EA censors its own support number on its forums


Recommended Posts

kyQQ00N.jpg

EA's SimCity saga has provided no shortage of comedy. Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw just yesterday proudly announced that the company is "hearing from thousands of people who are playing across regions, trading, communicating and loving the Always-Connected functionality." Surely EA must be receiving a mountain of complaints as well, unless it somehow found a way to prevent customers from even contacting the support team. Hmmm...

As EA forum member LeLedg and others have accidentally discovered in a thread about customers trying to make a legitimate SimCity complaints, EA is preventing the customer assistance hotline number from even appearing in the forums. When you type out the number 866-543-5435, it is replaced by an asterisk, a common message board function typically used to block course language. Just to be safe, the forum-goers typed other permutations of the number in addition to completely different phone numbers -- it's only EA's number that's censored.

There is a likelihood that this is a big misunderstanding, that this function was implemented well before the SimCity debacle to prevent people from spamming the number in the forums. Yeah, about as likely as being able to reach EA via any other means, so not very. A handful of customers have already noted that speaking to a rep via live chat session is ineffective, instead insisting on phone calls. Actually tracking down the number on EA's site is a fruitless endeavor, but the fact that EA is blocking said number from visibly appearing in the forums makes it seem like EA wants to pretend that everything is hunky-dory in Sim Land.

Just in case EA decides to delete these posts, LeLedg decided to share screen grabs of the hilarity in action.Check those in the gallery below.

Read more at http://www.destructo...TxsmI0xZ0p1f.99

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like there could be a half decent explanation.

A lot of companies do not make it easy to contact their customer support, especially with a phone number. I'm not saying that it's acceptable, but EA are not special in that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like there could be a half decent explanation.

A lot of companies do not make it easy to contact their customer support, especially with a phone number. I'm not saying that it's acceptable, but EA are not special in that.

In other words EA likes to look like it's providing decent support without actually having to provide it. It's incredibly sleazy to bury the support number, especially when it's only done to reduce support costs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had beef with EA support for the last 2 years. First it was ToR: Collectors Edition. It came damaged from production with the DVD's being unusable (but box was in perfect shape). GameStop stated that it was EA who needs to replace it. I contacted EA Support and their support stated that "Product is not under warranty." I told them "You have a 90-day warranty policy." They hung up. I called again, this time they hung up when I mentioned my name 4x. Now I have an issue with Battlefield 3 where PunkBuster will not let me play. (I have a legitimate copy, it is also installed, re-installed, patched, etc.).

Luckily I have had no issue playing SimCity but I still want bigger maps, offline mode, etc.

EA needs to let their subsidiaries control their own games, not upper management with money on their mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In other words EA likes to look like it's providing decent support without actually having to provide it. It's incredibly sleazy to bury the support number, especially when it's only done to reduce support costs.

I agree, and other companies do it too. Customer is generally ****ty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like there could be a half decent explanation.

A lot of companies do not make it easy to contact their customer support, especially with a phone number. I'm not saying that it's acceptable, but EA are not special in that.

I see companies making it difficult yes (usually its hidden in /support/contact/officebranch/contact page), but to go out of their way to hide it just for when others give it? I think this is new for a 'legit' business.

Anyway EA is living up to their title of worst company in America.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree a lot of companies do this. Certain companies say it might be because they want to change their number or 'ensure they use FAQs or online assistance' as it might easier for the customer than ringing a number.

Sure EA made a few mistakes with Simcity, which is in mind not any where near horribleness of Gearbox's Colonial Marines. I know everyone likes to beat EA down, but this is a little over the top in my mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually managed to read the entire statement finally after getting hung up on this phrase repeatedly: "and loving the Always-Connected functionality"

Inept PR drivel at it's finest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EA has support built into Origin which works quite well every time I've tried it, though I've seen no reason to contact them with regards to SimCity.

I actually managed to read the entire statement finally after getting hung up on this phrase repeatedly: "and loving the Always-Connected functionality"

Inept PR drivel at it's finest.

We don't all share your views on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Must I say it again? WHY DO YOU PEOPLE STILL SUPPORT EA?

Because everytime people vote with their wallets on EA, EA cans the game, shuts down the studio and blames piracy for poor sales. They then move onto the next game franchise. Its at the point where people have realized if they want to play the game in any form they have to put up with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because everytime people vote with their wallets on EA, EA cans the game, shuts down the studio and blames piracy for poor sales. They then move onto the next game franchise. Its at the point where people have realized if they want to play the game in any form they have to put up with them.

Considering Pandemic, Westwood, Black Box and the Army of Two dev were all kind of on life support for a long time...

Yeah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

damn it I can't register on thier forums as 866-543-5435 or any of the variants. :(

wait! I was able to with an a at the end!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because everytime people vote with their wallets on EA, EA cans the game, shuts down the studio and blames piracy for poor sales. They then move onto the next game franchise.

And thats why I frown every time EA managed to buy another gaming companies.

but alas, wall street rejoice when its happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.