Guild Wars 2

Around the time of the Wardrobe system implementation, I found that a Gem Store-purchased item was missing from my inventory. I submitted a support ticket for the issue on April 17th, received an automated apology for a delayed response on 19th, and then one more on the 20th. Then they were never heard from again. Due to the huge patches this spring and then the China release, I simply assumed that support was swamped and that it was in everyone’s interest that I let them work and get to my issue in their good time.

Turns out I was wrong.

Two days ago, I posted my ticket number in the ticket update thread. My ticket was referred to in a follow-up post, referring to an “April 25th” reply I never received, and linked two previous blog entries introducing the Wardrobe system. To date, I am yet to receive any kind of personal response from support. It appears that the issue has been dismissed, and that that is the end of it.

Over the course of the game’s existence I’ve spent over €325 on the Gem Store. I’ve done this because before GW2 I played another MMO for 5-6 years, during which time I paid a subscription, occasionally two simultaneous subscriptions (for more inventory space). I felt the money was well worth the experience and the service. When I switched over to GW2, I saw no reason not to continue my habit of providing financial support for a game which offers great entertainment value.

I have not been disappointed, because if you want quality, you have to pay for quality. I’ve griped about yet accepted bugs, because development takes time, and the game is still high quality, entertaining, and a worthwhile purchase for its price.

However, I feel as though the support provided and the system structured to offer it are, from a customer’s perspective, abysmal. There is no way to monitor submitted tickets, or at least I have not found them on the support site. If, for whatever reason, you do not receive an emailed response to your support inquiry, it’s the same as if it had never existed. The fact that you have to post on a forum thread to inquire about the status of your ticket is a good indicator of a poorly developed system.

Over the course of my previous MMO experience, I only had to contact support twice: once per phone, and once per online chat. Both times the issue was taken care of on the spot. No waiting and wondering and asking in a forum thread. Most importantly, they made me feel like they appreciated my patronage and wanted my continued business.

I feel extremely let down by not so much the lack of a solution to my support inquiry as the fact that through the entire process there was no indication, whatsoever, that it even mattered.

I don’t think that I am more important than someone who “just” buys the game and doesn’t spend a dime on the Gem Store – they still paid for the game, just as I did. I don’t think I should receive special attention or VIP service. My contribution has been voluntary and I’ve received a fair bit of entertainment and made friends. I am just disappointed that at the end of the day, I am nothing but a credit card number, not even worthy of a human response.

By the way, as a parting note: many tickets revolving around missing/lost/vanished Gem Store purchases could be preempted by allowing purchases to be reacquired. The system is already in place with AP chest rewards.

Then respond back to the ticket asking them to resend their April 25th response as it never made it to your inbox. Sometimes emails just don’t reach the intended target. I work at a Copy & Print center and sometimes people email things from their phone to our email and we never get them, despite the email address being correct. Then they’ll try again it comes in. But the first try never shows up.

There’s not much we can do for you here.

I think mainly he’s venting.

But seriously, this is my favourite part; “The fact that you have to post on a forum thread to inquire about the status of your ticket is a good indicator of a poorly developed system.”