LL "Live chat" won't help me, and contradict each other
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 16:48
**NAMES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR OBVIOUS PRIVACY POLICY REASONS** 1) I sell my 512sq mainland plot, and click "downgrade" on my account to basic 2) I go to buy the estate parcel, however I am presented with a problem! : From: someone "There has been an error while fetching land buying information. You have initiated the downgrade process. Your account will be downgrade to Basic Access on Wednesday, September 3, 2008" Ack! So I contact Second Life Live-Chat feature for Premium users... the support agent said that it is due to my account being in flux between Basic and Premium, and said: From: someone "oh while you are on downgrade process you can't buy any land including private estate. to solve this problem, you will need to contact the billing team and tell them you want to be basic right now. do you know how to contact the billing live chat?" So the *agent says that the billing team can immediately downgrade me.* This was the "In-world Chat" help center. The agent directed me to the billing center, and the conversation is as follows: From: someone Support Agent: Hello Kujila_Maltz, thank you for contacting Linden Labs Support, how may I help you? Kujila_Maltz: Well, here's my problem: Kujila_Maltz: I just downgraded from Premium and sold my 512sq plot of land so I could buy an Estate parcel, but now when I try to buy it I get an error message saying : "There has been an error while fetching land buying information. You have initiated the downgrade process. Your account will be downgrade to Basic Access on Wednesday, September 3, 2008" (I have a screenshot to upload if you want) Kujila_Maltz: and I asked "Inworld Live Chat" and she said: "oh while you are on downgrade process you can't buy any land including private estate. to solve this problem, you will need to contact the billing team and tell them you want to be basic right now. do you know how to contact the billing live chat?" Kujila_Maltz: Is this fixable so I can buy the land? Support Agent: If I read this correctly you are downgrading to basic but still wish to purchase land? Kujila_Maltz: I sold my mainland land plot (Requires a Premium account) and I clicked "Downgrade" and I am trying to buy an estate land plot (that does not require a premium account) Support Agent: You cannot own land on a Basic account Kujila Kujila_Maltz: Sir, do you know the difference between Mainland and Estate land  Kujila_Maltz: Well, ok, would it be possible to just downgrade my account Support Agent: I think I do Kujila, do you know otherwise? Kujila_Maltz: Nah I'm just a crazy Support Agent: Unfortunately I am unable to downgrade you to basic immediately as a security measure against mistakes. Kujila_Maltz: So the other live-chat department was incorrect? Support Agent: The other department did not say you were able to downgrade immediately. Support Agent: They advised you to ask us without stating the outcome. Kujila_Maltz: Actually they said: "you will need to contact the billing team and tell them you want to be basic right now." Support Agent: Indeed, and my statement still stands...they did not directly state one way or the other, they directed you to ask us. Support Agent: If there anything else I can help you with Kujila? So I mean, the billing team and the in-world team are contradicting each other, and I'm getting the run-a-round here. This time the *agent says that the billing team cannot immediately downgrade me.* Also note how the *LL employee thinks you need a premium account to buy non-mainland plots. * I wanted this to all be quick; sell land, downgrade, buy new land, build! But now I'm stuck in a big vicious loop of support agents. Can any Resident give me any help? Or if a Linden sees this, can you give me a real answer? It seems these live-chat blokes keep giving me different answers. |
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Argos Hawks
Eclectically Esoteric
Join date: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 1,037
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08-28-2008 16:52
Can you cancel the downgrade, then buy the plot, then redowngrade?
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Desmond Shang
Guvnah of Caledon
Join date: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 5,250
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08-28-2008 16:54
Easy solution for ya - I do this all the time for people in your situation.
Create a group. Invite the estate owner, and get him to deed the land to it. He exits, get an alt or a friend to round out the group to two members to keep it active.
Problem solved, plus, you have group powers over the land. Now you don't care about downgrading issues.
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Argos Hawks
Eclectically Esoteric
Join date: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 1,037
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08-28-2008 16:55
Or just get an alt to buy the land.
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 16:55
From: Argos Hawks Can you cancel the downgrade, then buy the plot, then redowngrade? The site won't let me do that And remember what our agent friend said: From: someone : Unfortunately I am unable to downgrade you to basic immediately as a security measure against mistakes. I'm about 101% sure this wasn't a mistake. And I'm sure he does, too, considering I told him directly I tried to downgrade. |
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Dekka Raymaker
thinking very hard
Join date: 4 Feb 2007
Posts: 3,898
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08-28-2008 16:58
Edited: see post further down.
