ECA Update: Amazon discount gone "for the time being"; in process of self-destruction

^That's kind of BS.. since they had a perfectly good cancellation system like other poster said...

Even GGW has an easy cancellation service... :)
 
So they made it extremely difficult to cancel? That's it. fuck those shady crooks.

Now I'm going to have to apologize to all my friends that I told to join the ECA and make sure that they cancel to.

fuck the ECA.
 
It states in the fine print that benefits can change or be canceled at any time.

It's not them being crooks, it's you not knowing what you're getting in to.
 
It is really shady that they removed the cancel button (obviously alot of people were canceling their memberships after the amazon fiasco) but my big problem with them is that they say they are going to gave new promotions "soon" but it has been several weeks and their has been no updates or anything about this. All the other promotions on the site are IMO completely worthless.

Since, they will not refund any of the money that I paid I might as well just wait to cancel considering they may have new discounts but I am not holding my breath.
 
[quote name='Rouzhokuu']It states in the fine print that benefits can change or be canceled at any time.

It's not them being crooks, it's you not knowing what you're getting in to.[/QUOTE]

The ability to cancel isn't a benefit. It's pretty damn shady to remove the cancellation option from the website for no logical reason whatsoever.
 
[quote name='Rouzhokuu']It states in the fine print that benefits can change or be canceled at any time.

It's not them being crooks, it's you not knowing what you're getting in to.[/QUOTE]
I'm talking about the ability to cancel. The ability to cancel is not a privilege (or benefit); it should be a right. They intentionally removed the ability to easily cancel from their website to hinder members from leaving, so while it is technically still a right it's shady as all hell.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow, I'm glad I canceled the auto-renewal when it was still available.

Hey, ECA, if you really wanted more money...DON'T GIVE OUT FREE MEMBERSHIPS AND RUIN THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR! Oh, and what were the "exciting new benefits"? A clothing company and something else?

C'mon. Amazon, a gamer's club...you know you want to...
 
I am going to wait a month or two and see what ECA gives for more discounts. I dont expect it to be anything good or it could be nothing at all, but I will just call my credit card company and tell them to send me a new card with a totally different account number and that will make the ECA not get their money when renewal time comes up.
 
[quote name='arcane93']All of this makes me that much more glad that I used my credit card company's "virtual account number" option to make a "card" that was limited to the cost of a one year membership and that expired well before my membership would be up for renewal. I already canceled automatic renewal back when the option was still available on the site to do so, but given everything else, I don't exactly trust them not to try anyway. But, hey, let them try, they won't be able to do it.

The moral to this story is that the "virtual account number" (whatever your credit card company calls it; many offer the service, and it's usually free) is a really good idea when giving your credit card info to someone you don't know, especially when there's the possibility of automatic re-billing involved.[/QUOTE]
:applause: cancelled the automatic renewal as well & used an Amex Gift Card. I hope the stackers that ruined the Amazon discount & ended up fucking over the ECA in the process end up getting charged again. Then they'll know how those who did not abuse the system feel.
 
[quote name='J7.']I hope the stackers that ruined the Amazon discount & ended up fucking over the ECA in the process end up getting charged again. Then they'll know how those who did not abuse the system feel.[/QUOTE]
I hope they do too, so we can start a class action lawsuit.
 
[quote name='Jodou']I hope they do too, so we can start a class action lawsuit.[/QUOTE]
Go ahead and just destory the entire organization while you're at it.
 
