Official Statement on Payment Methods

1111scornneb18_ESO

can i pay my next month with paysafecard or not otherwise i cant

kozakb16_ESO

well i like a statement from the boss in billing / accounting on this , i have talked with my bank account manager , by mail today , and she says its not the bank that have to release the frozen amount on my bank account but the shop and in this case its the Companys behind elders scroll online , that has to release this amount , so i have a statement from my bank , and ill keep that if i need to pull the Company into a Court of law. If you cant deliver a sensible anser on why you frozen up the full amount before the 30 day free play time is gone , then i have no other choice to sue the Company.
becouse i already feel cheated , i bought the imperial edition , becouse i wanted something special , what did i get , allowed to buy a 1 gold Mount ( like every one else ) a few pets ( not worth crap ) and book ( very nicely made ( still not worth 900 dkr ) mog bal figurine ( looks nice but in plastic , not exspected that when the Price tag is 900 dkr for imperial edition should have been in stone or metal not plastic tbh ) . and a map thats not that good made and 5 tracked cd. and the game in a metal coveres cd/dvd case. and a few treasure maps , that only drops green items , so disapointed with this game.
on top on that , the game is so full of buggs its should only be called a beta version , and you take the servers Down in the prime time , thats not okay as well.

and just to ask simple question , if i cancel the sunscription now , will my Money get released and will i get the rest of my free 30 days play time ?

you better anser this , and fast i allready have my lawyer on speed díal, and my finger is trigger happy.

Saltisol

The arrogance showed in this official statement by ZOS is really upsetting. They are telling us that we don't understand and are confused.

I wish they would take a step back and realize that we are customers and that they need to address our concerns in a respectful manner.

Saltisol

wllstrt75b14_ESO wrote: »

Zenimax really needs to work on their Public Relation skills. Blaming their consumers and basically calling them stupid does not improve subscription rates.

I understand their frustration but the burden really falls on to the decision makers within the organizations.

Everything that is going on could be handled in a much more client friendly approach that would settle down the consumer base, improve relations and trust and help to promote the longevity of the game. Instead they continue to put out incorrect information, blame their consumers, and not communicate the work in progress to the expectations of their clientele.

It is almost as if they want this game to fail.

Very disorganized organization with no concept of consumer needs, very poor leadership at the top of this company IMO.

Vey well put, thank you and I couldn't agree more.

Saltisol

I can hardly beleive that a company can treat their customers with such disrespect and arrogance, the more I read it the more upset I get.

An effective way to show that we as consumers do not accept to be treated as infants would be to temporarily cancel the recurring subscription.

Yerx

I can't speak for anyone outside the US, because I'm not sure how your banking systems work. But for anyone who lives in the US I can't for the life of me figure out all this rage about pre-auth charges (which the merchant has no access to until the transaction post...which won't during a pre-auth). If you have ever used your debit card as a credit at a gas station pump they run a pre-auth from anywhere from $75 to $150 dollars, this amount stays until the actual charge posts. Most restaurants even run your card as a pre-auth until the actual bill is finalized.

I can certainly understand the frustration if you are not accustomed to these practices, but I find it hard to believe that so many card holders aren't aware of pre-auths for the full amount or for an amount greater than the charge.

Also most banks will not penalize you for pre-auths, check with your individual financial institution to see what their policies are for overdraft on pending balances. As well check with your financial institution about how long they keep a pre-auth active, it isn't always based on the merchant (3 days is a banking average but some have policies in place that extend well beyond that or require a merchant to send an electronic notice of no-post or full-post). I personally use two different banks for the majority of my financial needs because they have different policies regarding different transactions. Ultimately you are responsible to know how your bank handles your funds, even if it is a bit of a headache when it happens like this (your bank in the US, is require to have a Funds Availability policy posted and brochures available upon request, this will spell out everything including Pre-Auths in black and white...an agreement you signed acceptance for when you opened your banking account whether it was online or in person)

Long story short, I understand the frustration...but instead of picking up a pitchfork and torch, try to take a moment and understand what is actually occurring, truly it is not as bad or nefarious as it is being portrayed. Nor is it so far outside the norm that no one in the whole world had a clue that this would occur. It is standard practice in many business sectors, at least in the US. For the rest of the world I have no opinion or statement, truly sucks if this is not standard and you didn't know about it. That I can truly sympathize with and understand your frustrations.

