Zen bought through steam, has lead to me losing my steam account

blitzsth

So last week I decided to buy some ZEN through Steam and so the nightmare began.

First what ever check be it at Cryptic's end or at Steam, lead my account to first not be able to use the Dilithium exchange and then my Star trek online account being Auto-banned by the system.

You can read all about that here

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1279831

I mention how my Steam account was also flagged and I couldn't and this was a quote from the Steam message.

"Purchasing, gifting, trading, buying and selling items on the Community Market, and cd-key activation have been disabled."

So I contacted Steam support, took a week for them to reply BTW. This was the reply.

4 Message by Support Tech Bret on Wed, 5th Nov 2014 22:54
Hello John,

Thank you for contacting Steam Support.

We apologize for the delay.

We have found activity in the Steam account related to fraudulent credit card use.

Per the Steam Subscriber Agreement, we have locked the account permanently. The account will not be reactivated.

The Steam Subscriber Agreement can be found at:
http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

In addition to violation of contract, said activities on the account may violate state and federal law. Valve reserves the right to refer the matter to the appropriate authorities.

So I have lost everything on my Steam account it is all gone 197 games, countless gifts etc etc.

In case anyone is interested the Fraudulent cards they speak about, well they are prepaid gift cards I have used, I have the receipts. Call me paranoid but I keep every receipt I have ever been given, I have boxes of the damn things. Anyway the gift cards I used were from Americanexpress of which I have spent an hour on the phone with and they say the cards I used were valid.

So Cryptics system or steams has ****ed me, either way it all started with that ZEN purchase.

ivannanuke

Man that sucks, surely you can mail Gaben he is the head of Steam with details and then live in hope?

his mail is

gaben@valvesoftware.com

Best of luck buddy.

guilli88

Have you contacted steam and PWE with the inclusion of the card's receipt?

Steam should hold out until PWE gives the verdict whether it was in factual a fraudulent card or not. Ask steam to up your ticket to a more experienced support rep. Mention you are also contacting the other party (PWE).

Do the same with PWE billing. Explain and proof you got the prepaid card legitimately, ask them to contact steam about it as well.

azntrigboi

Wow...that is a severe result of a false positive. In a way, this is even more reason to not use Steam w/ STO which in turn means use Arc for STO...which is...uhh...very sad to say.

atlmykl

Not trying to make light of your plight but this is why DRM platforms like steam are the devil. I am not anti-drm but having all of your eggs in one basket makes you vulnerable to iron-fisted judgments like this.

nickcastleton

i think if u can prove that the cards are valid either as AE to mail you or steam over the issue or provide proof to steam that they are not fraud cards they may reverse the decision.

blitzsth

I have sent all the receipt data to Steam, where I bought the cards ie store address contact name and phone number. I never thought of asking for the ticket to be handled by a more senior member but I shall, thanks for the advice.

I will send the same to PWE and wait for the brush off generic response

hipachilles

Edit: I don't want to start the PWE blame game until it has been proven to be their fault. I retract my earlier criticisms.

meimeitoo

Hmm, yeah, this truly sucks, on a n epic level.

I think, indeed, PWE is the culprit here (though probably not intentional). Having cautiously flagged your card as 'suspicious' (pending further checks), it's extremely likely this flagging is shared amongst other gaming companies (certainly with STEAM, also carrying STO). STEAM then saw you use a suspect card, and decided to pull the plug. That could make it STEAM's fault too, btw; but I suspect it's ere the way PWE flagged it.

I'd PM Smirk. If there was ever eminent domain to mediate on behalf of his customers, this is it.

Good luck with your issue!

guilli88

I have sent all the receipt data to Steam, where I bought the cards ie store address contact name and phone number. I never thought of asking for the ticket to be handled by a more senior member but I shall, thanks for the advice.

