I’m what you’d call a casual gamer — I’ll play a game a few hours a day over a long weekend maybe once a month. I joined Gamefly.com, a service like Netflix, in 2005 as an economical way to get a different title each month.
I’ve been downsizing recently in preparation for a move and decided it was time to unload the Xbox. So I cancelled Gamefly and shipped back The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. A week or so later I get an email from GameFly saying they haven’t received the game and they will charge me the full cost of Riddick… Though all will be forgiven if I “reactivate your account.” Huh? At this point I should mention when I tried to cancel online they kept throwing up extra screens to dissuade me. Since the first email, I’ve received two more. The final email I received this morning informed me I will be billed $52.49, though I have 60 days to return the game via Registered Mail to have the charge reversed. Of course, I also have the option of reactivating my account online.
I tried contacting support earlier this week, but their phone lines don’t open until 9AM PST weekdays (doesn’t help me much since I try to take care of these things first thing in the morning EST). So I fired off an email to the provided email address which was promptly ignored. I’d call them today regarding today’s email however they don’t staff their phone lines today (Saturday). Interesting how that works, eh?
There are three possibilities here:
So how will I proceed? I’m hopeful this is a bluff on their part or internal inefficiencies that will be corrected shortly without my intervention. Though the second a $52.49 charge shows up on my AmEx card, it will be contested. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, I’ll have to waste time getting a used game off ebay or Amazon for >$10 and send it to them via Registered Mail. If I’m forced to go to that much trouble, you can guarantee I’ll be blogging about this again which is possibly more effective than dealing with the BBB. Regardless of the outcome, when I purchase a 360 with HD-DVD this fall, I’ll be getting discs via a service other than GameFly.
UPDATE: I just received an email from GameFly. Apparently they thought I wanted to buy the game since I didn’t respond to their emails. Uh, hello I have to contact them whenever I don’t want to buy a game? Never mind that the email said send the game back (which I had) OR I could reactivate (I think not) online. Last but not least, I guess they forgot they were responding to the email I did send them. “Kevin” informed me the $52.49 charge would be reversed.
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I never experienced the long turnaround times you mention (I'm in the Baltimore area) but I have experienced their inefficiency in processing returns. Gamefly "found" a game I returned over a year after I dropped it in the mail - probably during some sort of inventory.
I guess I understand them being more forgiving of lost games for active members than non-active members, but would Netflix act this way? Having never quit Netflix, I can't really say . . .
I quit Gamefly because the cost of current-gen games got too low for renting to be worthwhile. If I buy a copy of Return to Butcher Bay for 18-20 dollars, keep it for two months (I too play somewhat casually, so it takes me a while to play through it) and sell it back for a couple of bucks, I have in effected "rented" it for less than it would cost from Gamefly.
This is a very common story if you do a little searching. I've been a customer off and on since they opened for business and they've gotten downright awful the last eight months or so. The "lost" games, the horrible turn around times, and this retention tactic seems to be the norm.
I have been keeping track and 60% of all the games I send back get "lost" for at least a week. That's just astounding.
By an odd coincidence I am cancelling with them this week, and I am going to send the last two games back certified mail so I can avoid this scam.
From what I have read, it is a scam and they'll most likely back down (especially if you contact the BBB, because for some reason they have a good rating with the BBB). Since they deal mostly with kids/younger adults I believe they feel they can get away with bullying tactics.
When I get my next-gen console this fall, I'll be signing up with Gamerang again. They aren't as fancy or as full featured, but ya know what? They tell you when they get games back. And get this.... they ship out new ones to you. I know, amazing.
Your probably better off joining the Gamestop club thing. I think its like 15 bucks and you get a monthly mag plus they buy back used games from you at 20% more.
All in all, used video games, whether rented or otherwise are often damaged , though.
You know, it makes you wonder when X-box is going to let you download games to play. Seems like they would have already done it.