Warning If You Bought / Received Your SoA Code From Gamesplanet.

Short version - friend swapped a code and has now been banned.

Long version:

A friend of mine was waiting for a code for SoA, being the impatient type, he used a code that someone else gave him as they had a spare (unused at this point). He then swapped his code when it eventually arrived. This code was swapped to another region due to the original account being a NA not EU. All codes have only been used once.

He has now been banned for "Fraudulent activities" on his SE account, just wanted to give a heads-up if anyone else has done this, or knows if anyone else had the same problem?

Unless I'm reading this the wrong way, you are talking about the registration codes which came with the expansion?

Unless something has changed, you cannot activate a EU code on a NA account (same for JP accounts) and vice versa. I have a NA account for my main, and my mule is a EU account from when I lived in the UK a couple years ago. I've tried a NA code for SoA on my mules account and it says invalid. We have JP accounts in my linkshell and they say the same thing for their expansions holds true. They had to wait for a copy in the mail from a Japanese based store before they could install it.

I don't see how they could have installed it in the first place. Sorry if I'm just reading this wrong though, it's late here!

No, u have read it right. Apparently, the download was sent via e-mail stating "The code will be sent later." (Metaboli)

12 hours later and no code.... "here mate, just use mine"

Like I said, the impatient type! I'll be honest though, I probably would have done the same thing.

EDIT: Mine came at the same time, "here is the download link, here is your code"

This just doesn't sound right at all. And how do you even change the code once it's been registered?

He won't of got banned for that, Has he tried ringing SE to see why?

Usually it comes down to invalid card details or using someone else's card ( just a thought).

No code has been changed. He used a code from someone else, then gave them his when it arrived. The person he gave his to then swapped it for a NA one. Sorry, I don't think I have been very clear.

He rang SE and they had to get back to him. They e-mailed him to say that the reason the account is closed is "by metaboli, due to fraudlent activities regarding SoA"

SE have told him he needs to contact Metaboli directly, which is weird in itself, but I guess that will tell the whole story. It has taken them nearly a month to decide this.

He only used 1 card for payment, it is his and is a debit, not a credit card.

So he's EU, but used someone else's NA code? Like Bekisa said, I didn't even think that was possible.

My partner had her service suspended yesterday. We contacted SE about it and we were told to contact the company to which we bought the SoA Expansion pack from, in this case Gameplanet.com. Just now sent an email to them to fine out what's the problem.

What ever it is, SE is pinning it on both Metabolic and Gameplanet, so for those who bought the game online from one of these sites, expect to have your service suspended, and get a hold of metabolic/gameplanet right away.

Note: My partner's version of FFXI is EU.

Uhoh, my account is EU and I bought Adoulin from Gamesplanet. I've not exchanged codes with anybody or anything of the sort though.

I think you'll be fine, I am guessing it is the swapping of codes that is the problem, as Wolf (or his partner) was the person my friend got the code off (It's Clast btw!)

The thing is, how do they know you swapped codes?

Like I have an EU account but live in the US. It wouldn't let me buy SoA even if I used my European bank because of my IP Address. So I had a friend in Europe buy it for me. How do they know I didn't just buy it myself?

Similarly my wife and I bought like 7 NA codes for LS friends who live in Europe but have NA accounts. How does SE know we bought them for those people?


There has to something else in play here. You're buying from an external source to SE so it's not like they have the buying information to compare to your account.

Someone on another post has said they have had the same ban, but didn't swap any codes. Looks like an issue with Gamesplanet in the UK.

Does it flag the issue up on your SE account as well? Or is it just when you log in to POL?

At work so can't try log myself in to see if there's issues with my account but I can log in my SE account.

Why do we have 2 posts about the same thing btw? Probably even the same person @_@

Ah, it's not me, it's a friend of mine. Had some clarification, seems the whole code swap thing was a red herring after all, and it was to do with the code my friend used, rather than the fact that codes were passed around.

Like you said they wouldn't know, and also, this could have been bought as a present for someone.

That said, it is legit players getting banned, so be careful if you bought from gameplanet. I will change the title of this post accordingly, and as there is now another post running, this one can be locked.

EDIT:

As we are clearly not the same person, it is obvious there is an issue here.

Sounds to me like,

Someone has a list of un-purchased or generated SoA keys and says to someone waiting for a key, here use mine, just give me yours when you get it -> sends unpurchased code to unsuspecting eager player and gets purchased code in return.

SE finally realizes hey, that code while numerically valid was either never purchased, was reported as stolen when the person that actually bought and received that code tried to redeem it, or it set off some other flag...

