Cannot Help Unless I Buy A Security Token. Awesome.

Basically I had a chat with SE about my brothers account that was hacked, as I pay for the damn thing. They cannot recover the account as it has been recovered once before. HOWEVER. I can recover it magically if I buy a security token for an account I cannot access any more.


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SEL Agent Camille: Hello Daniel. Thank you for contacting the PlayOnline Information Centre. One moment please while I read your question. Thank You!
Daniel Harker: Hello
Daniel Harker: Thanks.
SEL Agent Camille: For security reasons we are unable to address your account issues without first verifying your identification. Please respond with the following information:
1) PlayOnline ID
2) Full Name under which you have registered
3) Birthdate
4) Complete Home Address with the postcode
5) The PlayOnline Registration Code that you can find at the end of the booklet
6) Credit Card information used - first 4 AND last 4 digits only
Daniel Harker: ----------------------------------
Daniel Harker: Was hacked previously on 24/07/2009
SEL Agent Camille: True, but you know that we restore account only once, except if you are using a token.
Daniel Harker: Then can you lock the account and cancel the direct debit?
SEL Agent Camille: That can be done of course
Daniel Harker: Thank you. Is there no other solution?
Daniel Harker: Otherwise I will have to cancel two other accounts as I can't have two us playing if one of us cannot
SEL Agent Camille: If you purchase a token and register it on your account, then we will restore your account after positive investigation
Daniel Harker: If I was to buy a token now how could I register it?
SEL Agent Camille: You will receive it then you will have to register it on a SQEX ID
Daniel Harker: But I cannot access my account
SEL Agent Camille: A SQEX account is not your POL ID
SEL Agent Camille: It's to be created on Playonline.com
Daniel Harker: I know, but with a SE id I can register it to a POL ID I don't have access to?
Daniel Harker: How long will it take to verify my account if I purchase one?
SEL Agent Camille: When you will receive the token, you will contact us back and we will start the investigation
Daniel Harker: So basically you're unwilling to help unless I purchase something from you?
Daniel Harker: Where can I buy said security token from then?
SEL Agent Camille: On your viewer
SEL Agent Camille: but as long as we are in server maintenance you cannot purchase it.
Daniel Harker: Which cannot be logged into by him at this time
SEL Agent Camille: indeed
SEL Agent Camille: Is there anything else I can help you with today Daniel?
Daniel Harker: Yeah help is the word I'd have chosen. That is everything thank you, you have been most helpful.
Daniel Harker: Now I'm going to go /wrist.
Daniel Harker: Cheers.
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So why would it be that if I get a token this will fix everything?

Sounds like because its been hacked before they arnt willing to waste time recovering an account that could be hacked for a 3rd time.

Buying a token increases account security ALOT so they will help you in that case because its unlikely to happen again.

Sounds like they just want to get 10$ out of you before you cancel the acct.

Pretty much this. Although that's certainly a much more aggressive approach to their advertising, but it certainly is justified in this case.

^ This.

Where there is true, it has been hacked once before, why can it only be recovered once if I don't have a tag?

That's exactly what I read as well.. Knowing how helpful SE actually is, they'll 'investigate' (aka sit on their *** and do nothing for a few days) then come back and tell you there's nothing you can do, oh, and just for shits and giggles assuming you do buy it, ask them about getting a refund for the token since the account can't be recovered, watch what happens.

and people always say security tokens are pointless. lol

honestly, your account got hacked once. that means it will most likely be hacked a second time. You should've gotten a security token right after the first hacking.

As the old saying goes "Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me"

Or as the old saying goes "Call SE once shame on you; Call SE twice, stop wasting your f#%king time"

Ahahahahaha. What a perfect answer.

Yeah pretty much that. Not like it's just a simple few clicks to recover an account. I'm sure they have to go through tons of tape back up to restore an account properly. I wouldn't waste my time recovering an account for someone who was too cheap to secure his account the first time.

Well I'm not going to bother recovering it as it's not my account, I wanted to know why it can't be done unless I was to get a security token. It's not that hard to recover them to be fair, each character has it's comprehensive log of information pertaining to what has happened with it.

I just thought I'd make a point of that my question is why would they make me buy a token for an account that I CANNOT ACCESS?

That is a good question.. I mean you have to log into your account whether it's on the website or POL to get a security token, don't you?

If you can't login, how are you supposed to order it in the first place?

