Amazon Says Mass Effect 3 Refunds Aren’t Unique

@Levio: While that may be true of brick and mortar retailers, I'm pretty sure Amazon would immediately redflag an account if they've returned every game they've purchased.

Not saying you're implying otherwise, just stating so people of lower morals don't get any ideas.

I haven't gotten to the ending yet, but I'm 25 hours in and the game is pretty great so far, despite some shortcomings. I can't imagine a disappointing ending will effect my opinion of it that much.

I love it when people use entitlement as an argument. The ending is bad and for any storytelling medium, it is important enough to decide whether or not that experience was any good. Which for Mass Effect 3, a game mostly played for its narrative, is a deal breaker.

@StoicForce said:

So the ending was that bad?

Nope

that's nuts - can you imagine the face of the best buy clerk as he busts into laughter when you ask him if you can return your opened video game?

So am I wrong for getting a ton out of that ending?

Well, this isn't as bad as the people who cancelled their pre-orders for that Star Wars blu-ray set.

@depecheload said:

@buckybit said:

I am 20 hours in - enjoying the game mostly.

People are crazy?!

I love the "I haven't beaten it yet and I don't get the anger" comments.

Just wait, you'll see.

Actually by this point all the negative comments towards it will make it almost impossible to hate. The expectations for awfulness have been set so high that most people will probably have a "That's what they are so up in arms about?" reaction

Wait so I can play a brand new game, beat it, then send it back to Amazon? Is this a full refund or store credit?

I hated the ending put I'm not gonna return it. I enjoyed the hell out of it until the end.

Yeah, the ending was sucky, but nothing that justifies the crazy nerdrage that is going on. All in all, ME3 is a decent game. Not great, not terrible, decent. I agree with Jeff's assertion that this franchise deserved a better ending, kind of disappointing from that perspective. But, it is what it is...

Also, Amazon > all.

Mass Effect fanboys have trumped all others. Congrats you fucking babies!

Wait... If I'm dissatisfied with my purchase, I can return it and get my money back? So, we're finally seeing standard, reasonable business practices applied to games again? I guess I'm going to buy every game from Amazon forever now.

retroactive boycott is a go!

(this whole ending thing is utterly nuts, people!)

Amazon are a huge company. They can afford to take a hit on returns because of the the goodwill it provides for the company. Amazon customer service is fantastic.

Amazon are too kind to these people. Fucking self-entitled idiots.

@cool8752 said:

Wow the ending was fine. This crap is getting way out of hand!

Only in the amount of press it's getting. There are always people unhappy with games and willing to go to lengths to complain (sometimes legitimately). From the user side of things, I don't think I've seen anything happen here that I haven't seen with other games. There's been FTC and BBB complaints and campaigns for buggy games or bad ports - though I admit this might be the first time I've seen such upset over content.

Beyond that though, the only thing that seems to be unusual is the amount of attention the press is giving it. We're officially in the post-holiday game slump, and I guess for lack of more exciting news, the ME3 upset gets attention.

My friend returned an open copy of Viking for the PS3 to a game store a few years back due to the huge amount of bugs and other problems within the game.

Perfectly fine thing to do and something I wish people did more of so developers learn that badly made games will not be tolerated. Of course people will abuse it which sucks.

The best analogy i could come up with is the mass effect 3 is a BMW that bursts into flames after you hit 50 thousands miles.Anyone that finds this to be a bad thing is immediately attacked for acting entitled and should be thankful for what they got before the explosion.While i would love to see a re-right of the ending i wont kid my self thinking EA will spend money to protect the bioware brand when there all to busy destroying it with quick money grabs like dragons age 2 and mass effect 3.

@StrikeALight said:

Amazon are too kind to these people. Fucking self-entitled idiots.

This.

I haven't gotten to the end yet, but even if it does suck I wouldn't send it back. That's just an excuse, they didn't want to keep the game anyway. 
 
Of course, thats only my opinion based on me reading into these actions, but that's a pretty exploitable policy. 
 
@scraz: wait. Are you insinuating you will die because of how bad the ending is? Really? You think its the same as a BMW that is defunct and causes it to be likely to explode?

That sort of, but not really matches the return policy listed on their site:

Computer and video games purchased from Amazon.com and most sellers are easily returned within 30 days of receipt of shipment. These items must be unopened and still in their plastic wrap.

That matches any brick and mortar retailer I've ever dealt with. Certainly seems like they're making an exception for this game.

Didn't know I could return it. Glad to have the chance.

Good policy by Amazon but people are being ridiculous about Mass Effect 3.

All this Mass Effect back lash in my eyes is crazy, Mass effect 3 is a great game, though not the best in the trilogy (that goes to ME2) it doesn't seem right that a person can return a game AFTER they've completed the game, because they didn't like the ending.

I'll try not to fluff the saying but it goes something like "It's the journey not the destination".

so basicly you could finish any game and then return it saying you werent satisfied, even if you were..

Amazon is the best...until they start collecting sales tax, then it will depend on how low they can go on prices.

@scraz said:

The best analogy i could come up with is the mass effect 3 is a BMW that bursts into flames after you hit 50 thousands miles.Anyone that finds this to be a bad thing is immediately attacked for acting entitled and should be thankful for what they got before the explosion.While i would love to see a re-right of the ending i wont kid my self thinking EA will spend money to protect the bioware brand when there all to busy destroying it with quick money grabs like dragons age 2 and mass effect 3.

