Looking to set the record straight, Origin has assured players they will not ban users who request refunds for SimCity.
The "rumor" began earlier today when a consumer posted a conversation he/she allegedly had with a Origin representative regarding a refund for his recent purchase of SimCity. According to the posted transcript — which has yet to be confirmed — the representative denied the refund and threatened to ban his/her Origin account if he disputed the purchase with his credit card company or bank — essentially bypassing Origin's strict refund policy.
Obviously, Origin denied this.
Regarding a rumor: We will not ban players for requesting refunds. Please review our returns & cancellations policy: help.ea.com/article/return…
— Origin (@OriginInsider) March 7, 2013
Although physical copies of the game bought through the Origin store can be returned within 14 days of purchase, the return policy clearly states they do not offer refunds on digital downloads. The transcript failed to mention if the consumer had bought the digital download edition. Regardless, Origin failed to clarify what the consequence would be if you dispute the payment through your credit card company — which is the idea that initially sparked the ban threat.
I don't know if the actual conversation took place to begin with, but we can learn a very valuable lesson from this. Don't pre-order or buy ANY game with an always-on DRM unless you are positive the servers will be functional on launch day.
