(FREE) ECA Membership, Amazon Codes are down for time being

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No begging for codes. Beggars will be permabanned on the spot.

[img-l=5198]6006[/img-l]Get 10% off all your Amazon gaming purchases for a year and receive other special benefits by joining the ECA, a non-profit advocacy organization which is dedicated to defending and advancing the interests of gamers. Codes aren't available at the moment, unknown ETA when/if they'll be back.

icon4.gif
Join the ECA $14.99 (college students & military), others $19.99

(Free memberships available, see below.)

Complete list of discounts/benfits [hiddenlist]
Discounted games sales/rental offerings from:

  • Amazon.com - download a code from the Benefits section to use at Amazon.com towards 10% off your games purchases. If you buy three or more games a year, this benefit alone makes being a member worth it.
  • Direct2Drive.com - download your code from the ECA's exclusive member benefits section to use at Direct2Drive.com towards 10% off your game purchases.Direct2Drive's easy and secure system lets you download full pc games, arcade games, anime, game guides, and comics from home instead of dealing with waiting time and inventory stock-outs. Check out thier site for the best way to buy!
  • GameFly - is offering ECA members a 30-day free trial to their video game rental service.
  • Good Old Games - a leading destination for download-to-own DRM-free classic PC games, is offering members 20% off of new game purchases.
  • Newegg/Patriot Gaming - get $10 off when you buy select memory sticks.
Discounted admission/access offerings from:

  • NYComiCon - is offering members a discount on the price of admission.
  • Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) - members receive 10% off the price of admission to the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington for pre-registrants.
  • TooManyGames - get $1 off entry to gaming community events.
  • VGXPO - America's Video Game Expo is offering 10% discounted admission.
Discounted/Free Trial offerings from:

  • GameJobs - ECA members receive free resume uploads at GameJobs.com, the leading job board and career site serving the games business.
  • Hyatt Hotels - members receive a 5-10% discount on room rates at Hyatt Hotels throughout the US and Canada.
  • Prima Publishing - get 10% off of over 500 hint book and strategy guides.
  • Warcry - ECA members are invited to take advantage of a 30-day free trial membership in the Warcry Network's "Choice" program.
[/hiddenlist]

[quote name='dallascowboys']If you use the code GIMAG on theeca.com (found in an article of the new Crackdown GI issue), you can receive a free, full 1 year membership (I think it's only for new accounts). You do need a credit card to sign up, but if you cancel before the 1 year is up, you won't be charged. This is a great deal for the free amazon discount. Be sure to use the coupon soon, because the article doesn't mention the expiration for the coupon.
Enjoy guys!
dallascowboys

P.S. Now all of CAG can have an ECA membership!

Also, after you enter your CC number and the coupon, the page after lets you check everything before you submit your order. That way you know that the coupon worked and you won't be charged.

-----------------------

LinkinPrime Edit:

Check your spam filters for the confirmation link, if you signed up for the newsletter you will get 2 emails, one for the newsletter and one for the membership. For some reason the newsletter one showed up in my inbox and the membership was in my junk mail folder, so keep an eye out.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='slickkill77']You weren't kidding. Ok I found this on page 28. All credit goes to jacknicklson for the original faq (1-6).



ECA/Amazon FAQ

1. I can't get into the member's area/can't find out where to pay. Help!

After the initial registration email, you should receive a second email linking you to a payment page. You can request that this email be resent if need be. Make sure to check your junk/spam folders as well.

2. Will this work on consoles?

No. Games and most accessories only. Physical point cards are also eligible, but not digital point codes.

3. Do these work on Quick Picks/Deals of the Day/Trade-in Coupons?

Yes, Yes, and Yes!

4. How do I get my Quick Picks to show games?

http://betterelevation.com/2009/02/1...old-box-trick/
This should be a basis to get it to work for whatever you are interested in. It is not a science though so be persistent.

5. Does this work on Pre-orders?

Yes, it does. The price will also automatically take off 10% of whatever the final selling point is due to the Pre-Price Guarantee that Amazon offers.

6. I have heard that these offers have expired/been removed, is this true?

There have been a few instances where codes expired or they ran out but The ECA and Amazon have usually rectified the situation within a week or so. Also, the Terms of Service state that any membership benefits can change or be canceled without any notice so keep that in mind when signing up.


7. Double and Triple stacking

This is no longer possible. Don't bother trying. Originally when the ECA would run out of codes and switch to a new batch members were able to stack codes. A glitch in Amazon's system would keep older codes in your account, and it was possible to add codes from the newer batches to obtain more than 10% off. Amazon found out about this, hence the reason the codes are currently down/ being worked on.

