it is indeed, its frustrating me! im in the UK and just wont let accept 3 different numbers i have tried. BULLSH*T
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Add me to that list! Anything you guys have done to be able to join the servers?
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Add me to this list. More than bogus that an entire provider does not get the same level of security measures and thus cannot access certain features in game. This really needs to be fixed.
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I’ve had an east coast Cricket number for about 2 years, just created a Blizzard account, getting the “Invalid Phone Number” bull$#!@ message. This is insane. I just wasted a ton of time with their slow, throttled installation download speeds for games like WarZone, only to be told to pi$$ off because I’m a Cricket Wireless user. If they’re profiling people with cost-effective wireless providers (as opposed to gamers with ridiculously overpriced cell phone contracts like Verizon), then why aren’t they preventing people with MetroPCS from being able to authenticate? Or any other monthly service plan, for that matter?? I can’t believe the audacity of Blizzard to just sit back & pick at their zits for the past few months and not bother to do a thing about this. Looks like I’m gaming with Steam from now on.
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First note - MVPs are other players. I don’t work for Blizz. I just have green text.
I have been watching this for years now since they started with the SMS Protect feature years ago.
The system Blizzard uses is based on the ID type assigned to the phone number. Blizz does not assign the number types. I honestly don’t know the phone industry well enough to even speculate on how it happens there.
Blizz decided they would only accept numbers flagged as contract cell phone numbers. Pre paid or VOIP were not accepted because they can easily be abused by hackers/spammers, etc. Burner phones are called that for a reason.
The issue with Cricket as I understand is that many of the numbers they have, are flagged as pre-paid, not contract, even though Cricket DOES have contract services. This is above Cricket to be honest. It is in the regulatory spaces. Cricket corporate could probably initiate proceedings to get the numbers changed from the original tags to the new use - but so few things depend on it the effort is rarely worth it to them.
Old example where I learned phone numbers have tags. Land lines vs Cell Phones back in the day - spam phone calls to cell numbers (based on the Id tag) were illegal because it cost people minutes. I never even knew numbers had “types” before that. Now they have separate cell types as well.
What is super frustrating is that getting the phone number type tag changed is not something you can do. Not something Blizz can do. Not even something a phone company can easily do - if they are willing. Cricket bought (or was assigned) blocks of numbers with pre-paid tags. getting that undone so they don’t register as burner phones is not easy.
So, I get why they don’t want burner phones (pre paid) or VOIP due to the fraud. BUT there has to be a better way to handle validating the free accounts than a phone number, right? Maybe?
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im sitting here litterally crying hard feeling like i got robbed… no refund no nothing… im cricket as well as my family which pay 150 a month for 5 lines… what is this? how do i not get robbed like this? i bought the cod black ops game .warzone still doesnt play
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he works for blizzard. this needs to go to law suit territory. non contract doesnt mean non burner. blizzard has something deep and call of duty sold theyrselve to the worst name ever . i got robbed sixty buck when all i want is the free warzone after buying a cod LINKED to warzone
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As I said. I don’t. I am a player with green text who provides info about various systems, links, articles, etc.
In this case the links for Blizzard Legal and the info your lawyer would need is here.
Terms of Sale for purchases from Blizzard.
End User License Agreement (EULA) for all Blizzard games and platforms
Dispute Resolution Agreement (has contact info for lawyers)
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This is absolutely ridiculous. I’ve been playing Blizzard games since the first Warcraft. I’ve played every Warcraft game, every Starcraft game, had my WoW account since 2005. All I want is to get my four extra bag slots on WoW. I’ve already got the authenticator, had it for years. Apparently though, none of that is enough, because I use Cricket. I’ve been a loyal customer for pretty much my entire life, but I am not changing my phone provider.
Blizzard really needs to rework this policy.
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It’s not just Cricket. Their policy also screws you over if you ported your number from provider they think is prepaid at some point, even if it was 10+ years ago.
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Shoot, so even if I switched from Cricket to Verizon but kept my number, I would be screwed…
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Very possibly. The tag for the number type is assigned to the number and tends to be carried along with it. I am not sure who controlls those tags but it is somewhere between the FCC and the phone industry.
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Same problem but what really bugs me is the fact that they have a phone authenticator that they use for logins but they can’t use it to verify ur account or phone number. They have no solution other than change your service provider. Who cares if it’s a prepaid phone. It’s a phone that was paid for regardless. Why do I need to sign a contract with a phone company just to verify who I am for a video game.
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I’ve bought cold war and $2 worth of cp and I still can’t play warzone. Can I not verify by purchase either? This is stupid
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I have a Cricket number that Live Chat told me I cannot use, even though I am in the USA and it is not a pre-paid number. I haven’t had a problem with this phone number for any other website/bank so far. This is ridiculous. Please revise this outrageous policy. I literally cannot put a phone number on my Blizzard account, but I can put this number on every important/vital bank account and credit card that I have.
My old number was on Cricket but worked just fine. Is this a new policy or something?
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No, not new. The problem is that the FCC (or some other regulatory agency) tags phone numbers when they are issued. Usually that is done in batches as a company acquires them. If a batch is tagged as mobile pre-paid then the Blizzard system won’t accept it. Even though the number has been acquired by, or moved to, a normal contract phone payment plan. I don’t know how to get that Tag update and I know Blizz can’t do it. It is within the realm of the communications companies.
Same goes for VOIP.
I can assume it is done to prevent people from using burner phones and VOIP for security protocols that Blizz used the phone number for. It used to ONLY be used for SMS Protect - a text messaging service.
Now that they recently linked phone numbers to the Mobile Authenticator and to free-to-play games - more people are aware of the limitations
I am sure Blizzard is aware by now, but they have not commented on any possible changes.
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Same Problem! Its ridiculous!
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It can’t be a problem with cricket service. As many others have said and it’s the same for me, I’ve used my number to verify many other MORE important services. I’ve never had a problem receiving sms security codes. I’ve never had a problem with Authenticator. This is a blizzard problem. I’ve never experienced this with any other service.
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This is blizzards fault. A phone service shouldn’t be banned from using their service. You can’t tell me it’s crickets fault when I use my number which I’ve had for years to sms validate my bank and any other service. Blizzard needs to fix this. No one else.
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I agree. However I would not bet on them making changes to the authenticator service any time soon.
Now you might ask why? 2 years ago someone suggested they star allowing custom profile pictures for battle.net, like Xbox has and other apps/launchers with profile pictures. Have they? No. That’s why I wont bet on them making a change anytime soon. This would have to at least in my opinion effect 45% or more of the player base using the battle.net launcher for them to take action.
Again its my opinion, But I doubt they even pay enough attention to their own forums otherwise this would have been fixed by now.
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