Customer Support Forum... Gone on October the 5th

[Val the Moofia Boss]

http://www.swtor.com/community/showt...73#edit8468373

"Yesterday , 03:43 PM | #1 This is the last staff post in this thread.
Hi everyone!

I wanted to let you all know of an upcoming to change to the Customer Support forum – namely, that they won’t be around anymore. We are creating a new Answers HQ page for SWTOR at answers.ea.com. This move from the existing Customer Support forum will allow players to help players in a better capacity, with EA employees monitoring replies and ensuring correct and useful information is promoted, in an environment where active and helpful players are rewarded.

As part of this, non-subscribers will also be eligible to receive web-based support by utilizing the Answers HQ page! We are currently planning for this transition to occur on October 5th. As of this date, these forums will be in read-only mode and the link to the CS forum will redirect to the new AHQ page. At a later date, the forum will be removed completely.

We look forward to seeing you on the new page!

Tait Watson"

[Edge-]

Meh, mixed bag. It doesn't look good, for sure, but not only will F2P players finally be able to get support without calling their support line (yay!) but honestly centralizing everything could be a potential benefit since it would give a broader pool of support personnel to respond to issues.

Subscribers still have in-game support if they need anything, which has pretty much always been faster than support in the forums. Curious to see how this pans out.

[Deleted]

Finally support for F2P. It was idiotic that only Subs had a Forum support.

When it comes to in-game support it's pathetic. I had to wait 1 week to receive an automatic reply that they won't answear me cause I informed them about a bug in a bug section... Oh great...

So I wrote to the in-game support and reported the bug as "Other" and had to wait more than 1 week for an answear and finally I was informed that they can't do nothing with my problem and I have to wait for an update (who knows which one and when it may come) that may or may not solve it (read is at "who cares about your problem"). So it will be I guess one month or more now that I can't play GSF cause my Gunship and Scout are bugged (the aim circle is out off the screen and I can't shoot).

Still, for most of the problems like not finishing update or "ST" problems those who give the solutions on SWTOR Forum are normal users not EA or BioWare team... That's pathetic, that users find a solutions faster than the creators of the game... What's more those problems are repeating and still no fix from Bio and EA.

[Katchii]

I just feel that that this promotes the idea that BioWare/ EA takes very little stock in providing customer service. They basically said that they're not providing support... they're supporting players who provide the support.

I've never had to deal with BW/EA customer service before, and I hope I never do.

Still, for most of the problems like not finishing update or "ST" problems those who give the solutions on SWTOR Forum are normal users not EA or BioWare team... That's pathetic, that users find a solutions faster than the creators of the game... What's more those problems are repeating and still no fix from Bio and EA.

Sounds like BW/EA are just cashing in on this fact rather than trying to fight it, which is all kinds of fucked up IMO.

[Witchblade77]

from personal experience, their phone support is actualy very good. I had to call several times and got help I needed pretty promptly from a polite individual. one of whom I even chatted with about the game for a minute, while they were fixing the issues (I called in with account issues). problem with sticking f2p with phone support only was 1. it overloaded the support lines with minor issues that otherwise wouldn't need phonecalls. as a result of the 1 second issue of people not calling from within the US (aka people who were paying for that phonecall) had to pay even more, becasue they had to wait to be serviced.

so... yeah, I'm glad they are opening a section of a forum to free to play. whatever it looks like (oh, they are just letting customers to help themselves) this will actualy allow them to see issues they might not otherwise hear about it. even if they do not directly reply to most threads.

[Sills]

It's nice that they are giving non-sub players an online customer service outlet, rather than having to call in. I am very fortunate in that I've never needed BW customer support, but when I stop subbing it'll be nice to know that I have an online way to access some sort of aid.

[Deleted]

I just feel that that this promotes the idea that BioWare/ EA takes very little stock in providing customer service. They basically said that they're not providing support... they're supporting players who provide the support.

(...)

That's insane and a disrespect for the customers. To have a customer support (In-game) I have to be a Subscriber (I have to pay real money) and what I get instead from BW/EA? Nothing - only automatic replies in the tone "who cares".

The only support I get is from other players for which I don't need to pay cause I can read SWTOR Forum for free.

What is funny is the fact that all my problems with the game started when I became a subscriber...