Re: Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

by ivrognard
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Original Post

Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

[ Edited ]
★ Novice

 

Good afternoon.

Long time EA GAMES player, new to ORIGIN so please pardon me if I dont understand things well.

 

I purchased THE SIMS 3 + EXPANSION PACKS through eBay seller CRISPNATHA back in Jan 2017 and made payment by PAYPAL:

"Sims 3 Complete Collection + 19 Content and Stuff Packs! (PC, MAC, ORIGIN CODES)"

 

Redeemed the codes on EA ORIGIN.  Codes worked and authorized without an issue.

Thought I would be happy ever after.

Played the game for 150+ hours over this half year (we love this game btw).

 

Then a couple of weeks ago, the game couldnt launch.

Checked my ORIGIN account and Baam~

All the EXPANSION PACKS were removed from my account.

(*the main game itself still seems to be in my account.)

 

Needless to say, I chatted with EA agents.

Then the first email reply I got from EA was 

"EA.com Terms of Service Violation

After reviewing your case, we found that your game was disabled due to a chargeback against your account.
A chargeback may occur if a game code has been purchased from an unauthorised source and/or if you have initiated a chargeback. You can resolve this issue by contacting the retailer.".
 
Terms of Service Violation? Me? chargeback? what are these?

Well needless to say, tried to contact the seller on eBay, Paypal, and EA.

 

Seller: no reply, gone like wind.

Paypal: we are sorry the case is over 180 days.  Thank you for your report.  However, we received other similar reports from the seller involved in suspicious activities (Phone operator was actually quite surprised EA could just take my games away from me without my agreement).

EA, 2nd time:

"EA.com Terms of Service Violation

After reviewing your case, we found that your game was purchased from a third-party retailer who has requested that the code should be disabled.
You can resolve this issue by contacting the retailer."

 

 

 

First, I have been playing the game for 150+ hours on ORIGIN.  I thought I paid for and own the games, not the seller.

Second, I have never initiated chargeback, return, refund, or anything like that.

Third, as Paypal pointed out, it is the Seller that has suspicious trade activities, not me.

 

EA should spend more effort in investigation, not just push customers around "contact retailer".

If those are unauthorised code, EA should have told me earlier, not after 180 days.

If the seller still own the games and can call them back anytime, it is just like telling you you bought a car from dealer, paid for it, drive it and then half year later your car is gone because the dealer wants it back you dont even get a dime back.

 

I am therefore posting my personal experience around here.

If EA is reading this, please review your policies about you can take away games from any gamers without prior agreement and get this case sorted out right.

Your service have no buyer / user protection.

If someone ask me Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

I would say from my recent experience, Yes, and a really bad one.

S-brand online gaming from now on, and no more EA GAMES they probably too busy to care about you.

Message 1 of 5 (788 Views)
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Re: Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

@PPLd1200 buying games from unauthorized sellers can lead to that situation. There is a strong possibility that the seller used a stolen card. Bottom line you were scammed.

 

Outside the Origin store, here is the list of the authorized resellers for the EA games:

 

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/where-to-buy-ea-games-v2/

 

EA can't help with something that happened between you and a private person - ebay users aren't an authorized reseller for any games, for good reasons. Reading the answers, things probably happened like this: the person that sold the games to you used a stolen credit card. At some point, the shop was notified by the bank and they had to take action (probably paying damages to the frauded owner and by disabling the games that were paid with a stolen credit card). Hence, EA was notified and had to comply. The only thing that you can do is to report the user on ebay and to PayPal and they will probably try to block him at some point.


PayPal already pointed that they have more reports of fraudulent activity on the user.


EA can't investigate a third party retailer, as they are not the police. Also, the games weren't bought from their shops or from an authorized reseller. As EA got no money from the transaction, they can't follow the money, either. And the card being probably stolen (re-read the PayPal answer carefully), wouldn't help much, too.

