Is account sharing bannable?

#1 - Dec. 9, 2012, 6:08 p.m.

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to get a friend to play the game, but, understandably, she is hesitant from dropping $60 blindly for something she might not enjoy. All the praise about the game I tell her will not substitute actually experiencing some of the game herself.

As of right now, there are no orthodox free trial modes (which should be addressed, in my opinion); the last free trial weekend was bad for both of us, as we were very busy at the time. However, since Christmas break is coming, there will be much more free time, which I’d like to take advantage of.

So in short, would it be bannable to let my friend play on my account to see herself what the game is about? If it is, is there an ETA on the next free trial event?

Thanks!

Gaile Gray

#2 - Dec. 9, 2012, 9:38 p.m.

Long Answer: I would strongly, strongly recommend against it. Shared accounts are a major cause of game issues, particularly since those who share usually make the credentials known to the other party. I’ve seen many sad cases of accounts that we were required to close because they went into ownership dispute. I’ve also seen The Evil Little Brother Syndrome™ where someone with access to a shared account strips the items and sells them.

Short answer: Account sharing is prohibited by the User Agreement. (And you can probably see why, now.)

Gaile Gray

#11 - Dec. 10, 2012, 9:52 p.m.

Guys, I’ve been working to help players for a long, long time. (12 years with ArenaNet alone.) And I’ve seen some situations that just blew my socks off, that I never would have expected, where family members get into huge tussles over ownership of a game account, or when couples, even married couples, write us to appeal for a resolution to a shared account situation.

I’m not trying to scare you — I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t share my account with my husband, my best friend, or Mother Theresa.

Gaile Gray

#18 - Dec. 11, 2012, 10:28 a.m.

Michael.4791:
The account is your’s and it is your’s to decide about how it it used.

The account is bound by a User Agreement that each of us accepts before playing. Saying you can do anything you desire with you account is far, far from true. You cannot bot. You cannot sell gold. You cannot harass other players. You cannot resell the account. And, yes, you cannot share accounts (except in extremely limited circumstances outlined in the UA.)

I know what you’re saying, Michael, but really, all accounts are bound by the User Agreement, not to mention the Rules of Conduct, the Content Terms of Use, the Naming Policy…