Guild Wars Official Online Store "Eye of the North" Misleading Online "Bargain"

Mark_Ward

This is a long one, but please read as it's a reputable company in my view duping customers into buying a worthless "Sneak Peak weekend".

My 13 year old autistic son is an obsessive/compulsive "Guild Wars" player. He has previously purchased all 3 of the previous incarnations of the game (Guild Wars, Night Fall & Factions) and decided to pre-order the 4th Volume "Eye of the North".

He checked prices from online retailers (typically £17-£18 including some extra weapons for pre-ordering).

He then discovered an apparently incredible deal for existing customer from the Guild Wars store accessible within the previous games. You could buy "Guild Wars: Eye of the North: Pre-Order" for £3.49! Ok, so you don't get the discs or manuals, it's a download but that's great price.

I was suspicious so thoroughly checked the information myself was happy that the deal was genuine, I was aware it may have been a mis-price but it was clear to me what was being offered. I kept a screen grab of my order confirmation screen just in case the amount charged to my card differed from that offered.

PlayNC/NCSoft/Guild Wars now say that the £3.45 was for a "Sneak Peak Weekend" that could be deducted from the cost of the full game should you decide to buy it from them later, together with 3 extra weapons some & a trial of the old games.

In order to help understand what we were being offered I have included links to screen grabs I took subsequently

1. The Character creation screen
It was in the Character creation screen within the actual Guild Wars game that my son first saw that "Eye of the North" was now available to preorder.
In-Game Character Creation Screen here
Notice the middle of the left side of the screen where it states "Pre-Order Today! Guild Wars Eye of the North is available for pre-order" together with a "Pre Order" button.

2. The Preorder Button Takes you to a Product Page
Pre-Order Button here
The Sole "Eye of the North" Product is listed in the title as "Eye of the North: Pre-Order", benefits of pre-ordering appear to be "Access to a Sneek Peek Weekend", "3 Exclusive Weapons", which are also available pre-ordering elsewhere, and "Trilogy Trial" giving him access to try out 3 games he already owns.

3. The Order confirmation page
Order Confirmation Page here
Notice that the product being purchased is described entirely as "Eye of the North: Pre-Order" at a price of £3.49. It also clearly states that NC Interactive, the official Guild Wars store, do not give full or partial refunds.

My son immediately received the additional weapons so I know they accepted our order, I hadn't expected thos weapons until the game was released. I don't want a refund, I want the game at the price offered. I sent a detailed "email" on 3rd August via the Help Desk page which was the only method of contact I could find on the site but that has not been answered. My son tells me the always respond within 2 days whenever he has needed to contact them previously.

My son also tells me that loads of people he's spoken to within the game have are very unhappy having been caught out, thinking they were ordering "Eye of the North: Pre-Order" but only being supplied "Sneek Peak Weekend access, weapons they would have got anyway preordreing elsewhere and a trial of games they already own.

Here is a copy of the mail I sent PlayNC (The "contact us" site accessed from the Guild Wars webpages.

Dear Sir/Madam

RE:- Pre-Order 47xxxxxx

I "Pre-Ordered:GW Eye of the North" via your in-game store for my Son.

The price clearly listed on your site was £3.49. I was aware this was a low price as I had seen it for £17 from other stores, but seeing as it is supplied with the disc, manual etc. when buying elsewhere I was happy that this was just a great deal for existing customers and continued to place the order in good faith. It was accepted.

Prior to placing my order I thoroughly checked the in-game store, and there was no alternative EOTN product available (as your wiki has recently been modified to suggest).

The order confirmation describes the product as "Eye of the North: Pre-Order" with a price of £3.49, it does NOT describe the product as "Additional Bonus Pack - Not the game". The order confirmation page clearly states that you do not give "full or partial refunds". The contract is formed at the point at which I authorise and you accept my payment for the product described on the confirmation/payment screen.

