I first started playing World Of Warcraft in 2009, during the month of November. I had no idea, about a week after I started playing, even what an Achievement was, when I logged in to suddenly be hit with one.
Long-time players know that it had been Blizzard's hobby to give out a unique companion pet on their "anniversary," or the game's anniversary, to be exact. On that day, World Of Warcraft turned 5, and the gift given to all players who logged in that day was the companion pet, the Onyxian Whelpling - a small, unique little dragon that occasionally takes in a deep breath and expels an adorable smoke ring, as well as the achievement "WoW's 5th Anniversary."
Well, I'd only been playing a little over a week. I got the achievement on my then Night Elf Druid, didn't think anything of it, thought the pet was cute... In fact, it was what gave me the pet collecting bug. But then I fell out of love with my druid and began moving around other classes. My Onyxian Whelpling forgotten, and the Account Bound item either in the bank, or deleted because I didn't know why it wouldn't go away. (I was a total n00b, in case you hadn't guessed.)
Well, fast forward nearly 2 years to the release of Cataclysm, when I decided to delete Kalitri and remake her as a Worgen. Not a single thought went to the unique pet that only she had... In fact, I hadn't played her in so long that I'd forgotten I had it.
I remade her as a worgen and was thrilled with her! I loved her so much that she momentarily took away from leveling my now main Hunter from 80 to 85. Which turned out to be good, as I wound up missing out on the mad rush into the new high-level zones and was able to do them in a much more relaxed manner later.
It wasn't until I calmed down, switched back to Destylae, leveled her to 85, and started working on mount collecting and reputations that I suddenly remembered the Whelpling, and it was because my fiancee's account still had one, and I saw her running around with it and wondered what had happened to mine.
Long story short, at her urging, I sent in a ticket. I explained the situation and how I'd remade the character that had the achievement and the pet, but that as it was an Account Bound item, I would really like it back, if possible, and thanked them.
Within a day, I received a response - as they couldn't find the achievement on any of my Galakrond characters, they couldn't restore the item. If they made a mistake and missed it, if I could point it out, they would be happy to replace the item.
Well, I thought, it was a good idea that just didn't work. I thanked them, and moved on.
Yesterday, the Winged Guardian mount was released in the Blizzard Store. I, of course, being a mount and pet collector, had to have it. So, thanks to my mommy, I got it. While I was in the process of hopping around characters and servers to pick it up, I took a long, hard look at my Hordies on Blackwater Raiders.
Garouna, my Orc Hunter, had been my first Horde character, but I liked my Tauren Hunter, Lakora, much better now. Should I just delete the Orc? I like her riding wolves, though... Oh well, I'll log in, pick up the mount, take a look at her, and see if something changes my mind.
And there it was, in her Companions tab - the Onyxian Whelpling.
I stared. I blinked. I stared again. There was no denying it - it was right there. She had the pet. She had the achievement. I MUST have logged in and gotten it on her and just didn't remember it.
It was a long shot that they'd accept the info from another server, but I quickly hopped back onto my Support account and reopened the ticket with this new information. It was probably a long shot and there was nothing I could do... But I had been given one last shot, and I was going to take it.
Tonight, I received the item, Onyxian Whelpling, in the mail on Destylae, with an "Item Recovery" mail from Blizzard. I nearly exploded. If it hadn't been nearly midnight, I probably would've shouted aloud and done a dance in real life. I learned it, squeed over it to my Guildies, then began the process of sending it from one character to the next and then back to Des after all my Galakrond characters had the pet.
They didn't have to do that for me - nothing was to gain by it other than something like this glowing review of Blizzard Customer Service. The item didn't even exist still on Garouna - I probably deleted it. But the Achievement was there. The Pet was there. And that was all they needed.
I used to think that if I worked for a big corporation, I'd want to work for Disney. But I think I may have changed my mind tonight. I'd like to work at Blizzard, and I'd like to be customer service... So that I can make people's days and nights when something like this happens, and make someone who did something stupid two years earlier as happy as they made me tonight.
So a special shout out and thank you directly to all the Blizzard CSR's who helped me with this issue: Rhaokirvarr, Atzelroni, and Methyrnn - you guys, and everyone else at Blizzard, absolutely ROCK. Thank you SO very much for your understanding and swift correction of one former n00b's horrible mistake.
And for the record? The item is now housed in the first slot of Des' bank, surrounded on 3 sides with the heart shaped badges you get during the Netherwing Rep Grind, to forever remind me how awesome Blizzard really is.
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