[quote name='J7.']:applause: cancelled the automatic renewal as well & used an Amex Gift Card. I hope the stackers that ruined the Amazon discount & ended up fucking over the ECA in the process end up getting charged again. Then they'll know how those who did not abuse the system feel.[/QUOTE]

Every stacker was a paid member, but not every paid member was a stacker
 
[quote name='J7.']Go ahead and just destory the entire organization while you're at it.[/QUOTE]


I just got my bar results passed and I will be licensed to practice law next month. A lawsuit may very well be in the ECA's future. At the very least, they've flagrantly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

What will be interesting is when the emails between ECA and Amazon come out during discovery. :bouncy:
 
[quote name='tobinbell']I just got my bar results passed and I will be licensed to practice law next month. A lawsuit may very well be in the ECA's future. At the very least, they've flagrantly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.[/QUOTE]

Which part?

p.s. I just googled that and saw this part:
(6) Representing that goods are original or new if they are deteriorated, reconditioned, reclaimed, used, or second-hand.
Heh, sounds like Gamestop
 
[quote name='62t']Every stacker was a paid member, but not every paid member was a stacker[/QUOTE]
Doesn't change what they did even if that was true and I recall a batch of codes being available before the free memberships occured and then it ran out and a new batch was released...
 
[quote name='tobinbell']I just got my bar results passed and I will be licensed to practice law next month. A lawsuit may very well be in the ECA's future. At the very least, they've flagrantly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

What will be interesting is when the emails between ECA and Amazon come out during discovery. :bouncy:[/QUOTE]

Good luck with being a lawyer if you think they broke a law on deception. You do know that in their terms it says clearly that the perks are exactly that, perks. They can come and go at any time without notice, and they are not guaranteed to be there at any time. That is not deception, and you will not win if you try to say it is.

And before you try to say I'm wrong

1. Description of ECA Services. Each Member is entitled to receive discounts and other benefits on specified entertainment-related and other products and services offered by participating vendors ("Benefits").

a. All Benefits, including, without limitation, a then current listing of participating vendors, are accessible online at http://www.theeca.com/member_home (the "Benefits Website"). To access Benefits or information related to Benefits or the ECA Service from the Benefits Website, a Member will be required to be a member in good standing and enter his or her ECA registered email address and password.

b. Discounts and other Benefits available to Members are based upon negotiated group discounts from participating vendor's usual and customary fees, or on national or regional fees for such Product. A Member's actual savings and benefits will vary depending upon Member's physical location in the United States or Canada and the specific Benefit. Discounts and other Benefits available to Members may not be combined with discounts from any other discount program.

c. All Benefits are subject to discontinuation, change, modification, improvement or substitution without notice and ECA makes no representations or warranties with respect to, and accepts no responsibility or liability for, out of date or erroneous information related thereto.

d. ECA has negotiated with the providers of Benefits in an attempt to acquire the best possible products, services and discounts for its members.

e. The membership fee for the ECA Service is $19.99 for a regular membership and $14.99 for a military or student membership (subject to certain additional requirements as proscribed by ECA), which are non-refundable and payable for the Member's annual subscription to the ECA Service.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Didn't their CEO/vice idiot say they would terminate your membership if you trolled their forums? That sounds like a much more fun way than writing a letter![/QUOTE]

I agree
 
[quote name='dmdragon']Good luck with being a lawyer if you think they broke a law on deception. You do know that in their terms it says clearly that the perks are exactly that, perks. They can come and go at any time without notice, and they are not guaranteed to be there at any time. That is not deception, and you will not win if you try to say it is.

And before you try to say I'm wrong[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty certain he's NOT talking about the perks. For the last few pages, we've been discussing how they removed the option to cancel the recurring fee. Learn to read.
 
Reading that thread another poster linked the explanation given by the mod is:

"What I've been told is that the feature was never suppose to be there as you can tell by the terms which have been the same since the beginning. The design firm who made the site used a module that had it in and they were unaware until an actual users on these forums posted about it. They'll most likely look into an automated system at some point in the future."

There is speculation in later posts that the this means that those that canceled using the online method may not have actually canceled because it may never have been a working method. I doubt that's the case, the mod's explanation is probably just BS. Nonetheless, make sure to check your cc statements around the time of renewal to be certain.
 
