Origin (EA) screwed me pretty bad. (SOLVED)

[SloLynx]

I now start to realise why so many people despise origin.

You see, I, like many, downloaded origin after I bought Battlefield 3.
So with Back to Karkand out and me owning a standard and not special edition, I decided to buy it through origin and see how their online shop functions.
After I bought it, a friend of mine asked me if I could buy it for him as well, since he doesn't have paypal. We pointlessly searched for a gift option but after visiting their official site

http://store.origin.com/store?Action=DisplayGiftingInformationPage&Env=BASE&Locale=en_IE&SiteID=eaemea

I realised that somewhere in the transaction there SHOULD be a gift option so I went all the way through the buying procedure and even payed it through paypal and then...
...nothing. Origin congratualated for buying back to karkand with an exact same message as they did so the first time I bought it. There was no "you already own Back to Karkand" or "you can now send it as a gift considering you already HAVE it".

Nothing. That's 15? wasted, might have given them to a beggar in the street, at least that would make me feel great instead of the shitty mood I'm in now.

I'm just overwhelmed. I feel like I've been ripped off by some fake donation company, only this company shouldn't HAVE problems like this. Considering the fact that their "rival", Steam, not only doesn't ALLOW you to buy a game for yourself that you already own, even if you have multiple copies of a same game, you can still send them away as gifts!!!

EA has really let me down. I already went through the bullshit of paying 15? for 4 freakin maps but paying doubly is just sickening.

Anyway, anyone got any ideas what now? Instead of joing the thousands of ragers who dislike EA in the first place?

EDIT: Well, shortly after I made this post, I was connected to an official origin expert. After I explained him my situation, he offered a complete refund of the 15? I wasted...

I guess EA isn't evil at all .

 

[JET1971]

if you used a credit card you can cancel the transaction. I think PP has that as well. You might want to look into that if EA's customer service wont clear the transaction leaving you with the first copy.

I dont know why you didnt do the transaction through your friends Origin then clear the payment information right after.

 

[Lilani]

You should definitely inform EA about this. Though it's good to get the word out about these things so others don't make the same mistake, but you still might get SOME sort of penance, or at the very least they'll know the issue is out there waiting to snatch up more victims. Plus, ultimately, we can't do a thing to help you. And though the chances of EA helping you are slim, they're absolutely zero if they don't even know you have a problem in the first place.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Makes me wonder how they ever expected to compete with Steam when they have problems like this with their system...

it really shows that they rushed it, huh?

...As for what you can do....Aside from talking to customer support, I don't see what you CAN do.

 

[gigastrike]

That's it? You bought something twice and it's suddenly Origin's fault? Granted there should probably be a pop up that says you already have it, but it's not like they actually left that feature out intentionally in the hopes that they could squeeze more money out of someone.

 

[Vegosiux]

Granted there should probably be a pop up that says you already have it, but it's not like they actually left that feature out intentionally in the hopes that they could squeeze more money out of someone.

You wanna bet on that?

And even if it's unintentional, it's a bloody serious blunder and "We apologize for the inconvenience" isn't going to cut it. Yes, I may be biased in my EA hate, but fuckin' seriously, didn't even ONE of their folks think "Hey, what are we going to do if the people try to buy the same thing multiple times?". Come on now, imagining something like that to have slipped the attention is just as much of a stretch.

 

[Comando96]

EDIT: Well, shortly after I made this post, I was connected to an official origin expert. After I explained him my situation, he offered a complete refund of the 15? I wasted...

I guess EA isn't evil at all .

Of course not.
It seems you got into contact with their 1 competent customer service employee.

Well done. If life had achievements you'd have an achievement only 0.00000003% of the population has.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

EDIT: Well, shortly after I made this post, I was connected to an official origin expert. After I explained him my situation, he offered a complete refund of the 15? I wasted...

I guess EA isn't evil at all .

Of course not.
It seems you got into contact with their 1 competent customer service employee.

Well done. If life had achievements you'd have an achievement only 0.00000003% of the population has.

I don't think competence has anything to do with it. A customer support employee at any large company has a very short list of things they are allowed to do or allowed to say. This applies for all levels and all types of support. Sure, there are plenty of tech support guys I know who have no real qualifications and others who are immensely qualified. The catch is, what these people do is follow a script. That they do or do not know more or care more is irrelevant - their jobs depend on following a very narrow path.

 

[Comando96]

I don't think competence has anything to do with it. A customer support employee at any large company has a very short list of things they are allowed to do or allowed to say. This applies for all levels and all types of support. Sure, there are plenty of tech support guys I know who have no real qualifications and others who are immensely qualified. The catch is, what these people do is follow a script. That they do or do not know more or care more is irrelevant - their jobs depend on following a very narrow path.

I know... my mum works in a customer support call centre.

That sir was a joke.