TNT Fails to return my account

[BuddyCole]

So, after a week, I receive an email from mailto:heidi@support.neopets.com, and the message goes is as follows:

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail. While we understand the importance of your account, we are required to use the evidence that we have in our records. Based on this evidence, we are unable to return this account to you. It is your responsibility to make sure your account stays safe. Never give out your passwords or personal information, and use common sense when browsing the internet. If you are using a public access computer, such as in your school or library, please remember to always logout of your account. We are sorry, but we will not return this account.

If you have any other questions, don't forget to include the entire text of this e-mail with your username clearly at the top. This will help me better address your situation.

I'm a little confused, as they say "based on this evidence".....I gave them my previous password, my PIN number, the fact that the ONLY damage done should have been that my password and email were changed, told them what was in my SDB, who my friends were, and explained that I didn't use any forums, give my password, information, or anything out to anybody at all. I was practically a hermit on this game. What better information do they need?

[Duke of Earl]

I didn't use any forums

You're probably stating that out of context, but that makes you a liar *shrug*

I'd try submitting the form again with more info if you have any... or maybe leaving out ANYTHING you're not 100% sure about.

[fructy]

I didn't use any forums

You're probably stating that out of context, but that makes you a liar *shrug*

I'd try submitting the form again with more info if you have any... or maybe leaving out ANYTHING you're not 100% sure about.

Buddy has only been a member of this forum for about two weeks. I think he started posting on this forum after he (or she) was frozen.

Buddy, I would sent them an email back explaining everything again. Don't give up too easily

Edit, woops, got some names mixed up ^_^

Last edited by fructy on Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[anjuna]

So, after a week, I receive an email from mailto:heidi@support.neopets.com, and the message goes is as follows:

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail. While we understand the importance of your account, we are required to use the evidence that we have in our records. Based on this evidence, we are unable to return this account to you. It is your responsibility to make sure your account stays safe. Never give out your passwords or personal information, and use common sense when browsing the internet. If you are using a public access computer, such as in your school or library, please remember to always logout of your account. We are sorry, but we will not return this account.

If you have any other questions, don't forget to include the entire text of this e-mail with your username clearly at the top. This will help me better address your situation.

I'm a little confused, as they say "based on this evidence".....I gave them my previous password, my PIN number, the fact that the ONLY damage done should have been that my password and email were changed, told them what was in my SDB, who my friends were, and explained that I didn't use any forums, give my password, information, or anything out to anybody at all. I was practically a hermit on this game. What better information do they need?

Well this may be a long shot and unfortunately a bit unjust in my opinion but the "evidence" may be in fact that you actually gave your password (and PIN) to TNT. (Doh!) I am not even sure if giving away your password is a freezable offense, and I wonder what lawyerbot would have to say about this? Either way, TNT would never need your password or PIN. And clearly you have also used the PPT forum. Be very careful what you say.

If you decide to persist, you might simply ask them for their specific reasons and if they would allow you to explain and/or defend yourself. I don't know the details of why you lost your account in the first place. (Sorry I've been off PPT a while dealing with real life muck. Good luck.)

[mazil]

...we are required to use the evidence that we have in our records. Based on this evidence...

I don't think they are referring to the evidence you gave them, but the evidence (as they say) from their Neopets records.

Is the reason that they froze you because someone else got into your account and did something against the Neopets T&C?

I'm guessing what they're trying to say is... that from their evidence, all they know is that your account did something against the rules. And they can't tell from their evidence (or yours) whether it was actually you or someone else using your account

[save_the _endangered_anim]

I don't see why they need any more evidence, i think you gave enough. I think the bit about the forums should be fixed, as i think you go to PPT. Still don't get why they didn't give it back to you.

[BuddyCole]

To clear a few things up:

- I've never used a neopets related website or forum, including PPT, before my account was stolen. My first post here was in regards to my account being taken.

- I gave TNT my password/pin in my account abuse report, in the "any other information that would be helpful" section at the end, to further prove it was actually my account, i've never been asked for my password or anything else of the sort.

- Whoever took my account over changed the email address and the password, but then seemed to have given up since mostly everything was pin# locked. They haven't been into my account since the day my password was changed.

And, as I posted in my original topic, I did nothing to make my account noticeable, a target, I didn't put my password in any forms or anything of the sort. So, it's a little weird that they just say it's my responsibility to keep my account safe when somebody just hacks right into my account out of thin air. It's like they didn't even pay attention to what I was saying.


p.s. TNT don't have IP trackers?

[WolfMaiden]

To clear a few things up:

- I've never used a neopets related website or forum, including PPT, before my account was stolen. My first post here was in regards to my account being taken.

- I gave TNT my password/pin in my account abuse report, in the "any other information that would be helpful" section at the end, to further prove it was actually my account, i've never been asked for my password or anything else of the sort.

- Whoever took my account over changed the email address and the password, but then seemed to have given up since mostly everything was pin# locked. They haven't been into my account since the day my password was changed.

