13 replies to this topic

[xg4bx]

i saw that the 2 games i'm interested in (skyrim,halo anniversary) both come with $10 gift cards and that theyre eligible for release date delivery.

has anyone used that option? how much $$$ does it add to shipping and is it dependable?

i ask because since gamestop got rid of ps2 games i really have no reason to go there anymore and it would be cool to wake up to the games on my doorstep.

[xenomorpher]

I've used it a few times before and it's very dependable for me. Costs 99 cents and is shipped UPS I think.

Edited by xenomorpher, Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:48 PM.

[moycon]

As a prime member often on major releases I get it shipped release date delivery for free.
Not sure how much it usually costs, but you do indeed get it that day which is very cool.

[onlysublime]

I've used it on Ace Combat Assault Horizon and Gears of War 3. Works great and it's only 99 cents.

[Curious Sofa]

Well I guess I would recommend it untried, but I'm really just posting this to express my frustration with _not_ doing it more than anything.
I'm still waiting for my copy of Lord of the Rings: War in the North, which I pre-ordered months ago (since I got free content and a $20 Amazon credit for doing so). I believe the game has been out since Tuesday, 11/2, and apparently mine wasn't shipped until Thursday, 11/4 and long story short I apparently won't be seeing it until a full week after release day (and was really hoping to have a go at it this weekend). My bad for choosing super saver shipping I suppose... But in the past, I've had very good luck with Amazon and release day movies / music / games. Day or two extra, but no biggie.
Perhaps it's their way of pushing people like me into the slight extra fee for release day delivery...

[Curious Sofa]

Not that anyone cares, but I'm venting further with my LOTR: War in the North pre-ordered from Amazon situation.

The nitty details that don't matter but are making me impatient and angry: My tracking information now shows that the game is due on 11/14. It came out 11/1, and I pre-ordered it in August.
On Amazon.com, their tracking information shows it having been vaguely shipped either from or to New Berlin, Wisconsin (I'm in Iowa) on or around 11/4, and then received somewhere in Kansas on 11/7. When I take the USPS tracking number off Amazon's site and plug it into the Usps.com tracker, it indicates the package hasn't even been received at the post office yet but that the shipper has simply notified them of a shipment with that number in Kansas, no record of it having been in the system in Wisconsin at all. So I'm thinking.... they haven't even sent the damned thing yet, but have simply created a label for it.

So in sum, I sent them a fairly polite but stern nastygram just now. Basically, I said if it's standard/ average for pre-order customers to receive their games / movies / cds a full two weeks from release date, I'll have no choice but to use other companies for my pre-order items. I'm sure they'll send me a simple email saying "Your package isn't late, it's due 11/14, if you want your stuff faster, buy an Amazon Prime membership or select more expensive shipping options than Super Saver shipping you cheap bastard, thank you for your inquiry".
But it completely, and utterly sucks. In addition, with each passing day that I _don't_ receive the game I become more and more certain that _because_ of the wait, it will blow horrendously and disappoint me on every front.

And in further sum.... if you want to get an item somewhat close to release date from Amazon, DON'T USE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING. Ugh. And very possibly, spend the extra $ for release date delivery.

[Nuclear Pacman]

I feel your pain CuriousSofa. I've not had good experiences with the release date delivery in the past. It's been a service of theirs for a couple of years now, and I had the opportunity to use it when it first started, and I was an Amazon Prime member at the time. I normally love Amazon in every way, but this is the one thing that pissed me off so much I refused to renew my Prime membership which I held with them for a few years.

I tried to use the release date delivery 3 separate times for X360 games and each time I never received the game on release day, in fact each time I tried it, the product would be shown as 'In stock and ready to ship' on the product page, but yet 2 days after release day and my order still would not ship! And I was a Prime member that pre-ordered the game usually months in advance. I sent them numerous nasty emails about it, really getting on them about it being bad customer service to treat Prime members this way, and never got a single apology from customer service, in fact not even a response period.

The only notification I did get from Amazon was when I cancelled my renewal on Prime, and they told me if I didn't renew I 'might not get anymore promotions from Amazon', like a threat letter almost. I like Amazon, I can't resist the ease of using the site, and prices are pretty good, but damn I would never recommend release day delivery simply because it failed me 3 times in a row. The worst part was that it wasn't like the games got their release dates pushed back, the product pages would say the game was in stock and ready to ship, and there I am like a jerkoff waiting on my copy to ship while the rest of the world is enjoying an awesome game. lol.

[Curious Sofa]

And that's extremely interesting to note, Nuclear Pacman, because part of me was blaming myself for using the Super Saver shipping and thinking maybe I need to spend the alarming $80 or whatever it is to get Prime if I find myself ordering more stuff from them. Not so much now!

