CD Key ban! WTF?

Israphel · 29th Apr 2006, 04:20 PM

I was trying to play UT earlier and when I got on a server I was told Epic had banned my CD key.

To say I'm shocked is an understatement. I bought the game 2 years ago on it's mac release and have been playing online ever since without any problem.
I've still got the receipt. I've never lent the game to anyone or given the CD key to anyone. I've never downloaded/used a cheat or bot. No-one has ever accused me of botting (which would be laughable really, I'm rubbish at the game).
I can't even remember having anything that remotely resembles an argument online. My computer was down for 3 months recently and I couldn't play. I've only been playing again for the last 3 weeks and in that time the only person who has complained or said anything to me was some abusive guy who complained when I changed teams in a game of ONS to play with a mate....And I was even leaving a winning team to join the team that were having their core hammered.
I only remember it because he was so abusive. There were bots on the server and they immediately balanced the teams anyway, and I never responded to his abuse apart from to say that the bots would balance the teams.

I've emailed the abuse@epic.com email with all the relevent information they ask for.

So why can something like this happen?

(If you're going to respond to this post with flames about bots or warez..just don't. The copy is genuine, I've got the reciept and anyone who's ever seen me play or knows me can tell you that I don't and wouldn't ever use a bot).

I'm really really irritated.

dXII][Pa · 29th Apr 2006, 04:21 PM

Sucks mate. Sorry to hear you have trouble with this.

*Sir_Brizz* · 29th Apr 2006, 04:32 PM

There are loads of ways this can haoppen. Epic could ban your cd-key simlpy because some newb sent in your GUID or something because you are better than them.

JohnDoe641 · 29th Apr 2006, 05:03 PM

Hopefully it will be all sorted out very soon. It's sad when keys are mistekenly banned. I know it's happened to people before.

Taleweaver · 29th Apr 2006, 05:11 PM

It must be some kind of mistake

Did you get any reason the key was banned, or is it just guessing?

I'll keep my thumbs crossed for a good outcome, Israphel. I'm afraid it's all I can do, really.

Israphel · 29th Apr 2006, 05:46 PM

Well first of all, cheers guys for the reminder of what a great 2k4 community there is at BUF.

It's funny because like I said, I'd stopped playing and was just starting to get into the game again.

Taleweaver: No, they didn't give me any reason. I joined a server, then after a couple of sceonds I got a message saying that Epic had banned my CDkey and that I should email them with my GUID, my IP and my user name.
I've done that, and I'm hoping for some explanation from them about why this happened.

Brizz: Really? Just something like that can happen? It's strange because I've been here trying to think of any occasion when I might have irritated someone, but apart from that case I mentioned, I really can't think of anything.

So what happens now? Do Epic reinstate CDkeys or not? I guess all I can do is wait to hear from them...if not, I'll just have to buy the game again..which is bloody annoying. Especially if it's just something like you said, and some idiot who's complained about me.

hyrulian · 29th Apr 2006, 06:02 PM

I think I've heard of Epic reinstating CD-Keys in the past. They may be asking for that information to (in a way) confirm ownership of the game, or to prove that it was someone else using your CD-Key illegally, etc...

Hope it gets sorted out!

m&ms · 29th Apr 2006, 06:39 PM

Israphel, the same thing happened to me once. I was banned all of a sudden for no reason, emailed epic, and they never replied. However, about 1 week after I emailed them my cdkey was unbanned. Still have no idea wtf that was about.

dc · 29th Apr 2006, 07:16 PM

I got banned once, said it was global. Reconnected and all was good.

Kantham · 29th Apr 2006, 07:44 PM

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=169481

Israphel · 29th Apr 2006, 08:07 PM

Cheers for linking me to that Kantham, that message was exactly the same as the one I got. It appears that it only took 2 days for you to get it working again.
That kind of links with what m&ms said about being reconnected after a week.

Reading your thread, I was trying to think if I'd connected to any dodgy servers and there was one similar to the one where you said there were a lot of people on the server who weren't actually listed as players on the Server list....but apart from that.

Anyways, hopefully it will be sorted soon.

Cheers again people.

Israphel · 30th Apr 2006, 03:15 PM

Got an email from Epic today, they re-activated it which is cool.

So I am online again.

Taleweaver · 1st May 2006, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Israphel

Got an email from Epic today, they re-activated it which is cool.

So I am online again.

I'm glad things worked out, but unless the mail from Epic was an apology with the reason for the mixup*, I can't say that it's okay.

*and I mean a written mail...not one of those auto-generated replies

Israphel · 1st May 2006, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taleweaver

I'm glad things worked out, but unless the mail from Epic was an apology with the reason for the mixup*, I can't say that it's okay.

*and I mean a written mail...not one of those auto-generated replies

Well, it was hardly an apology or an explanation, the entire email was:

From: Abuse@epicgames.com
Subject: RE: CDKey ban
Date: April 30, 2006 7:45:44 PM GMT+01:00

Should be fixed. Let me know if it's not.

