After receiving a World of Warcraft account, verify that it matches the listing, secure the Battle.net account, remove anything left behind by the previous owner, and take a few precautions before settling into normal play.

These recommendations come from AccountShark's experience trading WoW accounts since 2016. Battle.net and World of Warcraft account functions can change over time, so follow the current guidance shown with your order if it differs from anything below.

Before changing passwords, characters, realms, or other account information, make sure you received what you purchased.

Check the important features from the listing, including where applicable:

If something important is missing or different from the listing, contact AccountShark before making unnecessary changes.

Check the Battle.net account for saved payment methods belonging to the previous owner.

Sellers are instructed to remove these before delivery, but verify it yourself before making purchases or changing subscriptions.

An old card or payment method left behind can cause problems if it is accidentally charged and the cardholder later disputes the transaction. Remove anything that does not belong to you and use only your own payment information going forward.

Also review any active or recurring World of Warcraft subscriptions so you understand what is currently attached to the account.

Once you have confirmed that the account matches the listing:

1. Secure any email account included with the purchase. 2. Change the Battle.net password to something unique. 3. Add your own phone number where available. 4. Set up the Battle.net Authenticator under your control. 5. Review the account's security settings and active sessions. 6. Save any recovery information somewhere secure.

A phone number and authenticator give you additional control over the account and can alert you when important security activity occurs.

Do not share authentication codes or account credentials with other people.

A WoW character can have years of social history attached to it.

Check the characters you intend to play and leave guilds associated with the previous owner. Also review and clear old friends or Battle.net connections that do not belong to you.

This is particularly important for rare or recognizable characters. Former guild members, arena partners, friends, or other contacts may recognize the character and notice that the person behind it has changed.

You do not need to continue the previous owner's social relationships.

For active characters, AccountShark recommends changing the character name and realm when practical.

This creates some separation between your use of the character and its previous social history, especially when the character was well known on its old server.

You do not need to immediately change every character on the account. Prioritize the characters you actually intend to play.

If there are characters you do not intend to use, you can clean up the account over time. Before deleting anything, make sure the character does not hold something valuable or contribute something you expected to receive with the purchase.

High-end World of Warcraft accounts can have unusually visible histories.

A character with multiple Rank 1 titles, Gladiator achievements, prestigious mounts, or other rare PvP accomplishments may be recognizable to players who knew the previous owner.

You can use the titles, mounts, and rewards you purchased, but be aware of the history attached to them. Jumping immediately into high-rated PvP on a multi-Rank 1 character while playing far below that account's historical level can attract unnecessary attention.

If you want to continue rated PvP on a highly accomplished account, having the appropriate experience or using coaching while you become familiar with the character is sensible.

Do not discuss purchasing the account in-game, in guild chat, or with other players.

Changing the Battle.net account holder name does not make the account more secure and is not required as part of taking control.

AccountShark generally recommends leaving it unchanged.

Changing the name does not prevent an original owner from attempting recovery. It can also create an additional account-history change that provides no practical security benefit.

Treat the holder name as account information, not as a security feature.

If you have a problem with the account, contact AccountShark first.

Avoid opening a Blizzard support ticket about account ownership, previous account information, or the transfer unless AccountShark advises you that it is necessary.

Many account problems can be diagnosed or resolved without involving Blizzard directly, and unnecessary questions about ownership history can create complications that would otherwise have been avoidable.

Once the handoff is complete:

Problems caused by your own cheating, botting, payment disputes, or other activity after delivery are not covered as a seller reclaim under the 12-month Account Warranty.

For the security steps that apply to every purchased account, see How do I safely use my new account?