EA Offers Full Refunds For Unsatisfied Origin Customers

[GAunderrated]

You know what guys. I wrote a LONG ass post about how this is a lure to pull a bait and switch on the consumer and how we should all be skeptical about EA.

However, at the end of that long post I realized that no matter the motivation of EA this is a good thing.

If EA can get enough people to get sucked into origin with that policy, it will create some actual competition with steam and have a feature that steam will have to implement to stay competitive.

With any hope we can get more consumer friendly practices besides price drops (which are great) through actual competition.

EA your intentions are a sham like always but at least you are inadvertently benefiting the consumer in a way you didn't intend. For that I give you a thumbs up.

 

[SirCannonFodder]

Lastly, if you live in Australia, it doesn't matter what EA's crappy return policy is because you have a legal entitlement to a refund for products that don't work. Cough cough Sim City.

Except that unless it's actually broken in some way (eg, it frequently crashes, multiplayer doesn't work, or what-have-you), they'd have no obligation to take it back. With this guarantee, EA's promising to refund you no matter what.

 

[4RM3D]

Well played EA, well played.

Valve, your move.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

An excellent pro-consumer move on EA's part, benefiting both the customers, and in the long run, themselves. I don't get to say that much, but today, they earned it.

 

[gigastar]

Well, this was a surprise to wake up to...

It is a significant one-up for EA though, ill let them have that.

Now lets all turn our eyes to Valve, and observe thier next move.

 

[Doclector]

EA? Are you feeling okay, buddy? Seems you're a little delirious here.

All jokes aside, this is good news. Not many digital download services offer no-hassle refunds, and it's surprising, not to mention just nice to see EA being the one to make a stand on the issue.

 

[Legion]

This is a really great thing to do, but I think it is kind of sad that a part of me is just waiting for next week when they say or do something stupid again. They seem to have this endless cycle of doing a brilliant thing followed by something terrible.

They will probably announce that Dragon Age: Inquisition is going to be changed to a free-to-play hack 'n' slash co-op game or something.

Naturally, I hope that they surprise me and break the pattern, it is not as though I want to dislike them. It'd be nice if EA came out as one of the better publishers, especially seeing as they own so many great IP's.

 

[jackpipsam]

Okay EA, more of this please.

 

[SecondPrize]

It's nice this will be an option, because there haven't been many EA games published of late that I would not have returned for a refund had I the opportunity to do so.
edit-course it was well after 24 hours of my first launching simcity that I learned what a pile it is so this wouldn't have helped there. Maybe they're just gonna go always online with everything and figure no one will be able to play enough to form an opinion in the first week, let alone the first day.

 

[Sushewakka]

Is this store credit or actual money back? I couldn't find it in the FAQ.

Also, I find it funny people saying that Steam "finally" has competition, when I've been buying more from GoG than Steam.

 

[Teoes]

Damn they're chipping away at my list of reasons to steer clear of Origin. I've still got the best one (not interested enough in the games they have for sale), but nicely done EA.

 

[Doom972]

Looks like EA is finally taking this competition seriously. I hope that they continue on this path, and that Valve will catch up with them.

While limited, this policy is much better than Valve's policy on refunds, in which they are given only if the game has some severe issue that they weren't aware of (like The War Z). I hope that EA will work towards implementing it for third-party games as well.

Is this store credit or actual money back? I couldn't find it in the FAQ.

Also, I find it funny people saying that Steam "finally" has competition, when I've been buying more from GoG than Steam.

GOG is the best place if you play mostly indie games and retro games and want them completely DRM-free , but for the rest of us it's not that useful.

 

[Ickorus]

Wow, is EA feeling alright?

They seem to not be being assholes right now.

 

[Metalrocks]

seriously??? thats to hard to comprehend. EA wants to do this??? amazing. just the problem is, that i have pre ordered BF4 from my local store. would be ncie if this would work for physical copies as well.
but wow, thats already a very good step from EA. looks like they are listening after all.

 

[mrhateful]

That said if only EA would start making good games again then maybe i'd be convinced

 

[PatrickXD]

This is great news, and a massive step towards more solid ownership of digital titles. I've always thought that EA have legitimately tried to give people what they want, albeit whilst aiming to make plenty of money. Admittedly this lead to project ten dollar, but it was an experiment - and now a buried one at that. I think it's hopelessly, laughably cynical to say that this is some method of 'trapping' people who 'don't know any better' into the Origin service 'aka hell on cyberspace'. I think EA are trying to make their service a pleasant one to use, and the customers will come.
Which is good for me. So, good for you, EA.

 

[PuckFuppet]

Both Steam and Origin are similar services but Origin has much more control over what it can and can't do because of its primary function as a platform for EA's digital market. It is nice to see them take advantage of that with terms such as this but I wouldn't be so quick to say "Why doesn't Steam have this if Origin can?".