And my pointless update -
As expected, they wrote back and said "we will try to get the item to you by the expected delivery date of Nov. 14th". Completely ignoring the main point of my letter, which said that the 14th is unacceptable for a pre-ordered item that was released on 11/1/11. Here's my letters to and fro:

Hello,

I understand your disappointment in not receiving your pre-ordered video game sooner. I checked order #104-7334259-8457029, and it will be delivered by November 14, 2011.

The shipping method for your order is Super Saver Shipping. With this shipping option, we fulfill your order in a more cost-efficient way. This allows us to pass our savings on to you in the form of free shipping. While it might take some extra time to pack and ship your order, you'll still receive it within the estimated delivery time frame.

Our fulfillment centers work hard to ensure packages are delivered as quickly as possible and the estimated delivery date (November 14, 2011) is the date they work hard to meet. They will do everything they can to make sure the item arrives on time, even when it leaves the fulfillment center later than expected.

If you need to receive an order more quickly, we offer two faster shipping options: One-Day and Two-Day shipping. Please keep in mind that using one of these methods does not mean that you will receive your order on the next or second business day after you've placed the order, as upgrading to One-Day or Two-Day shipping does *not* change how long it takes us to assemble and ship out your order--it only reduces the delivery time after the item leaves our fulfillment center.

For pre-ordered items, you may also choose Release Date Delivery if that option is available.

I will follow up with you after November 14, 2011 to check if you have received your order.

We hope to see you again soon.

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Best regards,

Con G.
Amazon.com
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---- Original message ----

---------------
11/08/11
Your Name: (Curious Sofa)
Order Id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Selected Order Items:
Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Comments:Greetings! I realize that my order is currently showing as due to be delivered on Monday, November 14th. I would simply like to express my disappointment in that this was a pre-ordered item that if I am correct was released on Tuesday, November 1st. I know that I did select free Super Saver shipping, and the price of the item plus the bonuses with my order were very good. But I certainly did not think that I would be waiting 13 days from the release date of the game to receive it, as a pre-ordered item.

If this is the usual timeframe that a customer has to wait when they pre-order a game, movie or cd from Amazon, I am going to have no choice but to pre-order items that I want to receive within a week of release date from other companies. Which would be a shame, as I love Amazon to pieces and have been a loyal customer for years, and I tend to love Amazon's pre-order bonuses.

Or perhaps my situation is an aberration; please let me know if it is standard / average for customers who pre-order items to wait two weeks from release date for their items from Amazon or if this is unusual. Many thanks for your help with this information, and your hearing me out!

Sincerely,
A Loyal Customer and Amazon.com fan,
(Curious Sofa's Real Name)

[moycon]

I used released date delivery for my Skyrim pre-order. This was the email i just received....

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items, and that this completes your order. Your order is being shipped and cannot be changed by you or by our customer service department.

Your estimated delivery date is:
Friday, November 11, 2011

I guess some folks have better luck with Amazon than others.

[HammR25]

Release day delivery on a preorder is only $1 without prime. I've used it 2 or 3 times and always gotten my game delivered on the release date.

[onlysublime]

super saver shipping is what it is. if you really want release day from Amazon, you need to pony up the 99 cents. if you wanted free shipping, you need to realize what you get for free shipping. As for Prime, it's been awhile since I used it (my free 1 year expired a ways back), but I thought you still had to check the box for release day shipping. It's not automatically a given (maybe they did that so people would forget and Amazon wouldn't be on the hook for it?).

the sucky part is that not every game is entitled to release day shipping. I so wanted Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports Season 2 to arrive on release day but they never offered it. Luckily, it did arrive in time for a Friday night Kinect party but gave me no room to learn the changes before unleashing the game on a crowd (nothing sucks more than learning the menus, user interface, user profiles, etc. in a live party situation).

[Video]

I've used it a few times. They basically send the game early so it will get to you on release day. Nothing special over that, if it wasn't for free shipping all the time, and the movies I wouldn't bother with the $80 a year subscription to prime though. I have had games received even without it though, it just depends on how early you order it in that case and the demand (I assume that you'd get it later if enough people preordered it.

[HammR25]

Amazon shipped my copy of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary today and I'll have it tomorrow.

[onlysublime]

HammR25, on Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:53 PM, said:

Amazon shipped my copy of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary today and I'll have it tomorrow.

They haven't shipped my Halo Anniversary yet, and it's supposed to come tomorrow. but I don't worry. I live in SoCal and they've done this before without nary a problem. This better not be the first time they fail me!