My Rock Band Nightmare - By Empyrium

E

empyrium

CAGiversary!
As most of you know there have been a lot of postings around the internet about the guitar's from Rock Band not working correctly. My story of woe is intended to inform all of you about my customer service nightmare with EA.


Day 1 - Rock Band Launch

As I eagerly awoke Tuesday Morning 11/20/07 I called my local EB Games in which I had the XBOX360 version pre ordered but wanted to confirm one of the 16 year old kids didn't accidentally sell it to someone else. Once I received confirmation I got in my car anxiously speeding to pick it up. Upon Arrival I was excited about how large the box was and even though it barely fit in my back seat I raced home knowing I would have a long day of rocking out ahead of me.

Upon Opening the contents of my purchase and plugging it all in I regretfully found 2 issues with it.

1. My Guitar Strum Bar was inconsistent as I could not play anything correctly as it would sometimes not register or double register making it unplayable.
2. The Drum Kit’s Blue Pad would not recognize a hit.

Being quite frustrated I called EA Customer Service and here starts my nightmare………..


Day 2 – My Concerned Call to EA

On Wednesday 11/21/07 I placed a call into customer support telling them that I had two broken instruments in my package and I needed a warranty replacement. The Lady on the phone didn’t know how to enter two broken instruments into the system because the web portal only has room for one. However she took my information, entered it twice manually on the website using 2 different email address of mine. (I could have done this on my own had I known but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and let her continue) She asked if I wanted a rushed 2 day service and requested my CC number so that in case I didn’t return the defective products they would charge 100 dollars to my card for each instrument. I went along with this and after I gave all this information I was told before she could submit both orders she would need to talk to a supervisor and call me back.

Day 3 – Another Concerned Call to EA

On Thursday (Thanksgiving) 11/22/07 I called EA again after never hearing from the previous agent. The new rep I was able to speak with could find no documentation of my previous call except for a blank RMA # they had on file and my credit card authorizations. He apologized for the inconvenience and assured me he could assist me in doing this the right way.

We started over taking all the information again, and asking for my CC number a 2nd time. This time I was given tracking numbers for UPS and new RMA numbers to follow up with. He also politely gave me an incident case # and I was told both items would ship on Monday 11/26/07 and I should receive them Wednesday 11/28/07.

Day 10 – UPS in the Dark/EA even Darker

On Wednesday 11/28/07 (Yesterday) I check the tracking codes on the UPS website eagerly anticipating receiving my replacements so I can finally play my game. When I log into the site I see something that concerns me. EA submitted the billing info to UPS but never actually gave UPS the packages. Therefore my instruments wouldn’t be coming anytime soon.

I frantically called EA again and referred to my existing incident numbers. They told me that UPS was slow updating their site and be patient.

Not believing this I placed call #2 to EA shortly after and was told somehow the agent that took my order never printed the UPS Labels and cannot even find the drum replacement in the system, however he could find 2 more credit card authorizations.

Being a concerned customer service agent he told me he would call me back as his supervisor was on lunch. Needless to say I never received a call back.



This brings us up to current………………

Day 11 – Changing Tactic’s with EA (11/29/07)

So this morning I called EA once again. As soon as I got a rep on the phone I politely asked if I could record this phone call for tracking purposes. Being a little concerned she put me on hold. I was transferred to a supervisor immediately and when I asked if I could record the call again, I was sent up another level to the PR Department.

Finally I got someone from the Tier 3 department that told me I was not allowed to record this call however they would make sure they would record it, and asked why I needed a digital copy of the call.

I explained my previous situation and made a slight hint of some connections to an internet video game publication I may or may not work for, and expressed my concern for the lack of customer service.

This immediately prompted the rep to escalate the call yet again. Bear in mind I never told them I actually worked for anyone of importance but told them my story would be heard if this was not resolved.


After about 20 min of hold music I got someone who could help me. They said they have no canceled all my previous “attempts” at getting replacements and asked yet again for my CC number and address. I was given new tracking codes for UPS and was offered 2 free EA games of my choice and an extra guitar for my patience. After getting off the phone with them I felt content but still concerned that I still wouldn’t get my replacements.

