Collector's Edition pet redemption

Collating the official information the two old threads into one to keep everything in one place and make sure we can more easily address any questions not covered in the FAQ.

For looking up posts in the old threads, here are the links:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=116332301&sid=1
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=118331991&sid=1

Important!

What do I do if it's been more than 10 days since I sent the letter and the pets still haven't been activated on my account?
Please contact our Account and Billing department: http://www.wow-europe.com/en/support/accountbilling.html

What do I need to do to redeem my Collector’s Edition pet?
http://www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade/activatepet.htm

Why did you choose this solution to the issue?
This solution was chosen after careful and thorough consideration of a number of options. We wanted to ensure that the pet remains exclusive to those people who bought the Collector’s Edition and to treat everyone as equally as possible with a unified process.

Is there an alternative to this solution, such as through my retailer?
No, the only way to acquire the Netherwhelp pet is by following the steps detailed on the website. http://www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade/activatepet.htm

Why was this solution chosen above going back to retail?
Initially, we thought we might be able to distribute codes to players through the retailers so we contacted them to discuss this possibility, which is why some discussions have appeared on the forums about this potential solution. Although many retailers were able to manage the logistics that this process would have involved, there were many that could not. In addition, we were concerned that, due to the complicated process, the codes could have been distributed to non Collector's Edition owners, thus breaking their exclusivity. The best solution that we found to ensure that Collector's Edition owners received the pet, was to require a European proof of purchase and a low value item that was exclusive to the the box.

My friends and I have purchased our boxes together with the same receipt, or simply just want to save costs (for e.g. a registered mail). Can we send the required information for each of us in one collective letter?
Yes, this will be possible, but please make absolutely sure the correct number of cards and bar codes or copies of proof of purchase are included. If there are too few, we might not be able to activate the pet on any of the accounts.

Where can I find the Collector Reference Card and bar code that I need to send by post?
Rest assured that you will not need to cut the Collector’s Edition box itself.
The Collector Reference Card can be found inside the pack of World of Warcraft exclusive trading cards. This particular card is a reference card only and is not a part of the game.
The bar code can be found on the content description sheet which is placed between the back of the Collector’s Edition box and the plastic wrapping.

Is there any alternative to sending you the Collector Reference Card?
While we understand that parting with this card is not preferable to all Collector’s Edition owners, it has been chosen because it is an advertising card and therefore not integral to the game. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to sending in this card.

Can I send the requested content in a registered letter?
Yes, we will collect and sign for the letters from those who wish this extra level of security. However we would advise that you send the items by regular post.

Will the items be returned to me?
No, unfortunately we are unable to return the items. Thus we have chosen items that are not an integral part of the Collector’s Edition.

I have lost the content description sheet. What can I do?
If you have lost the content description sheet, you can send a copy of your receipt or other proof of purchase instead.

Is the February 28th deadline a final one?
We strongly encourage everyone who wishes to claim their Collector’s Edition pet and the bonus pet to send the Collector Reference Card and bar code or a copy of proof of purchase as soon as possible. However, the February 28th deadline is not absolute.

How will I be able to activate my pet?
Upon receiving the requested items we will activate the pet on your account. No further action is required on your part.

How long will it take to get the pet once I have sent off the mail?
Once we have received your items we will activate your pet as soon as possible. The first pets will be activated by the end of this week.

Will I receive any compensation for having to follow this process?
We appreciate the inconvenience caused by having to follow this process. We are offering an additional exclusive pet (a white ‘Lurky’ baby murloc) and two days game time credit as a compensation for this.

Which characters will get the Netherwhelp and Lurky?
All characters on the account at the time of the upgrade, or created after that time, will receive both pets. Characters migrated (through PCT) to the account after the upgrade will not receive the pets.

Who/what is Lurky?
Lurky is a unique white murloc pet that only European players who bought the Collector Edition box will receive. There is no other way for European players to receive this pet.

Edit: Following questions added 19/1:
Will I get a notification that the mail arrived?
Once the pet is activated we will send an e-mail to the address registered to the account it is activated on.

What if I don't have a printer?
As explained on the web page, you can write down your account name and e-mail on a sheet of paper.

