Sims 3 website won't redeem code

OriginalMara

Okay, so the other day I bought a brand-new sealed copy of Barnacle Bay. It was one of those download only/no disk ones that only comes with the redeem code.

I logged into the Sims 3 site, went to Redeem a Code. Typed in my code. And it just sits there, with a spinning wheel. It never completes, it's just forever processing until enough time passes and my session times out.

I have tried everything I can think of:

I have refreshed the screen, multiple times. Probably have entered this code a dozen times or more, and it does the same thing every time.
I checked my Purchase History to see if maybe it had gone through anyway. But no.
I cleared my Internet cache. I tried it in Internet Explorer (I usually use Firefox).

I even contacted EA Help, but my advisor seemed to think I had a bad code and asked me to contact the seller, who I got the game from. (After asking me to take a picture of everything, including the disk... which does not exist... and sent it to them).

For experimental purposes only, I looked up a code online for one of the EPs I don't have registered. I typed it in and immediately got the "that code has been used" message.

When I tried my BB code, nothing. I figure if I had a bad/used code (because it was not a new one but repackaged somehow) I would have gotten that message as well for Barnacle Bay, yes?

I truly believe it is a glitch with the web site.

I just want to redeem this world so I can add it to my game. But I'm out of ideas. I do not want to contact the seller for this yet, because I am not sure how they are supposed help me make the website work and get my code redeemed.

phoebebebe13

The sims 3 web does not work unless you clear all your internet browser history. This includes IE. IE tends to create blocks on the sims 3 web. I always use firefox. If none of that works than it's possible the sims 3 web is acting wonky or your don't have a good code. EA did have allot of issues with illegal codes being sold on Ebay and other sites. They took many players EP's away for their codes being illegal a few months back. This could be same issue with store worlds.

OriginalMara

I only used IE that one time to see if it worked on there.
I usually use Firefox. The rest of the Sims 3 web site seems to work fine though. But I will try clearing my history as well... and not just the cache.

phoebebebe13

You need to clear all your history on every browser including IE. IE builds up even when you don't use it. I use CCleaner which gets all browser history in one shot.

OriginalMara

Hmm, still no go. I even cleared the cookies and cache and things again on Firefox.

You know how when you try to sign into the Sims 3 website from the home page (instead of going to My Page and logging in, where it works fine?) and it just spools, not working?
That's what the Redeem a Code is doing.

I did also contact the seller just in case, but I don't think it's the code. Lots of people seem to be having issues with the Redeem a Code page, from the bit of googling I did.

igazor

I'm sorry to have to say this, but if the purchase was through Origin or from an authorized re-seller, no matter what the malfunction with the code redemption might be, the issue you are having should prompt EA to snap into action, provide you with a new code, or do the redemption for you on their end.

If the purchase was not from an authorized re-seller, then EA won't or can't do any of these things. In that case, the only things you can really do are ask the re-seller for a new code (which from the sound of it likely isn't going to work any better) or your money back.

OriginalMara

Yeah. I will just have to wait and see what the seller responds with. And will probably just get a refund.

If the seller I had used wasn't authorized, I doubt the advisor would have asked me for pictures of my box and my receipt.


When I had an issue with my Monte Vista code, my advisor (well the second one I talked to; the first one wanted to force me to install Origin; the second simply put the code in my account) was a lot more helpful. But I had used a different seller for that one.

igazor

Just to clarify, this is what we mean when we talk about "authorized re-sellers." It's not a very long list and individual vendors (as opposed to the large retail chains and Steam as listed) are not among them.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/where-to-buy-ea-games-v2

OriginalMara

Ah, I got my MV from Amazon, that's probably why I hadn't any trouble way back when, at least when I got an advisor that was helpful.

(Of course, until now I haven't had trouble with buying elsewhere, either, but those were not worlds; the problem seems to be more with redeem code than with register game).

Thanks @igazor. I had been meaning to look up a list, but forgot.

Will try to get a refund when I hear back from my seller, and find a copy of BB on Amazon.