EA online Origin shop and customer services doesn't give a f**k!
Nothing to do with Telltale but I'm ranting!!
I recently wanted to get a new adventure game called Hoodwink. It seems the only way to buy it is through the EA online shop which has recently become Origin.
I happen to live in Thailand at the moment. I'm not Thai, I'm English and although I've made some efforts to learn some of the language it's really not that easy and therefore there is no way I could use a Thai website.
So, imagine my difficulties when trying to use the new EA Origin store when, because I'm in Thailand, it will only display in Thai!!
Despite these difficulties I was still determined to download Hoodwink, so I persevered and managed to download the Origin Beta program which apparently I needed on my PC to be able to download games. Unfortunately, this also only displays in Thai, even though it has a change language option, it makes no difference and I'm still stuck with everything in Thai.
After several frustrating attempts to get the website and the Origin Beta Program to display in English, I decided to contact Origin customer services. This is also a complete nightmare! Do a Google search for Origin Customer Services and see how many other frustrated Origin users there are out there!!
Anyway, after lots of going around in circles on the Origin website followed by lots of Google searches I finally stumbled upon a way to contact Origin via live chat (you need to set your language to English US and then you get the live chat option under help).
Below is the transcript of my conversation with their customer service representative. Nothing against him personally but you can decide for yourself if you think that this is a customer service team that cares about their customers!??...
This live chat occured on 14th July 2012. As yet, I have had no contact from Origin or EA. You guys suck!
Vinod:
Thanks for contacting EA Help! My name is Vinod how may I help you?
you:
I am new customer with Origin. I live in Thailand but am English. I don't speak or read Thai. The Origin website always displays in Thai and even though I have set the language to English GB and tried English US the site is still displayed in Thai. How can I fix this?
Vinod:
Please do not worry, I'm here to help you out.
Vinod:
Please try and change the Origin language setting to English then set English in origin store as well.
you:
where do I do that? I've set the language to english in the Origin Beta store that I downloaded but that still displays in Thai? How do I change the language on the website? I can't see an option for that because it's all in Thai!
Vinod:
At to top-left there should be Thai flag with drop down arrow, just check it.
you:
I've tried that a few times. If I click on the flag it chucks me to this url http://www.ea.com/asia?websso=1 Which seems to be EA but doesn't display the website properly. All the writing is in blue Times New Roman font down the left side of the page.
Vinod:
Please try and change it from origin Beta sore instead of browser.
you:
Uh... What? I don't understand?
you:
Change what? And how?
Vinod:
You can visit origin store in Origin beta as well?
you:
I don't really understand what you mean? I only joined today. I wanted to download a game, so I had to download the Origin beta store thingy for my PC. I don't know why it's beta or if there is an alternative? What do you mean by "visit origin store in origin beta?
Vinod:
Please visit the store at: store.origin.com
you:
Um.. That's where I was anyway? It's still all in Thai and if I click the Thai flag it directs me to the stuffed up EA site...
you:
Just checked quickly and it seems that any EA page I try to view is not working properly...
Vinod:
You can try and access it in different browser.
you:
I was originally trying from Google Chrome. I just tried in Internet Explorer, it's still exactly the same.
Vinod:
I
Vinod:
**I'm sorry but in this case you would require to use the page as it displays as there is no option from our end to make any change as Origin store's language is according to your region/country
you:
Vinod. That is rediculous! Any other website allows you to display in the language of your choice. And why does the Origin beta download allow you to choose a language but then not display in it? Why are all of the EA sites and pages I'm trying to access not displaying properly now, when they were fine before i downloaded this beta thing?
Vinod:
I can understand your anxiousness with this. Had I been in your place, I would have felt the same.
you:
So your answer is, too bad, you have to use the site in Thai?! Tell me, if you were in my place, would you bother to continue trying to use this service? Cos it sucks!
you:
The reason I wanted to download the game in the first place is because I'm setting up an adventure game review site. I'll be sure to tell all my readers not to bother with Origin if they live in a country where they don't speak the local language. Because I'm sure there aren't that many English speaking people in non-English speaking countries!!
Vinod:
I would forward your issue to the expert team so they can investigate your issue and reply you via e-mail regarding this.
Nothing yet Vinod!
From further research I now know this is a known issue. I know that EA are 'working on a fix' and that the 'working on a fix' has been going on for 3 years!
One of the reasons that has been given for the delay is EA are trying to get Origin to work in local currencies all over the world. Whilst I appreciate this as a good idea to try and avoid bad conversion rates, if this is the main problem, why not just at least let everybody have the option of using one central store and fix the localisation issues in the background?
I'm English but wouldn't be bothered if I had to use the US store and pay in US dollars. But being forced to use the Thai store makes my purchasing any games from EA practically impossible and something that, realistically, I'm unwilling to do.
Well done EA for alienating so many people around the world and preventing them from giving you money!
Can you say 'global economy'?!