[quote name='dmdragon']You do know that in their terms it says clearly that the perks are exactly that, perks. They can come and go at any time without notice, and they are not guaranteed to be there at any time.
[/QUOTE]

FYI, just because someone writes something in the terms of service doesn't necessarily make it binding and legal, even if you agree to it. I'm not saying these terms aren't valid, haven't bothered to read them, but terms and conditions can be successfully challenged as invalid. I 'm not making any kind of legal statement about how we should all go sue ECA, just pointing out terms and conditions aren't some sacred law even if signed by both parties. Just imagine if I buried some term in a contract for membership to my non profit group saying I could take all your possessions and commit all sorts of crimes against you and you signed it because you didn't bother to read it.
 
I'd like this to be known:

Some of the people labeled "stackers" do feel remorseful about this whole situation.

I stacked. Now, I stacked because I -knew- things would be going down because of other people stacking. Does this make it right? No.

I feel bad about how things have turned out, but I'd also like to have people understand that not -everyone- who stacked is an asshole.
 
[quote name='caltab']Reading that thread another poster linked the explanation given by the mod is:

"What I've been told is that the feature was never suppose to be there as you can tell by the terms which have been the same since the beginning. The design firm who made the site used a module that had it in and they were unaware until an actual users on these forums posted about it. They'll most likely look into an automated system at some point in the future."

There is speculation in later posts that the this means that those that canceled using the online method may not have actually canceled because it may never have been a working method. I doubt that's the case, the mod's explanation is probably just BS. Nonetheless, make sure to check your cc statements around the time of renewal to be certain.[/QUOTE]
That, to me, sounds exactly like a BS statement made to explain why they're assholes. Believe me, if they try and charge me after I canceled, I WILL be pressing some sort of charges against them (even if it means simply disputing the charge and telling my CC company that they're a fraudulent company who is exploiting customers). Their behavior lately with this whole thing is inexcusable.
 
[quote name='caltab']There is speculation in later posts that the this means that those that canceled using the online method may not have actually canceled because it may never have been a working method. I doubt that's the case, the mod's explanation is probably just BS. Nonetheless, make sure to check your cc statements around the time of renewal to be certain.[/QUOTE]

Haha, that speculation was my post. I doubt that's the case too, but at the same time, I want a definite answer as to whether the method worked or not, and I find their current answer regarding it elusive at best (gee, I wonder why?). Even if it did work, with the way they've behaved up to this point I could easily see them going in and manually overriding it and claiming that it didn't (or even that it's their "right" to do so since this method didn't fit with their quoted terms). At least this way (assuming they answer), we'll know one way or the other what to expect.
 
[quote name='dmdragon']Good luck with being a lawyer if you think they broke a law on deception. You do know that in their terms it says clearly that the perks are exactly that, perks. They can come and go at any time without notice, and they are not guaranteed to be there at any time. That is not deception, and you will not win if you try to say it is.

And before you try to say I'm wrong[/QUOTE]


LOL @ 12 year old armchair lawyers.

Can I hire you? There is huge demand for laymen who can look at a statute's name and make subjective guesses about whether it was violated or not. On second thought, I probably can't afford you. I only make six figures and someone with your skills clearly demands seven.

So I'm wondering...say Online Retailer X offers to ship you a game for $50, but also has a fine print disclaimer stating that they reserve the right to keep your money and not ship the game. Their terms clearly said they could do that, so it's ok, right? Right?
 
[quote name='YodaEXE']That, to me, sounds exactly like a BS statement made to explain why they're assholes. Believe me, if they try and charge me after I canceled, I WILL be pressing some sort of charges against them (even if it means simply disputing the charge and telling my CC company that they're a fraudulent company who is exploiting customers). Their behavior lately with this whole thing is inexcusable.[/QUOTE]
100% agree, I cancelled on the site too and if they try and charge me next year I'll be disputing the charge and contacting my states consumer protection agency which from my experience with them so far is ruthless and gets results.
 
