No One

The saga of the Xbox One came to an odd end yesterday.

When it was confirmed that I was able to get this deal we were still living in my condo just before we were to move. I quickly put the pre-order in thinking that in a few weeks I could easily change the shipping address and have it directed to where I would be on release day.

Last Monday (on Oct 28th) I called the Microsoft Store to get the address changed to my office. I ended up with a rep who could not get my name, email, phone number, or order number correct. A coworker was laughing the entire time as I spelled my name over and over again. Eventually he enters my details and tells me they need to escalate this as he does not have the rights to change an address (what?). I’m told that I would have a senior person call me back within 72 hours.

Thursday comes along with not a peep and I call back in. New rep this time who quickly escalated me and I was called back within an hour. I start to think this will be done, I’ll get the One at the office and not miss the shipment.

Instead I’m told that the order needs to be canceled, recreated with my new shipping address, and then pre-authorized to my credit card that was already pre-authorized. Ok, odd, but Ok. I sit listening to her tap away on the keyboard for a few minutes, she confirms the address, and then says “Hmm, that’s odd. Can I call you back rather than keep you on hold?”

Seems fine with me. I hung up and worked while I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Friday comes and goes with nothing. Now I’m worried, did my order get canceled and not recreated? What happened?

On Monday I call in again, this time with a 30 minute hold before I get a rep who transfers me. They pull up my data, look at what was done previously, and start the process all over again. When we get to the point of the credit card pre-authorization I’m told my card doesn’t work. Which is odd as I had just ordered a TeeFury shirt earlier that morning. He insists I call my bank to ensure my card is still valid.

So I humour him, make the call. My bank says everything is fine and they see the four (wtf?) successful attempts Microsoft had made.

An hour later the Microsoft rep calls me back and we try my card and again. He says it doesn’t work.

“Do you have a valid credit card?” was his next question.

And that’s when I decided it’s just not worth it. Politely as possible I let the guy know how disappointed I was with this process, how an address change should not take a week. How a card they had already pre-authorized 3 weeks before and is good according to my bank shows a problem on there end and not with my card. I let him know that on two occasions I had not had a call back or email even though it was promised.

Then I canceled the order.

I’ve done a lot of online ordering and I’ve had to call in for support on numerous times including address changes and redirects. This is the first time I’ve ever been so disgusted with not only the process but how I was treated during it.

It looks like I will still get the free bonus items, those are separate from the pre-order itself, but I won’t have anything to play it on. For now I will just pick it up from Futureshop or it’s ilk with gift cards from my very valid Visa when I find a need to upgrade.