 

Sorry for what happened to you, but that kind of things happen when you get things from shady places (and, yes, ebay is considered shady as they do not check properly the sellers and the transactions). Stick with the authorized sources, document yourself properly (that's what i always do when i am shopping online) and even then look for anything suspicious (my places to go for games are: Origin, Ubisoft official store, Steam, Bundle Stars, Humble Store, gamersgate, Amazon and GOG, as those places are authorized resellers for a lot of publishers or are the official stores; as for retail, the large retail chains like Walmart, Newegg and so on are also relatively safe, unless an employee decides to do something stupid).

 

Again, sorry for your bad experience, but the world is full of people that look to take advantage over the less knowledgeable people. So, you need to play it safe and have a decent amount of paranoia and suspicion. Frown

I do not work for EA and i am not associated with the company in any way. I am a player just like you, trying to help wherever i can.I will not answer to any unsolicited PM.

Message 2 of 5 (768 Views)

Re: Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

[ Edited ]
★ Novice
Hi,

Thanks for the reply.
I appreciate the tips.

If what you said is true (fake card etc), then EA must be doing a poor job in telling me the truth and informing customers.

They said the seller had requested to take back my expansion packs, not authority or EA themselves.

I dont remember being notified by EA on any matter either.

So may i ask EA to tell us what exactly happened - how could some seller request to take back a game anytime he already sold? If yes, then good luck ORIGIN players.
Message 3 of 5 (759 Views)

Re: Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

★★★ Guide

The seller EA are referring to is likely not the seller who sold you the games. The seller EA are talking about is probably the seller who sold the games originally to the person who then sold them on to you.

 

If your seller bought them with the intention of selling them on and then performing a chargeback, the original seller would be the one to request the keys are revoked.

 

Unfortunately this kind of thing happens a LOT (and not just on Origin, all of the major services have the problem including Steam, Uplay, Xbox Live and PSN), especially with games bought on Ebay and other CD key market sites. That's why it's best to stick to official outlets when buying games.

Message 4 of 5 (746 Views)

Re: Is EA ORIGIN a joke?

The original seller (the store from where the ebay scammer got the games) probably asked EA to disable them when they've found out that the fraudster used a stolen card. And seeing the PayPal answer, the person that scammed you (and probably other bargain hunters) is now already on the authorities radar, as you were not the only person scammed by him. PayPal answer points that you are not the first, sadly.

 

EA had to comply with the request of the original store, though, yes, a proper notification would have been better. But again, neither Steam, nor uPlay don't do that, unless you ask for it. Plus, i am pretty sure that the bank cancelled all the charges, when the real owner of the card noticed that his/her money were gone and notified them. As, probably , a police investigation might be in place, things are not exactly out in the open. You can go to the police and make a complaint about the user, but it will probably take time until they catch that person, as the online fraud is not that easy to trace. It would still help if more people are involved, as when there are more complaints, police tends to move the case on the priority list.

 

Sadly, EA, just like you, is another victim. People that are stealing credit cards in our days use them in online frauds, as this type of fraud is harder to trace.

 

Games from third parties reseller are a way to launder the money and make them legit. Those people are collecting the money in a different account which they are emptying it after a while and than run with the money, starting a new in another place, with new identities and so on. The plague of the modern days...That's why i avoid buying online and i prefer cash.

 

Thing is: games in our days are mostly available online only, so i am forced to buy them online (and only from places that i am sure that are secure). For everything else, i prefer old fashioned brick and mortar stores.

 

Technology advances solved some problems, but came with a set of new ones. And due to various things (what happened to you, included), i am becoming more and more a fan of the old ways. Technology isn't the problem, but certain type of people are what makes us lose faith in it. I expect that at some point transactions will be authorized by biometric security (fingerprints, eye identification and even DNA). And to be honest that is not the type of world that i would like to live.Frown

I do not work for EA and i am not associated with the company in any way. I am a player just like you, trying to help wherever i can.I will not answer to any unsolicited PM.

Message 5 of 5 (743 Views)