SOE PS Banning's Unanswered Questions. [Archive]

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:34 PM

Please don't post until Ive posted the entire correspondents
I'd like to begin this with a question.
Have you ever been wrongfully banned?

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 10:24 AM
Ban Appeal Form

1. Station Username: CaineDeSoulis

2. Last four digits of the credit card used to bill the account as well as the name on that card:~~~~ Phillip Clayton

3. Current Answer to your Security Question (What is your father's middle name?):~~~~~~~

4. Other Banned Station Usernames: n/a

5. Server Name:Gemini

6. Character Name: CaineSoulis

7. Date of Offense:7/21/2011 22:00

8. Previous Offenses - In Detail:none

9. Current Offense - Please give your side of the story: No idea, i made a new character in the NC and it kept giving me the squad i was in and my other character name kept showing up as being in that squad had to restart the game to get it to go away. also some guy landed on my galaxy and i tried to push him off of me with the "e" button and inadvertently turned my galaxy on its nose facing the ground.

10. Ban Appeal - Why do you feel the ban should be lifted? Mainly because i didn't modify/hack/change/edit the game in anyway. i downloaded from station launcher and use station launcher to run it with no aim bots or mods or other hacks. if its showing up that i am doing something your software gave a false positive or at least let me know whats wrong with the game i downloaded with your service.

Your reference number for this contact is: 110722-000612

Response GM Chrol via Email 07/22/2011 03:19 PM

Hello,

Your CaineDeSoulis account tripped our hack detection software multiple times, so this was not a false positive. You will have to serve out the rest of your suspension. In the meantime, I would suggest uninstalling PlanetSide and reinstall it from the following link: http://launch.soe.com/app/installer/Planetside_setup.exe.

Regards,

Senior GM Chrol

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:36 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 04:31 PM

Well thats nice,

Anyway, cool something is tripping your obviously faulty anti hack software love the security you guys are putting in and the extra time your using to stop hackers but. This is not one of those cases, something running on my system has to be causing this inadvertently. i have daemon tools lite,u torrent, java, skype, realtek hd audio manager and station manager at the time i also had Firefox and ie8 running. I'm going to send a dx diag with this so, we i say we, Because like it or not we are in this one together and I'm not just going give up. basically I'm not hacking at all and something on my system is throwing flags or maybe my install went bad either way we will find out whats going on.

"Your CaineDeSoulis account tripped our hack detection software multiple times, so this was not a false positive."

This means you've got the some kinda of info on this on i can work with you and get this cleared up. because if we cant get it cleared up I can not play this game regardless of a suspension or any other kind of action. because my system is just going to register "false positives" everything that is running now is what was running at the times i played.

