Character Transfer Issues

#0 - Feb. 19, 2009, 5:41 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Update - 2/23 - 12:53 PM PST:

Slight changes were made to Character Transfers to help process transfers at a quicker pace. As a result of this change, we have seen wait time plummet over the course of the past few hours; please remain as patient as possible as the remaining transfers are completed. We will continue to monitor this issue as the day progresses, and will provide updates if more information becomes available.

If you are still experiencing credit card processing errors, please contact your financial institution to ensure that the transaction is not blocked. In the meantime, we will continue to review these reports and relay them to the appropriate departments. Please proceed cautiously when you receive this error; attempting to submit the transaction multiple times can result in additional funds being held temporarily.

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Update - 2/21 - 11:29 AM PST:

A number of players are reporting that they are receiving an error message which states:

Q u o t e:
We are sorry but there was a problem processing this credit card. Please contact our billing and account services by email (billing@blizzard.com) or via phone at 1-800-59-BLIZZARD (800-592-5499).

As such, we have contacted the appropriate parties to ensure that credit cards are processing appropriately. More information regarding this issue will be provided as soon as possible. Regrettably, however, I am unable to provide an ETA at this time.

As transfer queues remain near capacity, transfer delays are still present and the messaging provided in the previous update may be present when attempting to submit a Paid Character Transfer. Please remain patient and check back for updates at your convenience.

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Update - 2/20 - 11:48 AM PST:

To better indicate when the transfer queues have reached their limit, we have made a few changes to the Paid Character Transfer webpage. You will now be presented with the following message when you attempt to transfer while the queue is at its capacity:

Q u o t e:
Your request could not be processed at this time, as the Paid Character Transfer queue is currently at maximum capacity. This service uses a queue system -- allowing a limited number of transfers at any one time -- in order to ensure stability of the realms, accounts, and hardware utilized during character transfers. We apologize for the inconvenience; please check back periodically for queue availability.

The queue system does not affect character-transfer requests that have already been submitted. If you have an existing transfer that you would like to confirm or cancel, you can do so at this time by clicking the Transactions link.

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Update - 2/20 - 9:05 AM PST:

Due to the large number of players currently in the transfer queues, many players will receive an error when attempting to submit a Paid Character Transfer or Free Character Move. As such, we recommend that you avoid initiating new Paid Character Transfers at this time. If you have previously submitted a Paid Character Transfer and your character is currently in queue, please wait as patiently as possible for these transfers to process.

Thank you for your extraordinary patience.

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Update - 2/19 - 12:27 PM PST:

It has been determined that the Free Character Move submission error was the result of an excessive number of players in the transfer queue. Due to the large number of players in queue, transfer requests were being automatically rejected. Several transfers have since cleared, leaving room for additional submissions. Please feel free to re-initiate your transfers at this time.

In response to this issue, our Community team has extended the deadline of the Free Character Moves scheduled to expire in the very near future. Please keep an eye on the following thread for more information regarding this free transfer period:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=14990473473&sid=1

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Greetings, all—

Over the course of the past few days, we have seen a number of reports regarding the character transfer processes. Our Database Administrators and Developers are currently working around the clock to address these issues, and will continue to do so until this issue has been resolved. If you are experiencing one of the following issues, I encourage you to keep an eye on this thread for the latest updates.

  • Delays in the character transfer process
  • Unable to submit a Free Character Move due to the “en_batch_processing_disabled” error
  • Unable to submit credit card information when initiating a Paid Character Transfer
  • Funds held as a result of failed Paid Character Transfer transactions

Unfortunately, due to the technical nature of this issue, I'm afraid that our Billing and Account Services Department may be unable to provide assistance with transfer delays or issues directly related to the website errors received when attempting to submit a Paid Character Transfer. As such, calling our Billing Department directly will likely result in a response similar to what can be found in this thread. With that being said, you are most welcome to contact them if you require more personalized service or have billing related questions not related to Paid Character Transfers.

Please be aware that failed Paid Character Transfer transactions may result in your funds being held temporarily for verification purposes. As such, we encourage you to avoid submitting multiple transfer requests if you receive an error after submitting your credit card information. For more information on this held funds, please review the following information provided by our Billing and Account Services Department:

Q u o t e:
Depending on your financial institution and the terms of your credit card, the authentication process may place a "funds held" for verification purposes. This is a temporary charge that will reverse itself automatically, generally within three to five business days. However, some financial institutions may hold the funds for up to 30 days, depending on their own policies. Please note that these charges are simply part of the verification system. Because of other circumstances beyond our control, these charges do not indicate whether a card will be accepted at the time of payment. In the event that the charges do not reverse in three to five business days (please allow for more time on holidays and weekends), please contact your bank and verify the charges in question. You may also want to inquire with your financial institution as to what their policy is on reversing "funds held" transactions.

