Why Can‘t I Buy Skins in Overwatch 2? A Troubleshooting Guide

As an enthusiastic Overwatch gamer since the very first Beta, my heart sank when I couldn‘t purchase the Cyber Demon Genji skin on October 4th. I immediately took to Reddit and Twitter to find many fellow players encountering the same "Unable to Buy Skins" messages across all platforms.

The launch of the F2P model for Overwatch 2 brought with it massive account merging issues, unfamiliar restrictions, and bugs temporarily preventing players from obtaining the awesome new cosmetics we had waited over two years for.

While these problems are incredibly frustrating, especially for dedicated fans like myself, all hope isn‘t lost. This comprehensive troubleshooting guide will draw from my veteran expertise to explain the biggest reasons you may be stuck unable buy skins and provide actionable solutions.

Common Restriction Issues

According to Blizzard customer service reps, over 13% of support tickets since launch have dealt with restrictions wrongly in place for eligible accounts. Trying to purchase an Epic Ashe skin only to be notified of regional blocks or sudden parental controls is never fun.

Here is how to check for and remove these limitations:

• Log into your Battle.net account via web browser to view any active restrictions
• Disable parental controls if incorrectly in place
• Verify identity details if your account‘s country was set incorrectly
• Use a VPN to bypass overly strict regional access policies

Frustrating restrictions like these can often be resolved in under an hour by working with Blizzard support staff. I definitely understand the impatience though – we just want our skins!

Shopping Cart of Sadness: Deadly Shop Bugs

Ah, the dreaded "Error Starting Purchase" message. Since October 4th, the shaky rollout combined with a staggering 25 million early players caused the in-game shop to nearly buckle at times.

As an industry analyst, its clear Blizzard woefully underestimated server loads. allow me to translate their PR speak: they messed up big time. Each new patch and hotfix has noticeable improvements, but stability remains questionable at peak times.

For your best shot at grabs that amazing Mythic Moira skin, I advise logging in on Monday or Tuesday nights when traffic is lower. Avoid chaotic weekends or you might end up $20 short with nothing to show for it!

Lost Progress and Missing Skins

This doozy of an issue can occur after successfully purchasing a skin only to find it hasn‘t actually been awarded. Usually tied to the messy merger process, recovered progress can take weeks for our dear Customer Service reps to manually credit properly.

Here is the need-to-know information if you encounter missing skins:

• Don‘t re-purchase skins! Your original transaction is still recorded but the unlock didn‘t process.
• Open a Customer Support ticket through the Overwatch 2 forums detailing when you bought the skin and which character/skin name.
• The current turnaround time is 21-35 days based on Blizzard‘s posted metrics.
• Received missing content will be backdated to your original purchase date once delivered by support staff.

I know the waiting period is intensely aggravating, but rest assured your skins and currency aren‘t lost permanently in some cyberspace warehouse. Consider taking a quick break from Overwatch to prevent further frustration while you await resolution.

Final Troubleshooting Checklist

If you still aren‘t able redeem your hard-earned coins for those glorious legendary skins, ensure you have tried these steps:

• Triple check age and regional restrictions aren‘t incorrectly placed
• Scan and repair game files in Battle.net app (saved me multiple times!)
• Submit bug reports detailing purchase issues to Blizzard CS
• Retry shop during less busy mornings or weeknights
• If missing earned skins, open support ticket and wait patiently

I hope this guide serves as a thorough reference for troubleshooting whichever pesky purchase issues you may encounter. As a day one player with 50+ hours logged already in Overwatch 2, please trust me that the wait will pay off eventually! The team continues deploying weekly stability patches which should solve even the trickiest skin unlock bugs in the coming months.

Let‘s channel the power of positive thinking that your desired Genji mythic skin will be sitting happily in your hero gallery soon. Stay legendary, my friends!