billing-issues
Latest
WAR Executive Producer pens apology for account errors
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last two weeks, you've undoubtedly heard the gnashing of teeth that erupted due to Warhammer Online's recent billing issues. Today, Mythic Entertainment's Studio Executive Producer, Jeff Hickman, sat down and wrote a very honest apology letter regarding the recent issues, including the steps they've taken to correct them. Caused by a now-solved system issue, the Warhammer Online billing error caused multiple charges to show up on the statements of many subscribers (and previous subscribers). The fixes were rolled out on April 13th, and they believe they have now resolved all outstanding issues with banks and credit issuers that may have occurred. While most banks did remove any fees that had been incurred due to the incorrect billing, Hickman notes that EA has agreed to pay all charges for any others whose banking institutions are refusing to remove fees due to their error. Also, as a way to apologize to players, and in an attempt to earn back some good will from their player base, Mythic is offering players a bonus of 100% experience and renown when fighting enemies and monsters for the next two weeks. They're also adding in a vendor who will carry an assortment of special items for players -- from mounts and disguises onwards. Each player will be mailed two tokens, and will be allowed to choose what they like best from the available goodies. Coupled with their new systems to ensure this never occurs again, Mythic certainly is working hard to make sure their community is happy. How this will all play out among their numbers we'll have to wait and see.
The Daily Grind: Warhammer Online's billing woes
It started as innocently as any tale of this sort could possibly start, but Warhammer Online's latest problem has people up in arms, from veterans to those who've only played a few hours. And understandably so, since dozens of charges that overdraw your bank account are fairly universally seen as a bad thing. The MMO blogosphere has erupted with posts on the incident, and even Mythic Entertainment's attempts to calm the waters have left several people feeling unhappy (to put it mildly). Billing issues happen with online purchases, but rarely of this magnitude, and rarely on the heels of a push to involve the community. It hasn't been an easy ride for Warhammer Online thus far, so we're curious to know what our readers think. Is this a death knell for the game, or just a really big mistake? Does it make you feel more nervous about giving away your payment information? Whether you play or not, what do you think would be fair compensation for those affected? Do you see this as a major lesson for the industry? On an issue like this, nearly everyone has an opinion, so we want to hear yours.
Billing issues hitting Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot
Even when everything's going just fine, monthly billing in an MMO brings up the problems of players feeling entitled to quite a bit of free content and getting rather annoyed if it's not forthcoming. It also raises questions of how badly you really want to play the game in question. Luckily for most games, the rebilling cycle for subscriptions is automatic and requires no conscious attention from fans... at least, unless something goes wrong. And unfortunately for Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot subscribers, something did indeed go wrong. Players are being billed more than once for their subscriptions. The customer service team at Mythic Entertainment was quick to explain that they were aware of the issue and working with their vendor to resolve it. Unfortunately, the official solution requires a call and a fair bit of time spent confirming and reversing the charges, rather than being a straight refund behind the scenes. As the game's studio is hosting several of Warhammer Online's blogging pundits, it could hardly have come at a worse time. Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot players are advised to read the official statement and check the charges on your account very carefully.
