Account Banned for no reason?

#1 - May 26, 2011, 10:39 p.m.

Not so much banned as a 3 hour temporary suspension, but still ridiculous none the less. The e-mail reads as follows:

"Type of Violation: PvP Arena/Battleground Exploitation
Details of Incident: Exploitation of PvP Battlegrounds and the honor system
Consequences for Account: Account suspended for 3 hours

Greetings,

This account has recently been identified as being involved in actions deemed inappropriate for World of Warcraft.

This may include, but is not limited to the following:
* Use of add-ons, ""mods"", external hardware, or any unapproved third party software to automate gameplay.
* Abuse of game mechanics or ""bugs"".
* Any behavior that has been found to be outside the intent of the game.

This action has been taken in accordance with the World of Warcraft Terms of Use (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html) and our game policies (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/policy/).

Any further inappropriate behavior could result in penalties ranging from a temporary suspension to account closure, and may also include the loss of any rewards the exploitive character has received.

For any disputes of this action or further information on Exploitive Activity, please visit the Exploitative Activity FAQ and contact page here: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/exploitfaq

To maintain the integrity of our investigation methods, we will be unable to disclose the specifics of our investigation methods. Thank you for your time and for understanding our position in this matter.

Regards,

Customer Services
Blizzard Entertainment
www.worldofwarcraft.com"

The only thing I could even guess is that about half an hour ago I was running around in WSG spamming Demon Armor in WSG on my level 16 warlock (simply because I was bored and had nothing to do while running from point A to point B, there are no mounts in that bracket) I also ended up afking it, I was alt tabbed or something

Could they have somehow perceived this as me botting? I thought they had ways of detecting the actual PROGRAM... not just going off judgment of what spells they used, rofl.

Kind of frustrating, this is my main play time and now I can't play for 3 hours.

Zenlyth

Support Forum Agent

#25 - May 27, 2011, 12:13 a.m.

Hiya Huike,

05/26/2011 03:39 PMPosted by Huike
Not so much banned as a 3 hour temporary suspension, but still ridiculous none the less.

I am pretty sure that most PvP'rs do not find this ridiculous at all. It is something that most players would like to see often, when it comes to this type of action.

05/26/2011 03:50 PMPosted by Huike
It's pretty stupid I've never botted in this game the entire time I've played it, or exploited AT ALL... and I get banned for accidentally afking a bg. And then I know tons of people who use bots to farm honor and they never get banned. Sigh.

Unfortunately, you are incorrect, or we would not be discussing this right now.

However, if you would like to dispute the action that was given to you, please contact our Account Administration here:

Account Administration

Assists with: investigating account actions and disputes, etc

https://us.blizzard.com/support/webform.xml

To summarize on how our penalty system works: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/20221

-Warning
-3 Hour Suspension
-24 Hour Suspension
-48 Hour Suspension
-72 Hour Suspension
-Final Warning
-Account Closure

Zenlyth

Support Forum Agent

#33 - May 27, 2011, 1:43 a.m.

05/26/2011 06:19 PMPosted by Pinworm
Well, you're wrong about this pvper. Ridiculous that nothing is done about bots and some guy who alt tabs to watch youtube is infracted.

I think I said "most". As for being actioned for alt -tabbing, that's where you may be incorrect.

05/26/2011 06:19 PMPosted by Pinworm
I don't care if it "takes time" to stop these bots. I fight literally half as many bots as I do normal people. It didn't take too much time to ban this guy.

Facts are not revealed and you will never know how long it can take to ban a player for this type of action.

05/26/2011 06:19 PMPosted by Pinworm
Literally, this is baffling. You're saying that if my doorbell rings and I go to answer it my account is at risk of being closed, temporarily or otherwise?

If your doorbell rings and it takes longer then the 2 minutes for you to answer it, then you will be kicked out of a battleground if you are not in combat. As for the action that would be taken, please take a look again at what I posted:

To summarize on how our penalty system works: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/20221

-Warning
-3 Hour Suspension
-24 Hour Suspension
-48 Hour Suspension
-72 Hour Suspension
-Final Warning
-Account Closure

It will take quite a few actions to be permanently closed.

And yet I can encounter the same bots over and over while I level up, such as on my warrior whos leveling through pvp.

