To be clear, as far as I understand it, you haven’t lost anything. If you don’t have a Rank 3 essence that you can purchase on an alternate character, you won’t earn Echoes. Meaning if your alt didn’t have a Rank 3 that your main didn’t have, but could otherwise use, your main isn’t eligible to earn Echoes. If your alt receives a Rank 3 that your main doesn’t have and can use, your main will start earning Echoes. It can be a little confusing, sorry.
We are providing the answer we can, Mageypew. We are not authorized or otherwise tasked with refunding or reimbursing Echoes you may have received. I’m sorry if the process wasn’t clear, that wasn’t our intention, but I’m afraid there isn’t anything that CS will be able to do in this situation.
If you wish to provide feedback on the issue, I’d encourage you to add to any of the existing threads in the General Discussion forum.
In order to encourage additional discussion to take place there I’m going to close this thread. Thank you, all.