Eternal Bonding & Forced Downgrading

[Nyalia]

... wow, thanks for posting this! I thought, like many others, that it only referred to the ceremony as downgrading, not the rewards too. I was going to get the platinum and my wife was going to get the gold, but now, looks like we both have to do the same. That is NOT clear on the site and NOT said anywhere on the site. Everywhere it just says the ceremony will downgrade to the lowest tier, which is very different from the rewards. We don't care about the ceremony - we already had that in real life. I just want a fancy dress.

Since $40 is too much to pay for a glamour item, I'm "glad" SE has decided to allow legal RMT to take place. I have tons of gil - guess where I'll be spending it? Also, maybe if I can find some gullible people, I can make some gil off the new cash shop legal RMT. Buy 10 metallic dyes for $10, sell the dying of items for 1m gil each, then buy promise wristlets for 5m gil each. $10 to get $40 of content - that'd be sweet!

[Nyalia]

If this is working as intended, it is actually definitely illegal in the US according to our customer protection laws. It's called False Advertising. They say that if you buy this thing, you can get these things. They even have a list of the things you get with each plan. However, you don't get those things. I believe that this can be used as the basis for a class action lawsuit if they do not give restitution of their own volition (IANAL).

From the website:

* You can only receive one promise wristlet per application. Both you and your partner must have identical promise wristlets to undertake the quest "The Ties that Bind." You can either purchase wristlets separately, or one person can buy both and give one to his or her partner.

* Please be warned that, when equipped, these items can gain spiritbond. A promise wristlet cannot be traded once it gains spiritbond.

* In the event both you and your partner have different promise wristlets equipped, the wristlet of lesser value (standard < gold < platnium) will take priority when making arrangements for the ceremony.

However, the quest clearly allows you to start without identical wristlets, so the first bulletpoint is just wrong. The third bullet says that the plan will be downgraded when making arrangements for the ceremony. The fact that that third bullet exists implies that you can have different plans, despite what the first bullet says. However, the ceremony itself is done at the level of the lowest plan. Where does it say that the rewards will be downgraded as well as the ceremony? I'm not seeing it anywhere.

From elsewhere on the site:

* Players who select the platinum plan will receive both vestments of devotion and vestments of passion.

* Please note that the vestments of passion and devotion have different dyeable patterns.

There it says that if you purchase the platinum plan, you will get both sets of gear. It does not say that your partner must also have the platinum plan, just that buying the platinum plan will get you the attire.

Ceremony Service Plans

In order to hold a Ceremony of Eternal Bonding, players must submit an application via the FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station.

You can choose from one of three plans: standard, gold, and platinum. While the gold and platinum plans will incur a fee, they also include a number of additional options including venue customization and mounts.

Standard Plan
The entry-level ceremony plan. Includes eternity rings, ceremony attire, a special emote, a special furnishing item, and special hairstyles.

Gold Plan
In addition to the features included in the standard plan, the gold plan offers dyeable ceremony attire, a special ceremony chocobo, carpeting and flower color options, and additional options for the ceremony's procession and recession.

Platinum Plan
In addition to the features included in the standard and gold plans, the platinum plan offers additional dyeable ceremony attire, and additional color options for carpeting and flowers.

Nowhere does it say that both must have a given plan to obtain the listed rewards.

From another part of the website:

When the ceremony has ended, you may report to Claribel to complete the special quest "The Ties that Bind" and receive rewards according to your service plan.

There it clearly says "according to your service plan." Not the lowest value of you and your spouse's, your service plan.

Lastly, the Mog Station description of the item's conditions and restrictions:

The Ceremony of Eternal Bonding is a special rite of passage for two individuals wishing to pledge each other a lifetime of devotion. Only those who have proved their commitment through a long and perilous quest will be granted access to the Ivory Chapel where they will be united in the divine light of the Twelve. Both you and your partner must have a promise wristlet in your possession to undertake this quest.

The platinum plan provides special attire (two sets), an emote, a special furnishing item, new hairstyles, a mount, allows the in-game purchase of ceremony favors, and grants guests a gift after the reception. For further details regarding the ceremony, and bonuses granted by each ceremony plan, please refer to the special site for the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding.

* To undertake the special quest, "The Ties that Bind," players must first complete the main scenario quest "The Scions of the Seventh Dawn."
* Before undertaking this quest, both you and your partner must be equipped with a promise wristlet, which requires a class at level 50.
* This item can be traded to another player. Upon accepting the quest, however, the wristlet will become untradable.
* You cannot possess more than one promise wristlet at a time. If you wish to purchase a pair of wristlets, you must first buy one and trade it to your partner before purchasing a second for yourself.
* The options available for planning your ceremony are contingent upon the type of promise wristlet you have equipped when accepting the quest. For further details, please refer to the special site for the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding.
* This item will be distributed to a single character on the selected account.

