Why was my account closed?

Name and realm of a character on the account in question?

This:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21506

Q u o t e:
Prohibited Software (Botting, Speed/Teleport Hacks, Data Mining, Software Hacking)

World of Warcraft is a persistent online role-playing world where the actions of each player can have a far-reaching effect on numerous other players, whether directly or indirectly. The game is designed to be run by itself, with no supporting software. Any effort to alter or "hack" World of Warcraft will not be tolerated. Any software which allows a player to circumvent the intended use of the game is not permitted. CONSEQUENCES: Any evidence uncovered by Support investigations that the account has been involved in the exploitation of World of Warcraft by running software at the same time as World of Warcraft that enables any of the following behavior may result in immediate account closure, whether or not any of the software's features are actually used on, with, or against the World of Warcraft software:

* Botting (automated gameplay, whether or not a human is present at the computer).
* Speed/teleport hacking (character movement speeds greater than those achievable through normal in-game means, including teleportation that is not the direct and unmodified result of an in-game spell, ability or effect).
* Data mining (gathering of information that is not normally available through the in-game user and/or scripting interfaces).
* Software hacking (manipulating the World of Warcraft client and/or server software or the communication between them in any way).

Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

Restating for emphasis (two points):

Q u o t e:
If you have you not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

I'm only closing repetitious threads, Dimitry. This one is intended to remain open for discussion. :)

Again, as stated within a previous post, these closures are directly related to the detection of third-party automation software. Should you believe yourself or a friend inaccurately penalized, please pursue the matter with Account Administration. I fear the Game Master department will be unable to assist with this process.


Edit:

Q u o t e:
But then again why talk. I know I'm not getting unbanned, and neither is anyone who is going to post about being banned. I'm banned for an unjust reason, and Blizzard is just going to look passed that and leave me banned. Sigh.

Hyperbolically false. We're happy to correct genuine errors.

Aspén — That was a penalty issued on the 30th of April. It's likely the more recent notification has simply yet to arrive. My apologies for the confusion.

Q u o t e:
Could some of the third party software come from keyloggers?

Aye. Should an account be compromised, it's not unreasonable for one to witness additional unscrupulous activity. We're happy to account for this situation, but must be first notified that unauthorized access occurred.

Q u o t e:
Assuming one were to give a false positive result, what recourse, if any, is available? How does one PROVE that they have not used TOS-violating software?

I'm not privy to false-positive rates, Sigun. That said, we're happy to admit an error should one occur. All one needs to do is calmly and rationally provide a detailed dispute to our Account Administration department. Best to include why you specifically believe you may have been penalized, whether or not your account's access is shared with anyone else, and if a possible compromise may have occurred and when.

Clearly stated arguments are key, as "WTH BLIZZ GG I HATE YOU! WHY DID YOU BAN ME?!" provides us no context or point of reference.


Edit:

Q u o t e:
you guys lose 5 million dollars

Should any of that potential revenue have been gleaned from illegitimate game play, then, yes, please keep the change.

Restating for emphasis (two points):

Q u o t e:
If you have not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

This isn't related to any non-automation add-on, Monistatus. "Quest Helper" is not the source of these closures—unless, of course, it's been paired with additional software which automates game play.

Edit: Clarifying so my words aren't twisted in a illogical fashion. :)

Continue to check your inboxes, folks, as well as your Spam Folder. It's possible correspondence may have been inadvertently routed or interpreted as Junk mail if not on an approved list.

Then patience is key, Flure.

Q u o t e:
i will or else i can also use the webform to contact account admin.

There's that, or you can open up a draft now using the account's registered email address. Send it to [email protected]; it'll achieve the same end. :)

Q u o t e:
like i said..blizzard are all monkeys

Says the chap likely missing an opposable thumb due to decay and general spoilage. ;)

Q u o t e:
Is there any way I can get my registered e-mail address? This is the first problem I've had in all the time I've had this account, so I don't remember the e-mail it is set to.

You'll want to contact Billing, Catcher. The webpage provided below should cover all the communication bases. :)

http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20606

Should you feel that your only path of pursuit, Fishy, then I wish you all the best. The fact that you do not wish to dispute this closure is somewhat unsettlingly, though, particularly given your objection to the accusation. =/

I hope you'll truly reconsider if the penalty was indeed unwarranted. We'll be happy to make amends.