12/01 European Collector's Edition Netherwhelp Pet
We have discovered an unforeseen production issue that will require a few extra steps for European World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition owners to access their exclusive Netherwhelp in-game pet. We will update the website with further details on this issue as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we ask that you retain your proof of purchase and the complete contents of your Collector's Edition box set, including the content description sheet, after making your purchase.

This issue concerns only the in-game activation of the Netherwhelp pet. All the physical contents of your Collector's Edition are of the quality we strive for in Blizzard special editions, and the ability to upgrade your World of Warcraft account to play The Burning Crusade from 00:01, January 16 is unaffected in any way.

Please do not contact our billing support team as they do not have any details on this issue, and the extra calls would adversely affect their service to players. More details will come on the website before the launch of The Burning Crusade.

We sincerely appreciate the continued support from the European community, and apologise for the delay in activation of this feature.

16/01 How to activate the Netherwhelp
European World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition owners are kindly asked to complete the process on the below webpage in order to receive their exclusive Netherwhelp in-game pet.

Please do not contact our billing support team on this issue, as they are unable to provide any further details or speed the process, and the extra calls would adversely affect their service to players.

http://www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade/activatepet.htm

Q u o t e:
I can't even get through to them by phone, it just loops over and over again with the welcome message 'press 1 for support in english' blah blah

i'm pressing 1 and nothing happens.. I even press hash for 'information about our provider' and nothing happens.

Are you sure key tones (not tone dialing, but key tones when connected) are turned on for your phone? (E.g. my phone required that I press * first to activate it.) I'd think if that part was broken on our side we'd have no calls at all.

Q u o t e:
I tried on both my home phone and my mobile phone, neither worked. I know my mobile phone works with keypresses as i'd just called Orange (150) to see how many free minutes I had left, and they have a similar system with 'press 1 for blah blah' etc.

Either way I have also submitted a webform highlighting the problem.

I do hope Blizzard are going to sort this farce with the post and pets out.. This is day 15 since I posted my letter :(

I'll make sure to mention the menu selection problem to the support team. The web form request will hopefully be handled quickly.

Please do continue to post concerns and questions in this thread, but try to be short and to the point (no need for essays, really) and observe that we give the answers we have and asking the same again will not change them. Also, please note that any follow-up on your letters must be taken to our Account and billing department. It's not something we can address through or on the forums.

Q u o t e:
My account was upgraded using an ordinary TBC up-grade key.
I have now received a CE upgrade (was a present).
Will I still be able to receive the pets on my account if I send in the items and information required ?.

Yes, just follow the regular procedure for the CE pet redemption.

Q u o t e:
What will be done with the customers who have not received anything on the 28th while they did send all the stuff out?

This is handled by our Account and Billing Department. We can't give you a different answer than you already got from them by phone.

Q u o t e:
You mean youv shifted everyones complants so no one sees them

More a matter of making a fresh thread to make the still open concerns and issues easier to find and respond to. :)

Q u o t e:
Then why did you choose to do it in a way that is very easy to abuse, thus rendering the Netherwhelp anything but exclusive?

Why, and I do need to repeat myself here, in both Caps, Bold and Italic, WHY do you advise sending high-value items and information in a non-secure way???

And again, WHY are you unable to return them? In my world, there is a difference between unable and unwilling.

I believe we said this is the better option, taking all factors into account, not that it's infallible. Making it as exclusive as possible is still our intention, and the returning of the card was part of that discussion. This is nothing we can further discuss here, but we've forwarded all feedback on this matter.

And as is said in the FAQ you're of course very welcome to send it as a registered letter.

Q u o t e:
Why do we have to pay TWICE to get the Netherwhelp, which we already own (since we bought CE in the first place)???

In the other thread, I made a What If-post, asking the question "what if I send the entire CE box to France, with a note saying I don't want the faulty product, but a working one, included my account details etc., would I get my pets or not?"

Saying you pay twice for the pet is a little misleading, as it indicates you pay the same amount twice. Costs for sending the letter, even registered, shouldn't be comparable to the CE box cost.

Unfortunately, as said in the FAQ, there is no alternative available to this solution, thus sending the entire box is not viable.

Q u o t e:
I have sent 2 emails in the last 10 days, and I have YET not recieved an answer from the Accounts department.
I want a blue poster to look into this matter and answer me why this happened?

