Anarchy Online: Special Edition On Sale In May

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Originally posted by Bendarek
First you going to make a SE charging $20, but not allow existing users to get the free month...

AND THEN in 6 months you are going to release an EXPANSION in DECEMBER that WE MUST BUY to get new content!?!?!??!?! WHAT KIND OF PLOY IS THIS?!?!?!?!? Does Funcom really need the money that bad???

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I wouldn't go that far... look at Everquest. They're working on their ---FOURTH--- expansion pack.

One expansion is fine... I even bought Dark Majesty for AC. And I have no problem with the Special Edition... just wish that existing users could get the free month.

And speaking of Dark Majesty, Funcom had better learn a lesson from Microsoft on that one. When people bought Dark Majesty, they were given a free month along with all the new content... I -hope- that's the case with the AO exp.

From Cz

Jeret, you will not be able to use the CD key to add an extra month on an existing accout. Sorry.

This being the case, please remove the advertising I get for the
SE on login. I'm sure there is other information out there that would be much more useful to Existing customers. All I needed to know was that a SE was being released and it wasnt aimed at existing customers.

I can't wait to get get this SE, I am so interested in seeing what new promises are made on the box, what old promises are left off.

The press release says May 15th. A Funcom CS rep told me May 9th in a email.

I have been through an incredible odessey of futility trying to get the client free, so I'm going to have to buy this new box. But when?

I ordered the SE from the Europe online store on around May 3rd. I receive an email from Digitial River confirming my order the same day followed by another email on the 7th saying its on backorder (no suprise there since its not out). A Couple of days later (probably after the 9th as you'll see shortly) I go back to check the release date and notice that the price on the Europe store has gone up "Lucky I ordered it when I did" I think to myself.

The release date comes and goes but no SE arrives, I give it a week in case its being shipped from the US but still nothing. I email the online distribution dept from the web site form and here nothing. A few days later I send another...nothing. I then email Digital River hoping that:
a) They may actually reply
b) They can tell me whats going on.

I then notice the news article on the SE release and the fact thats its only available (at the moment) in the US and the poll about how popular a Europe release would be! Which does beg the question: This being the case how the hell was I able to order it 'From Europe' over a month earlier!

About a day or so later I get a reply (presumably from one of my first 2 emails direct to FC) saying my order was cancelled on the 9th of May (remember the price increase I mentioned! I certainly didn't cancel it) and I should reorder from the web site, I reply explaining that since the price has gone up I was not prepared to reorder since this would result in me paying the increased price so I wanted them to reinstate the original order. No immediate reply.

A day or so after that I get another email from exactly the same person (which appears to have been forwarded to them by Digital River) saying (almost word for word) what the first email said (I can only assume that the person didnt realise the 2 mails were in fact from the same person, or something). I replied the same as before adding that even if I did order again what would be the point since the decision to release in Europe has not been made. No reply to this email.

I have now received a reply from the first 'email conversation' simply telling me to reorder but that any price difference will be refunded. However no reassurance has been made that I will get the SE even though it has not been released in Europe yet. You will also understand my reluctance to play an order at the higher price and get a refund based on how long it has taken and the difficulty involved with getting this far with what appears to be a simple 'missing order' enquiry.

I really dont understand why they just cant reinstate the cancelled order?

Oh and the fact that you cant use the 'free month' sucks. I seem to remember reading somewhere (may have been regarding Shadowlands though) that the free month could be added to an existing account.

Sort your act out FC.

-edit-
I have since recieved 2 more emails, one from Digital River telling me the order was cancelled 'due to an internal error' and to reorder (and if I reorder any difference in cose would be refunded), and the other from the original email thread with FC just telling me (again) to reorder (and completely ignoring my question about the current Europe availability).

I have not replied to the FC email (banging my head against the wall I think) but I have replied to Digitial River just asking why my original order cannot be reinstated since I do not have any confidence in their ability to refund me given the total **** up this has been so far (I suspect even if they did thins I would get charged the new amount and end up having to fight for a refund anyway). Have not received a reply (2 days now) and I have a feeling I wont.

Seriously FC, you have lots of players on the verge of quitting (especially when 'the next big thing' comes out) I'm actually an existing customer looking to 'upgrade' but this doesn't bode well for new customers attempting to buy your product.

Hmm this makes me a bit nervous !

I ordered 16th of June, received a confirmation of shipment via mail on 17th and expecting this to arrive at my place every day. Did actually ne one get this within those announced "3 days shipment" time ?

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Your order from Funcom BV Europe, a member of the Digital River Network, has been shipped and your credit card has been charged.

Customer Number: 24356847
Order Number: 51240381
Order Date: 16-JUN-02

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This quote is from the mail from 17th of June, hope that means i get the game this week.

ScOp3

Well just to let you 'Euro's' know the continuing plight of my SE order.

I have given up with FC, they continually repeat that it's be cancelled and I should re-order. No reply has been given regarding the European availablilty (i.e. if I re-order will I actually get it!) but a promise of a refund will be given in the event I'm over charged (which I think is a certainty)

Digital River have been slightly more helpful (but not much). After ignoring my last email asking the to reinstate the order or tell me _why_ they couldn't I sent a follow up which basically told me they couldn't reinstate (but not why) but again promising a refund.

