schlista

"Fan"tastic support from stardock

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"Fan"tastic support from stardock

from Stardock Forums

The Fan is in quotes because that's what it takes to say they have good support at Stardock.  For those that have followed some of my postings and gripes on multiplayer not being playable you know the history.

Basically I complained on this site to let others know that it really isn't fixed yet (even though some fans claim it is).  And I get called a whiner.  So I then get told to take them up on their Gamers Bill of Rights (GBOR).  So I email stardock and request a full refund.  They say I have to mail the product to them and wait several weeks for a refund...oh and I have to pay shipping and insurance charges.  At no point did I ever agree to the terms of the refund as I requested that they pay shipping and they said nope.  So the deal was off.

Well they then revoke my license from using demigod!  That's right they revoked my license on demigod.  Yeah I know the fanboys [Derogatory statement removed. You talk to your mother like that?] will get a good laugh at that, but I got to tell you I haven't received that bad of support even when dealing with Indian Dell support 6 years ago.

Stardock has taken poor support to a whole new level.  I would give them a grade of F, but that would mean they coudn't get worse and from what I'm seeing they are working on getting worse.

Don't believe the hype that fans spew about their support...any company that will revoke a license key while the customer is still out his $40 is a sham of a company.  If it was a mistake I'll accept their apology and promise to not allow this to happen to other customers.

demigod
222,012 views 79 replies
Reply #26 from Demigod Forums Top

Its simple.

1- you ask for refund and box return

2- SD agree and de-activate your account because they dont want you to take years to return it.

3- once they receive the "defective" product, youll have your money

 

So wtf is wrong with this? you will get your money and SD will get their box.

 

Reply #27 from Demigod Forums Top

there's still no way demigod support is worse than Hellgate London support.. its impossible

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top

To me, Melibee's instructions below seem very simple, clear, and fair.  I do not see the problem.  Here's the bottom line:

* Do you want a refund?  If so, I cannot blame Stardock for deactivating your game.  Refunds involve no longer using the product you purchased.

* Do you want the game?  If so, I am sure they will activate it again for you.

Which is it?

As a side note, in real life, if I buy something and do not like it, I have to return it (I can no longer use it) and I get money back.  If I want to keep it, I can keep using it, but I do not get my money back.

- Wumpus

Quoting MeliBee, reply 10
Schlista,

If you don't want the game, we will be glad to refund it for you, as we have already stated and issued a return authorization for.

If you do want the game, let us know and you will be all set.  You cannot have it both ways.  We cannot issue a return authorization and have the game sent back to us months or years later, it simply does not work this way.

I have responded to you by email.  Please let us know what you would like to do.

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Reply #29 from Demigod Forums Top

Its simple.

1- you ask for refund and box return

2- SD agree and de-activate your account because they dont want you to take years to return it.

3- once they receive the "defective" product, youll have your money

 

So wtf is wrong with this? you will get your money and SD will get their box.

 

As has already been explained, you missed the part where the original party is allowed to agree or disagree with the terms of the refund.  I think it rediculous that a company would just disable a person's account without checking this.

What if the reply was "Yep you can have your refund, but only 20%. BTW we've just disabled your account".

I guess I'm jsut a traditionalist like that.

Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top

To be honest folks the moment this joker mentioned he should use the pirated version is the moment that if I was a moderator here I would bann his account and just be done with him. He is the worst type of consumer. The type who rationalizes theft and poisones the air around him.

Seriously its a waste of time dealing with this type of miscreant. Delete his account  close out the key and let the rest of us legit owners continue to enjoy this game.

Reply #31 from Demigod Forums Top

schilsta - PLEASE just take the refund...get your friends to all give you a dollar each so you can pay to have it shipped to SD.  PLEASE. 

Reply #32 from Demigod Forums Top

Looks fair... they don't want you reactivating the box version if you don't want the game.

And being refunded by check takes that amount of time, they need to recieve the box, process the requests and whatnot, and then get a certified check to send to you.
Lesson learned?  Pay by CC ;-)

I've yet to see any traditional wrong doing by Stardock here... if you ordered a defective product from newegg you wouldn't keep using it till a new one arrived, you'd send it back first.
Ever try getting a check from NewEgg or Amazon?  Takes about 4-5 weeks.

Call me a fanboi (I'm totally a fanboi), but the reasonable request is fair.  You ceased using the product the moment you requested a refund, being cut off from multiplayer is part of that.

Reply #35 from Demigod Forums Top

This guy Schlista makes me sick. But guys like him are needed i guess. No matter how hard people try, some people will always be there trying to stomp on their fingers.

