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JustinH

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,390
Never abused a preorder by cancelling after I got the preorder bonuses - I have doubts this is the best way to combat that issue (how about only sending the digital stuff after you've shipped the item).
I was thinking the same thing, but I guess that wouldn't really work for access to "exclusive" betas and what not.
 

Deleted member 55311

User requested account closure
Banned
Mar 26, 2019
341
Well thats scary. Does this affect current pre-orders or just new orders? (I see the OP but has anyone experienced otherwise) I pay off my pre-orders over time using Amazon Gift cards so the money isn't always in the linked account. It would really suck to wake up tomorrow, find out this hit Amazon US, and just have a bunch of charges on my bank account....
 

C.Mongler

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,879
Washington, DC
Welp, this will be the end of me pre-ordering if this hits the US store, which will also be the end of me impulse letting pre-orders actually ship instead of cancelling.

Oh well, maybe it's the kick in the ass I need to go full digital finally.
 

Vipu

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
2,276
Mod Edit: We do not provide a platform for Boogie or his content here
 
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AlexFlame116

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 17, 2017
23,177
Utah
Once it hits the US it's back to GameStop online for me. It isn't much better at all because of their abysmal shipping prices but sometimes they have the free shipping option so I'll bite on that.

Also they don't charge until it ships anyway.

This is so stupid of Amazon.
 

Lowrys

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,333
London
This is a bullshit decision, but one that potential positive side effect may be less pre-ordering in general, which can only be a good thing for the industry and consumers.
 

Lucreto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,631
They are not currently letting me preorder anything. DQ Builders 2 says they don't deliver to Ireland for some reason
 

Vipu

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
2,276
Pay the difference of any potential pre-order discounts I miss and pay for release shipping. Then we can talk. We both know you don't care that much so.... Stay out of my wallet.

I have always had option to pay the same price at release than preordering but maybe thats different on PC if you are talking about consoles.
 

Zafir

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,002
Well thats scary. Does this affect current pre-orders or just new orders? (I see the OP but has anyone experienced otherwise) I pay off my pre-orders over time using Amazon Gift cards so the money isn't always in the linked account. It would really suck to wake up tomorrow, find out this hit Amazon US, and just have a bunch of charges on my bank account....
It's not even guaranteed for new orders. They seem to be trialing it. So you have a random chance of it happening/being part of the trial.

As I mentioned on the last page, I did two pre-orders and only one of them got charged for.

Doubt it'd ever happen for existing orders.
 

Tunesmith

Fraud & Player Security
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
1,936
They are not currently letting me preorder anything. DQ Builders 2 says they don't deliver to Ireland for some reason
They restrict game preorders to UK for stock reasons and don't open delivery to elsewhere until after release.

They've done this for a long time now for games.
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,065
Preordering games on Amazon became a lot less appealing once they ditched the discount for Prime members. This just makes it even more so.

I buy all my physical games on Amazon, but yeah this doesn't work for me. Guess I'll be going elsewhere.
 

Lucreto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,631
They restrict game preorders to UK for stock reasons and don't open delivery to elsewhere until after release.

They've done this for a long time now for games.

They have been like that since January, it's a pain in the arse. Medievil was fine but DQ Builders 2 and Borderlands 3 are blocked.
 

MrBanballow

Not changing this tag
Member
May 1, 2019
834
Good guy Amazon, trying to help me spend less money.

I mainly use Amazon (Games and Manga) and Amazon JP (Games, Anime, Soundtracks, Figures). I tend to order well ahead of time, and then pay stuff off a bit at a time by adding to my Gift Card Balance, then applying to my existing orders. Makes the financial bit a bit easier to swallow. Apparently though, Amazon is doing me a solid, by stopping this in the future, and letting me keep my money instead.
 

Hey Blinkin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
152
If this makes its way to the US, I won't be pre-ordering from them again.

At this rate, I may not pre-order again.
 

leburn98

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,637
If this comes to Canada, I am officially done with Amazon. The whole point of using Amazon to begin with was for their E3 deals. Being able to lock-in a deal during E3 and then being able to pay it off just prior to release was the appeal. I don't have the $1000+ to spend in June but I do have the money to spend on each game as they release. At this point I may as well go with my local EB Games, Wal-Mart or Best Buy.
 

Peradam

Knights of Favonius World Tour '21
Member
Jan 11, 2018
1,724
can someone post an alternative for amazon in the UK that doesn't take money on orders
The majority take payment on despatch - ShopTo, Base, TheGameCollection, Smyths, GAME, Coolshop and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Argos and 365games take payment immediately.

