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Eve getting blocked as fradulent vendor by bank?

Author
Old Man Sedgewick
Adventures with Bill
The Possum Lodge
#1 - 2014-04-29 00:37:15 UTC
So, last year when my accounts came up for renewal I found myself fighting with the bank after the charge was apparently declined/blocked (of course, without otherwise notifying me or asking if it was legit or not) when I logged in, or really tried to log in that day.

Just wanted to make this post because it happened again when the first account tried to renew this evening, which means without further intervention my remaining accounts will get hit with this later this summer and I have to hope that the timing falls within the banks support hours unlike tonight :(

Is anyone else having any trouble with banks flagging these account renewal or other transactions from CCP?

In the transaction history they show up as "EVE ONLINE SLOUGH GB", not sure if there is extra info there that the bank is cutting off in my account history.

Also more directed towards CCP, is there something fishy or suspicious with how you process international transactions or if you use a 3rd party payment processing partner maybe check with them if they are having issues with fraud as that is why my bank says they are blocking, due to high amount of fraud with the vendor that is sending the attempted charge.

As for this specific attempted renewal, I have to wait until the morning as I called 3 minutes too late for anyone to actually be able to fix the charge and temporarily allow it (crappy customer support if you ask me, you never tell someone "sorry, we can't help you, call back tomorrow").

Anyhoo, hope this can get something going somewhere in the process as I'm going to have to get unpleasant with some poor bank manager tomorrow, and I really hate being 'that guy'.
Doc Fury
Furious Enterprises
#2 - 2014-04-29 00:42:27 UTC  |  Edited by: Doc Fury
My bank used to get all twitchy when I made overseas purchases. Many do this as a part of "account security" if you've never or very infrequently use your card out of your area or country. Doubtful CCP or their processor is causing this.

Calling your bank should solve the problem. From their perspective they are protecting you, even at the risk of inconveniencing you.

There's a million angry citizens looking down their tubes..at me.

Major Xadi
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#3 - 2014-04-29 00:53:10 UTC  |  Edited by: Major Xadi
My credit card company will deny any transactions with CCP until I call my customer service and verify the charge is legit. I bought a PLEX a month ago and had to go through extra lengthy verification process with customer service rep and then being transferred to fraud investigator. Make sure you remember the make of your first car, your fathers' middle name, your mother's maiden name, your first dog's name, who you took to the prom .............

Edit: just remembered a few years ago had charges on my card that were placed in Australia. I'm American and never been to Australia though I would love to go some day. Guess I can't blame the card company for playing it safe.
Nalelmir Ahashion
Industrial Management and Engineering
Mouth Trumpet Cavalry
#4 - 2014-04-29 00:58:55 UTC
Paypal is your friend, link to credit card = done.

also you can charge those one-time credit card at post office if you got those.
Old Man Sedgewick
Adventures with Bill
The Possum Lodge
#5 - 2014-04-29 01:04:44 UTC
The thing is I went through all this with them several times last year when this first happened, and had to repeat the process for each account when it attempted and subsequently failed to renew.

So I get the wondrous duty of playing the disgruntled and displaced customer that has been through this several times before.

And even with all this account protection stuff, I never get calls for suspect charges, but they will call me 2-3 times a year and ask if I charged things like my regular trips to gas station, the same walmart I am at weekly, netflix, utility payments, etc... you know, all those same/monthly recurring transactions, but they never seem to care if I suddenly am 1000 miles from home happily charging away without a care in the world.

From what the lady told me tonight, this is one of the types of fraud detection that they just block and wait for the customer to call in and ask about it... great service if you ask me. Might have to consider a new bank if they weren't so otherwise convenient for me.
Doc Fury
Furious Enterprises
#6 - 2014-04-29 01:06:26 UTC
Old Man Sedgewick wrote:
Might have to consider a new bank if they weren't so otherwise convenient for me.


That's a bingo!


There's a million angry citizens looking down their tubes..at me.

Belt Scout
Thread Lockaholics Anonymous
#7 - 2014-04-29 01:10:07 UTC
Nalelmir Ahashion wrote:
Paypal is your friend, link to credit card = done.

also you can charge those one-time credit card at post office if you got those.


This is the way I'll do it as well. My bank is the largest pain in the ass when it comes to CCP charges for some reason.

I'll just use paypal and go easy mode.

They say most of your brain shuts down on the EvE forums. All but the impatient side, and the sarcastic side. No wonder I'm still awake.

**This IS my main so STFU.

Rastuasi
Crunchy Crunchy
#8 - 2014-04-29 02:26:59 UTC
I know it was announced in my state, that apparently all Iceland banks and charges to the area were blocked by Iceland government themselves from outside their own nation due to fradulant charges. In otherwords, my bank approved of the charge, but Iceland's government said no. Due to that, I've used the amazon method just fine. But yea, it has been this way for about half a year for me.
Felicity Love
Doomheim
#9 - 2014-04-29 03:36:19 UTC
Why even bother with banks?