I will send the same to PWE and wait for the brush off generic response

Best of luck! I really believe it's up to PWE billing department at this point to communicate with steam and tell them there's been a mistake.

jaguarskx

Wow... I am so sorry for you... I don't know what else to say.

It seems this new anti-fraud policy implemented by PWE is the culprit. Hopefully things can be worked out in your favor, however that probably means you need to communicate with both PWE and Steam in the same e-mail to get this thing to be resolved...

kavase

Dang. All I can say is...that escalated quickly...

lordkhorak

It's almost certainly Cryptic's system. I've been buying ZEN via Steam and it's the Cryptic end that is now telling me I can't move ZEN across my account (which I ignored because I only have STO) because of 'suspicious activity'.

I do it by buying money into my Steam wallet via my stored card details I use for....everything on Steam. Steam, obviously, is not going to give the slightest number of damns about my perfectly normal activity on my account with my own card I have been using for ages.

Steam doing their own little investigation into my card activities would not immediately tell PWE as a matter of course that they should stop me from moving ZEN around my PWE account. Steam having a system to ask an entirely seperate platform to do something so utterly meaningless (I could literally just buy ZEN in whichever game I wanted, I don't need to move it around) makes zero sense. It's probably going to be Cryptic's system claiming you have been committing fraud and Steam fulfilling their end because you were apparently using their platform for said fraud.

I would in no way blame Steam for this. People just look for reasons to hate on it. When Steam are told they're being used to commit fraud, they'll do the obvious thing anyone would do....they pulled the plug on your account. Cryptic is the policeman who filed a pile of fabricated evidence and had the repo men take all your stuff away. It's not exactly the fault of the repo man.

meimeitoo

meimeitoo wrote: »

Hmm, yeah, this truly sucks, on a n epic level.

I think, indeed, PWE is the culprit here (though probably not intentional). Having cautiously flagged your card as 'suspicious' (pending further checks), it's extremely likely this flagging is shared amongst other gaming companies (certainly with STEAM, also carrying STO). STEAM then saw you use a suspect card, and decided to pull the plug. That could make it STEAM's fault too, btw; but I suspect it's ere the way PWE flagged it.

I'd PM Smirk. If there was ever eminent domain to mediate on behalf of his customers, this is it.

Good luck with your issue!

Oh, for future reference, one small tip: when PWE puts a temporary injuction on your credit card, NEVER EVER again try and use it, after all, via the backdoor, as it were (via STEAM). Now, am I most emphatically not saying this to berate you; but I bet that stunt is what set off all alarm bells, loudly. in cases like this, when PWE tells you they need time for credit card verification, give em that time! Cuz, from their perspective, you were attempting to bypass a security measure.

saxmanusmc

And this again affirms my resolve to continue using my stand alone installer. I still run the game stand alone from ARC and Steam and have no issues.

stark2k

This is very disturbing as I tend to purchase Zen via Steam. I do not want to run the risk of losing my STEAM account when purchasing ZEN in game. Granted I never use Gift Cards or Game Cards, I have my credit card or bank card linked to my steam account.

So it could be that the gift cards or game cards maybe be in question - This new ARC Charge system is awful & I have no faith in it. I do not use ARC to run my STO launcher, nor do I use it to purchase in game currency. I hope they find a resolution to this issue, or else they run the risk of isolating Steam players.

lordkhorak

meimeitoo wrote: »

Oh, for future reference, one small tip: when PWE puts a temporary injuction on your credit card, NEVER EVER again try and use it, after all, via the backdoor, as it were (via STEAM). Now, am I most emphatically not saying this to berate you; but I bet that stunt is what set off all alarm bells, loudly. in cases like this, when PWE tells you they need time for credit card verification, give em that time! Cuz, from their perspective, you were attempting to bypass a security measure.

No, they can absolutely shove it straight in their a-hole.

