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Old Aug 14, 2006, 08:54 PM // 20:54   #1
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Angry Deleted Bonus Mini-Pet Dragon

I bought the Guild Wars: Factions as a present for my girlfriend. I paid $20 extra for the collector's edition because she wanted the pet dragon that came with it.

She had never played Guild Wars before, so, of course, she types /bonusitems in for the first character she creates, then immediately deletes it to try a different hair style or somthing. Bye-bye baby dragon.

Arenanet doesn't provide any instructions in the box for this feature or explanation of it in the game, so this is an easy mistake for someone playing the game for the first time to make.

Here's how my conversation about this issue with Arenanet went:

Quote:
Customer (John Hutton) 08/08/2006 08:35 PM
I recently bought a copy of the Guild Wars Factions Collector's Edition for my girlfriend. As a new user, it was not obvious to her that deleting the character she used to activate her pet reward would permanently delete the reward. (Rewards from other mmorpg's collector's editions that she was familiar with didn't work this way). Now she is mad at me.

I purchaced this product with the understanding that it included this feature, and I do not feel that sufficient care was taken to ensure that new users do not accidently delete it.

Please reactivate the feature in the account with the login: (personal details deleted) so that she can enjoy the product as advertised.

Thank You
John Hutton

**************************************************

Response (Shane) 08/08/2006 09:27 PM
Hello John,

Thank you for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team.

We appreciate the time you took to contact us on this. However, our system works best when the person experiencing the issue contacts us directly.

If they would like to contact us, please ask them to do so using the "Ask a Question" feature at http://www.guildwars.com/support/. Here are some general points that will help our team investigate most issues:

- If you are receiving an error message, what is the exact error number and message?
- What was the date and time (including time zone) of the incident(s)?
- If you were playing a character at time of incident, what was its name?
- Did you have any screenshots of the incident? (If so, please ensure they are under 2 megabytes and in JPEG/.jpg or GIF/.gif format and attach them to this message.)
- Do you recall any additional details?

We appreciate your support of Guild Wars and your interest in keeping the game world pleasant for all players.

Regards,
The Guild Wars Support Team

**************************************************

Response (GM Dynamite) 08/09/2006 11:36 AM
Hello,

Thank you for getting in touch with us concerning your account question.

Unfortunately, at this time we do not have the option for reversing an accidental character deletion. The deletion process that we have in place does ask a player to confirm, by retyping the character name, that the deletion is desired and intended. This is a safety measure to try to assure that instances of accidental deletion will be very unlikely. In cases where characters are accidentally deleted even with this safeguard, we're sorry that we cannot offer you a process to reverse the process, and the Support Team is not able to reinstate characters or any of the items on that character. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

Please contact us again if you have additional questions.

Regards,

The Guild Wars Support Team

**************************************************

Customer (John Hutton) 08/10/2006 11:21 PM
There are two responses to this issue, so I'll respond to the more recent one.

I'm not asking for the deleted character to be restored. I'm asking that the bonus item be restored to the account for use by another character.

There isn't a sufficient safe-guard to make sure that players trying Guild Wars for the first understand that the bonus item isn't permanently tied to the account, as in other MMORPGs.

To answer some points of the earlier response:
-Let's just take it from here that it is my issue, since I paid for the product, activated the account with my own email address, and would prefer to deal with it myself.

-The character in question was just made to jump into the game and take a quick look around. We don't remember what the name of the character was, nor any additional details that might be pertinent.

I purchased your Guild Wars: Factions Collector's Edition product with the understanding that it included this feature. If you Are not able to provide said feature, I will expect my purchase to be refunded.

If my concerns cannot be corrected here, I would like to speak to someone directly. I can be reached at (personal details deleted) between 10am and 6pm EST.

Thank You,
John Hutton

**************************************************

Response (GM Dynamite) 08/11/2006 10:48 AM
Hello,

Thanks for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team.

We do not offer phone support for Guild Wars, only e-mail support. If you wish to pursue a refund, you will need to do so from the store that you purchased the product, as we do not offer refunds of any kind. As previously stated, we can not restore any characters or **ITEMS** deleted that were on that character.

