I wasn't quite sure where this thread belonged. Off Topic, Video Games or here. I settled for here.
This isn't meant as a rant, but I am bitter about it so that will likely bleed through.
I am making this thread to warn people about PayPal and NCSoft not "playing nice together."
For the past month, I have been trying to work with both PayPal and NCSoft to try to resolve a "payment issue," with out any resolution yet.
From what I can gather online, and it isn't much, PayPal has NCSoft "blacklisted" after a fashion, and clamps down security when some try to make a payment to NCSoft* (like me).
This would be acceptable, if annoying, except NCSoft then turns around and blocks/bans your game account that you were trying to make a payment on/to. And NCSoft Support for game blocks/bans is not something anyone wants to deal with. Trust me on that.
So, after resolving every issue with PayPal a week or so ago, I am still waiting for NCSoft to either complete the transaction - in which case I get my game account back, or cancel the transaction - so that I can get the money that PayPal has been holding for a month back.
If avoiding NCSoft isn't an option, avoid paying with PayPal if you can.
*There are rumors of identity theft and lawsuits revolving around PayPal and NCSoft. I do not mean that either company perpetrated those actions against the other, but that there are many instances of other people perpetrating them and using PayPal with NCSoft.
Well, this makes me glad that I put my CoH account back on my debit card. ~thinks~ My suggestion is to try to get a pre-paind visa card for a bit until this issue clears up.
Thank you for the suggestion, but it doesn't really help me.
I have a debit card. I only used PayPal when it was available and I didn't feel like getting up and getting my card. That will change...
Anyway, as it is now, PayPal and I are all good. Once this issue gets resolved I will be canceling my account with them. Not because of this issue, but because of other issues that this one brought to light. (NOTE: I am not saying PayPal is wrong in anyway. I just don't like what I see, and the aggravation outweighs the benefit.)
And as for NCSoft, there never was an option to change my payment. My game account is blocked/banned, and I can not do anything with it.
The problem now lies with NCSoft, and that they won't resolve the transaction one way or another.
Not really related: Has any one else noticed just how many transaction IDs PayPal has for one damn issue? There is the transfer funds from an account ID, the authorization to recipient ID, the reversal ID, the recipient turning over the funds ID, the resubmission ID... It is crazy. And no, this doesn't have any part in the reason I will be canceling my account with them.
I've never had a problem with NCsoft, but I've never trusted paypal with a penny and never intend to. I just suck it up and use a credit card.
I've gotten the impression that as long as there isn't any payment issues with NCSoft, they are pretty good.
However, The Better Business Bureau ranks them at a C-. Not the worst MMO company, but far from the best. (In my research, Sony Online Entertainment ranks highest with an A-.)
It seems that when PayPal lays down their security, NCSoft responds poorly.
It took NCSoft 10 days (total, from the time I submitted the support ticket) to acknowledge to me that my account was blocked because of a payment issue, let alone that it was a PayPal payment issue.
By that time I pretty much figured it out, but I was trying to get confirmation from NCSoft to make sure there wasn't another issue that had to be worked out.
NCSoft blocked my account after 5pm CDT Friday evening, 4 days after PayPal sent the reversal notice to them, so I wasn't even able to contact their phone customer support line. (Noon to 5pm Central time Monday through Friday.) Which didn't even matter in the end, because the phone support is only for billing and technical support. Account support only works through support tickets.
June 2nd I cleared everything up with PayPal, and I am still waiting for NCSoft to do something with the transaction.
As much as I dislike/distrust PayPal... Their customer support is head and shoulders above NCSoft Support.
However, The Better Business Bureau ranks them at a C-. Not the worst MMO company, but far from the best. (In my research, Sony Online Entertainment ranks highest with an A-.)
Well that doesn't surprise me, but I figure most large businesses are pretty crummy by default. Makes for occasional pleasant surprises.
However, The Better Business Bureau ranks them at a C-. Not the worst MMO company, but far from the best. (In my research, Sony Online Entertainment ranks highest with an A-.)Well that doesn't surprise me, but I figure most large businesses are pretty crummy by default. Makes for occasional pleasant surprises.
Not as occasional as you might think.
PayPal rates an A. Like I said, crappy business practices but pretty top notch Customer Support.
Wizards of the Coast rate an A-.
Even Apple rates a B+. And looking at the number of complaints in the last 3 years, that is damn impressive.
With the aforementioned SOE, that is my top 4 "companies I love to hate." And they all rate much better than NCSoft on the BBB scale.
(For the record, Paizo rates a B, but that is only due to BBB not having enough background on the business.)
It's nice to see that my favorite MMO company is A+ FunCom, Inc.
For those that might care, after receiving my Better Business Bureau complaint today, NCSoft completed the PayPal transaction and returned my game account to me.
((Now all I have to do is wait about a week to make sure everything is good, and I can cancel my PayPal account to prevent this from happening again.))
For those that might care, after receiving my Better Business Bureau complaint today, NCSoft completed the PayPal transaction and returned my game account to me.
((Now all I have to do is wait about a week to make sure everything is good, and I can cancel my PayPal account to prevent this from happening again.))
Gratz on getting your issue resolved.
Gratz on getting your issue resolved.
Thank you. I do hope I was an outside case... But if I was, there are at least a dozen with me - according to what I did find online.
I hope this thread helps others avoid the hassle.
I hate PayPal. They somehow manage to overdraft my savings account that is not attached to the account. My wife tried to add it, but never confirmed it.