Madden 25 Run Last Less Than A Week (AH Ban :))

STRIKESHOT1 said:

Charge back is last resort right now, I think they'd ban my whole EA account which has plenty of other games too :(

Was going to say this. They just ban it allllll

This happened to me last year because of their shitty-ass app redesign (I didn't resell the card, I just took the coin loss) and I still got banned.

I sent a letter to the legal department asking for arbitration and probably a month later I was unbanned. I sent the letter via UPS.

BeefBalls said:

This happened to me last year because of their shitty-ass app redesign (I didn't resell the card, I just took the coin loss) and I still got banned.

I sent a letter to the legal department asking for arbitration and probably a month later I was unbanned. I sent the letter via UPS.

Did you get all your stuff back too?

Lol EA

STRIKESHOT1 said:

Did you get all your stuff back too?

I don't think so. Just the action to the AH

This is what I received today from EA about my letter sent last Tuesday. My name is Esther, and I work on the Customer Relations team at EA Help. I am contacting you today as we received your Notice of Dispute regarding the Madden NFL 25 sanction on your EA account. I'll be working on this concern from here forward, and you can send any questions about it while we work together.

After a thorough review, we can confirm that this sanction is correct for distributing coins.

We have reviewed this with our Legal team and have performed all possible investigations on this issue and will not reverse the decision.

DrCoin said:

This is what I received today from EA about my letter sent last Tuesday. My name is Esther, and I work on the Customer Relations team at EA Help. I am contacting you today as we received your Notice of Dispute regarding the Madden NFL 25 sanction on your EA account. I'll be working on this concern from here forward, and you can send any questions about it while we work together.

After a thorough review, we can confirm that this sanction is correct for distributing coins.

We have reviewed this with our Legal team and have performed all possible investigations on this issue and will not reverse the decision.

Dang, so you lost all your coins 😭

banana76890 said:

Dang, so you lost all your coins 😭

Yup, they wiped 15m coins, plus another 20million in investments (because I cant sell back)

DrCoin said:

Yup, they wiped 15m coins, plus another 20million in investments (because I cant sell back)

are you going to play Madden 26??

DrCoin said:

Yup, they wiped 15m coins, plus another 20million in investments (because I cant sell back)

EA is the worst

DrCoin said:

This is what I received today from EA about my letter sent last Tuesday. My name is Esther, and I work on the Customer Relations team at EA Help. I am contacting you today as we received your Notice of Dispute regarding the Madden NFL 25 sanction on your EA account. I'll be working on this concern from here forward, and you can send any questions about it while we work together.

After a thorough review, we can confirm that this sanction is correct for distributing coins.

We have reviewed this with our Legal team and have performed all possible investigations on this issue and will not reverse the decision.

I gotta ask, were you buying or selling coins (I think you said "no" last month)?  If no, then you move forward and escalate this to arbitration.  They will keep doing this to us until they are forced to change their behavior.  Section 13 of their Terms of Sale lays out the Arbitration process: https://www.ea.com/legal/terms-of-sale  

P.S.  For 'Specific relief sought' I would recommend putting in some form of reasonable cash payout in additional to AH unban.  It's late in the year and by the time this potentially gets resolved you are likely looking at losing roughly 20-25% of the year due to "feelings" that you were coin trading.  Consider the money you've spent all year...request that they provide this number to the arbitrator from their systems.  Come up with a formula that you can justify with the arbitrator such as, "I spent $3,500 on the game all year.  I make Youtube content promoting their game.  I never have promoted nor work with coin trading sites.  They falsely accused me which will result in me losing 25% of the year, so I want a minimum $3,500 * 0.25 = $875, plus fair market value for your 35m in coins and cards (whether EA likes it or not the coin reseller sites *IS* the fair market and they value Madden coins at $15-30 per million, at the time of ban), plus any damage to your Youtube brand/revenue.  Also, state you would like the arbitrator to give consideration to the fact that EA has had two massive waves of AH Bans which happened AFTER your ban, yet were resolved within 1-2 weeks for those users.  Say something like "I would like you, the arbitrator, to request documentation from them showing the steps, if any, they have taken in the past two months to fix their systems which have been proven to be anything but accurate." (recent false ban waves: Ultimate Legend LTD 5 weeks ago and Golden Ticket price drop ban wave 3 weeks ago)

Below are your next steps (I think you are now on step #2), summarized by Grok...

Based on the EA Terms of Sale provided, your friend’s next step to dispute the Madden Auction House trading ban is to pursue binding arbitration, as EA has upheld the ban after informal negotiations. Below is a summary of the next steps and how your friend can minimize upfront costs, per the terms in Section 13.

