Can used WoW game be used?

"Beowulf" <beowulf.DeleteThis@wayoftheancients.trail> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.03.13.02.41.26.107750@wayoftheancients.trail...
> If I buy a used WoW game off eBay, with CDs and key, can I install it and
> create an account, if the original owner already installed it and played
> it but then deleted his account?
>

You will be using the same account that the original owner had. You cannot
delete "accounts", only characters. When you buy it used, you will be
reactivating the account.
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

> You will be using the same account that the original owner had. You cannot
> delete "accounts", only characters. When you buy it used, you will be
> reactivating the account.

And as the original owner of a non-transferable license they will always be
able to reclaim the account at any time.
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 20:41:26 -0600, Beowulf
<beowulf DeleteThis @wayoftheancients.trail> wrote:

>If I buy a used WoW game off eBay, with CDs and key, can I install it and
>create an account, if the original owner already installed it and played
>it but then deleted his account?

Don't touch it with a bargepole.

Blizzard made it very clear in the early days after release, when a
few people tried to work out how to sell on their copies, that they
didn't intend transfer of ownership (irrespective of what your right
under local law might be, although they didn't say that). The game
key is used to create an account with Blizzard, not to install the
game; as such, it will need to be tied to your billing info before you
can use it. If the seller's genuine, then fine, but I can think of
several different ways in which you could find yourself out of pocket
as a result of this, up to and including having your credit card info
stolen and misused. I'd suggest it's not worth the risk and hassle to
possibly save a couple of (dollars/euros/whatever).

Take a deep breath and buy a new copy.

Cheers - Ian
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

In lots (most) of cases people buy used accounts for the
chars/gold/equipment and most people don't care that Blizzard sais it's
illegal (at least those that buy those accounts) :p
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:30:17 +0100, "Shammy" <email DeleteThis @hotmail.com>
wrote:

>In lots (most) of cases people buy used accounts for the
>chars/gold/equipment and most people don't care that Blizzard sais it's
>illegal (at least those that buy those accounts) :p

Well, Blizzard can't make buying or selling accounts illegal so nobody
cares what they say that way - what Blizzard can do (and does do) is
to refuse to transfer the ownership in their databases.

This means that the original owner will always be listed as the true
owner by Blizzard, and thus the original owner can always call
Blizzard and get the password to the account from Blizzard and reclaim
the account, no matter if they sold the account to somebody else.

So, in the worst case it goes like this:
A buys WoW and creates account, A grows tired of WoW and sells his
account to B, B plays on A's account. If A is honest it stops here -
but if he is not, then:
A regrets getting rid of his account and calls Blizzard, Blizzard
tells the account password to A, A changes the password (locking B
out), B is left with nothing and his only option at this point is to
sue A for fraud if he wants his money back.

I don't think A will be able to read B's credit card info (you can
only change it, not see what is already there afaik), but B might have
to go to his bank and cancle his credit card/block Blizzard to keep A
from playing on his money.
Heck, if A is a complete ass then he will keep selling his account and
keep reclaiming it (at lease untill somebody sics the police on him).

--
Regards
Simon Nejmann
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

"Simon Nejmann" <snejmann DeleteThis @worldonline.dk> wrote in message
news:c3na125nrr5efem45a8dvqb79s1t26psbq@4ax.com...
> Heck, if A is a complete ass then he will keep selling his account and
> keep reclaiming it (at lease untill somebody sics the police on him).

True points by all; however, if an ebay seller really wants to scam people,
none of this is even necessary. All he has to do is collect your payment and
move on. So all this talk about calling Blizzard, etc. is a lot of extra
work.

If you trust the seller to send you the game/account in the first place, it
isn't a huge leap of faith to assume that his dealings after the fact will
also be legit.
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used? 

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 22:45:56 GMT, "Ham Pastrami" <nomail.RemoveThis@dot.com>
wrote:

>"Simon Nejmann" <snejmann.RemoveThis@worldonline.dk> wrote in message
>news:c3na125nrr5efem45a8dvqb79s1t26psbq@4ax.com...
>> Heck, if A is a complete ass then he will keep selling his account and
>> keep reclaiming it (at lease untill somebody sics the police on him).
>
>True points by all; however, if an ebay seller really wants to scam people,
>none of this is even necessary. All he has to do is collect your payment and
>move on. So all this talk about calling Blizzard, etc. is a lot of extra
>work.
>
>If you trust the seller to send you the game/account in the first place, it
>isn't a huge leap of faith to assume that his dealings after the fact will
>also be legit.

Well, the difference is that if you buy eg. a book on ebay, then you
wait for it to arrive in the mail, and if it does you havn't been
scammed. Basically the seller has to put the auction up with the
intent to scam you for it to work.

With a WoW account the seller can sell the account because he
genuently is tired of the game, wait a few months, get an urge to play
WoW again and reclaim the account at that time. Even if he was feeling
honest at the time of the sale, he can scam you at any point in the
future if his mood changes.

Is that a big difference? Well, you be the judge.

--
Regards
Simon Nejmann
 >> Stay informed about: Can used WoW game be used?