DanteYoda

I'm not Confused at all, they changed the payment plan at the last minute, originally it was Play 30 day then pay they changed to pay then get 30 days..

There was support article saying the following between April 3rd to 5th. Since then Zinemax has retro edittted EVERYTHING to their new plan. They haven't even bothered to update the time stamp on their Terms of Service (illegal!).

Updated 04/07/2014 05:41 AM
https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/462/kw/subscription

Original
" WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RETAIL VERSIONS OF THE STANDARD EDITION AND THE IMPERIAL EDITION OF THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE?
Updated 04/03/2014 10:32 PM Published 01/28/2014 10:07 AM
Players who purchase the physical Standard Edition (PC/Mac) of The Elder Scrolls Online will have 30 days of unlimited play before being required to activate a subscription.
Players who purchase the physical Imperial Edition (PC/Mac) of The Elder Scrolls Online will have 30 days of unlimited play before being required to activate a subscription, as well as an exclusive collection of in-game rewards and premium physical items.
Please click here for full details on all bonuses for each version of the game."

So Zenimax sorry you're the confused party here...

bigjeff

I have a time card and im off in remote Australia and im using that not a credit card, mind you with som many times the servers are down its hard to find a time to play when there not down, the cards might be useless

wesleyelseneb17_ESO

Well what i find a ripoff is that you pay for the game, you should get 1 free month of play and after a few weeks you need to fill out your subscription method or you can't play. Thats totally absurd. You payed let me play 30 days and then ask me to subscribe to something if I still want to play. They should correct this nonsense fast.

bassieboy_85b16_ESO

Me and 2 friends were about to purchase TESO till we found out about this nonsense. I do have a credit card and paypal but my friends don't. In any case it is a rediculous idea to be forced to commit to a subscription despite the fact that they would already have my money which I payed for 30 days playtime.

cheeser123

Goibot wrote: »

2. Any recurring subscription will place a hold for the FULL PRICE of the subscription fee on your credit card.

Saerydoth wrote: »

People should educate themselves on how authorization holds work. They work the same way, for all merchants, no matter where you do a purchase from.

I lol'ed so hard I injured my knee. Now I can't be an adventurer anymore.

Saerydoth wrote: »

I used to work for a bank, so I know how pending charges and authorization holds work.

Ouch! My other knee!

Gildren

Saltisol wrote: »

The arrogance showed in this official statement by ZOS is really upsetting. They are telling us that we don't understand and are confused.

I wish they would take a step back and realize that we are customers and that they need to address our concerns in a respectful manner.

I think this statement sums up my core feelings about the issue. It's the way the situation was handled and a public apology would go a long way to actually creating a community instead of using "community" as a marketing term.

Moiskormoimi

@Yerx Actually bud, you're wrong. A pre-auth or a pending charge works like this:
You give your payment information to the merchant, who then submits it to the bank. This is done in various formats such as swiping your card, entering it in on a keypad, etc. What the merchant submits is a call for charge, which means they hold the portion of what you paid for their product/service, and it gets taken against your actual balance. The hold times vary from merchant to merchant because the merchant submits their desired hold. Now, if they don't submit a date, most banks and credit unions have their own hold time limits and it will fall off according to that.

But, as in the case of some unfortunate consumers, some have hold times forseen two months from now. Someone likely entered the wrong date and oops..sucks to be that person. But it's not the bank that sets the time frame. It's the merchant. Also the same for when the government places a hold on your accounts, or the courts, etc.

Yerx

@Amber_picchiottino_ESO I understand what you are saying and yes you are correct for the standard Pending charge. However the difference between a standard Pending charge and what is known as a pre-authorization hold is that a merchant has not sent a notice to collect on a pre-auth hold, meaning that the funds are not touched by the merchant (no access to the funds). A merchant can submit a hold request but they are not required to which is why I stated that it is important to understand your particular financial institution's policy on this.

