Falsely banned for cheating due to an App Store issue

[Ricky Cheung]

Hello, I was playing Township normally one day and I want to buy some stuff, but for some reason it failed and I tried a few more but it also failed. After a few hours I was banned for cheating! I spent money on this game before but I never had problem with it, so it's either the problem with Apple or my iPad. I think this is a false ban and I should be unbanned. I have deleted the game but the save file is supposedly still there. If you think I am wrong, please unban me as soon as possible. Side note, I didn't even get what I tried to pay for so I don't even have it.

[Dave Schlosser]

I was banned this week when updating through the Apple Store. I have had none of my emails to customer support answered as well. I've been playing for 5 years and have no clue as to how someone could cheat. Very Frustrating.

[Cuddz]

As you can’t get into your game, you will need to use the form in this link to send a report to Playrix.

https://playrix.helpshift.com/a/township/?p=web&l=en

[FuzzBall]

For years Playrix have taken my money, lot's of it.
Now they have stolen everything I have paid for and won't allow me access to the game. Instead of getting a 'thank you for being such a great customer', they have accused me of cheating and banned me from playing the game!!?? WOW! How crooked and incompetent are Playrix!??

This is illegal & immoral behaviour by Playrix

My game name is FUZZY and my town code is: UM2CNW - I play on the Mac platform and have always been a co-leader of the most successful Co-op ever on the game 'iMacExchange'. I don't cheat and I do not condone people that cheat. I don't even hop!!!
I have had none of my emails to customer support answered as well. I've been playing for 5 years and have no clue as to how someone could cheat either!!
Please reinstate my game and my regatta points immediately, before I engage my legal team and start legal proceeding again Playrix.

[Twins Town]

For years Playrix have taken my money, lot's of it.
Now they have stolen everything I have paid for and won't allow me access to the game. Instead of getting a 'thank you for being such a great customer', they have accused me of cheating and banned me from playing the game!!?? WOW! How crooked and incompetent are Playrix!??

This is illegal & immoral behaviour by Playrix

My game name is FUZZY and my town code is: UM2CNW - I play on the Mac platform and have always been a co-leader of the most successful Co-op ever on the game 'iMacExchange'. I don't cheat and I do not condone people that cheat. I don't even hop!!!
I have had none of my emails to customer support answered as well. I've been playing for 5 years and have no clue as to how someone could cheat either!!
Please reinstate my game and my regatta points immediately, before I engage my legal team and start legal proceeding again Playrix.

Totally with Fuzzy on this issue. It's time Playrix cleaned up their act of these random bannings after every update.

On the one hand, we witness players who cheat whenever a new event comes up on the game. The impossible scores achieved by some of the winners don't seem to draw any attention from Playrix! On the other hand, clean players from our co-op, Fuzzy and Suger this time, get randomly banned!

If things continue like this, Playrix, a lot of players will leave this game. In droves. It's time you created a 'Whitelist', at least for players who were with you for years, day in and day out. it's not difficult to create one as you have all data of all players with you.

Hope someone high up at playrix gives it a thought. These bannings are a massive design flaw and it's time Playrix behaved responsibly. You have pushed a lot of supportive players beyond reason and I feel it's only time before some, if not many, will leave the game.

I am not even talking about legal and Appstore implications of your repeatedly unwarranted and churlish actions. Having collected money through in-game purchases, you must understand that you are governed by the same rules as applied to any other game.

Regards

RN

[Mia's Happytown]

I'm with you Fuzzy, banned also since the last update. And to add insult to injury, no reply to any of my many mails through all available channels. I'm royally p.....off!!!

[Libbytown]

I am in the same situation. I have been a loyal customer for at least 4 years. Spent a lot of money. if I am permanently banned I want my money reimbursed. Their customer service is dreadful. No reply to emails and banned button. Tried to leave a review on the app store to warn others , can't even do that, wouldn't let me leave a review.

[Bellair]

I’m not one for posting on forums usually, so the fact that I’m doing so now is an indication of the level of my frustration at the seemingly never-ending problem of innocent players being banned for supposed cheating when they update their game.

The problem of unwarranted banning has been going on for at least three years now, and seems no closer to being resolved.

I first encountered this issue in February 2017 when I was the leader of a co-op. Immediately after updating, several of our players found themselves banned for cheating. I then had to get in touch with Playrix, who acknowledged that the problem was due to their "anti-cheat system's failure”. The players were then ‘unbanned’ and the situation was resolved within 48 hours.

And now, in February 2020, as the member of different co-op (iMac Exchange), I have witnessed the same situation occurring, resulting in the banning of two of our players, as well as a couple of other players in a sister co-op. On this occasion, however, one of our banned players (Fuzzy, a long-time player and most definitely NOT a cheat) has sent several emails to technical support but has received no response and has not had his game reinstated. It has been nearly a week since his banning.

‘Cheaters’ are not given an explanation as to how they have supposedly cheated either, although at a guess, ‘speed racing’ - i.e. paying T-cash to hasten tasks - might be a red flag to the anti-cheat system, despite not being cheating.

The lack of response from Playrix has been very frustrating, not only for the banned player but also fellow teammates, all of whom are playing hard (but fairly) to win regattas and events. I should add that many of us ‘pay to play’ by purchasing T-cash which makes us customers and therefore, I believe, obligates Playrix to resolve this issue in a more timely manner, especially for racing co-ops.

While I applaud Playrix for attempting to get rid of the cheats in the game (another source of frustration), the unresolved problem of unwarranted banning of players continues to undermine the enjoyment of the game.

We ask that Playrix please reinstate our fellow team members and fix the program’s anti-cheat system so that this does not keep occurring.

Thank you.

[Lyndie]

Just found this quote from Dimitri Bukhman - the Playrix CEO..... “Quality prevails in everything we do,” said Dmitri Bukhman, in an interview. “The key is updating and making our games better and better each time.”
I think he's a bit out of touch myself! Maybe his $35million stops him from seeing what's happening.

[Mia's Happytown]

I'm not sure about your red flag. I don't participate in regattas other than the inter seasonal ones, and so do not speed up anything with T-cash. And yes, the lack of response from Playrix is more than disappointing, in fact I feel being treated as if I was a criminal, where in fact I am a most loyal customer!