Terrible Payment System

[Rynithon]

I don't think any of us want click and buy, really wish they would change it to trusted US based company or do it like they did directly with Playonline.

[Chocobits]

I don't think any of us want click and buy, really wish they would change it to trusted US based company or do it like they did directly with Playonline.

Well, I don't think anyone wants to go back to PlayOnline either. I actually like the SE account management system because it finally allows us to have subscription based billing. No more getting charged $27.90 for a main + mule if you reactivate on the 31st of the month. They just need payment options added to the system. And I'm certain it's going to happen in the near future. I don't think SE is going to drop Click and Buy any time soon either, but I'm pretty sure we'll have an alternate payment option that the majority is going to settle on.

I also think CnB is going to prove how unreliable they are in the near future, trying to take on this extra volume of business and realizing they don't have the capacity to manage an account portfolio of this size. It's going to be a nuclear meltdown and it'll be the players who suffer the most, although SE is going to take its hits too when months of payments start bouncing or vanishing.

Although exact figures are hard to estimate, from my research it appears that Click and Buy currently employs less than 300 people based on their gambling site profiles. Oh by the way Click and Buy is also the payment gateway of choice for gambling sites worldwide. That would instill a bit more confidence in them right? I mean gambling sites are legit right? Guys?

So yeah, 300 employees are already handling transactions for 16,000 online stores and services, and they'd be taking on the brunt of SE's payment system on top of that because Crysta isn't even widely available without creating a fake address? Just curious who thinks.. this will work..?

[Rynithon]

Yeah that's crazy. So does the new system with FFXI prorate the sub now? I always felt they should of had that in place in the first place, like who doesn't prorate these days. Um yeah talk about unreliable, seems like I enter my password in 2 times wrong and is locked out and I have to call them or email them and wait. That is lost business. I was going to buy a few things from Square Enix store but forgot my password, then got locked out and couldn't get em. So just found the plush moogle on Amazon luckily from Square Enix there, but didn't buy the few extra items I was going to get on a whim.

They should really offer, Google Checkout, Paypal or team up with Amazon or something.

[Chocobits]

Yeah that's crazy. So does the new system with FFXI prorate the sub now? I always felt they should of had that in place in the first place, like who doesn't prorate these days. Um yeah talk about unreliable, seems like I enter my password in 2 times wrong and is locked out and I have to call them or email them and wait. That is lost business. I was going to buy a few things from Square Enix store but forgot my password, then got locked out and couldn't get em. So just found the plush moogle on Amazon luckily from Square Enix there, but didn't buy the few extra items I was going to get on a whim.

They should really offer, Google Checkout, Paypal or team up with Amazon or something.

Yes, the updated User Agreement indicates partial cycles will be prorated now. And your billing cycle starts the day you pay, not on a set schedule, so they can't conveniently lock out the system with a monthly maintenance on the first day of the billing cycle.

Here's an interesting tidbit that's been floating around but I don't think has made it to this thread yet:

FFXIV Blog Details Click and Buy Hidden Fees

Also of interest that I just found out! So almost everyone has seen this by now right? In the FAQ about the transferal of a PlayOnline account to a Square Enix account, the reason for the move is quoted thus:

In order to better safeguard the account security of PlayOnline users and provide a more streamlined account management experience, transfer of PlayOnline IDs to the Square Enix Account System will begin at the end of July, 2011.

So, how secure is this security? I did some digging and I found out some great news! It's pretty secure! Because the company Click and Buy partnered with to provide them card security services, Voltage Security Inc.. stole their cutting edge technology from another technology firm and they've been caught red handed!

Protegrity Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Voltage Security

As an attempt to invalidate the ‘201 Patent, Voltage Security requested the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reexamine the ‘201 Patent on December 1, 2010. Voltage based its Reexamination Request on specific prior art references that Voltage claimed should have prevented issuance of the ‘201 Patent in the first place.

In the Reexamination, Protegrity voluntarily submitted to the USPTO all of the other 180 prior art references identified by Voltage, Ingrian/Safenet or nuBridges in the patent litigation as purportedly invalidating the ‘201 Patent. Protegrity argued to the USPTO that all the claims of the ‘201 Patent asserted by Protegrity in the litigation against Voltage, Ingrian/Safenet and nuBridges, as well as 36 newly submitted claims, were patentable over all of the prior art references.

