Ijust had a Blizzard Attorney Threaten Me.

[Deleted]

if this is real then just so you know.

A - it is their account, you pay for the privilege of using it.
B - They can ban the account for anything they want, when ever they want without notice.
C - If you go ahead with the law suit and loose (which you most likely would do) then you would be resposible for court costs, your lawyers costs, and blizards lawyers costs.

This, drop it because they can do more than banning you if they win.

[rhorle]

Just to clear it up a little bit more; i'm not saying he got banned for no good reason, i'm just saying that blizzard has no right to just ban someone for whatever reason, it's stealing.

It is not stealing because you are leasing access from Blizzard. You don't own anything about your account. Companies you lease a car from can take your car back at any time if you violate the lease agreement. In this case the Blizzard EULA and ToS are the lease agreements, and they have provisions in their for what can happen if you violate said agreements.

[Axedeo]

This is correct, but you still have rights when they take your money. They can't deny you access AFTER you've paid money if you've done nothing wrong. It's just illegal.

[Orange Joe]

This is correct, but you still have rights when they take your money. They can't deny you access AFTER you've paid money if you've done nothing wrong. It's just illegal.

But they can..... No

[Screwtape]

I love when some people demand that others/companies treat them with the utmost deference but at the drop of a hat they start acting like total pricks. This is not how a mature adult acts.

[Aquamonkey]

Reminds me of "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong."

[rhorle]

This is correct, but you still have rights when they take your money. They can't deny you access AFTER you've paid money if you've done nothing wrong. It's just illegal.

If you get permanently banned they refund whatever money you have left on the account. Stop trying to be a fear monger and spread misinformation and an attempt to smear Blizzard. If you pay for a 6-month block and get permanently banned during your first month you are refunded for 5-months. Not six because you already had a month of access even if its only a day of that month.

You would think after the millions of accounts banned someone would have used this illegal tactic against Blizzard. And it wouldn't take 8 years and some random person to come up with a way of taking down the evil Blizzard. It isn't illegal.

[Reg]

I'm kind of hoping the lawyer prints out the letter you sent to him and posts it up at the water cooler so the rest of the company can get a giggle or two in.

[Grym]

This bothers me every time i see it...
What if that applied to something else, say for instance a garage. You go there with your car, pay them to fix it, they dont fix your car and just sell it to someone else. Even if they have a "EULA" at the garage saying they can do this, it is still against the law to do so. The law > any EULA.
Blizzard took his money when he bought the game and the monthly subscription fee. It's stealing when they ban his account for no reason.

Just to clear it up a little bit more; i'm not saying he got banned for no good reason, i'm just saying that blizzard has no right to just ban someone for whatever reason, it's stealing.

Wrong anology.

In your example, you OWN the car. In this example, you do NOT own the account, Blizzard does, you "hire" the right of usage. A better example would be car hire, you hire a car, under the term and condition that they do NOT have to continue the contract, even if you didn't get into any accident and such. Now, after a few months, they decided to not continue the contract for you, do you think you have the right to rage?

The law will protect you if it is YOUR property, and in this case, it isn't, so you are pretty much sod out of luck.

PS. Please do come back on this example, I do want to see you try.

[Kujako]

This bothers me every time i see it...
What if that applied to something else, say for instance a garage. You go there with your car, pay them to fix it, they dont fix your car and just sell it to someone else. Even if they have a "EULA" at the garage saying they can do this, it is still against the law to do so. The law > any EULA.
Blizzard took his money when he bought the game and the monthly subscription fee. It's stealing when they ban his account for no reason.

Just to clear it up a little bit more; i'm not saying he got banned for no good reason, i'm just saying that blizzard has no right to just ban someone for whatever reason, it's stealing.

The Blizzard servers are private property. Its like you inviting me into your house to watch foot ball and ask that I dont make a mess. If I then defecate in the kitchen sink, you are within your rights to kick me the hell out.

[traen]

I see no grounds for informal negotiations in your case. You really have nothing to say to blizzard.