Unfortunately there's nothing we can do through the forums on this matter. Our Account and Billing Department is the one handling these cases and I'm sure they will address your e-mails as soon as possible.

Q u o t e:
Just a small question: how many stamps (and of what value) would you need to send the envelope from Sweden to France?

You should probably check with a Swedish post office.

Q u o t e:
I've got some characters on other realms I don't play right now, but might some day go back to, do I have to login on them all now to get the pets so they don't get lost? Or will they just be resend after 28 days?

If the mail has a timeout listed you ought to pick it up before the time runs out. I'm fairly sure the mail will simply be gone after that, just like a returned mail or mail from the Auction House.

Q u o t e:
So are you saying that if we create a charictor (say from now, as I have recived my pets) canot recive the pets?

Characters created after the upgrade will also receive the pets. You need to pick up the in-game mail (for each character) before it times out though. It shouldn't take that many days to reach the first mail box. ;)

Q u o t e:
Well I'm actually askin what the possible solutions are for the people still stuck at the 28th.

With "stuck", I'm guessing you mean those that have sent the letter but not received the pet at the time. I don't want to speculate on that as it might lead to people picking a favourite solution and start a campaign for it before we can even look at all sides of it.

Q u o t e:
Mkay. And I believe wowconcernseu at blizzard.com is the adress to further discuss this issue then?

That e-mail address is for giving feedback on the handling of in-game help requests. Feedback is continually forwarded and considered, but as said the options were covered extensively already and unless there are factors that were not already considered brought to the table I'm sure there will be no change on the process.

Q u o t e:
If it is really your Account and billing department that takes care of this entirely can you not then at the very least ask them how it comes that they consider themselves completely above the laws?

Account and Billing doesn't deal with the legal aspects. They just try to assist you as best they can, just like we do here on the forums. I trust our legal department to handle the legal stuff, and discussing law (especially in ~50 different countries) is something that will have to be done with them and not the support or community teams.

Q u o t e:
hmm well you have still failed to address the issue still that the card is in a sealed pack with the other CE cards and how you expect us to get it out without breaking the seals on that pack?

Unfortunately, to ensure the exclusivity of the CE pets, this is a required step. We realize that it means opening the pack of cards, and that some will now wish to do so, but considering the different possibilities present once this issue was a reality we found this one to be the better solution.

Q u o t e:
do blizz feel its right to charge customers 2 times for something they have already payed for?

As I said in an earlier post, I think this makes it sound like you paid twice the cost of the CE box. It's indeed not cool that one would have to pay for a (possibly registered) letter to receive the pets, but as this issue turned out we feel this process is the one best ensuring the exclusivity of the pets.

Q u o t e:
what happens for those who flatly refuse to send all this proof of purchase when they have an invoce from the company they bought it from with their order number on and is more than enough proof of purchase?

I believe that unless the letter contains the requested components we will not be able to activate the pets on the account.

Q u o t e:
also can i ask how you have fitted 38 pages of posts in to this thread without adding anything extra to the original FAQ? is it not the truth that you have deleted all these posts to hide customers complaints under the carpet?

We feel the FAQ covers the most common questions, and most of the later questions are variations of them. We'll see whether some additional questions and answers should be added to it though.

The original threads are not deleted, but closed to keep further questions in the same thread so that we can find questions and you can find answers more easily. I guess "merging" was a bad term for it. "Collating the official information" would have been better. If you wish to have a look at the old threads you can find them here:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=116332301&sid=1
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=118331991&sid=1

Q u o t e:
Thundgot, I really do not intend to be a pain in the rear end, but I have read that kind of comment numerous times, countered it several times and yet you still post BullS... like that. You KNOW that this is NOT the best solution to ensuring that the Netherwhelp stay exclusive to Collectors Edition owners.

...

Provide us with useful information or direct answers to very direct questions (some that unfortunatly will uncover more of whats going on behind the scenes than I believe Blizzard wants us to know about) or an email where we can, on a case-to-case basis, get some REAL answers. Or just stop posting. Waste of our time if all we see are the same no-good blue posts over and over again...

We don't (and can't) expect everyone to agree with us at every turn - far from it. However, while our opinions differ I won't stop answering what I can with the information I can give when people ask. I have given what information I can, and there's nowhere I can point you that will tell you otherwise.

