Did UPS just STEAL my new Strat?

[Seal481]

Alright, so like many of the people who bought this game at launch, my Stratocaster controller broke. Alright, no problem, this game kicks so much ass that I can forgive technical issues, especially when it's more advanced technology. So I got to the support website and opt for the express method, where the put a $125 hold on your credit card and ship you a new controller pronto. Sweet.

So I get my box the other day and open it with glee. Said glee fades when I open the box. The tap holding it shut has been cut, and there's no Stratocaster controller. The shipping information says that EA shipped one Xbox360 guitar, and UPS says it weighed 6.5 pounds at delivery, but this empty box weighs nothing. Theres no way my return was switched to the normal method, because there's a $125 hold on my credit card, and it's just waiting to bite me in the ass once my 28 days are up.

So I make a tech support claim on EA's website and on UPS' website. EA says they get back to you within 24 hours... But 48 hours later I'm still waiting for any response. UPS came to my house, took my box and said it was between them and EA now.

I really don't want to have to pay $125 of my own money when it's UPS' fault that I didn't get my stuff. Has anyone had this problem, and if not, does anyone know of any way I can fix this, or get a response from EA?

[MoNsTeR919]

i think maybe the ups guy has a family that has rock band and really wanted a bass guitar.

but good luck, as EA or UPS might think that you took the guitar yourself and hid it in a friend's house.

[Seal481]

i think maybe the ups guy has a family that has rock band and really wanted a bass guitar.

but good luck, as EA or UPS might think that you took the guitar yourself and hid it in a friend's house.

That's what I'm afraid of. If EA doesn't want to deal with this they can just easily accuse me of lying and take my money.

[The_Susie_virus]

you might've just gotten unlucky and they accidentally sent you an empty box for you to send it back, you know the longer method. i chose the longer method and when i checked the status on ups.com i saw that the package weighed 5 lbs. now, theres no way an empty box couldve weighed 5 lbs...and nevertheless i still got an empty box...

[Seal481]

you might've just gotten unlucky and they accidentally sent you an empty box for you to send it back, you know the longer method. i chose the longer method and when i checked the status on ups.com i saw that the package weighed 5 lbs. now, theres no way an empty box couldve weighed 5 lbs...and nevertheless i still got an empty box...

I doubt it, because the enclosed instructions for packing your broken guitar talks about removing your new controller from the box.

[melvin1013]

I am having the same problem. Received the box but no guitar. Sent an email to EA and was told to talk to UPS. So they picked up my box yesterday. Hopefully I'll be getting the replacement soon, with a guitar this time.

[Seal481]

I am having the same problem. Received the box but no guitar. Sent an email to EA and was told to talk to UPS. So they picked up my box yesterday. Hopefully I'll be getting the replacement soon, with a guitar this time.

Man I feel for you. I don't want to have to call EA after all the horror stories I've read on here.

[melvin1013]

Man I feel for you. I don't want to have to call EA after all the horror stories I've read on here.
Yeah, I'm not really fustrated as some other people. I understand that some things go wrong. As long as I get my guitar replaced by the end of January, I'll be happy. I have plenty of time to kill. It's my other peeps who are annoyed about it. Mostly because one person has to sit out now. It's my game so I am always on the drums. :)

[whittibo]

It's doubtful that UPS took the guitar, or that it fell out. I think they picked up the wrong box and shipped it to you maybe? Or, was the box left on your doorstep?

They don't weigh every box that leaves the facility, they know that an empty box weighs xxlbs and a full one weighs xxlbs.. so they just make the ticket for the full or empty box.

I hope you get it resolved soon. As for the charge on your credit card, if you don't get it corrected through EA, you can call your credit card and tell them you did not receive what you ordered and do a charge back on your card. Most card companies will give you a temporary credit back until it's resolved.

[twofivethreetwo]

I also did the Express RMA with the hold on my debit card and my guitar is scheduled to be here Monday via UPS. This has me worried now about whether the box will be empty or not. The tracking also says it weighs 6.5lbs.

[stunner1210]

I had a similar experience with my drums. I had sent my guitar and drums in at the same time and waited two weeks for them to return (I did mine the long way, no credit card hold). When I took my boxes inside they felt awful light. I opened my guitar box and it had a guitar (That ended up being broken after testing); then I moved to my drumset and the box was empty. I sent a message to EA and they never responded, two weeks later I pmed EAxViolet here on the Rock Band forums and she had it straightened out, so I'm now having my new drums (hopefully) sent.

Good luck to you though, because after I sent a message to EA they didn't respond for two and a half weeks.

[Seal481]

Well I just got off the phone with EA, get a really nice guy named Brian, and he set everything up.

I'm getting a new guitar shipped to me, so hopefully this time the box will be full.

