Tainto.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 4:38 pm

The example here is HL2, but this is just the context for the discussion, so I didn't put this under Games By Title.

Anyway, a friend of mine bought HL2 today and brought it home to install it. He gets to the part where it asks for his code, so he takes the code that came with his game and types it in. He is then informed that his key is already in use.

So he calls tech support. Turns out that they had an error where they printed the same key on more than one box. From the Steam website:

Some Keys Double Printed by Sierra/VUGames
Unfortunately, Sierra (not Valve) double printed some CDKeys. Only Sierra knows which CDKeys were duplicated.

How did the Support team manager at Sierra offer to resolve this?

Mail us your game CDs, and we will mail you replacements in 4-6 weeks.

And of course, he opened the game, so he can't return it for a refund and CompUSA where he bought it.

I would have lost my grip.

Chesspieceface · Post by **Chesspieceface** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 4:57 pm

That is a major problem.

setaside · Post by **setaside** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 5:03 pm

Anybody think Sierra will do a recall? I don't.

So how many hundreds or thousands of people will need to send in their CD's and wait 4-6 weeks for replacements? Sierra rocks!

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 8:38 pm

That is such a sorry response by Sierra. They should have checked the CD key and if it was one of the ones duplicated, just sent new CDs by express mail.

Orpheo · Post by **Orpheo** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 9:04 pm

Or just issued a new key on the spot, over the phone or by e-mail.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 11:11 am

"Sierra" and "support" can only coexist in a sentence that includes "no."

Sierra went down the tubes over a year ago. VUG still uses the name -- apparently the recognition value is high even in a negative context -- but Sierra has no offices or employees. And support was the very first department they cut on their voyage down the toilet.

All of which means I'm surprised that your friend found anyone to talk to, and that they offered him any solution at all. VUG is a company that makes boxes and places them on store shelves. The details of what's inside those boxes, and what happens to them after they ship, are just a nuisance.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:24 pm

No kidding. I bought "Chronicles of Riddick" yesterday, also from VU. 5 CDs in paper sleeves and a quick reference card. Thanks for the attention to detail.

On the Steam website, they actually offer two solutions, the first of which is to (and I'm not kidding), BUY THE GAME AGAIN.

Which, unfortunately is what my friend ended up doing (he hopes to return the CD version to the store, good luck returning opened software), only this time he bought it off Steam.

He asked the manager if there was anyway to expedite the shipping (like my friend overnighting his CDs to VU, and then VU overnighting the new CDs back). The manager said no. What a dick.

Strom · Post by **Strom** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:57 pm

Are you kidding me??? Thats insane

\/\/olverine · Post by **\/\/olverine** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 8:02 pm

That's when you go postal on the retail stores, even though its not their fault if you push it you can get a replacement.