CM:A Bundle Order "Feature"!

[c3k]

Grrrrr,

Okay, this is a "heads up" to anyone else out there. I wish I'd known this before I'd placed my order, so consider this as free information.

Two weeks ago, seeing the just released CM:A announcement, I clicked the links. I saw the "pre-order NATO and save shipping" link. I clicked. I read the links. I ordered. I waited. I waited. I waited. I emailed BF.C. I was educated.

I like hard copies. Digital downloads are nice, but given a choice between one or the other, a physical product will always win for me. If I have to pay more for both a digital AND a physical product, well, I'll save my money and opt for the physical. (I've reinstalled too many computer systems, run too many backups that mysteriously didn't take and had too many hard-drive failures in my life to think a virtual anything is as safe as a physical thing.)

So, I pre-ordered NATO and ordered hard-copy of CM:A. Shipping listed as $11 (just like Moon posted in reply to someone's question, elsewhere).

Here's what I learned: If you "bundle" an order to save shipping, you have to wait until ALL the bundled items are available. My copy of CM:A won't ship until NATO is released. Grrrrrr.

Now, that's fine. (Okay, not really, but I accept it.) I only wish that SOMEWHERE on the ordering site I would've seen some sort of NOTICE that by bundling with a PREORDER that I'd have to wait. Obviously, if that sort of notice even exists, I never saw it. Yes, I read the pages I visited. Did I miss something obvious?

Perhaps a notice on the shopping cart page that SHIPPING WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL ALL PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE could be added? You know, in neon colors, flashing, with floating nymphs writing the words from the tips of their sparkling wands. Something?

Perhaps I'm a bit too old-school by ordering a physical copy. Maybe that isn't something many others do. Shrug.

I'm posting this to spread information, not to bitch. (No, I don't want to take money from BF.C's shipping costs.)

Regards,

Ken

[Moon]

Perhaps a notice on the shopping cart page that SHIPPING WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL ALL PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE could be added?

It's there already (albeit not in neon colors and flashing ). It's part of the "Terms and Conditions" that you have to agree to for each purchase. IIRC it says the same thing that our "Sales Policy" page reads as well:

ORDERS WITH OUT OF STOCK OR PRE-ORDER ITEMS

If your order contains any out of stock, backordered or Pre-order items your order will NOT ship until all ordered items are back in stock. We do not ship out partial orders.

A copy of this is also at the bottom of your order confirmation email.

Granted, it may have been a good idea to mention this specifically on the relevant announcements. Frankly, I forgot, mainly because this policy has been in effect for so long (11 years, the entire existance of Battlefront) that it didn't seem like it would require explicit mention that an order containing a pre-order item won't ship until the pre-order item is available.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

I hate to come across as completely unsympathetic towards your plight c3k, but where is your own responsibility?

It didn't occur to you that BFC would be saving on shipping by sending just one package? It's pretty much the norm to do so.

[dan/california]

The man's ability to be usefully annoying is off the scale, throw him a download.

P.S. I should note that the master of the fine print/invisible detail DIDN'T read read the fine print?

[c3k]

Oh, aye, I'd be annoyed if it weren't my own fault, but, should we run a poll to see how many people read all the lawyer garbage when ordering from a company we trust?

Moon, first, thanks for taking the time to read and respond. A small point, I'm sure, but you mentioned that the shipping policy was on my CONFIRMATION email. Wouldn't I have gotten that AFTER I'd placed my order? Meaning, I wouldn't have known about that policy until AFTER I'd sent my electrons your way? (FWIW, I DID receive a confirmation about how to DOWNLOAD the UNAVAILABLE NATO, but it said nothing about your shipping policy. I have searched my email folders far and wide and I cannot find any other confirmation email. Shrug. It is no matter.)

And yes, in hindsight, being 20/20 and all, it does make sense that BF.C is only able to save on shipping by PHYSICALLY bundling the items. In my defense, I was not thinking rationally. Once I saw that CM:A _and_ NATO pre-order were available, I knew that time was of the essence. If I was too slow clicking and typing, the stocks might've been depleted before I was able to place my order. I blame BF.C for making me so eager to order their games.

Now, back to you, Moon. I suggest you add the floating nymphs forthwith to your ordering page, complete with sparkling wands spelling out your policies. Read the legal notice? C'mon, I had tears in my eyes on that one. (You're probably one of those players who actually reads the briefings before plunging into the battle you've just started! The attack has a spirit all its own!) Give me nymphs and I'll give you my attention.

To the point of my original post: this is meant to INFORM others that they may have to wait if they go with the BUNDLE. I certainly don't mean to say this is some sort of unfair business practice, nor am I trying to shift the blame for my overeagerness.

I now ask that those of you who have this game start posting more AAR's in the appropriate forum. The only way I can bear the burden of waiting will be to hear your tales of Shilkas, Spetsnaz, and Muj. (For me, I'm off to grumble about mansard roofs in the CM:N threads!)

Later,

Ken

[Moon]

A small point, I'm sure, but you mentioned that the shipping policy was on my CONFIRMATION email. Wouldn't I have gotten that AFTER I'd placed my order?

It is *also* available there. It is shown to you before you place the order, too, when you click the little "agree to terms" checkmark before you're able to submit the completed order for payment.