If you feel as though there are not sufficient measures taken to be sure that players truly want to delete their characters, we encourage you to consider posting your suggestions on one of many of the Guild Wars Fansite message boards. A compiled list can be found on the official Guild Wars web site at http://www.guildwars.com/community/fansites/. By posting on one of these message boards, other players can comment on your ideas, concerns, and suggestions, and Development Team members are able to catch up on what the community wants to see in Guild Wars. Fansite forums make it easy and efficient for us to learn from those playing the game.

Thank you for your efforts in assisting us to make Guild Wars the best gaming experience possible.

Regards,

The Guild Wars Support Team

**************************************************

Customer (John Hutton) 08/13/2006 12:44 PM
I would like to you give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that implicit in your suggestion that I seek a refund in the store that I purchased the product from was an agreement to reset or replace the access key card that came with said product; and that you were not fatuously suggesting that I attempt to get a refund by returning the box contents without including a working key code. That would be an acceptable resolution to this issue, assuming you also refunded my credit card for the purchase of Guild Wars: Prophesies through PlayNC linked to the same account (bought, of course, before we were aware of the issue in question). I would, in fact, be satisfied enough with resetting the access key that I would not need to return the product.

I am giving you this benefit of the doubt because it's hard to believe that any business would handle a dissatisfied customer so flippantly as to suggest they attempt to get their money back from the retailer without the product in hand.

If, however, you did intend to insult me with a prima facie ridiculous suggestion, that is not acceptable. Because you are based in Washington, and Guild Wars: Factions Collector???s Edition is sold in states other than Washington, you are subject to the Federal Trade Commission Rule, 16 CFR ?? 251.

The entire text of this section can be found at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...00&TYPE =TEXT, but I???ll include the two relevant subsections here for your convenience:

(c) Disclosure of conditions. When making ``Free'' or similar offers all the terms, conditions and obligations upon which receipt and retention of the ``Free'' item are contingent should be set forth clearly and conspicuously at the outset of the offer so as to leave no reasonable probability that the terms of the offer might be misunderstood. Stated differently, all of the terms, conditions and obligations should appear in close conjunction with the offer of ``Free'' merchandise or service. For example, disclosure of the terms of the offer set forth in a footnote of an advertisement to which reference is made by an asterisk or other symbol placed next to the offer, is not regarded as making disclosure at the outset. However, mere notice of the existence of a ``Free'' offer on the main display panel of a label or package is not precluded provided that (1) the notice does not constitute an offer or identify the item being offered ``Free'', (2) the notice informs the customer of the location, elsewhere on the package or label, where the disclosures required by this section may be found, (3) no purchase or other such material affirmative act is required in order to discover the terms and conditions of the offer, and (4) the notice and the offer are not otherwise deceptive.

???

(i) Similar terms. Offers of ``Free'' merchandise or services which may be deceptive for failure to meet the provisions of this section may not be corrected by the substitution of such similar words and terms as ``gift'', ``given without charge'', ``bonus'', or other words or terms which tend to convey the impression to the consuming public that an article of merchandise or service is ``Free''.

Section (i) is significant because the feature in question is described as both a ???gift??? and a ???bonus??? within the game and on www.guildwars.com, thus subjecting said feature to Federal Trade Commission Rule, 16 CFR ?? 251.

Section (c) states that, ???conditions and obligations upon which receipt and RETENTION of the ``Free'' item are contingent should be set forth clearly and conspicuously at the outset of the offer so as to leave no reasonable probability that the terms of the offer might be misunderstood.??? There is no documentation provided with the box that advises a consumer how to use the feature in question. The only instruction provided within the game interface is ???You have a bonus item! Type /bonusitems to retrieve it. You may only use this command once per account.??? which is inserted within a rapidly scrolling text window.

Given this limited guidance, it is not unreasonable to expect a reasonable person, using the product for the first time, to accidentally delete the feature in question.