Yes the funds are counted against your available balance but not all financial institutions hold pre-auth charges against you when calculating overdraft needs and charges, which is why I stated to check with you individual financial institution.

Yes it is possible that a merchant requests a hold for funds however the funds are only allowed by law to be held for a certain amount of time before being settled by the merchant (submitting an electronic request for payment) or reaching the end of the hold authorization and falling off (either the merchant's request or the banks policy). My main bank holds for 3 days on any debit transaction...period. Regardless of a merchant's request. But they will hold up to 30 days on a credit authorization if the merchant request or they will drop the charge at 15 days if the merchant did not specify a date. Knowing your bank's policies and procedures is hugely beneficial especially when you are trying to figure out how to resolve something.

I am not saying that someone did not mess something up, just saying that everyone who thinks a merchant has all the power in an authorization hold scenario and somehow has access to money that they are not yet entitled to...is wrong. Just because it's been taken from your available balance does not mean it is in a merchant's hands.

Soul_of_Wrath

gijszaccountsb16_ESO wrote: »

...most people in the EU don't have a Credit Card nor do they choose to have PayPal...About 80% of the people in Europe...

Ok, I am an American so I do not know what goes on in Europe, but I have a really had time believing that "most" Europeans do not have a credit card. Can you please explain why you have asserted this, is there a study you can link that supports your percentage?

NatarielAnjira

The issue I am having is there is a pending transaction for the 180 days subscription on my account. I talked to my bank and the funds are already released. This means I'm covered. The issue I have is, I did not get an email acknowledging the payment and I can't play at all. The issue I have is I prepaid for the Imperial Edition thinking like many here, I'll get 30 days to play. If you pay for something, it is expected you can use the service and/or item. I paid and can't use a service I paid for. This is wrong. I contacted support and haven't heard from them. And given the responses here, Im losing faith I will hear from them. In the meantime I sit here paid for a service I can't log into or use.

Roibeard

Soul_of_Wrath wrote: »

gijszaccountsb16_ESO wrote: »

...most people in the EU don't have a Credit Card nor do they choose to have PayPal...About 80% of the people in Europe...

Ok, I am an American so I do not know what goes on in Europe, but I have a really had time believing that "most" Europeans do not have a credit card. Can you please explain why you have asserted this, is there a study you can link that supports your percentage?

For Germany, you can find some information (in german language) in the following publication of the German Federal Bank: http://www.bundesbank.de/Redaktion/DE/Downloads/Veroeffentlichungen/Bericht_Studie/zahlungsverhalten_in_deutschland_2011.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

According to this document, only 33% of all people have a credit card. That does not mean that we have to carry loads of cash or don't shop online - we just have a lot of other methods available. Nearly everyone has a debit card (credit and debit cards are usually separate), and usage of debit cards is quite widespread. I have already written a bit about it on page 4 of this thread.

It's not that hard to believe that you don't really need credit cards in your everyday life when the banking system in your country had come up with different solutions and viable alternatives.

chairenn

@Soul_of_Wrath: In Finland, where I live, to get a credit card you have to have a steady job that pays well enough. Some banks do give credit cards to uni students who don't go to work, but they have to have studied for about 2-3 years full time. Anyway, this policy leaves out many young people, students, people with low paying jobs, housewives, unemployed people, retired sick and old people... I don't know how you have it in the US, but here it's actually pretty hard to get a credit card. I just got a credit card this spring after 4 years of steady job and 2,5 years of uni studies, and only because I work for a company that is associated with a bank.

nasdaqbergamot

chairenn wrote: »

In Finland ... I don't know how you have it in the US, but here it's actually pretty hard to get a credit card.

Here in the United States I think it used to be more difficult to get credit a long time ago. But it's relatively easy here compared to what you are describing. They actually TARGET young students with advertisements and offers for it. Not necessarily a good thing actually as there are many stories of people getting into too much debt and not being able to pay it.

Roibeard wrote: »

For Germany ... usage of debit cards is quite widespread.

