Euros and US$ in the Online store?

I purchased the first Guild Wars from a store in North America. When Factions was released, I was not living in North America, and it was not available at stores in my area. So I elected to purchase from the online store, and due to my location at that time, it was deemed that making the purchase in Euros was the thing to do (not quite sure how that happened as I wasn't in Europe either). Now I have returned to North America, and in order to benefit from the bonus missions offer, I would like to purchase GWEN from the online store... but I can't seem to change to US$.

1. Why is this the case?
2. Can anything be done to change it?

I've sent a support ticket, and they gave me a typically gay response about it is based on my region. The thing is I live in Australia and they want to charge me in British Pounds. I mean WTF. At least charge me in US Dollars cause converting to pounds is crap. I posted this in 2 other threads with no response from Gaile or anyone else who knows how to fix it.

Understand this ANet, charging me AU$10 more than EB for using the online store is ridiculous. Especially when I end up with less than what I would get at EB. (Box)

I was in New Zealand when i made my first purchase from the online store. I'm in Canada now. I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to purchase in American Dollars, expecially because I am actually in the North American Region.

Actually, a little fiddling around has indicated that I can make purchases through the PlayNC website in US$, but the online store is stuck in Euros... Which begs the question, if I make a purchase through the PlayNC website, does that qualify me for the Bonus Missions promotion?

Nope, Its a Guildwars store only promotion.

Well, if that's the case, the orignial question becomes all that more important.

Why can't I pay in US$? A-Net obviously accepts purchases in US$ from some people. Why Can't I be one of those people?

Better still, if the PlayNC store(GW Publisher) can give you the option to choose which currency you would like to pay with, why can't the GW Online store? It's already been stated by many of the Aussies that they would prefer to pay in US$, and I would really like to understand why the option is not available.



You can see the option to pay in US$ or Euros. I erased my usernames for obvious reasons.

My Account is on the North American servers. I live in North America. It would make sense that I should be able to pay in North American funds.

Me and a few friends have been discussing this subject, with no official replies.

Come on Gaile! Give us a response!

Even a "I'll look into it" would be appreciated...

3 days since the OP and still no usable information... All I want to do is buy something using a local currency. Is that too much to ask?

I have forwarded this thread (and another on the same sort of topic) to the lead of the Billing Department.

Thank You very much. I await any official feedback with baited breath.

So far I've purchased 2 character slots and the GOTY upgrade... Each time I was charged in British Pounds.

I assumed this was becuase my account is tied to the European server. (I live in Australia).

Now I'm naff when it comes to currency conversion, but shouldn't the price be the same, no matter which currency you convert into?

No, in more ways than one. The first is explained nicely on this talk page from the official wiki:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Talk:...s_Mission_Pack
The second comes in the form of exchage fees charged by Credit Card Companies. CC companies charge a conversion fee based on the difference between the two currencies. I'll use my situation as an example. My credit card is in Canadian Dollars.

So if I make a purchase in Euros, the company locates the wholesale exchange rate, with is currently 1CAD=.70 Euros.
They then establish a retail exchange rate, which would end up something like 1CAD = .68Euros.
Now that they've widened the gap even further, they'll charge an exchange fee based on the difference between the two currencies - in this case 32 cents.
The exchange fee will be based on a percent of this number and the total units of currency exchanged.

If the purchase were to be in US$ instead, it would lok more like this:
1CAD=.95US$ wholesale rate
1CAD-.93US$ retail rate
Difference in currency = 7cents.

So were looking at a difference here of 32 cents for every dollar, or 7 cents for every dollar.

This fee only benefits the credit card company, and in no way assists A-Net in their assumed goal of increasing profits through direct sales and reduced overhead. It is an "incidental" (and additional) charge incurred by the customer for using the online store, rather than purchasing in their native currency from a local retailer.

Now folks like me will be paying a conversion fee regardless of whether it's to Euros or US$, but the fee will be smaller if the difference between currencies is smaller, and so I am "dinged" less.

Folks like the other fellow who started the thread entitled "Problems with the online store" it's a bit of a bigger pain. S/he is living in the United States (Chicago). They are being asked to pay in British Pounds. If they were being charged in US$, there would be no conversion fee. But with current rates, the US$ is worth less than half a British Pound. So his/her exchange fee will be very high and a great disincentive to shop in the online store. They'll be asking him for 23.99 Pounds Sterling, which wholesale exchanges at 48.37 US$. The retail exhange is likely to be more akin to $55.17 US, plus the credit card fee for converting the currency. So very quickly a game that sells for 39.99 US in the online store is now costing our poor friend in Chicago $58 USD. S/he is paying $18 more because the online store won't let him/her purchase using US$ - and they are a resident of the USA.
So, yeah, it makes a difference.

Thanks, Gaile!

Got an Update from support today.


They don't know. When they figure it out they'll let me know.


I just hope that they figure it out before GW:EN goes up for sale, and that 2 years down the road I wont still be obliged to py in Euros if I want to link GW2 to GW1.