Next Steps for Arbitration

1. Send a Notice of Dispute:
   • Your friend must send a written Notice of Dispute to EA at: Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, ATTENTION: Legal Department.
   • The notice must include:
     • Full name and contact information.
     • Description of the dispute, specifying the unfair ban from the Auction House based solely on activity, with no evidence of coin buying/selling, and that EA’s response did not provide sufficient proof.
     • Specific relief sought, e.g., reversal of the ban and restoration of Auction House access.
   • This starts a mandatory 30-day informal negotiation period before arbitration can begin.
2. Initiate Arbitration with the AAA:
   • If EA does not resolve the dispute within 30 days, your friend can file for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and Consumer Rules (available at www.adr.org).
   • The arbitration can be conducted in person, by phone, online, or through document submission, offering flexibility to reduce costs.
   • Your friend should elect arbitration by contacting the AAA and following their filing process.

3. Minimize Upfront Costs:

   • Under the AAA Consumer Rules, consumer arbitration fees are typically capped (e.g., $200 for claims under $75,000, per AAA rules as of 2025).
   • To avoid paying arbitration fees, your friend can send a letter to EA at the Notice of Dispute address, stating they are unable to pay the fees required to initiate arbitration. Per Section 13.C, if your friend notifies EA of financial hardship, EA will pay all arbitration fees and expenses.

   • Sample language for the Notice of Dispute to minimize costs:

     "I am unable to pay the arbitration fees required to initiate this process due to financial constraints. Per the EA Terms of Sale, I request that EA cover all arbitration fees and expenses."

   • If the arbitrator deems the fees excessive, EA is also obligated to cover them.

4. Arbitration Process:
   • The arbitrator will review the case, and your friend should emphasize:
     • No evidence was provided by EA to substantiate the claim of coin buying/selling.
     • The ban was based solely on Auction House activity, which is insufficient to justify the penalty.
     • The relief sought (e.g., ban reversal and account restoration).
   • The arbitrator’s decision is binding, and a written decision with reasons can be requested.
5. Potential Recovery:
   • If the arbitrator rules in your friend’s favor and awards a monetary value greater than EA’s last settlement offer (if any), EA will:
     • Pay 150% of the arbitration award, up to $5,000 above the award.
     • Reimburse any arbitration fees your friend paid to the AAA.
6. Location:
   • If your friend lives in the U.S., arbitration can occur at a location convenient for them. If outside the U.S., it will be in San Mateo County, California, but remote options (phone/online) can reduce travel costs.

Key Tips to Minimize Costs

• Explicitly state inability to pay fees in the Notice of Dispute to trigger EA’s obligation to cover arbitration costs.
• Opt for remote arbitration (phone or online) to avoid travel expenses.
• Review the AAA Consumer Rules at www.adr.org to understand the capped fees and process, ensuring no unexpected costs.

Additional Notes

• Your friend should gather any evidence (e.g., screenshots of Auction House activity, communications with EA) to support their claim of no coin buying/selling.
• Arbitration is binding and waives the right to a jury trial or class action, so your friend should be prepared for a final decision.
• If the ban’s impact is minor (e.g., non-monetary), consider if arbitration costs/time are worth pursuing, though EA covering fees reduces this concern.

For further guidance, your friend can contact the AAA or visit www.adr.org to start the process after the 30-day negotiation period.

STRIKESHOT1 said:

I spent several hundred dollars on points and ripped packs/sold players to get coin stack up and then slowly been buying pieces for the squad, grabbed GT uche, plaxico, and metcalf on Sunday before they all crashed when the fire pack came out -_-

Bingo, probably got hit by that infamous ban wave that affected a lot of people, how you got banned? Buying or selling GTs on the AH.

That ban wave might potentially ruined the game series as it ruined the trust of legitimate players

flarefolf said:

Bingo, probably got hit by that infamous ban wave that affected a lot of people, how you got banned? Buying or selling GTs on the AH.

That ban wave might potentially ruined the game series as it ruined the trust of legitimate players

Thats so dumb -_-

c59x0x0 said:

I gotta ask, were you buying or selling coins (I think you said "no" last month)?  If no, then you move forward and escalate this to arbitration.  They will keep doing this to us until they are forced to change their behavior.  Section 13 of their Terms of Sale lays out the Arbitration process: https://www.ea.com/legal/terms-of-sale  