I recently wanted to get a new adventure game called Hoodwink. It seems the only way to buy it is through the EA online shop which has recently become Origin.
I happen to live in Thailand at the moment. I'm not Thai, I'm English and although I've made some efforts to learn some of the language it's really not that easy and therefore there is no way I could use a Thai website.
So, imagine my difficulties when trying to use the new EA Origin store when, because I'm in Thailand, it will only display in Thai!!
Despite these difficulties I was still determined to download Hoodwink, so I persevered and managed to download the Origin Beta program which apparently I needed on my PC to be able to download games. Unfortunately, this also only displays in Thai, even though it has a change language option, it makes no difference and I'm still stuck with everything in Thai.
After several frustrating attempts to get the website and the Origin Beta Program to display in English, I decided to contact Origin customer services. This is also a complete nightmare! Do a Google search for Origin Customer Services and see how many other frustrated Origin users there are out there!!
Anyway, after lots of going around in circles on the Origin website followed by lots of Google searches I finally stumbled upon a way to contact Origin via live chat (you need to set your language to English US and then you get the live chat option under help).
Below is the transcript of my conversation with their customer service representative. Nothing against him personally but you can decide for yourself if you think that this is a customer service team that cares about their customers!??...
This live chat occured on 14th July 2012. As yet, I have had no contact from Origin or EA. You guys suck!
Vinod:
Thanks for contacting EA Help! My name is Vinod how may I help you?
you:
I am new customer with Origin. I live in Thailand but am English. I don't speak or read Thai. The Origin website always displays in Thai and even though I have set the language to English GB and tried English US the site is still displayed in Thai. How can I fix this?
Vinod:
Please do not worry, I'm here to help you out.
Vinod:
Please try and change the Origin language setting to English then set English in origin store as well.
you:
where do I do that? I've set the language to english in the Origin Beta store that I downloaded but that still displays in Thai? How do I change the language on the website? I can't see an option for that because it's all in Thai!
Vinod:
At to top-left there should be Thai flag with drop down arrow, just check it.
you:
I've tried that a few times. If I click on the flag it chucks me to this url http://www.ea.com/asia?websso=1 Which seems to be EA but doesn't display the website properly. All the writing is in blue Times New Roman font down the left side of the page.
Vinod:
Please try and change it from origin Beta sore instead of browser.
you:
Uh... What? I don't understand?
you:
Change what? And how?
Vinod:
You can visit origin store in Origin beta as well?
you:
I don't really understand what you mean? I only joined today. I wanted to download a game, so I had to download the Origin beta store thingy for my PC. I don't know why it's beta or if there is an alternative? What do you mean by "visit origin store in origin beta?
Vinod:
Please visit the store at: store.origin.com
you:
Um.. That's where I was anyway? It's still all in Thai and if I click the Thai flag it directs me to the stuffed up EA site...
you:
Just checked quickly and it seems that any EA page I try to view is not working properly...
Vinod:
You can try and access it in different browser.
you:
I was originally trying from Google Chrome. I just tried in Internet Explorer, it's still exactly the same.
Vinod:
I
Vinod:
**I'm sorry but in this case you would require to use the page as it displays as there is no option from our end to make any change as Origin store's language is according to your region/country
you:
Vinod. That is rediculous! Any other website allows you to display in the language of your choice. And why does the Origin beta download allow you to choose a language but then not display in it? Why are all of the EA sites and pages I'm trying to access not displaying properly now, when they were fine before i downloaded this beta thing?
Vinod:
I can understand your anxiousness with this. Had I been in your place, I would have felt the same.
you:
So your answer is, too bad, you have to use the site in Thai?! Tell me, if you were in my place, would you bother to continue trying to use this service? Cos it sucks!
you:
The reason I wanted to download the game in the first place is because I'm setting up an adventure game review site. I'll be sure to tell all my readers not to bother with Origin if they live in a country where they don't speak the local language. Because I'm sure there aren't that many English speaking people in non-English speaking countries!!
Vinod:
I would forward your issue to the expert team so they can investigate your issue and reply you via e-mail regarding this.
Nothing yet Vinod!
From further research I now know this is a known issue. I know that EA are 'working on a fix' and that the 'working on a fix' has been going on for 3 years!
One of the reasons that has been given for the delay is EA are trying to get Origin to work in local currencies all over the world. Whilst I appreciate this as a good idea to try and avoid bad conversion rates, if this is the main problem, why not just at least let everybody have the option of using one central store and fix the localisation issues in the background?
I'm English but wouldn't be bothered if I had to use the US store and pay in US dollars. But being forced to use the Thai store makes my purchasing any games from EA practically impossible and something that, realistically, I'm unwilling to do.
Well done EA for alienating so many people around the world and preventing them from giving you money!
Can you say 'global economy'?!
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Comments
Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that water is wet.
I'd suggest that if you've got someone you trust in an English speaking country, ask them to buy it for you (and pay them back of course) and gift it to you.