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Ann Launay
Neko-licious™
Join date: 8 Aug 2006
Posts: 7,893
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08-28-2008 17:00
Some of the staffers are more knowledgeable than others, so you might try another Live Chat session.
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Congratulations and shame on you! You are a bit of a slut.
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 17:01
Tried a new agent on "In world" live help again: From: someone New Support Agent: I believe you have just spoken to an agent and you were explained that you can not own any land as a basic member. However you can lease it, but you cant own any land under any circumstances as a basic member. That is for premium members exclusive Kujila_Maltz: Do they train you folks in the differences between mainland and estate land? Kujila_Maltz: There's a clear concise difference. Mainland, the original type of land launched in 2003, obviously required a premium membership. New Support Agent: Kujila, that wont make any difference, you still cannot own any land as a basic member New Support Agent: you can rent land, you can lease land Kujila_Maltz: http://blog.secondlife.com/2006/09/01/fix-basic-accounts-can-purchase-estate-land/Kujila_Maltz: Well I don't think I'm going to get any more help here, but thank you guys for the quick replies, night! There was a large wait during a "please wait for a moment..." and she came back and said that (paraphrase) "Well another support agent already told you you cannot own land" This is ridiculous! Are these actual Lindens or goofy outsourced tech-chat soccer-moms? I can't wait for one of them to tell me I require a premium account to make prims. |
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Peggy Paperdoll
A Brat
Join date: 15 Apr 2006
Posts: 4,383
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08-28-2008 17:01
A phone call?
I had to jump through hoops when I wanted to downgrade my original avatar to basic and pick up this avatar as premium. My orginal avatar owned a 512 plot (first land) which I wanted to retain with this avatar. A 10 minute phone conversation with a live person and I knew exactly what had to be done at what time frame to work seamlessly. Sort of a hassle but it when smoothly.
The people on the phone are exceptionaly helpful and willing to do whatever they can to help you out. But I've had "live chat" help that was more or less worthless. The typed words in short clips of "chat" just doesn't get the message across like speaking to someone.
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Argos Hawks
Eclectically Esoteric
Join date: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 1,037
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08-28-2008 17:05
From: Kujila Maltz I can't wait for one of them to tell me I require a premium account to make prims. That requires a primium account.
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Dekka Raymaker
thinking very hard
Join date: 4 Feb 2007
Posts: 3,898
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08-28-2008 17:05
actually for what I guess are legal reasons the support team are saying you cannot OWN land if your not a premium member and this is quite correct, you are only renting it or leasing it, you never OWN it, so I'm editing my previous comment too.
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Kitty Barnett
Registered User
Join date: 10 May 2006
Posts: 5,586
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08-28-2008 17:06
From: Kujila Maltz It seems these live-chat blokes keep giving me different answers. That's normal, the first person you talk to knows a little about everything but doesn't know any of the finer points and a Linden within a specific team won't know anything outside of their area. The billing Linden is likely (likely because even Lindens within the same team will contradict one another) right about downgrading you prematurely, but they can and will cancel a pending downgrade. Overall, Lindens are a great source of information as long as you stay within their specific area, go outside of that and take anything with a mountain of salt (and general support just has their script and aren't too aware of specific bugs). --- Desmond's suggestion of getting it deeded to a group you own is by far the easiest solution since your premium expires within a week anyway. (And it's a bug that's been around ever since they introduced being able to purchase private island parcel in the summer of 2006) |
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Oryx Tempel
Registered User
Join date: 8 Nov 2006
Posts: 7,663
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08-28-2008 17:12
Have you tried Desmond's suggestion?
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 17:20
From: Oryx Tempel Have you tried Desmond's suggestion? I do not believe the estate owner is online. I can attempt to see if he'll do her suggestion, however the estate owner maintains quite a few sims, so I'm not sure he'll been keen on it. I am fighting with the billing team to keep my account as a premium, though. Hopefully this will go through. They're asking me like my "secret questions" I made in 2005, which I don't remember answering. |
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Alicia Sautereau
if (!social) hide;
Join date: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 3,125
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08-28-2008 17:24
create a new group invite the manager/owner into the group have them deed the land to the group invite 1-2 friends into the group with no roles if needed ask the owner to leave the group land is yours |
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 17:25
I got them to cancel the downgrade! I then bought the land without problems. I may downgrade later, but I'll just keep premium for now... maybe I'll buy another 512 plot and donate it to a group or something
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Argos Hawks
Eclectically Esoteric
Join date: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 1,037
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08-28-2008 17:25
From: Kujila Maltz I am fighting with the billing team to keep my account as a premium, though. Hopefully this will go through. They're asking me like my "secret questions" I made in 2005, which I don't remember answering. I had to answer one of those at work recently to recover a password that's needed about once a year. I completely don't remember setting up the question, but apparently my security question was, "Does this suck or what?".
