I'm in the same situation. Have played loyally since 2007- a brief break from earlier this year- and I return because of this event yet I'm unable to create a character that can participate? I'm extremely upset, and this makes me not want to come back. The fact a representative said it will not be receiving a fix is infuriating, as the game CLEARLY states that this should be a feature:
Most likely will not be playing the game until this is fixed.