again something is wrong with this and if its affecting this account its most likely affecting other accounts.
~~~~~
Response GM Estzia via Email 07/22/2011 04:56 PM
Greetings!

I'm sorry but unfortunately we will not be able to lift this suspension early and you will need to wait it out, as the previous GM has told you.

If you have any questions or issues in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Sincerely,
GM Estzia
Sony Online Entertainment LLC

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:38 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 05:29 PM

This still isnt helping me figure whats wrong here. i appreciate the quick e-mail. you can ban 100 hackers a day and all that good work is wiped out by doing one wrong thing. again i'm not sure why your hesitant to look into why this has happened because to you its *high five* "we banned a hacker guys yay"...and to me its "wow, ive really been wronged here..*sadface*"...i can create another account i can provide you with its name and all that good stuff give you the log times and whats running at that time anything you need...to you guys its a banning to me its an Anti-hack Technical Support issue.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Chrol via Email 07/22/2011 05:52 PM

Hello,

We're not going to disclose what you did that triggered our hack detection software to catch your account hacking as this information, if obtained by the wrong people (those who code these hacks), would aid in their efforts to avoid being detected. For all we know, you could be one of these coders. I'm not saying you are, but as a blanket policy, to avoid any possible hacks from escaping our notice, we simply do not share our information. You were detected hacking, so you were suspended. There is nothing more to discuss here.

Regards,

Senior GM Chrol

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:41 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 06:24 PM

"You were detected hacking, so you were suspended. There is nothing more to discuss here."

I'm really trying to give you guys the benefit of the doubt here but your unwillingness to help me in this very "Technical" Problem is kinda of disheartening. i love planetside you gm's are pretty good at what you do but this time your genuinely in the wrong. now I'm going to make another account Account Name: Ph33P and character name:CaineSoulisV2 you need to monitor it for hacking and let me know if it is in fact hacking because if it is, something is wrong with my system somewhere or your system. This will cost me another 20$ but i'd really like this issue fixed. ohhh and please dont just straight ban the new account without making contact with me first and trying to help me. ohh and if you do ban without making contact with the new account make sure to include your Corporate Office contact information/direct supervisor contact information/customer service contact information/Technical Support and any other phone numbers that you can think of in the suspension notice. anyway you have the info i'll see you in about 30-40mins :) hopefully this all is just a misunderstanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Chrol via Email 07/22/2011 06:26 PM

Did you reinstall the game first? From my previous reply: "I would suggest uninstalling PlanetSide and reinstall it from the following link: http://launch.soe.com/app/installer/Planetside_setup.exe."

Regards,

Senior GM Chrol

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:43 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 06:56 PM

i did :( i also turned off daemon tools and skype and everything except station launcher. im in game currently as Account: Ph33P, character name: CaineSoulisV2, Server:Gemini, on the terren republic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Volom via Email 07/22/2011 08:38 PM

Hello,

I'm glad to hear that you have closed all background programs. I don't see any issues with that account right now so if you don't use any hacking programs then there shouldn't be any further problems.

Regards,

Senior GM Volom

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:46 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 08:45 PM

okay i'm going to turn daemon tools and utorrent back on for confirmation that it was infact the problem. im not sure if your software will tell you what it is but be aware that they will be as followed: UTorrent 2.2.1 and DAEMON Tools lite 4.35.6.0091
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Volom via Email 07/22/2011 08:50 PM

Hello,

I recommend that you just leave all background programs turned off while you play Planetside. If you experience any further issues please submit a new ticket and we will do our best to assist you.

Regards,

Senior GM Volom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 09:01 PM

"I recommend that you just leave all background programs turned off while you play Planetside"

Sounds kinda like confirmation that utorrent and daemon tools will trip the auto detect sensor automatically. if at anytime the sensors were tripped between 8:45pm PST - 9:00pm PST they were the result of one of these 2 programs. can i disperse this information? so that the newer players know that this may result in unwarranted autobans?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Volom via Email 07/22/2011 09:17 PM

Hello,

I'm just giving you general troubleshooting advice. It's up to you whether you want to tell others to shut down their torrents and daemon tools. No one here uses those programs so I cannot confirm anything.

Regards,

Senior GM Volom

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:48 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 09:36 PM

