EB fucked me over today

Games
1

So, I’m passing by my local EB as they’re opening this morning, and I decide to pick up the GF’s Hanukah present. Since I’ve gotten 6.29x10^28 hints that she wanted the Sims 2 DVD Edition, I go in, grab the empty box off the shelf, and take it to the register. Kid looks behind the counter, doesn’t see any of them there, and says it must be in back.

Comes back out, hands me the box, telling me “It was the last one, so I had to give you this box. Is that ok?” (I had asked him if they had a sealed copy)

I told him it was fine, pay, and leave. Go over to my GF’s apartment, where I proceed to give her the game. After much thanks, I go to the bathroom, as she’s sitting down at the computer to install it.

As I’m exiting the bathroom, I hear her call “Sweetheart, is this some kind of joke?” I discover that the Sims 2 DVD Edition box held the Sims Double Deluxe CD’s inside it.

Back to the EB I go…tell the kid he gave me the wrong game in there. “No sir, I didn’t–you must have mixed them up.” I tell him I took it directly to my GF’s, it was opened, and the mistake was seen immediately.
“You must have switched something.”

By now I’m getting pissed. VERY pissed. Ask to see the manager. Manager comes out, tells me “I can’t do this–you could have bought the Sims Double Deluxe somewhere else, and stuffed the CD’s in this box, looking to get a cheap second copy of Sims 2.”

Let’s just say this response did not make me a happy puppy. I ask him for the name and phone number of his District Manager. He gives me it, and I call the guy. Get a voicemail. Leave message. Five minutes later, my cellphone rings…It’s the DM. Is he going to make this right? FUCK NO!

His message is “Well sir, sorry, but I’m going by what my store manager says, and I can’t help you.” I ask him for the name and phone number of his immediate superior. “If you want to know that, call corporate.” And then hangs up on me as I’m trying to ask for the number for corporate.

Fuck EB. Never again. I finally got the number of corporate, and I’m going to call them as soon as I post this. This is war.

Sorry so long, but I had to vent somewhere :).

2

Haha, you bought games from a game store.

3

What is the location of this store? Just curious.

4

Post the phone number and address of the store. Then a bunch of QT3 volunteers can contact them and represent themselves as members of the press doing a story on this situation. That ought to get a free game out of them really quick.

Mind you, that’s just an idea off the top of my head.

5

That was your mistake. Unless you see them put the actual CD or DVD into the box you have to check it yourself nowadays.

It sucks. EB and Gamestop have unfortunately gone the way of Bestbuy and many other stores. Customer service is long gone. The only way to avoid this is to become good friends with the staff at your local game store or buy online or at another retailer that doesn’t gut.

6

That sounds like a pretty good idea, especially if any of you have friends that are reporters.

7

He had no sealed boxes. This means he had a (very) finite number of copies out on the sales floor without product in them.

Take the box back, ask them to count the number of unboxed copies in the back and the number of empty boxes up front. There will be a discrepancy between the two. Ask them to do the same with the Double Deluxe boxes. There will be a discrepancy there as well. If they can’t do that math, repeat the gyrations on up the line.

Or get it somewhere else, and charge it back on your credit card, and accompany a notice of why you’ve done it with a letter to their corporate office detailing your dissatisfaction with their customer service.

8

That sucks and EB certainly deserves your wrath, but you really kind of set yourself up for it when you bought a game you knew couldn’t be returned because it was open. I’m surprised you didn’t even ask to inspect the disk, even if he claimed it was sealed. Even still, they shouldn’t have been jackholes about it.

Also, disputing the charge with your credit card company (assuming you used one) and sending a letter with to support it sounds like a good idea. You may get out of paying for it yet.

9

Where was this EB?

10

The last new game I bought at EB was Burnout 2 for the Xbox. I watched as the person put the proper DVD and manual in the box and went home, not yet convinced about the (then new) switch to having all new purchases in opened boxes.

When I got home, it was obvious that the manual had been thoroughly used and abused. It didn’t look like a machine defect, it appeared to be just plain wear and tear. Maybe I got a new copy of the game and they inadvertantly included a used copy of the manual. Maybe it was a used game. Nonetheless, it became the last purchase I made at EB. If I am buying a game now, I expect the shrinkwrap to still be on the box. If it’s not, no sale. There’s enough human error without compounding the potential this way. I sympathize with them over theft but there has to be a better way to prevent it than to literally remove the items from the store floor.

11

When I was working at EB, I’d never treat a customer like that. That’s just disgusting.

12

Welcome to the club. we have hats.

13

Your money is lost, forget about it. It’ll cost you way more time to get anything out of EB than it’s worth. May as well just buy the game somewhere else.

If you want payback, you’re much better off posting here and buying your games at another shop, or online. Personally, I’m through with EB – their customer service just sucks.

14

This is why I rarely buy games from EB. I don’t want to buy anything where an unscrupulous employee has access to my key code.

15

Huh? His money isn’t lost, he can just do a chargeback. You’re protected with a creditcard.

And from now on always ask the clerk to look inside of the box. Particularly with opened boxes and games with CD keys!

16

The money is not gone if you paid with a credit card. Call your credit card company and tell them this merchant is trying to rip you off and you will not pay the charge. Tell them about the return trip to the store & calls to management that you made to try to correct the problem without involving the credit card issuer.

As a bonus, EB will almost certainly lose an extra $15-$25 as a penalty/processing fee for the chargeback.

If you did not pay with a credit card, then yeah, I’d give up on it.

I’ve started seriously wondering why I shop at so many stores that assume I’m a thief (Best Buy, Costco, Micro Center). I probably wouldn’t mind if they didn’t make it a hassle with the ‘receipt check’ as I leave the store. And then lying that it’s to make sure I got everything I paid for. I’ve worked retail and had retailers as customers, and the fact is that the overwhelming majority of ‘shrinkage’ is by employees, not ‘customers’.

17

I don’t buy from EB anymore. I can’t remember the last thing I bought there but I just got tired of all their shit. I buy exclusively from a local store now who get games faster than EB, and sells them for cheaper than EB, and is run by the owner, who’s just a big geek.

If anyone here lives and/or shops in downtown Toronto, I recommend Game Shack in the Atrium on Bay. Right near the Dundas subway station if you are going to TTC in. Best place ever.

18

Get to know your state attorney general. Consumer fraud. Let the EB people know that you are getting to know your state attorney general. Consumer fraud.

Governments are great; they can take the time to track down worthless $30 issues that would not be cost efficient for anyone else to go after. Of course here, they also probably won’t do anything, but it is the threat that is the heart of the issue. Most store owners who reject your complaint will do so because they do not believe there are any repercussions. Talking about big state agencies that govern retail establishments tends to change that viewpoint for most people.

Mislabeling and reselling used products as complete when they are not is not legal.

19

CHARGEBACK. It rocks, and eb should really get used to it.

You deserve a refund if the box says the game is ‘the most exciting blahblah’ and it isnt, much less if they dont bother fucking selling you the game you paid for.

Anyways, try and avoid game stores, they’re awful, never have anything in stock etc… try a bigbox or even better: gamefly USED titles. halo2 is 35$ and guaranteed to be like new, for example.

useless for pc games, I know, but thats what gogamer is for.

20

Buying new, yet unsealed product from a GameStop or an EB is a bad idea, and nobody should do it.

That said, you got horrible customer service, and the reactions of the higher-ups in the company reflects an anti-customer perspective that goes all the way to the top. EB should be ashamed of itself, no legitimate retailer should treat a customer this way.