[skip to SOLUTION section if you're familiar with the topic]
ISSUE: Merc Pack was advertised with the language "Mercenary Pack will be credited in full to your in-game DUST 514-« account after each character reset and for the commercial release." Understandably many buyers expected their AUR items to be refunded at release. Now that release is imminent, CCP has deemed it necessary to make certain amends to the rules in a recent
Dev Blog entry.
These changes are either expected and fair, or blatant breach of contract and spitting on your most fervent supporters, depending on which side of the fence you are on. But that is off this topic; there are other threads for those discussions, some of which even remain unlocked as I write this.
There are currently two options offered by CCP:
- "an optional full character reset with Mercenary Pack or Aurum reimbursement." - this is ostensibly offered to fulfill the advertised pack rules. While it arguably does meet the "credited in full... ...for the commercial release" -language, it is inarguably against the spirit of such an agreement.
- no refund of AUR items you have already spent - this is against the pack offer, and is a stopgap measure CCP has put in place.
#1 means you lose all the progress you've made in the months of beta. As you can see, #2 is the only real option unless you plan on stopping playing Dust.
Since we essentially have only one option, we end up with no refund, #2. But I bet most of the buyers were not expecting refunds on boosters, as they will carry the benefit from using them in the form of higher SP.
The issue is with AUR items, such as dropsuits and weapons that were consumed during beta. CCP's most hardcore customers spent money to test their game for them, some with the expectation of a full refund at launch as a direct result of very clear language in the Pack description. CCP, you don't want to lose those customers, or to bear the loss of goodwill and resulting word of mouth.
But there is an workable compromise, an option much better than option #1.
SOLUTION:
refund all Merc Packs, except for used boosters and UVTs.This is the sensible thing to do: it will keep your most dedicated fans happy, yet will not give them millions of bonus SP for free in the form of refunded boosters.
And it will be a better business decision than this shortsighted, poorly designed and quite frankly insulting option of full refund with character reset you so graciously offer as a compromise in the dev blog. Hopefully the damage hasn't been already done - but given the numerous PR follies you've made in the past months I think your players will give you some slack.
For the record, I have two Merc Packs, and I bought a UVT, all the cheap BPOs and a few vanity suits before their prices were jacked up (wonder what happens to them on Monday?), and a booster or two. I did these purchases with the anticipation that I would not get refunded.