City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Why won't NCSoft process legal name changes?

Adeon Hawkwood

By Adeon Hawkwood,
Posted on: 2010-11-05 09:31 in Player Questions

 

Posted

I changed my name legally a while ago, and noticed the other day that my account was not using my legal name. I emailed the support, asking for help on how to get is changed, and got this in reply:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim
To maintain account security and the integrity of the user database, the ability to change your certain fields within your master account, specifically real name, is unavailable at this time.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you,
Tim
NCsoft Account Support
Does NCSoft really have no way of processing name changes? What if I get married? Do I have to look at my old name for as long as I keep my account? Really?

This just seems incredibly shortsighted of them... don't they know that some women play this, and that some us may change our names?

I guess what I'm asking is: what can be done about this? I'm out of ideas.

 

Posted

You'd have to ask them directly, but I suspect it probably has something to do with not wanting to enable people to sell their accounts too easily, coupled with the fact they don't have the manpower to verify that a person's name has legally changed every time they get a name change request from somebody.

It's not that they can't physically change the name. It's that they won't.

It sucks, but...in the grand scheme of things it's a minor annoyance.

 

Posted

MMO companies generally make it hard to change the names on the account to make it harder for unscrupulous people to sell their accounts. The only thing I can suggest is to ask for your ticket to be escalated to a higher level of customer support and offer to provide proof of the name change. I have no clue if you'll have any luck doing so though.

 

Posted

I'd say you have two options.

Ask to be esclated to a supervisor, or try asking TheOcho or Avetea here on the boards.

As for the why - it's to help against things like account sales and theft.

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Posted

Unfortunately, even that may not work. The best you might be able to hope for is to have them notate your account that your name has been legally changed, even if its initial display is wrong, and can upon request provide proof (such as marriage certificate, legal name change paperwork, etc).

You won't be able to see it, but the info WILL be there.

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Posted

It's also possible that they use real name as part of the primary key for accounts in the database. This would be horrible design, but not unknown.

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Grouchybeast View Post
It's also possible that they use real name as part of the primary key for accounts in the database. This would be horrible design, but not unknown.
i have a limited knowledge of databases but i was under the idea that a primary key was a unique identifier, such as multi-digit numbers surely having names as the primary key could cause clashes of people with the same name.
correct me if im wrong

 

Posted

You're not wrong. Using a persons name as the primary key would be incredibly stupid. So stupid, in fact, that I don't think there is any chance at all that NCSoft has it set up that way.

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironblade View Post
You're not wrong. Using a persons name as the primary key would be incredibly stupid. So stupid, in fact, that I don't think there is any chance at all that NCSoft has it set up that way.
Knowing their original leadership, I wouldn't be surprised.

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Posted

I went through this after I got married three years ago and no dice. I even asked face to face while I was at the 2009 Herocon and no dice. There is no changing the name on the account. Aside from the annoyance of seeing my old name on the account I havent run into any issues with my credit cards and billing so I gave up on getting my name changed.

Where are we going and Why am I in this Handbasket?

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerlina View Post
Aside from the annoyance of seeing my old name on the account I havent run into any issues with my credit cards and billing so I gave up on getting my name changed.
This was going to be my comment. Other than it being a minor annoyance, as long as it isn't causing you any issues, is it really that big of a deal?

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerlina View Post
I went through this after I got married three years ago and no dice. I even asked face to face while I was at the 2009 Herocon and no dice. There is no changing the name on the account. Aside from the annoyance of seeing my old name on the account I havent run into any issues with my credit cards and billing so I gave up on getting my name changed.
I've changed the name on my master account. It was a few years ago, and I'd escalated it to a redname, but it was definitely done after I faxed over proof of identity.

I have this nasty habit of controlling where my real name appears in games I beta for. So I use a fake name for the trial period, and if I decide I want to stick with it I'll start a new account with the real info. When I beta'd for COH back in 2004, it started with the fake name, but that account became my primary. By their rules at the time, the name on the acct couldn't be changed.

It took several years; they never wanted to do it. However, when I inquired a few years ago about it, the redname in question (no longer here) checked, and they had a process in place where I could submit the info to them for ID verification. When I did that, it only took a day or two, but it was definitely done.

I don't know if that's still the policy now, but it was definitely feasible a few years ago.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn View Post
Knowing their original leadership, I wouldn't be surprised.
Who? T.J. Kim?

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by firespray View Post
This was going to be my comment. Other than it being a minor annoyance, as long as it isn't causing you any issues, is it really that big of a deal?
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