..but at least it wasn't an auto-generated reply

Kantham · 1st May 2006, 11:46 AM

Heh, same reply that i got from epic when my CD-key was banned.

Lethargy · 3rd May 2006, 01:08 PM

I was CD-Key banned once for using a questionable name in a demo server and getting a flawless victory. I was browsing servers and saw that somebody in a demo server was using the name "aimbot", so I briefly joined as a spec and observed that while he was better than all the other terrible people in there, he was clearly not cheating, so I joined with the name "better_aimbot" and won, then left the server (one of the two times I have ever played a demo server, and I will never do so again), played a few 1v1's, and went to bed, next day I find out my cd-key has been globally banned.

But Epic was pretty cool about it, they got back to me and unbanned me within two days and said I shouldn't use a name like that in a demo server. I still wonder if the other guy, whose name was "aimbot", got banned as well.

nuttella · 3rd May 2006, 07:01 PM

That is the dumbest reason for banning a CD key I have ever heard.

Kantham · 4th May 2006, 01:07 PM

What about me? I think i got banned because people were calling me a cheater. Ex:

Random aliases: Kantham u faggot cheater.

m&ms · 4th May 2006, 04:46 PM

Let us never play in demo servers again.

nuttella · 4th May 2006, 05:40 PM

Yeah, it's about time someone told Kantham to stop playing on demo servers.

29th Apr 2006, 04:20 PM	#1
Israphel Sim senhor, efeitos especial Join Date: Sep. 26th, 2004 Location: Lisboa,Portugal Posts: 1,135	CD Key ban! WTF? I was trying to play UT earlier and when I got on a server I was told Epic had banned my CD key. To say I'm shocked is an understatement. I bought the game 2 years ago on it's mac release and have been playing online ever since without any problem. I've still got the receipt. I've never lent the game to anyone or given the CD key to anyone. I've never downloaded/used a cheat or bot. No-one has ever accused me of botting (which would be laughable really, I'm rubbish at the game). I can't even remember having anything that remotely resembles an argument online. My computer was down for 3 months recently and I couldn't play. I've only been playing again for the last 3 weeks and in that time the only person who has complained or said anything to me was some abusive guy who complained when I changed teams in a game of ONS to play with a mate....And I was even leaving a winning team to join the team that were having their core hammered. I only remember it because he was so abusive. There were bots on the server and they immediately balanced the teams anyway, and I never responded to his abuse apart from to say that the bots would balance the teams. I've emailed the abuse@epic.com email with all the relevent information they ask for. So why can something like this happen? (If you're going to respond to this post with flames about bots or warez..just don't. The copy is genuine, I've got the reciept and anyone who's ever seen me play or knows me can tell you that I don't and wouldn't ever use a bot). I'm really really irritated. __________________ My website - Andy Mumford Photography and my my blog. Last edited by Israphel; 29th Apr 2006 at 04:21 PM.

29th Apr 2006, 04:21 PM	#2
dXII][Pa FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC Join Date: Jan. 3rd, 2004 Posts: 546	Sucks mate. Sorry to hear you have trouble with this. __________________ And don't forget kids, the difference between erotic and kinky, is the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.

29th Apr 2006, 04:32 PM	#3
Sir_Brizz More Than Just Mad Skill Join Date: Feb. 3rd, 2000 Location: >:3 Posts: 25,268	There are loads of ways this can haoppen. Epic could ban your cd-key simlpy because some newb sent in your GUID or something because you are better than them. __________________ 64 65 61 74 68 62 6f 6f 67 65 72 73 20 6d 6f 74 68 65 72 20 6f 66 20 63 6f 75 72 73 65 Liandri Archives - A veritable smorgasbord of information about the Unreal series If Titanic taught me anything, it's to never let go until you're a frozen corpse staring hopelessly into a barren horizon.

29th Apr 2006, 05:03 PM	#4
JohnDoe641 Killer Fools Pro Join Date: Nov. 8th, 2000 Location: N.J. Posts: 5,011	Hopefully it will be all sorted out very soon. It's sad when keys are mistekenly banned. I know it's happened to people before. __________________ Ci.ctf pdX.tdm

29th Apr 2006, 05:46 PM	#6
Israphel Sim senhor, efeitos especial Join Date: Sep. 26th, 2004 Location: Lisboa,Portugal Posts: 1,135	Well first of all, cheers guys for the reminder of what a great 2k4 community there is at BUF. It's funny because like I said, I'd stopped playing and was just starting to get into the game again. Taleweaver: No, they didn't give me any reason. I joined a server, then after a couple of sceonds I got a message saying that Epic had banned my CDkey and that I should email them with my GUID, my IP and my user name. I've done that, and I'm hoping for some explanation from them about why this happened. Brizz: Really? Just something like that can happen? It's strange because I've been here trying to think of any occasion when I might have irritated someone, but apart from that case I mentioned, I really can't think of anything. So what happens now? Do Epic reinstate CDkeys or not? I guess all I can do is wait to hear from them...if not, I'll just have to buy the game again..which is bloody annoying. Especially if it's just something like you said, and some idiot who's complained about me. __________________ My website - Andy Mumford Photography and my my blog. Last edited by Israphel; 29th Apr 2006 at 06:09 PM.