The Final response from Support:

Hello (Countess Corpula),

Thank you for your patience as we looked into this matter. The currency for an account is permanently set when the first purchase is made on the account. If the first purchase made on the account was done in a country that bills in Euros that would be the currency set on account.

Unfortunately, once set, an accounts currency cannot be changed by the customer nor are we able to do so.

In answer to your question regarding the Bonus Mission Pack, only in game purchases made form the Guild Wars Store will count towards the Bonus Mission Pack. However, any items purchased from the Guild Wars Store will count towards this item.

Thanks,

-------------------------------------------------

This is Bullshit! So from now to eternity I must make all purchases in Euros? That is utterly ridiculous. First thing, if making a purchase is goign to set the store currency in stone, there should be a warning of some kind. Secondly, there is no acceptable reason that something as long term as an online game account should have any aspect of the account set permanently in stone! (email addresses, passwords, currencies, anything!) Over a year ago I was over seas and made a purchase. So forever all my purchases have to be based on that location and currency??? That is completely and wholey unacceptable! This must change!

My follow up reply to support:

This is unacceptable. Plain and simple. I demmand that this policy be addressed and altered. On-line games are a service, and thus you are the service providers. You admit that being unable to change the currency is "unfortunate." It is the job of a service provider to make the "unfortunate" fortunate. This is a shameful policy. Shameful and dispicable.

On-line games are long-term engagements. The guildwars franchise is well into its third year. In today's golobal village it is irresponsible and foolhardy to lock customers into a single rigid catagory for such an extended period.

You cannot claim that the technology doesn't exist to allow you to change things such as account status in relation to store currency. The only possible explaination is a lack of willingness to put in any kind of effort to please your customer. A service provider who is unwilling to make an effort to please the customer in something that is right and just is a lousy excuse for a service providor. I insist that this issue be escalated to your superiors for further investigation as I am wholly unsatisfied with the result.

Now the reply from the support department is total BS

My first purchase was made in Australian $ so according to the above quote I should be billed in A$ not British Pounds.

NCsoft (PlayNC) and Guild Wars (in-game Store) have never billed in Aus$. Ever.

It's all about maximizing profit. This can be done in ethical ways, and unethical ways.

Ethical Ways: Offering the product for purchase in the online store maximizes profits by minimizing costs. They eliminate middlemen (who they sell to wholesale with a minimal profit) and gain the full benefits of a retail sale. They also eliminate the costs of materials, packaging, shipping, customs, etc. This is a pure form of commerce bringing the core product directly to the end user.

Unethical ways: Gauging the end user (customer) by forcing them to pay more than the local market value in order to receive the final product. GW:EN was announced in the press release as selling for 39.99 in north america, and 34.99Euros in Europe. The current WHOLESALE exchange for 34.99 Euros is 48.14 USD. The retail exchange will be far less favorable, because credit card companies like their profits too. Probably closer to $55 US. So they are KNOWINGLY charging someone in the North American market $15 US more than other American customers. Why? So they can claw in more money by any means necessary, damn the poor joe who was honest about is temporary location at the time of his first purchase. Screw him, who cares! I got my money.

Gaile Gray, Community Relations Lead: I ask that you make this unscrupulous policy known to the founders of A-Net. That they may know their reputation as being concerned for the happiness of their clients is being horribly tarnished by an unflinching marketing department. You have already indicated that you would " pass along your concerns on pricing to the sales and marketing team, including those at NCsoft Europe and the US." It would probably be nice if those involved with the creation of Arena Net knew what kind of reputation was growing around them.

Jeff Strain and Mike O'Brien, Co-Founders of Arena Net: If you truly believe that you are in the service business, and that you have built a company that is intended to think of the customers wants and needs, step up and do the right thing when it comes to ethical business practices, and don't let money hording accountants with $$ for eyes ruin the reputation of what you have endevoured to build.

That's not the point. We bought a retail copy in EB in Australian Dollars.

How on Earth does that tie us to British Pounds?

No one ever told us we had to pay using Pounds when we use the online store.

Frankly, we never had to complain cause the store didn't offer us anything special and we could get our copies from EB.

Only now is it that we find out we get screwed over because of this retarded billing system that wants to overcharge us because we want access to the Bonus Missions.

I'm in the States at the moment and could save a fair bit of cash by buying it retail, but I want access to those missions. So what the heck do I do?

I think Anet are letting themselves down if they think bad service is acceptable when they consider themselves in the service industry.

Countess, your distasteful and insulting follow up reply won't help the cause at all. While the next logical step would be to try to escalate the issue, the poor choice of words and nasty tone to the support staff was really a move in the wrong direction. Remember that you are trying to get them to help you, not write you off as you deserve to be.

If the support staff or Anet can really do nothing as was said then your next question should have asked them who can.
Is it the company hired to build the website? NCSOFT? How do we get the responsible party(-ies) to make the change?