We have further evidence that you have accepted my order in the form that the new weapons were immediately made available to my son, something I was not expecting util the game release.

I have subsequently double checked the In Game store today (3rd August 2007 at 15:00) and the Character select screen (we accessed the store from this when ordering) still states "Pre-Order Now, Guild Wars Eye of the North is now available to Pre-Order" with a Pre-Order button.

Pressing that button bring up a page that still describes the game as "Guild Wars: Eye of the North: Pre-Order and lists the benefits as:- "Sneek Peak Weekend", "Three Exclusive Weapons, and "Trilogy Trial". It in no way suggest that all you are buying is a bit of early access and 3 weapons, weapons he would have got anyway had he pre-ordered elsewhere.

I kept a screen grab of my order confirmation (which I have attempted to attach, but may be too big), I also have screen grabs of the Character Select screen and the EotN Product Pre-Order description, which is currently still stating the Product to be "Eye of the North: Pre-Order". I can supply the additional screen grabs, but you could check your own store and see the same information.

My son has an autistic condition called "Aspergers Syndrome" which makes it harder for him to understand what is going on here, he doesn't understand. It is very clear to us what we have ordered. Your store description for the "product" you now claim we have ordered is either deliberately misleading or carelessly entered. He has already purchased all 3 previous Guild Wars products so I urge you deal with this matter as promptly as possible.

Accepting payment for an order for a product you describe solely as "Eye of the North: Pre-Order" for a fixed price with no refunds forms contract to supply the described product at that price. In legal terms "offer" & "consideration" have both been satisified which makes the contract binding on both parties.

I have already placed a copy of each of my screen grabs online ready for my consumer forum posts, should they be necessary. For obvious reasons it has been necessary to blur account & card details from these versions. I still have the unmodified screen grabs I can email to you on request.


Security Adjusted Screen grabs at:-

Character Screen Stating EotN Available for Pre-Order

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http://www.wardy.org/tivo/gwcharacterscreen.jpg


EotN Pre-Order Product Page

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http://www.wardy.org/tivo/eotnproductdesc.jpg


My Order Forum

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http://www.wardy.org/tivo/gweotnorder.jpg


I hope I'm pleasantly surprise by your reply, but in preparation of a response I am not satisfied with I have a pending letter ready for consumerdirect.gov.uk and a thread draughted ready to upload to various consumer rights forums & publications.

Thank you,

Mark Ward.
=================


The reference number for your question is '070803-xxxxxx'.

You should receive a response by email from our support department within the next business day.

If you need to add information to or cancel your question, you can do so by updating it through the questions sub area of the 'My Stuff' section of this site.

Included at the bottom in the confirmation of reciept of my email from Play NC.

So what do I do now? It's only £3.49, but what about the 100's or 1000's of others who have been tricked? I don't want to let it go, but my son is getting extremely stressed that his account may be frozen if I cancel the payment with my CCard company. How do I stand up for the victims here?

I checked the in-game store again yesterday and at that time it was still showing the same misleading descriptions.

I know I haven't given them long, but they stated " You should receive a response by email from our support department within the next business day." and my son in getting restless.

Thanks for any advice,

Mark.

Butlers1982

My 13 year old autistic son

Can i ask why have you opened the thread with that? Straight away I got annoyed at the fact you feel you have to point out your son is autistic

My son has an autistic condition called "Aspergers Syndrome" which makes it harder for him to understand what is going on here, he doesn't understand

and why you feel it necessary to point it out to the company.
But you placed the order, not your son-so its nothing to do with him.

Mark_Ward

Butlers1982 wrote: »

Can i ask why have you opened the thread with that? Straight away I got annoyed at the fact you feel you have to point out your son is autistic

Actually I can see your point to some extent. What I and my son know about how this Guild Wars Pre-Order has affected him is not really covered by a simple statement that he has a specific condition. I though it worth mentioning to avoid the inevitable "It's only £3.49" replies I would have predicted. With hindsight perhaps I should have left that information out.