SimplyGames do a similar thing as Amazon now, except instead of 5 days, SG take payment after 21 days.
 

Shoot

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,526
I hope Canada can last until E3 before this is implemented. It is the only time of year that I can afford to buy games at release.
 

leburn98

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,637
I've been doing some digging and spoke to Amazon who've confirmed this is now the case in the UK but couldn't comment on other regions. Charged 2-5 days after ordering. Apparently the rationale behind the change was due to folks cancelling Limited Editions close to release - not sure I buy that being the sole reason but very well may have been a factor.
I don't buy that for a second. If this was truly the reason for the upfront charge, why not restrict this to just Limited Editions?
 

Luke92

Member
Jan 31, 2019
2,056
I can only speak for Germany but Amazon isn't really relevant for buying games anymore and this move just killed it completely for me. For new releases, other retailers like Media Markt or Saturn are just as cheap if not cheaper. So there's rarely a reason to pre-order anyway when you can just walk into a store and get it 5€ cheaper if you're lucky. And they hardly do discounts/deals, they just copy other retailers' deals.

The only case I'd pre-order is a limited/collector's edition but no way I'm giving Amazon 80-100€ half a year (or more) early, they can fuck right off.
 

TrojanAg

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,538
Probably will happen in the US eventually, just like they started killing the Prime preorder discounts in other countries before doing so in the US.
 

Oswen

Member
Oct 25, 2017
806
Is this retroactive? I have some games preordered but I don't really want to be charged months in advance.
 

Davilmar

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,264
I honestly wish this happened before I renewed by account, since this would basically kill whatever incentive I have to keep Prime. The only reason I pre-order from Amazon is to have my order ready, and get charged only when it ships. Their approach seems like the worst solution to people abusing bonuses.
 

DangerMouse

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,402
If this makes its way to the US, I won't be pre-ordering from them again.
Yup, my pre-orders go right back to Best Buy if they bring this over.

With GCU gone I split my pre-orders again since it's so easy to adjust orders on Amazon and the ability to use those gift card amounts to pay off an expensive CE over time, but I'm never ready to get charged when I put in such super early pre-orders. Some of these games don't even come out for multiple years from when they go up. Let alone all of the ones that then get special editions that I cancel to get instead.

If this comes to Canada, I am officially done with Amazon. The whole point of using Amazon to begin with was for their E3 deals. Being able to lock-in a deal during E3 and then being able to pay it off just prior to release was the appeal. I don't have the $1000+ to spend in June but I do have the money to spend on each game as they release. At this point I may as well go with my local EB Games, Wal-Mart or Best Buy.
Yeah, times like that especially, when all the big E3 games go up. There's no way people are ready to get charged for all of those games at once, let alone when they come out months apart from each other which is the main reason people can afford them.
 
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Oct 25, 2017
14,645
If this comes to the US I stop preordering movies and games through them.

They recently eliminated their email support option and replaced their chat support with robots so I'm already mad at them.
 

Urbannomad123

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
347
Rugby, England
The majority take payment on despatch - ShopTo, Base, TheGameCollection, Smyths, GAME, Coolshop and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Argos and 365games take payment immediately.

SimplyGames do a similar thing as Amazon now, except instead of 5 days, SG take payment after 21 days.

I have been using SimplyGames for a while since they are cheaper than Amazon and I generally receive their games the day before release. As far as I am aware money is 'captured' by Simply Games after 21 days but the payment isn't actually charged to your card until physical shipment. In other words: your bank/credit card simply reserves money for a future payment to Simply Games which is made to them on shipping.
 

Peradam

Knights of Favonius World Tour '21
Member
Jan 11, 2018
1,724
I have been using SimplyGames for a while since they are cheaper than Amazon and I generally receive their games the day before release. As far as I am aware money is 'captured' by Simply Games after 21 days but the payment isn't actually charged to your card until physical shipment. In other words: your bank/credit card simply reserves money for a future payment to Simply Games which is made to them on shipping.
Ah, thanks for clearing this up. I've used SimplyGames before but never that far in advance of a game's release, and I'd still recommend them for the same reasons you stated.
 

Mutedpenguin

Member
Dec 5, 2017
1,159
Amazon UK have really gone to shit in the last year or so.

Stopped the £2 off for pre-orders, stopped the 'No Rush' delivery bonus...and now this.

(plus their Black Friday sale hasn't been worth a damn for the last couple of years...not compared to the bargains you used to get).
 
Jun 17, 2018
3,244
Anyone saying that they prefer this, how? There's no way you want to pay upfront right away. What if you change your mind?
 
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