Early Access code - Wrong Region

[Gerkargeo]

Funny thing is... i don't think it matters what link you used. I think the code generation is tied to the region your account is set for, and by default when creating the account there, you are set for EU. Which is why so many people got EU codes instead of NA

The problem is before they fixed the preorder site, the site was incorrectly pointing NA people to EU thus sending people EU codes. That has since been fixed. New people going to the preorder page now will get their correct codes. Those who have already used the site before the fix, the database is still acknowledging that their preorder codes were used and keeps sending the same PSN code back to them even though the site is fixed. SE needs to find a way to wipe the database of theses region error preorder codes without wiping the ones that are fine, and allow them to use the preorder code again .

I think if they wipe the database of all preorder codes now, those who have the wrong codes can then try again and it will work. I'm betting that is what they are going to do today. They are just making sure the majority of people have gotten their codes in case that doesn't work.

[Romikemi]

SQEX made the mistake in the recent past of allowing people to unknowingly create accounts in systems designed for a region other than where the account holder lives. They're paying dearly for that in bad publicity because they've hit a subscription billing mega problem.

They're looking ahead to the monthly billing systems going live, and they've got EU-based players who have inadvertently created NA-based accounts that cannot be billed from Square Enix America systems, and vice versa, without causing a major finance and accounting tangle. So they have to come up with a way to get all the accounts migrated to the right regional systems and operating companies.

The complexity SQEX faces in their systems and why they can't issue out of region codes is because this is a P2P transaction problem that they have one day to sort out or face a wall of noise much bigger than 30 page threads.

[Kazielle]

SQEX made the mistake in the recent past of allowing people to unknowingly create accounts in systems designed for a region other than where the account holder lives. They're paying dearly for that in bad publicity because they've hit a subscription billing mega problem.

They're looking ahead to the monthly billing systems going live, and they've got EU-based players who have inadvertently created NA-based accounts that cannot be billed from Square Enix America systems, and vice versa, without causing a major finance and accounting tangle. So they have to come up with a way to get all the accounts migrated to the right regional systems and operating companies.

The complexity SQEX faces in their systems and why they can't issue out of region codes is because this is a P2P transaction problem that they have one day to sort out or face a wall of noise much bigger than 30 page threads.

Your post gave me shivers.

Sounds absolutely terrifying for everyone involved.

Some people got Euro keys. GMG decided to be "clever" and give you keys based on your IP address. If you were not overseas on vacation or business, or were not masking your IP when you purchased from them, you *should* be ok.

If you were inadvertently assigned a Euro key though, GMG will not refund or exchange, and SqEx will tell you there is "nothing" they can do. After a 5 hour wait in the support queue. Also, no amount of re-entering the 18 digit key for redemption on the SE site will produce an NA 20 digit key since you technically actually bought a Euro key. GG.

I'm a GMG 'victim' too, though I feel SE is most at fault for allowing any of this to happen in the first place. I don't know where I'm supposed to go from here. :\ I hate how much stress this has generated for me in the last couple of days. It's just a VIDEO GAME. This shouldn't be so hard! Normally I wouldn't let it get to me but.. I've been waiting eagerly for this game for months, and a bunch of my friends are set and ready to go. They're not all going to wait for me, so I'm going to be way behind if this isn't fixed in time :\ So frustrating. I don't remember the last time I felt so disrespected as a customer.

[Eder]

I'm a GMG 'victim' too, though I feel SE is most at fault for allowing any of this to happen in the first place. I don't know where I'm supposed to go from here. :\ I hate how much stress this has generated for me in the last couple of days. It's just a VIDEO GAME. This shouldn't be so hard! Normally I wouldn't let it get to me but.. I've been waiting eagerly for this game for months, and a bunch of my friends are set and ready to go. They're not all going to wait for me, so I'm going to be way behind if this isn't fixed in time :\ So frustrating. I don't remember the last time I felt so disrespected as a customer.

Kazielle, you should be able to get a preaccess code quite easily to get into the early access, there are so many people with "spare" keys, then sort out the retail key next week (either ideally by SqEx or by trading). The only problem is if you are in NA and have inadvertently signed up for a EU account... that would mean paying subs in Euro dollars which would suck... The only way out of that is to try and convince SqEx to change your account from EU to NA, and, well, I would have more hope about chocobos flying to be honest...

