Guild Wars 2

The game has a 4 day account lock where you will not be able to buy gear or anything from the Trader, not even sell the loot you earned… no matter what you do.

Support will not remove it… and its not lifted if you buy the game, expansion or anything.

So if you plan on buying, wait 4 days then consider it or not, but playing before that time ends if pointless especially if you boost to 80 and then expect to be able to buy gear and so on.

Posting it because i did not know before buying or i would not have, so maybe others do not know and check the forums first so lets bump it and make sure they are informed since its the only MMO i ever played that does this to paying customers so i`m betting many will not expect it.

Occasionally someone posts about this, not often. The limit is due to people using stolen payment systems etc, takes time to clear with the credit companies. What do you need to buy within 4 days of purchase that will completely change your enjoyment of the game? An experienced player could level a couple of characters to 80 the long way around but for a new player (myself for example) they are not out of the starter zones. Even with using the lvl 80 boost if you jump in cold to lvl 80 content you will get frustrated (many posts about this) and need to go back to learn what works in this game anyway.

I went and did the HOT story and then the map gathering hero points… i do ok no problems except that my gear is not dps gear its the default one and you have serious problems replacing it as the store is mostly locked, not to mention the exotics and rares i get i can`t sell due to the account restrictions.

If it was not an issue i would not have posted… but it is.

Its also a very bad way to treat your new customers, honestly if i had known before i would have never purchased anything, plenty of other ways to get humiliated no need to pay for it.

Humiliated? Are you serious?
Sometimes i really can’t believe the stuff people get offended over.

If a new (potential) player would check the forums, then they would likely check the Wiki, which provides this information. The forums provide a link to the Wiki, and many, many posts suggest or direct forum-users to the Wiki.

Considering the purchase page warns that part of the purchase package takes 72 hours for delivery, those concerned with limitations might be motivated to check out what all is available when.

As stated above, few post on this forum about the restriction, and when they do it’s mostly to ask if this is working as intended. No one, to my knowledge, has felt humiliated.

Do be aware: the health of the game (measures taken against RM Traders) is most imperative.

Welcome to Tyria, and good luck.

Neve.3145:

Humiliated? Are you serious?
Sometimes i really can’t believe the stuff people get offended over.

English is not my first language.

I mean when you buy something and then after you do they say “but there is a catch!” but only after you pay not before.

Anyway whatever their game their rules but i made this in case people also did not realize it(like me) and expect to be able to play normally .

I`m aware that being the game forums its mostly filled by people who like and defend the game, its normal, but i still think this measure sucks for the players, there are many mmo`s out there, i played a lot, RMT was not an issue and they did not have the account lock.

A fair way would be to simply not let you buy anything for 4 days or if you do place a warning saying your account will still be locked and you will not be able to fully use the content purchased and so on.

Since they do not bother to make that warning, i`m making it in this thread here so new players can hopefully see… their call what they do after.

These restrictions are to safeguard from fraudulent transactions. I think they are entirely neccessary. They’re not there to humiliate anyone.

The level 80 boost, while given and usable to new accounts, is described as ‘For Advanced Players’. It gives you everything you could need to get started in HoT as a new player (Exotic items with stats to give you some wiggle room while you learn combat basics (Dodging, defensive utilities and weapon skills etc), which you usually learn while levelling normally). Yes, it’s not the best DPS, but it’s actually given to help you learn the stuff you wanted to skip. So, in 4 days you can buy what you want ingame, waiting is not stopping you from playing.

Reykice.4583:

The game has a 4 day account lock where you will not be able to buy gear or anything from the Trader, not even sell the loot you earned… no matter what you do.

Support will not remove it… and its not lifted if you buy the game, expansion or anything.

So if you plan on buying, wait 4 days then consider it or not, but playing before that time ends if pointless especially if you boost to 80 and then expect to be able to buy gear and so on.

Posting it because i did not know before buying or i would not have, so maybe others do not know and check the forums first so lets bump it and make sure they are informed since its the only MMO i ever played that does this to paying customers so i`m betting many will not expect it.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/players/4-days-Really….

if someone does not read the blurb in games, and rushes to end game then they are not going to read a forum post.

