The ECA is at it again

Done my part. Fight the power.

Copying my posts to here in case they get deleted there:
Don’t do anything to associate yourself with the ECA.

Head over to CAG and check out how the ECA has effectively assaulted the gamers they claim to serve. They allowed people to sign up for a one year membership for free. They then proceeded to remove some of the benefits (to their credit, some were abused), which caused several people to opt out. HOWEVER, their online opt-out system was fake. People who canceled got charged for another year.

The ECA then said “our system never had an online option to cancel an automatic re-subs,” and removed it from their site. They then MANDATED that people send them registered snail mail to cancel, saying that “there was an old database no one knew about, and it kept everyone’s CC info, which is why they were re-upped.” So they kept personal financial info long after someone wanted out. They don’t send out one month warnings about recharges despite saying repeatedly that they require themselves to do so. Hal set off on a huge campaign to complain about how “gamers abused everything, they got what they deserved, we are not at fault here,” and other nonsense.

(Continued from above)

Do not trust them. Do not associate yourself with them. You can fight for gamer rights in much more pleasant, less underhanded ways. You do not need this shady organization, and it will be a nightmare to back out once they’ve got your credit card info.

You have been warned. Again, check out Cheapassgamer for more information. People are MORE than glad to dole out the grisly details. The ECA is well aware of CAG, having banned many users from their forums for complaining about this situation, and then openly mocking them for doing so. But it’s pretty hard to shut us up, which is why we’re trying to spread the word.

Don’t do it. You WILL regret it, falling for more snake oil salesman pitches from someone claiming to be fighting for you.
 
wait...is the OP against what the ECA are trying to do? As in, trying to stop California lawmakers to pass a bill that can possibly lead to some restrictions on "violent" video games?

Say what you want about that whole membership debacle from a while back. The point of the ECA is to be a lobbying group for gamers, which is exactly what they're doing now.
 
There are other organizations you could donate to, like the ESA, who are the ones who run E3. Give them money instead of the ECA.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']There are other organizations you could donate to, like the ESA, who are the ones who run E3. Give them money instead of the ECA.[/QUOTE]
Isn't the ESA a professional trade organization? Still, they do run the Video Game Voters Network, so there's that as a viable alternative.
 
Thanks for this thread... forgot that I still had my membership and promptly canceled it. This organization is a joke and doesn't do shit for gamers or their rights, despite what Hal Halpin wants you to believe.

Have they even done anything since their inception, other than take money?

This comment on the blog says it all:

I read the article and though I’m Canadian I followed the link to the petition. I just want to say I think it’s a little bit unclassy to add options to sign up for a subscription to your association as part of the petition.
Click to expand...

Here is Hal's response:

If we have an opportunity to engage with prospective new members, offer them a discounted trial membership to see if they’d like it, I think we have an obligation to do so. Unless you’d like to make a sizable personal contribution – in which case, we should talk!
Click to expand...

Always about the money to this guy... you stay classy, Hal.
 
Wow. The audacity of that jackass. Like the Supreme Court is going to listen to an internet petition... :roll:

"Hey, join the ECA, we're not evil, promise! Look, we got a petition together!"
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']Wow. The audacity of that jackass. Like the Supreme Court is going to listen to an internet petition... :roll:

"Hey, join the ECA, we're not evil, promise! Look, we got a petition together!"[/QUOTE]

Whichever CAG over there wrote this was spot on - I applaud them:

An online petition will do nothing. The Supreme Court rules on law, not popular opinion.
Hal is using these scare tactics and sensationalism to drum up membership for the ECA. Please don’t think they are anything but a sham organization that has done pretty much nothing for gamers’ rights. The ECA has shown in the past that their own organization doesn’t have consumers in mind, only the bottom line.
I’m disappointed in Sony for giving him this forum to spew his nonsense.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not against the activism even though it won't do any good. I take issue with what has been said already. They are using this as a forum to get new members and more revenue. I still can access some stuff over there and nothing has changed. All "benefits" are the same. Most don't work or are worthless. If you look at Hal's info and statements he always in all advertising mentions benefits. He always asks for money and gets defensive about it. If he wants the option to join in the petition page then by default have the join boxes unchecked. It is not considered good form for a supposed consumer organization to use such tactics. It's the same argument for fake benefits, binding arbitration clauses, difficulty in quitting, auto renewal, etc.... They are all bad practices that a consumer organization needs to avoid.
 
