Topic: I need to vent! #!@?$!?/|#

[RossRoy]

I can't believe this is happening.

For those not in the know, a law has entered into action here in Quebec saying that if a game is available in French anywhere abroad, it has to be made available in French in Quebec too.

So far, I have no problem with that, it's only logical, French being the official language in the province and all.

Where I take issues, is when because of that, they create a french version of the game, with french packaging and all. BUT DON'T MAKE IT OBVIOUS THAT IT IS A FRENCH VERSION!!!

So, I see the Halo 3 display yesterday at Futureshop, pick up a copy, pay up. Come home, put it on the shelf, because I have to enter my new DVD, notice the "La Job" DVD doesn't have a profile online, so I proceed to do it. When I finish the profile, it's getting late, so I decide to go to bed.

Today, I decide to try Halo 3 out. I take the box, see the french text but I don't think any of it because it is not unusual in Quebec to have french packaging on games, cut the shrinkwrap, cut the MS seal, open the box. I take the booklet, to read a little while my Xbox boots up. I notice that the booklet is only in french, and there's no english booklet in sight. Odd, but I still don't think much of it.

Pop the game in, it boots up. French logo screen, my heart starts to race as I DON'T want to play in french, but calms down when the menu comes up all in english. Start the campaign, choose the difficulty settings (all in english so far). The intro starts with a nice view of a starry sky at night, with soft music.

And then WHAM!!! THE FREAKIN' VOICE OVER IS IN FRENCH!!!! 

With French subtitles too!! So I tell myself, don't panic, just go in the menu and select the english language. Back to the settings menu.... NO LANGUAGE OPTION!!!!! The closest to a language option is Subtitles, with a choice of "Auto", "On", or "Off", default is Auto. Try it on ON, still french. Off? Still french. Create a new profile? Still french. Remove the hard drive to make sure there is no trace of previous settings? Still french.

I... AM... PISSED... OFF!!!!!! Who, in their right mind, thought "Hey, let's put only the french language track on this game, they don't care about original language anyway!".

They better exchange it tomorrow at Futureshop ..........

Good thing I have some self control, or it would've cost me a new LCD screen.... Not sure the current one would've survived a head to head with the 360 controller......

[m.cellophane]

Yikes. Now there's something I've never even thought about.    Good luck tomorrow at Futureshop! 

[Touti]

I really hope that you get a refund Seb but the packaging should have given you a hint.  If the content was bilingual the package would have been also

[RossRoy]

I really hope that you get a refund Seb but the packaging should have given you a hint.  If the content was bilingual the package would have been also

Not always. Sometimes the entirely french packaging is shrinkwraped on top of the english one.

Oh well, anyway. I've read a little online, and it won't be the first time Futureshop has to exchange a french copy for an english one, and most report I've seen, this went without problem as long as the manager was in store. So, we'll see..

Oh and I don't want a refund, I want the english version! I want to finish the fight damnit! I've wanted to finish the fight since I finished Halo 2 with that cliffhanger ending!

Cliffhanger ending to a videogame.... 

[xyrano]

I H@T3 voiceover... anything! It should be illigal not to supply the original audio tracks, in this case English, if you ask me, grrrrrrr!!!

Whenever I get to acctually pick up a copy of Halo 3, I'll make sure to grab Halo 2 as well as I also H@T3 cliffhangers if I can't see/play the sequal.

Since Halo 2 only came out to xbox in the begining and that it now requires Vista  , I'm considering to add a xbox360 to my HW pool. Only, now it seems impossible to find a copy of Halo 2 anywhere here. I most sertainly will not play Halo 3 before Halo 2. I also hesitate a little to pick up a used copy.

Anyway, I hope that the store you bought it in has a English copy to switch with.

[RossRoy]

Since Halo 2 only came out to xbox in the begining and that it now requires Vista  , I'm considering to add a xbox360 to my HW pool. Only, now it seems impossible to find a copy of Halo 2 anywhere here. I most sertainly will not play Halo 3 before Halo 2. I also hesitate a little to pick up a used copy.

I understand the hesitation completely, but I've bought a used game here in my local EBGames and it was pristine. I'm not sure I would trust eBay though.

Anyway, I hope that the store you bought it in has a English copy to switch with.

I'll know later today. But I just thought of something. I have plenty of games sitting on the shelf here that I don't play anymore. I might just go to EBGames and sell those unused games along with my french Halo3, and get the english version with the credit. I'm still losing money, but at least I know I won't have to argue about it.

[lyonsden5]

Good Luck Sebastien.

Personally I would try to exchange it before you trade it in at EB but I understand your point about not wanting to argue about it.

[Achim]

Good luck at the store!!!

[Kathy]

I can't imagine any competent manager not allowing you to exchange your game and without arguing about it. I would certainly give it a shot first. Good luck!