Please bring yourself into compliance with rules I have cited, and remedy the issues I have brought to your attention that resulted from prior failure to comply.

Thank You
John Hutton
(personal details deleted)

**************************************************

Response (GM Dynamite) 08/14/2006 11:09 AM
Hello,

We have reviewed your comments regarding our policy about replacement of lost or stolen in-game items. We have noted that you are unhappy with the policy. But as we stated earlier, we simply are unable to replace items. We're very regretful when a player experiences a loss of this nature, but it is not in our capacity to replace such items.

We are setting this ticket to closed status and any further correspondence about this issue will be closed without response.

Regards,
GM Dynamite
Senior GM
Guild Wars Support Team


**************************************************

Customer (John Hutton) 08/14/2006 01:33 PM
I have made you aware of how your company is failing to live up to its legal and ethical obligations me, a customer.

I have, in good faith, given you an opportunity to remedy this error, which you have chosen not to take advantage of.

I have no alternative now but to pursue this issue through a third party. I will not contact you directly again about this matter. If Arenanet should decide to offer remedy, I may still be reached at (personal details deleted) most weekdays between 10am and 6pm EST.

John Hutton
The link is iffy. If it doesn't work and you absolutly have to have your federal law fix, you can try here too: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/w...cfr251_00.html

So, anyway, I now have a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau to compel Arenanet to comply with the Federal Trade Commision rules. I've also filed one with the Federal Trade commision itself, but who knows if Guild Wars will still even exist by the time they get around to reading this.

If this has happened to anyone else, post here and PM. I can either add your name to my Better Business Bureau complaint or help you file your own. Make sure you contact Arenanet and ask them for help before you go to a third party.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:01 PM // 21:01   #2
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Not to be rude, but it really isnt anything but your gf's own fault, and yours. You should have warned her about that if you delete the char everything on it is deleted, and this wouldnt have happened. Ive done many stupid things like this and havent bitched [bb 56k >.<]
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:02 PM // 21:02   #3
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All of this over a f*cking virtual dragon? Seriously...that's kind of, I dunno, sad? Also, it doesn't say anything about an unlimited number of dragons that you can get, therefore; it is your fault. Well, your girlfriend's fault anyway, whether she knew or not. It doesn't say you can get it multiple times.

Last edited by xiaotsu; Aug 14, 2006 at 09:05 PM // 21:05..
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:06 PM // 21:06   #4
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You will get nowhere with your complaint. They provided the merchandise you paid for, you testify to that yourself. The owner of the account (your girlfriend)
then activated said merchandise by typing /bonusitems. She then deleted the character holding the bonus item, which is neither under the control of, or the responsibility of ArenaNet.

Any of us with CE could make this complaint after selling the dragon and request a new one every few weeks because we accidentally deleted it?

Have your girlfriend make better choices, and learn from the mistake. If she must have a 2nd dragon after her error, have her farm her way to 75k and purchase one from any of the 1000 sellers in major trading cities.

You expect ArenaNet to remedy a situation caused wholly and solely by the end user, and are threatening them with a BBB complaint?

Good luck.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:07 PM // 21:07   #5
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Have you tried siply typing /bonusitems again? Ive heard this has worked for other people.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:08 PM // 21:08   #6
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How did she know about /bonusitem command? You told her? If that is the case then you also should had warned her, the minipet can be summoned only once. AFAIK, if /bonusitem command reads somewhere in the CE package, it also contains the warning about deleting the kuunavang.

You can buy the minipet from the game for about 90k but it requires quite a bit farming if you don't have enough gold.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:09 PM // 21:09   #7
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So your Girlfriend deleted a character, and you lost your minipet. Yet somehow it isn't your / her fault? People like you are the whole reason there are warning labels on everything. No one can take personal responsibility. You made a mistake, live it with. Dont blame others for your own mistake.

Maybe instead of whining because of something she did, you can spend the energy making the gold to buy another one.
 
Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:11 PM // 21:11   #8
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xiaotsu, ease of the anger pedal a little.