Q u o t e:
Is it possible to see if an account has been banned without logging into WoW?

Have him attempt to access the forums or Account Management. Both prove a fairly reliable litmus test.

Restating for emphasis (two points):

Q u o t e:
If have not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

Q u o t e:
Syndri if your still around can you please check if email has been sent to my account

Indeed one has—though it's very probable that your particular letter may still be on the move. Given the number of notifications likely present, I wouldn't doubt there's a queue of some sort.

Feel free to check back with me later. I'll see if I can have something resent.

Q u o t e:
if i was usin one why would i be on the forums tryin to see what the problem is?

Because feigned naivety is a generic, almost standard form of rebuttal.

I'm not accusing you, Fishy, just stating the truth.

Q u o t e:
would you be in the least bit mad?

There's a difference between being frustrated and attempting to preempt accusation, Fishy; I'm not wishing to belittle the former. That you're so upset is truly regrettable, and I do apologize should you have been targeted inaccurately.

Even so, to answer your question further, why does anyone plead "Not Guilty" when the truth lay elsewhere? It's just a facet of humanity.

Q u o t e:
imo this is the worst possible time to ban accounts, you guys do know that AoC just came out right? If you had done this ban wave earlier, they all would have come back to WoW. Grats on losing even more to that game.

I'm sorry. I'd rather not support those who wish only to exploit our game and its intentions. Should this action prove untimely, so be it. Perhaps our environment will prove more genuine and—well, I suppose clean—because of it.

As a general note: Profanity will not be tolerated within this thread at all. Nor will useless statements survive with much dignity. You will receive one post deletion as a warning; after that, I will be providing brief suspensions to anyone who chooses to continue.

Q u o t e:
Just deleted my post....

Yes, I did. I expect a civil tongue in this thread and it seemed you'd left yours elsewhere temporarily.

Thank you, however, for restating your concerns without profane language, masked or otherwise. I appreciate it. :)

Enjoy your week off, Mavrix. And please do not disobey a moderator's request again.

Q u o t e:
btw tool, why was my account billed money for a month, then banned 14 minutes later? You edited out of my last post, unscrupulous business practices because age of conan is coming out?

My name's "Syndri," actually, but I can see how it may be easy to mistype it in such a way as to derive "tool." I forgive you, Ebonics. I know you'd never do such a thing on purpose. :)


Even so, it's massive coincidence; this particular action was not intentionally planned to sync up with your subscription renewal. All such penalties were issued at roughly the same time. Perhaps something can be worked with our Billing department, though those matters are best direct to our reps therein.

http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20606

Q u o t e:
So I get banned for a reason unknown to myself, *i already emailed wowaccountadmin* and my money gets literally stolen or in case of blizz's terms "because we have the right", if the ban is irreversible for whatever reason, please give me 15 dollars back so I can put that towards an age of conan game?

If that's what you want believe, sure.

Except, no. Not at all.

Should you believe we charged you in error, then I would encourage you to take this matter up with the appropriate department. Perhaps we can work something out. :)

Q u o t e:
Yeah, I think they are sharing information that should not be shared. Evasion of privacy.

You're incorrect. Not without cause, but still incorrect.

Specific actions that moderators herein may take to ensure the civility of this forum are indeed capable of being shared publicly. Particularly if such serves as a deterrent for similar behavior (and so long as such admissions do not include account details).

Q u o t e:
Perhaps you misunderstood, I asked you a question, I will also give you the benefit of the doubt that you wouldn't be sarcastic to a frustrated customer that just got banned (for what i feel is unjustly, and yes i already emailed wowaccountadmin) and got ripped off out of 15 bucks :) Because I know a customer service person wouldent intentionally harass a customer (apparently im a customer of an malfunctioning product)

You're going to believe what you want, Ebonics; I resign to that fact. I do, however, contest the point that we "stole" from you and yours. That was the nature of my statement. No more, no less.

And I've referred you to Billing twice. It remains, even now, the appropriate avenue for your subscription concerns.

Q u o t e:
Can the guy you banned even read the message saying he is banned for the week?

Aye. As well as though who believed my warning baseless.