Nowhere in there does it say that you both must have the same plan to get the rewards listed. It says you both need a promise wristlet, not a promise wristlet of the same tier. Heck, on this page, it even says that the options available sync to the type of promise wristlet you have equipped when accepting the quest, implying that you can use the platinum plan arrangement options regardless of what your partner has.


So, in conclusion, there's only one place on the entire pair of sites (the Eternal Bonding site and the Mogstation) where it mentions using the lesser of the two plans, and it specifically says it uses the lesser plan when making the arrangements for the ceremony itself (BGM, decoration, etc). It never once mentions that the rewards or bonus items also sync to the lesser of the plans.

I just went through the purchase process up to the point where I have to enter my credit card info. Nowhere did it give me any sort of warning that the purchase will be invalidated if I start the quest with someone who has a lesser plan. If it tells you in game after you make the purchase, then that's actually worse. That's a practice called "Hidden Charges" - they tell you that if you pay this much money, you get this thing. Then, you find out that you actually need to pay twice that much to get it after having already spent the money.

Those of you who insist the sites clearly state that you will not get the platinum rewards if your partner does not also have a platinum plan, please tell me where, and quote it. I can't find it, and I'm actively looking for it, which is a bad sign.

[Merle]

Text

Just perfect, i couldn't say it better

[Roris]

If this is working as intended, it is actually definitely illegal in the US according to our customer protection laws. It's called False Advertising.

B-b-b-b-but muh T-T-Terms of Service.

[Mardel]

See the difference is I looked at this and researched before doing stuff instantly...

Note:
1. Red Square Area, says you need the same plan.
2. Note the steps above show you do quests AFTER (you show the bracelets.)
3. If the bracelets dictate the quest... this means your items are tied to the quest.
4. If your quest is the "downgraded" version you would get the down graded items.

Fix: (Which SE should do anyways because I want multiple HQ dresses to dye/vanity metallic purchased colors)
1. Just make the platinum/gold items purchasable via CALAMITY SALVAGER if your character was flagged as purchasing the plan AND you have completed the quest.

I think a bigger glaring issue is... if you toss the dress you can't get it back from the calamity savager.

[Nyalia]

B-b-b-b-but muh T-T-Terms of Service.

Haven't courts ruled that ToS agreements are not legally binding simply by being ToS agreements that you clicked yes to? In Bragg v. Linden Research, inc (a case relating to Second Life), it was put forth that ToS agreements are not binding when they are contracts of adhesion ("take it or leave it" agreements) (again, IANAL).

1. Red Square Area, says you need the same plan.
2. Note the steps above show you do quests AFTER (you show the bracelets.)
3. If the bracelets dictate the quest... this means your items are tied to the quest.
4. If your quest is the "downgraded" version you would get the down graded items.

Where does it say that the rewards will be downgraded as well as the ceremony? I only see the ceremony mentioned. You may know that the ceremony planning (the quest) itself is what dictates the rewards, not how much you paid, but that is not implied anywhere on this website. The site clearly says that the platinum plan brings with it certain rewards, and if your partner has a lesser plan, the ceremony planning is downgraded. There is no linkage here. If you're using just the website to determine how much it will cost you, and then you purchase the items based solely on the information here believing it to be complete, you will be screwed. This is simply not legal. It really isn't.

Also, where is the notice on the Mogstation when you are purchasing the actual wristlets that you need the same as your spouse? It's not there. There's a link to the Eternal Bond site, but that's it.

[Roris]

Haven't courts ruled that ToS agreements are not legally binding simply by being ToS agreements that you clicked yes to? In Bragg v. Linden Research, inc (a case relating to Second Life), it was put forth that ToS agreements are not binding when they are contracts of adhesion ("take it or leave it" agreements) (again, IANAL).

Yup, pretty much. Just wanted to throw that out there because I know at least one person would try to dismiss the whole thing by saying ToS like it means anything legally.

[ChazNatlo]

At a guess, the important word in the sentence was "planning" not "ceremony". during the process for planning the ceremony, if one person doesn't have a marriage item up to par with the other, it gets downgraded.

That isn't to say the system isn't silly and people shouldn't lose money because they made what has shown to be a very simple misreading.

I'm going to be travelling to Hawthorne hut every so often to make PSAs so people don't get screwed.

[RakaMaimhov]

Putting different tiers of eternal bondage in the cash shop and automatically downgrading the people who PAID MONEY to the level of those who didn't or paid LESS is a total fiasco.

The entire system should have been 100% free and 100% customizable from the start.

No extra money required.

[Linadae]

Putting different tiers of eternal bondage in the cash shop and automatically downgrading the people who PAID MONEY to the level of those who didn't or paid LESS is a total fiasco.

The entire system should have been 100% free and 100% customizable from the start.

No extra money required.

I love you...and can I vote to have you advise Yoshida before he comes up with anymore of his 'brilliant' ideas?