On July 5, 2011, the USPTO, after carefully reviewing all of the prior art references, confirmed the patentability of the asserted patent claims as well as the 36 new claims..

It's all there. Black and White. Clear as Crystal. You STOLE sir! Good DAY!

Companies of the same integrity seem to flock together. It's a beautiful thing. This is where we'll be sending our money people.

[Rowyne]

My husband finally cancelled his FFXIV account today due to a mysterious charge that showed up on our bank statement from Square Enix. It was a flat fee (I believe he said 12.99), plus a small international processing fee.

When he called SE customer service, the barely-English speaking CSR in the call center couldn't even tell him what the charge was for.

I'm pretty bummed about it, considering it was hard enough to get him to play with me. This game has really done nothing but annoy and frustrate him for almost a year and this was the final straw.

I don't feel very safe about these people having our credit card info now.

[Chocobits]

My husband finally cancelled his FFXIV account today due to a mysterious charge that showed up on our bank statement from Square Enix. It was a flat fee (I believe he said 12.99), plus a small international processing fee.

When he called SE customer service, the barely-English speaking CSR in the call center couldn't even tell him what the charge was for.

I'm pretty bummed about it, considering it was hard enough to get him to play with me. This game has really done nothing but annoy and frustrate him for almost a year and this was the final straw.

I don't feel very safe about these people having our credit card info now.

Aww that's really a shame. I know firsthand the ardors of trying to enlist loved ones to play. Us veteran players of FFXI are used to questionable billing and we rolled our eyes and put in the request for refund, which we hoped they would get around to processing in a year or so. You didn't dare try to charge it back or you'd get BANT for suspicious activity. I was really hoping the migration to the Square Enix account system was going to mitigate all those headaches. :/

[Rowyne]

Aww that's really a shame. I know firsthand the ardors of trying to enlist loved ones to play.

Thanks, Chocobits. /pouts

[Catapult]

This is the full info that the emony listing shows:

Basic Details For: 900024 - ClickandBuy International Limited

Current Electronic Money Status: Authorised Electronic Money Institution

Effective Date: 01/07/2011

Sub Status:

Principle Place of Business

Firm Address: Lincoln House, 137/143 Hammersmith Road, London, W14 0QL

Phone: 44 020 7605 0670

Fax: 44 020 7031 3001

Email:

Web: www.clickandbuy.com

Notices: Payment and E-Money Services are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Other Information:

Current Names

Registered Name: ClickandBuy International Limited Effective From: 17/06/2008 Effective To:

Trading Name: Effective From: Effective To:

Previous Name

Trading Name:

Registered Name:

Issuing E-Money and Payment Services Activities

Requirements:

Activities: a) Services enabling cash placement on a payment account

b) Services enabling cash withdrawals from a payment account

c) Execution of payment transactions (not covered by a credit line)

d) Execution of payment transactions (covered by a credit line)

e) Issuing payment instruments or acquiring payment transactions

f) Money remittance

h) Issuing electronic money

Passports

Passport Country: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden

Passport Directive: Second Electronic Money Directive

Passport Type: Freedom of Services

Passport Activities: Issuing Electronic Money

Disciplinary History (For firm, agent and individual)

Action Date:

Action Type:

Action Description:

Action Individual Name:

Waiver Direction Summary:

Waiver Handbook Rule Number:

Agent Name:

Agent Status:

Status Effective:

Agent Address:

Previous Agents

Agent Name:

Agent Status:

Status Effective:

Agent Address:

In June or July, each customer should have received an email (mine was in the gmail spam box) about an update to their terms and conditions. The e-money thing is why this happened and also why they are listed in the normal section as "no longer authorized" - they fall under e-money now instead.

Yes, I was worried about this at first as well, though it makes me no less wary of them.

[Chocobits]

Decided it wasn't worth it to keep this quoted.

This post wasn't all rainbows and ponies.

[SoraLeoyfaith]

Passport Country: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden

Wait that mean it not legal either in The U.S.A or Canada.... or many country too ... that is really not good ...