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  1. #1

    Unhappy Extremely disappointed with Bethesda Software

    I'm posting this here so others can see what awful customer support this company offers, as well as to ask for suggestions as to what to do next.

    I received Fallout: New Vegas for Christmas, and I was saving it for a work trip that I'm currently on. When I opened the box, I began to install the game only to find that I needed to use a CD key to activate the game on Steam. No big deal, I thought. But as I looked for the key, I realized that it was nowhere to be found. There was no insert, no sticker, no printed code on the back of the manual, NOTHING.

    My first instinct was to call Bethesda. They said they'd email with instructions about what to do next. When I received the email about an hour later, I was told to email them back with a picture of the disc, box, manual, and Classic Pack DLC CD key I received with the game. They also wanted a picture of the receipt. I explained that I did not have the receipt, but I thought the DLC key would do.

    No response for 6 days, so I email them back with the attachments. I was then promptly (and rather shortly) told that there was nothing they could do. Sorry, you're screwed. I emailed back and told them I had the unused Classic Pack CD key and that I was a longtime buyer of Bethesda products. Once again, sorry there's nothing I could do. So I told them that I was planning on buying future Bethesda games, but that I probably wouldn't if their customer support was going to be this poor. I asked that the email conversation be forwarded to a manager.

    I then got an email basically stating, "Thanks for your suggestions and/or complaints. If you want to talk more about it - sorry - you've exhausted your options."

    I'm very disappointed with this response, mostly because my wife wasted $45 of our money buying me a game I cannot play.

    /ventoff

    TLR - I bought a copy of Fallout: NV with no CD key included. They won't hook me up with a new one. WAHHH

  2. #2
    Since they suck so bad, just take "optional" methods. Your copy was legitimately bought and they screwed you, so screw them.

  3. #3
    Scarab Lord Alraml's Avatar
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    I tried playing Fallout 3 on my computer. It was so buggy that I just gave up on it

    Betheseda games are always bugged like hell

  4. #4
    Where did she buy it from?

  5. #5
    I have a question why are you trying to put it on steam? The hard copy games has nothing to do with steam. The product key looks like a serial number. and should be
    Last edited by N0stalgia; 2011-02-15 at 01:31 AM.

  6. #6
    Scarab Lord Lothaeryn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Azalu View Post
    I tried playing Fallout 3 on my computer. It was so buggy that I just gave up on it

    Betheseda games are always bugged like hell
    BUggy as it may be, Fallout 3 was definately a good game, it won game of the year in 2008. It had enough content to explore to last at least a week.

    Im sorry to hear that you got ripped off on your purchase, but sometimes its not in the "proper" hands of good people at the company, sometimes customer service is the worst of a company, and that is truly sad as it is supposed to be the bridge between the company and the customer.

    For example, Verizon is just plain horrible for customer service purposes in Maryland, you cant get a hold of one of those bastards for more than 3 hours. They may have good provider service, but god forbid you have any form of problem come up.
    Fod Sparta los wuth, ahrk okaaz gekenlok kruziik himdah, dinok fent kos rozol do daan wah jer do Samos. Ahrk haar do Heracles fent motaad, fah strunmah vonun fent yolein ko yol
    .

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Dethh View Post
    Where did she buy it from?
    She bought it from Gamestop.

  8. #8
    Ya just crack it and no longer pay for there products get them for free

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Lothaeryn View Post
    BUggy as it may be, Fallout 3 was definately a good game, it won game of the year in 2008. It had enough content to explore to last at least a week.

    Im sorry to hear that you got ripped off on your purchase, but sometimes its not in the "proper" hands of good people at the company, sometimes customer service is the worst of a company, and that is truly sad as it is supposed to be the bridge between the company and the customer.

    For example, Verizon is just plain horrible for customer service purposes in Maryland, you cant get a hold of one of those bastards for more than 3 hours. They may have good provider service, but god forbid you have any form of problem come up.
    Come to think of it... Bethesda is based in Maryland.

    Maybe there's something in the water.

    I think I'm going to start filtering my tap.

  10. #10
    Deleted
    What about trying to see if the situation can be resolved amicably at the Gamestop?

    I don't know what it would be like for you but I purchased a copy of Neverwinter Nights 2 many, many moons ago from a store called PC World in England. It didn't have a sticker with the CD key inside. I took it back to the store and after some complaining, I acquired a replacement copy which fortunately, did contain the appropriate CD key.

    Still, that aside, making you wait six days to give you a response is awful. I don't think I can give a further response without the eloquent use of various curse words.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Zeronos View Post
    What about trying to see if the situation can be resolved amicably at the Gamestop?

    I don't know what it would be like for you but I purchased a copy of Neverwinter Nights 2 many, many moons ago from a store called PC World in England. It didn't have a sticker with the CD key inside. I took it back to the store and after some complaining, I acquired a replacement copy which fortunately, did contain the appropriate CD key.

