BUYER BEWARE! - My Experience using The Cartel Market & Customer Service

[xxxxWHOxxxx]

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm a new player. I just started playing SWTOR a couple of weeks ago, and a little over a week ago I became a subscriber.

 

So far, while I enjoy the game to the point I'm becoming an addict, I have to say I was more than a little disappointed by an experience I had trying to utilize The Cartel Market and then dealing with Customer Service.

 

Perhaps my expectations are a little high because I've worked for Corporate America for the last 12+ years doing Customer Service, but I'll leave it up to you fellow players to decide.

 

Last Tuesday, April 30th, I made a small purchase of 1050 Cartel Coins. It was my intention to use the coins to purchase some "Expanded Cargo Bay Storage". I accidently purchased "Unlock: Cargo Bay Storage (Account)".

So, when I went to use the item in my inventory I realized that I had purchased the incorrect item, because I'm a subscriber and my character(s) on my account already have that ability.

 

Frustrated that I'd purchased the wrong item I created a ticket and politely requested a refund. I then went ahead and purchased more Cartel Coins so I could get the item I wanted, assuming that I'd made a simple and understandable mistake, and I would be refunded.

 

The next day (May 1st) I received a response back on my ticket from that Droid stating that they understood what I was requesting but they needed some additional info to process my request (Character Name, Level, Server, Date & Time it happened). So I updated my ticket with the additional information they requested.

 

The next day (May 2nd) when I logged on, in the evening, I noticed my ticket had been closed. Nothing had been refunded and no explaination was given to me.

 

So, I created another ticket requesting an explaination as to why my ticket had been closed, why nothing was done, and why I hadn't recieved any explaination.

 

Today (May 3rd) I recieved a response back stating that it's Policy that Cartel Coins will not be refunded when an item is already in a character's inventory.

 

They advised that the only way I could have received a refund is if I hadn't claimed the item into my personal inventory.

 

Now here's the rub, I didn't realize that I couldn't use the item, and hence it was worthless, UNTIL it was already in my inventory.

 

Granted, at the most I'm only out the $9.99 (plus tax) and it doesn't seem like a lot of money. To be honest, it really isn't a lot of money to me.

 

I guess my issue is the way this was handled. I felt like they were leading me on to believe I'd receive a refund if I provided the additional information they requested.

 

Then they closed the ticket without resolving the issue and/or giving me a reason why the ticket wasn't resolved.

I also feel like the solution they gave me is an inadequet means for resolving this issue for me, or anyone else who makes the same mistake in the future.

 

I wrote them back suggesting that they implement a policy from here forward that if a player/character is unable to use an item listed on The Cartel Market, that it be made impossible to purchase.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

[JPryde]

Your final suggestion wouldn't work.

 

There are many items sold on the market, that are bought by subscribers and sold to F2P players. The oiginal buyer cannot use the item.

 

You could proceed and sell the Unlock, that you cannot use as subscriber and sell it on the GM to a F2P player (make sure not to ask more than 250k as they cannot possibly have more).

 

Buyers beare actually applies.... buyers should be aware, what exactly they are buying and double check it, before the item is pulled to inventory.

[Callaron]

My experience with customer service has been mixed, but all in all more positive than negative.

Pretty much the same thing with the game itself, while there are some things that greatly irk me from time to time, the good far outweighs the bad so far.

[xxxxWHOxxxx]

Thanks for the input. I really do appreciate it. I didn't know that I could sell the item on the Galactic Market, so that might actually help and not make this a total loss.

 

I'm sorry that my first post on here was a "rant" but I was just so iritated to be treated like that.