29th Apr 2006, 05:11 PM	#5
Taleweaver Wandering spirit Join Date: May. 11th, 2004 Location: Off course Posts: 2,618	It must be some kind of mistake Did you get any reason the key was banned, or is it just guessing? I'll keep my thumbs crossed for a good outcome, Israphel. I'm afraid it's all I can do, really.

29th Apr 2006, 06:02 PM	#7
hyrulian Rainbow Brite Join Date: May. 20th, 2001 Location: Chula Vista, CA Posts: 9,545	I think I've heard of Epic reinstating CD-Keys in the past. They may be asking for that information to (in a way) confirm ownership of the game, or to prove that it was someone else using your CD-Key illegally, etc... Hope it gets sorted out! __________________ My Profiles: Facebook :: MySpace :: Steam My Photo Album :: FragBU Community Wiki :: IRC Quotes

29th Apr 2006, 06:39 PM	#8
m&ms Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. Join Date: Jul. 13th, 2003 Location: in a bag....duh Posts: 1,179	Israphel, the same thing happened to me once. I was banned all of a sudden for no reason, emailed epic, and they never replied. However, about 1 week after I emailed them my cdkey was unbanned. Still have no idea wtf that was about.

29th Apr 2006, 07:16 PM	#9
dc 4° Join Date: Aug. 17th, 2005 Posts: 1,091	I got banned once, said it was global. Reconnected and all was good.

29th Apr 2006, 07:44 PM	#10
Kantham Fool. Join Date: Sep. 17th, 2004 Posts: 17,943	http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=169481 __________________

29th Apr 2006, 08:07 PM	#11
Israphel Sim senhor, efeitos especial Join Date: Sep. 26th, 2004 Location: Lisboa,Portugal Posts: 1,135	Cheers for linking me to that Kantham, that message was exactly the same as the one I got. It appears that it only took 2 days for you to get it working again. That kind of links with what m&ms said about being reconnected after a week. Reading your thread, I was trying to think if I'd connected to any dodgy servers and there was one similar to the one where you said there were a lot of people on the server who weren't actually listed as players on the Server list....but apart from that. Anyways, hopefully it will be sorted soon. Cheers again people. __________________ My website - Andy Mumford Photography and my my blog. Last edited by Israphel; 29th Apr 2006 at 08:11 PM.

30th Apr 2006, 03:15 PM	#12
Israphel Sim senhor, efeitos especial Join Date: Sep. 26th, 2004 Location: Lisboa,Portugal Posts: 1,135	Got an email from Epic today, they re-activated it which is cool. So I am online again. __________________ My website - Andy Mumford Photography and my my blog.

1st May 2006, 11:46 AM	#15
Kantham Fool. Join Date: Sep. 17th, 2004 Posts: 17,943	Heh, same reply that i got from epic when my CD-key was banned. __________________

3rd May 2006, 01:08 PM	#16
Lethargy Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra Join Date: Feb. 24th, 2006 Posts: 277	I was CD-Key banned once for using a questionable name in a demo server and getting a flawless victory. I was browsing servers and saw that somebody in a demo server was using the name "aimbot", so I briefly joined as a spec and observed that while he was better than all the other terrible people in there, he was clearly not cheating, so I joined with the name "better_aimbot" and won, then left the server (one of the two times I have ever played a demo server, and I will never do so again), played a few 1v1's, and went to bed, next day I find out my cd-key has been globally banned. But Epic was pretty cool about it, they got back to me and unbanned me within two days and said I shouldn't use a name like that in a demo server. I still wonder if the other guy, whose name was "aimbot", got banned as well. __________________ 2k4 & UT3 In-Game: Lethargy

3rd May 2006, 07:01 PM	#17
nuttella Scare Join Date: Nov. 19th, 2004 Posts: 929	That is the dumbest reason for banning a CD key I have ever heard.

4th May 2006, 01:07 PM	#18
Kantham Fool. Join Date: Sep. 17th, 2004 Posts: 17,943	What about me? I think i got banned because people were calling me a cheater. Ex: Random aliases: Kantham u faggot cheater. __________________

4th May 2006, 04:46 PM	#19
m&ms Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. Join Date: Jul. 13th, 2003 Location: in a bag....duh Posts: 1,179	Let us never play in demo servers again.

4th May 2006, 05:40 PM	#20
nuttella Scare Join Date: Nov. 19th, 2004 Posts: 929	Yeah, it's about time someone told Kantham to stop playing on demo servers.

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