PlayOnline, AKA Square Enix's Final Fantasy 11 branch, are nothing but scammers. Normally, when you get a trial to any reputable MMO, you get a period of time to try out the account—then the account is automatically cancelled at the end of your trial period.
With FF11, you actually have to / purchase / a disc, in a store, to get the trial. It usually costs a few dollars—but one day, for giggles, I purchased the copy of the disc. You have to create an account—and give information, such as your credit card. This didn't raise any red flags, however, as many MMOs do this, to cut down on the number of illegal players (such as gold sellers, etc—by being able to ban trial accounts based on CC #s, or allow only one trial per CC.)
I played... And was rather disappointed. World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, City of Heroes... Even The Matrix Online had a more impressive interface than FFXI. Down a few bucks, I left the game alone, and let my trial expire.
... Two months later...
I have a little trouble with a local fast food place—they double charge me. While I"m looking up my bill for that... I notice something annoying. PlayOnline had charged me, just a day prior, for that month. Worse still... I look back a month prior... Not only has Playonline charged me for / that / month as well... They prorated it, so as to charge me for my trial time, as well.
I call up Playonline support, explaining that I had a trial copy of the game—and wouldn't even be able to properly play the game. They fall back on 'Well, you should have read the terms and conditions fully, and cancelled your account. Your account was active, we charged it.' I ask them, as nicely as I can, for a refund for this month. They've only charged me a day ago—and they can see, after all, that I haven't used the account for over a month. They tell me no, they can't.
After a few calls, I manage to get them to at least cancel my account (necessary since I deleted the software long ago). I continue to ask for just a refund for one month—not even contesting the first month, since I should have caught it earlier. They continue to refuse. I ask for a manager. They tell me that he'll just say the same thing... And after a few minutes of me arguing, they acquiesce... Only to come back, and ask for my number, so he can call me back.
Long story short? After a week of no response from this mythical manager, I called my bank, and disputed the charges. The bank sided with me—and promptly refunded the second month. (I didn't even dispute the first—I probably should have, but I didn't wish to get greedy.)
So, in conclusion? Final Fantasy XI is a scam. Play another MMO, just don't waste your time—or your money—with this one.
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