Dev - Anyone from SE - Can we seriously please get a response to payment problems?

To the top. The free week is lovely, it'd be even lovelier if these issues were fixed by the time free week is over. My account has been off since Oct2 and I still can't reactivate it :(

We really need an update on this. The free week is starting to feel like the green mile for my friends who are being affected by this issue. This is really tearing my linkshell apart. Bring us some good news, Camate!

Hello,

I want to apologize for not being able to communicate this information to those of you facing payment issues sooner, but rest assured I've been keeping an eye on this thread.

I know how frustrating this may be for those of you who want to play, but are unable to due to the changes in our payment options. We assure you that we are working as swiftly as possible to add a PayPal payment option, and we ask for your continued patience as we work towards an exact implementation date for this service.

As soon as we have more details to share about additional payment methods, we will be sure to update all of you. Please hang in there just a bit longer!

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Originally Posted by Grekumah

Hello,

I want to apologize for not being able to communicate this information to those of you facing payment issues sooner, but rest assured I've been keeping an eye on this thread.

I know how frustrating this may be for those of you who want to play, but are unable to due to the changes in our payment options. We assure you that we are working as swiftly as possible to add a PayPal payment option, and we ask for your continued patience as we work towards an exact implementation date for this service.

As soon as we have more details to share about additional payment methods, we will be sure to update all of you. Please hang in there just a bit longer!

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Thank you for the update! :D I can't wait to play again.

Green mile.. that's pretty apt.. not to look a gift horse in the mouth but I'd be enjoying the free week and update a lot more if there wasn't the knowledge that at the end my accounts are gonna be off for good :/ Haven't been able to re-activate since my account turned off on October 2nd, I doubt that's going to change unless they fixed something.

I realize the reps on this forum are likely no more than messengers, but I hope you're somehow getting across just how shitty and terrible this is. Many people in my ls have quit and the rest of my friends are probably going to leave/move on to other things if I'm out of the game again for a long time. I don't really want to quit, but I feel like I'm being shoved out the door with it being slammed behind me. If paypal takes a long time to implement, there's likely not going to be a whole lot for people to come back to, me especially.

Seriously though, I hope the higher ups realize WoD is coming out this week (and they're doing an AMAZING job of marketing it, seen times square lately?) as well as other games and competition is fierce enough without many many players literally being forced to quit because they can't play :/

Here's my question to SE. Shouldn't the people unable to pay because of the faulty payment options be playing for free until the issue is resolved? It's just hurting everyone. Some of those subscribers are bound to not return. It harms the company and the community. I've payed for FFXI for 12 years and have no issues paying now but for those that can't, they should still be allowed to continue playing. The community is not the ones at fault over this but they're the ones that pay the price.

I've been pushing for free game time while they fix this out, but it's just not something SE is ever, ever going to do... especially since they've been vague and often won't even take the blame for the errors. (Probably 75% or more of the time they try and say it's the fault of the person/browser/bank etc). Even though most companies would hand out something free no matter who's error/fault it was.. unfortunately SE just doesn't bend that way.

The thing that irritates me most about this is that SE could have warned people who relied on paypal through ultimate pay that they should stock up on currency. Instead they said only ultimate game cards were being discontinued, so many, myself included, were caught off guard. It would have cost them nothing to give people a heads up before pulling the rug out from under their paying customers. Sometimes I wonder if they even want subscribers.

Yeah, that was a pretty huge bummer. I wouldn't have had a problem stocking up on max crysta on my chars had I known. :/

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Originally Posted by Grekumah

Hello,

I want to apologize for not being able to communicate this information to those of you facing payment issues sooner, but rest assured I've been keeping an eye on this thread.

I know how frustrating this may be for those of you who want to play, but are unable to due to the changes in our payment options. We assure you that we are working as swiftly as possible to add a PayPal payment option, and we ask for your continued patience as we work towards an exact implementation date for this service.

As soon as we have more details to share about additional payment methods, we will be sure to update all of you. Please hang in there just a bit longer!

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That's all well and good, but while people have been unable to play for upwards of a month, social groups are drying up and leaving. It shouldn't take this long to get a new payment method up and going, when there should have been knowledge at SquareEnix that they were getting rid of the payment option (I've seen posts dated in July on the forum that it would be going away, which someone dug up, but wasn't posted in the game news), which means they really knew it would be a problem 5 months ago, which is even worse for getting a backup option available. The longer this goes on, the more people will find another game to play and won't come back. It's also affecting FFXIV, so I'm surprised it wasn't jumped on faster.

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Originally Posted by Grekumah

Hello,

I want to apologize for not being able to communicate this information to those of you facing payment issues sooner, but rest assured I've been keeping an eye on this thread.