[Eder]

SQEX made the mistake in the recent past of allowing people to unknowingly create accounts in systems designed for a region other than where the account holder lives. They're paying dearly for that in bad publicity because they've hit a subscription billing mega problem.

They're looking ahead to the monthly billing systems going live, and they've got EU-based players who have inadvertently created NA-based accounts that cannot be billed from Square Enix America systems, and vice versa, without causing a major finance and accounting tangle. So they have to come up with a way to get all the accounts migrated to the right regional systems and operating companies.

The complexity SQEX faces in their systems and why they can't issue out of region codes is because this is a P2P transaction problem that they have one day to sort out or face a wall of noise much bigger than 30 page threads.

The problem stems from the fact that companies need to segregate the playerbase on region because of funding for the support centers and also because of an inequity in fees charged between regions (US prices and subs are usually among the cheapest, and in a true free market everyone would be buying from US).

This debacle has been compounded by their website redirection problems, and lack of tools for support staff to actually do any region changes, even when it's clear there is a problem. Not to mention they must be hiring all of 2 people to man the phones and chat support, as the 5 hour long queues can attest...

This is still a Japanese company though... customers are probably a lot more tolerant over there, and HQ is probably most concerned about pleasing the homeland playerbase first before attending to any other problems.

[DemonRay888]

1) Probably not. Indications are the retailer will be sending another retail code via email if you bought the digital download, and the code will be in print in the box if you bought a physical copy.
2) They have never done so for any of their other games so far, I don't see that changing. They also refuse to change your key if you have bought one that is from the wrong region.
3) 99% yes, version 1.0 was like that, so was FFXI

I am also a victim of GMG, was given a Euro key when I needed an NA key, and not allowed to exchange or get a refund. My only option is to risk a trade when I get my retail code, because I don't want to lose my existing longtime NA account and neither do I want to pay for subs in Euro currency. QQ I wish had never heard of GMG, if I had purchased from Amazon I would not have any problems right now, and if I had, I would be able to easily cancel for a full refund.

EDIT: A lot of people are confusing the issue with the temporary problem where they received EU pre-access codes due to a bug in the websites. That was just a temporary problem that has been resolved. The problem is, some of us have been duped into buying a wrong region key with no option of cancelling. SqEx refuse to do anything to rectify this.

Dude, we're on the exact same situation, from how it happened, what's happening now, and the feeling of regret. @Eder Do you want to make a thread dedicated to securing a region trade even before they start releasing the retail codes?

[Eder]

Dude, we're on the exact same situation, from how it happened, what's happening now, and the feeling of regret. @Eder Do you want to make a thread dedicated to securing a region trade even before they start releasing the retail codes?

I'm hoping against hope that they will relent and allow us a one-time change of region for the retail key. We have until end of the month after all. I plan to submit a support ticket as soon as I get the retail key, and see how they handle it. History says I will be disappointed, but I have to try, because trading keys is risky.

[oleum]

SOLUTION
Go to your amazon site .co.uk or .com whichever.
Preorder
Get email confirmation of order and code 2 mins later.
Go register the code
Cancel preorder
Sorted, you wont get billed.

[Eder]

SOLUTION
Go to your amazon site .co.uk or .com whichever.
Preorder
Get email confirmation of order and code 2 mins later.
Go register the code
Cancel preorder
Sorted, you wont get billed.

That works for preaccess, but what happens when Aug 30 rolls around?

[DemonRay888]

SOLUTION
Go to your amazon site .co.uk or .com whichever.
Preorder
Get email confirmation of order and code 2 mins later.
Go register the code
Cancel preorder
Sorted, you wont get billed.

Temporary solution. I did this a few hours ago out of desperation and frustration from wasting a few hours of my life trying to contact live chat and phone support just to be cut off the line and told that there's nobody there to talk to me in chat (why the hell did you make me queue for then?). Like what Eder said, once the retail keys start rolling out a day or two before the launch on the 27th, we will still get region locked to EU because the retail codes are sort of known to be region locked just like this early access debacle.

TY for sharing this with the others though ^^