8. Begging/Asking for codes

This is not allowed. If you beg/ask for a code you will be permabanned. No questions asked.

9. Selling codes

Definitely a big no no. If you do this, you will get reported to the ECA and your account will be shut down.

10. If I make a pre-order with a code a cancel it, will the code still work?
Yes. Codes should remain in your account but again they will no longer stack. It is one code per game. Amazon and the ECA are working on codes tied into our accounts but this option is not yet available.

11. If I already have a pre-order made, can I add a 10% off code to it?

You can not add a anything to an order once it is made except a gift card. You can try emailing Amazon customer support and ask them to add it. Generally they have no issue doing this for you but it's a crap shoot.

12. What if I already have a pre-order with the old codes applied? Should I be worried?

We don't know definitively, but chances are good that Amazon will not touch the pre orders we have already made.[/QUOTE]
 
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My Brutal Legend deposit just got credited too. I definitely was not planning on purchasing it but it was hard to pass up with the $10 GC credit and ECA discounts. Fortunately the early reviews look very good.
 
Actually the stacking has made me buy 100% of my games there. I wasnt planning on buying Uncharted 2 till I got some discounts. So far I have around 10+ games preordered through Amazon that range till late 2011. Never would I spend so god damn money on new games but now I want to buy all the games day1. If you think about it, in the long run, they will benefit. These type of deals make them sway costumers from other big retailers....thats huge for them.
 
[quote name='darknight88']Actually the stacking has made me buy 100% of my games there. I wasnt planning on buying Uncharted 2 till I got some discounts. So far I have around 10+ games preordered through Amazon that range till late 2011. Never would I spend so god damn money on new games but now I want to buy all the games day1. If you think about it, in the long run, they will benefit. These type of deals make them sway costumers from other big retailers....thats huge for them.[/QUOTE]

Not weighing in on the debate about whether people were right or wrong in stacking one way or the other (because it's getting really, really repetitive -- I mean, really, guys, can't we give it a rest at this point if there's nothing new to say?), but . . . the huge flaw to this logic is the assumption that Amazon is somehow better off getting your business with the stacked codes. If they're losing money on the deal (which they almost certainly are on the triple stacks at the very least), they'd probably actually prefer that you had bought the games somewhere else. Just making a sale without making any money on it is of no direct benefit to them. The only way that this comes out as "huge" for them is if you continue to make all of your purchases there after the stacking is gone. If you go back to buying at other retailers afterward, Amazon hasn't really gained anything out of it.
 
[quote name='Moravagine']My Brutal Legend deposit just got credited too. I definitely was not planning on purchasing it but it was hard to pass up with the $10 GC credit and ECA discounts. Fortunately the early reviews look very good.[/QUOTE]

There was any doubt? ;)
 
Amazon has a higher mark up than 30%. They have very little overhead since they do not have B&M locations other then distribution centers. The only way they are 'losing money' is if the sell out of an item and they were able to sell it at a higher price to another person.
 
[quote name='arcane93']Not weighing in on the debate about whether people were right or wrong in stacking one way or the other...[/QUOTE]

Furthermore, it was the original 10% discount that made it worth it to me. I didn't need double and triple stacking as an incentive. Amazon's already low prices, free shipping, excellent customer service, occasional games credits AND a 10% discount? I was completely sold. Starting buying 99% of my games there. Dunno why everyone feels the need to take advantage. (aka the need for greed)
 
I'm hoping these codes come back before Amazon runs out of Demon's Souls deluxe editions. That discount plus my $5 credit from Uncharted 2 would make it very tempting!
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Amazon has a higher mark up than 30%. They have very little overhead since they do not have B&M locations other then distribution centers. The only way they are 'losing money' is if the sell out of an item and they were able to sell it at a higher price to another person.[/QUOTE]Isn't cost the same to all retailers? Which would mean the markup is less than 10% if I recall my retail days correctly.
 