well you've already said enough that its easy enough to determine that these 2 programs will cause your hack detection software to trigger. UTorrent 2.2.1 and DAEMON Tools lite 4.35.6.0091 are the programs running i'll be leaving the account open for awhile you've got all my information and any triggers will be either one of these programs. since we've determined that the cause of the "false positives" are do infact to, UTorrent 2.2.1 and DAEMON Tools lite 4.35.6.0091 . neither of which are hacking software but legal reputable software. I expect Account: CaineDeSoulis To be Unbanned and the record of any ban's or suspensions to be expunged. Thanks for all that you GM's have done and i appreciate the timely responses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Volom via Email 07/22/2011 09:40 PM

Hello,

The account isn't banned, it's suspended for 7 to 8 days and you'll need to wait out the suspension. The record of the hacking will remain on this account.

Regards,

Senior GM Volom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/22/2011 10:22 PM

well expect more on this subject in the days to come until tomorrow good night

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:50 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/24/2011 10:38 AM

Sorry i couldn't get back with your team yesterday i was at drill and did not have access to a computer. anyway i thought it would be best if i asked if i could publicly post these communications. Also i will need you to provide me with the Exact Rules of Conduct i have (allegedly) broken in your TOS. If more than one I'd like them listed with counts of each offense.

Sincerely ~ Phillip Clayton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Chrol via Email 07/24/2011 10:52 AM

Hello,

The Rules and Policies can be read at https://help.station.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16218. Again, we're not going to disclose exactly what you did to violate policy, except to say that you were found hacking. And yes, you can publicly post this entire correspondence if you chose to.

Regards,

Senior GM Chrol

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 02:51 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/24/2011 11:25 AM

Thank you i appreciate the fact i can post these correspondents in a public forum. Section II point D. Consent to Monitor

I'm not going to quote that here. in all of the TOS it says nothing about a non-disclosure agreement on either end. I'd like the number to your legal staff in regards to your TOS and also the number to SOE Corporate Office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response GM Estzia via Email 07/24/2011 11:58 AM

Hello again,

I would just like to let you know that I have sent this ticket up to my management to review and you should receive a response regarding your issue soon.

Sincerely,
GM Estzia
Sony Online Entertainment LLC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*UPDATED*

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-24, 03:10 PM

Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/24/2011 12:08 PM
Great, thank you and I appreciate your responses and more importantly time on this issue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am currently awaiting response from a managerial staff member.

Effective

2011-07-24, 04:15 PM

My desktop use to run daemon tools and utorrent when I played, though I quickly turned off utorrent since it made my game extremely laggy.

I've never been banned, suspended, or so much as warned. Though I did get told to stop trolling the PS OF forums

dachlatte

2011-07-24, 06:21 PM

i cant say anything about the torrent client but daemon tools ran on my machine while playing PS aswell and i never got banned or suspended

Dorest0rm

2011-07-25, 11:34 AM

I believe utorrent might cause some weird lag spikes that might of set off their "hack detection"

Firefly

2011-07-25, 11:39 AM

Baneblade

2011-07-25, 12:27 PM

Considering how far out of the way they have to go to actually ban or suspend someone now, I would think they would only have done it if it was deserved. Unless they simply didn't take the time to investigate and just made it happen...

Goku

2011-07-25, 12:39 PM

Lag doesn't really trip hack-detection, generally speaking (unless they have specifically factored that in). It's a factor, yes, but one which is taken into account because of the staggering variety in connection types, providers, and pings. SOE isn't staffed by incompetent dumbasses, not completely.

Everything this dude says he runs, I have running. And I play an honest game. Never been banned, suspended or warned. I got a /tell once from CSR-DanB but I told him to go fuck himself. Nothing ever came of that, either.

I was on my brother's NC CR5 and nuked a vterm with about 20 NC at it. I immediately logged off after. Though I think either DanB was on or he was in the crowd I nuked. The house phone rang at like 10 PM at night. My mother screamed up the stairs DanB needs to talk to Tunrips who the fuck is turnips lol (she sounded mad too). Neither of us spoke to him, but I think he was mad :lol:. I didn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes.

Firefly

2011-07-25, 12:43 PM

Presuming that's a real story, I'd call that a gross violation of privacy and a stunningly disturbing abuse of duty.

Goku

2011-07-25, 12:45 PM

Yes the story is true. Any time I had any (attempted) contact with a CSR from PS due to doing something "bad". I am still shocked to this day he called the house that quickly. Do they normally even do that?

Firefly

2011-07-25, 12:50 PM

I don't work for SOE so I couldn't tell you. Bioware-Mythic's support is in-game only. The only out-of-game contact we had was if we sent an email to the account's registered email. Personal contact was expressly forbidden.

Now from a Planetside player's perspective, I've received email notification that my issue was being addressed, or in-game contact. That's the extent of my contact. So I don't know if they personally contact you, but my guess would be no. So, if CSR-DanB did call you, he was probably in violation of company policy, especially if it was to yell at you for OS'ing him.