Reply #36 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting schlista, reply 3





Nope there are a ton of companies that pay return shipping--especially when it's a defective product.


And there are  companies who don't even if you got a defective product. I got my wife a $800 embroidery machine which broke  down after a month. i had to pay $30 to ship it to them. Guess what I did? I paid the $30.

Reply #37 from Stardock Forums Top

Wow you guys hate a lot.  So someone has an issue with stardock and you take it as if it's an attack on you.  I'd be ticked off if this happened to me as well.  Besides how can you defend this type of poor code?  Just because other companies have done it just as bad doesn't mean you should accept it.  Demand more and expect more.

The way stardock is treating this guy I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to sweep him under the rug and silence their critics...definitely not what we'd expect from a company that has what appears to be a good gamers bill of rights.  But then it is appearing as if that's more marketing hype then anything.  It would be a shame if they tried to IP ban him from posting...besides it's not like that can stop anyone from still posting.

Reply #38 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting CaesarsGhost, reply 7
Looks fair... they don't want you reactivating the box version if you don't want the game.

And being refunded by check takes that amount of time, they need to recieve the box, process the requests and whatnot, and then get a certified check to send to you.
Lesson learned?  Pay by CC

I've yet to see any traditional wrong doing by Stardock here... if you ordered a defective product from newegg you wouldn't keep using it till a new one arrived, you'd send it back first.
Ever try getting a check from NewEgg or Amazon?  Takes about 4-5 weeks.

Call me a fanboi (I'm totally a fanboi), but the reasonable request is fair.  You ceased using the product the moment you requested a refund, being cut off from multiplayer is part of that.

I've had newegg send me the product at the same time I was returning theirs at their cost before.

Reply #39 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting theentombed, reply 6
schilsta - PLEASE just take the refund...get your friends to all give you a dollar each so you can pay to have it shipped to SD.  PLEASE. 

Why don't you send him the shipping costs...sounds like you'd benefit more from it than he will.

Reply #42 from Demigod Forums Top

I've had newegg send me the product at the same time I was returning theirs at their cost before.

As it sounds like the copy in question was bought at retail that example doesn't work.

Reply #43 from Demigod Forums Top

I've had newegg send me the product at the same time I was returning theirs at their cost before.

Newegg does not cross-ship returns, nor do they pay shipping for you to return items. They will only send out a 1:1 replacement before they recieve the return by charging you for the new one immediately, and crediting the old one when they get it. Hardly a matter of trust when they have your credit card on file to essentially take a deposit.

You were issued an RMA and your serial was disabled as a normal part of the return process which you initiated. This is necessary since unlike a normal physcal item you would still be able to use it while it is being sent back, so it helps ensure a timely return. If you want to decline the RMA on the terms it was provided under, you need to explicitly inform sales of that fact. Asking if we will cover return shipping *after* your RMA has been issued will not change that it has been already issued unless you explicitly tell sales you want to decline the RMA.

In any case, I'm not sure who Visitored you, but making a puppet account to come to your own defense (yes, we can tell) doesn't help your case much at all.

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Reply #44 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting kryo, reply 18

I've had newegg send me the product at the same time I was returning theirs at their cost before.

Newegg does not cross-ship returns, nor do they pay shipping for you to return items. They will only send out a 1:1 replacement before they recieve the return by charging you for the new one immediately, and crediting the old one when they get it. Hardly a matter of trust when they have your credit card on file to essentially take a deposit.

You were issued an RMA and your serial was disabled as a normal part of the return process which you initiated. This is necessary since unlike a normal physcal item you would still be able to use it while it is being sent back, so it helps ensure a timely return. If you want to decline the RMA on the terms it was provided under, you need to explicitly inform sales of that fact. Asking if we will cover return shipping *after* your RMA has been issued will not change that it has been already issued unless you explicitly tell sales you want to decline the RMA.

In any case, I'm not sure who Visitored you, but making a puppet account to come to your own defense (yes, we can tell) doesn't help your case much at all.

 

I know people who have started the refund process and are quite happy with the procedure. Not many game companies do this (and i applaud SD for offering it). 

For myself, im holding out until patch #3 (and crossing fingers and toes its going to have been worth my energy and wait). 

 

Reply #45 from Demigod Forums Top

Yeah, I'm impressed they offer refunds... most all software these days are "if the box is opened, you're out of luck".