That is a horrible analogy. Mass Effect 3 isn't blowing up your Xbox. It doesn't stop working after the ending occurs, as you can play it again. There is a difference in being upset/disappointed in an ending, and being so damn entitled you demand a new ending, complain to the FTC or start getting refunds on the game you opened and played to completion.

Can we get a refund on the 360 version street fighter x tekken? Because Capcom straight up scammed people on that one.

All games may be returned for a 50% refund if opened, that is standard Amazon.com policy. Mass Effect 3 can be returned opened for a 100% refund according to confirmed reports from people who have returned it. This accurately reflects what the amazon.com customer service person said and is a major omission to this article.

What happens with those opened copies? Will they get shrink-wrapped and sold again as new?

I freaking love Amazon, you never get friendly great customer service like that in any Gamestop or Best Buy.

I find it less than fair for Amazon's sake (and the game publisher's) that someone could return a game after they've beaten it!

@unstoptheday said:

I can't be the only person who thinks this Mass Effect 3 stuff has gotten way out of hand. Right?

I thought it was out of hand from day 1. I understand people's frustration, but to go this far? It's a little childish. And yes it is childish what people are saying and what they are doing. I mean, really? Signing petitions, filing complaints to the FTC (I mean if you are going to do that, then why not most every single game).

Yes, the ending was bad (I don't think it was that bad, just kind of a "huh" moment and a moment that I was expecting from the build-up in the game). But to the people that think that their choices didn't affect the ending, well neither did the other games. What previous game choices affected your decision to kill or save the council, to destroy or keep the collector base? No previous game choice affected that. That was your choice right there and then. The destination of every single game was going to be the same every single time (the Collectors were beaten and Saren and Sovereign were defeated), it was the decisions and the journey along the way that differentiated each experience.

@phrosnite said:

@StoicForce said:

So the ending was that bad?

No. People are stupid.

P.S. - I didn't say that. I just quoted K from Men in Black.

"A Person is smart. People are stupid" -K

My favorite quote ever

I also was extremely disappointed with the ending, it brought my view of the game down overall but I loved everything up to that point(except the boring side missions) but I'll probably play through it again. I just feel Mass 3 really dropped the ball at the end

The ending sucked, but I've never heard of getting a refund because you didn't like how it ends. Defective or broken, sure. But because you didn't like the story? Try that at a movie theater.

A lot of people in Victorian England thought Nora leaving Torvald at the end of A Doll's House was scandalous and reprehensible. I don't think they deserved to get their money back. If they went to the play and the actors forgot their lines and the stage lights didn't come on, maybe.

Also sick spoilers for A Doll's House bro.

Mass Effect 3 validated a suspicion I had for a long time, people are actually that stupid.

I returned an open PS3 copy of Sacred 2 because it had a bad framerate with awful tearing. I told them it was "unplayable" and they took it.

@MildMolasses said:

@depecheload said:

@buckybit said:

I am 20 hours in - enjoying the game mostly.

People are crazy?!

I love the "I haven't beaten it yet and I don't get the anger" comments.

Just wait, you'll see.

Actually by this point all the negative comments towards it will make it almost impossible to hate. The expectations for awfulness have been set so high that most people will probably have a "That's what they are so up in arms about?" reaction

No, it's THAT bad.

I guess Amazon just put Gamefly AND Gamestop out of business. Nice twofer, Bezos.

If I could actually return any game based on the ending (and only the ending) sucking, I'd have maybe 6 or 7 titles on my shelf instead of 300+. I guess MMOs get a pass since they don't have endings...?

I absolutely loved 99.9% of ME3.  I would imagine that is true for most people who hated the ending.  Anyone who takes advantage of this is just screwing over an honest retailer.  If it happens enough, they'll just change their policy, and it won't be there when you really do need it. 
 
Personally, I think it was at least somewhat irresponsible of Patrick to report on this in the first place.

I should of bought Ninja Gaiden 3 from Amazon it seems.

This post blows my mind in so many ways. I don't know where to begin. I didn't like the ME3 ending and I am perfectly willing to pay for a DLC to add a sensical ending (doesn't have to be happy). I would never return the game based on my dislike for the ending though. And the very idea of a retail outlet offering refunds based on a game's quality sounds insane. I actually deleted Twitter from my phone so I could stop reacting to all the ME3 crap and find some sense of balance. Also note I'm on my second ME3 play through and started a new character in ME1.

iv not seen/heard what the ending is yet, but this is really starting to sound like a cluster fuck of spoilt entitled little shits are getting what they want from their parents, i actually really excited about this now just to see what the cry babies are up in arms about

i mean ffs iv already spent 26 hours on the game, even if the ending is the crappiest thing ever, the quality of everything i have played so far MORE than justifies the price,

@SpaceInsomniac said:

Personally, I think it was at least somewhat irresponsible of Patrick to report on this in the first place.

Riiiiight

Amazon is really great with their customer service, my sister just bought a DVD and it didn't work in her player for some reason, they gave her a full refund and she didn't have to ship it back.

I've also had items damaged due to shipping/packaging, and they sent me a replacement next day air. They're the best.