Friend's Account banned Please Read 3/17/08

#0 - March 19, 2008, 4:13 a.m.

This is from Phase/Jonathon from feathermoon. I am posting for him. He is my guild leader and friend and can vouge for him... Blizz really screwed this up

"On a typical day, I get off work, grab a shower get some food and then relax in my comfy black leather chair, and engage in World of Warcraft. I get to play seldom during the week, with work and jogging, and all that other fun stuff. Today however, Blizzard had different plans, I was farming on my Mage in Netherstorm and poof..I was disconnected from the game and then emailed stating that I had done some criminal act and have been completely and permanently removed from the game. I couldn't believe it, I've played this game since release and have never had any issues until yesterday night.

I am the guild leader of a guild on feathermoon and we were just starting to get our 25 man raid going, apparently I epic farmed my way to a permanent ban? The reason on my ban stated was that I was using 3rd party programs? Which means what? I'm some sort of bot or something? I've done 10 man, 25 man instances and am the guild leader of my guild, I really think they screwed up on this one. I tried calling blizzard, and was told repeatedly that only account administration can handle such issues. I tried pleading with the person on the other line but, what is some 19 year old kid going to do, really? Next step I took was emailing blizzard at their account admin email, and was basically given the same bogus excuse, it's almost really as if he/she didn't even look and just went along with whatever the original person did.

I'm fairly disappointed because I've put in 3 years of my life into this game and I don't want it to mean nothing because of some idiot who completely missed the ball and thinks I'm using some sort of hack or 3rd party program like a bot? I've never even heard of the term "packet sniffing" software that they mentioned and accused me of using. Frankly what are my options at this point? It's been a day thus far, but I feel helpless and I basically have to hope that someone out there will care enough to look into things and actually investigate my issue.

If anyone has any feedback or advice, let me know, at the moment I'm just basically stunned at the randomness of being booted off, forever for something which is completely false.

Sincerely,

Jonathon/Phase - Feathermoon (RP)

Syndri

#13 - March 19, 2008, 3:38 p.m.

Email is the most fluid medium. It works the best for the specific type of work our Account Administration representatives face daily. It's long and tedious. And likely incredibly boring for those looking from the outside-in.

Let's put it another way.

AA Representative: "Hello, this is Account Administration. How may I help you?"
Player: "Yes, I believe I was actioned incorrectly. I don't deserve to be banned for my behavior."
AA Representative: "One moment please."

—45 minutes later—

AA Representative: "Still there? Sir, hello? He—"
Player: "Hm, what? Yes! Still here."
AA Representative: "Yes. You're still banned."
Player: "What the...<fluffy kittens>—I hate you and your <pet giraffe>, too. I hope you <become a culinary expert and marry a fine woman one day>. PS, die!"

Phone calls aren't apt here, I'm afraid.

This all said, I'll see what illumination I can provide. Just please allot me some time. :)

Syndri

#37 - March 19, 2008, 5:23 p.m.

I removed a cross-link. Cross-links cause cluttering and I'm a very tidy iguana. It was not an attempt to cloak a potential error. :)

Even so, Lacellot, you're basing the assumption that "tons" of players are mistakenly actioned on anecdotal and biased evidence alone. To start, the posts witnessed within these forums represent only a small grouping of players. Similarly, if you're basing your statement on hearsay, then you're likely forgoing consideration to those who are legitimately and correctly penalized—a number which far, far, far exceeds those who regrettably fall victim to incorrect interpretations. When compared, I assure you the amount is negligible and always amended if brought to our attention.

You have my apologies for remaining mum for the moment on the matter at hand. I'm still having this looked into further. As with all such investigation, these things take time—and, yes, in some cases, 3 days.

Syndri

#49 - March 19, 2008, 7:07 p.m.

Your friend should be good to go, Lacellot. :)

Syndri

#64 - March 19, 2008, 9:31 p.m.

I'll provide it, to the extent that I am able. :)

In short, the method by which your particular character chose to rapaciously farm NPCs—continuously and repeatedly— within Netherstorm's mana forges resembled that of behavior emulated by third-party programs. Your case was simply a false-positive, a situation which is so incredibly rare that it's nigh-unprecedented.

Syndri

#73 - March 19, 2008, 10:03 p.m.

Aye. This particular incident should not act a deterrent, though—not against normal game play; again, the results were are so vastly atypical that the word no longer suffices. It was an error on our part, and one that we were happy to amend. (Yes, contacting AA DOES work. Heavens to Betsy!)

You're just a beast, Jonathon. ;)

Syndri

#83 - March 20, 2008, 2:24 p.m.

I had no hand in the matter. I did not influence the situation. I was simply a steward of one's interests and curiosity. I no touchy-touchy.

Please do not conjure inaccurate conclusions from what I've written.

Again, this matter was simply unprecedented. The contributing factors—all of which played a vital role—are unique to this case and this case alone. It was a fluke, in a manner of speaking; an isolated experience of gigantically isolated proportions. This particular error—which was remedied through the appropriate channels, both for Jonathon and our utilized methodologies—bears no influence on those actions we may or may not take in the future, nor those that we have taken in the past.

Play hard, rest easy. And stop making assumptions; it scars the soul.

Syndri

#85 - March 20, 2008, 2:35 p.m.

While ostensibly alike, the two situations were completely unrelated. Likely a woe of standardized, generic responses, I fear—they shared the same original notification, yes? That's ultimately where similarities ended. :)

Syndri

#87 - March 20, 2008, 2:45 p.m.

Narf!

Syndri

#92 - March 20, 2008, 4:43 p.m.

And now I want honey sticks. Strawberry flavored. >.>

Syndri

#99 - March 20, 2008, 5:26 p.m.

Restating for emphasis:

Q u o t e:
Even so, Lacellot, you're basing the assumption that "tons" of players are mistakenly actioned on anecdotal and biased evidence alone. To start, the posts witnessed within these forums represent only a small grouping of players. Similarly, if you're basing your statement on hearsay, then you're likely forgoing consideration to those who are legitimately and correctly penalized—a number which far, far, far exceeds those who regrettably fall victim to incorrect interpretations. When compared, I assure you the amount is negligible and always amended if brought to our attention.

We've checks and balances for the sort, Narcisissma. Even so, persistence is often a valued trait with situations of this nature. Our Account Administration remedied the matter on their own right; I merely kept tabs on the proceedings.

With that in mind, I'm afraid—as Aik has noted—that divulging what specifically may or may not have caused Jonathon's predicament is beyond my power. We are only able to continue to effect the status of exploitative activity bearing that our methods are modest and secretive. I can tell you, however, that the transition or acquisition of gold was not a factor in this event.

Syndri

#106 - March 21, 2008, 12:57 a.m.

Reading and perceiving only specific elements of what I've said benefits no one. This particular situation was an anamoly, one from which we have all learned.

The methods by which we address such matters are sound and true, constantly evolving and adapting to changing environments. No, it's not 100% perfect. No system governed by falliable beings is absolutely so; not even the US legal and judiciary system. It's not an apt comparison, regardless.

That all said, if I'm only to reiterate myself over and over and over, countering argument and theories which have already been countered, then I likely lock this thread and spare us all the woes of repetition. Conjecture breeds fear, and that's not a mindset I want fostered herein, as it's so vastly without merit that words fail to describe. =/