While I very much understand the frustration I must ask that you please try to keep this calm and constructive. We're doing what we can to assist you and others here.

Q u o t e:
So i phoned up, and they told me they cant do anything till the 28th of febuary. I have been wating 27days!! Why does it say contact biling support if it has been over 10day they dont help you anyway!!

We keep a list of letters received but having missing content. If you're on that list they can ask you for the missing content and thus help solve the matter sooner. If you're not on the list it means we haven't received the letter, but we can give it a little more time before we consider the letter lost and look into other - less optimal - solutions. I'm however not in a position to speculate on those at this time.

Q u o t e:
The main merged thread was over 43 pages long when I last looked at it and the second must have been at least 19. There were also minor threads in the main forum area which have also disappeared.

I put the links in my previous post. I'll edit them into the first post in this thread for easy reference and also correct my bad wording there.

Q u o t e:
Can you not then ask the legal department then?

The questions was "how it comes that they consider themselves completely above the laws?", which is a leading and thus faulty question. Nobody at Blizzard considers themselves above the law. I trust our legal department to respect every law that applies to the case and we forward all concerns, but we're in no position to comment on legal matters.

Q u o t e:
Uhh, will you at least look at what i wrote? As i said, i followed every step, i sent everything, gah why i can't recieve this pet? Is this so hard to activate it?! that's just ununderstandable!

I'm afraid I have no way of knowing what may have been the problem, and I must refer you to our Account and Billing department.

Q u o t e:
So I mailed Blizzard department once again (4th time, but received 3 mails so far. Last one today)

...

What to do really?

I can very much understand that you're getting confused about that. The last response is the one that's the correct one at this time. I'm guessing the previous responses were the one that was given at the time, but this has been updated.

Q u o t e:
What you are actually saying is that you use mailtemplates instead of a personalized message. Not that it surprises me. It just shows how much you care about satisfying your customers.

No, I'm just saying the answer (regardless of wording) they could give - or the policy, if you want - may have changed.

Q u o t e:
But basicly, I/We can't do anything about it, and if we can't get the stuff we paid for at the 28th of february 2007(!) it's just lost?!

I don't know what solution will be put in place after the 28th, but I hope it'll be satisfactory for everyone.

Q u o t e:
Elsewhere blues stated that if you lost (or cannot part from) the card and the code you can send a proof of your purchase.

The proof of purchase can replace the bar code if you no longer have this one, or don't want to cut it out. The card is still required though.

Q u o t e:
Considering that Blizzard have stubbornly refused to consider any reasonable solution to this problem

As explained before we considered many options prior to arriving at this one. All concerns I've seen brought up so far were indeed part of the initial discussions, and we had to go for the solution that we felt kept was best. While I understand that you don't agree with our solution, please don't make it sound like we didn't even consider others.

Q u o t e:
We still are getting Lunky or what ever its called arnt we? -

All accounts that get enabled as CE accounts will receive both the netherwhelp and Lurky.

Q u o t e:
Ehh, so, the system(s) doesn't know what keys are CE and what are "normal" burninc crusade codes ?

Exactly. This is the core of the issue, which means it can't be solved by just checking the keys the accounts were upgraded with, and we thus need another method of confirming the CE purchase.

Q u o t e:
No.

When I sent my mail with the proof of purchase Blizzard's statement was something as "If you no longer have these items or cannot part from them".

The quote from the instructions website is "Note: If you don't have your content description sheet anymore, you can send a clear photocopy of your receipt or other proof of purchase instead."
http://www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade/activatepet.htm (last line in step 1)

The topic is also covered in the FAQ. Unfortunately there is no alternative to sending the card.

Q u o t e:
- WHO decided to opt for the the current redemption process
- HOW that decision was reached
or
- WHY an option was chosen which ignores the legal rights of your customers under European law.

- Who: Blizzard
- How: Through careful consideration of the options available
- As said before, legal stuff is not my area, and I doubt legal matters would be taken to the forums anyway.

Q u o t e:
The only attempt at justifying the choice made was in a previous FAQ or forum post which seems to have disappeared in the recent mass of deletions. This claimed that Blizzard were forced to opt for the current process because some retailers were refusing to fulfil their legal obligations under European consumer protection legislation due to the ‘complex logistical issues involved’.