20 min later I received another call from EA from the “Operations Manager” telling me he would personally take care of the situation and moments later I got my first email confirmation of any of these transactions. (Previous to this I never got anything via email from EA.


So there you have it. My long drawn out story hoping to just repair my rock band and get back to rocking. I was told I should receive the guitar and drum set on Saturday so now I wait….. In the mean time I have had several friends that called this week already have gotten the replacement guitars but one of them actually was shipped another broken one.


While I condone the efforts of EA’s replacement plan, this has been an absolute nightmare and I only hope it ends well.



Update 11/30/07 Thursday

Well it looks like my free games and free guitar shipped and are out for delivery today however my replacement guitar and drums have yet to have hit the UPS tracking site.
 
Or you could have just gotten the GPG at shitstop and swapped out rockband for free and didnt have to deal with this.

Everyone avoids in store warranties for some reason for 100+ dollar items.. just shocks the hell out of me..
 
Only reason I didn't do that was because of the limited quantities, no EB Games or any other store for that matter has any in, and only had enough for pre-orders on launch day. The other reason for not doing this is EA has admitted a faulty issue with the guitars and the new ones shouldn't experience this. I imagine all first run boxes I would find in stores would fall victim to this same issue over time.
 
i think we are all turned off from big posts because of billg's fiasco...however this compliant is valid and at least the op may end up with some freebies out of it
 
Metal of Honor Airborne

and The Simpsons Game


Everything else I already had, at least I can give away as gifts or something. I am excited about the 2nd Guitar for free. I just hope the replacements come for my original merchandise and they aren't defective.
 
Nice. Not lookin forward to calling EA about my non functional drum kit mic port. Hopefully they will have it all sorted by the time I call. Keep us up to date.
 
i heard of issues about their guitar...I was listening to Screwattack's podcast..and even they had a strumming issue with their guitar. It wouldnt strum down.I also watched a youtube video with the drum set..apparantley the drum set wasnt responive enough...it sounds like EA half assed their instruments.....
 
The Scary thing is, the guitar problems don't really show up until about 2-3 hours of gameplay as the connection gets loose, both my brother and co worker ended up having the same issue this week after finally getting around to playing it more and are entering the return vortex as we speak.
 
[quote name='JnJosh']5 more dollars (here in Canada i believe) would have made that whole post not happen[/quote]

except we dont have Rockband lol
 
Absolutely nothing to complain about, as long as I actually recieve these, and my replacements, however nothing has been sent to UPS so the waiting game continues.


The lack of procedural knowledge at EA that caused me to be direct to so many people is why I posted. This is more of a warning to make sure when you do call in, you try and get someone as knowledgeable as possible before giving out your CC number
 
i just got mine two days ago and the guitar started acting up last night so i did the fix that was all over the internet last night and it works fine now. i'm not sure if my drum set is messed up or not. it seems okay. we'll see with time.
 
[quote name='Ice2Dragon']Or you could have just gotten the GPG at shitstop and swapped out rockband for free and didnt have to deal with this.[/QUOTE]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have some limited guarantee (30 days, 15, days, 5 days or however low GS have managed to carve that number) to exchange defective merchandise? Since it was the next day, surely it would have been covered by that policy.

The only trouble I see is GS having no more copies of Rock Band in order to do the exchange, but that would render the GPG useless as well.
 
I don't know about EB/GS, but we got an email before rockband launched telling us that we couldn't do defect exchanges do to limited availability, and directed customers to ea if they had problems.
Pretty much the same situation when the ps3 launched.
I guess op just wanted to guarantee a replacement.
 
[quote name='empyrium']I was given new tracking codes for UPS and was offered 2 free EA games of my choice and an extra guitar for my patience.[/quote]

Nice! Too bad the free games are EA games though.
 
Retailers are not to take back defective Rock Band. All of them have been told this, and there's even a sheet of paper inside the box.

Anyway, it always sucks to hear somebody get the bad end of the shit stick, but at least it (should) hopefully pan out once you get your replacements.
 
The website only allows you to enter one broken instrument, so it doesnt work if you have two. If you try and do it twice on the web it will recognize that you already have a submitted warranty exchange and not let you. Gotta do it the ol fashion way and call customer service if you run into the issue I got.