[RossRoy]

I can't imagine any competent manager not allowing you to exchange your game and without arguing about it. I would certainly give it a shot first. Good luck!

Well, I gave it a shot. I went to Futureshop this morning with the game and invoice, explained the situation. The kid there just said "It's opened, can't exchange". No matter how much arguing I did with him, "Opened, no exchange". So I told him I wanted to talk to the manager. "No managers in store today, not until monday!". So I almost told him to "go to hell", but I refrained, and left the store really angry.

BUT...

I had taken along with me a few games I was not interested in anymore, and went to EB Games. And you know what? I now officially LOVE EB Games.

I told the clerk there about my story. Turns out I'm not the first one to do that. They already had a promotion that was if you bring back 3 games worth 8$ or more, they give you Halo 3. So I negociated a little, and said since one of the game I'm giving you back IS Halo 3, would you accept my French Halo 3 + 1 game worth 8$ and you give me the english Halo 3? He said yes!!

I also sold all the other games I had. Which allowed me to buy NHL'08 and preorder Mass Effects at no additionnal charge, with enough store credit for another game in the future! 

Up yours Futureshop!

[m.cellophane]

That's awesome! 

[Touti]

Here's another good FS story.

The other I decided to buy a Slingbox so I can watch my favorite shows and F1 races when I go to new york.  Regular price is 250$.  When I get there I see one with a big sticker saying "Opened Box: 189.95$".  Very bad service as always, I wait, and wait, and wait, and wait until a salesman,  who is busy telling a customer how wonderful his life will become and how he will never have any problems with anything including his wife, children, job and boss if he buys 35$/yr four years extended guarantee, who (the salesman) asks me if I want something.

I tell him I'm interested in the Slingbox, he takes it from the shelves, drops it in front of me saying "There, you can look at it" and goes back to selling the freakin' extended guarantee that probably gives him a better commission that the computer and printer the customer actually bought.

I opened the box, made sure everything was there, clean and undamanged, put everything back in, closed the box and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited..............................................for 17 minutes until I lost patience, looked at the guy  (still selling is &^*(^^& extended guarantee) and said "Excuse me, how long does a customer have to stand here waiting like a fucking moron before he can get someone to serve him ?".  I know, a bit rude but I had just wasted over 15 minutes waiting while a bunch of employees were chatting in a corner while another gang was walking around doing nothing.

The Extended Guarantee specialist then called someone to help me.  Needless to say, the guy actually took 35 seconds to finish his conversation with the other salesass before coming to me.

Allright, so finally I have someone who can explain to me why the sticker says it's regular 249.99$, 189.99$ because it's an opened box but the price tag on the shelve says 149.99$.  I knew the answer, somebody fucked up and 149.99$ was the price of the lower model (Slingbox Tuner) but the tag had the name of the one I wanted (Slingbox AV).

The moron tells me it's regular 189.99$ but it's on sale at 149.99$ and since it's an opened box I'm only gonna pay 139.99$.  I ask why he tells me that the regular price is 189$ when the sticker on the box clearly says 249$ and has nothing about any sales price.

He gives me the same answer so I just confirmed and said "Ok so if I buy this now, it's gonna cost me 139.99$" and the guy says yes. "Ok, I'll take it" 

At the cash, it turns out that he's the resident newbie, doesn't know shit and he's not even allowed to enter invoices in the computer so he calls someone to do it for him and tells him the price is 139.99$, when he scanned the barcode, the other guy looked at him and pointed the price of 189.99$ on the screen.  The newbie said "No, that's regular but it's on sale at 149 and it's an opened box at 139$".  The other guy pointed the price again and looked at him again saying "No it's not you fuckin' moron" with his eyes.

The stupid newbie lost patience and said "No, just print a new sticker at 139.99$".  Other guy said "Allright then".  He printed the sticker, entered the price, moved away after telling the stupid idiot newbie to finishe the invoice and, on his way, looked at me with a grin and said "Congratulations Sir !"

That's it.  My brand new Slingbox AV cost me 140$ instead of 250$.  Tought luck Future Shop,  give a bad service, hire morons, never have a supervisor around even when YOUR staff needs it and keep on selling stuff at a lower price than what you paid.............oh wait, that's not a problem right because one of your employee was still working on twisting a client into believing that his car would never break again and his dick would grow twice its current size if he bought one of those famous "Complete" extended guarantee that will bring you no less than 35$/yr for 4 years.

[RossRoy]

Here's another good FS story.

[rest of post removed]

I needed that laugh! 

[Kathy]

 
Congratulations; I guess it was worth the time and aggravation!

[Achim]

 

Congratulations to both of you! (for getting the English Halo 3 as desired and for getting a real sheap Slingbox...)