To use the old analogy, why buy a book then skip to the last chapter.

https://help.guildwars2.com/hc/en-us/articles/230430967-Wealth-Transfer-Restrictions-Mail-Guild-Bank-

Just read the faq and you’ll be aware. Understand the company probably wants to check if people bought a full edition with gems and then stopped their payment before they distribute the gold from gems to other ppl buying it from the 3rd party who freaudulently got his account. having a 3-5 day waiting period makes sense.

If you bought it and send the gold somewhere else then canceled payment, they will delete your account (ALSO when it is only the upgrade you bought on a 4 yr existing account) AND all ppl’s accounts you send the gold to.

To reduce this a small grace period is in effect. Appreciate it, else this game would be gold seller madness….

I did not buy the edition with gems, got hot and the separately gems.

Also i must have missed the player helping player subsection, read others a little.

It should state it clear in a pop-up that your account is restricted 4 days no matter what you do. There are dozens of tips and advice and everything, except that.

Very misleading to say the least but whatever, as i said, mostly want this up here so people can see it.

I’ve played the game now for a bity more then 4,5 years…
What is 4 days on such an amount of time?

As for teh restrictions:

• Friends can mail you stuff, if you really need it.
• You can communicate,
• You can craft.
• You can participate, in dungeons, in low level fractals, in anything you want, But it’s good you cannot purchase end level gear and hop in lvl 100 fractals with 1-4 days of experience,
• You can start with a base character without any problems, and in the 4 or 5 days you will not have it at lvl 80, and you’ll not need new gear OR you boost it and get a free set of gear, Meta is not a big point when you’re 4 days in. I hope ppl understand, most people hope to play instanced content with ppl who have a basic understanding of their class and gear…. whcih will take most players a bit more time then just 4 days,
• The best gear you cannot buy in the store anyways. Ascendeds are still a longer term project, (though considerably less then 1-2 years ago.)
• For PvP it doesn’t matter cause you do not need gear… at least not from the store.

I honestly do not see the big problem….

I agree that if you purchase a game, you are probably excited to play it. You might set aside a weekend to really dive in and do a lot. Then you are hampered by not being able to fully play the game.

For those saying its not a big deal, imagine if you did a Silverwastes run, filled up your inventory, and then could not sell anything on the TP. That would be a huge deal to me. Yes I understand that there are things you can do to get stuff out of your inventory, but you can’t do what you WANT to do.

I understand WHY Anet put the restrictions on, but they should have a bigger warning so people aren’t disappointed right after purchasing the game.

I have a feeling that – no matter what Anet does – some people will still miss the warning one way or another.

It’s like having a “PULL” sign on a door. Every now and then, someone looks confused when they try and push it open.

Reykice.4583:

English is not my first language.

I mean when you buy something and then after you do they say “but there is a catch!” but only after you pay not before.

“offended” would have fit better, which is a strong sense of resentment of annoyance at a perceived insult, this is closely linked to humiliation but with less of a feeling of being perceived as degraded and more of being angry at what you believe is an injustice.

“annoyed”, “irritated” would also fit.
You could also have felt “slighted”; To feel “affronted” at a perceived injustice or at a treatment of contempt, disregard and indifference toward you as a person or at your situation.

Wondrouswall.7169:

I have a feeling that – no matter what Anet does – some people will still miss the warning one way or another.

It’s like having a “PULL” sign on a door. Every now and then, someone looks confused when they try and push it open.

Yep. Look at all the confused posts where people get email in game from scammers pretending to be ANet staff. At the bottom of the email is the notice that it’s not from ANet but from another player. The poster will even reference that note that it’s not from ANet on their post but still be worried it’s from ANet. If people are going to misunderstand a warning that an email is not from ANet but another player and think it’s from ANet then I don’t know how much more ANet can do to be clear. Even if it had the warning about restrictions on the purchase information there would still be people who’d miss it or misunderstand.