If there's a way around that, then it makes sense still, because they only said that once you get the token contact them again and then they will investigate.. Nothing about having to contact them through the un-accesible account.

I wouldn't mind getting the token but if I can't login to the account it's kinda pointless on that front. Gah. Sods law really.

People are so quick to bash SE, but never stop to think the problem was caused by their own ignorance. I know it sounds rude/harsh to say but if someone 'hacked' your account it's because you gave your ID away or you thought '123456' was a secure password.

Like Dreakon said, I don't think they have a magic button where they push and your account is magically back. They have to pay someone real money to verify your claims. Your word alone isn't good enough because honestly people can't be trusted. Otherwise anyone could just claim their account was hacked if they got banned.


Did you ever stop to think that somebody has to go through your logs and review your account to make sure it was actually compromised? Then they have to compare all your content IDs against backups to figure out what was changed and if anything was dropped or sent to another account. No, you just want to *** about how it's SE's fault. I dunno about you, but if I had to do that a 3rd time because someone didn't use common sense I'd be a little reluctant too.

It's like asking a co-worker to copy something for you. The first time they won't mind. Asking them to do it a second or even a third time because you lost it and they probably see it as a waste of time and won't be as willing.


or in FFXI terms: If you were doing RoZ Mission 5 and someone says 'Can we do this again, I didn't get the fragments'. Since they're an LS member you might grudgingly do it again only to have them go ninja AFK again and ask if they can do it once more. Would you want to help them a 3rd time?

Ok. Because people cannot read it semes. Or mainly Akeda. WHY SHOULD I BUY A TAG FOR AN ACCOUNT I CANNOT REGISTER IT TO? The password was a mixture of letters and numbers in an obscure order.

This is the second time in 3 years this has happened, not three times. My complaint is why buy something for something I cannot use, the purpose is defunct. I don't bash SE for providing a great game and all other products that I love. Only for telling me that they can only recover the account unless I buy a security token.

So let me dumb this down for you Akeda, because either you're a troll or you skimmed over the original post and decided to pick a side and argue.

ME NO HAVE ACCESS TO ACCOUNTY-WOUNTY. Why would I need a security token?

I am aware of the process they will need to go through, I'm sorry that someone who is paid by the hour to handle such problems will have to go through. It's made simpler when I provide the ISPs and IPs I use. They can see any exceptions and which have accessed the account. If they know their job it's pretty easy. Why do I think this?

Last time I was on the phone to the support team in about 15 minutes he had gone through the account, told me which ISPs and IPs had accessed the account and the last time I had actually logged in successfully while telling me the changes made. Unless this guy is super-mother-fu*king admin of the world or that mika from heroes...why can't the rest of SE's admin team do this?

Well my account was accessed once while i was online on ps2, never gave out my pw or POL ID and my pw wasn't changed at all. logged back on quick and my pants and staff was off and my char was standing next to the Dbox NPC.

i was lucky i guess. i remember from ppl in the past on forums that did get a token, was still hacked and was denied account restore by SE. made me feel buying a token is a waste of money.

Tokens aren't 100% safe for your account. just because you have a token doesn't mean you don't need anti-virus software Browser cleaners etc. Security tokens aren't full proof. but it does give you peace of mind which is why SE put it out. so ppl can stop calling about Account security etc.


SE doesn't care if you were hacked. it cost them less money to just tell you, your account restore request was denied.
but they will gain money if you decide to buy a new game and make a new character then you might buy a token this time around for peace of mind. so they will gain profit.

its all business, just you & wallet are in the middle.

The answer is simple. It has long since been an established rule that you are eligible for an account RESTORATION only once per account. The Security Token has also granted those who bought it effectively UNLIMITED RESTORATIONS. Because SE feels that, since you bought this product, your account should never ever have been compromised and it's on them if it is compromised.

What the employee suggested to you was that you buy a token and make yourself eligible for the UNLIMITED RESTORATIONS that having a token provides you with. It's not a marketing ploy it was a work around your problems. I believe you should try to get in contact with support again and see if they'll change the password for you. Then ask them if you buy a token if they'll be willing to restore it. SE will give you the account back, they wont roll it back so you have all your gear more than once without that token.

Ok thank you, that is a much more reasonable and intelligent response. He'll probably buy the token after all this hassle anyway. That makes a lot more sense than the "BUY EET. IT'LL FIX EVERYTHING" response.