Companies That Fucked You

[Hopeyouguess62]

Howdy Folks,

This is a thread dedicated to all those evil companies out there that manage to shove something uncomfortable up your ass, without your consent. You might be a (temporarily or not) disgruntled employee, a customer, even an innocent bystander and then BAM! ass-rape.

I'll start.

About a week ago, I was doing a little shopping on what is now known as "Cyber Monday." As fans of the series can attest, there was an extremely limited, exclusive release of a special collector's edition of the AMC Breaking Bad series, which came in a

Spoiler

miniature plastic tub like those used for body disposal and (later) storing Walt's money. The set also included a "Los Pollos Hermanos" apron.

Looked really awesome, and it was a limited release that retailed for a little over $200 at most locations and on most sites.

Overstock.com had them for about thirty bucks less than the going rate on Amazon.com, and a pretty good price on a desktop computer, too. I had enough willpower to not upgrade the computer yet (though this one has had a few difficulties and needed a new hard drive recently) but I went ahead and bought the blu ray collection on Overstock.com, figuring it was a collector's edition of a show that I truly loved.

A week later (today), I receive an e-mail that they've had an inventory mix-up and they've refunded my order. That collector's set is sold out EVERYWHERE else, and the scalpers are all selling it on Ebay and Amazon Marketplace for between $400 and $600.

First, fuck the scalpers. To all you resellers who buy shit you don't intend to actually enjoy, only to sell it on a week later at a tidy profit: Yes, you're smart. You're also an asshole, and if I ever meet one of you in person I'll do my best to curb-stomp him or her.

More to the point, however, Overstock.com offered me an excellent deal on a collector's item that was in high demand. I even considered buying a computer while I was on the site. Then they pull out the rug after everyone's sold out. I'm not going to pay $200 in straight profit to the fucking scalpers!

Overstock.com fucked me, and I'm mad as hell, and... well, I complained to one of their representatives online. I'm really quite helpless to damage their company in any meaningful way.

[It occurred to me initially that this was a rather petty topic. Then I thought to myself, "Yes, but what topic here isn't petty? Let's post!"]

 

[Obsidious]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

If you think about it, you would probably have been fucked as well if you had just bought this special collector's edition the regular way. Seriously, an apron and a plastic tub? You can get the 'original tub' for probably around ten bucks, and the apron at every online print-it-yourself store.

Then on the other hand, how limited can this shit be. Does it come with blue crystal? Just saying, maybe you're better off this way after all.

Also, especially if you think this topic might be petty, why not just post it in the Hate Thread? Doesn't matter though, I have enough anger for both threads, no worries. And that is even without the Orion joke warranted in this situation.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

It could be argued that there's some overlap with the Hate Thread, sure... but the other idea behind this thread was to allow us to warn each other about companies to avoid using, if possible. Getting bent over by a company is a specific sub-categorization, one that I thought warranted its own thread.

As far as the collector's item itself, well, it would look really nice next to the matted, framed, and autographed picture of Bryan Cranston,

Spoiler

wearing the famous Heisenberg hat as Walter White,

which I also recently acquired. Most people wouldn't want to pay the extra forty bucks for the cool-looking collector's set, but I'm not most people--I'm a collector.

I'm not familiar with the Orion joke.

 

[Obsidious]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

I'm not familiar with the Orion joke.

It's a joke gone wrong, really. Orion is a sex toy manufacturer of which I presumed was international. My bad, I guess.

But since people tend to buy more and more of their stuff online, it really should become a force of habit to google company names. I always look for "XYZ legit" or something like that prior to buying from someone I don't know.

 

[Shadow the Fallen]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Norwegian EA apparently Released Sim City broken and then refused to refund people when its in their Nations laws about not functioning products.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Norwegian EA apparently Released Sim City broken and then refused to refund people when its in their Nations laws about not functioning products.

Electronic Arts is an evil, evil company. I have not forgotten the travesty that was Mark of the Assassin for Dragon Age II on the PS3. It corrupted my save files, and then I found that EA had known about the bug... all along...

But they make a lot of great games, and I couldn't stay mad enough to not play the Mass Effect games. Or Plants Vs. Zombies 2.

 

[Shadow the Fallen]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Eh EA is only as evil as everyone lets them be people keep buying their products even though they seem to be worse and worse each year. This Online only Trent disturbs me as all hell. Its why I have over 70 games on GOG but only 5 on steam >_>;.

 

[Lenneth]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Those asshats at GAME didn't want to accept a preorder because there was a supposed unpayed rental on my status by the amount of 25 Euros. Rental thet never happened, of course. After treating me like thief and go all smug on me for almost half an hour, they agreed to check the damn security tapes from the days I supposedly rented and returned the game. Of course, I wasn't there, nor any game was being rented or returned at the estimated times, and FINALLY they accepted it was their mistake and apologized.

