PDA

View Full Version : Atari and Digital River...


thideras
05-22-07, 02:52 PM
Hello all,

I'll attempt to fill you guys in on my Atari experience...

I had bought Test Drive: Unlimited on 04/02/07 through their online store (NEVER DO THIS). I downloaded and installed it with no problems; I even was able to activate it with no problems. I had played it about a week when my Windows install was having problem and was up for a re-install. I re-installed Windows and all my applications (including games). When I went to activate the game this time it came back and told me that my key had been registered too many times. I was confused at this as I had only activated this once, and was going to reactivate it on the same computer.

I then checked Atari's site, and the ONLY way to contact these people are through email. I was kind of impatient at the time, so I jumped on Digital River's site, found their phone number and called them. The first person I talked to didn't really know much and forwarded the call over to another person (first person was clearly new :)). I spoke with the second person and he tried to give me new serial numbers, but when I tried to register them, it said they were invalid. At the bottom of the activation window there is a "manual activation" part where I assume I read them this key and they read me one back. I talked to 4 different people and not one person knew what it was(wth). After being on the phone for upwards of an hour, they decided to give me a refund. That was 2 weeks ago.

I called Digital River back up and ask what the deal was with the refund (I had been watching my bank account). They said that the refund had gone through (wth?!), but it was only for the Extended Download Service. Ahh...now I understand... The lady told me I needed to contact Atari to get a refund. Only problem is, I had been trying to contact Atari ever since I had problems, I had sent a total of 4 emails (and another one today).

In the email I sent today, I specified that this be forwarded to a supervisor and that I am expecting a response. 3 of the 4 previous email have gone completely unanswered (except for the automated response, lol).

I also called my bank and asked if I could do a "charge back" (or whatever it is called). They said as long as I send the item back to the company and have a receipt stating I did send it, I could get a refund. Only one problem with that, you download it online...no cd's... I told this to the person at the bank, she responded with "well......there is nothing else you can really do since you received the product...". I understand completely here and do not have a problem with the bank or Digital River.

At this point, I am awaiting (again) for a response from Atari. If this does not get through, I will probably call Digital River back and talk to a supervisor there and see what we can do.

So far:
Atari has responded to 1 out of 5 emails (which the first one told me to re-download the game, that is not the problem).
Digital River has done a great job of troubleshooting (and refunded me the 3 or so dollars for their service).

Digital River: 9/10
Atari: 1/10

If anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thideras

BlitzPuppet
05-26-07, 09:03 PM
Lol I'm kinda on the same boat.

Bought Armed assault online through atari and downloaded at digital river. Love the game but it hates 8800GTS's. But I was in luck, a new beta patch was released that said it fixed the compatibility issues with the 8800 and that it was an open beta. I download the patch and fire it up. Bam, activation screen, type it in and it tells me I have an invalid serial.

I send a E-mail to atari and they tell me they can't help me since I bought it online, they told me to talk to digital river. I did and digital river has no clue why it's doing this, even said invalid serial on their end when I gave them the talk back confirmation code.

They said I'll get a message by wed with a new code.

thideras
05-27-07, 01:11 AM
Lol I'm kinda on the same boat.

Bought Armed assault online through atari and downloaded at digital river. Love the game but it hates 8800GTS's. But I was in luck, a new beta patch was released that said it fixed the compatibility issues with the 8800 and that it was an open beta. I download the patch and fire it up. Bam, activation screen, type it in and it tells me I have an invalid serial.

I send a E-mail to atari and they tell me they can't help me since I bought it online, they told me to talk to digital river. I did and digital river has no clue why it's doing this, even said invalid serial on their end when I gave them the talk back confirmation code.

They said I'll get a message by wed with a new code.Yup, exact same thing happened to me. They gave me about 6 serial numbers to try and they all didn't work. Good luck if your going to get a refund, it has been since I created the thread and I haven't heard back at all...

aaronjb
05-27-07, 11:53 AM
I gave up on digital downloads for games (except Steam). Regular patches often don't work with a downloaded edition, support stinks and I'm always having problems with registration keys.

Thund3rball
05-27-07, 12:15 PM
I gave up on digital downloads for games (except Steam). Regular patches often don't work with a downloaded edition, support stinks and I'm always having problems with registration keys.

Hmmm, good to know. I have only DL'd one game so far (other than Steam). It is Farcry from Ubisoft website. My acct says I can DL this game as many times as I want for life, with no xtra charge. I also backed it up onto disc. I have not had to re-install or anything yet but I hope it works out ok. Was only $10 anyways.

I will definately stay way from Atari DLs.

aaronjb
05-27-07, 04:30 PM
Hmmm, good to know. I have only DL'd one game so far (other than Steam). It is Farcry from Ubisoft website. My acct says I can DL this game as many times as I want for life, with no xtra charge. I also backed it up onto disc. I have not had to re-install or anything yet but I hope it works out ok. Was only $10 anyways.

I will definately stay way from Atari DLs.

I should clarify that my experience is with Direct2Drive.

thideras
05-27-07, 08:27 PM
I should clarify that my experience is with Direct2Drive.Yes D2D is what you download with and Digital River is what you activate with if I remember correctly.

thideras
06-07-07, 05:27 PM
I FINALLY got a response from Atari. But this is probably the most helpful thing they have sent:

Hello Corey,

Thank you for contacting Atari Support. Our online store is managed by a separate company called Digital River.

Their customer support information is:

• webhelp@digitalriver.com (http://webmail.alliancecom.net/mail/message.php?Horde=mpc79apa7parprjc210c6hoga7&index=4376#)
• Phone Number 1-952-646-5000.

W....T....F?! Seriously!

I called up Atari Corporate at 5:45 and spoke with their...operator? IDK, anyway, I asked if I could speak to whoever runs/administrats/supervises or whatever over their technical support division and I was told no ones does. There is NO WAY that a part of a company does not have someone watching them. I explained the situation to her, and she said she was going to put me on "hold"...I sat there for 30 mins with no music or anything, so I hung up and called back to find that they closed! The person hung up on me! They could have atleast told me they were closing, I would have understood, but that is way over the line...

I calmed myself down and called Digital River, spoke with someone there, who transfered me over to the floor manager. I re-explained everything over again (>.<), and told him about the above email they sent me. He had me forward it to him so he could see it. He put me on hold again for awhile and came back to tell me that since they said to talk to Digital River about it, he issued a refund!!!

WIN!!!

Thund3rball
06-07-07, 05:36 PM
Wow what a PITA! At least you got your refund though. :thup:

thideras
06-07-07, 05:44 PM
Wow what a PITA! At least you got your refund though. :thup:Yes, finally, after TWO MONTHS of trying to solve this stupid issue.

benbaked
06-07-07, 06:06 PM
Glad to hear that Digital River solved your issue. Atari was obviously of no help and doesn't appear to even give a damn.

It seems that company (Atari) has been in the gutter with operations since the mid-80s (atari-history.com had some interesting reads about the various blunders that company has made over the past 20 or so years). Who owns Atari these days?

thideras
06-07-07, 06:27 PM
Who owns Atari these days?Good question...

EDIT:Infogrames...

Infogrames Entertainment SA, ATARI Group's holding, is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange

Infogrames also acquired title to the Atari name through its 2001 purchase of Hasbro Interactive, the interactive games division of Hasbro Inc.

thideras
06-14-07, 01:06 AM
Finally I got the refund, all is good. Many good things to say about Digital River and many bad things to say about Atari...

w/e, I don't care anymore. I learned my lesson.