EA now issuing permanent Origin bans through content filter

[MaximumTacos]

Ok guys- I don't want to get my hopes up too hard right now, but I just got off the phone, and I might just be about to go harvest someone's tags owed me.

Fingers crossed.

However, they could give me my account back, let me personally ask the guy who nerfed the G3 to undo it, mail me custom physical dogtags, 2-10 BF3:SE keys for my friends, properly update my veteran status like their broken linking system wouldn't do, and level me up to make up for lost time... and the aforementioned sandwich feeding paragraph a few posts up still applies. I will stop being mad when all of my brothers in this calamity are made whole.

 

[FameWolf]

Again, if this is true, isn't it disturbing that they're happy to give out details to unrelated third parties?

Hell, the email quoted above says even the person being investigated can't be contacted about the outcome of an investigation as a result of the company's privacy policy, but it's apparently OK to give you this kind of information?

Their phone line is support. They aren't working security at a bank. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I would - I don't know what the equivalent in the US might do, but a company giving away personal information like this in the UK could get a fine of £500,000 and the possibility of prison sentences for breaching the Data Protection Act.

That is, assuming you just casually phoned up support and said "can I have someone else's information please?", which is how you presented it.

 

[Spy_Guy]

Solution: don't post on useless Origin forums.

I'm thinking that it's a better solution to not buy EA's games in order to discourage that sort of business practice.

What you have there is more of a workaround, really.

Mmmk... deprive yourself of Mass Effect 3. I'm sure that will show them!

The fact that I couldn't care less about that game notwithstanding... yes, yes it would...

...that is to say if it weren't for people like you who enable that sort of thing.
I intend to do my part even though you, and probably many others like you won't.

 

[Dandark]

This is pretty much a great example of why EA suck.
Hope you get your account back soon.

 

[LilithSlave]

The internet truly is serious business.

If you get banned from a forum, you can get banned from products you own!

I kind of regret buying Alice: Madness Returns and any other EA games now. But I just like Alice so much.

 

[Cullina]

Hey, check it out, man: your story's getting to EA. The sockpuppets are coming out of the woodwork:

I called EA Support this morning. Aaron was suspended for using vulgar language on multiple occasions, and was warned repeatedly to cease such behavior. EA warned him twice on November 17, and then again on December 2 before finally issuing a 72 hour suspension. He wasn't suspended by some filter malfunction or for comments made by others, he was suspended for stuff he did over the past few weeks.

Funny, that sounds exactly like a post by 'lext' over on Reddit, as has been already pointed out.

I called EA Support this morning. Aaron was suspended for using vulgar language on multiple occasions, and was warned repeatedly to cease such behavior. EA warned him twice on November 17, and then again on December 2 before finally issuing a 72 hour suspension. He wasn't suspended by some filter malfunction or for comments made by others, he was suspended for stuff he did over the past few weeks.

It's almost like you're dashing around the internet and copy/pasting some bullshit story about how EA gave you customer information over the phone.

Hey, and another!

Don't feel one bit sorry for you. It's your fault you registered on EA's forums.Its' your fault your running around the internet like a cat being chased by a vacuum cleaner screaming for attention and support. And its' your fault you can't man up and keep this private instead fo the following. Which would help expedite the process GREATLY because EA wouldn't be pulling damage control for your little hissy fit and label your issue to be done "with all due speed". Next time you register for those forums make sure the only posts you make are constructive.

That said EA/Origin can lick my sweaty balls. GO RZR1911 and their Origin free BF3 bypass!

Aw, and he's even smart enough to use reverse-psychology. I mean, no one who ever insults EA could be working in support of them, even if they created an account solely to screech insults at a specific user for an entirely EA-caused problem.

Yes, I am the user lext on Reddit. But I am not bulkzerker, whoever he is. Damage control? I don't work for EA. EA's best method of damage control would be to make a public statement. Then all the news sites like RPS would pick it up and post a news story about it. Having some guy make a couple posts on 2 forums? That's not EA damage control, that's just some guy from the internet.

 

[Char-Nobyl]

Yes, I am the user lext on Reddit. But I am not bulkzerker, whoever he is.

Never said you were. Only said that he's here for the same, equally-sad reason, except he was worse at it.

Damage control? I don't work for EA.

Mhm. Funny thing about hearsay: it doesn't become valid when it's in your favor. You can claim that EA gave you personal information about Tacos' account, but it doesn't change the fact that you haven't presented a shred of your own evidence to support that, and it flies in the face of the evidence that Tacos has actually presented.

EA's best method of damage control would be to make a public statement.

And when was the last time EA was forthcoming with admitting fault, especially in a case that exposed the full implications of their rather draconian user-agreement policy?

Then all the news sites like RPS would pick it up and post a news story about it.

You mean like they already have? Tacos has already posted the handful of sites that have picked the story up, and they're hardly small-time organizations.

Having some guy make a couple posts on 2 forums? That's not EA damage control, that's just some guy from the internet.

Protip: arguing that EA would never do something because it would be stupid and petty? Not a great argument.

That, and take a gander at the Reddit thread. 10,000+ downvotes and 12,000+ upvotes? If I were a paranoid man, I'd say that EA is at least smart enough to realize that you can bury a story by voting it down enough, but not quite smart enough to realize that it's going to look pretty damn suspicious.

 

[MaximumTacos]

He also posted it on rockpapershotgun. Twice on reddit.