As quickly as possible, Projectfire. There's no present turn-around or ETA available at present.

Restating for emphasis (two points, since they're still relative):

Q u o t e:
If you have you not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

Q u o t e:
Also when are you guys ever going to change my character on here?

As all forum data is pooled from The Armory, there's likely a syncing issue. Unfortunately, I have not the power to make your new iteration appear. =/

Happy to help, Darge. :)

Q u o t e:
Why isn't this at 26 pages yet?

Because 24 comes before 26.

You're silly.

You folk are likely going to get sick of me spouting this information, but it still holds sway. So bear with. :)

Restating for emphasis (two points):

Q u o t e:
If you have you not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

Inniquity, I'm a Game Master. I cannot overturn or review suspensions or closures. Thus, so long as your peers continue to inquire how best to have their cases investigated, I will continue to repeat myself. It's to their benefit and in their best interest.

You'll just have to grin and bear it in the meantime. It's rough, I know, but you'll survive somehow.

Q u o t e:
So for you to say GG to sydri, i say EPIC FAIL to you

<3 u too

Q u o t e:
Can you include a blurb about the actions to take if someone's account is keylogged and before they recover it the person who hijacked the account uses a bot, it seems a fair portion of the posts are from people who suffered this, and from what I gather from other threads I have read they can recover their accounts.

Should an account have been compromised and closed as a result, pursuing the matter through Account Administration remains the appropriate course of action, regardless.

Talk of restoration (as well as some incredibly helpful tips), however, are found herein:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=3773308319&sid=1

Once more, guys (for newcomers; they'll be trickling in all evening, I believe):

Restating for emphasis (two points):

Q u o t e:
If you have you not received an email, give it time. It's likely caught up in transition.

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

This is not a matter of add-ons or multi-boxing. Not empirically. The only way such may involved is if one specifically (or, I suppose, unknowingly) allowed an automation program to attach itself with either application or process.

Pushing through this AA is your most apt avenue to pursue.

I'm off, ladies and gents, but I leave in the capable and kind hands of Vrakthris; he'll take of you should you continue to have any questions and concerns.

Good luck. :)

Q u o t e:
Vrakthris, could I please get a response to my question regarding the Blizzard launcher above a few posts? I was under the impression that using the launcher prevented a 3rd party program from running that could alter the game in such a way to cause a ban. Is that a true statement? If the launcher was being used, would the reason for these most recent bannings have been detected by it?

Sorry, Valpappy.

The launcher can detect many different 3rd party programs and not run if they are present. It also can detect several known keyloggers and warn you. Unfortunately it can not detect all programs at all times because many of their creators know there are detection methods out there and work to circumvent them. We update as we can.

Q u o t e:
I told him about the unauthorized account use and feel responsible. Could you please help my friend or tell me anything he or I can do?

Bagelz, part of the dispute process it to verify the actions taken, we also check to see if the account was compromised at the time. If the account can not be verified as compromised while the violations took place the account actions will likely be upheld.

Q u o t e:

Either way, Blizzard you should really tell people the specifics of their ban. There are liars, but there are also people that don't know what the hell got them banned.

Dalnar, generally speaking people who have their accounts closed for such a reason know precisely why the account was closed. Some of them may use several different programs or cheats (botting, speed hacking, etc...), we are not inclined to give them specific information on which of their programs that we were able to catch and which one may have slipped through the cracks for now.

Q u o t e:
Downloading a sniffer on my computer... Really blizzard? Big Brother/ Patriot act anyone?

Read your Terms of Use.

