I had the problem of locked out content. None of my games worked (all digital) at all. I tried relicensing from settings and it still didn't work. I restarted the console and all is fine again. Kinda scary, really. Why is there a communication with the server in the first place? I thought everything would work offline.
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PSN Account bug that prevents License Restore on PS4 (Cannot play any games)
- Thread starter CambriaRising
- Start date
CambriaRising
Member
I was utterly shocked that they seemed willing to help instead of just pass the buck, especially in a text chat.
ambar_hitman
Member
Great news. And I hope that whoever is working at Sony for this issue gets the cause of the fix.
Kudos to the guy who identified the reason and solution for this fix.
Kudos to the guy who identified the reason and solution for this fix.
flatearthpandas
Member
That is pretty ridiculous that it requires the community to solve this issue. I hope everyone is given a refund for the bugged transaction at the very minimum. You all deserve a lot more compensation than that imo but congrats on at least resolving this problem.
Skyfireblaze
Member
Whoa I've been following the topic since it started and that's certainly a interesting turn of events, I really hope you get that resolved OP, these kind of bugs that lock you totally out are the worst :/ It's also nice that Sony is willing to help like this even if all is their fault in the first place and their initial help wasn't stellar.
As for the problem itself, I have no idea how these account systems work on a technical level so all this is a wild guess though reading all that has been posted it seems that refunding a preorder sets the account to something like a "Transaction Pending" state somehow which blocks everything off. Seems like something about the refund process makes the system trip all over itself and maybe triggers some sort of fraud protection maybe... Hopefully that discovery helps Sony to fix the problem for good so nobody else has to deal with this again.
As for the problem itself, I have no idea how these account systems work on a technical level so all this is a wild guess though reading all that has been posted it seems that refunding a preorder sets the account to something like a "Transaction Pending" state somehow which blocks everything off. Seems like something about the refund process makes the system trip all over itself and maybe triggers some sort of fraud protection maybe... Hopefully that discovery helps Sony to fix the problem for good so nobody else has to deal with this again.
Dr_LucienSanchez
Banned
What a strange bug. Glad it's almost (hopefully) resolved though. After dealing with Sears after purchasing a Wii U, I know how it feels to deal with the endless frustration of customer service.
serversurfer
Member
I'm not 100% sure the agent understood the issue 100%, but if it's getting fixed, that's all that matters.
Personally, I'd have pushed for a 3-month PS+ code to top off your sub, but if you're happy, then I guess I am too.
Personally, I'd have pushed for a 3-month PS+ code to top off your sub, but if you're happy, then I guess I am too.
CambriaRising
Member
I'm not 100% sure the agent understood the issue 100%, but if it's getting fixed, that's all that matters.
Personally, I'd have pushed for a 3-month PS+ code to top off your sub, but if you're happy, then I guess I am too.
I am not 100% sure he did either, but we will see if the refund goes through. I anticipate having to get on the phone again before this is truly resolved.
N° 2048
Member
I don't see us being compensated other than the refund for the glitched pre order...as much as I'd love a few months of Plus for my trouble.
(I'm lostprophet23x btw , feel free to add on PSN as well.)
I'm just glad something worked and now that Sony knows exactly what it is I'm sure they can fix it.
Goes without saying but from now on make sure you don't pre order anything by accident
(I'm lostprophet23x btw , feel free to add on PSN as well.)
I'm just glad something worked and now that Sony knows exactly what it is I'm sure they can fix it.
Goes without saying but from now on make sure you don't pre order anything by accident
CambriaRising
Member
Goes without saying but from now on make sure you don't pre order anything by accident
My 1 year old daughter got a hold of my controller without my knowledge and uh..yeah. I set up a password protect for purchases on my account that day
N° 2048
Member
My 1 year old daughter got a hold of my controller without my knowledge and uh..yeah. I set up a password protect for purchases on my account that day
For sure, ha. She's smart!
Goes more for people like me and the folks on the Playstation forums.
I'm so happy I can use my DLC now, been two months.
Dragon's Teeth awaits
CambriaRising
Member
So..uh...wow, I just got off the phone with them again. I called just to check if the reference number for the refund was set up correctly.
Turns out it wasn't, the refund will not be processed. I spoke to a supervisor who was very belligerent while I remained calm. He told me in no uncertain terms that I could test this "theory" with my own money and that it "wasn't his problem". I asked him if there was anyone above him I could speak to and he said "No, its a waste of time and its the weekend". He also told me that I could not relay the things I was told in a text chat or telephone chat to any one else because it was "Using their likeness" and that they would "Find it and have it taken down". I told him about the text chat already saying this wouldn't be an issue and if he would like me to email that to him and he said "absolutely not"
I asked him for his name and he told me to have a good day and hung up on me. This is the second time a CS supervisor has hung up on me during all of this.