That's four seperate postings that we know about.

 

[crazycanukk]

Still no access to singleplayer content, or anything else in my Origin account.

Every. Single. Piece. Of. Content. In. Origin. Is. Locked. Out.

Am now almost bored enough to dig up personal cell numbers of CS executives at EA. I will keep you updated.

MaximumTacos ..

I am a moderator at Battlelog forums. Could you pm me here please. We have some people at EA that have been trying to get a hold of you but they are not able to get in contact or you are not responding. Could you pm me here and i can pass on the information to you.

they said they have been trying to contact you but havent heard any response back..and they are not in the CS division so any contacts with EA CS wouldnt get a hold of them.

I would appreciate if you could get a hold of me..

Thanks

CrazyCanuck

 

[Redweaver]

Solution: don't post on useless Origin forums.

I'm thinking that it's a better solution to not buy EA's games in order to discourage that sort of business practice.

What you have there is more of a workaround, really.

Mmmk... deprive yourself of Mass Effect 3. I'm sure that will show them!

Yeah, forget having standards, ideals or self-respect. You NEED Mass Effect 3 or you life isn't worth living.

 

[ChaosEternal]

This is crazy. Would an author force you to give back every book you have every purchased from them because somebody you know insulted their work and mentioned your name during it? That would be ridiculous. And so is this. Even I have been convinced that I should attempt to avoid EA, and normally I don't care no matter what they do. D:

 

[FreezingFlames]

Ok so the other guy swore and you got banned right? What the hell is wrong with EA?

 

[fix-the-spade]

That is hilarious, sad, vindicating, horrifying, satisfying, frightening and perverse all at the same time.

I think someone high up in EA must be a huge fan of Brazil, or possibly they escaped from it and are trying to impose on reality even as we speak.

So pleased I didn't bother with Bf3 now, trust EA to make anything unusable to the paying customer.

 

[Sam Machkovech]

Listening to this recorded phone call sickens me. I once worked in phone farms on a customer service basis and would've been delighted to get a call like yours, from someone who knew their situation well and was polite in spite of frustration. On the other hand, this guy doesn't communicate anything clearly, reads things aloud that will inevitably confuse and frustrate you as an EA consumer, and gives half-assed explanations for matters he can't actually confirm anything for.

This stuff sickens me. Your point about the game's vulgarity is particularly stirring, and I'm amazed more people aren't making that point through all that. THE IN-GAME CHATTER IN MULTIPLAYER IS FULL OF F-BOMBS, for cryin' out loud. Good luck.

 

[3asytarg3t]

The game itself, if the audio from it was played in the BF3 forum, would get banned.

 

[vargovic]

I understand that I'm a bit late to this party.

But legally, once you clicked "Agree" on that terms of service agreement you signed your rights away.

I agree it's not ideal. I don't post on EA forums, as I have no need to.

Everyone keeps getting mad about their account being banned. You gave all legal rights to EA when you clicked that button.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

Solution: don't post on useless Origin forums.

I'm thinking that it's a better solution to not buy EA's games in order to discourage that sort of business practice.

What you have there is more of a workaround, really.

Mmmk... deprive yourself of Mass Effect 3. I'm sure that will show them!

Yeah, forget having standards, ideals or self-respect. You NEED Mass Effect 3 or you life isn't worth living.

If you think it's worth boycotting one of the largest companies in the industry because they banned you from their useless forums, which you shouldn't be using anyway because they're useless, then I pity you.

It's not about self-respect, it's just logic. They wrongfully ban people from some forum that doesn't matter AT ALL, therefore you shouldn't use those forums.

I agree with them handing out game suspensions along with their forum suspensions. It actually drives home the point that you can't be a dick on the internet without consequences. I wish MORE companies did that *cough* WoW forums *cough*.

 

[3asytarg3t]

Actually you didn't Vargovic, but EA and the lawyers they paid to draft up that TOS are happy you think so.

And it bears repeating all the fine things EA has been up to just this year that warrants never giving them another dollar of your money:

This is also the same company that has a right to shutdown and remove entitlements from your Origin account if it stays inactive for more than two years. This is the same company that said Origin wasn't spyware when it actually is and collects data for EA for marketing purposes and piracy concerns. This is also the same company that will delete and ban users from accessing their Origin account if they happen to get banned from the forums.

 

[3asytarg3t]

Solution: don't post on useless Origin forums.

I'm thinking that it's a better solution to not buy EA's games in order to discourage that sort of business practice.

What you have there is more of a workaround, really.

Mmmk... deprive yourself of Mass Effect 3. I'm sure that will show them!

Yeah, forget having standards, ideals or self-respect. You NEED Mass Effect 3 or you life isn't worth living.

If you think it's worth boycotting one of the largest companies in the industry because they banned you from their useless forums, which you shouldn't be using anyway because they're useless, then I pity you.

It's not about self-respect, it's just logic. They wrongfully ban people from some forum that doesn't matter AT ALL, therefore you shouldn't use those forums.

I agree with them handing out game suspensions along with their forum suspensions. It actually drives home the point that you can't be a dick on the internet without consequences. I wish MORE companies did that *cough* WoW forums *cough*.

What the world needs is more apologists for corporations, especially one in this case selling a game using language in it that would get it banned. Your logic is impeccable.

 

[deth2munkies]

My, my, this certainly has blown up since the last time I saw it. What I said earlier (and was deleted by moderation) still stands, I won't repeat it again.