P.S.  For 'Specific relief sought' I would recommend putting in some form of reasonable cash payout in additional to AH unban.  It's late in the year and by the time this potentially gets resolved you are likely looking at losing roughly 20-25% of the year due to "feelings" that you were coin trading.  Consider the money you've spent all year...request that they provide this number to the arbitrator from their systems.  Come up with a formula that you can justify with the arbitrator such as, "I spent $3,500 on the game all year.  I make Youtube content promoting their game.  I never have promoted nor work with coin trading sites.  They falsely accused me which will result in me losing 25% of the year, so I want a minimum $3,500 * 0.25 = $875, plus fair market value for your 35m in coins and cards (whether EA likes it or not the coin reseller sites *IS* the fair market and they value Madden coins at $15-30 per million, at the time of ban), plus any damage to your Youtube brand/revenue.  Also, state you would like the arbitrator to give consideration to the fact that EA has had two massive waves of AH Bans which happened AFTER your ban, yet were resolved within 1-2 weeks for those users.  Say something like "I would like you, the arbitrator, to request documentation from them showing the steps, if any, they have taken in the past two months to fix their systems which have been proven to be anything but accurate." (recent false ban waves: Ultimate Legend LTD 5 weeks ago and Golden Ticket price drop ban wave 3 weeks ago)

Below are your next steps (I think you are now on step #2), summarized by Grok...

Based on the EA Terms of Sale provided, your friend’s next step to dispute the Madden Auction House trading ban is to pursue binding arbitration, as EA has upheld the ban after informal negotiations. Below is a summary of the next steps and how your friend can minimize upfront costs, per the terms in Section 13.

Next Steps for Arbitration

1. Send a Notice of Dispute:
   • Your friend must send a written Notice of Dispute to EA at: Electronic Arts Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, ATTENTION: Legal Department.
   • The notice must include:
     • Full name and contact information.
     • Description of the dispute, specifying the unfair ban from the Auction House based solely on activity, with no evidence of coin buying/selling, and that EA’s response did not provide sufficient proof.
     • Specific relief sought, e.g., reversal of the ban and restoration of Auction House access.
   • This starts a mandatory 30-day informal negotiation period before arbitration can begin.
2. Initiate Arbitration with the AAA:
   • If EA does not resolve the dispute within 30 days, your friend can file for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and Consumer Rules (available at www.adr.org).
   • The arbitration can be conducted in person, by phone, online, or through document submission, offering flexibility to reduce costs.
   • Your friend should elect arbitration by contacting the AAA and following their filing process.

3. Minimize Upfront Costs:

   • Under the AAA Consumer Rules, consumer arbitration fees are typically capped (e.g., $200 for claims under $75,000, per AAA rules as of 2025).
   • To avoid paying arbitration fees, your friend can send a letter to EA at the Notice of Dispute address, stating they are unable to pay the fees required to initiate arbitration. Per Section 13.C, if your friend notifies EA of financial hardship, EA will pay all arbitration fees and expenses.

   • Sample language for the Notice of Dispute to minimize costs:

     "I am unable to pay the arbitration fees required to initiate this process due to financial constraints. Per the EA Terms of Sale, I request that EA cover all arbitration fees and expenses."

   • If the arbitrator deems the fees excessive, EA is also obligated to cover them.

4. Arbitration Process:
   • The arbitrator will review the case, and your friend should emphasize:
     • No evidence was provided by EA to substantiate the claim of coin buying/selling.
     • The ban was based solely on Auction House activity, which is insufficient to justify the penalty.
     • The relief sought (e.g., ban reversal and account restoration).
   • The arbitrator’s decision is binding, and a written decision with reasons can be requested.
5. Potential Recovery:
   • If the arbitrator rules in your friend’s favor and awards a monetary value greater than EA’s last settlement offer (if any), EA will:
     • Pay 150% of the arbitration award, up to $5,000 above the award.
     • Reimburse any arbitration fees your friend paid to the AAA.
6. Location:
   • If your friend lives in the U.S., arbitration can occur at a location convenient for them. If outside the U.S., it will be in San Mateo County, California, but remote options (phone/online) can reduce travel costs.

Key Tips to Minimize Costs

• Explicitly state inability to pay fees in the Notice of Dispute to trigger EA’s obligation to cover arbitration costs.
• Opt for remote arbitration (phone or online) to avoid travel expenses.
• Review the AAA Consumer Rules at www.adr.org to understand the capped fees and process, ensuring no unexpected costs.

Additional Notes

• Your friend should gather any evidence (e.g., screenshots of Auction House activity, communications with EA) to support their claim of no coin buying/selling.
• Arbitration is binding and waives the right to a jury trial or class action, so your friend should be prepared for a final decision.
• If the ban’s impact is minor (e.g., non-monetary), consider if arbitration costs/time are worth pursuing, though EA covering fees reduces this concern.

For further guidance, your friend can contact the AAA or visit www.adr.org to start the process after the 30-day negotiation period.

I've been looking into potentially doing this and from the TOS I read you have to wait 60 days from the notice of dispute, and trying to move to arbitration before then voids your right to