    Still, that aside, making you wait six days to give you a response is awful. I don't think I can give a further response without the eloquent use of various curse words.
    I'm going to see if the emails I sent were actually forwarded to a higher tier. If I don't get a response in the next day, I'll head to Gamestop. The problem is, the game wasn't bought here in FL. Argh...

  12. #12
    As unfortunate as your experience was it was quite possibly the Gamestop you bought it at that was actually responsible for your missing CD key. I would go and ask them about why they are selling games without the required CD keys to play them.
    Alternately, just find a key/crack online. There are a bunch of them and its not like your going to miss any online content from a game like New Vegas. Totally within your rights to download that stuff if its to play a game you have actually paid for.

  13. #13
    Deleted
    Download the game and crack it. You bought the rights to play and own a copy of it so it's not illegal.

  14. #14
    game stop will not be able to help you unless you have the receipt. They may exchange it for you if you tell them thats the game is missing the cd key.
    assuming you have the receipt.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Ruax View Post
    Your copy was legitimately bought and they screwed you, so screw them.
    /agree

    It's like anything else - if you offer bad service, the consumer will stop giving you money and shop elsewhere. In the case of software, since a person can't exactly go buy the same game from a different developer/publisher, the alternative is piracy. Perhaps I'm not the ideal guy to be talking to about why you should or should not pirate a game, seeing as I'm as guilty of it as anyone else on the internet, but the fact remains that the consumers are the ones with the power and they need to be the ones to send the message: treat us like paying customers or lose our business.

    If these companies want to stay afloat, they'd better get their act together. The trends set today will have a large effect on games of tomorrow.


    EDIT: That annoying little voice in the back of my head would like you to know that two wrongs don't make a right. In response to this, it should be noted that if you roll over and accept horrible service now, it will get exponentially worse down the road. Fight back now or live with the future you didn't work to prevent.
    Last edited by EllipsisGH; 2011-02-15 at 02:16 AM.
    Enforce proper spelling and grammar!

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by EllipsisGH View Post
    /agree

    It's like anything else - if you offer bad service, the consumer will stop giving you money and shop elsewhere. In the case of software, since a person can't exactly go buy the same game from a different developer/publisher, the alternative is piracy. Perhaps I'm not the ideal guy to be talking to about why you should or should not pirate a game, seeing as I'm as guilty of it as anyone else on the internet, but the fact remains that the consumers are the ones with the power and they need to be the ones to send the message: treat us like paying customers or lose our business.

    If these companies want to stay afloat, they'd better get their act together. The trends set today will have a large effect on games of tomorrow.


    EDIT: That annoying little voice in the back of my head would like you to know that two wrongs don't make a right. In response to this, it should be noted that if you roll over and accept horrible service now, it will get exponentially worse down the road. Fight back now or live with the future you didn't work to prevent.
    While I agree that they screwed me over, I'm not sure that two or three or four wrongs will make a right. If at all possible, I'd like this problem resolved "legally." I like having my Steamworks games available to download when I reformat/change computers, and I like being able to get Steam achievements. I look forward to DLC as I LOVED FO3. If I crack the game, I feel like I won't be able to experience the game as I'd like to.

    I'm really just disappointed that I complied with their requests to the best of my ability, and they won't even offer me a discount. It's not like a CD key is going to cost them a dime, and I assure you, I'll continue to buy Bethesda games if they provide me with one. Otherwise I HIGHLY doubt that I will.

  17. #17
    Best advice I can offer then is to keep fighting for your key. Provide as much evidence as humanly possible that you legally purchased the game. If you keep contacting them about this issue, they may break eventually. Worst case scenario, they lose your business completely for their terrible service. It's the same outcome no matter which way you go - the developer/publisher still doesn't get your money anymore, the major difference between that and piracy is that you also don't get to play the game.

    In your position, I'd rather stop giving them my money while getting the game too, just for all the hoops you needlessly jumped through. Then again, I'm not the forgiving type. You throw a rock, I throw two. Probably best not to take advice from me if you're trying to keep things legal.

    Still, the option is there if you have a change of heart. You DO have a hard copy of the game for proof, so getting a crack isn't exactly wrong. You're getting what you paid for, you're just not going through the preferred channels.
    Enforce proper spelling and grammar!

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Azalu View Post
    I tried playing Fallout 3 on my computer. It was so buggy that I just gave up on it

    Betheseda games are always bugged like hell
    Evokes my memories from playing The Elder Scrolls 3: Daggerfall, again from Bethesda.
    THAT was a bugfest, second to none.

    But a CD box that's bugged??? This takes the cake.

  19. #19
    fun fact the B in Bethesda stands for bug, but tbh they make the best open world RPGs out there and i'll suffer a few stupid bugs to keep playing there fantasic games

  20. #20
    Just torrent the game. You have the right you.. you own it, and because of their stupid bug and poor customer support, you cant play it.

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