advice regarding a refund for Football Manager 2013 (used)

calmk

Hi
Would appreciate some advice re item i bought the other day after days of pestering from my son. I bought him used pc game "football manager 2013" from amazon.

When we recieved the game yesterday we could not play it because activation code was already in use(steam code). I have contacted the seller via amazon who has replied back " Item was listed as used and its well known steam games come with a code witch (sic)is non-transferable". The ad for the item did not state game would not work without steam code. I am not a gamer therefore I naively thought the used game would be ok for my son.
I have contacted amazon because i am not happy about the issue about steam code and the sellers reply to my refund . Surely the seller should have stated on his ad that steam code used therefore game cannot be played. I have been asked to wait 3 days by amazon . If the seller does not refund me can i ask for a refund by amazon because item is defective. TIA for any replies.

earthstorm

It is a risk when purchasing used games.
you have 2 choices

1) purchase an activation code for the game
2) Wait the 3 days suggested by Amazon to see if seller refunds and then if they dont get back in touch with Amazon as then they will most likely refund you.

halibut2209

Hmm, this is an interesting one. Whilst it's well known for online features of games to be non-transferable, I've not read a case of where an entire game is unplayable. Personally I would think this is indeed a breach of SOGA and should it get so far, I can't see that a judge would deem this acceptable.

Keep pressing with amazon and let us know what happens

want_to_save

I purchase alot of games however am v careful when it comes to pc ones as I use steam alot and know that they are not transferable.

I would complain to amazon directly the game can only be played with a steam code therefore is unable to be sold as a used game. I would therefore complain that amazon allowed a trador to sell a game that is in effect useless... do not let them get away with it...

VitaK

The seller sold a item he knew was not useable. Keep the emails and follow amazons procedure.

Takeaway_Addict

VitaK wrote: »

The seller sold a item he knew was not useable. Keep the emails and follow amazons procedure.

It maybe useable though I would have thought if say someone else who had already purchased the game and used the unique code then needed the disc to start but had broken their original?

halibut2209

It would certainly be interesting to know what the item description said

aileth

Yes, is there the full item description? Surely if the seller sold a game without stating it was unplayable, then it could be unfit for purpose as an unplayable game isn't really fit for the purpose of being played? I'd have a chat with Amazon.

calmk

I have had another email back from seller after Amazon emailed him - again his reply indicates no refund from him . Amazon have submitted the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee claim on my behalf after I spoke to someone this afternoon. The item description was "Condition: Used - Very Good" . no indication of used stream code on description. If you look at similar items on amazon there are other similar pc games - some do state steam code used. I told the man from Amazon that they should not be letting sellers sell items that cannot be used and unfit for purpose. I have been told to wait (could be upto 2 weeks).

Takeaway_Addict

calmk wrote: »

I have had another email back from seller after Amazon emailed him - again his reply indicates no refund from him . Amazon have submitted the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee claim on my behalf after I spoke to someone this afternoon. The item description was "Condition: Used - Very Good" . no indication of used stream code on description. If you look at similar items on amazon there are other similar pc games - some do state steam code used. I told the man from Amazon that they should not be letting sellers sell items that cannot be used and unfit for purpose. I have been told to wait (could be upto 2 weeks).

I've told you they maybe able to use them...

tomwakefield

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

I've told you they maybe able to use them...

But that would be in a small minority of cases. The average person buying a game would expect to be able to play that game, unless explicitly told otherwise.

In my view the seller is lying by omission - not revealing a fundamental piece of information about the product i.e. it doesn't work unless you already own the game.

Presumably the game would sell for more than just a disc without a valid licence, so the seller was just hoping to get more money, dishonestly.