We have debit cards too, but also a lot of credit card usage. There are some debit cards that allow credit-like transactions that actually are a debit transaction underneath to allow payment where credit and not debt is taken for people without credit.

I admire countries with more financial restraint honestly. I think the US relies to much on debt. But back to the topic at hand...

I wonder how the other subscription-based MMOs get funds from countries with low credit card availability? There was probably a lesson there for Zenimax on this issue before it became a problem, I would think.

stewartkub17_ESO

After reading through many of the posts here I thought I should share our experience.

Like many others, we ordered the Imperial Edition of the game. After the Release day debacle, we finally received our games the Tuesday following the Official release which was the 4th of April. I will also add that we were both Beta Testers and had already created our User Accounts months prior to having the physical games in our hands.

When we entered our Imperial Codes into our account, we were asked to sign up for a subscription. For now, it was decided to opt in for the 30 day plan. ( with intent to change to the cost saving longer sub at a later time ) Went through the process and because of the very public nature of how these " Pre-Auth" charges were being processed, watched our account very closely.

For us, the whole amount of 14.99 was put on hold and shown as a "Pending Purchase" by our Bank. This was in effect for a total of 15 days, then was removed from our account. In our case it was processed as a purchase but after the followup information was not provided by the Merchant it was removed by our Bank.

Our account shows our 30 day free trial countdown to our 1st pay date next month. Which is the correct date.

I have had this happen with restaurants in the past as well as other online vendors. Some vendors that quote a estimate for a repair or other like service will often times place a purchase hold.

Although in this case it was supposed to be a "Pre-Auth" and not a "Purchase Hold " Our Bank has a 3 day limit on a "Pre-Auth", if it had indeed been a "Pre-Auth" it would have been gone after 3 days. This did not affect us adversely.

For what its worth, despite the server down time, we have had a very good time and a positive experience with this game so far and have not had, nor seen any of the reported in-game issues reported by some other players except for some server lag at times. This has been mild on our end.

VirtualElizabeth

@stewartkub17_ESO Thanks for your comment! This type of authorization hold is becoming more commonplace than the average debit card user realizes. I basically stated this in detail earlier in the thread, using gas station holds as an example, and received a reply that "it didn't make sense what I was saying."

Unfortunately there has been abuse when it comes to the debit card system to the point where merchants need assurances they will receive their funds. Pretty much any time you present your debit card to reserve a spot or for future charges, expect to be charged right then and there.

Another example are hotels. Say you are on a company trip and they are paying for the room. Normally though you have to provide a credit card or debit card to cover potential incidentals (room service, using the mini bar etc). It is now common practice for hotels to bill your debit card 100.00 per day during the length of your stay. Eventually it does drop off but it can take several days for this to happen.

This is the price of doing business with debit cards folks. As a friend of mine succinctly put it once "you may not like it, but that's the way it is."

Nocturne Saint

So I heard that you basically have to give 30 days notice to cancel a recurring subscription. Does this mean we get billed a month after even if we cancel after the amount is taken out in the first place?

would like a response from something official...

rayvn03b14_ESO

cheeser123 wrote: »

Goibot wrote: »

2. Any recurring subscription will place a hold for the FULL PRICE of the subscription fee on your credit card.

Saerydoth wrote: »

People should educate themselves on how authorization holds work. They work the same way, for all merchants, no matter where you do a purchase from.

I lol'ed so hard I injured my knee. Now I can't be an adventurer anymore.

Saerydoth wrote: »

I used to work for a bank, so I know how pending charges and authorization holds work.

Ouch! My other knee!

Now you can't even be a guard!

MistryssNite

Anyone know if any chain stores in the US are carrying time cards? Not much news has been said about this.

Hexagar

What worries me the most is the lack of communication from ZOS.. they have so many things hanging in the air and they never communicate with their clients. .. we still dont know if we will be able to pay with non recurring methods , we still dont know WHEN or IF the EU megaserver will move to EUROPE. . reading the forums I get stressed. . Thats not good. . ZOS u need to take action... yesterday

NatarielAnjira

Got one email from CS to verify my account. Sent the email back two days ago and still no word. I can't access the game because it is still asking for a subscription I already submitted for. I was hoping to get this resolved since I been excited about this game releasing and have been a longtime fan of the Elder Scrolls series. At this point I am at a complete loss of what to do. I got a charge on my bank account, no verification of subscription email, and no response except one email to verify my account. I am now worried that someone else is gaming on my dime. I do not understand the slow response.

