Glitch At Best Buy Cancels BioShock Infinite Pre-Orders

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Best Buy strikes again. If you pre-ordered your game with them, you might want to give them a call. If you want better pre-order options, Microsoft is handing out 1600 MS points with the game and Amazon gives you a bunch of exclusive in-game content as well as free shipping.

Last night an issue struck 3,000 customers who pre-ordered BioShock Infinite at Best Buy, effectively canceling their orders, Side Questing reports. The glitch hit pre-orders for both PS3 and Xbox 360, predominantly online transactions.
 
You're killing me Steve! I don't need another MN Fortune 100 company continuing downward... I'm sure that they won't try to upsell the pre-order customers at the point they are literally trying to cancel the order to move it elsewhere!
 
I'll never understand the vogue for preorders, specifically the ones without preorder bonuses where it amounts to little more than an interest free loan for the merchant. 3000 x $60 = $180,000 interest free for the duration of the preorder period, not too shabby.
 
The last time pre-orders matter, that I can remember, was back with Final Fantasy 7. I pre-ordered Doom 2 also, and that was a good idea at the time.

Nowdays, it doesn't matter anymore unless they have something that you cannot get otherwise.
 
I'll never understand the vogue for preorders, specifically the ones without preorder bonuses where it amounts to little more than an interest free loan for the merchant. 3000 x $60 = $180,000 interest free for the duration of the preorder period, not too shabby.

Preordering doesn't necessarily mean that you have to give them the complete 60 dollars before the game comes out. With most places (can't think of any besides Steam that doesn't - then again that's more pre-purchasing). you can secure a preorder for as little as $5 and then pay the rest when you pick up the game.
 
I'll never understand the vogue for preorders, specifically the ones without preorder bonuses where it amounts to little more than an interest free loan for the merchant. 3000 x $60 = $180,000 interest free for the duration of the preorder period, not too shabby.
Well, for one thing I don't know of anyplace that requires the full amount up front for preorders. It's usually a fiver (which is still better for the retailer than zero but not nearly $60). For another, most games without bonuses aren't going to get huge preorders. By encouraging preorders with bonuses, places like Best Buy can get a more consistent stream of revenue, which is important for an electronics retailer that isn't going to sell, say, a TV (or computer or tablet or whatever) to the same consumer every month like they might video games.

All that said, I would never preorder anything from Best Buy. Their web site has always been a mess; if they can't get their front-end "right," how can one have confidence in their infrastructure? On top of that, I expect them to go out of business just about anytime between now and two years from now. Even my dear old mother buys all her electronics on the Internet - she buys more stuff than I do these days - and the I've found the customer service they [attempt to] provide at their expensive B&M stores to be subpar on a good day.

My opinion might be skewed by the fact that I have a Fry's relatively close - better variety, better prices, and smarter service. If I can't wait a couple days for shipping, that's where I go.
 
My opinion might be skewed by the fact that I have a Fry's relatively close - better variety, better prices, and smarter service. If I can't wait a couple days for shipping, that's where I go.

What Fry's do you live by? The one near me (Anaheim) is staffed with morons. I end up helping their customers more than they do.
 
What Fry's do you live by? The one near me (Anaheim) is staffed with morons. I end up helping their customers more than they do.
Note that I said "smarter," not "smart." ;)

At Fry's I've had no trouble when I've had special requests. For example, the last time I went I was looking for a low-profile video card to fix my mom's PC. I found one that I thought would work but I wanted to look at it directly. The guy I was dealing with broke it open, handed me the card, I found it was exactly what I needed, and he gave me a printout that verified he was the one who opened it.

Yeah, I've helped out customers at Fry's and other stores over the years, too, but at least at Fry's I've never caught a staffer who was trying to screw over a customer (either on their own or clearly on orders from corporate). I unfortunately cannot say the same about Best Buy; for example, trying to get a customer to pay extra for a 1-year replacement guarantee on an Xbox 360 when Microsoft already provides at least that, or telling a customer that they're not going to get the full Blu-ray player experience unless they buy a "high-end" HDMI cable...
 
Oh, and to answer your first question, it's the one in Wilsonville, OR.
 
Yeah, I've helped out customers at Fry's and other stores over the years, too, but at least at Fry's I've never caught a staffer who was trying to screw over a customer (either on their own or clearly on orders from corporate). I unfortunately cannot say the same about Best Buy; for example, trying to get a customer to pay extra for a 1-year replacement guarantee on an Xbox 360 when Microsoft already provides at least that, or telling a customer that they're not going to get the full Blu-ray player experience unless they buy a "high-end" HDMI cable...

Actually I would counter that chances are they weren't trying to screw anyone over, and were in fact trying to help, but were totally fucking clueless when it comes to what they are selling.

If you showed 100 average people two packaged HDMI cable, one from Monster and the other any of the low cost ones, and asked them which was better I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority would pick the high priced one in the fancy package.

Since most people are clueless on these issues it only makes sense that most people working at these types of stores would be just as clueless.
 
I'll never understand the vogue for preorders, specifically the ones without preorder bonuses where it amounts to little more than an interest free loan for the merchant. 3000 x $60 = $180,000 interest free for the duration of the preorder period, not too shabby.

I can understand pre-ordering online where game developers gift customers with exclusive in-game items or perhaps extras with their purchases, like shirts or figurines. I can also understand pre-ordering (popular games) at B&M stores before the holidays to guarantee your games' availability. But other than that, I also do not see the advantage of pre-ordering these days when most games can be gotten online without the worry with short supply.
 
I can understand pre-ordering online where game developers gift customers with exclusive in-game items or perhaps extras with their purchases, like shirts or figurines. I can also understand pre-ordering (popular games) at B&M stores before the holidays to guarantee your games' availability. But other than that, I also do not see the advantage of pre-ordering these days when most games can be gotten online without the worry with short supply.

Yeah, and sadly the pre-order bonuses seem to be getting worse and worse.

For example, look at what Borderlands 2 as pre-order items, a few "golden" starter guns that you got likely replaced within the first hour of gameplay.
 
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