So ages ago when Sims 3 was announced and stores started allowing preorders I searched the net and found the cheapest preorder I could for the Collectors Edition. Turns out it was Harvey Norman. They were selling it for $99. Bonus.
So I preordered and received an email letting me know someone would contact me around June 3rd to let me know my copy had come in.
June 3rd came and passed. I didn’t have any money at the time so I was conflicted as to whether or not I still wanted to pay that much for it anyway – I could get the regular edition for $70 from Big W etc.
I decided I still wanted it because I really wanted that funky 2gig usb drive shaped like the sims green diamond. I know, i’m retarded.
So I called up the local Harvey Norman’s yesterday and inform the guy that I was chasing up the collector’s edition that I had preordered on the net. He asked for my phone number, which I gave him, he then asked me if I have an answering machine on my phone. I informed him that no, I did not have an answering machine on my phone. He then told me, “Oh, that explains it. It says here that someone called you and noone answered”.
I said, “Okaaay. When did they call exactly? I’m a stay-at-home-mum I’m pretty much here all the time and I don’t recall getting any phone calls”.
Seriously I’ve had, like, one call in the last couple of months and that was a charity.
Anyway, long story short, he tells me they have some of the collector’s editions in there and that he has put one aside for me. I made him reiterate that fact and the fact it was the collector’s edition and he stressed that yes he had put one aside with my name.
So.
I go into Harvey Norman today. I find a guy down at the games section, we shall call him ‘Wayne’ (not his real name, but close). He seemed friendly enough. I tell him that I am there to pick up my preorder copy of the collectors edition of sims 3. He gave me a strange look and I immediately thought, “Uh oh here we go.”
He starts tapping away on his computer, asks me for my name and number and informs me that I had cancelled my order.
Excuse me?
I did no such thing.
I tell him that I spoke to someone on the phone (now I’m wishing i’d taken down the guys name) and filled him in on what had happened. He repeats the fact that I had been called and had cancelled the preorder. Uh, repeating yourself isn’t going to make it true.
So he says that he only has two out the back and they have names on them. He is going to have to take one from someone else to give it to me. I don’t say anything. He goes and grabs a copy, rips some sticker off the front and hands it to me. By this stage Wayne is looking a little flustered and rather unhappy. To be honest I don’t really care.
As we are walking to the counter, Michael says “I thought it was supposed to be $99″. I look at the box, it has the regular non-preorder price sticker on it of $119.
I get to the counter and tell the checkout girl that I preordered so the price should be $99. She says, “that’s ok, I just need your name and number”. I give them to her and she taps away on her keyboard. Then she looks confused and tells me that my order had been cancelled.
Sigh.
I fill her in on what had happened. She tells me “oh but it says you ordered the regular version”. I said, no, I ordered the collectors edition. She tells me to hold on a moment and that she would go speak with someone. I assume she is speaking with Wayne.
She comes back and tells me that she’s sorry but the best they can do is give it to me for the ticket price. I tell her “But I preordered it. The listed preorder price was $99″ she tells me once again that my order was cancelled. I calmly tell her that it wasn’t cancelled. That I preordered online for $99, received the confirmation email then had to chase it up because HN never called me.
She apologises and tells me that the manager said I should go back and speak to him and he will explain a few things to me. Those were her words, he would explain a few things to me. Rofl.
I took the box and went back to the games section where I found ‘Wayne’ again. He was still looking flustered and unhappy.
I tell him I would like the game at the price I preordered it at. He asked what price that was, I tell him this piece of information which he should really know already. He does the computer tappy thing with a shitful look on his face. I guess he was trying to figure out what had happened or trying to come up with some bullshit to feed me.
Anyway he ends up turning around quickly and muttering “Let’s just get this done” and walks off rather briskly. Michael and I stand there for a moment then realise that he is going to the checkouts… without us. So we follow.
We pass him on his way back from the checkouts, he was walking that quickly, and he says “Have a nice day” to which I reply, “thank you” and continue on. It was funny, his words were pretty calm and controlled the whole time, it was only really his facial expressions that gave away the fact he was unhappy about the situation.
We get to the counter, the checkout girl says “That will be $98 thanks”. I think ‘what the fuck?’ then shrug internally and give her my c note. She tells me to have a lovely day, I thank her and we leave.
Man. What a pain in my rectum.
But I got a dollar discount for some bizarre fucking reason. Man they are disorganised in there.
Anyway we were in the car and I was looking at the sticker on the box with the name printed on it. It’s really messy but it almost looks like “Irime”. It’d be funny if it was the box the guy on the phone put away for me and he’s just retarded and can’t spell Irene.
Moral of the story?
Don’t preorder games with Harvey Norman. Ever. Srsly.
