Online Shopping

[Charl]

So what's your experience been with online shopping - local or overseas?
I am having a bad time with the Gameplanet Store, service response is very slow.
This isn't meant to be a griz about them, I'd write to PCWorld if it were.
Here's the record so far:

7/10/06: ...Thank you for creating an account with Gameplanet Store
7/10/06: ...Please include the following details when making your payment:
Particulars /Code 1526631 /Reference 1
Now here I should mention that nowhere on my internet banking is there a field for Code or Reference - these guys are with the same bank, don't they know this??
12/10/06: (After I sent a reminder email) ...Just a quick email to let you know that we have received your payment
13/10/06: Good news... your order has been shipped
15/10/06: emailed them to say game won't load, bad DVD
19/10/06: Sorry about that - can you please send it back to our store for
testing/replacement

I mailed it back (doh) that same day. Today is 29/10/06 three weeks down the track and no end in sight.
A quick trip down to the local Dick Smith would've been a much smarter move.
Isn't the whole point of online ordering, instant gratification?

EDIT: 7 November
Drawing on the experience of the comments below, I remembered to phone up the physical GP Store.
This is manned by one who is Not Empowered:
"Ah no, have to wait 'til the Manager gets in."
10:30 in the morning??
Still waiting for the return phone call/email/replacement software

[toprob]

I've always had good luck with buying online, but I'm aware that some folk don't. Normally I only buy online if I can save money (which is why I use Gameplanet) so I have the added advantage of being able to look at most of my purchases as below retail cost:)
But of course not being able to walk back into the shop to return/complain is bound to be a downside. I think that you really need to keep on at them -- I had a bad experience with my Xbox when I sent it back for repairs. I had originally taken it back to Noel Leemings, but they insisted that MS only allowed returns direct from the customer. I moaned and grizzled, and in the end they phoned MS and got me to talk to them. After a looooong discussion I agreed to send it back myself, because I wasn't getting anywhere. A month, and countless phone calls, later it turned out that the thing just went missing in the post.
The replacement process was pretty painless, but the initial phonecalls were frustrating.
I'd at least make sure that they received your game back, and contact them daily just to keep them on their toes.

[ZK-MAT]

I ditto Robin's comments. I buy online if it's cheaper or unavailable locally. I have bought off Gameplanet and have had no issues at all, but all the products have been working, so I can't comment on how they handle faults.

[Zöltuger]

i've bought hundreds of dollars worth of games from Gameplanet store and never had an issue. FSX, for example, arrived on release day. they even got me Saturday delivery for free after one pre-order was a bit slow. and their prices can't be beat.
just remember that internet banking goes in on the next business day- so really it was only one extra day of waiting. which is understandable if they didn't have your transaction reference details on their banking records. i think they have a phone number too, so try calling them.


i always shop online. and rarely do i buy things 'in the real world' without at least consulting the internet first. and returning stuff is always problematic because it just involves extra costs and wasted time for the seller.

[ardypilot]

I used to be a regular customer of Gameplanet when buying Gamecube games from them a few years back.

I purchased about $500 worth of products from them, and pre-ordered one of the newer GC games. They never sent me the game, and when I inquired further, they gave me some long story about their warehouse stockist... I eventually got my money back.

I also traded some of my old PC games in there, about $300 worth and only got a $100 gift voucher out of it... I should have put them on trademe

Anyway, I sold my Gamecube, and the only game I have purchased from them since was GTA San Andreas, which was delivered promptly on time.

Since then, I have bought all my FSim addons from Godzone and www.simMarket.com and chose the download option. I once bought the 'Islands of the West Indies' addon from Flight1, and wasn't happy with it, so I requested a refund and was given it instantly.

[towerguy]

another site to try is VR Concepts - google seach will find it okay - I got all my ch gear through them without a hitch and good prices too. - keep an eye on their specials and clearance pages.

[kimz28]

You must also take into account, that GPStore like other retailers are sometimes at the mercy of the distributor of the product in question, as these "Faulty goods" have to go back to the suppliers for testing and replacing - just my 2cents worth.

[Jimmy]

well I preorded fsx from pcaviator, its a greatdeal with the ultimate defrager,$60 worth of vouchers and a 6mounth subscription to cp mag all along with the delux fs10, for $130aus.

Thats all nice but its now 5days after relese day and still no sign of it in my mailbox and iv hadno e-mailsaying its been shiped.

I haven't done much shoping online as of yet but my most recent experiance with the pc-online store when I brought my DVD drive was rather good, it arived the very next day to them reciveing my payment (used internet banking and did it after 10pm so I actuly had to wait a day untill they got my muny )

I do perfer internet shoping over going to a shop, its kinda neat waiting for something to arive(thats if it doesnt take forever ) ,and you can almost forget how much payed for it if it comes a few days later

James

[Ian Warren]

Spent big moneys and never had a prob . My only gripe is my keybourd's don't have a credit card swipe

[Zöltuger]

I do perfer internet shoping over going to a shop, its kinda neat waiting for something to arive(thats if it doesnt take forever )

haha, yeah that it is a bonus. but it really messes with your school cert exam preparation constantly watching the mailbox/waiting for the courier to arrive

[Charl]

my keybourd's don't have a credit card swipe

Oho Ian, what a concept!
You realise you've just described the Next Big Internet Thing?
Now: your keyboard or mine??

[Jimmy]

well its almost 2 weeks after the fs10 relese day and my copy has still NOT arived!!

I sent them anothor e-mail today, now just to wait a few days for thier reaply

"it might get here tomorow" I say for the 11th time.......

[Zöltuger]

moral of the story i think Jimmy, is not to buy from overseas what you can get from NZ
(p.s. by my calculations, this is post number 1000 in the general forum. yay me!)

[ZK-MAT]

I hope you speld your address rite to.

[Jimmy]

I hope you speld your address rite to

What, do you think im a bad speller, now were on earth did you get that idea

yes actuly I spelled it Peeerfectly! I was actuly about to go preorder my copy from the "games man" shop when we got the e-mail advertising pcaviators deal were I get the 6mounth CP mag subscription, 60buks worth of vouchers for pcavitor shop (to buy my LDS763 with!) and the "ultimate defrag" program all for what turned out to be $150 (o yes I have been charged, no delays there). So otherwise I wouldn't have brought from the not so distant overseas

James

[SUBS17]

another site to try is VR Concepts - google seach will find it okay - I got all my ch gear through them without a hitch and good prices too. - keep an eye on their specials and clearance pages.

VR concepts is one of the best I've seen so far for online shopping.

[Zenith]

my keybourd's don't have a credit card swipe

Oho Ian, what a concept!
You realise you've just described the Next Big Internet Thing?
Now: your keyboard or mine??

Oh yea of little knowledge

Those keyboards are already available

[Charl]

my keybourd's don't have a credit card swipe

Oho Ian, what a concept!
You realise you've just described the Next Big Internet Thing?
Now: your keyboard or mine??

Oh yea of little knowledge

Those keyboards are already available

Not in my house if I can possibly avoid it.
At present they have at least to heave themselves out of the chair to go and swipe the card, down at the store (for those not-online-purchases).
Think of the astronomical gym fee costs if that last little bit of exercise were to be removed from their lives.
Everything "new" that is shoved under our consumer noses seems to be destined to make us over into into immobile mounds of jelly, which don't need to do anything much anymore, except gain gratification...