I do have an update though, not going to freak out quite yet. But the tracking number they emailed me for the free products is still coming up as an invalid tracking number on UPS Site. Both the guitar and drum's are showing up as valid tracking numbers but have yet to be shipped out. So we will see.
 
I would have just returned it to the store and gotten my money back if they wouldn't do an exchange or they were out of stock. It is complete bullshit that the store has been "instructed" not to take the game back. They will take it back if you make enough noise. I wouldn't be surprised if that violated some sort of consumer law.
 
[quote name='javeryh']I would have just returned it to the store and gotten my money back if they wouldn't do an exchange or they were out of stock. It is complete bullshit that the store has been "instructed" not to take the game back. They will take it back if you make enough noise. I wouldn't be surprised if that violated some sort of consumer law.[/quote]


EA instructed stores not to take back defect product. There are stickers on the boxes now, too. There might be a law about manufacturers having to take back product, but... that's what EA is doing, they are taking it back. Stores like BB, GS, take things back as a courtesy and convenience; it's not their product, and if they are explicitly told not to take it back, you can't expect them to.

Also, you will be amazed what customers get away with when they are nice. I don't buy into that 'make enough noise' idea.
 
also, it helped you in this case but...

it's legal to tape a phone conversation as long as 1 party knows. so you never technically had to ask them.
 
Could someone please tell me what is the Warranty for the Hardware in Rock Band. I picked up my set at launch, but it's a Christmas present for the kids. I'd hate to wait till December 25, only to realize that its a 30 day warranty and be SOL.

Thanks for the help!
 
[quote name='tindall311']also, it helped you in this case but...

it's legal to tape a phone conversation as long as 1 party knows. so you never technically had to ask them.[/QUOTE]


OP is in California, and CA requires consent of all parties to the call.
 
updated OP this morning. still no sign of my replacement merchandise on UPS site however they were quick to get my my free games and extra guitar. UPS is showing out for delivery today.
 
[quote name='Number83']Could someone please tell me what is the Warranty for the Hardware in Rock Band. I picked up my set at launch, but it's a Christmas present for the kids. I'd hate to wait till December 25, only to realize that its a 30 day warranty and be SOL.

Thanks for the help![/quote]
The pink slip in the box says 60 day warranty and asks not to return to the store but to contact the EA.

I am concerened about the guitar issue. I can play well so far but sometimes i am missing a strum or two.

BTW, i think you better open the box and check the stuffs and repack. My friend did this to make sure everything okay. DON"T connect the guitar head though, my friend now has a box with guitar head sticking out.
 
Items still haven't been sent over to ups as of 4:04pm. Looks like this won't be resolved well into next week. I did however receive the free games and free guitar today.


Interesting enough when I log into the EA website i am showing 4 open cases in my name. And I will be calling them shortly as the first credit card charge hit my account this afternoon, despite being told it wouldn't hit until 28 days after they didn't receive the defective product back.


ugggg.....
 
Wait a second.....so now they charged you for returning their defective shit? That's nuts. I would've still tried doing an in store return if I were you, since it wasn't your fault that the items that were screwed up were like that. Many stores WILL do returns of defective merchandise, even if the manufacturer says the consumer has to deal with them for returns, it's just good customer service to go above and beyond like that.

It never hurts to try, even if you were dealing with two of my most unfavoritest companies on the face of the Earth: EA and Gamestop .

Best of luck OP, but from the sound of things, you may be quadruple charged on your CC before you see any real resolution and THEN, you'll have to deal with disputing the charges.
 
[quote name='Number83']Could someone please tell me what is the Warranty for the Hardware in Rock Band. I picked up my set at launch, but it's a Christmas present for the kids. I'd hate to wait till December 25, only to realize that its a 30 day warranty and be SOL.

Thanks for the help![/quote]

Ditto. There response to this is totally inadequate considering that many of these may be Christmas gifts. They should have extended the warranty to at least 6 months. I got mine at launch, never opened it (basically a Christmas present), and am going to wait until the end of my Wal-Mart return period (or at least closer to Christmas), return it unopened, and pickup one with a newer date on the bottom. Of course, by then I doubt they have date stickers on the boxes.

Does anybody have any idea what date you need to have to make sure you have the newest revision? I've only seen mid-Oct. and late-Oct.
 
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