The following is the post sent to VMK.
"To Whom It May Concern,
I was hopeful the Staff of VMK could help out with a most unfortunate situation in VMK regarding our son, VMK member ********. I wanted to share a very disappointing incident which transpired yesterday, 1/28 while our son ******** was playing VMK.
Brief overview of our sons commitment to Disney and VMK:
Our 12 yr old son has been playing VMK since Day1 and plays VMK every day with excitement and great enjoyment. Out of all of video and board games, his favorite game is VMK. Our family has participated in every park quest offered at WDW. He displays the code cards he has won like little pieces of art.
VMK has been such a positive experience for him. He laughs and chats with many online friends he has made. He has learned to turn the other cheek when a player isnt being friendly or is not following the rules. VMK is showing him certain values we all learn through life; respect, compromise, and the appreciation for others.
He is a courteous player and ALWAYS adheres to the rules of VMK. At the end of each school day, he promptly completes his homework and chores to play VMK. Our family often logs on together and plays as a family. Often times the dinner conversation is the up and coming park quest or an introduction of Expedition Everest.
If we are not logged on, we will often sit by his side while he plays and monitor the play and conversations (one can never be too cautious as good parents)
The BANNING:
At the time of the banning, I was sitting by my sons side, and can say with confidence, he did not scam anyone.
Yesterday, a "Guest#####" (I dont recall the numbers) member invited our son to a trade. During the trade the Guest member asked him to "borrow" our sons Inferno Magic pin. Our son declined as he doesnt trade magic pins (well
except to me!). After our son declined the trade offer and thanked the Guest for the trade offer, our son left the room.
Shortly thereafter he was banned until 2016 for the reasoning of "Scamming"! VMK did not provide any additional explanation.
PLEASE NOTE: Our son DID NOT SCAM ANYONE! I was sitting by his side during the entire VMK session. If you research his player profile, you will see he is a courteous player and this is simply a mistake or a case of mistaken identity. The banning occurred on Saturday 1/28/06 @ 2:57 pm. The players name was Guest#### (I do not recall the numeric sequence). The players room was named "Ultimate VMK Trade Room "Rare".
Additional History and VMK Values:
We have instructed our son to NEVER accept an offer for him to hold/borrow any items and to never lend items as there is a risk a player may disappear with the item (Ive personally witnessed this happen to players).
Needless to say he is heartbroken to the point of tears for not being able to play his most beloved game as well as the accusation of "Scamming".
It is gut wrenching to see the hurt and confusion on your childs face when someone accuses them of something as harsh as being a Scammer. If the VMK Staff is going to accuse and convict my child of SCAMMING I would appreciate an explanation and facts surround the basis for such harsh treatment.
Our family holds Disney and the Disney Guest experience in the highest of regards. I fear this incident will sour his outlook of Disney. As a parent and customer, I am very surprised as this is not my experience or expectation of the Disney Culture or guest expectations. Regardless if this is an online game or a theme park or resort, VMK is a reflection of the Disney Corporation and I am confident my requests will be addressed as Disney often attends to their customers.
Yesterday our son wrote to the VMK Contact Us seeking answers and a resolution. I fear his request for an explanation will be ignored as other unrelated questions, concerns, and offers for idea have been in the past.
Please email me the transaction log supporting the transaction log leading up to the incident resulting in a 10 year ban. In addition to banning our son, the VMK has chosen to ban our entire household. Is this a Disney Customer Relationship policy?
Please understand I am not playing the part of an out of touch parent assuming their child can do no wrong. I am requesting you reinstate our sons account as soon as possible due to this misunderstanding. I am confident the Walt Disney Company wants children to remember the Magic of Disney.
I hope you can empathize to my request and appreciate the devastation this action is impacting a child.
If you have any questions of me, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be most grateful to speak with you to further understand any challenges.
Our family thanks you in advance for your help and support and apologizes for any confusion or inconvenience this situation may have caused VMK. I hope our son, ********" and the rest of the family will be able to rejoin the VMK community shortly.
Best Regards,
"
That's absolutely terrible. VMK should definitely do more research into issues before giving an innocent and polite child a 10 year ban... Criminals get prison sentences less than that!! Trading scammers are a scary thing on VMK. I always worry about being falsely reported. Especially by those who get really mean when they don't get what they want. I usually close the VMK window to fake a disconnect. Shouldn't even have to though... I wish you the best of luck with your reporting, and if you do eventually need the help of the DIS boards, count me in!
