Electronic Arts has been hit with criticism by unhappy SimCity users. Claims that the publisher is refusing to honour refunds has hit the web, as server troubles prevent players from accessing the game for the second day running.
Last night, after it became apparent that eager customers were having to wait in a queue to play the game, the company took all of its servers offline for maintenance. This morning, it's clear that this has not solved the problem, with angry players taking to forums and Twitter to issue discontent.
PC Gamer quotes Origin's Global Community Manager, Marcel Hatam as stating, "if you regrettably feel that we let you down, you can of course request a refund for your order at http://help.origin.com/contact-us, though we’re currently still in the process of resolving this issue."
According to one customer, this doesn't appear to be the case. An alleged chat between a user and an EA customer representative alleges that, while customers can indeed request a refund, it's not guaranteed to be honoured - even if, technically, the inability for users to even access the game might count as the game being a defective product.
In the exchange, it appears that the EA representative flatly refuses a refund, then threatens the user with a ban when the customer suggests that he might talk to his bank about disputing the charge. It's important to note that the chat has, as yet, been unverified.
SimCity is due to launch in the UK and most of Europe tomorrow. We have contacted EA for comment on its consumer rights stance regarding both the game and its Origin platform.
Last night, after it became apparent that eager customers were having to wait in a queue to play the game, the company took all of its servers offline for maintenance. This morning, it's clear that this has not solved the problem, with angry players taking to forums and Twitter to issue discontent.
PC Gamer quotes Origin's Global Community Manager, Marcel Hatam as stating, "if you regrettably feel that we let you down, you can of course request a refund for your order at http://help.origin.com/contact-us, though we’re currently still in the process of resolving this issue."
According to one customer, this doesn't appear to be the case. An alleged chat between a user and an EA customer representative alleges that, while customers can indeed request a refund, it's not guaranteed to be honoured - even if, technically, the inability for users to even access the game might count as the game being a defective product.
In the exchange, it appears that the EA representative flatly refuses a refund, then threatens the user with a ban when the customer suggests that he might talk to his bank about disputing the charge. It's important to note that the chat has, as yet, been unverified.
SimCity is due to launch in the UK and most of Europe tomorrow. We have contacted EA for comment on its consumer rights stance regarding both the game and its Origin platform.
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Comments
Caleb Peters 7 Mar 2013 21:37
1/1
I'll verify it. Money was refunded at 8:33pm CST March 6th.