I'd be hacked off too if I lost a mini pet like that, but it was her fault. She could have opened a storage account and put it there first.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:21 PM // 21:21   #9
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I wouldn't suggest selling this guy a Kuunavang either, since it might get deleted again and you'd be added to his federal lawsuit. The FBI will be knocking at your door in no time.

/sarcasm

You have no sense of reality, whatsoever. I hope you really did, or do, file a federal lawsuit. I'd like to know what happens... And how much would it cost to file that lawsuit ?

* frivolous lawsuits *
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:21 PM // 21:21   #10
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It's about the principal, not the specifics. It was a reasonable error for someone that had just taken the game out of the box.

I couldn't warn her because I don’t know anything about this game. I had to hunt around the web to figure out the /bonusitems had anything to do with the pet. As I said, no documentation is provided for people who haven't already played the game.

It isn’t anyone's place but mine to say how much trouble its worth. It's my $20, and I don't like businesses that treat their customers flippantly.

I'm also the kind of guy that enjoys taking an afternoon to go down to administrative court to challenge parking tickets on technicalities.

If it wasn't for the litigious kooks of the world, insulated businesses wouldn't get held accountable to anybody.

And it's just a complaint, they don't cost anything to file. That's what taxes are for.

[edited for spelling]

Last edited by Hutton; Aug 14, 2006 at 09:27 PM // 21:27..
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:22 PM // 21:22   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Pointless
xiaotsu, ease of the anger pedal a little.

I'd be hacked off too if I lost a mini pet like that, but it was her fault. She could have opened a storage account and put it there first.
Anger pedal? I was pointing out how rediculous it was of him to go through all that trouble over a VIRTUAL DRAGON...that's far from anger, that's stating the obvious.


Long story short, OP: You won't get support from most people here, as you were apparently hoping for, as it was your/your girlfriend's fault for deleting it.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:23 PM // 21:23   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutton
Section (c) states that, ???conditions and obligations upon which receipt and RETENTION of the ``Free'' item are contingent should be set forth clearly and conspicuously at the outset of the offer so as to leave no reasonable probability that the terms of the offer might be misunderstood.??? There is no documentation provided with the box that advises a consumer how to use the feature in question. The only instruction provided within the game interface is ???You have a bonus item! Type /bonusitems to retrieve it. You may only use this command once per account.??? which is inserted within a rapidly scrolling text window.

Given this limited guidance, it is not unreasonable to expect a reasonable person, using the product for the first time, to accidentally delete the feature in question.
From the guildwars website...

http://www.guildwars.com/newsarchive/2006-05.php

FactionsCollector's Edition Gift 3 May 2006
Factions CE buyers, we have great news! To show our appreciation for your support and patience as you wait for your CE to arrive, we decided yesterday afternoon to create a special Collector's Edition Thank You Gift. When you activate your Factions Collector's Edition access key, you will receive an in-game gift box containing a miniature of the dragon Kuunavang! Double click the box to reveal your miniature dragon. The gift will be one per account and will function like a Birthday Miniature. That is, they will be tradable, sellable (for in-game currency only!), or exchangeable between your characters. You will find your gift on the first character you bring into the game after we are able to implement this feature. We anticipate we will have these gifts ready within the next 10 days. And don't worry ??? all who purchase a Collector's Edition will receive a Thank You Gift.

Guild Wars clearly stated on their website the instructions related to the minipet dragon, as bolded above. In particular, the underlined text above clearly states that you only get it on the first character you create.

