Now that I'm thinking about it I remember having to contact EA once for another product key issue, can't remember if it was for Battlefield 1942 or Vietnam. That was years ago, but I remember that they were quite helpful. It would seem as if they have changed a bit since then.
I guess they've joined the outsourcing fad, along with many other large companies. The thinking seems to be "who cares if it's any good or not, as long as it's cheap": save money, collect bonus, hop back on the management carousel before the problems start. New manager blames nameless predecessor, nobody ever takes responsibility and so it continues.