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RedOctane's warranty service does not exist
mkelehan
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Here is my story. Listen well so it may not happen to you, too.
I got GH2 for the 360, and the disc is defective. Visibly. There's a scratch in it that I did not cause myself. I called MS, and they said that I should contact the publisher. I called Activision, and they insisted that I contact RedOctane or the store from which I got it. Well, I got it from the RedOctane store, so I guess that means I have to contact RedOctane for my warranty issue. Here's how helpful they were.
I sent them a Customer Service email using their online form. No reply, at all.
I then used their RMA form to request an RMA on April 17. I explained my problem. On April 20, I got this email:
I said clearly that the problem was with the disc, but that link goes to a whammy bar problem page. This makes it very clear that they did not read my RMA request. So I immediately sent another, saying very clearly that my problem was with the disc, the guitar was just fine. Today, April 24, I received the exact same email response.
I have a defective disc, and RedOctane will not even listen to my saying that. All requests for returns are assumed to be about the whammy bar, and are ignored. Your warranty from RedOctane does not exist. I highly, highly recommend against buying from a company that flat out lies about their warranty service.
I got GH2 for the 360, and the disc is defective. Visibly. There's a scratch in it that I did not cause myself. I called MS, and they said that I should contact the publisher. I called Activision, and they insisted that I contact RedOctane or the store from which I got it. Well, I got it from the RedOctane store, so I guess that means I have to contact RedOctane for my warranty issue. Here's how helpful they were.
I sent them a Customer Service email using their online form. No reply, at all.
I then used their RMA form to request an RMA on April 17. I explained my problem. On April 20, I got this email:
Hi Michael Kelehan,
We wanted to let you know that we could not process your request due to the following reason:
Please try the following link to resolve the issue, if this does not work please submit a new RMA:
http://www.redoctane.us/support-center/index.php?x=&mod_id=2&id=128
Click Here for more information regarding RedOctane's Return Policy and Product Warranties.
If you have any other customer service inquires, please feel free to contact us at our Customer Support Center, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thanks for choosing RedOctane!
I said clearly that the problem was with the disc, but that link goes to a whammy bar problem page. This makes it very clear that they did not read my RMA request. So I immediately sent another, saying very clearly that my problem was with the disc, the guitar was just fine. Today, April 24, I received the exact same email response.
I have a defective disc, and RedOctane will not even listen to my saying that. All requests for returns are assumed to be about the whammy bar, and are ignored. Your warranty from RedOctane does not exist. I highly, highly recommend against buying from a company that flat out lies about their warranty service.
mkelehan on
0
Posts
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Some stores will exchange the disc for a working one if they have good customer service.
Customer Service Contact Information:
Phone: (310) 255-2050
You can call our 24-hour voice-mail system for answers to our most frequently asked questions at the above number. Contact a Customer Support representative at the same number between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
I guess it kind of serves me right, for trusting a company that Harmonix left for EA. They'd rather work with E-freaking-A, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm so glad you brought this up. :-) A friend of mine looked that up at the BBB and I called them before close of business today. Here's what I got:
"This mailbox is full and cannot receive any more messages."
Let 'em know. This is the exact kind of thing that needs to be heard, and Consumerist will do a good job of getting you not only some publicity revenge, but also almost certainly a replacement too.
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
NNID: Glenn565
Because their number, in addition to only being available through the BBB, just leads to a full mailbox.
Done. Thanks for the tip.
Granted. Perhaps MTV would rather work with E-freaking-A.
