard's tips for dealing with a locked account
Having your account locked isn't an uncommon problem -- and it doesn't necessarily mean your account has been compromised. Because Blizzard is trying to stop hackers in their tracks, doing anything that makes it look like you aren't the one playing the game -- like logging in from an unusual location -- can trigger a lock. So what's a gamer to do when hit with a locked account? Fortunately for all of us, Blizzard CS representative Araxom has explained how to avoid locked account woes -- without even getting in touch with customer support. An easy fix? Change your password from your new computer or new location. This requires you to authenticate with Blizzard -- and answer your secret question -- so the servers are sure that you're actually you. Another helpful tidbit: have an authenticator (or authenticator app) attached to your account and SMS protect enabled. These helpful security features not only make it harder for your account to get stolen -- they can make it clear to Blizzard that your account is in your hands, even if you're logging on from a new computer. For more details and tips, check out Araxom's thread on Reddit. And if your account actually has been hacked, it's going to take a few more steps, but we'll walk you through it.
