Guide: How to get your old account restored.Follow

How to restore your old character

Cliff note version
If your missing old information like your POL#, CC, or Reg code you may request a "NOTARIZED ACCOUNT VERIFICATION DECLARATION"


Detailed Version:

I’ve recently returned to game this month (April 2009) I stopped playing my account in 2003. I’ve run in to quite a few people in game that stated they also recently returned but they were unable to get their account restored. You can in fact have it restored. It’s just the customer service failed to inform you of some options available.

Before I continue I should note when undergoing this process of getting my account restored I did not have the following information (because it was six years ago!). When I stopped playing I just stopped my subscription.

Credit Card # used
Play On-line ID (POL#)
Registration Code

Only thing I had was my old address and phone number which wasn’t enough. You can ask if your account still exists I asked two seprate customer service reps and they said the account was still there. I was told old accounts get placed on a “deleted server”.

I called a few times unable to get anywhere each customer service rep had their own way of doing things.

Finally I reached someone helpful I offered to fax over a copy of my drivers license to prove who I was. He then told me they were not able to accept that as a form of prove of identity but what he did for me was e-mail a form to fill out. This form is called “NOTARIZED ACCOUNT VERIFICATION DECLARATION”.

You fill out the form with the address used at the time of registration of the game, this form is used for compromised accounts so for the dates when it was compromised I put “N/A” and briefly noted why I sending in the document. You then have it notarized and you snail mail it to CA address is on the form.

This process took about two and a half weeks even after I over night sent the form so save you money and send it normally they take their sweet time.

They will send you an e-mail letting you know that your application was reviewed and the information matched their records. You’re not done yet! Login and update your billing information and log out. Now you place another call as your account has no Content ID so you don’t have your character yet just a blank account. You will need to do the "Return Home to Vana'diel" Vandal Type A or B. You can read about it herehttp://www.playonline.com/ff11us/campaign/wcb/. When you call they require you to call back once you read it, which would be another three hours on hold so you can say you’ve already done it. Your character can only be restored on certain times on certain days determined by what number you registration code ended with. Mine was Wednesdays 5pm to 5:59pm. I called on a Tuesday after I got my account back asking how I access my character. The service rep asked me to authorize him to purchase a content ID for my account. Then tomorrow I may call between those times and have it restored. I did that called the next day and was able to finally have it restored.

I called quite a few times and was unable to get no where until finally I reached someone that was helpful enough to offer the use of that form which no other rep offered. Now armed with this information perhaps you can use it to restore your account hopefully.

Please be advised however this process takes dedication, the time commitment just waiting on hold alone is a lot. So if your character has a ton of time investment it’s worth it. But if it’s only like level 30 then I’d skip this process completely.

Good Luck!

To give you a detailed outlook on what it took to have my account restored, here is a copy of my very first complaint letter ever written addressed to their customer service. I hope this guide allows you to skip what happened to me illustrated below.


To whom it may concern,

I recently had an awful experience with customer service. It’s so bad that in my thirty years of life I’ve never once wrote a complaint letter until now. It really hit home because I myself am in Customer Service for the last eight years. I really need to inform someone that oversees this department and give them a first hand look of the quality of customer service I received. My hope is this letter reaches someone that will actually take this seriously and understand that some changes need to be made.

I stopped playing FFXI on-line in 2003 or early 2004. I attempted to come back to the game in 2006; I was unable to have my account restored because I forgot the billing and Player on-line ID information. I started up a new account but didn’t last long since I only wanted to resume my old character.

May this year I came back to FFXI to play my newer account, again faced with the dismay of not being able to resume my original charter I decided to give Customer Service a try again. I offered to fax in a copy of my drivers license or something of that nature for proof.

Customer service informed me my account still exists and what they could do is have me fill out a “NOTARIZED ACCOUNT VERIFICATION DECLARATION” They e-mailed this too me. I printed it out, filled it out ran out and had it notarized then over night mailed this letter on 3/30/09. I called Customer Service on 3/31/09, 4/1/09, they hadn’t processed it yet. On 4/3/09 I used the on-line chat option. I had enough of being on hold waiting for a customer service rep, my last weight time was three hours and I live in Pennsylvania, this is not a cheap call. I was told it was not processed yet and if I didn’t hear anything by Monday give them a call.


On Monday 4/6/09. I wanted to e-mail my request instead. The reason is I feel that’s important to point out my total weight time to speak with a customer service rep in total thus far is close to or exceeded seven hours adding up all the service calls thus far (four). But I was unable to do so because the e-mail option requires a value Play on-line ID, which is what I was requesting so I can play.