Nebthet78

MistryssNite wrote: »

Anyone know if any chain stores in the US are carrying time cards? Not much news has been said about this.

Check with Game Stop down there. I know it's Canadian branch EB Games got the time cards last week, so a few places down there should have them.

Nyphrodelub17_ESO

Here's MY 2 cents:

Firstly, we paid $60.00 for a game and can't even play our so-called "free 30 days" until we give a cc number? What the heck is the $60.00 for? Also, a lot of people don't like to use their credit cards online, it's not safe. And don't forget those that don't even have one. Also, no matter what, at the end of the day, ZENIMAX makes millions of dollars off of those subscriptions, even if cancelled. "Holding" the money from our accounts makes them millions; that money is essentially their money, even if they "give it back" until the subscriptions kicks in. If you have a million dollars in your account, you make money. It doesn't matter what you do with it afterwards, withdraw it, spend it or "give it back". Even if they only have our money for a day or two, they've made A LOT of money off of it. Why not just "ping" the account for $1.00 like most merchants? Because this way, ZENIMAX made millions by holding on to that money for a few days. That seems rather sneaky and underhanded.

But Manus has the right of it: It's not safe to have your credit card numbers floating around the virtual world. Look (Saerydoth), they can't even keep those damn GOLD bots out of the game. I have been plagued by them. I have over 20 names on my ignore this. But that's another thread...

By the way, I played the beta and I enjoyed the game. But it was in beta, I understood that there would be problems. Since launch, I have actually seen MORE problems than there was in beta. I originally started a 6 month subscription; I have since changed my subscription to 30 days (my daughter cancelled completely) because I am so disappointed that so many things (and more) are STILL broken. I would gladly have waited another 6 months for an unbroken game.

And that's MY 2 cents...

Nyphrodelub17_ESO

By the way, when I got my game in the mail, (I wanted a physical copy, with the book, statue and map), I never once had to use the enclosed disc. I originally downloaded the client from this website. So, what DID I pay for? Apparently, it was just to get that damn code, because the disc is useless. But I STILL didn't get to play until I gave them a credit card number. But remember, I had ALREADY paid for the game. This just doesn't make sense, why can't they understand that?

I can't say it any clearer than that. THIS IS WRONG, by any standards. I have played video games for 35 years now. This company was once my hero, I really thought they were the BEST. That idea has since changed...how sad.

Nyphrodelub17_ESO

Yerx wrote: »

Long story short, I understand the frustration...but instead of picking up a pitchfork and torch, try to take a moment and understand what is actually occurring, truly it is not as bad or nefarious as it is being portrayed. Nor is it so far outside the norm that no one in the whole world had a clue that this would occur. It is standard practice in many business sectors, at least in the US. For the rest of the world I have no opinion or statement, truly sucks if this is not standard and you didn't know about it. That I can truly sympathize with and understand your frustrations.

But it is as bad and nefarious as it is being portrayed. They wanted money before we even had a chance to play our "30 days free". They wanted us to pay again for something we had already purchased. We all paid for a game that we downloaded, didn't even need that ridiculous disc, with the understanding that we would have 30 days to play it and to check it out. As I said before, what else did I pay for? If I buy a cd, I don't have to pay the artist a fee to actually play and listen to it. I would gladly have signed up for a subscription with a credit card, then they could ping the account for the usual $1.00 to verify that the account is valid. Then on the 1st of May, take the money from my account. If the money wasn't there, block me. But instead they took the FULL amount, held it for a few days, then let it go. Let me play the game that I paid for, then, if I like it, I'll pay for my subscription or cancel if I don't enjoy myself. None of this should have transpired prior to May 1, 2014.

The whole point is this: What did we get for $60.00? Thirty days to play, right? Nope, I couldn't play it until they had my credit/debit card. Pathetic.