Djinn.9245:

I agree that if you purchase a game, you are probably excited to play it. You might set aside a weekend to really dive in and do a lot. Then you are hampered by not being able to fully play the game.

For those saying its not a big deal, imagine if you did a Silverwastes run, filled up your inventory, and then could not sell anything on the TP. That would be a huge deal to me. Yes I understand that there are things you can do to get stuff out of your inventory, but you can’t do what you WANT to do.

I understand WHY Anet put the restrictions on, but they should have a bigger warning so people aren’t disappointed right after purchasing the game.

This.

Charging a customer for a product and then telling him, after taking his money, that he cannot have the product now is a bit off in my opinion.

I can imagine walking up to the checkout counter at the grocery store, having the cashier ring up my purchase, take my money, and then tell me that the store would hold hold on to my selected items for a few days before allowing me to take them. A bit off putting IMO.

If a potential buyer reads the forum, they will surely see that new players are given the advice to forego using the L80 Boost. Thus, if said potential buyer follows OP’s advice, they would also follow other players’ advice, and have no need to purchase L80 gear from the Trading Post.

Also, said potential buyers would also read that dropped gear is fine in the first 4 days, that there is no rush to level, that ArenaNet is vigilant about security, discouraging RMT and insuring the health of the economy, and last, but not least, the potential buyers will have seen the other various posts about the new player restrictions.

This post will fall off the front page(s) soon enough, and only those that do research may see it; but those same researching potential buyers will likely access the Knowledge Base or see other threads about this issue long before this particular thread.

Good luck.

Djinn.9245:

I understand WHY Anet put the restrictions on, but they should have a bigger warning so people aren’t disappointed right after purchasing the game.

I have to agree: it’s bad for new customers to be surprised by any limitations.

Ashen.2907:

I can imagine walking up to the checkout counter at the grocery store, having the cashier ring up my purchase, take my money, and then tell me that the store would hold hold on to my selected items for a few days before allowing me to take them. A bit off putting IMO.

(that is how it works, when you place an order online and expect it to be delivered)

Healix.5819:

Ashen.2907:

I can imagine walking up to the checkout counter at the grocery store, having the cashier ring up my purchase, take my money, and then tell me that the store would hold hold on to my selected items for a few days before allowing me to take them. A bit off putting IMO.

(that is how it works, when you place an order online and expect it to be delivered)

Yes. And products being delivered will generally have some form of disclaimer, at the point of purchase, indicating that it needs to be delivered, and how long that will take. It is also pretty clear that delivering a physical product takes time.

Neither of those points apply here.

Even if you do use 80 boost, just wait 4 days. In the meantime run some things that give you enough gold to buy a proper set, then buy it when you can? Run some dungeons or frac for gold.

It’s an MMO where the very nature is multiple long term goals. As a vet player at true endgame I may not understand it, but unless you get a precursor you’d prefer to sell what’s 4 days in the long run?

The restriction itself is perfectly valid. It does however, need to be clearer that it exists in some form, rather than players finding out via the forum or wiki, which is not where this information should be presented to first time players.

It’s not in any way a major issue ofc being such an insignificant period of time, but clarity should always be the rule, not the exception.

Randulf.7614:

The restriction itself is perfectly valid. It does however, need to be clearer that it exists in some form, rather than players finding out via the forum or wiki, which is not where this information should be presented to first time players.

It’s not in any way a major issue ofc being such an insignificant period of time, but clarity should always be the rule, not the exception.

There is no reason to tbh, it is not likely someone will like a game enough to buy it, but would not buy it if they were notified about the restriction . They will find out in game though a bit of discovery learning at worst. If you documented everything you would simply overload the user and they would skim anyway.

There definitely needs to be a bigger warning before purchase. When you buy a produce and get the product you expect to be able to use the product fully.

If I bought a car and the AC didn’t work for 4 days I’d be livid.

I understand why the restrictions are in place and I agree on the need for them, but that needs to be spelled out and sold to people who are buying the game.

Vayne.8563:

There definitely needs to be a bigger warning before purchase. When you buy a produce and get the product you expect to be able to use the product fully.

