To those who bought PS3 games for £20.50

[V1N]

Hi there.

This is a warning to those people who bought PS3 games last week, from the smallforest place, using the discount codes supplied by a forum member here.

I can't seem to find the thread now, maybe it was deleted?

Anyway, I ordered Sega Rally last week, for £20.50 and was delighted.

Got a confirmation email through, all good.

I just checked my online bank, and £44 has been taken by them!
It quite clearly states both on the order receipt I printed, and the email they sent that it was £20.50, however £44 has definitely been taken.
Just logged on to my account on their website, and it states there that the cost is £44.

I just tried to phone them to complain/cancel, but all their lines are busy and they "cannot take my call"

Just thought I'd warn other forum members who also ordered, to check their accounts, in case they've been overcharged too.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

You'll find a refund for £23.50 will go through sometime soon. That's how it worked when I ordered from them in January.

I see, thanks for that.

I may give it a little time then... I tried to call again, but they're still too busy to take my call. Made me think maybe others are calling to complain.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Just did a bit of googling about this, and found this

The £23.50 discount is not shown on your track order until you get the item, i think then the cash is put back on your card when you get the game.

Hmmm, I don't think much of that.
I pre-ordered, so it won't be out for months.

Sounds like they've charged my debit card for the full amount now, and will give the discount when the game is sent?

Oh well, it's still a discount I guess, just not done exactly how I was expecting!

 

[V1N]

If you pre-ordered you won't get charged until the game is sent anyway.

Indeed they have charged me, which is how I noticed, as £44 was taken from my bank account.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

I phoned this company yesterday, to ask about Sega Rally.

I checked my online account, tracking orders, and it showed I had no order!

They said it's still on the system, and still due for the Oct 12th delivery I was originally quoted.

Furthermore, the £23.50 discount should be taken off on despatch, and if it isn't, I should phone them back when I receive it, and they'll credit my debit card.

This is what I was told on the phone yesterday.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Sounds real dodgy to me (even with license to treat which I have heard about before)

think about the amount of people ordering £20 games and being charged £44 for the duration until receipt or whatever - the interest the company is getting from all that extra £24 per person before handing it back could easily be astronomical, let alone like the OP those who pre-order.

Wouldnt be surprised if they actually make back the money they "lose" by doing the offer in the first place

I considered this at the time, however, works out great to me.
If I could pre-order all the games I want, a few months in advance, for half price, I'd certainly do so. Sure, I paid £44 back in the end of June, but, if I get my game next week, for a total of £20.50 delivered, then I'm happy.
If I could've jumped on and pre-ordered Crysis/UT3/Burnout Paradise/Haze/Drake's Forture, all for half price or so, it would make quite saving in the long run, and as you say, be a benefit to the company selling the game as well, in interest.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Yeah, I mean I still have the email:

1"Sega Rally" PG1909 Estimated delivery by Thu 11th October
£ 44.00
Order Discount
ZQ055 £ -23.50
Sub Total £20.50
Delivery £ 0.00

Total Including Delivery £ 20.50

Oh well, won't be using them again

OUCH!

When I posted the other day that I'd phoned them up, I'd also sent an email to them, and got fed up waiting for a reply, hence I phoned them.
This is the reply that I did eventually get.

Sorry for the delay in delivering your order
---------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for contacting COMPETITOR about the delay in delivering your PS3 sega Rally. We’re really sorry that you've had to wait but unfortunately, our new stocks are taking longer to arrive than we’d anticipated.

We’ll get it to you as soon as we can
----------------------------------------------------

We’re doing everything possible to get your order to you as soon as we can. I’m pleased to tell you, that the goods should be delivered to you in the next 7 working days.

Although I do not foresee any problems, if you haven't received your order by this date, please contact us again and we will look into it for you.

Also your disount of £23.50 will be credited back to your account on despatch of your order.

As you know, we really pride ourselves on our customer service. Delays like this are few and far between, and we hope this doesn't spoil your shopping with COMPETITOR. So sorry once again, and thank you for your patience.

Maybe I'll receive an email like yours to tell me that now I'm not allowed to have the discount, who knows?

