Buying FFXIV Abroad

[Magos]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question but I hope this info might be relevant for others who plan on purchasing FFXIV.

So here's the question: What affect, if any, does the version/registration codes of the game you buy have on how you are billed? For example, if I buy an EU version of FFXIV, will I be billed 1,299 euro or do I have the option of paying $12.99 as an NA player?

I ask because I might be abroad when FFXIV comes out and I'm trying to decide whether it would be better to buy FFXIV from the US and have it shipped over or just buy an EU version. For those of you have have bought/downloaded a JP/EU version of FFXI but play as a NA player, are there any potential conflicts with billing or with customer service?

Any suggestions?

[Hyan]

Get the NA version, EU version is a rip off.

In XI the game version's region decided whether you had to pay in euros or dollars. XIV doesn't use POL so I dunno how the new system works, but it's very possible that it's the same case here.

I had no trouble with billing as an European playing with the NA version, but I assume problems could arise with CS.

[Freelancer]

Get the NA version, EU version is a rip off.

In XI the game version's region decided whether you had to pay in euros or dollars. XIV doesn't use POL so I dunno how the new system works, but it's very possible that it's the same case here.

I had no trouble with billing as an European playing with the NA version, but I assume problems could arise with CS.

Why is it a rip-off? (I pre-ordered one because my FF13 code is EU but if on the long run it'll cost me more dough, I'll go NA)

[Hyan]

Why is it a rip-off? (I pre-ordered one because my FF13 code is EU but if on the long run it'll cost me more dough, I'll go NA)

As far as currency rates go, EU subscription fee costs quite a bit more than the NA one. I think he'd have to pay like 16 dollars a month with the current rates.

This assuming the system works like it did in XI.

[Freelancer]

As far as currency rates go, EU subscription fee costs quite a bit more than the NA one. I think he'd have to pay like 16 dollars a month with the current rates.

This assuming the system works like it did in XI.

Disastrous...

Though I have both a US and EU FFXI accounts and they charged the same.

[Hyan]

Assuming he could set his country to UK and the fee would be paid in pounds instead of euros it might be manageable, but it would still cost more than if he got the US version afaik.

[SalehCoder]

I strongly suggest you buy the game from the region you live on. I live in EU and I owned an NA FFXI. After they applied the new payment method which requires "verified by visa" cards, I was no longer be able to play because my country does not issue that type of credit cards.

[Cayos]

I strongly suggest you buy the game from the region you live on. I live in EU and I owned an NA FFXI. After they applied the new payment method which requires "verified by visa" cards, I was no longer be able to play because my country does not issue that type of credit cards.

Call them up and explain that your credit card doesn't have verified by visa and they'll bypass it for you.

[KoRnpedo]

Call them up and explain that your credit card doesn't have verified by visa and they'll bypass it for you.

My friend tried that, it didnt work, they refused to bypass it for him.

[Dakana]

I strongly suggest you buy the game from the region you live on. I live in EU and I owned an NA FFXI. After they applied the new payment method which requires "verified by visa" cards, I was no longer be able to play because my country does not issue that type of credit cards.

Also note that XI required you to get expansion keys form the region that you registered in. So if you get the EU version you'll possibly also have to get EU expansions too.

[Zetanio]

My friend tried that, it didnt work, they refused to bypass it for him.

Ask nicely, they did it for me 2 weeks ago.

[KoRnpedo]

Ask nicely, they did it for me 2 weeks ago.

yeah cuz I just called them and threatened them to make it work ... we asked them couple of months ago, he'll be updating his payment info later today, will give it a shot and see.

[Rrylia]

Just in case anyone is still deciding based on the above factors - at current FX rates, things work out approximately as follows;

USA ($USD)
$12.99 / 30 days
= €10.11
= £8.32
= ¥1,112

UNITED KINGDOM (£GBP)
£8.99 / 30 days
= €10.92
= $14.04
= ¥1,202

Japan (¥JPY)
¥1,280 / 30 days
= $14.95
= £9.57
= €11.63

EUROPE (€EUR)
€12.99 / 30 days
= £10.69
= $16.69
= ¥1,429

€EUR is therefore the most expensive at current rates, followed by ¥JPY, £GBP, then $USD - irrespective of your local currency. In order to reach parity, for me (as a £GBP player) the €EUR rate would need to hit 1.44 (possible - but not that likely), the $USD rate would need to hit the same (possible - was this low in May 2010), and the ¥JPY rate would need to hit 142.38 (easily possible).

Given the fairly minor difference on a monthly basis even in a fairly large swing in FX rates, the largest fluctuation anyone is likely to experience is in the region of -5/+5 £s, $s or €s (obviously a lot more in ¥s) in the monthly fee, even at fairly extreme rates. When the $USD to £GBP rate of conversion was 2:1 - if I paid the fee in $USD, my £GBP equivalent would be £6.49 vs. £8.99 if I paid in £GBP - saving of £2.50... which is less than the price of a pint of ale. A month.

RRY

[Mistress Stowastiq]

NA Amazon's FFXIV page has a disclaimer about buying out of region and why it is bad so if anyone is doing that, you might want to look for that notice. It is kind of small.
The notice was posted on the official FFXIV twitter a while back.. I'll look for the link.
Edit: cant find it.

[Sinzfeldt]

Stuff

And also don't forget that if you buy from outside your region all future expansions will have to be imported also so have fun missing launches with the delivery times!

[Gokulo]

NA Amazon's FFXIV page has a disclaimer about buying out of region and why it is bad so if anyone is doing that, you might want to look for that notice. It is kind of small.
The notice was posted on the official FFXIV twitter a while back.. I'll look for the link.
Edit: cant find it.

Are you talking about the proper region S-E account or something like that?

[Drako]

anyone knows a store that will sell the collectors edition and they can send the cdkey before sending the game?

or any good soul that is willing to do it for me?

[Sinzfeldt]

So you want someone to unpack the collectors edition remove all the packaging on the game, send the cd to you, pack it all back up then send it to you? Not likely buddy. Usually it's either the game or cd key.

[Gokulo]

So you want someone to unpack the collectors edition remove all the packaging on the game, send the cd to you, pack it all back up then send it to you? Not likely buddy. Usually it's either the game or cd key.

That's not true. I'm EU but was playing the imported US version of XI. Every time a new expansion would come out I'd order the game on interactcd - they imported it to Poland no problem so it was good, and you could as them to send you the cd key right after release (since waiting for the package took time obviously).

[Sinzfeldt]

That's not true. I'm EU but was playing the imported US version of XI. Every time a new expansion would come out I'd order the game on interactcd - they imported it to Poland no problem so it was good, and you could as them to send you the cd key right after release (since waiting for the package took time obviously).

Yeah just saying that from the experience that i could only find places to import that would only send the cd key in an email. Seems more effort for a collectors edition too.