955 Benicia Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
Telephone: (888) 737-8038
Fax: (408) 481-9123
www.redoctane.com
Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record
BBB Definition:
unsatisfactory record - A company has an "unsatisfactory business performance record" with the Bureau is based on the experiences reflected in BBB files. This file condition results when the company has failed to resolve or respond to complaints, repeatedly failed to respond or resolve issues in a timely manner, failed to resolve the underlying issues for a pattern
BBB Definition:
pattern - More than 2 complaints involving the same allegations usually within 12 months that are significant in relation to the company's size and volume of business.
of complaints, failed to honor their commitment to mediate or arbitrate disputes or honor mediated agreements or arbitrated decisions, failed to substantiate, modify or discontinue false advertising claims that are challenged by the BBB, or failed to discontinue unauthorized use of the BBB name and logo, a Federally protected trademark.
with the Bureau due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and or two or more otherwise unresolved
BBB Definition:
unresolved - The company failed to resolve the complaint issues.
complaints. However the business has resolved
BBB Definition:
resolved - The company resolved the complaint issues.
most complaints presented to the bureau.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
The Bureau processed a total of 28 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 28 complaints closed in 36 months, 18 were closed in the last year.
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
You may want to send a formal letter (or goatse, your choice) to the fax for good measure, though.
Sure, I play on some of the higher settings, but I weigh 115 lbs and I don't stomp on it.
Likewise, the Ignition 2.0 I got a year before that still works to this day, and is my preferred pad for DDRing.
I'd say that around the time the first Guitar Hero released is when some of their other products went down the shitter because they started concentrating on that franchise, but it seems now that their shoddy workmanship had made its way even into the GH franchise.
Whatever. They make fun games, but as a whole, their company took a turn for the worst.
Red Octane just makes the controller. Harmonix makes the game.
You know... EA's not known for making controllers. I wonder who they'll get to make the Rock Band guitars. Hori?
Then Harmonix is awesome and Red Octane needs to take a long walk off a short cliff. Easily fixed.
Opposite side of the country. I live in Maryland. And while I know you weren't being completely serious, that could be the only way to actually get in touch with them.
If you can cross the moat.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
Yeah, this is pretty common practice for most retail stores. If it's been a day or two there really should be no issue if you bring in a receipt and explain yourself.
People really need to read the thread. He bought it from Red Octane's online store. He can't return it like that.
I'm going to stop by there in the next few days and see whats up. I have a question though. Say they still don't have my copy, and I want a refund. Well, the way they have it on the receipt is for less than $90 because I used coupons, and they took the amount of the points card off the gh2 price. So a refund according to the receipt would be like $30. This is unacceptable. Do you think they would give me the full $90 even though I got the points card and used a coupon, even if I only asked for store credit? The whole reason I bought it there was for those deals, maybe if I get the manager involved?
To be more specific, I got GH2 for $90, and they gave me the points card, which is listed as $20 on the receipt because they took it out of the gh2 price. But I also bought Lost planet and Armored Core 4, which put the total to $200, and I used a $40 off $200 coupon. Which according to the register took $40 completely off of GH2. So on my receipt it shows GH2 as $30 because of the $40 off being applied solely to that item, and the MS points card worth $20.
Oops. For some reason I've become retarded.
because you didnt pay 90 bucks for guitar hero II, you should not get 90 bucks back. 50 i could kinda see, but you've probably used the points card havn't you?
its perfectly acceptable to at least cut the 40 bucks off for the coupon you used, I'm not familiar with how they did the points card discount so i couldnt say for sure, but unless you have that as well (new in package) its very likley you would be boned for 30 bucks, and no more.
Edit: Why not just wait till they get it in again?
I'm also betting the coupon had a 75 dollars or more stipulation.
I would assume that if you want to get 100% of your money back, you would have to return 100% of the stuff. Otherwise, you could just buy something you wanted for 40 bucks and something you didn't want for 160 using the coupon, return the expensive one, and get the 40 dollar thing for free.
That's what's going on right now.
I'll just throw out there that the reason they haven't called is because they don't have any. All of us retailers (I'm a GS manager, at least until the end of the week) were supposed to receive more stock of GH2 last week. None of us did. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the guitar problems they've been experiencing, but obviously I don't know the details.
What I'm trying to say it, don't blame the store. Be patient... call them up, ask them what's going on, but don't bitch and scream for a refund, because you're not exactly going to be getting the game anywhere else right now.