Wow. Hal is offering subscriptions to the ECA for only $.99 for three months. That's a steal. I wonder what the other 9 months costs.:roll:

I signed the e-petition.....as Duke Nukem.:rofl:
 
[quote name='eddie291']wait...is the OP against what the ECA are trying to do? As in, trying to stop California lawmakers to pass a bill that can possibly lead to some restrictions on "violent" video games?

Say what you want about that whole membership debacle from a while back. The point of the ECA is to be a lobbying group for gamers, which is exactly what they're doing now.[/QUOTE]
The petition goes to the Supreme Court, who couldn't give two shits about an online petition, even if it was signed by every gamer in America.

The whole thing is just to get your attention, and then get your money in the form of a ECA membership. The EMA and ESA are the ones actually defending your rights (granted for selfish purposes), not the ECA
http://www.mediacoalition.org/VSDA-v.-Schwarzenegger-

Don't be fooled.
 
[quote name='chakan']The petition goes to the Supreme Court, who couldn't give two shits about an online petition, even if it was signed by every gamer in America.

The whole thing is just to get your attention, and then get your money in the form of a ECA membership. The EMA and ESA are the ones actually defending your rights (granted for selfish purposes), not the ECA
http://www.mediacoalition.org/VSDA-v.-Schwarzenegger-

Don't be fooled.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. The Supreme Court is full old geezers and pompous Ivy league grads... they're not gonna care what a bunch of people on the internet say.
 
Apparently Sony doesn't like my brand of comments on their blogs, since my comment asking Hal directly if he was an illegitimate son of Rip Torn and had a problem like daddy with the sauce has not showed up as of yet.:rofl:
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Wow. Hal is offering subscriptions to the ECA for only $.99 for three months. That's a steal. I wonder what the other 9 months costs.:roll:[/QUOTE]

Your soul to the ECA

shang_tsung.gif
 
[quote name='kburns10']Your soul to the ECA

shang_tsung.gif
[/QUOTE]
You captured Hal perfectly.:lol: But how can I give them something I already pawned off for a Kit Kat bar in 1988?:razz:
 
[quote name='chakan']The petition goes to the Supreme Court, who couldn't give two shits about an online petition, even if it was signed by every gamer in America.

The whole thing is just to get your attention, and then get your money in the form of a ECA membership. The EMA and ESA are the ones actually defending your rights (granted for selfish purposes), not the ECA
http://www.mediacoalition.org/VSDA-v.-Schwarzenegger-

Don't be fooled.[/QUOTE]
Also EFF (not strictly video games, but some overlap).
 
[quote name='eddie291']wait...is the OP against what the ECA are trying to do? As in, trying to stop California lawmakers to pass a bill that can possibly lead to some restrictions on "violent" video games?

Say what you want about that whole membership debacle from a while back. The point of the ECA is to be a lobbying group for gamers, which is exactly what they're doing now.[/QUOTE]
The ECA is trying to make you think they're doing something. They're really not. The "petition" (that -surprise!- has you opting-in to the ECA automatically, you have to manually un-check the boxes. Hey! Hal's just trying to make it easier on the consumer :roll: ) is just Hal trying to drum up paying members. If you actually think this petition will do anything, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
 
Not sure if this was intended to be funny, but it definitely is considering the ECA bullshit in the past.

From the comments:

"You sure we can sign the petition online? Maybe we should send a letter with our signature instead."
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
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Long lost son of Rip Torn?[/QUOTE]

Tom Green played Hal in "Freddy Got Fingered".
 
When I first saw Hal's picture, I 100% thought it was that weird guy from "the Tester" that got kicked off first... maybe his son?

the_tester_people.jpg


I don't even have to point out which one I'm talking about...
 
You can cancel online, but a few CAGs reported still getting renewed after they canceled.

ECA is full of fail, YMMV
 
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