[quote name='Hostile']It's time this topic gets locked too. I can't believe people are still bitching about it.[/QUOTE]

1. Conversation has changed from discussion of the Amazon discount to discussion of other current ECA issues like their cancellation policy. This is the ECA thread, and as long as the ECA exists and is a relevant subject to members of this forum, the thread is relevant.

2. If this thread were locked, ten new threads would almost certainly pop up in its place. How is that productive? At least with this thread being here, there's one central place for people to post about the issue(s).

3. If you don't want to read the thread, then don't read it. It's really that simple. I don't understand why people feel the need to jump in on active threads and call for them to be locked just because they personally have lost interest in the subject. I know that I certainly don't read every single thread on this site, and I'm sure that you don't either. So rather than bitching about the thread, why don't you just ignore it?

The only change that I could see as being potentially worth considering would be moving the thread from the deals forum to the discussion forum, since it's not really a "deal" anymore. But even then, I think it would be better to move the existing thread than to attempt to start a new one.
 
Why isn't there more outrage over this! Removing the online option to cancel membership; vague, inconsistent and seeminly B.S. responses from ECA's mods and staff; this all seems like a scam. I don't care if ECA offered 50% discount on Amazon; If I would have known ECA was handled so poorly and acted so shady, I would have never given them my credit card info, let alone my personal information.
 
[quote name='dchrisd']Why isn't there more outrage over this! [/QUOTE]


There was a lot more outrage over this. However, the moderators here deleted threads, censored posts, and banned people who had been CAG members for 6+ years. I'm not sure why they're so interested in aiding an ECA coverup. :cool:
 
I was pretty tired of the same bitching and moaning and crying over the Amazon discount. But the fact that the ECA made it more difficult to cancel your membership, knowing people were gonna jump ship once the Amazon discount was gone, is a very sleazy move.
 
[quote name='tobinbell']LOL @ 12 year old armchair lawyers.

Can I hire you? There is huge demand for laymen who can look at a statute's name and make subjective guesses about whether it was violated or not. On second thought, I probably can't afford you. I only make six figures and someone with your skills clearly demands seven.

So I'm wondering...say Online Retailer X offers to ship you a game for $50, but also has a fine print disclaimer stating that they reserve the right to keep your money and not ship the game. Their terms clearly said they could do that, so it's ok, right? Right?[/QUOTE]

You appear to be stupid as you just made quite possibly the dumbest post I have ever seen. Not only is your example pointless, but it isn't even CLOSE to what I said.

And for future knowledge when you say "Six Figures" that doesn't include the cents

Oh, and I should have figured you would already start with the ad hominem insults. It is the last desperate attempt at a "I'm taking my ball and going home" argument of the weak.

[quote name='YodaEXE']I'm pretty certain he's NOT talking about the perks. For the last few pages, we've been discussing how they removed the option to cancel the recurring fee. Learn to read.[/QUOTE]

Then you would incorrect. I think it was the part where he was talking about the letters between ECA and Amazon coming out in discovery. If he were talking about the cancellation thing then there wouldn't be any discovery between amazon and eca. Seems you are the one who should learn to read
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='dmdragon']
And for future knowledge when you say "Six Figures" that doesn't include the cents[/QUOTE]
Flame wars are lame... But that was funny as hell. Nice.
 
I just looked around the ECA site to cancel my account as well and ran into the same problem. Hopefully they will do something to fix or clarify this within the next 10 months.
 
[quote name='Mizz Behavin']Thanks for the reply. I finally got a message back from their account department. For some reason they won't let me cancel my account online. I have to snail mail my personal and credit card info some person at their main office and wait for them to "hopefully" cancel my account.

If I knew I would have to jump through hoops just to cancel a membership- I never would have signed up.[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry but for the love of god do not send anyone your credit card information. Especially in writing. You should have to do nothing more than list your name, address, and email address to get them to cancel.

