Insufficient inventory.
Written: Dec 30 '02 (Updated Jan 02 '03)
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Wow, cool, a Netflix for video games! Or at least that's what I thought when signing up.
The reality is that while Netflix works well, Redoctane has insufficient inventory (of Xbox titles) to make it worth the monthly fee. The wait times for any specific game are horrendus (20 days and I'm still waiting), the only way to make it work is to have a long list of games and then one of them will (rather randomly) get filled for you-- invariably less popular games.
I've been waiting more than 20 days without them shipping my two selections.
Their turn around time is pretty terrible, compared to netflix- it appears to take a week for them to turn around a disc.
Sorry RedOctane, but Netflix does it right and sets expectations for how a service like this works, and you simply fall short.
---- 1/2/03
It did work for a while, as long as I had my queue just filled with 10 games, but they are in Sunnyvale and I'm in San Jose, and they still took more than 7 days to turn around a rental, including mailing time (Sunnyvale and San Jose are bordering cities).
The net net of it is that i could get games, but pretty much never the games I wanted.
It might be helpful to note that their service has been poor for a long time. See the following thread:
RedOctane Customer Service wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Thanks for the e-mail.
>
> We have waived next month's fee to compensate for any lost time that you have experienced. The e-mail has been forwarded to a supervisor who already read it and asked us to waive your next month's fee as a courtesy from RedOctane. That way, you will be able to see the changes to our inventory happen.
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Jeff
> Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 18:31:10 -0700
>
> >... but in the mean time I'll be screwed and you'll take my money.
> >
> >Can you please send this email to a customer service supervisor, these responses are not acceptable.
> >
> >I'm only getting 1/2 of what I've paid for. You're expecting to make it better, but see it from my point of view: your only demonstrated performance has been unacceptable. I've been a member since 5/25/02; I've only been shipped one game. I don't mind paying for time in the mail, but paying for something you don't have and
> >can't deliver is a whole nother story.
> >
> >Say there are 60 "rental days" in the average month. (30 days * 2 games).So far I've been a member for 16 rental days (starting on 5/25, to take into the effect of the weekend). You shipped Abe's World on the 29th, so I've had 6 rental days of value delivered to me, out of 16.
> >
> >So, what I would like RedOctane to do is a) start performing as expected, ie, shipping games within 1-2 days (like NetFlix). From your response about getting better "next month," this seems unlikely.
> >b) refund some portion of my fee based on what you are actually delivering, which isn't what I signed up for.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >RedOctane Customer Service wrote:
> >
> >> Hello,
> >>
> >> Thanks for the e-mail.
> >>
> >> As long as you put games in your queue that are in stock, we should have them ship out for you, however in about one month's time, you should see that we have more games available. We are tripling our budget and making partnerships with larger distributers who are able to supply us with games cheaply and quickly. Thanks for your patience.
> >>
> >> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> >> From: Jeff
> >> Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2002 15:30:32 -0700
> >>
> >> >So I have a complaint; I've been a member for more than a week and you've only shipped a single game. I signed up for the 2 game unlimited rental. I feel like I'm getting ripped off; is this how it's always going to work? (ie, big waits when I
> >> >don't have any games).
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >RedOctane Customer Service wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Hello,
> >> >>
> >> >> The "wait" time is just an estimate. Our game availability changes daily. As games come in they go right back out so it is difficult to get an accurate status. The majority of our customers get games the day they sign up.
> >> >> We're expecting the games in soon.
> >> >> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> >> >> From: Jeff
> >> >> Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 20:43:06 -0700
> >> >>
> >> >> >Hello, I just signed up for the unlimited rental program, and I've put
> >> >> >like 10 games in my queue, and they all say "short wait" or "long wait"
> >> >> >-- your FAQ says this means 14 to 30 days wait to get a game. This isn't
> >> >> >reasonable, I shouldn't have to pay for the time I don't have any games.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Also it says that Pirates and Hunter: the reconing aren't out yet, but
> >> >> >there are hundreds of copies on my local stores; what gives?
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jeph
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Location: Santa Clara, California, USA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
Technologist.
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