I know how frustrating this may be for those of you who want to play, but are unable to due to the changes in our payment options. We assure you that we are working as swiftly as possible to add a PayPal payment option, and we ask for your continued patience as we work towards an exact implementation date for this service.

As soon as we have more details to share about additional payment methods, we will be sure to update all of you. Please hang in there just a bit longer!

---

Can we have some sort of game card option as well? It's more accessible than Paypal.

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Originally Posted by Afania

Can we have some sort of game card option as well? It's more accessible than Paypal.

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Agreeing with this. XIV does have it. At least with XIV, I still have the option via that. But for XI, you're kinda stuck. :(

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Originally Posted by Afania

Can we have some sort of game card option as well? It's more accessible than Paypal.

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There was rixty which I was paying for 3 other accounts but it was removed when Ultimate Pay was removed.

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Originally Posted by Mnejing

There was rixty which I was paying for 3 other accounts but it was removed when Ultimate Pay was removed.

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Think what @Afania meant was the exclusive game time card like the 60 days time card that XIV produces, not the 3rd party game card.

Please have this fixed by the end of free week ;; you've had so much time to work on it already.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

Think what @Afania meant was the exclusive game time card like the 60 days time card that XIV produces, not the 3rd party game card.

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That would only work if you aren't planning to transfer servers or in 14's case rename characters, no extra retainers and etc.

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Originally Posted by Mnejing

That would only work if you aren't planning to transfer servers or in 14's case rename characters, no extra retainers and etc.

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lol

You do realize that XI doesn't have cash shop, unlike the recent-added one in XIV. And neither does those additional services like retainers, fantasia, namingway, etc.

There's only world transfer service, but I don't think ppl like to move around them alot. ^^;

I went through an insane amount of trouble to go and get a different credit card that wasn't tied to my bank.

I either have some stupid, unreasonably long block on my accounts or something is seriously wrong with your system. Still get 401 while trying to buy crysta and 601 while trying to register.

Highly disappointing but looks like I am out for good at the end of free week if this isn't fixed :(

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

lol

You do realize that XI doesn't have cash shop, unlike the recent-added one in XIV. And neither does those additional services like retainers, fantasia, namingway, etc.

There's only world transfer service, but I don't think ppl like to move around them alot. ^^;

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Point of the post was pointing out the obvious flaws in creating a time card, that's why the 3rd party game card option (UGC and Rixty) was better since it was converted into crysta rather than extending your sub.

Do you know what really annoys me, my account runs out of crysta last night and obviously I get another 401 error as I have on two other accounts, however the free login campaign is still ongoing but it won't let me login so everyone who hasn't paid in ages gets a week free to play and I don't because my crysta ran out last night and your silly system won't let me top up and no free week for me either how nice.

This is two of my accounts locked out now one is coming up to two weeks the other went last night and another one is due on the 17'th it's on the same se id as one of the others who I can't add crysta too, so once again i'm going to loose another account.

This is beyond a joke now you have had months to sort this issue but you would rather mess your customers around and the reply in this thread is no help "give us a little more time" how much time is a little time a day, a week or another two months ? It shouldn't take more than one day to add paypal to your own website but no, why do i get the idea you're looking for a third party company to take it through again. If you insist on this third party crap please make sure they take some form of payment card such as ukash or the ones mentioned above because ultimate pay used to also block paypal payments, I really don't get why this is taking so long or why a company is pushing it's own customers away but bravo se bravo you really how outshined yourselves this time.

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Originally Posted by Mnejing

Point of the post was pointing out the obvious flaws in creating a time card, that's why the 3rd party game card option (UGC and Rixty) was better since it was converted into crysta rather than extending your sub.

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Again, the only flaw I see for exclusive game time card are the world transfer service, since from what I see, there's no form of cash shop or additional services in FFXI. It does become a major flaw in XIV, not just other cash shop & additional services, but also those XIV players who has legacy billing. And yes, I am one of those XIV legacy players who suffers from this.

But as for XI, at least this game time card might be a good solution, given there's never be a discounted billing prices like what legacy players in XIV had. And according to some friends who's not a legacy player, prices on those game time card are actually quite worth it and cost slightly less than what you pay directly.

Unless... you like to hop between server really alot tho... lol

The problem with gamecards is they don't allow for the extra costs of mules/retainers. If they want to make gamecards a thing, they're going to have to do away with the price tag on those things or make varying prices of game cards which seems annoying.

Starting to look like they aren't going to have this fixed by the time free week is over :< Not getting my hopes up for a last min announcement on monday.

C'mon, square! Have this fixed before free week is over!

https://38.media.tumblr.com/64176f6f...83aeo1_500.gif

My final account will go down tomorrow night at midnight. What is the point in me even playing now because i know for a fact this useless company won't have any extra billing options ready by tomorrow.