Goku

2011-07-25, 12:51 PM

Haha. Shame I should of pursued that more. Oh well.

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-25, 05:05 PM

****UPDATE*****
Response Customer Service Supervisor via Email 07/25/2011 09:38 AM

Greetings,

This is Lead GM Praesum. Your account was suspended for 7-8 days on 07/21/2011 because our hack logs indicated that your account was using an altered/assisted game client to access our servers and gain an unfair advantage on other players. Our logs were triggered several times throughout the day on 07/21/2011 from this account.

As a follow up to your other account, there are no hack log entries for the Ph33P account.from 07/22/2011 to today.

All this being said, I have decided to release your account a little early from the original 7-8 day time frame. It is now available for play. Please be sure to un-install all PlanetSide game clients, and re-install fresh only using the official client from SOE.com.

As for your legal inquiries, if you wish to pursue through legal channels, you can have your legal representative contact our legal team.

Best Regards,

Lead GM Praesum
Customer Service Supervisor
Sony Online Entertainment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Customer Ph33P soe via CSS Web 07/25/2011 01:58 PM

Hello, And Thank you for the quick response and the time invested by yourself and of your team. I appreciate the suspension being lifted early but i still have some concerns. Namely Will the Account CaineDeSoulis be considered "In Good Standing" in accordance with the SOE TOS? Is it possible to have this account monitored to confirm my latest re-install (from the link provided) of the planetside client. Is in fact operating as it is intended without infraction's. Since my aspirations for reopening this account was to eventually become a beta tester I feel this may have jeopardized my opportunity's to achieve this goal. As for legal inquiry's I believe you TOS prohibits any such formal action from myself.

~Sincerely, Phillip Clayton

Firefly

2011-07-25, 05:59 PM

I always love when players threaten legal action (or even the merest mention) - that's an immediate ending to the issue because once you do that, CSRs are usually prohibited by policy from discussing the matter further. Makes their job so much easier.

Let me translate this for you:

"because our hack logs indicated that your account was using an altered/assisted game client"
-- One of your Planetside files was modified in such a way that you would have been able to cheat. Like maybe fly, or be invincible, or move underneath world geometry.

"to access our servers and gain an unfair advantage on other players."
-- Meaning your character was able to fly, be invincible, deal massive one-shot damage to tanks, or other crazy shit like that. Or warp around the map. Or go under world geometry or inside of it.

The fact that you GOT OFF LIGHT with a 7-day SUSPENSION (you didn't get banned) tells me that SOE is, indeed, in dire enough straits that they won't outright terminate your account. Usually most game companies will straight-up perma-ban you. On top of that, they were generous enough to lift the suspension. So, again - they wouldn't have stuck it up your ass if they weren't sure. Now at this point they're being nice. So whatever the fuck you did, you should probably NOT DO IT again.

p0intman

2011-07-25, 06:05 PM

@OP: Shut the fuck up, you got off easy as firefly said. Deal with it.

Also, you're being petty as hell for even thinking of legal action. also, if any actual SOE CSRs read this, feel free to outright permanently ban asshats like him. I hate hackers. I hate them more than I hate the trees in PS1.

krnasaur

2011-07-25, 06:48 PM

what did we learn today: dont run muturrent while playing planetside. and crying for legal actions make you look more like a coward.

edit: last game i got banned from (using a bot) i didn't waste all this time trying to get unsuspended. i owned up to my mistake, and i left with a loss. i didnt bitch out and threaten legal action

Firefly

2011-07-25, 06:52 PM

what did we learn today: dont run muturrent while playing planetside.
Again - I run multiple programs on my quadcore uber1337 gaming rig when I play, mainly because my bad-ass computer and my bad-ass FiOS can handle it - and part of this involves running the same programs that the OP has mentioned. In addition to that, I run Ventrilo or Teamspeak, WinAmp, Steam, Xfire, Trillian, Google Chrome, a PDF (I read whilst waiting on Gal-drops). Frankly I don't buy the excuse that one of these programs caused the OP to get busted.

CaineDeSoulis

2011-07-25, 07:11 PM

Again Your opinions are your own. but hacking isn't something i personally do nor do i condone. The legal team comment was to find out more about SOE Terms of Service Agreement and possibly to petition its change. As stated Section II point D Consent To Monitor does *NOT* have a non-disclosure or a disclosure agreement meaning they can look into your system's *ENTIRE* Hard Drive and store that data on their servers if they so wish it. Anyone else worried about that? anyone here ever red the TOS? kinda scary if you think about it. BTW everyone here gave up the right to press any kind of charge when they clicked accept. and you are right it would be petty to sue over being suspended for 8 days lol. again I'm not doing all of this for multiple days in order to play planetside. its because its the right thing to do. Edit* according to the last message from a gm it was the game client itself. of which i downloaded from station on 7/21/2011

Baneblade

2011-07-25, 11:38 PM

Presuming that's a real story, I'd call that a gross violation of privacy and a stunningly disturbing abuse of duty.

DanB was a psycho company nazi. The story is entirely possible given his elevated authority.

Bravix

2011-07-26, 01:00 AM