Unfortunately, A-Net and NCSoft are compliance with Section C of Federal Trade Commission Rule, 16 CFR ?? 251, which is why you got the response that you did. The Better Business Bureau normally does not accept complaints (at least to make a company in violation which would cause negative status) without having a valid, undeniable complaint that is founded in law. Your argument, unfortunately Hutton, is not, based on the official communication listed clearly in Guild Wars' website, which Guild Wars refers to in its instruction manual which was included in the box.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:25 PM // 21:25   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutton
I'm also the kind of guy that enjoys taking an afternoon to go down to administrative court to challenge parking tickets on technicalities.
...and based on the website communication I listed above, you would clearly lose in any court of law.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:32 PM // 21:32   #14
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Hmm...I would not go as far as BBB for the pet dragon. I do understand where you are coming from, trying to get something for your g/f and etc. But I also would have to agree with ANet in regards of the character deletion process. What I would do if I was in your position is to farm up 100K and purchase that dragon using Guild Wars gold. You might get a replacement dragon that way instead of trying to fight ANet.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:34 PM // 21:34   #15
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Ah, thanks Jetdoc, I was looking for that part on the site also, but wasn't looking very hard
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:34 PM // 21:34   #16
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Unfortunately for you Hutton, things such as the dragon in question do not adhere to Federal Trade Law as they are considered "Intellectual Property".

I do work in and for courts myself, so I do have some idea where you're coming from. But "IP" does not adhere to federal trade laws and guidelines. It is something that is patentable and can be claimed as original by the creator/inventor (the 2 cent definition). You can continue your course of action via the BBB, attorneys or court fees and costs, but, you'd waste even more time and money than just farming for the money for the dragon or buying another CE.

Oh, BTW, Anet (an international company) probably has a legal department of it's own (to defend it's own interests, copyright infringements and for checking the validity of outsiders claims) and would legally bury people with unfounded claims such as this; sticking you with all court and attorney fees. You recieved the product, were able to log in under its "pretenses" and were able to retrieve the dragon through the code "/bonusitem". Anet held up their end of the bargain by all legal standings. The deletion of the dragon came about through YOUR/GIRLFRIENDS actions, not because of something Anet did/didn't do.

It's best to be upset in a constructive form at your girlfriend, but farm the money or go buy another CE.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:40 PM // 21:40   #17
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Wow, you guys truely are carebears. The person lost her character due to a mistake that resulted from the negligence of ArenaNet to provide sufficient information on how the bonus pet worked. Its that simple. The fact that ArenaNet couldn't simply look at the logs, see that a newly created account deleted a character holding the the pet, and restore it is I hate to say it but pathetic. Customer Service should always be something that is done by going out of their way in order to make the customer happy, especially on something that is their fault to begin with, so all I have to say is the supervisor should have taken care of this instead of denying her the pet she payed for. Oh and don't even bother citing the Guild Wars website or forum, not everyone is addicted to Guild Wars and bothers to scan through the entire site and forums in order to find out how a damn pet works.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:43 PM // 21:43   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crispie
Wow, you guys truely are carebears. The person lost her character due to a mistake that resulted from the negligence of ArenaNet to provide sufficient information on how the bonus pet worked. Its that simple. The fact that ArenaNet couldn't simply look at the logs, see that a newly created account deleted a character holding the the pet, and restore it is I hate to say it but pathetic. Customer Service should always be something that is done by going out of their way in order to make the customer happy, especially on something that is their fault to begin with, so all I have to say is the supervisor should have taken care of this instead of denying her the pet she payed for. Oh and don't even bother citing the Guild Wars website or forum, not everyone is addicted to Guild Wars and bothers to scan through the entire site and forums in order to find out how a damn pet works.
Please read Jetdoc's first post in here, the website clearly states that you can get the bonus item once, and only once.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:44 PM // 21:44   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crispie
...the supervisor should have taken care of this instead of denying her the pet she payed for.
well... she got the pet she paid for... then deleted it. Even though I do agree about the customer service, and the fact that it doesn't take Anet but just a couple of seconds of research and code to correct, legally, they have done everything they have stated/promised.
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Old Aug 14, 2006, 09:46 PM // 21:46   #20
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Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutton
It's about the principal, not the specifics. It was a reasonable error for someone that had just taken the game out of the box.

I couldn't warn her because I don???t know anything about this game. I had to hunt around the web to figure out the /bonusitems had anything to do with the pet. As I said, no documentation is provided for people who haven't already played the game.

]
possibly your gf didnt think it was worth mentioning but there is also an onscreen warning that the /bonusitems mini pet can be used only once per account.

that shoots your they didnt warn her right out of the water
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