(FWIW, I DID receive a confirmation about how to DOWNLOAD the UNAVAILABLE NATO, but it said nothing about your shipping policy. I have searched my email folders far and wide and I cannot find any other confirmation email. Shrug. It is no matter.)

IIRC, you get two emails after a successful purchase of a product including download delivery. One contains your download info, and another one with the confirmation of your Purchase Order. The latter, when you scroll down, contains a complete copy of the Sales Policy. (For the record, you may get a third email with a payment confirmation and a fourth once a product ships with the Order Status update, as well, but this doesn't apply to all customers).

If you didn't get the confirmation email, then it's probably got stuck in your spam filters.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Oh, aye, I'd be annoyed if it weren't my own fault, but, should we run a poll to see how many people read all the lawyer garbage when ordering from a company we trust?

Funnily enough, that was what I had in mind when I posted the above.

The lawyerly crap would be a whole lot less large and lawyerly if it needn't mention stuff people should know/figure out by using common sense.

Absolutely not meant to be a dig at you, this or the previous post, just an observation that we are our worst enemies sometimes.

[Canada Guy]

Moon answered the same question for me a week ago. I read the main page (or at least most of it) and most of the emails but will not read the rest. Mea Culpa but its like asking someone to read the EULA. It is just not going to happen.

I am curious though if there is someway to upgrade my order from mail only (for CM:A) to mail and download without having to pay the full fare again? I have resigned myself to waiting as I have no choice but it is a long wait.

[theFightingSeabee]

Well Ken, that sucks, as I'm not one to waste valuable time reading the lawyer crap either. But... the good news is you won't have to wait too much longer, I don't think. And when you do get both of those games, it'll be like an early Christmas for you.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

I guess the point here is that, while BFC is in the right legally, it would probably help if it this is made crystal clear. True, it's in the fine print, but who reads the fine print?

[CaptRio]

Or they could just RELEASE NATO, and make not only you but all of us happy!

[dan/california]

That would solve so MANY problems!

[akd]

It's there already (albeit not in neon colors and flashing ). It's part of the "Terms and Conditions" that you have to agree to for each purchase. IIRC it says the same thing that our "Sales Policy" page reads as well:

A copy of this is also at the bottom of your order confirmation email.

Granted, it may have been a good idea to mention this specifically on the relevant announcements. Frankly, I forgot, mainly because this policy has been in effect for so long (11 years, the entire existance of Battlefront) that it didn't seem like it would require explicit mention that an order containing a pre-order item won't ship until the pre-order item is available.

Sorry, but its a bad policy. Point should be to encourage pre-orders, no? I just got discouraged.

[Moon]

Point should be to encourage pre-orders, no?

Actually, no, not really We are offering pre-orders mainly because a) people ask for them and seem to come to expect them and because it somewhat helps us in planning physical goods production, especially printing. We do not try to "push" pre-orders. There is no reason to, and nearly no difference for us if you purchase a pre-order or buy the full game a few weeks later. Everyone should make their own decision about wanting to pre-order or not.

Many game publishers are building up a hype before release. There are several reasons for that, one of the main ones being that they have to invest a ton of money into advertising and want to recoup that investment as quickly as possible. So they try to tell you, the customer, that pre-orders are good for you, cool, or what not.

We don't really follow this approach, and don't want to "dupe" anybody into pre-ordering. Our games are long-time sellers, and our business model is set up in a way to make the best return over time, not on day one. We're lucky, this way

Having said that - pre-orders ARE attractive for people who plan on buying the hardgoods version anyway (since they save a whole bunch of money on the "download & mail" delivery option), and in the specific case of NATO for people who plan to order Afghanistan and NATO anyway. If you do not fall into these categories, you may just as well wait.

BTW, just so there is no misunderstanding: it's not like you can't play Afghanistan immediately after your order even if you purchased a NATO pre-order! We're only talking about the phyiscal goods here. If you purchase Afghanistan as a download, you can download immediately after your purchase, as usual.

[akd]

Actually, no, not really We are offering pre-orders mainly because a) people ask for them and seem to come to expect them and because it somewhat helps us in planning physical goods production, especially printing. We do not try to "push" pre-orders. There is no reason to, and nearly no difference for us if you purchase a pre-order or buy the full game a few weeks later. Everyone should make their own decision about wanting to pre-order or not.

Many game publishers are building up a hype before release. There are several reasons for that, one of the main ones being that they have to invest a ton of money into advertising and want to recoup that investment as quickly as possible. So they try to tell you, the customer, that pre-orders are good for you, cool, or what not.

We don't really follow this approach, and don't want to "dupe" anybody into pre-ordering. Our games are long-time sellers, and our business model is set up in a way to make the best return over time, not on day one. We're lucky, this way

Having said that - pre-orders ARE attractive for people who plan on buying the hardgoods version anyway (since they save a whole bunch of money on the "download & mail" delivery option), and in the specific case of NATO for people who plan to order Afghanistan and NATO anyway. If you do not fall into these categories, you may just as well wait.

BTW, just so there is no misunderstanding: it's not like you can't play Afghanistan immediately after your order even if you purchased a NATO pre-order! We're only talking about the phyiscal goods here. If you purchase Afghanistan as a download, you can download immediately after your purchase, as usual.

Ah well, that makes sense. Order inbound.