SnowWolfe Games Equine-Ranch, Nicole ,Zizert, Ward, Nicole Zizert Suspection and/or Deletion of Account, Lack of/Refusal of Communication, Poor Customer Service Internet, Internet

It was originally 7 October 2011 when I reached out to Admin (in a polite and carefully worded email) regarding my account on the game, Equine Ranch, and its suspended status. No response.

Since then, Ive attempted to contact Admin (whomever that happens to be) on multiple occasions (again with polite and carefully worded emails) and have yet to receive a response at any time from any of them.

When my boyfriend attempted to log on to the game from my computer (as we were visiting my family over Thanksgiving break), he found that his own account had been suspended as well. So, he sent a strongly worded and at times brash email to Admin, receiving a response within 36 hours! Ive spent over 2 months following the rules outlined in the ToS (where it states: you agree that you understand that the Owner has [autism], and others that may display themselves, and that you will show the appropriate patience, civility, and tolerance due her disability), attempting to rouse anyone out of their administrative slumber for ANY answer, ANY specifics, regarding my account and its status and have been dutifully ignored. Yet when my boyfriend writes something that is very aggressive, he receives priority service and gets more attention and more of a response? How is that correct? How is that right? How is that customer service?

To top it all off, in that same series of emails to him, she accused ME of hacking into HIS account, into HER servers, and then threatened to call the FBI! Seriously???

First off, outlandish claims such as that sound more like the beginnings of a witchhunt than actual customer service.

Secondly, our computers save log-on information (because theyre smart like that) and we have been known to click on the wrong names more than once, in more than one application. Hes accidentally logged into my email accounts on several occasions, just as I have done with his. Once the errors have been recognized, theyve been corrected. It has nothing to do with hacking, sharing accounts or account information, or anything of the sort. Besides, having had a Transient Ischemic Attack over 2 years ago, I have to use various methods of maintaining information for my numerous accounts.

Third, We have three computers (2 desktops and a laptop) which tend to bounce from household to household. If I log on with his laptop on my network at my parents house, and then he uses the laptop to log in to his account, thats considered associating the accounts and/or sharing account information. If we each have a desktop and log in separately from the same network, then its the same thing. Not only were we not asked about the different IPs, assumptions were made about being in a different state, account sharing, hacking, placing bids on each others accounts, etc.

The only way for it to not seem as though we are trying to screw the system (and therefore the Game Owner) is to A) Live in completely separate cities and play the game (which weve attempted to do due to family issues, which has resulted in the accusations), B) Have one person take over both accounts (which we were already in the midst of discussing when this mess happened), C) Purchase completely separate networks (which neither of us have the money for), or D) Completely stop playing the game altogether, write it off as a $100+ charitable donation, and chalk it up to the fact that it appears the game is turning into a police state (which is a distinct possibility).

I understand that the Game Owner claims to have some sort of developmental disability, and acceptance of this is REQUIRED in the ToS of Equine Ranch. What strikes me as odd is that I know there are hundreds if not thousands of game owners, developers, designers, etc., in the world who live with some sort of affliction (for lack of a better word) who do not put acceptance of said affliction in the ToS of their games, thus forcing customers to deal with not only the affliction but the symptoms of the same simply by accepting the Terms and Conditions of the game. When I accept the T&Cs of any game by Microsoft, Oberon, or EA Games, I dont see any clause in there stating that I have to accept that the developers, owners, designers, artists, or animators of the game have mental issues or developmental disabilities that may cause them to act out in socially unacceptable manners. Nor do I see any clauses stating that the Game Owner has to accept the fact that I have a host of issues, either. So, what makes this game any different, any more special than the others that are sitting on the shelf? Nothing. The horses dont move; we cant watch them show or race or give birth; there are no cute pictures of foals.

Personally, I believe that this has become nothing more than a way for one person to feel as though she has all the control over a single community. If people butter her up, she will be the benevolent leader. If her authority is questioned, it becomes fire and brimstone, and a grudge is born. Ive made every attempt short of becoming verbally abusive to resolve this matter, and have received nothing but stony silence, which contradicts the very spirit of that singular clause contained within the Terms of Service. I was once foolish enough to accept those terms.

Never again.

Its been a little over a month down the road and I still have yet to hear from anyone at this company regarding my account. Ive sent email after email, spaced out over this 4 weeks worth of time, and all nicely worded, attempting to find out how it came to pass that MY account was earmarked for suspension, how MY account was the one that was tapped for this action. I want answers, logical ones, backed up by facts, not accusations and finger pointing.

Instead, all Ive received has been silence. Stone-cold silence. Now, in retail, this would be the sign of the end of a business. The lack of customer service nay, the flat-out refusal to acknowledge a customer AT ALL would signal the death throes of a company, as ANY company is built upon its customers. No matter how much a company would like to deny it, without its customers, it would cease to exist.

Unfortunately, it seems that this is a lesson yet to be learned here. The longer this escapade drags on, the less inclined am I to drop more money into this game, no matter how much I enjoyed it in the past. Im also less inclined to give it a positive spin as well. I mean, weve all heard the saying, If Momma aint happy, aint nobody happy, correct? Im definitely not happy right now. Not happy at all.

My boyfriend has an account/ranch on the game, and he just found out that his account was suspended for the same reason. In the past, he had had sent emails to the Owner regarding issues in said game, and received nasty communications in return from her (which is what is causing him to hesitate in contacting Administration regarding his account suspension). Interestingly enough, it appears that it doesnt matter if one is a new player or old, as long as one is not on the Owners good side, one doesnt get the time of day anymore. And that, boys and girls, is simply bad business.

I've yet to receive a response from anyone in the so-called "Admin" department regarding my account and why it was suspended and/or deleted. I've sent 3 emails asking for specifics as to why this is happening to my account and there has been nothing, a stony silence, from the other end of the internet. Each email has been polite and to-the-point, written in the vain hope that this will somehow elicit a response.

All for naught, apparently.

I will be posting updates periodically regarding this, and any other, issues.