Since I'm a sucker for punishment I'm about to reorder but I predict that:
a) I will be charged the higher amount
b) It will take forever (or be impossible) to get a refund out of anyone
c) They wont ship until the official decision has been made to release in Europe (since from reading the article the Europe distribution centre doesnt have any copies)
d) I will probably find the Europe store no longer has it for sale (me and my big mouth)

and if any of these are true I'm gonna be pissed.

(I'd probably be better waiting for a retail release in Europe and for it not to sell and the price to drop to £10 - which is how I got AO in the first place) since I cant use the free month.

Well I've reordered and guess what? Yes that right its more expensive, but in an attempt to confuse the price is now in dollars and not euros (but it still works out more expensive.)

I've immediately emailed regarding the refund so we shall see.

Interestingly the article about the release now says US retail only but both online stores (but the article date remains the same) and the poll regarding the popularity of the European release has vanished.

What a frelling mess of customer service.

-edit-
Typos

Should have posted this sooner but couldn't be bothered.

Got the SE in the post the next day and got an email reply saying that I would get the difference refunded BUT it might go on a different billing cycle and not show up immediately (dont know why I send the email as soon as the order was confirmed - go figure).

I guess all the agro has diminished my SE 'experience' and while the stuff on the CD is very nice I dont think it justified a whole new release. Simply releasing it as an 'extras CD' would probably be a better idea (but your trying your hardest to get the new customers through the door arent you).

Bit of an anticlimax since I dont know if I'm going to be around much after the level-restriction 14.4 hits (not a threat, just have to see how it goes) and I was going to give my new CD key to a friend since I cant use it, but thats all in the balance now.

May post again once I know the refund happened (or not)

Well,

when I got home tonight I found a package containing the special edition sent to me from the US by UPS express. (I'm in Europe)
That would be all fine and nice if I had ordered it. I ordered AO before release last year and got the orginal box 2 days after game start. Haven't ordered anything else since. Gonna check tomorrow on the charge on my creditcard. I will dipsute anything I haven't ordered. I'm not willing to pay for something I already payed quite a high price on (at release).

What the hell are these guys doing?

Val
:o

Heh..so what do you think of that sharp looking group in the 2nd pic on the back of the box?

heeeey what the? i just got a free SE from ups too..... no charge to my credit card, whats the deal? cz?

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Originally posted by Cordella
heeeey what the? i just got a free SE from ups too..... no charge to my credit card, whats the deal? cz?

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First thought...........

Please dont leave over 14.4?

Cynical = me

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heeeey what the? i just got a free SE from ups too..... no charge to my credit card, whats the deal? cz?

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Same here. No charge to my credit card as of yet. Sender is Funcom Olso, Norway (but was sent from the US)

Val :confused:

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Originally posted by Valerian


Same here. No charge to my credit card as of yet. Sender is Funcom Olso, Norway (but was sent from the US)

Val :confused:

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I'll talk to you two about this. :)

They didn't even include the big dooms day patch 14.2..

Nope..cause at the time this was sent for replication, 14.0 was the current live version...at least now it wont take as long if you need to reinstall..heh

**hmm..still no comments about that excellent group shot on the back of the box...LOL**

As a warning to you all,

I dont recall ordering the special edition of anarchy online but yet it was delivered to my home by UPS last week.

I think i clicked the link to see how much it would cost and somehow i accidently ordered it.

OMG i hope i dont get a $247 dollar charge on my credit card for this special edition box. I opened the box already :p

ehhhh, i didnt bother to read all the replies above, so i am not the only to receive the special edition by UPS without ordering it?

btw i have not looked at my american express card bill yet. goodie, i hope its free :D

The special edition package was suppose to come out back in May. Well! It’s the middle of July and still no special edition package in San Antonio, Texas retail stores. We are the 8th or 9th largest city in the United States and we don’t have the game in the stores?

I asked the retail clerks and they said that the stores didn’t order the game and that it was probably due to the bad sales of AO originally. I also asked various store clerks last week if they were going to get the expansion pack for the game. Some of them didn’t even know about the game, didn’t have a listing for the game and or said that they would not order the game because of bad returns on the original version. I remember that, I had to buy four CD-s last time just to get the game to install and had to return 3 of those CD-s. After many weeks of playing email tag with Funcom I actually got someone that knew what they were doing and sent me a link to down load a patch because the CD-s were corrupt.

The stores don’t want to purchase the game because it was so buggy they said. My question to Funcom is: What are you going to do, to turn your image around as a bug free game, like you stated in one of your article? (I still can’t believe you actually stated that, with all the issues we encounter day to day playing this game.) So will the stores carry the expansion pack or do I have to order it from Funcom and wait months to receive it? My friend ordered the special edition and it took 2 months to get that item. I have decided not to purchase the special edition online now because of the new MMORPG-s coming out this September.