If I bought a car and the AC didn’t work for 4 days I’d be livid.

I understand why the restrictions are in place and I agree on the need for them, but that needs to be spelled out and sold to people who are buying the game.

Agreed.

Neve.3145:

Humiliated? Are you serious?
Sometimes i really can’t believe the stuff people get offended over.

It’s as simple as paying for a product and not receiving the benefits….

You can’t just be patient and wait 4 days? You’d honestly not buy a whole game, just because new accounts are temporarily limited to combat scammers and frauds? You’ll get years of play time out of this product. A tiny limitation at the very beginning is immaterial.

you do not get your car, or house before the bank clears it. AC or no AC.

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

you do not get your car, or house before the bank clears it. AC or no AC.

That’s true. But when I bought my house, the bank made it clear how long it would take.

Yargesh.4965:

Occasionally someone posts about this, not often. The limit is due to people using stolen payment systems etc, takes time to clear with the credit companies. What do you need to buy within 4 days of purchase that will completely change your enjoyment of the game? An experienced player could level a couple of characters to 80 the long way around but for a new player (myself for example) they are not out of the starter zones. Even with using the lvl 80 boost if you jump in cold to lvl 80 content you will get frustrated (many posts about this) and need to go back to learn what works in this game anyway.

Exactly, I just ordered the physical box of a second game to play to prevent burnout and have been watching all sorts of n00b vids for it. Even so, I figure I will still be learning the basic mechanics for awhile. GW2 and every other game I have played have been the same …. there is nothing so urgent to buy the first few days because you are learning mechanics/exploring the world.

The only exception to this is if it is an alt account so stuff is already old hat.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Wondrouswall.7169:

I have a feeling that – no matter what Anet does – some people will still miss the warning one way or another.

It’s like having a “PULL” sign on a door. Every now and then, someone looks confused when they try and push it open.

Yep. Look at all the confused posts where people get email in game from scammers pretending to be ANet staff. At the bottom of the email is the notice that it’s not from ANet but from another player. The poster will even reference that note that it’s not from ANet on their post but still be worried it’s from ANet. If people are going to misunderstand a warning that an email is not from ANet but another player and think it’s from ANet then I don’t know how much more ANet can do to be clear. Even if it had the warning about restrictions on the purchase information there would still be people who’d miss it or misunderstand.

In this case I don’t believe there is any warning at all. At least some people will pay attention if there was some kind of warning.

vesica tempestas.1563:

Randulf.7614:

The restriction itself is perfectly valid. It does however, need to be clearer that it exists in some form, rather than players finding out via the forum or wiki, which is not where this information should be presented to first time players.

It’s not in any way a major issue ofc being such an insignificant period of time, but clarity should always be the rule, not the exception.

There is no reason to tbh, it is not likely someone will like a game enough to buy it, but would not buy it if they were notified about the restriction . They will find out in game though a bit of discovery learning at worst. If you documented everything you would simply overload the user and they would skim anyway.

As has already been stated, there are people who arrange their schedule and set aside time for games. So yes, there is a reason for a warning.

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

you do not get your car, or house before the bank clears it. AC or no AC.

True, but you don’t get the house or the car in their entirety. You don’t get access to some parts of the house/car but not others. This is an example of why analogies don’t work if the underlying conditions are not the same on both sides of the comparison.

Let’s face it, this is neither the first time, nor will it be the last, when ANet has failed to inform customers of things about the game, leading to confusion, frustration and anger.

In 4 days you shouldn’t even be lookign at or CARING about the market. You should be learning the game

It really doesn’t matter that the bank offers a warning about when you can pick up a car you’re attempting to buy on credit (for starters, those cost 1000s of dollars, not 50).

It only matters that ANet has customers who are frustrated by what they might easily have accepted as a reasonable inconvenience, if only they had realized it.

It seems we’ve gotten more than a few posts about this the last few weeks, which surely represent only a tiny fraction of new players. If ANet thinks it’s only a few dozen people, eh, it’s no big deal. Still, MMOs thrive or wither on word of mouth; it seems like it’s a relatively easy thing to address (as opposed to whether the game is too difficult or too easy, which is very complicated to analyze, never mind resolve).

