So, if you guys didn't figure out already, I'm pissed off at EA.
I recently bought Mass Effect 2 (yes I know, I'm quite tardy to the party), and I bought it new because I wanted the Cerberus Network DLC and I didn't want to have to pay for the code (which combined with the cost of the game preowned would have cost me MORE than it did to just buy it new).
So after playing the game for a bit, I decided to log on to the Cerberus Network and get my specialty armor/shotgun on, after signing into my EA account (which I only used previously to play Battlefield: Heroes) I find that the game thinks my EA account is invalid. A quick google search and search of the support site tell me that my problem is uncommon and I should use their live chat to get help, so this is what I do.
While waiting for one of EA's qualified support people to connect and help me, I sign in to EA.com which tells me my account is inactive. "AhHA" I think to myself and quickly have them resend a verification email, after verifing and logging in, I try Mass Effect again; Still nothing...
Oh well, by now someone has come online and wants to help, his name is Miguel. After explaining my problem to Miguel he tells me that my gamertag needs to be linked to my EA account and (now this is important) the only way to do that is for for me to download an EA game to my xbox and play it on xbox live. "Surely this isn't the only way,?" I queried, "no you must do it this way" he responds, making sure to highlight that EA and xbox are different and need to be linked. "Alright," I say and promptly downloaded "My Sims: Sky Heroes" (only to get the EA registration screen which Miguel assures me will appear) and attempt to play it online...
Which I can't do, as I don't have a Gold account. I tell this to Miguel and he tells me I might as well sign up for one as I can't access Cerberus (or ANY DLC) without it. "Really?" I ask, once again shocked, but once again he tells me that this is what I need to do.
So digging out an old copy of Fable II I had, I find a 48 hour trail subscription that I had been saving (I don't play on xbox live anymore because I feel it can bring out the worst in people) and sign up. Now, trying to play the game again, this time multiplayer works but no EA registration screen appears. Miguel questions whether or not I actually downloaded an EA game, I point out that it has a MASSIVE EA logo, and then calmly tell him that I am sure. He says that I must not have downloaded the right type of EA game, and recommends ANY (another important section) FIFA game, because they will ALL work. I don't want to download anything over a gig as that will take far too long on my petty internet connection so I download FIFA Streets 3 which tells me it has multiplayer (but I double check with Miguel first anyway, he reassures me it will work)...
It does... Just not on xbox live... ARGH! So now I've given up, Miguel keeps suggesting helpful things, like downloading more games, like Fight Night... I ignore him and sign back on to EA.com which tells me my account is inactive and needs me to verify my email again, I do this and think "what the hell, I might as well try again" this time Cerberus works perfectly and has no need for xbox live. Miguel now tells me that he couldn't possibly have know that since he doesn't work in games he works in accounts, "but why were you so certain that I needed gold?" I pressed, he reiterates that he doesn't work in games but accounts, "then why didn't you just tell me my account needed to be verified again?" he tells me he hadn't look at my account yet...
TL;DR Thank you EA, I've just wasted 2 hours and an xbox live subscription on something I had to fix for myself.
Discussion value: Ever been massively jerked around by a company/support desk before?
I recently bought Mass Effect 2 (yes I know, I'm quite tardy to the party), and I bought it new because I wanted the Cerberus Network DLC and I didn't want to have to pay for the code (which combined with the cost of the game preowned would have cost me MORE than it did to just buy it new).
So after playing the game for a bit, I decided to log on to the Cerberus Network and get my specialty armor/shotgun on, after signing into my EA account (which I only used previously to play Battlefield: Heroes) I find that the game thinks my EA account is invalid. A quick google search and search of the support site tell me that my problem is uncommon and I should use their live chat to get help, so this is what I do.
While waiting for one of EA's qualified support people to connect and help me, I sign in to EA.com which tells me my account is inactive. "AhHA" I think to myself and quickly have them resend a verification email, after verifing and logging in, I try Mass Effect again; Still nothing...
Oh well, by now someone has come online and wants to help, his name is Miguel. After explaining my problem to Miguel he tells me that my gamertag needs to be linked to my EA account and (now this is important) the only way to do that is for for me to download an EA game to my xbox and play it on xbox live. "Surely this isn't the only way,?" I queried, "no you must do it this way" he responds, making sure to highlight that EA and xbox are different and need to be linked. "Alright," I say and promptly downloaded "My Sims: Sky Heroes" (only to get the EA registration screen which Miguel assures me will appear) and attempt to play it online...
Which I can't do, as I don't have a Gold account. I tell this to Miguel and he tells me I might as well sign up for one as I can't access Cerberus (or ANY DLC) without it. "Really?" I ask, once again shocked, but once again he tells me that this is what I need to do.
So digging out an old copy of Fable II I had, I find a 48 hour trail subscription that I had been saving (I don't play on xbox live anymore because I feel it can bring out the worst in people) and sign up. Now, trying to play the game again, this time multiplayer works but no EA registration screen appears. Miguel questions whether or not I actually downloaded an EA game, I point out that it has a MASSIVE EA logo, and then calmly tell him that I am sure. He says that I must not have downloaded the right type of EA game, and recommends ANY (another important section) FIFA game, because they will ALL work. I don't want to download anything over a gig as that will take far too long on my petty internet connection so I download FIFA Streets 3 which tells me it has multiplayer (but I double check with Miguel first anyway, he reassures me it will work)...
It does... Just not on xbox live... ARGH! So now I've given up, Miguel keeps suggesting helpful things, like downloading more games, like Fight Night... I ignore him and sign back on to EA.com which tells me my account is inactive and needs me to verify my email again, I do this and think "what the hell, I might as well try again" this time Cerberus works perfectly and has no need for xbox live. Miguel now tells me that he couldn't possibly have know that since he doesn't work in games he works in accounts, "but why were you so certain that I needed gold?" I pressed, he reiterates that he doesn't work in games but accounts, "then why didn't you just tell me my account needed to be verified again?" he tells me he hadn't look at my account yet...
TL;DR Thank you EA, I've just wasted 2 hours and an xbox live subscription on something I had to fix for myself.
Discussion value: Ever been massively jerked around by a company/support desk before?