[quote name='Callandor']I'm hoping these codes come back before Amazon runs out of Demon's Souls deluxe editions. That discount plus my $5 credit from Uncharted 2 would make it very tempting![/QUOTE]

Same here, I'm thinking of just getting the deluxe edition with my $5 credit now before Amazon either runs out or drops the $4 discount.
 
can you preorder a game now, and add the ECA code later when they're available? 2 games showed up in my goldbox today and I want that discount as well as the ECA one

edit: OK, so somehow an unused code was still attached to my amazon account, I must've applied it but never checked out completely. I was able to use an ECA code just now but I haven't gotten one for over a week now, it must've been left over from the last batch. I just got No More Heroes 2 and The Last Guardian for a whopping total of $88.38 with FSSS
 
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[quote name='dallow']Isn't cost the same to all retailers? Which would mean the markup is less than 10% if I recall my retail days correctly.[/QUOTE]

I don't believe so. I don't have any hard evidence on that, but what I do have is a history of Amazon selling games at ridiculous prices a week or two after the game comes out. Best Buy priced Need for Speed Shift at $40 the 2nd week the game was released, and Amazon was willing to match that. If they had
 
[quote name='GaveUpTomorrow']I don't believe so. I don't have any hard evidence on that, but what I do have is a history of Amazon selling games at ridiculous prices a week or two after the game comes out. Best Buy priced Need for Speed Shift at $40 the 2nd week the game was released, and Amazon was willing to match that. If they had
 
[quote name='noisesquared']3 Amazon pre-orders of $57-$60 games w/ 30% stacked codes = ~$120.
TRU B2G1 of 3 x $60 games = $120.

This doesn't factor in shipping or taxes, which might make Amazon much more appealing in this case. i just don't think the triple stack glitch was the 'stealing from Amazon' deal that it was made out to be. $40 is a great deal for a new game (especially w/ Amazon's perks), but hardly stealing :roll:[/QUOTE]
Oh don't worry, soon we'll be paying $100 per game if Activision's Ko-dick has his way. We're just recouping our losses early IMO!
 
[quote name='nbballard']Can we not roll the Brutal Legend / U2 credit into existing pending orders?[/QUOTE]
Nope, pretty annoying actually.
 
[quote name='GaveUpTomorrow']I don't believe so. I don't have any hard evidence on that, but what I do have is a history of Amazon selling games at ridiculous prices a week or two after the game comes out. Best Buy priced Need for Speed Shift at $40 the 2nd week the game was released, and Amazon was willing to match that. If they had
 
[quote name='Jodou']Nope, pretty annoying actually.[/QUOTE]
Hum.. I thought someone earlier in the thread said that they would activate into the existing order. Oh well- I guess I have any excuse to by more games now!
 
You can contact them about getting your credits applied to a pre-order, but you can't do it yourself nor will it automatically be used on an existing order.
 
Hi everyone,

I'm a new member of ECA, and would like to apply the 10% to the Beatles Rock band I'm about to purchase... Do you know where we can find the code? I went to the benefits section and see nothing.. maybe I'm missing something?

Also, if you notice there's a deal to get $10 credit for videogame purchase through amazon for purchasing Beatles Rock Band... can I stack this with the 10% disc from ECA.

Thanks,
 
[quote name='kampretkampret']Hi everyone,

I'm a new member of ECA, and would like to apply the 10% to the Beatles Rock band I'm about to purchase... Do you know where we can find the code? I went to the benefits section and see nothing.. maybe I'm missing something?

Also, if you notice there's a deal to get $10 credit for videogame purchase through amazon for purchasing Beatles Rock Band... can I stack this with the 10% disc from ECA.

Thanks,[/QUOTE]

Read the thread. Not even the entire thing -- just the last couple of pages.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Amazon has a higher mark up than 30%. They have very little overhead since they do not have B&M locations other then distribution centers. The only way they are 'losing money' is if the sell out of an item and they were able to sell it at a higher price to another person.[/QUOTE]

While I'd buy that Amazon has a 30% mark-up, I'd be very surprised if it's significantly more than that. 30%, when it comes down to it, is a pretty high mark-up on media items, especially ones that aren't being sold at MSRP to begin with. Therefore, they may not be losing money on the stacked coupons themselves, but when you add the other incidentals onto it (shipping cost if you selected free shipping, labor costs for processing and packing the order, the fee they pay for processing your credit card payment, etc.), it probably does come out to a loss. Not a massive loss (which is why I think they're just leaving the orders alone rather than risking alienating future business), but as I said, if they're not making money off of the sale, it's at best meaningless to them.

