Terrible Experience with the Square Enix Store
So, Monday during the struggling on the NA Square Enix store, after several hours of toiling away at Refreshes, waiting on loading, and re-entering information, I got a physical PC CE pre-ordered. Great, er, but no confirmation e-mail. It didn't even load until later on in the Store account I have what my order number even was. Turns out, I accidentally ordered two pre-orders. So I call up Square Enix Store Support. Get told my Order Number and have the second pre-order canceled, which was at the amount of .50 cents USD. However, after I got off the phone, I decided to check my bank account. I see two pending billings, one was the canceled .50 cent charge, the other way the full amount of the purchase and shipping for $150.
Called Support for a second time inquiring about it, (since you know, it states on the website: )
Quote:
Your account will be debited only a few days prior to shipping or digital delivery. You will receive a reminder email before you are charged and may modify your payment information.
But I got told to wait 24-hours to let it clear the system. So I waited 24-hours, and the charge is still there and no confirmation e-mail still. Called back Support again. Got told to wait until later in the day until just before they close and then check it again. Did that, still no change, and so I called back Support again where I get someone who tells me now to wait 48-hours and that it was likely something with my bank account. Meanwhile I ask this person, "But a lot of the people I know have gotten their orders processed immediately, why is this different?"
Quote:
Probably because they ordered the digital versions.
"No, they ordered physical CEs," and I never got a straight answer. I also asked if it would be easier just to cancel the order and try it again to where he said, "No, no, that probably won't make it go any faster." I only realized what he was doing until after I had gotten off the phone with my bank shortly thereafter; they had closed at the turn of the hour. So, instead of doing his job, this guy was feeding me every bullshit excuse he could find instead of actually looking into the matter so he could rush out the door. Oh, and my bank had said, "The money is there, they just need to take it." Needless to say, it wasn't my bank causing a problem.
Called back on the third business day since the order submission and asked if it would be easier just to withdraw my order or see what the representative could do again, but got told to wait again. So I ended canceled the order altogether since it was the third day with a hold on my funds and no confirmation e-mail or pre-order code on the Square Enix Store website account. Decided to run through the process with another card, and bam, done immediately.
Now my only concerns are if they did not keep the Square Enix Store up-to-date on the amount of pre-orders for the physical CEs, because the Japanese store was sold out on the first day of PC/PS4 physical CEs and when I'll get my funds returned from holding.
I saw it suggested elsewhere, and it raises a good point, Square Enix should set aside some funds and setup their own store instead of using crappy 3rd-party companies that have been screwing up frequently for the past several years like, ClicknBuy, Digital River, and now Pepita.
Also, perhaps launch physical Collector's Editions at separate times from other versions if your initial statement is, "limited supplies of the CE," to potentially alleviate some of the stress on these websites that crashed multiple times and caused errors in the first place.
EDIT: In addition, it's pretty amusing that the Customer Service phone number got taken off of the Customer Support page in the NA Store. If anyone else needs it is, 1-800-838-8518.