If you received an error while attempting to use the Paid Character Transfer feature via Account Management, and you see a pending transaction on your bank statement, please rest assured that Blizzard Entertainment will not collect the funds for all of those pending transactions if the upgrade was not successful on your initial attempt(s). If you require additional assistance with the Paid Character Transfer service, please call the Billing and Account Services Department at your earliest convenience.

As previously stated, updates will be provided herein as soon as more information becomes available. Please refrain from creating multiple threads regarding these issues to ensure that all pertinent information can be found within this thread. All other threads pertaining to this issue will be locked and/or deleted.

Thank you, once more, for your patience.
#144 - Feb. 20, 2009, 1:55 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Good morning, folks.

I just stepped foot in the office a few moments ago, and am currently looking through all of the information that is available to me. I will be working to acquire and provide more information throughout the day.

As it stands, we have verified that several players are entering the transfer queue and are successfully submitting their credit card information. Additionally, these transfers are processing and completing -- albeit slower than usual. Nonetheless, I have read through each of the responses in this sticky, and will continue to relay your concerns to the attention of our Development and Web Teams.

If you currently have charges pending, but have not yet successfully entered the transfer queue, you will need to re-submit your transfer request at a later time. Please do not reattempt your Paid Character Transfer until I have had an opportunity to obtain more information.
#149 - Feb. 20, 2009, 2:02 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:


Is there no way to shut off that section of the website until all the kinks are worked out? "A later time" could be 10 minutes from now, and it would probably do the exact same thing.

I'd be a little happier to see "Character Transfers are unavailable at this time. Sorry." than submit 10 times and have a $250 pending charge on my account.


Unfortunately, this is outside of my purview; however, I completely understand this concern and will be bringing this, as well as several other issues you all have posted, to the attention of the appropriate parties.
#151 - Feb. 20, 2009, 2:05 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:


Could you please edit your original post to reflect new developments during the day so we don't have to search through this thread that is surely going to keep growing? Thank you.


I most definitely will, Krieghton.
#202 - Feb. 20, 2009, 4:50 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
Bump, any updates at all blue? We wish to be informed :P


Cagalli--

Please refrain from "bumping" or requesting updates, friend. Updates will be provided as soon as more information becomes available.
#211 - Feb. 20, 2009, 5:09 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
I had transferred a few of mine to Wyrmrest when I started getting the cc error - but now I see Wyrmrest is off the transfer list. I'll wait until the situation is fixed to try again, but is there a reason the realm is no longer eligible, or is that a glitch, too?

It's hard to have half your characters, as well as family characters, spread out all over, so I hope this is resolved.


If you are unable to transfer your characters to Wyrmrest Accord as a result of this issue, please give our Billing and Account Services Department a call after this issue has been resolved.

Thanks!
#213 - Feb. 20, 2009, 5:13 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
Hey Aredek, i just tried signing up for the tourny, and it went through, but PCTs still arnt, i've read a few posts about how its not working for some people, just thought i'd tell you this info, might help.


Thanks, Cag.

We're currently looking into both issues separately, but we'll definitely be checking to make sure these issues aren't related before ruling out the possibility.
#217 - Feb. 20, 2009, 5:15 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
Does that also apply to any other servers that may get taken off the list in between now and when this issue is 100% resolved? Im just worried that although my server is still listed right now it may not be by the time this is resolved. Im trying to transfer from Terokkar to Spirestone and also transferring to another one of my accounts at the same time.


I'm unable to make any guarantees, but this suggestion applies to each of these cases, Zenku.

We'll do whatever we can to assist.
#287 - Feb. 20, 2009, 8:03 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Hey there, everyone.

I wanted to inform you of an important update:

Q u o t e:
Update - 2/20 - 11:48 AM PST:

To better indicate when the transfer queues have reached their limit, we have made a few changes to the Paid Character Transfer webpage. You will now be presented with the following message when you attempt to transfer while the queue is at it's capacity:

Q u o t e:
Your request could not be processed at this time, as the Paid Character Transfer queue is currently at maximum capacity. This service uses a queue system -- allowing a limited number of transfers at any one time -- in order to ensure stability of the realms, accounts, and hardware utilized during character transfers. We apologize for the inconvenience; please check back periodically for queue availability.

The queue system does not affect character-transfer requests that have already been submitted. If you have an existing transfer that you would like to confirm or cancel, you can do so at this time by clicking the Transactions link.

If this messaging is not being displayed, please clear your browser's cache, cookies and temporary Internet files.

Let us know if you have any difficulties viewing this message.
#308 - Feb. 20, 2009, 9:45 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Hey there, folks.

I'm currently awaiting more information regarding some of the more specific questions you are bringing to my attention. If I do not answer your question, it is likely because I do not yet have enough information to provide you on this matter.

