My recent feedback to SSG customer support (Credit Cards not working with DDO Store)

Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
Thought I'd share this experience just in case there are those encountering the same payment issues. Till then, I'm hoping that this get resolved such that Americans within Europe can once again use a credit card without it being Geo-Blocked.

Cheers!

-Smoke

Since the major 2023 DDO store update, it turns out that SSG's payment processing vendor is now blocking all US credit cards used within Europe, in a ham-fisted attempt to comply with the EU's "digital fraud" prevention. Either I must now physically be within the United States to use the DDO store, or I must use a pay for VPN service to sidestep the geo-tracking. While I do (now) have a VPN, I deeply resent having to pay a 3rd party to be able to use my credit card. Without my credit card, I'd be forced forgo using the DDO store as well as not being able to pay for my VIP account.

Please note that my BILLING and RESIDENTIAL addresses match my LEGAL residence in Germany. (Yes I am a resident here as a military retiree) Despite this, my credit card will flag as US in origin and can be blocked if the only guiding criteria for fraud prevention is that the credit cards origin did not match the region its being used in. Furthermore, this isn't just a singular issue but one potentially affecting any US citizen residing in Europe, including deployed service members and their dependents. SSG for its part appears to have shrugged it's shoulders, hoping that this issue will just go away... It won't, and the number of affected users will continue to grow as people realize that their American credit cards are (increasingly) no longer valid overseas. However, most won't understand why their credit cards are being declined but will just see this as a failure of SSG's paywall. Thus many players are likely to just walk away from DDO altogether, seeing it as being too difficult and not worth the effort.

Side Note: Other payments services such as PayPal, would make use of either the same US bank or the same US credit card. Which would also flag the transactions origin as US and thus prevent the user from legally purchasing digital content within the EU.
Click to expand...
 
Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
FVSHasBeenGuttedwhyohwhy said:
WOW, i am COMPLETELY surprised!, its not like this has been happening since day 1 of the new store!
Click to expand...
It wasn't an issue for me until the last major store update. Beyond that, who knows as this isn't a subject you often see within forums.

Edit: Your sarcasm was noted and as per the usual, childish and unhelpful.
 
Last edited:
Falkor

Falkor

Well-known member
Needing a work around isn't the ideal in a situation like this, one just hopes the store would work ... yet sinc this is how it is, would using a pre-paid credit card get around this?
 
Last edited:
Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
Falkor said:
Needing a work around isn't the ideal in a situation like this, one just hopes the store would work ... yet sinc this is how it is, would using a pre-paid credit card get around this?
Click to expand...
Not if the bank acount / credit cards country of origin used to purchase the prepaid, isn't from the region (country) your currently in. It's important to know that the purchase history for online sales always points back to it source. Thus the origin of the source, becomes the origin of the prepaid. In my case, this is a US bank as I'm retired military.

The whole region aspect is a throw-back to the days where counterfeit movie DVD's from China were flooding the US / EU markets. To counter this, the DVD's were encoded such that a movie from another content wouldn't play, without hacking the DVD-player to think it was from the same country.

Today, the general idea of "regions" is to help prevent criminal abuse of digital payment systems, by removing the anonymity the internet provides. Personally, I have no problem with that, so long as I'm not being penalized for making purchases that are out of my region. (AKA Geo-Blocking) After all, I legally reside in the EU, so it technically should be illegal to deny my card on the basis of region. However, all the major vendors do it as they're more afraid of the EU coming after them, than the end customers not having purchasing access. The truely insane thing is that I'm using a US based card to pay a US based company, but am being blocked ONLY because I'm in the EU.

Note: I don't have an EU based income, and as such wouldn't be able to aquire a local bank account or CC.

-Smoke
 
Last edited:
D

DDO Gaming

Well-known member
Smokewolf said:
Thought I'd share this experience just in case there are those encountering the same payment issues. Till then, I'm hoping that this get resolved such that Americans within Europe can once again use a credit card without it being Geo-Blocked.

Cheers!

-Smoke
Click to expand...
There are banks like HSBC that offer global money accounts which should resolve ALL your problems. Obviously you'll need to open an account with HSBC...well unless you REALLY wanna use credit cards inwhich case...american express?
 
Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
DDO Gaming said:
There are banks like HSBC that offer global money accounts which should resolve ALL your problems. Obviously you'll need to open an account with HSBC...well unless you REALLY wanna use credit cards inwhich case...american express?
Click to expand...
HSBC if I am not mistaken is US / UK based bank, thus the digital transfer of money would be flagged as out of region.

But yes, CC use is preferred as I'm not going to just give SSG my account info. Besides, I shouldn't have to re-invent banking just so I can renew my DDO subscription.

Edit: Is there any reason to expect that th outcome wouldn't be the same with a different CC, like American Express?

-Smoke
 
D

DDO Gaming

Well-known member
Smokewolf said:
HSBC if I am not mistaken is US / UK based bank, thus the digital transfer of money would be flagged as out of region.

But yes, CC use is preferred as I'm not going to just give SSG my account info. Besides, I shouldn't have to re-invent banking just so I can renew my DDO subscription.
Click to expand...
You should investigate this option. Whilst you are right, I'm not sure the global money account works in a standard way
 
Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
DDO Gaming said:
You should investigate this option. Whilst you are right, I'm not sure the global money account works in a standard way
Click to expand...
If it were that easy, then the EU Fraud prevention measure would amount to useless. Besides, my military bank charges me ZERO interest on my CC. Kinda doubt that other option could beat that.
 
D

DDO Gaming

Well-known member
Smokewolf said:
If it were that easy, then the EU Fraud prevention measure would amount to useless. Besides, my military bank charges me ZERO interest on my CC. Kinda doubt that other option could beat that.
Click to expand...
Global Money is a standard bank account that has been created for expats, mainly overseas contactors
 
D

DDO Gaming

Well-known member
Smokewolf said:
Soo it's likely to charge me more in fee's than what I pay for my DDO subscription.
Click to expand...
this is the point where you get off your *ss and undertake your own investigations. I have no idea what your precise situation, requirements are, that is something for you to determine. Good luck
 
Smokewolf

Smokewolf

Well-known member
DDO Gaming said:
this is the point where you get off your *ss and undertake your own investigations. I have no idea what your precise situation, requirements are, that is something for you to determine. Good luck
Click to expand...
I have been, if you haven't noticed the depth and scope of my orignal posting. But as for banking options, I'm well ware that everything has cost... One that I'm not going to take too easily, just from a bit of back-forth on forums.

Anyways thank you for the financial advice just the same.

-Smoke
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top