I myself am just waiting it out for a bit to see if anything else pops up but will also be canceling. Though I dont think that the company will be around much longer. People are canceling like crazy (probably the reason they took away the button).
 
[quote name='arcane93']Haha, that speculation was my post. I doubt that's the case too, but at the same time, I want a definite answer as to whether the method worked or not, and I find their current answer regarding it elusive at best (gee, I wonder why?). Even if it did work, with the way they've behaved up to this point I could easily see them going in and manually overriding it and claiming that it didn't (or even that it's their "right" to do so since this method didn't fit with their quoted terms). At least this way (assuming they answer), we'll know one way or the other what to expect.[/QUOTE]

And . . . we're on the third day now with no response. And they don't seem to understand why we've lost all confidence in them . . .
 
Just to let everybody know that was keeping their "J" codes, the only ones that were still valid, that they expired today. I think I checked earlier and they were working but now have dissapeared on two seperate accounts. Sucks as I might have ordered a few games with it for my new XBOX 360. So now ECA is officially over for us cagers. Sorry, to report the bad news.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='3rdbass']Just to let everybody know that was keeping their "J" codes, the only ones that were still valid, that they expired today. I think I checked earlier and they were working but now have dissapeared on two seperate accounts. Sucks as I might have oredered a few games with it for my new XBOX 360. So now ECA is officially over for us cagers. Sorry, to report the bad news.[/QUOTE]
I can also confirm that my remaining (JFC how many of these things did I hoard haha) discounts have lapsed. We were so close to BF and yet so far. Well, time to keep my 30% order alive until they stop allowing us to have CS add games to it. Gotta get my money's worth out of prime afterall!
 
[quote name='3rdbass']Just to let everybody know that was keeping their "J" codes, the only ones that were still valid, that they expired today. I think I checked earlier and they were working but now have dissapeared on two seperate accounts. Sucks as I might have oredered a few games with it for my new XBOX 360. So now ECA is officially over for us cagers. Sorry, to report the bad news.[/QUOTE]

Sure enough. Darn, I was hoping they'd go until the end of the month so I could use 'em on some Black Friday deals. Oh well, at least I was able to use one a few hours ago on the Halo ODST and Brutal Legend lightning deals.
 
[quote name='Jodou']I can also confirm that my remaining (JFC how many of these things did I hoard haha) discounts have lapsed. We were so close to BF and yet so far. Well, time to keep my 30% order alive until they stop allowing us to have CS add games to it. Gotta get my money's worth out of prime afterall![/QUOTE]

So it works when adding new games to an existing order that has the codes through CS? I have never tried that.
 
[quote name='3rdbass']So it works when adding new games to an existing order that has the codes through CS? I have never tried that.[/QUOTE]
Apparently so since many have reported doing it. Just fire off an e-mail to CS and include the ASIN of the product you want. I haven't needed to do this yet, but I'm sure something will pop up next year I want.
 
Yes, it works. Earlier today I asked for Super Street Fighter IV to be added to an existing order w/ ECA discount. It was done within minutes.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Yes, it works. Earlier today I asked for Super Street Fighter IV to be added to an existing order w/ ECA discount. It was done within minutes.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, for the replies. Even if the existing ECA order already has had some games delivered in the order will this work?
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Don't know. But I would assume that as long as there are still some outstanding items, it will work. No harm in trying right?[/QUOTE]

True, I will try it and post my success once I find a game that I want to add to my order with the ECA discount.
 
[quote name='3rdbass']Just to let everybody know that was keeping their "J" codes, the only ones that were still valid, that they expired today. I think I checked earlier and they were working but now have dissapeared on two seperate accounts. Sucks as I might have ordered a few games with it for my new XBOX 360. So now ECA is officially over for us cagers. Sorry, to report the bad news.[/QUOTE]


yeap dead. just to show you amazon will never come back.... o well
 
bread's done
Back
Top