#fortheplayers
Turns out it wasn't, the refund will not be processed. I spoke to a supervisor who was very belligerent while I remained calm. He told me in no uncertain terms that I could test this "theory" with my own money and that it "wasn't his problem". I asked him if there was anyone above him I could speak to and he said "No, its a waste of time and its the weekend". He also told me that I could not relay the things I was told in a text chat or telephone chat to any one else because it was "Using their likeness" and that they would "Find it and have it taken down". I told him about the text chat already saying this wouldn't be an issue and if he would like me to email that to him and he said "absolutely not"
I asked him for his name and he told me to have a good day and hung up on me. This is the second time a CS supervisor has hung up on me during all of this.
#fortheplayers
N° 2048
Member
Try to contact Bamelin over here. See if they can hook you up with $40 worth of PSN credit so you can preorder this and sort this...for the time being.
Ridiculous...but not surprising. I've had my share of problems because chat support says one thibg but pho e and email contradict that and just don't want to help. But at least the problems has been around some small things and not related to my account.
Ridiculous...but not surprising. I've had my share of problems because chat support says one thibg but pho e and email contradict that and just don't want to help. But at least the problems has been around some small things and not related to my account.
That guy needs to be fired what a jackass. Why are sony doing so tough on consumers and being such a dick towards them? This is ridiculous.
Seriously, why don't we just flood a couple Twitter accounts? Same hangtag, same GAF link. That might get the point across.
serversurfer
Member
See, I disagree almost entirely. lol
What you're "owed" is what you've lost. By and large, this will be time on your pre-paid PS+ sub. In theory, they should also compensate you for time lost with other digital purchases two months of not being able to play Watch Dogs or whatever but it's kinda hard to quantify stuff like that. Maybe a $5-10 PSN credit or something would suffice.
They also need to reinstate access to your purchases, obviously. It seems likely access will be restored for everyone once a patch has been delivered, but since that may take weeks, then as a courtesy, they should credit you the offending game so you can get back to playing the stuff you actually bought. They don't "owe" you the game you pre-ordered, because you didn't actually buy it, so you haven't "lost" it. But it would be super nice if they gave it to you anyway, so you could finally play the copy of WD you did pay for without waiting 2-4 weeks for a patch.
Follow? lol
Added, and kudos on finding the fix.
I haven't had this particular issue, but had a similar experience speaking to a supervisor at Playstation. Very angry and less than helpful, I emailed corporate about my experience, but never heard back.
Love my PS4, but they really need to change how they operate over there and hope that your issue gets resolved.
captainraincoat
Banned
All of my ps4 purchases have been digital due to living in aus and getting ripped off with local prices and I find buying amazon psn cards to be quick and easy and all I need to change is my postcode
Not one issue
Not one issue
Those CE errors keep piling up. I got that one while downloading FEZ for PS4. It stops mid-download, gives me a CE error and just stays there forever. I checked the error code and some people solved it by changing the DNS to Google's, but no dice.
Called Sony, they told me to wipe the PS4 clean and that MAYBE that would solve it. Fudge that noise, it takes forever to download something with my connection. I just downloaded FEZ to my PS3 and that's it.
Called Sony, they told me to wipe the PS4 clean and that MAYBE that would solve it. Fudge that noise, it takes forever to download something with my connection. I just downloaded FEZ to my PS3 and that's it.
Dreamgazer
Member
I solved the issue by deleting the game from download queue on the webstore and then just redownload it from the download list.
serversurfer
Member
Wow, missed this, but that's some bullshit right there. Call back on Monday and raise hell.
Wow what a jackass. People who don't even want to help you shouldn't work in CS.
Dark_AnNiaLatOr
Member
Sony, get your head out of your ass and fix this damn issue. I am digital right now, and this is pretty messed up stuff. I can only pray right now.
I'd take down the time of call and the number it was from and calll back Monday then ask them to pull a recording of the call and listen to it. I was on the other end of that side on a weekend but in most CS situations the call is recorded.
serversurfer
Member
++;
I think this behavior is new-thread worthy and then should be posted on twitter to the PlayStation people.
Alternatively try writing Kotaku, see if they won't run this as a story. They've ran bad CS stories in the past.
This is unacceptable customer service. ("service")
You are fully in the right that you shouldn't have to pay $40 to test that theory for a bug that they have with their ridiculous online system. It's not your fault they have such a shitty setup that they can't disassociate purchases from accounts.
tl;dr: raise stink and sony should fire the supervisors and promote Boris D., he seems to be interested in customer satisfaction
Alternatively try writing Kotaku, see if they won't run this as a story. They've ran bad CS stories in the past.
