OMGWTF? UCS-60257

So for 5 days now I've been getting this error. Contacted PoL more than once and they suck to say the least. Decided to record this last convo I had with 'Bethany'

SEI POL Bethany: Hello, Christopher, thank you for contacting the PlayOnline Information Center. Just a few moments while I review your question, please.
Christopher P: ok
SEI POL Bethany: Thank you for your patience Christopher. You are receiving errors when trying to update the credit card, am I correct?
Christopher P: Yes
SEI POL Bethany: One reason is because the servers can be busy with many customers updating their card information at the same time.

Another reason is that there is a 30 minute timer whenever you submit the card information and you cannot submit the card information until the 30 minutes have passed. So make sure to wait 30 minutes in between each attempt.

Make sure the information and address you are entering is exact to what the card company has. Any slight misspelling or capitalization and the card company can decline the card.

And we charge a $1 pending fee that is then refunded but if the card company declines that charge or lets it sit there pending and doesn't approve it quick enough, that will decline the card as well. So make sure that they approve the $1 pending fee as soon as they see it.
Christopher P: The $1 fee was approved 3 days ago and I still cant get on.
SEI POL Bethany: You will have to continue trying every 30 minutes until it goes through or use another credit card to see if it is the servers or the card company. Unfortunately it is an automated system and the card company are the ones who accept or decline the card. We only decline when the servers are busy or you are not waiting 30 minutes in between each attempt.
SEI POL Bethany: Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, Christopher?
Christopher P: Yes is there any way to pay online or by telephone?
SEI POL Bethany: Unfortunately there is not. It is an automated system and the only way to update the card is through the POL Viewer.
Christopher P: i have been recieving this error for 5 days now and I have listened to everything I'm being told from PlayOnline to try and nothing makes a difference.
SEI POL Bethany: Then it is more than likely the card company being really picky against our charges. I would test out another card or pre-paid card to see if it will go through.
SEI POL Bethany: Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, Christopher?
Christopher P: I have tried 2 different prepaid cards and a debit card.
Christopher P: The problem is not with the cards because I have used each of them for different purchases online just to verify that they are working.
SEI POL Bethany: I have given you all the information we have as to why the card would be declined. Perhaps it is your connection and it is timing out. So try resetting the router. Unfortunately that is all we would know as to why your cards would be declined.
SEI POL Bethany: Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, Christopher?
Christopher P: I have done that too. The problem is not on my end. May I speak to a supervisor or someone who will help me and not try to cut the conversation short?
SEI POL Bethany: They would provide you with the same information.
SEI POL Bethany: That is all we have as to why your card would be declined.
Christopher P: There has to be more that you can do or tell me.
SEI POL Bethany: We have provided you with why we would know why the card would be declined.
SEI POL Bethany: We do not have information on why your transaction may not have been approved. If you would like further information about this specific transaction decline, please contact your bank or financial institution.
SEI POL Bethany: Christopher, I have already provided you with a resolution to this issue. As it seems you have no other new issues I can assist you with, I will be removing you from chat at this time.
SEI POL Bethany: I am glad I could assist you today Christopher!

wasnt there already a thread about cc issues and w/e? i had made mention that they already can't help you b/c they dont have the systems to do that.

basically all you can do is keep trying...i've done it for 2 weeks once...i wouldnt try every 30 minutes tho...mebbe once an hour or something...but usually around 10-11am EST is when i have the best luck getting it to go through when that happens...

Good Luck to you.

Unfortunately someone posted on a similar-sounding issue Sunday.

So if the few of you are posting here, chances are there's at least a couple hundred people having this problem. POL Support knows this, and hasn't figured out that the problem is, so they're giving you the "Not our fault!" BS.

I would call back again and again until you get a supervisor who isn't using scripted responses to your issue. Sucks.

Good luck.

I'm trying to GIVE THEM MONEY. I know SE is a huge company but I'm sure even my petty $13 a month should be important enough to get proper customer service. I've been reading threads on this error code and apparently it's been going on since 11/07 at least. Does SE seriously not care enough to fix a near 2 year old problem?

.... and on a side note....
Hi Savannah!!! lol

Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, Christopher?

lol, sounds sort of robotic.....

lol i think they have macros for all their responses.

/say Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, <t>?

lolz /wave :P

Does anyone konw if this is still going on? I really would like to play but I've been locked out for days now. The ol try and try again frustrated me last night so i'm not attempting again til someone else gets in.

i would try once....if it doesnt work try asap when you wake up....

I tried twice last night at 2am est and 4am est. Nothin. If those arent offpeak hours i dunno what is.

I'm having the same issue. Locked out. 3 strikes and I get 5111. Boo.

I called them and they were like "Uhh POL servers are just too secure, make sure every bit of information is exactly as it is on your billing account." I was like "It IS, I went through and specifically took off any punctuation and whatnot and I'm getting the $1 Pending fee"
"Well theres nothing we can do over the phone sorry it's not 'safe' "

Well, thanks for that Privacy Acts, :)

Now I can't play.

I just wanted to say that you should keep trying. It took my brother 4 days straight of trying every 30~ minutes before it finally took the card.

Just to add my experience to this lol.. I switched from my credit card after fraudulent charges were arrising and put FFXI on my debit card. Both cards are from the same Financial Institution. The next month I got billed for not 14.95... but 29.90 >.> POL says it's for late fees >.>

So I call up POL and say wtf you double charge me for? They respond you were not double billed, You are being charged for the previous month and the current month.

