Guild Wars Trilogy Advice

I was at a local video game store earlier today and I was looking at GW Trilogy. 3 accounts for $49.99, not bad I thought. So I take it up to the counter and the guy goes into the back to get me the sealed version. When he comes back he says that they're all out, but he can sell me the copy from the shelf. I say, "Okay" and he opens up the case to put the disk in. This is when I notice something that blew my mind. The instruction manual was still in the box, the same box that was on the shelf. On it was the cd-key. So I question the guy about it saying that anyone could come in, memorize/write down/record the cd-key and then leave. And he tells me that he can sell the game to me, but he can't offer any guarantees. I asked to see the manager and he told me he was the manager! So I politely excused myself and left. Went to a different store and bought it sealed.

Now comes the question:

If I would have bought the game and put in the cd-key and found out it was already in use, would/could anything be done about it? I imagine that I could've complained to the store until my face turned red. Or tried to contact anet support until my face turned red. But in the end if anyone would have "used" that cd-key before me, I would've been out $50? Does this type of thing happen at other stores as well? Call me a "glass is half full" kinda guy, but I'm finding it hard to believe that businesses are allowed to run this way.

Personally, I never buy anything that was a 'display model'

From memory, the actual Key is on a credit card sized card that has a 'scratchie' strip on it, under that is the key.

What you saw may have been a trial key booklet.

Still, better to be safe than sorry
The guy sounded like a dick anyway.

Yeah the keys generally come on a credit card sized bit of plastic and you have to scratch off the silver like on a scratch card in order to view the key.

It is possible that the card could even have been removed from that box if it wasn't sealed so you did the right thing in refusing to buy it.

As for complaining that you bought a used key you could contact ANet Support, if you can prove that you have the original key for the game they may well act as if the game has been taken from you and give you the account back. However there is no guarantee that they could help you. As for the store I doubt they would be interested as you wouldn't be able to prove you didn't use the key yourself.

If you're in the UK you are protected under the "Sale of Goods Act" which says any goods sold must be:

* of satisfactory quality
* fit for purpose
* and as described

If you buy a game and cannot play it, then it is not fit for purpose and no matter how much the seller tells you otherwise, it's up to him to fix the situation. If they won't play ball politely inform them you are unsatisfied and will be contacting the office of fair trading for help with the matter.

Most shops quickly cave in once they realise you're not going to roll over.

Legalities aside, I bought a factions collectors edition from amazon a couple of weeks back and there was no key inside the box. I contacted Anet, sent them scans of my receipt and the box barcode and they gave me a key. It took about 3 days to sort out. I thought that was pretty reasonable.

I would have thought on top of everything skeksister has said, he should have sold it to you for a lower than marked price if it was a display box because of damage etc.

I wish that were true, in the copy that I bought the cd-key for the trilogy itself was clearly on the back of the manual. I know when I bought the originals (proph, factions, nf, eotn) they were all on little cards that you had to rip the edges off in order to get to it. Come to think of it, it was the same for the factions and nf pre-releases as well.

Either way, it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever buy a game from them. But I will make sure to pop in now and again and wait until there's a few people browsing the pc games. Then explain to them the stores policy on leaving the games cd-key inside the box for anyone to see. Now I realize that they have the sealed ones in the back, but it's the fact that they're willing to sell the display box for full price when you won't know whether or not the key is going to work.

I also checked the other outlet for that store in the city, and they do the same thing. I wonder how hard it wou.d be to get ahold of someone at their head office? I should really look into it.

Thanks for the input guys!

*goes off to plot demise of local game store*

All I'm saying is in this day and age of the mobile phone, with cameras, it's dopey shop assistants who leave manuals with cd keys in the box

Dopey 1: Ok, Uh, so i like remove the cd's from the box?
Dopey 2: Yeah, so people can't steal!
Dopey 1: Like, what about this manual with the key on it?
Dopey 2: Leave it, we have the cd safe, no-one steals from us!

: /doh

Well for starters store policies are not necessarily ones that make sense.

You think that getting ripped of 50 bucks is bad try this.

My wife went for a test at a HOSPITAL. We have insurance. The Hospital Billed the Insurance 87.50 (I rounded the numbers) The insurance company PAID the HOSPITAL 650 dollars and charged us 440 dollars and paid 210 dollars off the deductable.

WT FRIGGEN Crud of a Site pole is this mess???

Had the Hospital bill us we would only have to pay 87.50. instead we get a bill for 440 for something that costs only 90. Buch of FUGGEN Theives.

So welcome to the Real world. Count your blessings now 50 bucks is peanuts.

Remember BUYER BEWARE. Always ask. Had we known that they would have packaged our health care like this we too would have went some where else to get satisfaction.

Never buy a game without ORIGINAL Packaging.

You could go back there and memorize the account number and get a free account. Might as well get some of the money back that you will looses over the years o health insurance now any way you can...


(I am just spewing on. remember that would be wrong to do that)

As others have said, if its open and available, dont buy it - its not worth the risk or the grief in getting it sorted out afterwards.

The hospital thing above me I just dont understand - why would the insurance pay them 650 if they were billed 87.50? Who pays more than the bill they receive? /confused

My friend got ripped off by Gamestop when he bought Factions. They have a habit of opening games and leaving empty boxes so that they can put all the stuff back in later, for whatever reason. Anyway, when he was sold they game, they put everything but the cd key in. My friend went back to complain, and they basically told him to buzz off, not their problem, even though this game was advertised as new. After much complaining, they told him to come back in a week and they'll have a new sealed one come in and he can exchange it. He came back one week later and they said they sold it to someone else and he needs to wait more. HE came back again and he ended up having to buy it all over because of their own stupidity.