Prove me wrong se, have everything set up by tomorrow so the people who can't play but want to play can do so.

If it doesn't happen im gone for good im not been messed around by you lot any longer, you may not care and other players will probably just mock but who cares i will be done this is really beyond a joke and for a company of your size unacceptable.

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Originally Posted by Angrymithra

this is really beyond a joke and for a company of your size unacceptable.

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Sometimes I genuinely wonder if employees of SE ever become embarrassed of how terribly the company they represent and work for is run. I know I would be. Unless there's some sort of miraculous announcement tomorrow as the free week ends, I'm done with ffxi (not like I have a choice) and square in general. If it takes them more weeks/months to fix this what's left of my LS is going to scatter and move on (not that I blame them or expect any different), people I've been playing with for years, in some cases since 09-10. I really have no desire to come back to this dying game with no friends left to play with.

I realize at this point I'm pretty bitter and probably sound pretty bi***y but this really is so pathetic that it's borderline embarrassing. I almost pity square. These payment issues (401/601 etc) have been going on since at least Sept 2013 (possibly earlier), affecting thousands of customers causing many to quit, and in October of this year they remove Paypal with zero notice and 6 weeks later there still isn't a replacement, causing even more people to quit (or be forced to quit). What a freaking joke.

Here's a little context/comparison for you all, I was having some issues buying WoD from Blizz. Got some payment error on their site and it wouldn't go through. (Note this is NOTHING to do with my CC and was a huge problem for a lot of people on their part). Not only was my ticket responded within a few hours outlying not only the problem but what the exact solution was, but the error was fixed within half a day and I was able to buy it.

Jeanna i feel so bad for you with how long this has been happening to you without any kind of resolution, it all started for me just a couple of weeks ago and it's already driving me crazy so don't worry about sounding bitch which you don't but you would have every right.

We both can hope that tomorrow when we wake up some new payment system is ready to go live but i doubt it :(.

The worst part about all this is being kept completely in the dark. No one has any clue if it's going to be fixed next week or next year. The lack of information from square and their total seemingly lack of regard for the customers is what makes this so bad. How hard is it to either say, "Hey, we should have this fixed within a month, come back and check then" or "We're working on hooking up with another shady third party site that's probably going to cause as many problems as it fixes and is probably going to take us 3-4 months, come check back then". Having someone pop in and say "soon" and having nothing for 36 days after "soon" is ridiculous. Stop lying to us, stop humoring us, and just let us know what the hell is going on.

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Originally Posted by Jeanna

The worst part about all this is being kept completely in the dark. No one has any clue if it's going to be fixed next week or next year. The lack of information from square and their total seemingly lack of regard for the customers is what makes this so bad. How hard is it to either say, "Hey, we should have this fixed within a month, come back and check then" or "We're working on hooking up with another shady third party site that's probably going to cause as many problems as it fixes and is probably going to take us 3-4 months, come check back then". Having someone pop in and say "soon" and having nothing for 36 days after "soon" is ridiculous. Stop lying to us, stop humoring us, and just let us know what the hell is going on.

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100% agreed and to further add they even have paypal as an option when your purchase games from there online store, how long would it really take them to put the se account website under maintenance and add paypal as an option it should take no more than 24 hours the whole thing stinks.

If they are worried about somone paying for the month then recalling the money on paypal simply lm-11 them until they repay.

XIV's SE golden child now. And from what I see on the Adoulin story closure, it felt rushed, as if SE trying to get over this as quick as possible.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

XIV's SE golden child now. And from what I see on the Adoulin story closure, it felt rushed, as if SE trying to get over this as quick as possible.

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Isn't this problem happening to a lot of the XIV players too?

Regardless, it's definitely no way to run a business in any sense.

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Originally Posted by Angrymithra

If they are worried about somone paying for the month then recalling the money on paypal simply lm-11 them until they repay.

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You can just as easily file a chargeback on credit card and you do get banned if that happens.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

XIV's SE golden child now. And from what I see on the Adoulin story closure, it felt rushed, as if SE trying to get over this as quick as possible.

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XIV's got the same issue. They've got a thread on their forum from September 2013 to now with over 100 pages. While they do have timecards, it screws over people who have Legacy because they can't get the discount.

Get this sorted out come on, in a few hour i'll lose my last account and the ability to post on here.

I really don't know what is taking so long, well at least everyone can see the shambles for customer service this company has hopefully at some point down the line it costs you business.

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Originally Posted by Angrymithra

Get this sorted out come on, in a few hour i'll lose my last account and the ability to post on here.

I really don't know what is taking so long, well at least everyone can see the shambles for customer service this company has hopefully at some point down the line it costs you business.

