Is there a way to check if you are banned and if so, be unbanned?

[Oddly]

To the point - me and my mate played through most of the base game of DS2 co-op without much issue.
However, it is impossible for us to summon on Scholar of the First Sin. We each have no idea if we may be softbanned because if it occurred, it would have been over 5 years ago. It's absolutely possible myself or my mate picked up items from a hacker or used CE but cannot remember.
Any info or help regarding this would be appreciated as we would love to co-op our favourite souls game again =)

[Redux (Mattotk)]

Well, you can ask namco and they would message you back.
You can try to connect with someone who is not banned, try using humanity, check the bonfire because you may have the effect of effigy activated and that would prevent you from summoning other people or being invaded, only affects the host.

[Ohmz]

Use the "Check information" option in main menu, or whatever it's called. The response you get from that will tell you if you're banned or not. Or at least that's how it works on DSR.

[JellyPuff]

In DS2, only way to check is to try to connect with players, who you are 100% sure of, that they aren't softbanned.

Another easy way is to try to enter the Brotherhood of Blood arena, especially at prime-times (weekends, 3-8PM CET). It should basically be dead, if you're softbanned. If you can find matches quickly and not just the same guy over and over, you're not softbanned.

[76561199189791041]

1. Don't use saves which were banned. There is a flag set inside the save.
2. You can be unbanned after using clean save file without cheating after a month. Better do not play at all.
3. You must contact Bandai if you not unbanned after 3 months with playing on clean and uncheated save.
4. To check if you are banned or not, create a new char, go to Giant boss and see how many signs you see. Usually there are a lot of them, they changing places, etc. May be you have try some different time (some folks say that there are "bad" time with low online).