Just buy wildly overpriced PLEX with ISK and never use real coin again. Blink

"EVE is dying." -- The Four Forum Trolls of the Apocalypse.   ( Pick four, any four. They all smell.  )

Evelyn Meiyi
Corvidae Trading and Holding
#10 - 2014-04-29 05:37:44 UTC  |  Edited by: Evelyn Meiyi
Doc Fury wrote:
My bank used to get all twitchy when I made overseas purchases. Many do this as a part of "account security" if you've never or very infrequently use your card out of your area or country. Doubtful CCP or their processor is causing this.

Calling your bank should solve the problem. From their perspective they are protecting you, even at the risk of inconveniencing you.


Doc's quite correct -- banks will often block recurring charges (especially to MMOs or online sites) because of the large numbers of charges that turn out to be fraudulent. Since each chargeback costs the bank time and money to resolve (i.e, the bank has to call the credit card company to have any unauthorized charges refunded) banks will typically block the charges at the source until they can verify that the customer is the authorized cardholder.

As for not doing anything about charges that are a thousand miles away -- generally, banks don't start to take notice until your credit card shows an 'unusual patern of activity' (for example, a single ice-cream cone or a bus ticket is considered 'typical use' by most banks , but the account will be flagged if your address is in New York and the card is suddenly used to purchase several thousand dollars' worth of high-end electronics in Tokyo).

Call your bank and they'll be able to let the charges through, and they should also be able to remove the block entirely, or arrange to call you to authorize any unusual charges.
Cecil Montague
PCG Enterprises
Intaki-Business Logistics Union
#11 - 2014-04-29 06:46:51 UTC
Evelyn Meiyi wrote:

As for not doing anything about charges that are a thousand miles away -- generally, banks don't start to take notice until your credit card shows an 'unusual patern of activity' (for example, a single ice-cream cone or a bus ticket is considered 'typical use' by most banks , but the account will be flagged if your address is in New York and the card is suddenly used to purchase several thousand dollars' worth of high-end electronics in Tokyo).


The system most banks use also tends to be adaptive. So a payment out of your normal area may flag up the first time or two but after that the system learns this is normal for you. If you are paying yearly though then it doesn't recognise it as a regular thing.

"There is no such thing as an effective segment of Totality" - Bruce Lee: The only man with a Chuck Norris killmail.

Veld San
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#12 - 2014-04-29 11:33:25 UTC
Old Man Sedgewick wrote:
So, last year when my accounts came up for renewal I found myself fighting with the bank after the charge was apparently declined/blocked (of course, without otherwise notifying me or asking if it was legit or not) when I logged in, or really tried to log in that day.

Just wanted to make this post because it happened again when the first account tried to renew this evening, which means without further intervention my remaining accounts will get hit with this later this summer and I have to hope that the timing falls within the banks support hours unlike tonight :(

Is anyone else having any trouble with banks flagging these account renewal or other transactions from CCP?

In the transaction history they show up as "EVE ONLINE SLOUGH GB", not sure if there is extra info there that the bank is cutting off in my account history.

Also more directed towards CCP, is there something fishy or suspicious with how you process international transactions or if you use a 3rd party payment processing partner maybe check with them if they are having issues with fraud as that is why my bank says they are blocking, due to high amount of fraud with the vendor that is sending the attempted charge.

As for this specific attempted renewal, I have to wait until the morning as I called 3 minutes too late for anyone to actually be able to fix the charge and temporarily allow it (crappy customer support if you ask me, you never tell someone "sorry, we can't help you, call back tomorrow").

Anyhoo, hope this can get something going somewhere in the process as I'm going to have to get unpleasant with some poor bank manager tomorrow, and I really hate being 'that guy'.


Unfortunately, there have been several interwebs groups up to no good which had CCP in their name over the years, as well as the old soviet union which was similar, CCCP. For this reason banks are weary of transactions with businesses containg these particular letters, I had to call my bank on the phone and OK the transactions. Not much else can be done about it, they aren't going to change their policies due to one gaming company.
Nat Silverguard
Aideron Robotics
Aideron Robotics.
#13 - 2014-04-29 12:28:02 UTC
Felicity Love wrote:
Why even bother with banks?

Just buy wildly overpriced PLEX with ISK and never use real coin again. Blink



and grind? no thanks... i'll rather pay with my real money than grind.

I want to relax and PLAY EvE not to have a 2nd job.

to OP, yeah, use paypal, truly easy mode! Cool

Just Add Water

Benar Ellecon
Card games on MOTORCYCLES
#14 - 2014-04-29 18:46:22 UTC
Their bank is in the UK.
Each time I pay online I have to call my bank and remove the overseas restriction for a day so I can use my card.
As was said, it is for "your" protection.

Fly with your hair on FIRE!

Amarrain miner
Doomheim
#15 - 2014-04-29 18:48:15 UTC
My bank wont even deal with CCP bank branch any more due to 'fraudulence' concerns. Doesn't matter if I call or not.

Same exact thing as Op basically.
Domanique Altares
Rifterlings
#16 - 2014-04-29 20:11:58 UTC
Sounds like your bank is doing you a favor.
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#17 - 2014-04-29 20:24:14 UTC
Plot twist: ccp are scammers! Really really bad ones that instead of ripping us off provide a decade of quality entertainment.