Having introduced many new players to the game, the issue i had with them was that they had to wait 4 days before they could trade gold to gems for LS2.. So basically for 4 days they couldnt continue playing…just waiting..(skipping to the expansion story would have been stupid.)

New players had enough in-game Gold to trade for Gems to purchase Living World Season Two? In less than 4 days??

Please share their Gold-making tips!

Do new players even care so much about Living World Season 2 that they just have to get it in the first 4 days of buying the game? I would think that since it’s level 80 content they’d want to level up first before spending gold/money on it.

Edit: I would suggest they do the personal story first while they’re waiting. It leads up to the Living World seasons and is background information they need.

Also, if one is introducing new players to the game, one might mention, at that time, that upon purchase, to ensure a healthy game community, that there are restrictions to discourage RMT. Thus, said introduced-new players would not be uninformed.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

If a new (potential) player would check the forums, then they would likely check the Wiki, which provides this information. The forums provide a link to the Wiki, and many, many posts suggest or direct forum-users to the Wiki.

I’m sorry I have to disagree with this, I highly doubt any new player has any incentive to check the wiki some people consider wikis as short cutting, similar to a guide. I for one am that type of player.

I was long into the game before i ever felt i needed help from a wiki, I think that was when I was trying get “been there done that” completed.

With that said, OP just salvage stuff bank any exotics you land, check prices to before hand some exotics are better off salvaging anyways for ecto and you might even come out better by selling materials including ecto in the end of it.

You can stack 250 of all mats in game, you wont even come close to 250 in 4 days time unless you playing 12hrs+ a day for 4 days. Even then most 3rd+ tier you wont even be at 100 of each. In that time frame.

A 4 day block isn’t a big deal, it’s the perspective you have of it that is making it a big deal.

If said new player would check these forums for the information provided in this thread, considering they must use Google or some other search engine, more than likely the search engine would direct them to the Wiki, before coming across this particular thread. That was my point. We all know how long threads stay on the front page.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

If said new player would check these forums for the information provided in this thread, considering they must use Google or some other search engine, more than likely the search engine would direct them to the Wiki, before coming across this particular thread. That was my point. We all know how long threads stay on the front page.

Yea I was rethinking your statement after I had posted i wasn’t sure if I had missed the point or not. I did to certain extent, but still good chance new player would still miss that info. It depends what they are searching for would you not agree?

Indeed. Probably not that many searches for ‘Buyer Beware’. Lol.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Indeed. Probably not that many searches for ‘Buyer Beware’. Lol.

lmao yea most people don’t research into games before they buy.
When i was a younger fellow I didn’t, but once this whole steam era of “early access” I started if you a steam user you know what im talking about I’m sure. Terrible terrible early access games floating round I like to call them “Scam Access” Pay to be scammed. I have been on couple why I stay far away from them lesson learnt I suppose lol
Welcome to the industry of games I sorta miss the 80s 90s when comes to games.

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

!?! Whats that got to do with in game locks lol?

TEKnowledgy.1760:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

!?! Whats that got to do with in game locks lol?

Basically it says it does no good to have a 4 day block because they shouldn’t be charging the card meaning they have no idea if it is stolen or not. They could do a pre authorization on the card but that still wouldn’t tell if the card was stolen or not. Most people don’t realize their card number has been compromised until they receive their monthly statement.

Simple answer they are breaking the rules by making you wait 4 days and it does nothing to help them in regards to payment. Make sense now?

Think about it like this, if you bought the game from Gamestop with a stolen card it wouldn’t be blocked for 4 days. The same issues arise from this as well. Then when Gamestop finds out the card was stolen and they have to give the money back they will contact ArenaNet who will disable the code.

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

TEKnowledgy.1760:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

!?! Whats that got to do with in game locks lol?

Basically it says it does no good to have a 4 day block because they shouldn’t be charging the card meaning they have no idea if it is stolen or not. They could do a pre authorization on the card but that still wouldn’t tell if the card was stolen or not. Most people don’t realize their card number has been compromised until they receive their monthly statement.

