Topic: Has anyone used the pre-order cancellation policy?

I pre-ordered Mario 3D All-Stars from the Nintendo website but instead of sending me a physical copy, they sent me a digital one.

I actually thought someone had bought it on the e-shop via my account when I saw it downloading on the 11th.

My plan was to try each game out and then just sell the game on at a cex etc. I don't see myself playing any of these titles to completion, I just wanted to see how they look and really just Galaxy.

On the pre-order email from Nintendo, it has the cancellation policy which I followed but its been 1 week now. They did send an automated response later that day to say they had received it.

Anyone had any experience with this? Ive not bought a physical copy incase this doesn't get refunded and I've not downloaded it (cancelled the download when it began on the 11th) as I'm sure I've read that you cant cancel a preorder once you download it. But does the 5% it automatically downloaded count as that?

@sarethums Are you sure it was not the code for the game?

I'm almost sure you just bought the digital version from the Desktop version of the eShop.

You can't get a refund once it's already been downloaded (even if you cancel the download before it finishes).

@sarethums look dude I know it sucks but at least you got the game some have to wait up to weeks.

@sarethums While Eel is probably right, you could try calling a Nintendo rep to ask if there's anything they can do, if you're into it, or desperate. I'm not sure they can do anything though.

I noticed Nintendo UK's contact page has a phone number again for customer support. Also a chat messenger option. (they took the number down when covid hit. last time I looked in July? it still wasn't back up, but it's there now, probably open again.)

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Contact/General-Customer-S...

Id be fine with that. Im literally just wanting to check out how galaxy runs. Was up for that 5 mins costing me £10 (selling it in cex) but now thats costing me £50.

I've heard of people here (in Australia) getting refunds for eShop purchases in the past so it couldn't hurt to contact Nintendo and explain the situation and see if they're willing to help you. They might just say bad luck but it should be technically possible for them to do it if you get someone who's willing to.

I mean, as long you don't say you intended to sell it after trying the games, and stick to "I thought I was preordering the physical version! " Perhaps they could help.

I wouldn't hold my breath though!

@sarethums I think it did indicate it was eShop game on Nintendo site itself:

I went to the site account and it says this:

Digital Edition
Purchase a digital version directly from Nintendo.com.

USD $59.99

So it does say Digital version but once purchased there is no return.

I clicked on it via the email. I went now and clicked it again but the page it takes me to is different now. Probably as the game is out now.

Spoke with them on the helpline today. They said that under no circumstances, no digital products can be refunded. Im trying to keep it cool and just take the loss but part of me wants to sell my switch and never buy anything from them ever again.

Office (shoe shop) about 10 years ago discontinued a pair of boots and refused to refund me £150 even though it was their mistake. I have never been back there and in this time spent far too much on shoes, of course, I am only one person so this wont even make a difference.

What I'll most likely do is never buy anything from their website again (I used to do this until now, to support them). I suppose what does make me feel somewhat better is that I have a hacked wii and wii u. But then most of the games I have on there I purchased originally at the time.

@Ironcore That isn't Nintendo fault here but the buyer and blaming Nintendo for digital purchase is on the buyer themselves not doing their homework before buying. So stop blaming Nintendo for your mistake. As to your shoe mistake that isn't for this forum nor something to compare Apples to Orange when buyers REmorse happens. That laughable makes you feel better how about you support those software developers whom wrote those software your playing now. Wonder how you would feel is someone else said that to you and you were the software developer not the company (whom get more benefits) and see how they feel stealing their blood/sweat work to create those games your using now. Hacking a console to benefit you is called Theft plain and simple. People always seem to equate hacking as a equalizer but it benefits only hackers as those that created in the first place get nothing in return-this the engineers and software programmers that created it work so people can buy them.

@SwitchForce I called up again and asked to cancel a preorder. The guy opened up the cancelation and told me I couldnt blah blah and then I said that it looked like I was buy physical but digital came through. He put me on hold and then refunded me and said this has happened several times since its release and that he had basically spent all day refunding people that thought they were buying physical.

@Ironcore good on you for sorting this out, didn't realise you were in the UK but I remember there was some thing happening to bring digital goods in line with physical goods in the consumer contracts regulation (formerly distance selling regulations) but I'm not sure how far it got. You were absolutely in the right in pursuing this and I know how you feel in terms of not wanting to buy from a company that doesn't sort out their own mistakes that end up costing you in the long run.

That sort of thing has happened with me with a few companies like Zavvi and Forbidden Planet. After the period of bitterness wore off though, I did go back to them for occasional purchases though. Until Zavvi messed up bad again and I had to claim a refund with a PayPal chargeback so I don't use them at all again any more.

But yeah, good on you and I'm glad you sorted it out so you can enjoy however much of the game you want to play without a bitter resentfulness!

Edit: oh yeah and Nintendo UK store is run by The Hut Group which also run Zavvi so I'm not surprised talking to them is like getting blood out of stone. Again because of their association, I only use the UK store if there is some wicked incentive to do so. Which is not frequently to be honest.

This is what I don't like about Nintendo. I have some digital Switch games but they are third-party and I bought them with a significant discount on a sale but I haven't bought any first-party Switch game digitally, only physically so I'm free to sell them if I don't like them or whatever. Nintendo has rubbish policies that I won't support. It's also one of the reasons what I don't buy Switch games if they are available on any other platform.

EDIT:

I am glad that they acknowledged the error eventually, after a few tries.

Also, kudos for not being an idiot in their hands.