Anet, you sold us specific items with specific functions and features. Upon the purchase of town clothes, it was understood that they were interchangeable and dyeable. I understand technically it was the gems that were sold to the costumer, but it could be argued that this was actually a currency conversion, as the digital currency “gems” has been used to purchase “goods,” in this instance, town clothes. The gems were often used by customers to purchase a specific product offered – a product that has been reduced to tonics, which the player did not purchase, and may have had no interest in purchasing. This is really, really disrespectful to your costumers.
In fact, this arguably could be a major conflict for consumer protection. Many US states have passed legislation to protect consumers, such as the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which specifically states “A person engages in a deceptive trade practice when, in the course of his or her business, vocation, or occupation, the person: … represents that goods or services are of a particular standard, quality, or grade or that goods are a particular style or model, if they are of another (Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, 815 ILCS 510/2, from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 312.)”
However, I do understand that you are protected under your own user agreement. “SUBJECT TO SECTION 12©, ANY SERVICE, CONTENT OR SOFTWARE FROM NCSOFT, ANY THIRD-PARTIES UNDER AGREEMENT WITH NCSOFT, ANY PARENT, SUBSIDIARY OR AFFILIATE OF NCSOFT, OR ANY EMPLOYEE, AGENT, SUPPLIER, LICENSEE, CUSTOMER, DISTRIBUTOR, SHAREHOLDER, DIRECTOR OR OFFICER OF ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IS PROVIDED AT YOUR OWN RISK ON AN “AS AVAILABLE,” “AS IS” BASIS IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION AND WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATION, GUARANTEE, OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO SERVICE, SUPPORT, INDEMNITY, ERROR FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION, UPDATES, CORRECTION OF DEFECTS, OR THAT IT IS FREE FROM DEFECTS OR VIRUSES OR HARMFUL COMPONENTS OF ANY FORM WHATSOEVER. (Guild Wars 2 User Agreement, Section 12, paragraph a).”
Even if you are protected by a user agreement, that does not mean you’ve not been deceptive. Anet, your costumers paid for a specific, well defined product, town clothing, some of which have been owned for over a year. You gave no warning that they would no longer exist, change in nature, or be converted into another item (tonics). They were understood to be interchangeable items. In fact, you put many on sale recently, not informing buyers that the items they were purchasing would soon not be of the nature the costumer was led to believe. Even if legal, it’s unethical, and how a company respects its client purchases says a lot about how successful they will be.
Personally, I like the idea of running around in my town clothes, guns ablaze. However, I don’t like the idea of items I specifically purchased to be interchangeable no longer being interchangeable, and tonics are a poor substitute. Gem refunds are also poor condolences, as many people used gems only to buy town clothing. Would it really be so much to ask that you find the models for the town clothing and set them to skins that can be applied to specific parts of an armor set, much like the current skins? Or at least provide a clear explanation as to why it would be impossible, even given time? As a forewarning, clipping is not a fair excuse, as the game is already littered with clipping issues.
If you want your customers to respect you, and continue to feel safe to buy in the gem store with trust that the content they purchase and its qualities will be preserved, please take the time to address this issue in a way that doesn’t brush under the rug the concerns of the player community.
Completely agree with everything cmlanton said. I did not pay for a tonic, nor would I now if I had known what was going to happen to my town clothes. I paid for my interchangeable, dyeable, fun pieces of clothing and I am upset that you’re changing them without warning. And I feel the same as cmlanton in that a gem refund is not enough to redeem the situation for me. I won’t feel safe purchasing additional skins through the gem store in the future knowing you could just pull a tonic card out of the blue on me. Honestly, it’s kind of an appalling business decision that you would treat your customers in this way. This update with the wardrobe, while probably turning it into a cash cow for Anet, looked nice despite that fact. But the town clothes fiasco has just put so much of a damper on my feelings for it that, while it would have brought me back to the game for more of an extended period of time, now I’m not sure if I’ll be returning.
I just had to add my voice to the outcry, because the more people who speak out against this, the more you’ll probably hear us and make a change that will satisfy your customers.