Ohhhkkaaay.

Report them and we will investigate.

Zenlyth

Support Forum Agent

#38 - May 27, 2011, 2 a.m.

I want someone to show me right now where in the TOS it says going AFK in a BG is against the rules >.<

seems silly to be banned for that... people have a life..if you gotta leave the keyboard nothing u can do bout it.

You mean the TOU?

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/legal/wow_tou.html

(iii) Anything that Blizzard considers contrary to the "essence" of the Game.

Zenlyth

Support Forum Agent

#45 - May 27, 2011, 2:14 a.m.

so you are saying that one should have no life outside of WoW and that we should all put our life on hold just to do a BG?

thats a ridiculous point of view

I'm sorry Beautiiful, you can have a life outside of World of Warcraft, no one is stopping anyone from doing so.

However, to sign up for a Battleground to specifically participate in PvP combat and then choose not participate because "you have a life" analogy is quite a ridiculous statement.

If I buy a ticket to watch a movie with other people that are there to do the same, and instead I choose to talk on my cellphone loudly in the theater upsetting everyone else. I am pretty sure people that payed the same amount of money to watch this movie will complain and try to get me removed from the theater so they can enjoy what they came for.

Zenlyth

Support Forum Agent

#54 - May 27, 2011, 2:35 a.m.

05/26/2011 07:22 PMPosted by Beautiiful
I understand, but talking at the movies is alot different ..i agree thats a rude thing to do I hate people who do that. But If i have company or food is cooking, or i get a phonecall I dont want to feel threatened if I have to put the game on hold and /afk

As in the movie theater, your actions affect other peoples experience by talking on the cellphone and in Battlegrounds your non-participation may affect your team.

It seems there is a confusion on how the Report AFK system works. It takes more than 1 player to report you AFK, you then have 2 minutes before you get kicked out. If you happen to get kicked out with a deserter buff, then a pattern starts. If this pattern becomes a regular situation and it continues, then is when you can worry. Again, you will not get suspended over one minor report, and for clarity this is how the penalties are applied to you after repeated offenses below:

To summarize on how our penalty system works: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/20221

-Warning
-3 Hour Suspension
-24 Hour Suspension
-48 Hour Suspension
-72 Hour Suspension
-Final Warning
-Account Closure

Vrakthris

Support Forum Agent

#70 - May 27, 2011, 3:32 a.m.

05/26/2011 08:13 PMPosted by Creepjacker
I find it disturbing that blizzard would make someone not be allowed to play their account for 3 hours for getting up to [urinate].

As has been stated numerous times, Creepjacker, you would not be suspended merely for getting up to go to the restroom while participating in Battleground match. If reported as not participating you may be removed from that match and marked a deserter, if you habitually "get up to go to the restroom" after you have signed up and entered a Battleground match that you are supposed to be participating in, the pattern marks you as a non-participant and can lead to a suspension from the game.

05/26/2011 08:13 PMPosted by Creepjacker
Shows how awesomely in touch blizz is with their player base just like the LFD, Dungeon Journal, Use of other peoples professions without permission (enchanting),

If you don't care for such options, that is your right. That doesn't mean they aren't fantastic additions to the game. Enchanting in LFD, seriously?

05/26/2011 08:13 PMPosted by Creepjacker
"premium services" to play with friends

Speaking on a service that hasn't even been released is a bit premature. The intended function is to be able to play with friends/family members through Real ID that you may have on other realms without the need for them or you to transfer to one realm in order to do so. If you wished to do that now you would need to transfer your character.

05/26/2011 08:13 PMPosted by Creepjacker
Lack of Real ID privacy

You mean the Real ID system that is intended to be used by people who know each other in real life, and not intended to be used by people you do not? Those real life people that should already know your name so you aren't sharing anything with them that is actually "private"? The Real ID function that is entirely optional and has another option to block "friends of friends" so that you are only seen by those friends that you manually invite or accept an invite from?

05/26/2011 08:13 PMPosted by Creepjacker
You lost 600k players while having an "influx" of new players from a recently released major title?

Your point? This game has been out and growing for a long time now, there had to be a plateau eventually. Players come and go on a constant basis.

I think this thread has outlived its usefulness.