And, as I posted in my original topic, I did nothing to make my account noticeable, a target, I didn't put my password in any forms or anything of the sort. So, it's a little weird that they just say it's my responsibility to keep my account safe when somebody just hacks right into my account out of thin air. It's like they didn't even pay attention to what I was saying.


p.s. TNT don't have IP trackers?

The person, who hacked your account, could have tryed to scam someone else. Thus causing TNT to not want to give you back your account.

[Daze]

That is a standard reply.

I doubt that TNT have really looked into your account very closely.

I would reply to the letter as best you can by restating the facts and asking them to produce the "evidence" as to why your account cannot be returned.

Don't give up just yet. I also have had my account frozen. The situation was different but after a couple of emails, my account was returned.

[BuddyCole]

That's exactly what I did, the email did sound kind of carbon copied. Thanks

Also, was the gap between emails as long as the one between when you sent in your report to their first response? or did it go a little faster afterwards?

[Daze]

It was about the same unfortunately.

I can't remember exact timelines but it was about 3-4 weeks between both emails. It took almost 3 months to get my account back.

Good Luck.

[anjuna]

To clear a few things up:

- I gave TNT my password/pin in my account abuse report, in the "any other information that would be helpful" section at the end, to further prove it was actually my account, i've never been asked for my password or anything else of the sort.

- Whoever took my account over changed the email address and the password, but then seemed to have given up since mostly everything was pin# locked. They haven't been into my account since the day my password was changed.

p.s. TNT don't have IP trackers?

Any scammer with access to your password/PIN could also put that in the "any other information" box and I again am almost certain this has something to do with the unfair incrimination. (In other words they have no way of knowing if you aren't yet another scammer trying to get the stolen account from someone else, see? This might be the reason they "must" refuse to give your account back.) Part of TNT's "rules" are to never give out this information to anyone, and TNT will never ask for it. Therefore, don't even offer it to begin with. I have dealt with enough legal crap over the past, well, my life, to know this very well. Plead the 5th.

I think TNT does have IP trackers but this might not help much in determining anything. My question is, if the hacker has not done anything to your account, why was it frozen? How do you even know they have not entered your account, if you cannot even access it (areas like SDB, etc.)? I feel like I am missing something here.

If they have frozen your account to protect you and others from hackers, that is a quick and drastic change in policy if I may say so. Similar to the real life instance I am in now (*pokes siggy*) it is more like being determined guilty without being a chance to prove your innocence. And unjust that you should suffer the consequences of others' wrongdoings.

This seems to be happening more and more to unsuspecting users. Why? Is there something technical that we are overlooking? TNT might consider better explaining to us the consequences of such a scenario where one is scammed or hacked as there must be some remedy for the victims here?

Did you self-freeze first or notify TNT first (and then they froze you)? Usually there are slightly more specific reasons given than "based on the evidence" or am I wrong here? Other users can tell their tales of such.

There is no benefit to TNT to deny you your account, unless it was frozen for a reason other than being hacked into? In other words, if you didn't break the rules, there is no reason for you to be penalized at all.

I simply don't get it (other than the oft overlooked "TNT will never ask you for your password; do not give your password to anyone" clause).

EDIT: Sounds like if you are just dealing with standard responses that take some time. I hope Daze is right that if you persist you will triumph.

[BuddyCole]

Did you self-freeze first or notify TNT first (and then they froze you)?

I notified TNT about 5 minutes after I realized what had happened to my account.

My question is, if the hacker has not done anything to your account, why was it frozen? How do you even know they have not entered your account, if you cannot even access it (areas like SDB, etc.)? I feel like I am missing something here.

I think I failed to mention it in this post, as I did in my other post but that's buried back by like 3 pages sorry, forgot to clear this part up too. My account was still up on the user lookup for the week or so it took them to respond to my email. It said the last time my account was accessed was the day it was broken into.

My Mutant Buzz had a Mutant Plathydon equipped, and they never unequipped it, even a week after. If anything, they would have sold that off for a good chunk of NP or transferred it to another account. So, if they had my pin they would have cleared out my bank and sold him off aswell. There's nothing really useful in my SDB, either. I checked up on my stolen account yesterday and everything was normal. This morning I got the response from TNT and when I checked back up on my original account, it was frozen.

[Immortal_Z]

I thought that Neo would never e-mail you.

[anjuna]

Ahh, oh I see a little more now, thanks for explaining. I can only hope/assume the stealer was laying low hopefully out of guilt (!) and then TNT froze your account just in time (a week later, lol) but now you have to go through some darn administrative process that takes several weeks of formal and informal e-mails to support until you can prove ownership.

I still don't get how you can know such details about your account but then again I don't battle. Is there a way you can see what others have equipped before you fight them or something? (I get the part about checking a username to see when last on neopets if you have it on a setting other than Stealth or such.) Either way, it sounds like you should get your account back, it just may take some time. Best of luck!

EDIT: As for TNT never e-mailing you, it is not entirely true in all circumstances, although when I saw the email you posted something irked me. It seems genuine but then again how to tell for sure really? I know that I have e-mailed to enter into the Poetry contest before, even casually, and gotten an actual thank you and response that it was forwarded to the proper department. Back in the good ol' LDP days, sigh.