I run through Steam, and when I open the C-Store and click on 'Buy ZEN', it goes ITSELF into my Steam wallet to carry out the transaction through there. I add the money to the wallet, the exact amount for the current transaction, so both systems have hooked up to each other and know what's happening, run my card, money goes in wallet, then Steam asks if I now want to complete the transaction THE CRYPTIC STORE ASKED FOR.

And I click yes. ZEN appears, I immediately spend it on TRIBBLE I don't need.

I do absolutely nothing but click 'Buy ZEN' for all this to happen. Cryptic set up this system. THey do not deserve that time, since they had to create that system to link up to Steam automatically!

bmcd73

please keep us updated on the status of this. I'm a lifer and use steam to access STO. I also agree with the poster about DRM. We don't hear about these types of stories all too often and people don't really understand how nasty DRM is. When someone other than you controls when and how you access the stuff you buy is not good.

Online games have this problem too. They own everything. Your time and effort is totally meaningless and if your account is "deemed" a spammer, hacker, or whatever. Tough luck. I had my ESO account banned in the first wave of bans by accident. Took a week for them to reverse the ban. But I spent $85 on the CE and then $15 for the second month. Not to mention all the time I invested all gone in a nanosecond with no recourse. They finally admitted they had a problem with their script but what if they didn't?

Personally I think it is only a matter of time before there is a big lawsuit for "gamer's rights". Even though these companies own the IP, I do feel we "own" something within the game because after all, the game would be nothing without all our time and energy invested in these virtual characters.

kavase

bmcd73 wrote: »

please keep us updated on the status of this. I'm a lifer and use steam to access STO. I also agree with the poster about DRM. We don't hear about these types of stories all too often and people don't really understand how nasty DRM is. When someone other than you controls when and how you access the stuff you buy is not good.

Online games have this problem too. They own everything. Your time and effort is totally meaningless and if your account is "deemed" a spammer, hacker, or whatever. Tough luck. I had my ESO account banned in the first wave of bans by accident. Took a week for them to reverse the ban. But I spent $85 on the CE and then $15 for the second month. Not to mention all the time I invested all gone in a nanosecond with no recourse. They finally admitted they had a problem with their script but what if they didn't?

Personally I think it is only a matter of time before there is a big lawsuit for "gamer's rights". Even though these companies own the IP, I do feel we "own" something within the game because after all, the game would be nothing without all our time and energy invested in these virtual characters.

Very good point, I rarely buy games on Steam(have two games currently from there). In fact, I use Steam hardly at all, I don't like it.

I always go to GOG.com instead where it's DRM free. Sure they don't always have the latest titles, but it sure beats the alternative.

terrilll

This is probably extremely related to the below topic:

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1279831

People are being banned from doing certain things in STO, due to 'recent purchase history'

I personally, am suspended from using ZEN on the Dilithium exchange, for no reason, and I don't even use steam.

ivannanuke

WELL A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO GET THEIR ATTENTION

STOP BUYING ZEN PERIOD.

There. sorry for caps but it saves a 50 page thread.

Just stop buying it, not with dil.. not with cash.. nothing, don't buy a single zen.

See how long the issue persists then shall we?:D:D:D:D

terrilll

ivannanuke wrote: »

WELL A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO GET THEIR ATTENTION

STOP BUYING ZEN PERIOD.

There. sorry for caps but it saves a 50 page thread.

Just stop buying it, not with dil.. not with cash.. nothing, don't buy a single zen.

See how long the issue persists then shall we?:D:D:D:D

They wouldn't even notice the change, even if all people affected stopped buying it.

futurepastnow

If this is true, it represents a major failure of the system and they need to fix it for you ASAP.

Of course, being a PWE-designed protection system, failures and false-positives were inevitable, but until recently they've avoided major ****-ups where money is involved.

Oh, well, just reinforces my decision (from long before DR) to stop giving them money.

ashrod63

I'm not at all certain of the US legal system or whatever but if PWE are labelling you a credit card fraud and you aren't even using a credit card surely you could sue their backsides off for destroying your financial security for the rest of time?

After all, if you had "fraud" tagged to you, is anyone going to let you do anything in future?

lordkhorak

ivannanuke wrote: »

WELL A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO GET THEIR ATTENTION

STOP BUYING ZEN PERIOD.

There. sorry for caps but it saves a 50 page thread.

Just stop buying it, not with dil.. not with cash.. nothing, don't buy a single zen.

See how long the issue persists then shall we?:D:D:D:D

Actually a vastly more effective solution would be for a couple hundred people to all, just once, send a basically identical message of concern to whoever is running this forum as the intermediary between Cryptic and us.

"I....think the players have a certain issue they want looking into."

meimeitoo

lordkhorak wrote: »

No, they can absolutely shove it straight in their a-hole.

I run through Steam, and when I open the C-Store and click on 'Buy ZEN', it goes ITSELF into my Steam wallet to carry out the transaction through there. I add the money to the wallet, the exact amount for the current transaction, so both systems have hooked up to each other and know what's happening, run my card, money goes in wallet, then Steam asks if I now want to complete the transaction THE CRYPTIC STORE ASKED FOR.

And I click yes. ZEN appears, I immediately spend it on TRIBBLE I don't need.

I do absolutely nothing but click 'Buy ZEN' for all this to happen. Cryptic set up this system. THey do not deserve that time, since they had to create that system to link up to Steam automatically!

Not saying I'm liking it. Just that I have a nagging suspicion that is exactly how it went down. You can bet PWE knows exactly what card you have associated with your STEAM wallet. Especially to prevent fraud and/attempts to bypass the cooldown system.

What is needed here is human intervention. And by that I don't mean the braindead cookie-cutter responses you get from Customer Support; but someone like Smirk, who can tell someone in the Sales Department what happened (or bring you in contact with them).

Good luck with it! This is quite shocking, and needs some serious priority attention.

blitzsth

So I have new contacted PWE or ARC or Cryptic, who ever runs support and asked them to help sort this mess out.

I have also updated my Steam ticket with the creditcard company details and have setup a support ticket with the creditcard company for steam, so when Steam contacts them they will be informed about the cards status.

This whole situation is ridiculas, I can handle STO as being buggy, because when I normally switch off the game the bugs are gone, but now these bugs are creeping into my real life. LOL

thumpyecho

Oh man...now I'm spooked...I *finally caved*, bought some ZEN through the Steam Wallet - just to see how if/how it worked - and I got the message "anything you buy will be account bound, blah, blah...while we check for suspicious activity...."

Keep us posted OP; I really, really want to know if this gets reversed....

erei1

This is a serious issue that should bee fixed ASAP. And by that, I mean yesterday. People being banned because they try to spend (legit) money into the game shouldn't be happening.

People that were banned from steam/sto should have their account back, with a gift as an excuse from PWE. At the very least.

I suggest you start to send mail to Steam/Smirk and pretty much everyone concerned.


Not that I planned to spend any money soon in this game, since DR anyway, but I will even less, since I used steam to buy zen, and I don't want my account to be banned for no reason.

lordkhorak

blitzsth wrote: »

So I have new contacted PWE or ARC or Cryptic, who ever runs support and asked them to help sort this mess out.

I have also updated my Steam ticket with the creditcard company details and have setup a support ticket with the creditcard company for steam, so when Steam contacts them they will be informed about the cards status.

This whole situation is ridiculas, I can handle STO as being buggy, because when I normally switch off the game the bugs are gone, but now these bugs are creeping into my real life. LOL

Start shouting at their support team non-stop for something as an apology for this. Actually shouting. Last I knew they give you a phone number when you issue a support ticket, you're supposed to then tell them the transaction number. Once you've got some mother****er on the phone, no matter how, you tear holes in everyone, then their boss, and their boss, until they give you something more substantive than a shrug and an apology for declaring you for fraud and having services external to PWE closed.