I replied Um, I payed 14.95 last month... so your saying it THAT was for the month before that? The guy replies No, that was the fee for that current month.

So I'm upset at this point and replied So that was the currrent fee for last month, and this month half the 29.90 is for last month also? Sounds like a double charge >.>

He replied Sir you don't understand...

I replied um I have all my CC statements for 3 yrs... every month is a 14.95 charge... then the 1 month out of 4 years of playing I switch Credit cards and bam a 29.90 charge, how do you explain that?

He replies again.. Sir you don't understand...

SO I repled No you don't understand... I tell you what I'll do, I'll switch to a pre-paid card and keep under 15.00 in it... that way you decline it and I just insert funds, then pay the 14.95 to play.

He replied sir you cannot do that, not only is it unconstitutional it is against the law to make purchases you do not have the funds for.

I replied Yeah? it's also illegal to advertise a set price and the moment I switch credit cards double charge me.

I promptly hung up, switched to a pre-paid debit card... I now keep under 15.00 on it and get declined each month, then pay the 14.95 fee and play as usual.

This past month they tried to charge that card 44.85...

I'm really *** sick of POL and will NOT play Sqaure_Enix's new MMO if it is thru POL.

Seriously an F rating on the Better Business Bureau has to mean something...

Had the exact same problem but I can still log on for now at least. Can't wait till July. --; Hopefully by then they fix the damn thing.

You should always be paying for the previous month at the first of the new month. Meaning your bill recieved on June 1st for example should be paying for all of May. I've gotten double charged before but I just shrugged it off. It hasn't happened again but it is still ***. There is absolutely no reason why you should pay anymore than your standard fee per month.

i had this very same prob when the new Expantion was released

Anyone get this fixed or through yet? The idea of not being able to play for a few days/weeks while my LS is planning on spamming Dyna Tav or Xarc makes my RDM cry.

The best advice that I have (other than verifying that your card was not declined) is to register a new card from a console if you have access to one.

I spent days trying to register a new credit card.
2 Mastercards were not part of the secure card program that SE requires (one of which I have been using to pay for the game for 5 years).
1 Debit card was unusable.
1 Visa was declined and my credit account was locked because the bank questioned the $15.95 charge and $1 "pre-authentication" from SE??? Even after I had the hold removed from my card, I was still having issues.


From an XBOX-360, the original Mastercard worked with no problem.

- No secure authentication Web browser popup, no secret password, no open this window - close that window BS.


The following was the most helpful post that I could find:

---
Zanon3
Posted 12/17/2009 1:20:24 PM
Use a console to register the game, period.

After going through an absolute headache of installing this on my computer to get back to playing this after 2 years, this is the only way that worked for me. This error occurs because of the user authentication that can only be done via a web browser, so it can only happen on PC. They send a "fake" $1 charge to your card, which doesn't automatically go through. Even if there is enough money on the card, you can get this error.

So if your friend has playonline on their xbox or ps2, use it to install pol, then the credit card information, and you'll dodge this error. After trying about 40 different times with 3 different cards, the console was the answer.
---

Thank you, Zanon3

Stinkyfeet, Titan - 75 WHM/RDM/SMN/DRK

Maybe if you were a rmt out of china they would treat you better.

POL is a joke and SE has proven there custmer service is the worst.

http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/Square-Enix-Inc-13168063

According to that, SE has an A+.... That just lowers my trust in the BBB though. 212/297 of their reported cases show that they "Acted according to their contract"... That makes me curious, actually.

They also state that they have had 0 complaints go unanswered, which I am pretty sure is nowhere near the case.

That report makes me believe either: More people need to report things like that in general, or the only people reporting are morons.. Either/or.

Oh, when handling SE's "A+ Customer Service", just keep hard records of everything, and threaten their US branch with a lawsuit if you're certain they're breaking the law. That always changed things for me. As apathetic as they may be, it's always easier to refund 13 dollars than handle a lawsuit for something they know is their fault.

I am still having this problem, I wonder if it's on-going. I have contacted SE thrugh chat I got that same response and on the phone they refused to update my payment information :S

I agree with the Hulk.

Most of the time they aren't tho that's the issue.

Personally never had a single CC issue with SE. Even if I do recognize that the billing management on PoL is pure *** and slow as hell... Seems it happen way more NA customers than EU.

SE is *** ignorant like other companies and if i had anything else to do id say *** you quit keep my monthly subscription money but for now ill just deal with it. >.<

use chase. haven't had a problem since 2002. yeah SE's/Playonline's customer service blows just like the GM's in the game. Same automated response as well. lol. Hell they are so dumb I can't even get them to throw me in ffxi jail and realize they are being insulted.

However, bad customer service from these guys doesn't usually mean they are what is causing the financial issue. Just cause she or he was an idiot doesn't mean it's their fault. Get a real card and you'll never have this issue.

Service is crap everywhere anyway, what was your last "major" MMO with a decent customer service ?

In b4 NCSoft LOL.

trying to register a new pol and this problem is still on going. been trying for 2 days now. anyone know a way around it besides using console? since i don't have or know anyway that does.

going on 3 days now still getting this god damn error wish i just had a console with ffxi on it . . .