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Sharing Accounts - against the terms of service?

AuthorMessage
Explorer
Jun 06, 2011
87
Now, I am not saying that I do this, but in the terms of service, sharing accounts is illegal and will result in a ban. Now, I had an idea. Say you have 2 kids who play Wizard101, Bobby and Billy. Both are best friends and know eachother in real life. Bobby owns two accounts and Billy owns one. Bobby does not use the secondary account, and he approaches Billy and asks if he wants it. Billy says yes, and now Bobby owns 2 accounts, and Billy owns 1 and with the custody of the 2nd account. Is this scenario against the terms of service? I'm curious. It seems like sharing accounts is more of a meet-some-shady-figure-in-the-commons kind of caution, but if it's someone who's clearly trustworthy, like Bobby and Billy, would Billy and Bobby be banned from Wizard101?

Astrologist
Dec 31, 2009
1124
In short, this is still against the terms of service, all 3 accounts can potentially be banned for it.

Defender
Nov 24, 2012
124
Jacob LotusCaller on Sep 22, 2017 wrote:
Now, I am not saying that I do this, but in the terms of service, sharing accounts is illegal and will result in a ban. Now, I had an idea. Say you have 2 kids who play Wizard101, Bobby and Billy. Both are best friends and know eachother in real life. Bobby owns two accounts and Billy owns one. Bobby does not use the secondary account, and he approaches Billy and asks if he wants it. Billy says yes, and now Bobby owns 2 accounts, and Billy owns 1 and with the custody of the 2nd account. Is this scenario against the terms of service? I'm curious. It seems like sharing accounts is more of a meet-some-shady-figure-in-the-commons kind of caution, but if it's someone who's clearly trustworthy, like Bobby and Billy, would Billy and Bobby be banned from Wizard101?
Sharing accounts is not illegal; it's only against KingsIsle's policy. It doesn't matter that you trust that person with your life or that you know that person in real life—read Professor Greyrose's post here.

A+ Student
Dec 24, 2009
1895
This is kind of sketchy. If Bobby takes over Billy's account, does he also go in and change the email and the credit card on file to reflect his own? Then maybe that would be all right because Bobby is taking full ethical and financial responsibility for the account.

But, if Bobby is using the account that Billy's parents set up and it's their credit card/email on file ... now Bobby is stealing from Billy's parents. Worse, they're still on the hook for everything he says and does, since they're still the official owners of the account.

See the difference?

To me, the true grey area (where I honestly don't know what KI would say), is what if Bobby and Billy are brothers? If their parents set up one account for the two brothers to share, is that against the terms of service? I seriously do not know, and yet I'm sure it happens all the time....

Alia Misthaven

Adherent
Mar 18, 2009
2737
Jacob LotusCaller on Sep 22, 2017 wrote:
Now, I am not saying that I do this, but in the terms of service, sharing accounts is illegal and will result in a ban. Now, I had an idea. Say you have 2 kids who play Wizard101, Bobby and Billy. Both are best friends and know eachother in real life. Bobby owns two accounts and Billy owns one. Bobby does not use the secondary account, and he approaches Billy and asks if he wants it. Billy says yes, and now Bobby owns 2 accounts, and Billy owns 1 and with the custody of the 2nd account. Is this scenario against the terms of service? I'm curious. It seems like sharing accounts is more of a meet-some-shady-figure-in-the-commons kind of caution, but if it's someone who's clearly trustworthy, like Bobby and Billy, would Billy and Bobby be banned from Wizard101?
Seems pretty clear to me. No sharing accounts, means no sharing of accounts.

Even if you share your account with your family and they do something that results in KI sanctions, you still lose the account (and very likely all accounts linked to that one in a family of accounts).

Archon
Feb 07, 2011
3175
Jacob LotusCaller on Sep 22, 2017 wrote:
Now, I am not saying that I do this, but in the terms of service, sharing accounts is illegal and will result in a ban. Now, I had an idea. Say you have 2 kids who play Wizard101, Bobby and Billy. Both are best friends and know eachother in real life. Bobby owns two accounts and Billy owns one. Bobby does not use the secondary account, and he approaches Billy and asks if he wants it. Billy says yes, and now Bobby owns 2 accounts, and Billy owns 1 and with the custody of the 2nd account. Is this scenario against the terms of service? I'm curious. It seems like sharing accounts is more of a meet-some-shady-figure-in-the-commons kind of caution, but if it's someone who's clearly trustworthy, like Bobby and Billy, would Billy and Bobby be banned from Wizard101?
as the game launcher says, "if you share your password, you will lose your wizard forever".

however, i don't think this refers to a ban; it's more, if you give your password to another person, they can do whatever they want with your account (ie: delete your character or change the password, effectively locking you out).

don't quote me on this, since i don't work for ki. but that's just how i read into it, since i've heard of family members (either parent/child or siblings) sharing accounts many times and haven't seen anyone punished for it. still, i (personally) wouldn't do it because the risk is too high.

example: if billy and bobby are sharing an account and one gets mad at the other, what's to stop one of them from changing the password or deleting the other's character as 'revenge'?

that said, i do know of other sites where account sharing or 'giving away' accounts you don't want *are* very much against the rules. if you are concerned, perhaps send an email to ki support (since it's unlikely that any mods will reply here).

-von

Explorer
Jun 06, 2011
87
So, is this scenario against the Terms of Service in fear of deleting your wizards/account safety?

A+ Student
Dec 24, 2009
1895
Jacob LotusCaller on Sep 23, 2017 wrote:
So, is this scenario against the Terms of Service in fear of deleting your wizards/account safety?
I would say it's a definite risk. You must share your password to switch over control of your account and sharing passwords is expressly forbidden.

That said, if you do it quietly and everyone behaves themselves, KingsIsle is unlikely to find out. The person taking the account must change the payment and contact options to themselves, and if they do, they become 100% responsible for that account.

If they don't and your friend instead betrays your trust ... that's where trouble starts and the risk of permanent banning of all affiliated accounts comes into play.

Alia Misthaven

Explorer
Jun 06, 2011
87
Okay. Thanks all! This helped with my view on sharing accounts.