EA Challenge Everything - Including Customer service

Games
1

For reasons beyond my control, I was forced to signup for sims online. I just went to go cancel my account.

I click a link and it tells me I have to call EA and tell them why I want to cancel - to cancel. WTF?

So I call.

I get a woman (seems the call center is in India), who simply cannot speak english. I try 5 times to spell my login name - she cant get past chet. Charlie, Hotel, Elvis, Elvis - no - Charlie, Hotel, Elvis, Tango - so it is Charlie, Hotel, Elvis, Elvis… That doesn’t work, so she asks for me email address - which of course starts with the same amazingly difficult word.

So I hope beyond hope, maybe just maybe the supervisor can speak enlish. Nope.

Now I asked each of them - do I really need to do this or will it just work to cancel it online - not only do they not answer, they pretend I did not ask it . Whenever i ask that question, they just go in with - what is your login - what is your email address.

Then they get the bright idea for me to read the non-sensical string of numbers and letters on the back of the cd. How long will that take? 2 hours?

After a 1/2 hour I just gave up. I have a week, I will mail them. I called up my credit card and asked if I could just block them from charging. But until they charge - I don’t know what name to block, so they said I could charge it back later. Fun.

Since EA suggest I challenge everything, for wasting a half-hour of my life, I have a challenge, it is pretty easy - can I avoid EA games?

chet

2

Really? That’s strange - it must be a new thing. When I cancelled my Sims Online account (don’t ask!) I was surprised at how easy it was. You could do it all online through ea.com - no hard sell to stay a member or anything.

I find it incredibly irritating when an online service is only partially implemented. Love my bank’s web access - I can do everything I could possibly need very easily. What can I do with my cable TV service? I can review my billing address! WOW! You’ll let me subscribe to new channels, but you won’t let me unsubscribe? Thanks!

3

It’s not insipid customer support, it’s brand loyalty!

4

There was a thread on this earlier-- Sims Online cancel. You might try searching the forums. I recall there being a way to cancel online, though it’s kinda-sorta hidden.

5

Chet, Miramon had some problems canceling E&B as well. I smell a plot…

6

They hate Chet?

7

No, not that I know of. However, Miramon (in another thread) stated that he had major problems cancelling his Earth and Beyond account. E&B is an EA game, and I was alluding that the problems both Chet and Miramon have had are a result of EA’s “customer retention policy”.

8

I just called back to their call center in “Texas” - Who knew there was a city called texas in India - They guy confirmed (I made him answer the question) that they require you to do it over the phone so they can get some feedback.

My login name was not enough, I had to also give them the last 4 digits of my card (which took 5 times of repeating) and my phone number which only took 3 times and of course my name which took 100 times of repeating. My login name, email and name all begin with Chet. He got it wrong every single time.

I still have the feeling it is not cancelled.

Chet

9

RE: India tech support

For those who do not know, India is the new outsource tech support mecca. This includes MS tech support, AOL tech support, most OEM system builder tech support, and now, it looks like EA tech support.

As someone in the MS pipeline, you cannot believe the number of irate customers we get over “TECHS WHO FUCKING CAN’T SPEAK ENGLISH”.

In order to avoid this frustration for our US customers (hint: it doesn’t work) the techs in India are instructed to do the following:

  1. Give themselves American names. #1 rule of new paradigm (read: dirt cheap) customer service: lie to customers.
  2. If asked for their location, give an American location. #2 rule of new paradigm customer service: lie to customers.
  3. Watch American movies to learn slang.

Those poor blokes in India are call-coached. One of the grading points on their call coach is “accent neutralization”. Imagine THAT coming on your next review. “Chase, you really need to work on eliminating your northwest accent. It causes problems with our customers.” “Well, boss, why don’t you go fuck yourself – this is the way I talk, asshole.” Good ol’ worker’s rights in India, I guess.

Remember: Bill Gates did not give 6 billion dollars to India because he likes curry.

–scharmers

10

re: Challenge Everything.

If you think that intro is irritating having to hear whenever you start Battlefield 1942, at work we have had to listen to that stupid intro approx 20 times a day for the last 6 months. For a while it was amusing to say “I see challenged people” and “Challenge dead people,” but now that’s not even fun anymore.

11

Is there some fallout at work if you just delete the intro files? Or install the Merciless addon to skip it? I despise unskippable intros (and harbor great ill will even toward the skippable ones), so I eliminate them ASAP. Would someone please explain to the Powers That Be that forcing your most loyal players to watch your damned intro every damned time is a good way to build malice toward your company?

BTW, if we are challenging everything, does that include copy protection and intellectual property rights, too? If the average PC gamer is over 30 now, can you really appeal to us with some pseudo-rebel teen “challenge” nonsense? Do I have any more rhetorical questions in me tonight?

12

Actually, yes, there is fallout at work if we delete the intro files, sadly.

At home, I have deleted ALL of them. I think the EA ones are unskippable because at some point, one of our licensors decided that the licensing legalese had to be on the screen for a certain amount of time, and then someone at EA said “hey that sounds like a good idea! lets do it with the studio logos!”

I don’t know that that’s what really happened, but it seems likely.

13

“C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942\BF1942.exe” +game XPack1 +restart 1

No file deletion, no challenge everything load up.

chet

14

Well, I don’t have to test BF1942, so I just deleted those :)

15

Just suggest that the notice be moved to an unused corner of the menu screen. Everyone will see it, and it won’t annoy the customers. Plus, it is harder for the pirates to strip out. Uncreative lawyering make Hulk’s head hurt.

16

That’s one thing that’s never going to change. I think it’s interesting, however, that most titles don’t have a problem with you deleting the files yourself, or at least renaming them.

17

Seriously, that freaky whisper thing makes me wanna hit something. And when you’re good and pissed and wanna take the edge off with a game, it doesn’t help that they throw that thing in there, and you have to watch EVERY last second of it.
At least making the video separate so you can just throw it out is a step in the right direction, but consoles do it to now too.

18

I challenge whoever thought that would be a good idea to a dual. I get an AK-47. He gets his own worthless hide.

19

I successfully cancelled my E&B subcription after 8 tries over two days! It just took persistence :)

On 6 of the tries I was disconnected on the IVR transfer attempt to the offshore clerk.

On one of the tries, the clerk hung up on me. Right in the middle of the call, he wasn’t trying to transfer or anything.

On the last call, I got through to a very nice Indian lady who I considered asking out on a date because her voice sounded so sweet, but who was undoubtedly at least 8,000 miles away. After several attempts to change my mind, she finally relented and cancelled my account.

Yus! I am inwincible!

20

He was probably trying to put you on Mute to swear at you and hit release by accicdent.