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As long as you don't sign out or try to view your profile, you can continue to post from your computers you have logged in on before expiration. Doing either expires your cookies on all systems and locks you out. I posted for months with my FFXI account inactive while fighting for my region change, until I accidentally viewed my profile and expired my login.

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Originally Posted by Seillan

Isn't this problem happening to a lot of the XIV players too?

Regardless, it's definitely no way to run a business in any sense.

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Originally Posted by Vasch

XIV's got the same issue. They've got a thread on their forum from September 2013 to now with over 100 pages. While they do have timecards, it screws over people who have Legacy because they can't get the discount.

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Well... yes it does, and I'm also one complaining there too. But XIV still has their exclusive game time card which would works even though it's more expensive than legacy billing that I have. There's also extra billing that game time card can't handle such as additional services like retainers/namingway/phantasia or cash shop for buying minion and stuff, but that is something I (and even most of ppl) can live without.

XI on the other hand, are completely stuck without CC/DC billings. And they don't even have exclusive game time card too.

And that's not all. XIV has been offering cumulative billings like quarter or half year billing which is way cheaper compared paying it monthly. Sadly, XI only has monthly billings, which they should seeing that this game are getting older.

Bye-bye Q___________________________Q

I'm done trying to fight for this. I've played the game for a very long time and enjoyed my time in it, but SE is a horribly run company that doesn't value their customers in the least. The things I've done for the last month and a half and the amount of frustration I've been through has just soured me to the point where I really don't give a shit anymore. I doubt even a years worth of free time could get me to come back to this game, let alone any square product/game in the future.

Anyone who still actually has the desire to play this game and is still having issues, good luck. I hope they do actually fix stuff soon. (Although personally I wouldn't be holding my breath).

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Originally Posted by Jeanna

Bye-bye Q___________________________Q

I'm done trying to fight for this. I've played the game for a very long time and enjoyed my time in it, but SE is a horribly run company that doesn't value their customers in the least. The things I've done for the last month and a half and the amount of frustration I've been through has just soured me to the point where I really don't give a shit anymore. I doubt even a years worth of free time could get me to come back to this game, let alone any square product/game in the future.

Anyone who still actually has the desire to play this game and is still having issues, good luck. I hope they do actually fix stuff soon. (Although personally I wouldn't be holding my breath).

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awww... that sucks. This game is too wonderful to let go. Hope you got your issues resolves. ^^;

Jeanna, you are a really nice person and skilled player in the game. I'm sorry this has happened to you and your ls. I did a few things with you guys previously and could see how this is devastating to your group of friends.

Unfortunately for me, I went to subscribe since the free week was ending today. I got hit with a 601. I googled 601, since there was no real information given.

I discovered an answer stating that it's usually when the billing address is incorrect. So I checked mine and found it was out of date. I corrected it and started getting 401 errors. Anyone following this thread knows what that entails and that I, of course, assumed I had incorrectly entered my credit card. So I entered it again. And a 3rd time. I scratched my head.

I tried my other credit card. Still denied with 401.

I browsed around and found I'm likely screwed from enjoying XI any time soon. A very large bummer, as not only was I going to return, but my significant other as well.

The very least Square can do before making other options available is EDITING THE ERROR TEXT TO MAKE IT LESS ESOTERIC. Please do so shortly so that more players aren't affected by this backwards system we are stuck using.

EDIT: And here's the really stupid thing. After reading about this issue for the past few hours, I came upon a few posts urging people to simply try buying Crysta through Internet Explorer, with no Add-Ons running. It worked like a charm first time. I was hesitant because I had received a few 401 errors and didn't want to block myself for 30 days. However, this all seemed ridiculous since I had paid for the game with this same card previously with no issues.

I noticed when I payed via IE, a GlobalCollect animation appeared that I did not see in Chrome.

Evidently, this error can happen when the server receives an incorrect value from the web browser. Why it's lumped together like it is with other issues is beyond me.

So if you are not seeing that animation appear, give a bare bones browser a shot.

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Originally Posted by Sfchakan

So if you are not seeing that animation appear, give a bare bones browser a shot.

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I just went and tried all of this. It worked this time. I was able to add 2600 crysta to my account.

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Originally Posted by Xaphina

I just went and tried all of this. It worked this time. I was able to add 2600 crysta to my account.

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I think that's the method I had read about on the XIV forums (using a barebones browser I mean) to circumvent the issue, but I figured it was only working for a select few. I'd say it's worth a shot for anyone dealing with this issue; assuming of course that your account isn't locked out due to SE's lack of transparency on the issue. You'd think the least they could do is add a freaking disclaimer alerting people that they'll be locked out if they continuously try to resubmit their information. The lack of punctuality and professionalism on this issue is truly baffling, especially for a company that went out of their way to bring a previously failed project (XIV) back from the brink of death after admitting their mistakes and rectifying them. Come on SE -- get with the program!