I haven't heard of any retailer or others refusing to fulfill their obligations. I doubt there was a blue post claiming such. There are however plenty of "blue post trackers" out there, and if anyone can point me to such a post I'll be happy to follow up on it.

Q u o t e:
Who at Blizzard decided this was the best option? What made him/her/them able to make such a decision?

How did they come up with this piss poor solution when there are so many others more easily executed? What options were considered? What options WERE considered but turned down as far too easy and satisfying for your customers?

This was done by a number of people involved in all sections of World of Warcraft, and including the involved partners, and not by one or a few individuals. As said before, we consider this the better solution, and while you may of course disagree I think there's no need to suggest that we'd scrap a solution because it would be easy and satisfying. Please keep this a bit more constructive than that.

Q u o t e:
So, in effect one or other of these statements must be correct but we are no further forward in getting to the truth about WHO was involved in making the decision.

The question was about who made the decision, which was of course Blizzard. That doesn't mean the people doing so were sitting in an isolate bunker by themselves during the entire process. My apologies if my previous posts suggested there was nobody outside Blizzard involved or consulted.

(Still working my way through pages 11-14. One more post coming in a few minutes, for sure.)

Ok, it seems the only other thing I can respond with now is a quick update on current status. The latest lists based on received letters are currently being processed, and while I don't have an ETA I suspect it may take a couple of days for it to be 100% complete.

For those who have e-mailed our Account and Billing department on this issue; these e-mails are now being checked against our latest checklists for the received letters. I hope everyone will have a response to their e-mail on the matter within a few days.

For those that contacted us by phone; as the lists are being processed now, I would suggest giving it a couple of days and then contact Account and Billing again. Calling now may just result in being asked to call again later as your data may be on the unprocessed part of the list.

Q u o t e:
Simple question then (and an answer to the question would be nice) - what OTHER solutions were discussed which were discounted for whatever reasons you are told to say?

Such details are not available, and while I'm not privy to them myself at the time I'm sure that's for reasons concerning confidential data or contracts with other parties.

Q u o t e:
Funny how this is so much different in wording and meaning than your previous statement in the so-called "merged" threads

It seems you're making an effort to make them sound different and pick on any possible error you can find in what I say. While this is fully possible, and I could be more careful in exact wording, I consider responding as best I can my primary focus. Dodging attempts at catching me doing a mistake is really secondary to that. Again my apologies if I gave the wrong expectations at any point.

Q u o t e:
Is it possible to send in your details now, seeing as the "deadline" was about a week ago?

Yes, you can still send the items and details. It wasn't a hard deadline, only a strong recommendation.

Q u o t e:
Thundgot, what about us that recently bought the Collectors Edition, but already had TBC (normal edition) installed and that game-code registered on our account ? Will we be able to get the Netherwhelp and Lurky?

Yes. Just follow the procedure as if you had upgraded with the Collector's Edition in the first place.

Q u o t e:
When I asked who was involved in making the decision I mean't I wanted a list of the names and companies of everyone involved or consulted in making the decision not some vague statement that 'we talked to lots of people'.

Likewise, I asked what other solutions were considered and why were they dropped., and i expected a list and a justification abandoning each alternative option.

We're not going to name people and list partners like that, and as said before I very much doubt we can go into details on any solution as it could involve pointing fingers which is not appropriate in business partner relationships. Thus, unfortunately, this is a question which we can't assist with.

Q u o t e:
I bought my Collector's Edition only recently (was damn lucky to find one from a web store =P), do I still have a chance to get the Netherwhelp and Lurky?

Yes, just follow the procedure gievn on the web page linkes in the first post.

Q u o t e:
I phoned billing support again today (Oh how they must love my dulcet tones) and they suggested that if I think my letter has been lost (I do, I posted it on the 27th January) then I should write a letter stating that with all my account details and any proof of postage that I can provide.

This letter should be sent to the same address as before and then they will get in touch with me about what to do next.

I wanted to quote this as part of a blue post. I'm afraid there's little else I can update you with at this time. Our Account and Billing departement will be able to check what info we have on the individual cases and point you in the right direction based on that.

Moving to a new thread to get a better overview of remaining cases and current status on the CE pet matter.

http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=288950368&postId=2886845577