Hello, IMVU Community!
My name is Jeff, and I’ve recently joined IMVU to help transform IMVU’s customer service team into a more proactive Customer Care and Education organization. As one of the first steps toward addressing some of the concerns you’ve shared with us, I have exciting news to announce. We understand the frustration and anxiety many of you have expressed about our current process for addressing policy violations on the site and the potential for your account to be disabled without notice or explanation. Historically, IMVU has not been consistent in notifying our users when we disable an account for violating our Terms of Service (ToS), Virtual Goods Policy (VGP), or Privacy Policy. Accounts were disabled for many different types of unacceptable behavior, from selling content that was unsuitable for IMVU (UFI) to credit fraud, and the penalties were permanent by default. We have been working hard behind the scenes to improve this process, with a focus on proactive communication.
Beginning today, we will have the ability to temporarily suspend account access for a particular period of time, depending on the offense. All actions taken on an account will be accompanied by a detailed email explaining why the account was suspended or disabled and when you can expect to regain access (if that applies). For example, the first violation of the ToS results in a 2-week suspension. The second violation may result in an additional 4-week suspension, and the third violation may result in the permanent disablement of your account. Our decisions regarding the penalties we impose on accounts are final. Some offenses will remain serious enough to permanently disable your account immediately.
Of course, most should never receive any of these emails because you are good community members and follow the IMVU Terms of Service and Virtual Goods Policy.
As a reminder, you should never share your IMVU password with anyone, especially with someone you do not know. You are solely responsible for all activity originating from your account. Granting anyone access to your account is not a good idea and could result in the suspension of your account. Please remember: IMVU Staff will never ask for your password.
We’re making significant progress in responding to some of our oldest tickets, and you may have already noticed some improvements to our Knowledge Base (where you can search for answers to common questions without having to wait). You will continue to see many positive changes over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please continue to access Customer Care through our Support Center by clicking Help at the top of any page of our website or in 3D Chat. I won’t be able to respond to specific requests for help via the Blog.
Regards,
Jeff
Manager, Customer Care & Education
I hope this is used just the way you have stated and is not just another fluffy idea coming from staff that gets misused and then misplaced as has so often happened over the years. Welcome to ImVu Jeff, I hope you are able to make the positive changes you have started.
So if all punishments are final decisions, what happens when IMVU makes a mistake and punishes someone who is innocent or who simply made a stupid mistake and/or error? Is there going to be any sort of due process or are we all going to be treated like children and slapped on the hand whenever imvu feels things are in violation? Isn’t that rather subjective of imvu? Is there going to be a speedy process to deal with appeals? Are all accidents going to be treated as malicious actions? Are we going to receive any sort of warnings before we’re disabled? Is it even possible to make the rules black and white? Just some food for thought….
I think this is very good. I really like this. Y’all improving on there IMVU community which is very helpful to people.
I hope to see more progress & improvement on IMVU.
-Tony
this is definitely good news. I’ve sent out help tickets from last year and never heard a reply back. I’ve given up on sending help tickets coz of that issue. I even received a reply 2 years after i sent the first email and i don’t remember what my question was because the reply stated that they have received my email and was pretty broad. so hopefully with the new customer service we will actually get responses to help tickets sooner than 6 months to 2 years.
WEW FINALLY !! I dont congratulate IMVU for that cuz i think it should have been done long time ago !!! I got several accounts disabled and i admit i had some exagerative behaviors but i think we should never be restricted to expose truth about things… Censorship totally sucks about some of these things.
While the time passed IMVU could fill their pockets with MONEY !!! Tsuh !!!! Am frank talker never expect me to be hypocrit !!!!
I am pleased to see this improvement in the Customer Care Dept of IMVU. Serious overhauls are needed here because your community feels very disconnect with IMVU. I do not foresee any sort of suspension or disablement, but I am glad that if this should happen to myself or anyone I care about, it will be properly addressed with an email and explanation. That is just good and warranted service.
Wow! Thank you IMVU and Jeff H., this new concept sounds like it is going to be good, and helpful to everyone. It is really nice to see some change!
So minors that are continuously lying about there age to purchase are just gonna get away with a slap on the wrist? I’ve seen plenty of this and its ridiculous.
Hi, Tony. Just to clarify: when we have evidence that a user has lied about her or his age, we will continue to ban the account until we have received proof of the age on the account. We take age misrepresentation very seriously.
Hey there Jeff!
All of this sounds like a very promising start to some new beginnings and I am very heartened to see all of these active changes. Welcome to IMVU!
In regards to Tony’s question though, I think what he means is:
If a minor lied about their age, will they be re-allowed into IMVU after they prove that they are whatever age they are or will they be permanently banned?
The reason for this concern is this:
The minors that are caught keep coming back with multiple accounts and where IMVU takes age misrepresentation seriously in such a case, it is clear that these younger users do not. They simply come back as an older user under a new account and continue to flaunt the fact that they’re underage.
The temporary ban = a shrug of their shoulders and they keep coming back and coming back and coming back.
They don’t respect IMVU’s rules and don’t take the temporary banning seriously at all.
Please, if you have the time, visit the AP forum where there are topics about minors misrepresenting their ages. Perhaps those will explain better the concern that is being brought up.
Again, welcome to the team!
~ SpirInk
Thanks SpiritInk, For clarifying what I meant. I’ve know of a few minors with AP accounts. I’ve reported them seen them disables only to get there accounts back. Then they turn right back around and start new AP accounts flaunting it around that they can get away with it.. Its nice that IMVU is trying to make people happy, but if your not getting to the root of the problem whats the point?
Asking Credit/ Debit card users that buy Access Pass / Age Verify to send in a copy of their ID Cards (Driver’s License is one) SHOULD HAVE BEEN done to begin with. As it stands now, Credit/ Debit card users don’t have to. This can create an opportunity for under-aged users to get one by borrowing their parent’s card.
Yeah, If someone wants an AP, they should be asked for ID reguardless of method of payment.
My friend got disabled for haveing illegal items would he get his account back after a few weeks or never?
there are alotta questions to that answer can be a yes or maybe or wont ever happen or he might have been hacked by someone like wut happened to my friend