The attorney response was a little harsh. But I'm not sure that you own messages were polite and discreet. Most people think that they can say whatever they like in the way they like but when they got response in the same way they say that they've been bullied.

[Deafknight]

This bothers me every time i see it...
What if that applied to something else, say for instance a garage. You go there with your car, pay them to fix it, they dont fix your car and just sell it to someone else. Even if they have a "EULA" at the garage saying they can do this, it is still against the law to do so. The law > any EULA.
Blizzard took his money when he bought the game and the monthly subscription fee. It's stealing when they ban his account for no reason.

Just to clear it up a little bit more; i'm not saying he got banned for no good reason, i'm just saying that blizzard has no right to just ban someone for whatever reason, it's stealing.

So if i give you a contract to read, in that contract it states that by using my car wash you agree to me keeping your car if i so desire.
You read it, agree and sign.

Then its stealing for me to honor the contract ?

[Axedeo]

They can under provision of service agreements. If they have sufficient justification to believe their is wrongdoing that is potentially harmful to their product from a consumer, they can prevent service being issued to that customer if they believe they have enough evidence for it. "Illegal" or not, you will be incredibly hard pressed to get anything back for such completely minor amounts paid also.

Yes, but that is a whole other thing then saying "blizzard has to right to just ban your account for no reason".
I love blizzard and their products, but it's just not true that they have to right to just ban anyone for no reason. They are not above the law.

[Gurbz]

So you got upset because a lawyer gave you legally sound advice? He wasn't threatening you, he was trying to protect you from yourself.

*facepalm*

Let me explain a bit to you. What he told you was true. The outcome might be something you do not like, something worse than the situation you find yourself in now. Right now, you have lost nothing but the account. As a response, you want to drag a multi-billion dollar a year corporation into legally binding proceedings. First, they can afford to do this far more than you likely can. Second, if the original result is upheld and they are found to have legitimately banned you (Protip: Their EULA pretty much means that no matter what the reason, they have legitimately banned your account as they need no specific reason to do so), then they can very likely petition to force you to pay legal costs associated with the action you initiated. So now, YOU have to pay their lawyers and any other fees incurred by Blizzard. That is in addition to any other costs associated with this including your own lawyer, and most likely travel expenses as I believe the same agreement that requires you to go into mediation rather than take them to court also stipulates that such mediation takes place in Irvine, CA where Blizzard HQ is located. So now, not only is your account still banned but you have a legally binding judgement against you for potentially thousands of dollars. THAT is just one example of the many possible "other outcomes" that he was referring to.

If a lawyer threatens you, they do so very clearly. If they make a "suggestion" like he did, they are usually trying to get you to realize that what you are saying you want to do is actually a really bad idea but because he isn't your lawyer, can't tell you that directly. But hey, I'm not a lawyer. If you are serious about all this, talk to one and they will tell you whether or not you are being an idiot.

[kingriku]

I hate all of you grammar Nazi's, stop it now please.

[leaks]

Hint, you aren't some hero taking on a faceless evil corporation for the good of humanity and standing up to the "bully", your just coming across as some angry nerd who is throwing his toys out of the pram because he got caught doing something he shouldn't.

This is pretty much all that needs to be said for the majority of posts like this.

[Kujako]

Yes, but that is a whole other thing then saying "blizzard has to right to just ban your account for no reason".
I love blizzard and their products, but it's just not true that they have to right to just ban anyone for no reason. They are not above the law.

The law is on their side. The servers are their property and it is only through the EULA that you are granted limited access. No EULA, no legal access.

[Shadee]

I wouldn't take that from blizz if I was you

[Kujako]

I hate all of you grammar nazi's, stop it now please.

Nazi's should be capitalized.

[Grym]

but it's just not true that they have to right to just ban anyone for no reason. They are not above the law.

Actually they can, as the law will be on their side on this one.

Afterall, BLIZZARD OWNS the properties, not you, you merely hire the right to access it, and they totally reserve the right to stop your access anytime they want.

Same thing for ISP, car hire, venue hire, flat renting, shop letting, or any type of transaction that you are "buying the right to use something", they can terminate the contract whenever they want if it is stated in the contract that you signed.