With that being said, there are a few issues in particular that I would like to make clear:
  • Characters currently in queue to be transferred are processing normally, but due to the number of transfers in queue the wait time is higher than average.
  • Players using the Free Character Move feature may still see the "en_batch_processing_disabled" when the queue is full; however, this is currently being looked into.
  • Issues pertaining to your bank's specific "funds held" policies should be directed to your bank. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide specific information because each financial institution behaves differently.
  • The "Your request could not be processed at this time..." message should only be displayed when the queue is full.

Thank you all for your patience. If you are still receiving errors when submitting your credit card information, please keep the reports coming so that we may relay the information to the appropriate parties.
#312 - Feb. 20, 2009, 9:57 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
"We are sorry but there was a problem processing this credit card. Please contact our billing and account services by email (billing@blizzard.com) or via phone at 1-800-59-BLIZZARD (800-592-5499). "

In cases where you see this particular message appear, please follow the directions and contact our Billing Department; they will do whatever they can to assist you with this issue.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Blood.

Q u o t e:
After i enter "I agree" my keeps resetting back to the "select realm" to transfer. It has done this 3 times now even after I entered my CC info.

Have you attempted to clear your browser's cache, cookies and temporary Internet files, Ditey. If so, please try using a different browser and let us know whether or not the issue persists.
#482 - Feb. 21, 2009, 7:48 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Good afternoon, everyone.

The following update has been made:

Q u o t e:
Update - 2/21 - 11:29 AM PST:

A number of players are reporting that they are receiving an error message which states:

Q u o t e:

We are sorry but there was a problem processing this credit card. Please contact our billing and account services by email (billing@blizzard.com) or via phone at 1-800-59-BLIZZARD (800-592-5499).

As such, we have contacted the appropriate parties to ensure that credit cards are processing appropriately. More information regarding this issue will be provided as soon as possible. Regrettably, however, I am unable to provide an ETA at this time.

As transfer queues remain near capacity, transfer delays are still present and the messaging provided in the previous update may be present when attempting to submit a Paid Character Transfer. Please remain patient and check back for updates at your convenience.

Please continue to report your experiences in a productive, appropriate manner. Thank you all for your patience and assistance along the way.
#485 - Feb. 21, 2009, 8:08 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
Aredek, Please explain why you would post the number for billing on a Saturday? and emailing billing is more then pointless. They will not do anything,... knowing full well if I call they are closed? and I called billing at 4pm on friday and was told.. Their is nothing they can do. Explain i'm I just the unlucky one with a CC that gets charged? at least give us an update like we have all our techs working on the issue? or something new we haven't heard.............


I encourage you to reread my post, Ragall. I believe that, in your frustration and concern, you may have skipped over key portions of information in my update.

To reiterate:

We are aware that some players are receiving the aforementioned error message after submitting their credit card information. In response, we've notified the appropriate parties of this issue and it is currently under investigation.
#487 - Feb. 21, 2009, 8:13 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
Can i play on my account just not the character that is being Transfered while my apporval is pending?


Yes. Please feel free to play any characters that are not involved in the transfer process, Sarkashar.
#498 - Feb. 21, 2009, 8:48 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
I am still getting the CC error should i still be playing my char i want to transfer? I dont think that it got past the approval.


If your character is pending approval, please do not play your character. If you have yet to successfully submit your credit card information, please feel free to play your character as you see fit.
#503 - Feb. 21, 2009, 9:17 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
instead of reading the last 26 pages has this been fixed?

<<--- would like to transfer


The first post in this thread will be updated as more information is added.

Sorry for any confusion, friend.
#736 - Feb. 23, 2009, 2:35 p.m.
Blizzard Post
There seems to be a number of questions pertaining to the "queue is full" error messaging, and inquiries regarding when this message will be removed. To be clear, this message automatically appears if the queue is full, and will automatically be taken away if space is available. Because this check is made when you load the page, it is entirely possible that you could submit a transfer within 5 minutes or 5 hours -- it all depends on the influx of transfers and the processing of transfers currently in queue. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide ETAs as a result.

All this being said, I am pursuing more information regarding the transfer delays many of you are experiencing when initiating a transfer, and I am also awaiting an update regarding failed credit card transactions which prompt you to call our Billing Department. Should any more information become available, updates to the original post will be made.

Thank you all for the unbelievable amount of patience you have shown throughout this trying issue.
#749 - Feb. 23, 2009, 4:36 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Cagalli:

The number you are dialing is 1-800-041-378, correct? Have you attempted to call Billing using this number previously? If so, did you experience the same issue?

It is likely that the lines are busy due to the large number of calls that are coming in.

Q u o t e:
Hey guys. I currently got into the que to transfer and it says ''Aproval Pending''. I did however accidentally log on the character thats being transfered but i loggedd of right away. Wil this effect me alot?


It may delay the process ever so slightly, but it will not likely result in additional difficulties otherwise.