So you hate Civ5 - what can you do?

If you are happy with Civ 5 then awesome, you can skip this post. If you aren't then continue reading...

(Please keep this a civil discussion!)

Do you feel powerless that the gaming industry continues to release crap??? This post is for you.

A recent (closed) discussion on these forums about a class action law suit against 2k made me wonder: what can a consumer do? The whole game industry releases crap and we just suck it up! Whether you think you were lied to by a marketing campaign, or you are just disatisfied with the game, what recourse do you have as a consumer? Do we just have to take what they keep feeding us?

Step 1) Contact the company
The first step is to contact the company. In this case 2k Games. Be sure to leave your insults and anger out of it. Simply state that you are dissatisfied, and why, and what you expect to be done in order to be satisfied. You can reach them at 1-866-219-9839(US Only) or 1-800-638-0127(Canada Only). For further contact information see this link. Be sure to document every call, your hold times, and everything said.

Step 2) Ask to be escalated
If you don't receive an adequate resolution give them one more chance to respond reasonably. Ask to speak to the Customer Service Manager (not just a supervisor). In the case that you get a line like, "It is not our policy to" then simply ask to speak to the person that writes the companies policy. Just because a company writes some policy on a piece of paper doesn't mean that their policy is above the law of good customer relations. Also, be aggressive, but polite! Find phone numbers and call them - navigate the companies phone directory - leave messages for people even if you aren't sure if that person can directly help you. Be a squeaky wheel. Make sure that all your squeaking is done politely. Don't take no for an answer. If they say no then ask to speak to their boss. If they refuse to forward you any higher then call back and find someone who will. When you feel you have exhausted your options take the next step:

Step 3) Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
The BBB is an organization that (among other things) represents consumers. If you feel like "you are just one person and they don't care" then sometimes the BBB can help. It's noteworthy that 2K Games is not registered with the BBB, and they have a rating of "F" as a company - having ignored 21 requests from the BBB at this point. You can find the details that the BBB has on 2K Games here. It is not difficult to launch a complaint, and with enough complaints a company tends to lose credibility if they continually fail to answer. Only use this as a last resort, and be prepared to fill out detailed and concrete information. Also - check out some of the other companies you buy games from, and maybe look elsewhere if a company has a bad rating like 2K does.

Blizzard Entertainment (B) (Accredited)
2K Games (F) (Unaccredited)
EA Games (A+) (Unaccredited)

Step 4) Contact the FCC (even if you live outside the US!)
If you believe that 2K has lied to you through their advertising campaign then you should contact the FCC regardless of whether you do the previous steps. However, you need to have concrete examples. The FCC will launch an investigation if the amount of dollars are significant or if the issue effected enough people. It's easy to do if you don't mind being detailed in your information and are committed to giving them an honest, concrete complaint.

Now listen: you aren't going to change the gaming industry alone. Chances are you will get a refund if you refuse to let the issue go and consistently contact and recontact the company - but you may not. At the very least these are some steps to take with any gaming company that you feel rips you off. If people, like you, do this every time then together there may be an impact.

I'd be curious to hear about anyone's experience with all this either with a reply or a PM.

Cheers!

so you hate civ5, what can you do?

Play civ4.
Play world of warcraft.
Play starcraft 2.
Play mass effect 2.
Await dragon age 2 release with anticipation.
Watch some movies.
Go outside.
Shovel the drive (if you live in snowy michigan like me).

There's plenty of alternatives to playing civ5. I'm not sure contacting the bbb just cus you don't like the creative vision of the game is the appropriate response.

ash88 said:

Be sure to leave your insults and anger out of it.

Click to expand...

Cannot stress this enough, it doesn't matter how valid your point is but anger and insults are a sure way to get ignored. The people you'll be contacting probably have absolutely nothing to do with game development and don't deserve to be treated like dirt.

Not sure about the BBB thing, but whatever thats up to anyone who's interested in doing any of the above.

is this for real?

this is for real!

im not too up on me US of A law... but someone, somewhere, is just going to laugh at you.

you bought a game, you dont like it, WoW.

most things in life dont live up to the hype.

I have no problem with folks becoming good consumer advocates for themselves, so yeah, good ideas.

That said, I doubt the FCC would find that there has been actual false advertising. That is, I believe, a fairly high hurdle to jump. If you want to stick it to 2K, though, it's worth a shot, I guess.

Legally speaking, there isn't much you can do to regain payment for your damages, file a class action suit, etc., etc., you're basically screwed. You pays your money, and you takes your chances on whether you'll be SATISFIED with the game. If you're feeling frustrated and want to "fight back," though, you do have options.



A few other things you can do:

1.) Talk to other folks who haven't bought the game and explain to them why, in your opinion, it's a lousy game.

2.) Vote with your wallet and your feet.

3.) Try writing a coherent, in-depth review of the problems you have, and submit it to gaming sites, Amazon.com, etc.