It matters far more to him than it would typically affect most 13 year olds. It's not only the pocket money, he has a very strong sense of what is right.

I initially thought of a "That's what happens in life!" approach, but he feels he's been "wronged" and in his mind his Dad paying instead of him doesn't make him feel much better about it. It's still not fair.

Of course I'll pay it for him, but we both feel that if a company carelessly or willfully offers a product and supply something different the responsibility lies with the company.

You are quite correct that his condition is entirely irrelevant to whether we are entitled to the game we paid for or a refund, but I felt it important to let Guild Wars know how their actions are affecting him to hopefully bring around a swift resolution.

But you placed the order, not your son-so its nothing to do with him.

As a 13 year old he doesn't have a credit card, he does however have Pocket Money, which he pays for his games with.

What I've ended up doing here asking asking this forum for advice on a specific offer & acceptance situation, but giving a "My Poor Little Boy" vibe. I'm sorry for that, it's not my intention. For the record I wouldn't change him in any way, even if I could, he's great.

Can we stick to the circumstances of the transaction from now on please?

Thanks.

PS. I just read some of your replies to other threads... You can't be that grumpy in real life can you?

neiljc_2

Mark

ignore the troll

advent1122

No dont ignore the troll.
It is a valid point.

eyelinerprincess

The term pre-order seems a bit misleading here, but looking at the FAQs it says:

Will the cost of my pre-order be applied to my final purchase of Guild Wars: Eye of the North?

This will differ from retailer to retailer. The cost of your pre-order will be applied to your final purchase of Guild Wars: Eye of the North when you buy through the Official Guild Wars Store or the PlayNC store.

uktim29

neiljc wrote: »

Mark

ignore the troll

That is just as much a "troll" comment itself.

Why do people keep doing this when they simply don't like someones point of view. It just double standards.

Nobleck

I play the Guild Wars Trilogy and have never bought the game or add on from the online store because it is more expensive than sendit.com , when Nightfall came out i recieved a preview disk that does exactly as your £3.49 has gotten your son , but it was free.
You will probably find that they'll have a free sneak peak weekend very shortly (a couple of days after the sneak peak you have purchased).
As always with PlayNC or any other online product always read the FAQ's.
I do sympathise with you , but i don't think you'll get any joy from the company, it was clever marketing wording.

Nobleck

uktim29 wrote: »

That is just as much a "troll" comment itself.

Why do people keep doing this when they simply don't like someones point of view. It just double standards.

I agree and it is against Form Etiquette, which is displayed on the right hand side of your screens.

neiljc_2

This has nothing to do with double standards and everything to do with continued discrimination towards disabled people and disability in any form.

The comment

"Can i ask why have you opened the thread with that? Straight away I got annoyed at the fact you feel you have to point out your son is autistic"

is a common one expressed by people who cant have a direct go at disabled people because they feel they are different and choose subtler forms to have a go.

attitude is the biggest barrier disabled people have to face and in my opinion the way and the content of this exemplifies an attitude

The fact that Marks son has a disability is very important and relevant to the vent as anyone who has a reasonable knowledge of disability would know.

It is responses like this one that re inforce to disabled people and their families that some people want disabled people to be hidden away and disability not to be accepted and fear and ignorance to continue.

Oh and by the way have a look at other posts by the person and then make a judgement

No one should have to apologise for having a disability and being open about declaring it.

RadoJo

NeilJC - I think the point is that calling someone a troll bears no relevance to what you have followed up with. If you think Butlers is wrong, then respond accordingly, but encouraging others to simply ignore his point of view because you don't share it is pretty rude.

You have an opportunity to say what you think, which seems cogent and well thought-out, but why not just say that in the first place rather than assuming the role of board moderator, and implying to others (Mark is new to the site remember) that you hold some position of authority on this forum.