As a paid subscriber, why am I not allowed to use the LFG tool?

Community General Discussion
#1

Why am I not allowed to use the LFG tool to make groups, even though I pay $15 a month like everyone else? I am speaking about the authenticator feature… in which you are not allowed to make a group with specified details unless you have an authenticator attached to your account.

If this “feature” was in place to prevent spam or selling services, I could understand it, but we all know the LFG tool is riddled with boosting services so this obviously does nothing to prevent that.

The reason I do not have an authenticator is because I do not have a personal smart phone. I have a smart phone for work, but a flip phone for my personal. I have also lost the keychain authenticators in the past so they seem much more of a hassle than is necessary.

So what I am trying to understand is why does Blizzard still have this in place? Is Blizzard-Activision-Battlenet okay with not allowing players to experience the entirety of their game based off one flaw, outdated feature? This is kind of a huge blow, where there is no easy way around for someone in my situation.

37 Likes
#2

What’s the issue here? I thought most players already had authenticator? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

The only reason to not have it would be if you’re some super “old school” old-timer in real life that doesn’t have a smartphone and is still using dinosaur phones for some reason

It’s not like it’s an issue of money either, you can purchase a “burner” tier throwaway smartphone for like $20-30, and certainly for less than $100. At my local/nearby grocery store there’s a budget Android version 9.0 smartphone with 5.5 inch screen “on sale” for $15…

You could literally buy a burner smartphone for $30 or less, set up authenticator on it, and never touch it again…

This “i’m gonna stick to my dinosaur flip-phone no matter what!” is such a strange hill to die on, in my opinion :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

23 Likes
#3

I can respect that you want to use a flip phone but honestly this overall seems far more on you than just getting the Authenticator on what would be a fairly cheap device nowadays.

If $15 for the other service you get with your subscription isn’t enough then you know what to do. :ok_hand:

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#4

For reference I am 24 so if you’re response is “jUsT bUy a bUrNeR sMaRtPhOnE, sToP uSiNg a dInOsAuR pHoNe” you do not have the intellectual capability to understand where I am coming from. And Isx I do not know what other services you are refencing, but you obviously are not comprehending what I am saying either.

There was a point in time where if someone had nothing valid to offer to a post, they wouldn’t just interject and spew stupidity into the post.

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#5

The only reason is that you pay for an unrestricted service and Blizzard is putting a restriction because of people cheating in the game and the rest of us are not to blame for that

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#6

You can use it just fine. You just can’t make your own title.

If you aren’t able to see the options to use it, turn off your addons.

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#7

You can use the andriod smartphone app on your comp and just the authenticator that way. This way you can keep your flip phone

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#8

While it does not affect me in any way, I agree the change was stupid. Daily I report just as many, if not more advertising ads. Why is it still in game if it did 0 to “fix” the problem? I feel like I notice less legit groups over all since it was added, in raids especially as an Alliance which is the sorta “dying” faction. Sure, they can still use it, but they can’t title what boss they are at etc. When I join groups made by people who can’t customize I don’t know if they are doing a full clear, a skip, or what they heck the raid actually is for.

4 Likes
#9

No, I don’t know what to do if I’m a cow who paid for the subscription for so long, that is, in cataclysm there were no cheating people, only in the bfa expansion did that become noticeable

#10

That’s the weirdest thing about Blizzard, the boosters can easily bypass that small hurdle, boosting is still there. It only damage the normal-everyday players.

Everyday in group finder i see all that +17,+20 with no additional title, even when they only want to invite specific covenant or certain dps for Bloodlust or decurse.

And you can always count the community to cheer their garbage decision and blame the players for whatever reason.

9 Likes
#11
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#12

The reason for the authenticator is to help prevent your account from being stolen. Every other company in the world uses some form of two-factor authentication. It’s convenient and effective automation of securing your account.

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#13

Here’s another post blaming Blizzard for not being in the 21st Century.

Go to wherever you bought your flip phone and purchase a cheap cell phone.

Or go to wamart. Or cricket. $20.

Work two hours of overtime to get $20.

Go now a lawn or do dishes.

It’s not Blizzard’s fault you’re not doing what needs to be done. The requirements are right there.

Go buy a cheap data plan. They’re like $20/month, too.

That’s it.

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#14

because companies spend a stupid amount of dollars supporting customers who for whatever reason refuse to secure their accounts.

so they’re incentivizing account security.

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#15

Just use the android smartphone app on your PC, download and install the authenticator on it, set it up and run it from there.

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#16

Spam was way worse before the authenticator requirement came in. I don’t have an authenticator but it was an excellent change.

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#17

You don’t pay for unrestricted service. There are tons of restrictions. That goes for pretty much any service you pay for. That was the EULA is for.

1 Like
#18

Did you indeed? I suspect you thought wrong.

In America I presume. Not everyone has access to a huge economy that can turn out crap stuff on the cheap. There are no new phones here for $20-$30.

No, as I said just up there. Not everyone lives and plays in America.

And the OP has a point, despite all those commenting and putting them down for their life/phone usage choices. The rules doesnt appear to have done much at all, other than to stop people from creating detailed premade group ads to properly show what sort of group they want to make. So what you have is a lot less groups being made and a large number of those being WTS adds that dont seem to have been affected by the changes at all.

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#19

I refuse to be forced into an authenticator.

The only people blizz are punishing for that are the people applying to my generically named groups with no description.

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#20

It not blocking 100% of spam or unwanted activity is not evidence of it being 0% effective. It very likely falls somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

As others have said, with how cheaply you can pick up a “smart phone” these days (assuming you’re in the US or somewhere similar), this is entirely a you issue. You have chosen to have this problem.

Once again this is a YOU problem. YOU are apparently unable to keep track of a keychain authenticator. You could put it on your keychain, you could tape it to your desk. You’re irresponsibility is preventing you from making use of the work around Blizzard has offered.

Very likely yes. It’s quite possible that there are so few people who are in your situation that they view you as an acceptable loss in exchange for keep gold sellers and other spam out of the LFG tool.

I don’t see how your age is relevant here and no one can understand your position because you haven’t explained it why you are so opposed to a smartphone in the first place when it is quite clearly not an issue of cost.

Ultimately this is a problem of your own design, but as others have said you could possible download an emulator and run the app through that. I’d recommend a simple google search for further information on it as there ARE other people like you out there who have discussed it.

4 Likes