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Oryx Tempel
Registered User
Join date: 8 Nov 2006
Posts: 7,663
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08-28-2008 17:26
From: Argos Hawks I had to answer one of those at work recently to recover a password that's needed about once a year. I completely don't remember setting up the question, but apparently my security question was, "Does this suck or what?". What was your answer?  |
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Kitty Barnett
Registered User
Join date: 10 May 2006
Posts: 5,586
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08-28-2008 17:28
From: Kujila Maltz I do not believe the estate owner is online. I can attempt to see if he'll do her suggestion, however the estate owner maintains quite a few sims, so I'm not sure he'll been keen on it. The estate owner doesn't really need to be involved (other than knowing the proper contact and who should be paying rent). * Create a group for the land * Log on with an alt (or create one, you need one for the group anyway) * Invite the alt into the group as an officer (or owner since I'm not 100% sure if officer is enough) * Tp the alt to the parcel with the group you created as its active group * Go to World / About Land on the alt and have it "Buy for Group" * Done |
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Dana Hickman
Leather & Lace™
Join date: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 1,515
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08-28-2008 18:00
I'm not seeing the original contradiction there...
"TELL THEM you want to be downgraded to basic right now" doesn't mean the same thing as "tell them the situation and THEY WILL downgrade you to basic right now". Even though it sounded like he/she had a bit of an attitude toward the end, the billing linden WAS correct... there is no promise or statement of an expected outcome.
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Peggy Paperdoll
A Brat
Join date: 15 Apr 2006
Posts: 4,383
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08-28-2008 18:03
Rant spoiler. |
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 18:06
From: Dana Hickman I'm not seeing the original contradiction there...
"TELL THEM you want to be downgraded to basic right now" doesn't mean the same thing as "tell them the situation and THEY WILL downgrade you to basic right now". Even though it sounded like he/she had a bit of an attitude toward the end, the billing linden WAS correct... there is no promise or statement of an expected outcome. You walk in to Best Buy, and ask an associate for an item: "We don't sell that, go to Circuit City" You walk in to Circuit City, and ask an associate for an item: "We don't sell that, go to Fry's Electronics" You walk in to Fry's Electronics, and ask an associate for an item: "We don't sell that, go to Microcenter" You walk in to Microcenter, and ask an associate for an item: "We don't sell that, go to Best Buy" Now image all the associates //worked in the same store// Not necessarily a 100% contradiction, I totally see your point, but still: I wish they would be on the same page, and learn about Estate land! |
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Yumi Murakami
DoIt!AttachTheEarOfACat!
Join date: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 6,860
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08-28-2008 18:18
Since Bragg the Lindens are avoiding any use of the word "own" with regard to land. (A key point of his lawsuit was that promising that land could be "owned" was equivalent to promising legal ownership rights.)
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Peggy Paperdoll
A Brat
Join date: 15 Apr 2006
Posts: 4,383
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08-28-2008 18:25
More like you call Linden Lab on the phone and wade through the "press 1, 2, 3 or 4. Since you could not purchase land in SL you figured it was technical in nature........button 2. When you explain your problem the tech sees there is nothing he/she can do for you since it's more a billing problem because you have a pending downgrade and that is the reason you cannot purchase land. I"m sure the live help understood after you further explained you were interested in Estate Land what your problem was.........but he/she still could not help you. He/she did what should be done.........direct you to someone who could (or might) be able to help you. He/she told you to tell the person you talk to "tell them you want to make the downgrade effective immediately". As far as know that was a good suggestion.......just to let whoever you talk to know you knew about the delay but wanted to rush it along.
I just don't see the contridiction at all. They both tried to help you. They both could not help due to policy. They knew what they were doing.......but evidently you did not. I knew about that policy over 2 1/2 years ago..........I called ahead of time to find out how to do what I wanted to do. It may be that you are overseas and a phone call would be cost prohibitive...........but live chat is free.
And getting snippy with people trying to help you will almost always get you less help.
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Kujila Maltz
lol
Join date: 6 Aug 2005
Posts: 444
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08-28-2008 18:26
That's true. I didn't think of the legal problems incurred with the word "own." I over-reacted due to the fact I was getting mixed answers. Thread is resolved! I will not take responsibility for any flame-wars that follow from here-on-out. Forum mod, thread is complete, feel free to close/lock/remove. |