cdwow bites

[factor05]

So, I ordered Left 4 Dead for Xbox 360 and the site made no mention that it was unavailable. In fact, they did not even tell me it was unavailable until I emailed them asking why it had not been dispatched yet. Apparantly they are waiting for stock from the supplier!

Not happy, they have good prices, but man ...

[Ninja Catfish]

Ouch.
I've heard soe good and some bad stories about them myself.

[eskyman]

Thanks for the info factor05. I've been wondering what kind of service CD Wow offered.

This is the very reason I don't buy online from Australian websites much. For some reason many of them (not just game sites) charge your credit card up front and then they check whether they have/can get the stock. I remember dStore used to do the same thing. I tried ordering a few hundred dollars worth of games from them a couple of times a few years ago, only to have them cancelled because they couldn't fulfil the orders. Then had to wait weeks for the refunds. Things may have changed with them by now, but because of this sour experience I don't even consider them now for my online purchases.

I think DVDCrave is the best Aussie games website I've found so far. They at least give you the option to charge only when the items are ready to go.

Being XMas I can understand the stock problems, but it is still poor service.

[Billy]

Well just be careful of gamehubs.com then. (An Asian site), they charge you for your order upfront and you are NOT allowed a refund at any point. I realised this after i had pre-ordered GoW2 and GH:WT and it was 2 weeks after they had both been released and my order still hadn't been dispatched.

[nakata86]

Cdwow does let you cancel the order and get a refund, if your order hasn't been shipped yet, so thats an option.

If they have stock in, delivery would usually be within a week, but no stock then you can be waiting fairly long.

[Spinner]

Well just be careful of gamehubs.com then. (An Asian site), they charge you for your order upfront and you are NOT allowed a refund at any point.

You may still have a chance at a refund through your credit card company.  Contact your provider, generally they are pretty helpful.

Anyway, my Zack and Wiki order showed up last week.  I think part of the delay was due to deliveries being stopped for Christmas for the office where I had it sent.

[eskyman]

I'd prefer the money remain in my pocket until all items are ready to ship. If the order can't be filled in a reasonable time then I should be given the option of either waiting or cancelling, without requiring a refund.

Good to know about gamehubs.com too. Never heard of them. It pays to be mindful of Chinese sites. I've bought from a website called Divineo and literally within 2 minutes of placing an order my Credit Card Services phoned me up asking whether the transaction was mine. The goods arrived no problem, but I haven't shopped there since. They're still around and may have improved by now.

I really miss Lik Sang. Play Asia is a pretty weak substitute. The lukewarm reception of the PS3 is just Karma for Sony. Shame since they actually got the region free gaming right (from what I've heard). You listening Nintendo?

[sagara0510]

i purchased L4D PC version on cdwow.com.au and it got to me in about 10 working days. i'd hoped for it sooner but was glad it arrived eventually.

I have a question about cdwow.com.au..... when i received my package for L4D i noticed it arrived via overseas HK post. This means that cdwow.com.au isn't really.. australian is it?

i'm tempted to buy their PS3/Xbox 360 version of games but i'm wondering would i be able to trade these in at EB/JB after i'm finished with them?

[Anthony]

What is everybody's stance on CD WOW? Should I keep that affiliate link up on the front page?

[robism]

i bought GTA4 from them and it arrived in about a week...they seem fine to me, no problems at all

[sagara0510]

i've no problems with them either. i got L4D from them with no dramas. just wondering about the trade in potential of ps3/360 games thats all..

their PC games are considerably cheaper than local retailers

[MLTZER]

yeah dont get rid of the affiliate link, i've purchased a couple games from them that ecogamer has made me aware of.

Ive never had any trouble either

[eskyman]

@Anthony: Like I said in the website suggestions thread, hang on to the ones that make money for the site (or give you free games/stuff) for advertising for them, and get rid of (or move to a Links page) the ones that don't. Maybe just put the affiliate link in every blog post that directs users to one of their bargains, and remind everyone to use the link in order to keep the site going. Simple.

It is a concern if you are buying from a .com.au website and the goods are coming from Hong Kong. I can understand the reasons for them doing this. This is how the internet was originally touted as streamlining retail. It's good information to know, but shouldn't matter if the prices are great, the service is reliable, and the goods are legit.

I also mentioned in another thread some EB stores don't appear to check regions of traded in games. I've seen plenty of NTSC versions in Pre-owned bins. As long as the game works on a standard PAL non-modded console I don't see any real harm.

From the info in this thread there doesn't really seem to be anything truly nasty about CDWOW to warrant giving them the flick just yet. I personally just don't like web retailers that charge up front when they don't have the stock ready to go. A couple of weeks wait for shipping is fine if the price is right. As long as weeks don't become months or their customer service stops responding to your queries.

[sagara0510]

after browsing their website a bit today i noticed that they dont actually say which games are 'out of stock' but they do highlight which games are IN STOCK. This can be misleading as you could easily place an order for a game that you just assume is in stock.

I guess its a case of buyer beware with cdwow as to which games are actually in stock at the time.

atm they've got Far Cry 2 (360) for $51.95 and with a $2 off coupon brings it to under $50 with free shipping... pretty good deal if you ask me

[HeDanny]

CD WOW is one of the most respected places out there.  Have been for years.  Until the two threads on this site, I have never heard of any issues with them at all.

I will also have to say that I absolutely prefer imports to be charged up front.  I can't think why anyone who has been importing anything over the last 6 months or so would not agree with it.  The $au has dropped from 0.97 to 0.67 today. Last week it was up to 0.73 before it dropped again.  Importing something and being charged up front you know exactly how much it costs.  It is not a "lucky dip".

I had an import order that upon placing the order had a total shipping of about $300.  There was a delay in getting the pieces together (a frustrating experience, for another time). By the time the cost had Skyrocketed to near $700, I simply had to cancel.  If I had been charged up front, I would now have those items.  Since then, several of the items on the order are no longer in production meaning I will now never be able to get them again.

Yes, that is an extreme example, but it is an extreme example of a common issue.  Up front billing avoids this issue completely.