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#1 Sep 17 2014 at 1:14 PM Rating: Default
This is a copy and paste of the post I made on the SE forums. Can someone here shed any light on what the problem here is? Besides that I am very annoyed by it all...

==Paste==

Sqenix Customer Support personnel really blow! They are useless!

Can someone here at least help me understand why I could activate one of my FFXI accounts, but not the other (error 401)? Old accounts, have had them for years. Have deactivated and reactivated them a few times in the past without incident. Deactivated last time a little over a year ago. I am using the same billing method and card for both accounts. The first one went through fine, second one gives me the error.

All the idiot at customer support could say was that the bank was rejecting the second payment. Really? Then how come when I tried a different card from a different bank, I got the same error? She repeatedly suggested I use crysta or a game card to reactivate the second account. And I repeatedly said I was not going to do that. Then she repeatedly suggested that I contact the bank to find out why the payment was rejected.. DAMMIT! It wasn't rejected! I got the same error when I used 2 different cards from 2 different banks, BOTH of which have more than enough funds in them to cover a $12.95 charge. My payment method was accepted by SE account management when I updated it... BOTH TIMES!

I had to hang up on the woman... she kept repeating that they are highly trained to handle these error issues... REALLY?!? I think not!

Anyone here know what's going on with this and how I can reactivate the second account successfully, WITHOUT going through the trouble of using third party and questionable payment methods? I refuse to go either of those routes.

I am very frustrated with this... I am not a genius, but my IQ level is way too high to deal with people like the rep I just spoke with. Her stupidity was incredibly painful for me.

I have 2 FFXI accounts and 2 FFXIV accounts... one of each for me and my son! SE needs to be more helpful to their customers than this.

==End Paste==
#2 Sep 17 2014 at 2:53 PM Rating: Good
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no idea how to help but... there is nothing questionable or sketchy about crysta. you can now add only exactly as much as you need and you can do it through paypal... or if paypal is scary for you - you can buy a ultimate gaming card from most 7-11s...

Given the 1 dollar penalty you pay for de/ and reactivating chars when using a CC, crysta is the best deal for someone who is on again off again as a subscriber.

Also, much pity for you... SE customer service sucks.
#3 Sep 17 2014 at 9:40 PM Rating: Good
Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
you can buy a ultimate gaming card from most 7-11s...


Pretty sure you can't, unless they've changed their mind about discontinuing them. At least, I thought stores weren't supposed to sell them anymore.
#4 Sep 18 2014 at 9:11 AM Rating: Default
Despite any $1.00 additional cost, I like the ease of using a credit card. And I have a clear and indisputable record of my payment on my statement.

Also, there are no 7-11's in Louisiana. I actually had no idea that there were any at all left after they all closed down here about 30 years ago or so.
Still, I don't like gaming cards and I don't like crysta.

My payment method wasn't my question... my question was can anyone shed any light on this error 401 and possibly tell me how they rectified it if they have encountered it, without using a gaming card or crysta.
#5 Sep 18 2014 at 11:19 AM Rating: Good
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sleepygirl wrote:
Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
you can buy a ultimate gaming card from most 7-11s...


Pretty sure you can't, unless they've changed their mind about discontinuing them. At least, I thought stores weren't supposed to sell them anymore.


Didn't know that. I also live in Canada - so there is that. I have seen them around but can't remember where since I switched to paypal once I realized I could do it that way.

And to the OP, yes I realize that wasn't your question but I wanted to help quell your fears about using this very simple, error-free payment method.

Chances of someone having the exact same error as you and posting in a reasonable time frame are low, so partly I just wanted to help you out by keeping the thread active.

If you have an active account you might want to try posting in the official forums. But you're probably screwed unless you can get SE to help you out. You might try calling again - I've heard from others that SE customer service varies WILDLY depending on who you get. Maybe you'll get a competent at the other end this time.



Edited, Sep 18th 2014 10:23am by Olorinus
#6 Sep 19 2014 at 6:03 PM Rating: Decent
I have 2 FFXI, one activated w/o a problem, the second gave me the error. It's activated now though. My conclusion, either SE or the payment system won't allow 2 accounts to be activated one after the other. They blocked my card for 24 hours when I tried to activate the second account. Don't know the reason for that, don't care... it's annoying and an idiotic way to treat people are are trying to *give* you their money.

I prefer the credit/debit card payment system because it's automatic renewal each month and I see no reason to go through Paypal or any other third party payment system when I can just use my card directly. Pay for one month at a time and no need to keep going back into account management to add more crysta or game cards.
#7 Sep 21 2014 at 10:28 PM Rating: Good
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I've had to deal with SE customer service before (lost my account for 5 weeks before the tokens came out) so I understand what they're like.

Having said that, the first sentence you posted to them would make me want to ignore whatever else you had to say. I kept reading and your attitude just got more unlikable. I can only imagine what the CSR had to listen to live....
#8 Oct 02 2014 at 8:40 AM Rating: Decent
I actually have the same issue right now activated my account but my brother could not activate his. We are now waiting till friday to ensure 24 hours wait and to use a different card. I also don't see the problem with how the OP handled it. Square enix was very unhelpful, wasn't able to do anything to help. They seem to have no knowledge or control over their system nor were they able to tell me what the 401 error was. locking it for 24 hours after one bad attempt seems idiotic.
#9 Oct 02 2014 at 11:40 AM Rating: Good
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I take back what I said, they just removed the ability to pay with paypal with ZERO notice. So mad. Guess they don't want my sub money.
#10 Oct 04 2014 at 6:37 AM Rating: Decent
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2 things its playspan not paypal and second that notice is from june.

Jun. 27, 2014 15:45 [PDT] From: FINAL FANTASY XI

Regarding Ultimate Game Card and Ultimate Points

#11 Oct 04 2014 at 6:43 AM Rating: Decent
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Mistake post

Edited, Oct 4th 2014 8:49am by sgtsagara
#12 Oct 08 2014 at 8:15 AM Rating: Good
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I recently had two account monthly renewals bounce and when I tried to re-apply the obviously working card got the 401.

I got great CS help once I raised a ticket and learned this: my problem was caused by SE's anti-fraud detector and was a result of my doing several content ID activations one at a time and exceeding a secret threshold of transactions over a 7 or 30 day period (SE wouldn't say which threshold I tripped) this resulted in further payment requests simply being aborted and the content IDs auto-canceled.

There was nothing wrong with the card, no transactions had been rejected by the bank, it was simply SE's system deciding I'd done too many things in a given and unspecified time span and giving me the finger.

It's indicative of an anti-fraud system that can create what appears to be a 'problem with your card' that even front-line CS reps. don't understand (I got the "use Crsyta" advice too).. the information I got came from the ticket being escalated to the department that deals with billing problems specifically. In the end it only got resolved by their TEMPORARILY white-listing the card .. it remains to be seen if this is a permanent solution, I'll find out next week when the 'failed' card is used for another transaction.

Edited, Oct 8th 2014 10:18am by Kragorn
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