If I do get told I can't have the discount though, I shall most certainly be cancelling my order too, and mentioning Trading Standards while I'm at it too. Maybe if we can find enough people who've had the same treatment, we could write to watchdog?

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Yep i'd be up for that V1N, its just ridiculous that they final invoice was for £20.50 yet the code isn't valid? doesn't make sense to me.

Hello again mate.

Don't mean to wiss you off, but out of interest, I just logged into my Please don't make me suspend someone on a day as nice as this online account, and pressed "track order"

Still empty.

Clicked on "most recent statement" and got

Most Recent Statement < Previous Statement Next Statement >


Your most recent transactions
Other Items
09/10/07 Promotional Discount 23.50 CR
09/10/07 Item Refund To 23.50
09/10/07 REFUND TO DELTA 23.50


Payment Details
Minimum Payment £0.00
To Reach Us By

I'll check my online bank over the next couple of days, but it seems for some reason that I'm getting the £23.50 back, and assume my Sega Rally is finally in the post.

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Just looking at their site n they charge £55 for 360 games Not really worth buying most of the games they sell even with discount codes.

Quite right, but at the time there were multiple codes, making it cheap.

If I remember, Sega Rally was £55.
Was 10% off all items over £50

Made the cost £44

Then there was this further discount, taking a further £23.50 off, making the total cost of games £20.50.

As posted above, seeing as I got both of the discounts, I have now got the PS3 version of Sega Rally for £20.50, so that was worth it.

However, with the uncertainties and hassle... I won't bother trying again, next time I'll just order an import from... erm... can't say, but anyway, from a shop where the price is written in stone!

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Please don't make me suspend someone on a day as nice as this
V1N.

Yikes!

No suspension for that please

Actually, after the hassles people can read about in here, maybe OCUK should allow their name to be written. After all, this thread can only be served as a warning to other people to steer clear?

They are incredibly overpriced, and after what's happened to Inoshishi, can't be trusted either!

V1N.

 

[V1N]

lol naughty V1N, I will have a look on my account and see what it says, don't worry mate i'm not really that annoyed, its there loss as I have a huge family and none of them will ever shop at the place again!

Yeah, that's my hand slapped!

Glad you're not too annoyed, though I myself find the circumstance entirely unacceptable!

We both paid by card, probably on the same evening, in fact, you were the OP of the original post, therefore you ordered before me, yet I get the discount, and you not?

I can only assume it's because I've been chasing it up rather a lot.
I phoned them, and emailed them at the time, when the £44 was taken out. More recently, I've called them, and mailed them again, when I spoke to them on the phone, they said they had a record of my enquiring about it before, and there was a note on my account to credit the £23.50 on despatch.

As you say though, best to warn other people away from them.
They're a rip off anyway, and I shall also be recommending friends and family steer clear.... and buy from OCUK instead!

V1N.

 

[V1N]

Looks like my email might have worked?

09/10/07 Promotional Discount 23.50 CR
09/10/07 Item Refund To 23.50
09/10/07 REFUND TO MAESTRO 23.50

Oh well, ideal.

Fingers crossed.

Keep the thread updated, and I shall do the same.
Hopefully get a depatch email soon then! FINALLY!

V1N.

 

[V1N]

looks like me threatening to cancel my order worked lol

Well done

I checked my online bank this morning, still no £23.50 there.
Still, the payment may not have been made yet.
They did state refund would be given on despatch, and delivery is set for 12th Oct.

Hopefully this means they'll send today/tomorrow, and I'll get £23.50 back to spend on something else (or go towards paying for pre-orders I'm already waiting on, like the Spiderman bluray boxset, and Stranglehold Spec Ed)

V1N.

 

[V1N]

V1N - Just so you know mate, I've just taken delivery of the game...

Hello mate, yeah me too, just now.
Before opening, I checked my online bank.

Wasn't going to open it, before I got my refund, in case I had to send it back

Anyway, the £23.50 is paid into my bank, the game is here.
After all the waiting, as per your original post, we did get a brand new game for £20.50

V1N.