Simple answer they are breaking the rules by making you wait 4 days and it does nothing to help them in regards to payment. Make sense now?

I see what you saying now.
But really he already has the game it’s free to play theres no cc charge what so ever. Unless HoT is bought straight up to gain both installments.

With that said i never got any locks what so ever when i bought HoT.
But I did have a core gw2 account for 4 years so maybe thats why idk?

Maybe new players could bypass that block by just getting gw2 core first free then buy HoT onto that account separately?
Also idk about that, just curious I suppose.

TEKnowledgy.1760:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

TEKnowledgy.1760:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

!?! Whats that got to do with in game locks lol?

Basically it says it does no good to have a 4 day block because they shouldn’t be charging the card meaning they have no idea if it is stolen or not. They could do a pre authorization on the card but that still wouldn’t tell if the card was stolen or not. Most people don’t realize their card number has been compromised until they receive their monthly statement.

Simple answer they are breaking the rules by making you wait 4 days and it does nothing to help them in regards to payment. Make sense now?

I see what you saying now.
But really he already has the game it’s free to play theres no cc charge what so ever. Unless HoT is bought straight up to gain both installments.

With that said i never got any locks what so ever when i bought HoT.
But I did have a core gw2 account for 4 years so maybe thats why idk?

Maybe new players could bypass that block by just getting gw2 core first free then buy HoT onto that account separately?
Also idk about that, just curious I suppose.

Oh yeah I understand I have played since Beta and GW1 before, I never had anything blocked either, and I Pre-Orderd HoT. Basically I was saying to all those that claim the rule is a financial safety net for ArenaNet when it really isn’t, unless they are breaking the rules for accepting credit cards and even then there is no guarantee since card holder can dispute charges up to 1 year after the charge.

Some folks will buy play for 6 or more months then come back and file a dispute claiming they didn’t make the purchase. Sorry to get into a boring financial conversation but the reason being claimed for the 4 day delay doesn’t hold water.

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

The complete game is shipped immediately. That complete game comes with various restrictions, including that Lion’s Arch isn’t available immediately and that there are anti-fraud restrictions, requiring a wait period.

I doubt very much if Visa/Mastercard et al would be interested in making it harder to combat fraud, or concern themselves with the minutiae of limitations on the game

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Lite Ning Strike.5203:

How many folks are aware that this practice goes against VISA MasterCard regulations? According to both VISA and MasterCard they are not allowed to charge your card until they ship or complete the transaction.

The Cardholder only needs to contact their issuing bank (the bank your card is going through) and file a complaint. This could actually prevent ArenaNet from accepting credit cards and/or also be fined for the violation.

Bad thing is the 4 days would be over before the Dispute was settled, but it would force ANet to re-visit their business model.

The complete game is shipped immediately. That complete game comes with various restrictions, including that Lion’s Arch isn’t available immediately and that there are anti-fraud restrictions, requiring a wait period.

I doubt very much if Visa/Mastercard et al would be interested in making it harder to combat fraud, or concern themselves with the minutiae of limitations on the game

Then you would be wrong with your thought. VISA and MaserCard have regulation books in PDF format that all banks and processors must adhere to and they are very detail oriented.

Do you work in the Credit Card industry, I do so you are wrong. That being said the main theme of the conversation was “even with” a 4 day period the card holder has up to one year to dispute the charge, then it falls back on the merchant (ArenaNet) to prove that is the person who made the charge. Being a MO/TO (mail order telephone order) merchant they lose nationally around 87% of all disputes (National Average).

Most who receive the dispute don’t bother to fight the dispute because to be perfectly honest it would cost them more to research and present their case since they have no signature on file.

Chip Cards are the best way at the moment to fight this but that is 10 year old technology (US is on top of this aren’t they, this was implemented in Europe 10 years ago) but at this time those can be compromised as well.

So again 4 days does not give ArenaNet a safety net they can still get burned, and at the end of the day this only serves to inconvenience their customers with this approach which leads to unhappy customers.