Again, not judging on the stacking one way or the other, but just pointing out that the "they're making sales that they wouldn't have otherwise" argument is bogus unless it also leads to future sales that they wouldn't have had otherwise once the stacking is gone.
 
digging though old emails i send myself i found a list of 2 codes i saved.. seems they still work (at least they take the 10% off...)) too bad i didnt think of digging in my emails last night ....

was thinking about buying Pokemon sky for the ds BUT

Amazon has this game listed at 30... take 3 away for discount 27.00 shipped ?

gamefly has it KEEP NOW 22.49 after 1.50 tax so 24.00 shipped ...

even with the ECA code amazon could not match gamefly price : )
 
[quote name='slidecage']Amazon has this game listed at 30... take 3 away for discount 27.00 shipped ?

gamefly has it KEEP NOW 22.49 after 1.50 tax so 24.00 shipped ...

even with the ECA code amazon could not match gamefly price : )[/QUOTE]

With Gamefly it's a used copy, though, right? Yeah, if you're comparing new and used, of course they don't compete. If you don't care about it being used, then yeah, that's a better deal. Personally, I'd rather pay a few bucks more (if that's all the difference is) and get an unopened, untouched copy.

I'm not a Gamefly member, so I don't know . . . do you get the complete package (manual, case, etc.), or is it game-only?
 
[quote name='arcane93']I'm not a Gamefly member, so I don't know . . . do you get the complete package (manual, case, etc.), or is it game-only?[/QUOTE]

Complete copies. The cases and manuals are almost always in mint condition, unless some warehouse worker mishandles them. The condition of games vary, though.
 
[quote name='arcane93']With Gamefly it's a used copy, though, right? Yeah, if you're comparing new and used, of course they don't compete. If you don't care about it being used, then yeah, that's a better deal. Personally, I'd rather pay a few bucks more (if that's all the difference is) and get an unopened, untouched copy.

I'm not a Gamefly member, so I don't know . . . do you get the complete package (manual, case, etc.), or is it game-only?[/QUOTE]

well if you get the game the first day its release its NEW cause you are the first person playing it... you do get the complete package..

was just saying sort of shocked amazon didnt have that normal discount on the pokemon game.. Then again its just a clone of the first 2 so i might just rent it first and see ....
 
Ok I just signed up w/ credit card so I have a full membership. Now where exactly do I go to get the amazon 10% off code? I'm looking on the ECA site and haven't had any luck yet...
Thanks!
 
[quote name='dsimmelink']Ok I just signed up w/ credit card so I have a full membership. Now where exactly do I go to get the amazon 10% off code? I'm looking on the ECA site and haven't had any luck yet...
Thanks![/QUOTE]

There aren't any right now. People were abusing the Amazon promotion, so they've temporarily removed the codes.

The expectation is that they will be back up "soon." Take that FWIW. Could be tomorrow. Could be next month.

When they ARE available, you'll find them on the Member Info page @ theeca.com.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']Cool, Magna Carta 2 shipped a day early. Already got my uncharted/brutal legend credit. Says both must be used by dec 31, if the rest say that, then I definitely have more than enough time to use them.[/QUOTE]

I've never bought anything with a promotion like this, can you tell me where you see the "credit"? I have mine free shipping so I'm guessing it takes longer, I would just like to know where to view your balance. I'm a knucklehead so please be gentle with step by step.

Thank you :)
 
[quote name='Tracid']I've never bought anything with a promotion like this, can you tell me where you see the "credit"? I have mine free shipping so I'm guessing it takes longer, I would just like to know where to view your balance. I'm a knucklehead so please be gentle with step by step.

Thank you :)[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately there is no way to just view your current balance, like you can with a gift certificate. You have to put an item in your cart and go to checkout, and you will see a line item with the discount amount applied.
 
[quote name='Tracid']I've never bought anything with a promotion like this, can you tell me where you see the "credit"? I have mine free shipping so I'm guessing it takes longer, I would just like to know where to view your balance. I'm a knucklehead so please be gentle with step by step.

Thank you :)[/QUOTE]

Also, you should get an email from them a day or two after they ship the game with a title like "Your Amazon.com Promotional Credit" which will tell you that you've received the credit and when it expires. I've gotten three games with these credits now, and in all three cases I've gotten the email about the credit about 24 hours after I got an email telling me that the game had shipped.
 
[quote name='Tracid']I've never bought anything with a promotion like this, can you tell me where you see the "credit"? I have mine free shipping so I'm guessing it takes longer, I would just like to know where to view your balance. I'm a knucklehead so please be gentle with step by step.

Thank you :)[/QUOTE]

When they credit your account, you get an email saying it has been credited. I believe in that email they say when you add a game to the cart and proceed to checkout, you will see the price deduction.

Otherwise, I don't think there's a way to view this type of credit posted to your account. (Might be wrong.)
 