Reply #46 from Demigod Forums Top

This guy's is pretty naive.  No company in the world is stupid enough (ok, maybe some are that stupid) to pay for your shipping charges.  That's just asking to get griefed.  Buy products, return via hand carried courier on next flight.  Fedex has such an option.

Heck, most companies will charge you a restocking fee even if you went up to the store in person and handed the box to them.

I sure hope he never tries to create his own company.  I'd feel sorry for the employees losing their jobs from the company going under from such stupid financial decisions.

Reply #47 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting SimRex, reply 16
I don't really see what's unreasonable about their position...  As I understand it, this is pretty much what happened...

1) You emailed Stardock to get a refund, as you aren't willing to wait while they attempt to fix the product.

2) Stardock said, sure, just send us the box back with a receipt and we'll give you a refund of what you paid for the box.  Stardock then disabled your Demigod account, as you don't want it anymore - you just asked to return it.

3) You have a hissy fit about having to pay to post it to them yourself, even though if this was some other publisher, you'd be out of luck with no hope of reclaiming any cash whatsoever.  It's worth noting, if you had bought digitally over Impulse you would have got a full refund with no need to pay postage, but because you bought it off someone else (ie, Stardock received probably less than half the price you paid for it), Stardock are giving you a full refund of the RETAIL PRICE, and you just have to pay to ship it back to them.  Seriously, how are you hard done by in this scenario?  If anything you should be ranting that the store you bought it from won't give you a refund, not Stardock!

4) Stardock politely say "No, we're not paying your postage"

5) You change your mind and decide to keep the game, but now your account is locked because you're half way through the refund process.  

6) Stardock give you the option - either you don't want the game and the refund goes ahead, or you're happy to keep the game and the refund is off the table permanently.  They're not a rental service.  Sounds fair to me. 

7) You come and rant in the forums mean old Stardock, with a very selective version of events that excludes anything that make Stardock look reasonable.

8) (Future prediction, yet to take place) You call me a Stadock fanboy for not seeing what else Stardock could reasonably be expected to do better in the above chain of events.

Did I miss anything?

k1 karma SimRex you have it all right :grin:

@schlista you must have lots of free time and like to try to cause drama. 

Many companies make you pay for postage, I would go so far as to say MOST do.  Amazon will only let you return it on thier dime via postage if they made a mistake in the order.  Example you ordered a DVD but they sent a Blueray.  But if you ordered it and just don't like it, then you have to pay the postage.

The fact that you did not buy the game directly from stardock means that they are ALREADY eating the cost, I don't think postage will kill you (yet you act like it is) and you act like it's a major offence caused by Stardock (which it's not). 

In most cases if you purchased a game from any other publisher at a retail outlet you'd be suck selling it off as a used game to retail and only getting $15 bucks -or- you might be able to get the full amount but only in store credit (and most likely only after complaining to a manager). 

So anyone one else, you'd be screwed.  Now due to how cool stardock is they're willing to take a loss to make you happy and give you a full refund (yes, it's a full refund even if you have to pay for postage) and you're bitching and trying to make them look bad because of it?

I must say you've got lots of nerve and are a wee bit delusional. 

Reply #49 from Stardock Forums Top

The way stardock is treating this guy I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to sweep him under the rug and silence their critics.
This guy is making us look good.  Why would we silence him?
definitely not what we'd expect from a company that has what appears to be a good gamers bill of rights.
The company has rights too.  Not eating the cost of shipping may be one of them.  :)

Reply #50 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting schlista, reply 12

Right now I'm waiting on their response on whether or not I will be able to get a refund if they still don't fix the multiplayer.  THey said if they re-enable my account then I can no longer get a refund in the future...so I'm like WTF!  That means you don't have to fix you broken game and I'll be stuck. So they have me over a barrel either I return the game and get 85% of my money back (since I have to pay shipping).  Or I hold on to it and pray it will eventually work.

They don't have you over a barrel. You can return the game and then if they fix the issues, you can re-purchase another copy of the game in the future.  And if not, then don't re-purchase another copy.   That way all your problems are solved.

You seem to be proposing to be putting Stardock over a barrel.  You want to still be able to play, and also get your money back at the same time too.  Why do you think that is reasonable? 

Having to pay return shipping for transactions you are not happy with is quite common.  For example: If you get ripped off on eBAY and file a dispute with Paypal, and Paypal rules in your favor, then you will still have to pay the return shipping out of your own pocket and send the merchandise back on your own dime before they refund your money to you. 

That is just a cost of doing business in this world, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's like death and taxes; they are just the way it is.