That would fly, were it not for the fact that I know these people in real life. So unless it was the site the codes were purchased from themselves, it isn't that.

Maybe SE tracks legitimate code inputs that are of the wrong client. Then when they're used by someone else the system is like dingdong. What's goin' on 'ere then!

Actually no. If that were the case there would be a lot more of these posts..

It is definitely possible that someplace/site had their codes compromised. It would take a while to pan out what happened if whoever took some of the codes only took a small number of codes.

From reading another similar thread, is it possible that something happened with the person's credit card who you got the code from. I have had transactions from online stores (especially stupid click and buy when I was using that) picked up as fraud by my credit card company before, and if that happened it might have reversed or flagged the transaction and the code could be considered stolen/compromised/fraudulent... Those things take some time to report back through the chain to eventually reach SE, so that could account for the delay between you registering the code and then getting banned at a later date because of the code.

Either way it sucks and I hope you get it figured out.

It doesn't give you that choice though. You enter the code and then it tells you what service options it can be used on. You can't attempt to use say an NA code on an EU account as the account just won't turn up in the option list.

I suppose they could theoretically check against codes that were entered and then not used though.

I hope mine doesn't go like that.. Got my code from UK Gamesplanet aswell.

Anyone had any luck on getting hold of Gamesplanet and resolving it yet?

Just wanna prepare myself for steps/solution incase I get this too.

I think the most plausible way for this is that someone purchased a number of keys with a fraudulent payment source. The keys were issued/generated upon the payment which eventually got canceled.

Because of that Square Enix then flagged the affected keys to force the players which were fooled to request refunds.

Sorry to hear people is being scammed this way. :\

Edit: Yep ->
http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/37749/lm-31-banned-for-buying-soa-from-gamesplanetcom/

People banned for buying SoA might be innocent victims of paranoid automated anti scam protection measures. :\

yuo cant use NA codes in a EU SE account.
when you try to enter it it will tell you you have no options to upgrade or something along that line

thats a fact.

the story does not hold true there has to be something else into it.
like the fake keys or something


here is my theory

1 guy buy wrong NA/EU code. (like me)
2 he get on touch with SE (like me)
3 SE sends him new correct codes (like me)
4 Guy uses his old code to trade to someone else
5 New guy register this old code that is correct for his region
6 old codes gets marked invalid (like it says in the email when you 7 recieve the new ones)
8 new guy that used old code now get banned for using an invalid code

that is plausible. fits somehow with the op story and fits 100% with what we know is facts about how the code registrations works

Metaboli
Tel 0033 144 90 80 90
email support@metaboli.co.uk

Both my hubby and I have be blocked, both EU and no code swaping!

SE can/wont do anything they are advising to contact Metaboli.
Metaboli have been no help so far!

All who've been having this problem, have you bought SoA recently? like in the past few days.

Or did you get the expansion on the release date?

There's no such thing as fake code.

But a real code which was issued in advance for a then denied payment source is possible. Flagging and freezing the account which used the contested code is the only way SE can make sure it receives the payment which is due.

If a code is fake, it won't register on the site. If the code is from a wrong region it won't register either. If the code is spent the site will let you know, as well.

If you read what he said, he had SE replace his NA code with a EU code. He still knew the NA code, but didn't do anything with it.

Perhaps someone did the same thing, then gave away their NA code, which was flagged internally.

Please stop with the wild theories about hackers and code fraud. My OP was a case of 2 LS mates swapping codes, neither of whom are hackers or criminals.


This is the 3rd separate group of people who have hit the same problem. It is obviously an issue with Metaboli.

Now if you want a wild theory, I'd say an admin at Metaboli went rogue....

So current standing:

I just got a mail from Metaboli/Gamesplanet.

All the ppl who got bannd, faild in the Securitysystem from Metaboli/Gamesplanet.

One day after you ordered SoA you got a mail to verifie your Data. Mine did land in Junkmail. So i did not verifie my Data.

3 days after this Metaboli/Gamesplanet did send the money back. (i didnt noticed this, since today XD)

Cause of that Metaboli/Gamesplanet did send a mail to SE to block the used Codes.

I wanted Metaboli/Gamesplanet to just take may money again for my Order........Answere: This isnt possible!!!! You have to order a new Code.
Entering a new Code for SoA dont works on SE-Account.

I called SE and they are going to find a way how to fix this.

SE in London is just now stop working and going into the weekend.

So we have to wait till Monday for any fixes of this silly problem.


As soon as i know more about this i let you guys know.