The problem with the always-on feature that many game developers are starting to adopt is that when you have an issue with your server, it affects everyone. This back to 2012 when Diablo 3 ran into a ton of problems at launch, resulting in a ton of complaints, and if you have been following the news, the newly launched SimCity has been met with similar problems as well. Naturally with all these problems putting players off, some want a refund on their money. After all since I am not getting what I paid for, shouldn’t I be entitled to get my money back?
Well one SimCity player certainly thought that way and citing an EA press release on the matter which read, “if you regrettably feel that we let you down, you can of course request a refund for your order,” that player tried to ask for his money back. While speaking to a customer service representative, the rep acknowledged the PR but later added a catch which was that refunds were given at their discretion, instead offering the player a 15% discount on the Origin store. The EA rep even threatened the customer, claiming that if he wanted to dispute the refund policy, his account would be banned. This sounds pretty bad and we hope that EA will respond to this swiftly and make this right.
Update – Origin has tweeted that they will not ban players who request for a refund, and that reports of such an act is simply a rumor. If that is the case, either Origin is trying to repair the bad press or this conversation this customer allegedly had with an EA rep was fabricated. In any case if you wanted a refund, it looks like you’re in the clear.