BEWARE OF THE FFXI SCAM (to anyone thinking about re-signing up with the game)
I reactivated my account on April 30th, and just received my bill. Because I signed up in April, I was charged for the full month of April. And then on May 1st, they charged me for the full month of May. There is nothing you can do about this. Even though I signed up with only 12 hours left in the month, I am to pay the full months fees. This is also why they probably released the game later in the month, to milk all of us for extra cash.
My friend/co-worker who re-activated only a few days before me, received the exact same bill as I.
Also beware when cancelling your account. The only way to get them to stop charging your card is to call up. Deleting your account is not enough, as you will still be charged.
These people are thieves.
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on posting this in the FFXI forums, I was amazed to find people DEFENDING this action, perfectly okay with the fact that this is the only company that expects you to install the game on the first of the month in order to get your money's worth. It is the only game that I know that does this, and it is archaic and bad customer handling.