Not putting my foot at GAME ever again.

 

[ToxicShock]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

First time I flew, United lost my luggage. Second time I flew, they lost me. Third time, they ran me around an entire airport cuz they didn't know where my flight actually was til it was too late.

 

[Shadow the Fallen]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

I have herd so many horror stories about flying. I just don't really trust the companies in general.

 

[Nunu]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

American airlines are famous for pretty much being the worst in the world. this is due to laws that make it illegal for non american companies to fly domesticaly in america. hence they do whatever they want as long as they all offer equaly bad service. its probably to stop terrorists or something.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

But they make a lot of great games...

But they kidnap a lot of great games developers and hold their games ransom whilst milking the titles for everything they can...

Fix'd

 

[lurker]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

its probably to stop terrorists or something.

Nah, they just REALLY want the mones and not to spend it on, yaknow, the things that make em moneh.

 

[Nunu]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Its still strange though that despite all this they basicaly dont have a profit margine. their inefficiencies must be rediculous.

 

[ToxicShock]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

Flying, for the most part, is a losing business. It takes way more the maintain an airline than it takes in.

 

[maikochan]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

First time I flew, United lost my luggage. Second time I flew, they lost me. Third time, they ran me around an entire airport cuz they didn't know where my flight actually was til it was too late.

Made me think of this:

You must be registered to see the links

Full story's in the video details, but I'll repost it here for convenience:

Spoiler

Full Story: In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my (Dave Carroll) Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didnt deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.

 

[ToxicShock]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

I landed at 1 in the morning. We were the only flight in the baggage area. I saw all the bags being taken off the plane. We stood at the baggage area for over an hour as the machines went but 1-2 bags came out every fifteen minutes. Then it shut down... Then it started up... Then it shut down. There was a bunch of yelling in the back. It turned back on. A bag or two came out. It shut down. Then we were told we couldn't claim our luggage as it had not come back with us or some excuse like that. We all walked over to the window, knowing they were full of shit and they were just being incredibly lazy (or they had technical problems, but again, we were the ONLY ones in the baggage area, so any solution was available to them).

The entire time I was waiting there, there was a guy from a limo/taxi service or w/e and I kept telling him it seemed like the airline was having problems and he would hurriedly tell me, "It's ok, don't worry about it." And I felt bad about him having to wait around and he just kept assuring me. Only a few days later did I realize why when we were charged for the extra hour or so the airline left us waiting. Then a couple days after that, I finally got the single bag of clothes I wanted.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

But they make a lot of great games...

But they kidnap a lot of great games developers and hold their games ransom whilst milking the titles for everything they can...

Fix'd

Waaaait I see what you did there... doesn't mean you're wrong, though.

As for airlines in the US, I agree that they're vastly inefficient and poorly managed. They overbook flights regularly because they're counting on a certain number of cancellations each year. It doesn't help that the TSA jams a fist up every traveler's rectum to make sure nobody gets a lighter on the plane.

Seriously? A lighter? Some of these planes still have "No Smoking" lights, because people USED TO BE ABLE TO SMOKE during the flight. The light would go out and people would light up!

"Look out, capitalist pig-dogs! I have a lighter and I'll burn all sixty of the passengers very, very slowly. Then I'll use my lighter on the reinforced door to force my way into the cockpit!"

I'll grant a certain amount for leeway to having my luggage checked and whatnot. A little more than a decade ago, somebody flew a couple of planes into buildings on purpose... so sure, I'll play along. Sometimes it goes a bit overboard, though. I suppose it's one of the consequences of an extensive bureaucracy.

 

[Nunu]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

I love some of the stories that come out of the TSA, they can be so completely butt fucking insane. People get their kids molested (only in the technical sense), computers confiscated and people still get loaded guns on the plane. As some people say I'm looking forward to when they catch someone with explosives hidden in their ass so the high school drop out agents can start giving cavity searches to anyone they think is hot.

Such a ridiculous feel good maneuver. Similarly I hear they are also the ones in charge of evaluating any private contractors who may want to do airline security... surprise they haven't found anyone suitable yet.

 

[XSI]

Re: Companies That Fucked You

I don't have links, but a week ago in the local news here there was a story on how airlines made the pilots pay to work for them on half the shifts, while still paying the rest

The logic was pretty simple. If you don't fly, your pilot's license expires. You can only fly with us since nobody is hiring pilots after 2008. Pay up if you want to keep your licence valid.