[Seal481]

*Sigh*

Well, two days later and I still haven't gotten a tracking number emailed to me like Brian said I would.

So I called EA back, explained the situation, and the lady gave me a tracking number.

Excited, I punched it in on UPS.com, but lo and behold, that's the tracking number from the empty box that I got on the 26th.

Friggin EA.

[JB4life]

this is getting me way to worried. I did the same exact thing, express and all, and the tracking says it weights 6.5lbs also. If an empty box arrives on my door step someone is going to get an ear full at EA

[twofivethreetwo]

My tracking said 6.5lbs also and it was the guitar. I did the express and in 2 days I got the guitar (it came yesterday). So, I wouldn't get that worried about it although there is a chance it could be empty.

[JB4life]

I have another quick question. When looking at the UPS tracking part, where it says where its being shipped to, does it have your exact address or does it just say your town/city? thats getting me a little worried, myself.

[Seal481]

The tale of the missing Stratocaster continues:

So I called EA back today, and the lady I talk to says that, due to server issues, my transaction for the replacement of the replacement Stratocaster was never processed. Basically, I wasted four more of my 28 days waiting for the shipping number that was supposed to come.

So I'm down to 16 days until I have to cough up $125 to EA, and I haven't even seen a new controller.

[Seal481]

An Ending (I hope):

Called EA back up. Got a guy named Midland (Any parent who has the balls to name there kid Midland is awesome). Midland not only gave me a tracking number for a new shipment, but he reset the 28 day period, so I have a fresh 28 days.

Hopefully nothing else screws up.

I should write a book.

[AVC808]

An Ending (I hope):

Called EA back up. Got a guy named Midland (Any parent who has the balls to name there kid Midland is awesome). Midland not only gave me a tracking number for a new shipment, but he reset the 28 day period, so I have a fresh 28 days.

Hopefully nothing else screws up.

I should write a book.

i hope this is the last time you get screwed. im sure you know this by now, but take words from an ea rep with a grain of salt. just cuz he says he "reset the 28-day period" dont be surprised to see your card get charged. but i wouldnt worry. you can dispute it with your credit card company and im sure they'll get EA to back off. or EA may make things right for you.

also for those of you seeing the 6.5lbs on the tracking. all of you that opt for the guitar to be shipped express will have that. it means nothing. the 6.5 lb is EA's estimate for the weight of the package so they can prepay and they print the labels themselves. so they could be paying for the amount to ship a box containing a guitar, but doesnt mean the guitar will be in it. there have been many users on this forum who opted for express and an empty box showed up at their door. most cases it seems like EA understood the situation and made things right. although i wouldnt be surprised if there were some dishonest UPS workers, or even dishonest consumers trying to score an extra guitar out of this.

[Seal481]

The saga continues:

I got two different tracking numbers emailed to me from EA. I'm gonna have to look and make sure I don't have two charges of $125 on my credit card.

[Daesania]

Probably not.

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20310

[Seal481]

Yeah I read that but my case differs from that in that I got two different incident numbers and a tracking number with each. Unless I'm reading that post wrong the situation described there is one incident number getting two tracking numbers.

[xFiShx]

Yeah I read that but my case differs from that in that I got two different incident numbers and a tracking number with each. Unless I'm reading that post wrong the situation described there is one incident number getting two tracking numbers.

this is what happens i think. they mail you the new guitar, the moment u ship your broken one 28 days start.

[Seal481]

Well folks, I think my tale of woe is over. I got two guitars from EA today (Goddamn it!) But when I called customer support again the guy said that the charge only required that I send back my broken guitar and I basically get to keep the two working guitars.

Only problem is they're both refurbished (of course) and one of them has a whammy bar thats either broken or really crappy (theres a snapping sound when you hit it and it slams into the body of the guitar, nothing stops it). Unfortunately, my Xbox is in Microsoft's hands right now, as it died also, so we'll see when it gets back.

I don't even care if one of the two whammies is broken. My dads gonna be using that one anyway, and I'm in no mood to deal with EA's customer support anytime soon.

So to all of you who enjoyed my occasional updates with new quams thanks to our friends at Electronic Arts, thank you, and goodbye.

[HardStylez]

I also did the Express RMA with the hold on my debit card and my guitar is scheduled to be here Monday via UPS. This has me worried now about whether the box will be empty or not. The tracking also says it weighs 6.5lbs.

you think your worried my bundle is being shiped ups says it should be hear monday. now i almost feel like checking the box if its open when the guy arives.

[Kung-Foo]

UPS thought my house didn't exist. Yet, I get mail everyday. They told me there was a "new person" on the route who didn't know where to go....so he just said no such address existed. Incompetent UPS personnel.