I was forced to used the on-line chat option again, total hold time was an hour bringing my time investment up to roughly over eight hours for trying to speak with a customer rep.

In my description for the on-line chat tool I said the following.

“Hello,
I over night sent NOTARIZED ACCOUNT VERIFICATION DECLARATION last Monday. I’ve called three times, I was asked to call back Monday if I didn’t hear anything yet. Well its Monday, I’ve invested my time, money in overnight sending this thing which wasn’t cheap. I’ve been more then fair and patient so I know today is the day this gets resolved.

Account is from 2003 I didn’t remember the billing or Play on-line info because it was six years ago, hence why I was asked to send the notarized form. That was completed and received by you on Tuesday. Spent over three hours on the phone on hold for more then one session. Let’s get this taken care of today please. If not I’d like to speak to the manager.

Brad *********** (private information)
***********
*************
****************
*******************
[]SEI POL Bethany: Hello, Brad, thank you for contacting the PlayOnline Information Center. Just a few moments while I review your question, please.
SEI POL Bethany: Brad, you are wanting to check on the status of the account, am I correct?[/]
Brad ***********: Correct
SEI POL Bethany: Understood.
SEI POL Bethany: What is the zip code that would be on the account?
Brad ***********: *****
SEI POL Bethany: One moment.
SEI POL Bethany: Thank you for waiting. At the moment, I do not see that we have received the form, doesn't mean that we haven't received it. We possibly might have it but have not verified it yet. Right now my supervisor is not in, in order for me to verify with him to see if we have received it or not.
SEI POL Bethany: If you overnighted it, we should have received it by now and verified it, so at this time I cannot confirm it until my supervisor is in. You will receive an email once we have received it.
Brad ***********: May I leave my number for him/her to call? I would appreciate it
SEI POL Bethany: Unfortunately we cannot do a call back, but I will write down your information and have him check when I see him. I will inform him if we did receive it to verify it and send an email to you ASAP. If you do not hear anything by tomorrow, I would check back with us, but more than likely we would not have received the notary if you do not hear anything by tomorrow.
Brad ***********: All right thanks for your time.
SEI POL Bethany: Are there any other issues I can assist you with right now, Brad?
Brad ***********: That's it, thank you.


Customer service mangers cannot call customers to address issues? I hope Bethany mistaken because that’s not customer service, it’s a bad policy.

I’ve been an avid player of MMO’s since 2003, this game being my first. With some quick research looking at the other games I’ve played in the past I was quickly able to receive my username and password from the following gaming companies within minutes. Not only that I only needed a username and password, not a content ID, player on-line ID POL number or two separate login’s to access these games.

World of Warcraft
Age of Conan
EVE on-line
Lineage II
Ever Quest 2

To take it a step further I have two different banks, both of which I have on-line banking which allows me to directly access my bank accounts. Each allows me to answer a security question to have my account reset. If you don’t remember your security question you have to call your local branch (I’ve done this before) and I was up and running again within ten minuets starting from the second I picked up the phone.

Needless to say bank account information is far more sensitive then an on-line gaming account. I’m not discrediting your system for verification but you have to admit with this short track record of the list above the account information that is the same or even more sensitive I was able to obtain that information very quickly.

I understand your company stance on security and prevention on account steal/trading but there’s a point when it becomes too difficult, case in point after all this time, effort and money all of which, especially the time which is substantial the end result is I still do not have my account. I have not been serviced and placed aside. I’ve lost eight hours of my time, Not sure what all the phone calls will amount too for billing (can’t wait), eighteen dollars for the over night letter and five dollars for the notary.

I was not contacted by any manager via e-mail, but at this point you knew that. I’m going to forgo the three page section of how frustrated I am and what you could do better. But one week having to deal with your own customer service would be just.

In closing I’m not investing any more time, gas or money to have another letter notarized. I gave you enough opportunity money and time to address the issue. If I receive an e-mail one day with my account information great. I won’t hold my breath.

-Brad

Funny thing is a few days later after I totally gave up I received a e-mail that they had received notarized document and restored my account.


Edited, Apr 17th 2009 2:36pm by toxicmoon

Crap, too bad the thing ends too soon for this to be any use to me. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to use the Return Home campaign to get my guy from 4ish years ago back, and apparently I didn't have the right 8 CC#s. I had everything but that. Despite talking to 4 guys (I went and found every credit card number I had under my name, I guess I used someone else's), and even asking if there was any other way, they never mentioned this. The service is even worse than I thought. Well, I'll have to remember this for the next Return Home campaign, I could steal all of my old guy's gear and gil and put it on my new/current guy.