The frustrating currency issue affects many and ANet/NCSOFT trying to promote sales through the site in it's current condition is befuddling. But if you've been around for a while you come to expect silly shit like that from them.

Taki, you are right. And as such I have updated my reply to support.

It has been brought to my attention that my follow up reply may be a bit on the heated side. I am sure you can understand the frustration involved in the situation when you feel you are unjustly being asked to pay for something in a foreign currency, when a domestic one is available. And injury is added to insult when that foreign currency bills 20% more for the same product. I shall recount some basic information that may have been missed.

- The initial location of my PlayNC Master account was in North America.
- The Currency displayed in the PlayNC store while I am logged in is in US$.
- The Currency displayed in the GW Ingame store is currently in Euros.
- I am currently located in North America.
- My PlayNC account indicates my location as North America.

I ask that the particulars of my account be reviewed, and corrected to reflect that I am located in North America, and should pay for products in North American currency.

I once again apologize for my heated manner in my previous replies. Thank You for your time.

Here here. Australian's are getting Royally RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOED by being charged in Pounds. The exchange rate is crazy. We're over the other goddamn side of the world and have no association with each other apart from being part of a commonwealth that no-one gives a damn about. Seriously, charge us in US$ or Euros, but NOT the pound. No other online store ever charges Australians pounds unless it's based in Britain. Which GW is not. We get used to not paying in our own currency, but at least make countries without their own servers able to choose which their preferred currency is. Pounds...honestly. What were you guys thinking?

bottom line that is what they are thinking of...

I'm Aussie as well and I'm weighing in on this subject, give us $US in the store.

So, after sending the updated reply (post 22), I also opened up a thread in Riverside, pointing out various concerns with the online store. That thread grabbed Gaile's attention and she said that it was a simple thing for support to change the currency to reflect my region (as I thought it would/should be). I waited a few days and heard nothing. I then sent this...

I later received this:

Which was later followed by this:

So, in the end it is possible for support to change the currency in the on line store to match the currency of the region you live in. It is a shame that in order to get that done you have to 1) ask nicely, 2) be given an answer that doesn't reply, 3) ask again, 4) be told it isn't possible, 5) raise a big stink about it on a public forum, 6) request the attention of a supervisor, and 7) attract attention of non-support representatives from A-Net to speak on your behalf (thanks again Gaile).

To be honest, I really didn't think it a major inconvenience to ask for my pricing in the online store to match the region I lived in. I am very pleased that I am now able to make purchases in the local currency. I am a little put out that I had to spend over a week "campaigning" in order to get it done. Especially when I hear that "It's really simple... Support can reset your region... have you asked?"

So, in closing, big thumbs up to Gaile, for doing something that wasn't even your job. Your efforts are much appreciated. As for support, I can't give a passing grade to a department whose purpose it is to help, but whose actions seem intended to hinder. If reseting my region in the store to match reality is supposed to be a simple matter, why did the first representative ignore the issue, and the second representative claim it was impossible? Why did it have to escalate to heated exchanges and supervisors? Despite receiving a favorable result in the end, I don't look forward to any future exchanges with support. It was someting I would have rather avoided.

Anyhoo, now I will be eagerly awaiting the release of GW:EN in the online store.

Do you mean that to be able to pay with the correct currency we have to ask them epeatedly and wait for the responses?

I give up!


/Angelica

Having to ask isn't a problem. Having to ask repeatedly and make a public spectacle is a problem. Making note that I was briefly in New Zealand, and that was the cause for the initial currency setting. Once I returned to North America, and updated my PlayNC account (someting I did months ago), it would have made sense for the store's currency to update based on that info. Failing that, it would have made sense for a support agent to make the modification upon request. Instead we were all treated to the drama of the last 9 days. Thank you those who offered support in my dealings with "support." Yes, I do see the irony of needing support to deal with "support."

no its a glitch with the store and Gaile has posted saying they are working on it, however, check your plaync account details, as long as those are correct, 99% of the time, your payment area and payment currency should be correct (although, as with everything, things do go wrong)

To the Australians who want the territory Australia is administered from (UK) and therefore the currency they pay in the online store changed, I offer this little bit of wisdom...

We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.

~Carl Jung

Um, Australia is a sovereign country and not a territory of the UK. Disappointingly the last ties to the UK were only cut in 1986 appealing from a court in Australia to the Privy Council in England...anyway, Australia isn't a territory of the UK.

I can only hope that someone at NCSoft or whomever go look up where Australia is, and where the UK is.

I think laktz was saying that Austrailia is administered from Anet's UK office. Since they report in one currency, it's easier if the territories they 'support' deal with the same currency as well. It's a very poor excuse, but the only answer I remember given from a previous thread on the subject.

Anyway, I'm relieved to find out that countesscorpula managed to get things sorted out even if friends of mine did not. Hopefully this can provide some motivation for them to take on support again. Though I must admit that it's hard to believe how much you have to endure just to try to get anywhere with them and completely agree with this: