Posted by MattK
I've had numerous issues with Square Enix Customer Support.
1. There are no standard practices in their online games, the punishment and offence management, is as far as I can tell, at the discretion of each Game Manager based on their opinion of the severity of action i.e. two people could say the same thing, one could get a warning, the other might get a 3 or 9 day ban.
2. They are not particularly clear on queries by phone or email. You are never given direct lines to agents or contact information in relation to follow up. I lost at least two online game products (FFXI) purchased from their website because customer support could not deal with keys that would not activate despite being purchased on their website from earlier dates. I was transferred to multiple agents and departments and still nothing was resolved, and promised a call back which I never got.
3. Unable to follow clear instructions that they set on their own website. Traditionally in FFXIV (One of their main online products) your first ban is 3 days after an ingame caution and warning at least that was my understanding I was given about 5 because of a "Clerical Issue" that their automated system somehow missed, where the correct information had to be sent out 24 hours late despite it already being automated. You are not able to respond to this email or have direct line contact with anyone.
4. Their Return on queries is atrocious. Took two weeks to get back and clear a query in relation to the one mentioned above. After 4 emails they closed the issue, and I Just decided to forget it.
They are known to close any accounts that issue chargebacks, even if they are warranted. Main issues are
= Lack of reasonable standards and practices, everything is delibrately vague and at the discretion of the customer service agents, nothing is clear about mistakes made
- 5 to 10 minute wait times just for verification of account, after a lengthy hold time to get through
- attiudes are mainly polite and appear professional, but the three or four agents I dealt with barely sounded as if they played their own products.
I refunded their most recent product (Shadowbringers) through Steam because I don't think it's worth the effort even contacting their Customer Support Line anymore and I don't want my account being banned over a subjective decision/