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Zarhym Says No Refunds for Mount Changes

goldI hate to be the bringer of bad news, but it looks like one of the greatest points of contention regarding the recently announced mount changes for 3.2 will continue to upset players of WoW. In comments both on my post here at Project Lore and on the official WoW forums, posters have begrudged the major price dips for mounts because they had to pay so much more when they bought their mounts. Some have gone so far as to suggest (or demand, in some cases) that Blizzard refund their in-game gold.

Not surprisingly, blue poster Zarhym has responded to these requests in a couple of different places in the forums. After the complaints started rolling in Wednesday, he said:
"We have no plans of offering in-game gold refunds on item costs to compensate for this content change, as has always been our policy."

Later on,  in an individual thread asking for refunds, he expanded on that point:
"It's truly a great thing that online gaming has expanded to the point where a game can grow and evolve over time with new content. As a gaming company, we can look back with hind sight and make changes to update older content within the context of everything that has come since.

Several times over this has led to price adjustments in a number of areas, and we do not reimburse items or money due to changes in content. There are simply too many variables and too many changes each content patch to attempt to compensate anyone who's been negatively affected by a change."

Now this doesn't seem like a hugely unexpected revelation. As he said, I can't think of any other time that Blizzard has made any overarching gold refunds for in-game price adjustments. I'm also not sure that anything has ever decreased in price across-the-board this drastically before, but I can't say for sure.

But still, this has been a major point that has players up in arms, and it probably will continue to be controversial. I predict that all the hoopla will die down once patch 3.2 comes out (whenever that is - it may still be awhile), and people start getting cheap-ass mounts for their level 20 alts. Plus, all those other changes that also are planned for 3.2! Personally, I can't wait.

One thing I'm still undecided on - what's the verdict for all of you who are on the verge of buying your mount? Do you wait for the patch, however long that may be? Or do you shovel out the cash so you can get the benefit of faster travel now? And if you do, will you QQ about it?

Reader Comments (34)

This is how it should be. If refunds were given, the amount of QQ would only increase.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDrstealth

It really doesnt bother me that mounts will be available at lower lvls and for cheap. But i do aknowledge the fact that grinding out gold from doing dailies and quests o be able to afford my riding training was a pain, but that gives me an experience many of the new players will never have. :)

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterUnforsaken

My level 62 Hunter alt is waiting for 3.2 to get his normal 150% flying training. No point in waisting money now that we know the change is coming. But if only i would have known sooner! I would have saved the 5k spent on my main's epic flying and waited for reputation bonuses to come into play >.<

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterOmmadon

@Drstealth ... agreed >_> Still, I want gold back on my hunter. I bought all my mounts for him before 2.4 damnit :(

THIRD LOL

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterVên

:( was 3rd ):

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterVên

WTB ability to edit comments for 2 typos...:(

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterVên

Well, I haven't hit 70 on my mage yet so I haven't spent 1k on flying training, but now I'm thinking I might wait and just work on my Thrallmar rep so I can get a 20% discount when 3.2 comes out.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterArassar

i dont see why ppl r QQ about this its only a mount its not like mount give u more dps or healing

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterattack attack

There has already been 2 other mount price reductions one in Vanilla one in BC. In Vanilla those (like me) who had bought their epic land mounts for around 1k+ gold didnt get refunds... in BC no one got refunds.. so why should you now? because you spent more? In today's game 1000 gold is nothing whereas 1k gold in Vanilla was like hitting the jackpot... like Zarhym says.. there are too many changes with each patch to make it the correct amount

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterShnoo

crying about not getting ar efund for the mounts is just as stupid as going to Best Buy and crying because they won't refund you money when your computer model is discounted and other people now get it cheaper.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered Commenternoobalicious

I agree that a refund would be impossible to work out, and that there should be none. (I'll admit it doesn't stop me from feeling annoyed, though.)

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAlayea

Really? No refunds are news? Whomever would expect a refund is just a greedy bastard.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterWyndgem

My feeling is basically im screwed ive wasted all this time to grind down enough gold to get the gold for epic/cold weather flying and those are the ones NOT getting reduced PFFtt, the should just make a npc near the mount vendor that either refunds you some gold depending on how many mounts you have or perhaps gives a questline whose only purpose is give players larger amounts of gold than usual so it doesnt feel like such a shaft

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterClaymore

"There are simply too many variables and too many changes each content patch to attempt to compensate anyone who’s been negatively affected by a change.” what a douche bag how hard is it to send to send anyone who had thier epic ground or normal or epic flyer egual to how long they had it would that really be so hard
guass all the people with brains went on vacation early it sucked when blizzz didnt return the moen spent on epicland mounds it sucked when the same thing happen in BC now tehy are repeating the same mistake for the 3rd time 1 time ok you learn from 2 times not to bad but to make the same mistake 3 imes you just have to be completly brain dead what am i supostu do wait till they lower teh lvel cap to and the teh cost to one silver in order to save my money this is not what i am paying 15$ this is suppostu bring in more players? i laugh at you i knwo this wont be the mistake blizz ever made their are many players who are on the ropes to continue thier subscription or not its a very thin rope and this may break it for many if enoough people "QQ" maybe blizz will come to thier sances

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

WTS basic English lessons to cocopuff. >.>

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterXian

i'm not paying for my cold wheather flying or epic flying till the patch comes out, i means whats the sence

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSpwany

i wont take it

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

Nearly every large company will grant retroactive refunds on purchases. It's called customer service.
The fact that Blizzard thinks they are exempt from this shows how up their own buttocks they are imo.
The only people who are not annoyed by this are people with one high level char (or none). I recently paid for epic flight for 2 chars, and normal flight for 2 others. That is a lot of gold that should be coming back to me.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSidas

LOL awesome... You know, sometimes there really is benefit in being a VERY casual WOW player: I have yet to fork out my gold for mounts, or even riding training for some alts.

Even so, I wouldn't be bitching about paying too much even if I was in a different situation. How many times have you gone out and bought the latest piece of kit you thought you needed, i.e - Plazma TV, only to see it either on sale or superseded by the new LED TV's? Prices/products change, fact of life, deal with it.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterWML

People's pettiness is what we ought to QQ about.

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHank

"People’s pettiness is what we ought to QQ about."

What incredible insight...

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSidas

ty

June 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHank

should give them a discount in future things just sumthing to stop people qqing

like few potion etc

June 13, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterdrake

I didn't expect them to give refunds, just for the simple fact that they've never done that. I find it rather laughable that some people actually thought they would do that.
It would be like asking for a lvl 80 Shaman, because your mage was nerved (just an example, I don't pay attention to nerves or buffs)

June 13, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAggrø

"Excuse me. Yes, hello. I purchased this car for $24 000 two years ago, but I noticed that you now only charge $18 000 for it, so I would like a $6000 refund"

"I'm sorry, sir, but there is no way I can reasonably refund you that money. You purchased the vehicle at then-retail price. Have a nice day."

Sound devious and underhanded? Of course not. That's how things work. Now if you QQ'ers are able to put 2 and 2 together you might see a parallel between this anecdote and Blizzard's stand on the mount cost refund. If not, please go retroactively throw yourselves off a cliff.

June 13, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAgadax

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