[quote name='Sylin']There aren't any right now. People were abusing the Amazon promotion, so they've temporarily removed the codes.

The expectation is that they will be back up "soon." Take that FWIW. Could be tomorrow. Could be next month.

When they ARE available, you'll find them on the Member Info page @ theeca.com.[/QUOTE]

Boo :cry: Give someone an inch, and they take a mile. :wall:

But thanks for the info Sylin!
 
Hot dang, I have FOUR PS3 games in my Gold Box today and nothing else (after having no games the last few days)

- Last Rebellion
- Agent
- Lost Planet 2
- Katamari Forever

Not interested in any of them, but that's pretty amazing.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Amazon has a higher mark up than 30%. They have very little overhead since they do not have B&M locations other then distribution centers. The only way they are 'losing money' is if the sell out of an item and they were able to sell it at a higher price to another person.[/QUOTE]
Could you please show me Amazon's balance sheet to back up this claim?

Didn't think so.
 
[quote name='Angelwatch']Could you please show me Amazon's balance sheet to back up this claim?

Didn't think so.[/QUOTE]

more like income statement, but i hear ya, brah.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Hot dang, I have FOUR PS3 games in my Gold Box today and nothing else (after having no games the last few days)

- Last Rebellion
- Agent
- Lost Planet 2
- Katamari Forever

Not interested in any of them, but that's pretty amazing.[/QUOTE]

Katamari forever should be a good one ._.a


I miss the ECA codes, been meaning to buy a few games, but just waitin, waitin waitin :x
 
[quote name='dusbbal2008']people are crazy if they think stores only have a 10% markup on new games. You really think that they pay 53.99 for their copies of new games?[/QUOTE]


store make most of their money on used games. that is why you never see a stand alone store just selling new video games..
 
[quote name='slidecage']store make most of their money on used games. that is why you never see a stand alone store just selling new video games..[/QUOTE]

Good point and i realize they make most of the money off used games but I can promise you they are getting them for a good bit less than that
 
[quote name='dusbbal2008']people are crazy if they think stores only have a 10% markup on new games. You really think that they pay 53.99 for their copies of new games?[/QUOTE]

agreed. Why would amazon sell nba live 10 for a loss at $50? And why would TRU lose money every year with their B2G1 free?
 
[quote name='asthmatic']agreed. Why would amazon sell nba live 10 for a loss at $50? And why would TRU lose money every year with their B2G1 free?[/QUOTE]

exactly. This is just a completely baseless estimate but I would guess they probably pay around 40 bucks for new release games.
 
[quote name='asthmatic'] And why would TRU lose money every year with their B2G1 free?[/QUOTE]

In the case of TRU, it can be simply a reason for cash flow (they need cash now to pay for inventory for Christmas) as well as to help clear out slow moving stock. It also gets people back in their stores around the time they start to start thinking about Christmas shopping. Promotions like this are corrosive from the stand point that once you do it, if you don't do it again, your sales appear to suffer on an annual basis, even though margins would likely improve if it was stopped.
 
[quote name='K_G']In the case of TRU, it can be simply a reason for cash flow (they need cash now to pay for inventory for Christmas) as well as to help clear out slow moving stock. It also gets people back in their stores around the time they start to start thinking about Christmas shopping. Promotions like this are corrosive from the stand point that once you do it, if you don't do it again, your sales appear to suffer on an annual basis, even though margins would likely improve if it was stopped.[/QUOTE]

Incredibly well put K_G! As is often said, you've got to spend money to make money. The sale serves many purposes. One of them is advertising.
 
[quote name='Angelwatch']Could you please show me Amazon's balance sheet to back up this claim?

Didn't think so.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't starting a discussion, but since you grew a pair...

No I do not have their price lists, but I have over 4 years experience in retail distribution/Supply Chain Management (and 5 years at the retail level) for one of the largest beverage companies in the US.

I can tell you each company has its own pricing (usually based on volume) that can vary from product to product (even from the same manufacturer). Amazon deals in such large volume that they would get a significant discount on pretty much everything (I'm sure there are exceptions) they stock.

Most retail outlets will not keep a product on hand that have less than an 8% mark up as a general rule of thumb. Even a low price leader like Wal-Mart typically has between 18-35% mark up on average.

Amazon takes more than 20% off the retail price just when they offer a $10 games credit (because the game is already discounted). That is a planned promotion, not a loss leader (meaning they are comfortable with the margin). Their markup would have to be more than 20% or they would be losing money on their own planned promos.
 
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