#0 - April 14, 2009, 12:55 a.m.
As a reminder, a small change has been added with this patch to our alternate currency vendor buyback system. Going forward, if a player enchants or sockets an item purchased with alternate currency, the ability to refund the item will be removed. Players who attempt to enchant or socket an item with an active refund timer will be prompted with a confirmation box before the enchant or socket will be applied.
For more information about our alternate currency system, please see our Alternate Currency System FAQ: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=27351
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UPDATE: 04/15/09
Please be advised that it has been 30 days since this Alternate Currency vendor buy back system was introduced. As this change is intended to place control and responsibility for these reimbursements in our player’s hands we are very unlikely to interfere with these purchases moving forward.
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With the advent of Patch 3.1, a lot of awesome changes are coming into World of Warcraft. Amongst some of the most useful alterations are changes to the way Alternate Currency purchases are made.
You are all probably already familiar with Alternate Currencies – things like Marks of Honor, Arena Points, Emblems of Valor, etc. are all ‘Alternate Currencies’. These items can offer compelling ways to improve your character and acquire items. In the past, if you made an accidental purchase, the only method to correct the mistake was to contact a Game Master.
Fortunately, the arrival of patch 3.1 changes this quite a bit, and our players will have all new options when making these purchases. We’ve also added some options that can make accidental purchases a lot easier to deal with!
- • Items purchased using an Alternate Currency can often be refunded for their full purchase price within 2 hours of in-game time (this timer should only count down while you are logged in).
• Items with Refund Properties (visible on the purchase screen) can be sold back to any vendor by “Right Clicking” the item with the vendor window open.
- • Stackable items (frozen orbs, uncut gems, etc) are not eligible for refund using this system.
• Items that grant achievements on purchase are not eligible for refund using this system either.
Please note! As useful as these changes are, they also reflect a sweeping change in how we are likely to approach restorations of items purchased with Alternate Currencies. For approximately 30 days after this change goes live we will continue to consider requests for reimbursement of these items in an effort to provide our players with a chance to adjust to the new system. Please be advised that this change is intended to place control and responsibility for these reimbursements in our player’s hands and that we are very unlikely to interfere after this period has passed.
New Alternate Currency System FAQ:
Q: What if getting a refund on my purchase would put me over my Honor or Arena Point cap?
A: This system will not allow you to exceed the cap for points. Should you attempt to return an item you purchased that would cause you to exceed your point cap, you will regain points up to the cap, but will permanently lose any points over and above that amount. Fortunately, there is a confirmation dialogue box that should display when you attempt to sell an item that informs you of the number of points you stand to lose if you proceed. Please note that Game Masters are not in a position to assist with ‘overage’ losses of this nature.
Q: I just spent 20 Emblems of Valor to buy 20 Emblems of Heroism, can I now sell my Emblems of Heroism back for Emblems of Valor?
A: Unfortunately, some items, notably ‘stackable’ items like Emblems, may not be refunded with this system.
Q: I just bought a Black War Mammoth for 300 Stone Keeper’s Shards, but I can’t get a refund, what happened?
A: Some items, like the Black War Mammoth, grant an achievement when you purchase them. If an item grants an achievement you will not be able to sell it back to the vendor. Also, our Game Masters are not likely to be in a position to help with this kind of purchase either, so it’s best to be cautious!
Q: How far ‘back’ will this system work? If I use emblems to buy a token, then spend that token to buy an item, what happens when I try to refund the item?
A: You would get your token back (assuming the item allowed it, of course), but you would not be able to refund that token for emblems. This is a ‘one-step’ option.
Q: The Two-Hour refund period is over, can I still sell my item to a vendor?
A: No, after the two hour refund period is over, vendors will no longer allow you to sell your item. Our Game Master staff might still be able to help if you reach us soon enough, but please keep in mind that such intervention is considered a last resort resolution and repeated requests for currency refunds have a high chance of being denied. You should therefore do your very best to resolve the matter on your own during the 2 hour refund window available to you after a purchase.
Q: I don’t see the refund period displayed on my item tooltip! What can I do!?
A: Some items that aren’t refundable do not display a refund period, or it’s possible that the period has expired. If you just purchased the item with alternate currency, and you are certain that it should display a refund period, then it may be a good idea to try resetting your user interface and disabling your addons, as they may interfere with the timer display.