Terrible Payment System

[Seif]

yeah I agree I wont be using C&B and if another payment option is not opened up by PS3 release, I might move on myserlf PSO2 is looking mighty good, and I could be playing the backlog of RPGs I have -.-

To be fair the billing system of PSU was borderline illegal. The only way to cancel a sub was to call a number NOT available on SEGA's official PSU website. It was handled by russian 3rd party company hired by Microsoft out of all things. Once I managed to get the woman speaking HEAVY Russian accent (she barely spoke basic English) to understand that I want to cancel my order she made me say on the record "I am pleased with the support Microsoft has offered me" before she agreed to cancel my order. (mind you while not speaking my native language)

So I'm not saying we should be happy with any kind of sketchy payment systems but I assure you it could be FAR worse.

[KaiKatzchen]

To be fair the billing system of PSU was borderline illegal. The only way to cancel a sub was to call a number NOT available on SEGA's official PSU website. It was handled by russian 3rd party company hired by Microsoft out of all things. Once I managed to get the woman speaking HEAVY Russian accent (she barely spoke basic English) to understand that I want to cancel my order she made me say on the record "I am pleased with the support Microsoft has offered me" before she agreed to cancel my order. (mind you while not speaking my native language)

So I'm not saying we should be happy with any kind of sketchy payment systems but I assure you it could be FAR worse.

Really? I played PSU and I didn't have to go though any of that. I cancelled everything in the site, didn't have to call anyone or anything...

Of course this was in the US, and I don't know if you're from the US so if you're from a different country then it might be different there. But in the US I didn't have to go though anything you mentioned above when dealing with PSU.

[Lerris]

You know, with as many replies as there are, and with as many views, you have to know that the mods have reported this to the dev team. My guess, and this is just a guess, is that someone on the FF14 teams was told by someone higher up, "No Comment."

Exactly this.
This is not a development issue, it is a billing issue, and so the dev team is in no position to respond as it has nothing to do with them.

[LillithaFenimore]

Exactly this.
This is not a development issue, it is a billing issue, and so the dev team is in no position to respond as it has nothing to do with them.

Then I guess we just keep bringing on the noise and for those who are serious about quitting if they don't change or offer a more secure option to pay...better stick to their guns...this goes for XIV and XI players. Hopefully boycotting will send a message to the ones who can comment and who can make decisions in regards to payments. Because tbh their form of billing is very shady. I don't mind the crysta method...however there are many who can't even use that form of payment and to say "tough luck to you guys"...well that's just wrong.

The dev team can't respond you are right, but hopefully the message is getting to the right people on this. Lets just keep the thread alive so they know that many mean business.

[Chocobits]

Exactly this.
This is not a development issue, it is a billing issue, and so the dev team is in no position to respond as it has nothing to do with them.

Perhaps the majority of us just posted in the wrong forum. Can you direct us to the Billing Department forums?

If not, the only venue SE has opened to us are the official dev forums, and so we'll continue to post our concerns here.

Also, I have requested forum features such as numbered DEV10XX tags or a subforum for these specific topics. All have gone unanswered.

I wonder, when people rally and picket outside of a building and cause a media stir, do the higher ups for the company summarily dismiss their concerns because they hadn't voiced their objections via the provided methods (which don't exist in this case)?

Since it is becoming increasingly apparent that our concerns are being summarily dismissed, do we need to raise a media stir? If so, what are some possible ways to do this? After pro gaming sites reported on the 18 hour FFXI Pandemonium Warden fight, the media caught wind and also made reports critical of SE. Where can we take our concerns to so that they will make a larger wave?

[Kailea_Nagisa]

if you have billing issues there is the SE customer support line, that would be more of a proper place to "make noise" then on forums that have nothing to do with billing.

[Chocobits]

if you have billing issues there is the SE customer support line, that would be more of a proper place to "make noise" then on forums that have nothing to do with billing.

So.. be on hold for 45 minutes to talk to someone that may or may not speak English, won't address any of your concerns that aren't in their scripted responses, and won't forward your feedback to anyone because they're an underpaid phone jockey?

No, this is a much better place to voice concerns because everyone has an opportunity to see and respond to the topic. If the devs are doing their jobs, they'll be passing these concerns to their higher ups. If the higher ups are doing their jobs, they'll be working on a way to regain player trust, which was supposedly their goal when they changed up the dev roster.

[Kailea_Nagisa]

So.. be on hold for 45 minutes to talk to someone that may or may not speak English, won't address any of your concerns that aren't in their scripted responses, and won't forward your feedback to anyone because they're an underpaid phone jockey?

No, this is a much better place to voice concerns because everyone has an opportunity to see and respond to the topic. If the devs are doing their jobs, they'll be passing these concerns to their higher ups. If the higher ups are doing their jobs, they'll be working on a way to regain player trust, which was supposedly their goal when they changed up the dev roster.

if the devs are doing their jobs? their job has nothing to do with billing issues, and is why we have not seen a response for it yet.

Billing issues are directed to phone support, I can tell ya if the support lines where flooded with WTF C&B calls, someone from billing would notice.

[Chocobits]

if the devs are doing their jobs? their job has nothing to do with billing issues, and is why we have not seen a response for it yet.

Billing issues are directed to phone support, I can tell ya if the support lines where flooded with WTF C&B calls, someone from billing would notice.

I'm noticing a pretty awful trend in large companies especially lately where each section/department is completely cut off from all others, in the interest of hyper-specializing to increase efficiency or something like that. And so it's natural for people, having heard this enough to mimic it in an attempt to explain it to others. And I do appreciate that, don't get me wrong.

It's just that customer satisfaction is the duty and responsibility of everyone in the company, from the guy emptying wastebaskets in the lobby all the way up to the top brass. Everyone that is involved in the company, and especially those in positions dealing directly with the public are expected to put forth their best effort to improve customer satisfaction.

Playing the hyper-compartmentalization game doesn't really benefit anyone, and it's usually an impedance in the very area it's targeted at: improving efficiency of each department. So it's really just a way to buffer responsibility away from anyone in a position of responsibility. "Oh, can't help you there; not my department."

[Viridiana]

I'm noticing a pretty awful trend in large companies especially lately where each section/department is completely cut off from all others, in the interest of hyper-specializing to increase efficiency or something like that. And so it's natural for people, having heard this enough to mimic it in an attempt to explain it to others. And I do appreciate that, don't get me wrong.

It's just that customer satisfaction is the duty and responsibility of everyone in the company, from the guy emptying wastebaskets in the lobby all the way up to the top brass. Everyone that is involved in the company, and especially those in positions dealing directly with the public are expected to put forth their best effort to improve customer satisfaction.

Playing the hyper-compartmentalization game doesn't really benefit anyone, and it's usually an impedance in the very area it's targeted at: improving efficiency of each department. So it's really just a way to buffer responsibility away from anyone in a position of responsibility. "Oh, can't help you there; not my department."

Like how there were months and months of posts on the Bug Report forums complaining that Pierce couldn't be equipped via macro which were all met with "We'll look into it." One person finally posted them on the Localization forums and got the response, "We'll have it ready by next patch" . . .