Q u o t e:
WHEN RUNNING, THE PROGRAM MAY MONITOR YOUR COMPUTER'S RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM) AND/OR CPU PROCESSES FOR UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS RUNNING CONCURRENTLY WITH WORLD OF WARCRAFT. AN "UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM" AS USED HEREIN SHALL BE DEFINED AS ANY THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY "ADDON" OR "MOD," THAT IN BLIZZARD'S SOLE DETERMINATION: (i) ENABLES OR FACILITATES CHEATING OF ANY TYPE; (ii) ALLOWS USERS TO MODIFY OR HACK THE WORLD OF WARCRAFT INTERFACE, ENVIRONMENT, AND/OR EXPERIENCE IN ANY WAY NOT EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED BY BLIZZARD; OR (iii) INTERCEPTS, "MINES," OR OTHERWISE COLLECTS INFORMATION FROM OR THROUGH THE PROGRAM. IN THE EVENT THAT THE PROGRAM DETECTS AN UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM, BLIZZARD MAY (a) COMMUNICATE INFORMATION BACK TO BLIZZARD, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION YOUR ACCOUNT NAME, DETAILS ABOUT THE UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM DETECTED, AND THE TIME AND DATE THE UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM WAS DETECTED; AND/OR (b) EXERCISE ANY OR ALL OF ITS RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 6 OF THIS AGREEMENT, WITH OR WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO THE USER.
# WHEN THE PROGRAM IS RUNNING, BLIZZARD MAY OBTAIN CERTAIN IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER AND ITS OPERATING SYSTEM, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION YOUR HARD DRIVES, CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT, IP ADDRESS(ES) AND OPERATING SYSTEM(S), FOR PURPOSES OF IMPROVING THE PROGRAM AND/OR THE SERVICE, AND TO POLICE AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE EULA.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html

You granted us the right to look for signs that you are violating the agreement you made.

Q u o t e:
However if it is not detectable by the launcher, then I think that should be taken into consideration.

Unfortunately, Valpappy, what is on your computer is not our responsibility. Not really the point for this one though. If your son was actioned today the types of programs involved don't operate as keyloggers, trying to hide in the background; they are programs that were intentionally downloaded, installed and run.

Each time multiple people are actioned we generally receive several "it must have been my addon". I do not recall one time where this was actually true.

If he truly believes that he was actioned by mistake please have him contact Account Administration if he hasn't already. They are the only ones with the ability to review the case and decide to overturn the penalty if verified that an error was made.

Good luck.

Q u o t e:
So, how long exactly will blizzard take to fix there mistakes made today?!

So far no false positives have been found, Ninjapants, we'll gladly look into disputed cases and if a false positive is found it will be resolved. I think the question is, how long will it take people who were legitimately actioned to take personal responsibility for their actions.

Q u o t e:
Hey Vrak or whomever is monitoring this thread atm, if you can tell us (dunno if you can) should we be expecting some sort of "official announcement" regarding this botting ban wave in the next day or two? Just curious.

I'm not really sure, Alanonymous, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. If they do we'll likely find out about it at the same time. :)

Q u o t e:

um?

Hush you. :P I fixed it.

Q u o t e:
LOL Blizzard is going to regret doing this, there goes a large amount of income for them, plus the people that are leaving for Age of Conan, good job Blizzard. I think you gms might want to unban everyone, or your salarys may drop.

We'll risk it, Stunnershade. Money isn't everything especially when it comes from people who will blatantly violate the Terms of Use they agreed to. I'm almost certain that any new games coming out will have the same stance.

Q u o t e:
When you only have such a small amount of time to dedicate to this game which I did enjoy playing (while it lasted) , is it not fathomable to understand why people would resort to using *cough* 3rd party software??

Play World of Warcraft as it should be played or do not play it at all. Those who wish to exploit the game's mechanics and intentions—for whatever reason—are likely ill-fit for this community.

Point: If you cannot find enjoyment within our in-world environment without bypassing normal progression, then perhaps it's indeed time to look elsewhere.

I wish you luck.

Restating for emphasis:

Q u o t e:
Should you believe this not the case, please contact Account Administration. You may do so by simply replying to the notification sent or by proactively emailing [email protected]. We'll be happy to review any and all cases sent our way.

This is not a matter of add-ons or multi-boxing. Not empirically. The only way such may be involved is if one specifically (or, I suppose, unknowingly) allowed an automation program to attach itself with either application or process.

Pushing through this AA is your most apt avenue to pursue.




Emphasized further the more important bit.

A week or two (at most)? Possibly. Months? No.

Our Account Administration team is taking the necessary steps to ensure that all incoming disputes are handled with both care and mind to timeliness.

Q u o t e:
I wanted to know if bot bans are only done in mass ban sweeps, or if Blizzard looks into individual reports and bans offenders on a case by case basis.

Both.

No no. We treat every report both seriously and sincerely. No need to report multiplicatively. :)