This is unacceptable customer service. ("service")
You are fully in the right that you shouldn't have to pay $40 to test that theory for a bug that they have with their ridiculous online system. It's not your fault they have such a shitty setup that they can't disassociate purchases from accounts.
tl;dr: raise stink and sony should fire the supervisors and promote Boris D., he seems to be interested in customer satisfaction
I'm actually Boris D. and this is my power grab play
Grok4Spock
Member
Really wanted that Destiny bundle but this thread is making me think twice. Want a white console but don't want to wait until the end of October for SO. That Madden bundle is starting to look a little better...
serversurfer
Member
To be fair, if the sup hadn't gotten a memo about the situation and he likely hadn't then he's also right in that he can't be giving out $40 store credits so some dude can "try to fix a bug."
That said, there's no excuse for him being a dick about it.
AkelisRain
Member
That was the first thing I did, it didn't resolve the issue at all.
PandaPandaPanda
Member
at this point i'd call up one more time(on a weekday) and record the conversation. If the same thing happens(them hanging up on you) then try and see if any sites/blogs(doubt major sites would run it but who knows) will run your story.
If Sony gets enough bad press gets out there the higher ups will probably fix and or compensate you for your problems. It's a real shame it's gotten to this point though. But then again i've worked CS and it's a terrible job.
theDeeDubs
Member
Was assuming this was just about resolved based on earlier and just checking in. This is ridiculous.
CambriaRising
Member
Sent an email over to Jason Schreier at Kotaku detailing all of the events since I made this thread. Maybe he can shine a spotlight on this issue, maybe not. We'll see.
serversurfer
Member
Aren't you a writer too, Cam? I thought you were initially talking about trying to access a review copy of a game or something. Was I confused?
CambriaRising
Member
You are not confused. The site I do work for already reported on it after I made this thread, but they aren't very big and it didn't get a lot of traction.
ambar_hitman
Member
Send to Eurogamer too.
Poltergust
Member
off duty ninja
Member
Wow man, I am really sorry to hear about this. In my opinion spending your own money to test it is bullshit anyways. Once you prove it and get your refund you are right back where you started!
Hearing these type of CS stories really gets my blood boiling. I work in CS and frankly I hate my fucking job but at the same time I have never and would never treat somebody the way you've been treated.
I have a feeling this will all work out in the end but Sony is the worst when it comes to addressing technical account issues such as this. They seem to have a policy of silence and the behavior of this "supervisor" only makes it worse. Sadly I am sure this person has done this many times before. We can only hope that he eventually gets caught in his bullshit and gets fired immediately.
Liberty4all
Banned
If you have a reference number for the first call I wonder if its all been tracked including the second supervisor call.
This should be a lesson to all -- Aways get the name/ID number/reference number at the start of the call. Repeat if transferred. And I mean that for ANY type of support call with any company. (edit: I've been burned myself with other companies support ... burned bad enough that now I won't go into a call without the rep's name/ID number at the start of the call)
With that said, what happened to you is unacceptable and will be reported to Community Support. Could I get a link to your sites story on this?
CambriaRising
Member
I can 100% confirm that the issue is with refunded pre-order content. I had some paypal funds I decided to use to test out re-buying Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare, and low and behold, I was able to restore my licenses without the error code.
Some of you may be wondering why I did this, when I explicitly said I wouldn't. Well I got to thinking, PVZ comes out on Tuesday and what if a pre-order is different than a full game in terms of the way the store recognizes it? If I had waited until after the game was out, there may have been a possibility that I would have to wait even longer for a fix on the issue.
I don't have anything to substantiate that concern really, but I also didn't want to take any further chances. So for now, I can restore my licenses but I am not going to stop trying to get compensated for the money I had to spend after the way I've been treated.
So new PSA: Do not seek a refund for digital pre-orders on the PSN store unless you no longer want access to the games you legally purchased.
Some of you may be wondering why I did this, when I explicitly said I wouldn't. Well I got to thinking, PVZ comes out on Tuesday and what if a pre-order is different than a full game in terms of the way the store recognizes it? If I had waited until after the game was out, there may have been a possibility that I would have to wait even longer for a fix on the issue.
I don't have anything to substantiate that concern really, but I also didn't want to take any further chances. So for now, I can restore my licenses but I am not going to stop trying to get compensated for the money I had to spend after the way I've been treated.
So new PSA: Do not seek a refund for digital pre-orders on the PSN store unless you no longer want access to the games you legally purchased.
Infinite Justice
Member
hmm sounds like it assumes the pre-order as an assigned license but due to the cancel it throws an error and then doesn't continue the process of verifying the rest of the list?.
Orthogonal
Member
Good to hear that fixed it. You should still seek remuneration on lost PS+ time, but at least you got to the bottom of it. Sony better get this sorted out. It may not be that common, but it's still inexcusable.