# When do you get a game if you pre-ordered? (Vitally important question...)



## Epona (Oct 5, 2010)

Sorry for this probably stupid question, but despite buying loads of PC games over the years, I have never pre-ordered.  For the last few years I've had cobbled together PCs and when that's the case you don't run the risk of buying anything in advance of seeing the required spec!

If you pre-order (for example from Game or Amazon, for postal delivery) does it turn up at your door on the release date, or do you have to wait however many postage/shipping days it takes to get to you after release (which could be a few days, given that games are usually released on a Friday)?  Or can I physically go to a shop and pre-order and get all the goodies and pick it up with aforementioned goodies on the morning of release?

There is a reason for this question, I want Fallout: New Vegas installed on my PC and to be playing it on the day it is released, the fewer hours I have to wait the better, I've waited months already.  My MO is to get the bus to Stratford and buy the game before lunchtime.  However my OH (who is half-Californian) _desperately_ wants the "New California Republic" t-shirt that only comes with the pre-ordered game, but if I have to wait for it to turn up in the post (which tbh sometimes never gets delivered here, goods often get returned to sender as undeliverable with absolutely no attempt to deliver them despite the fact that there's always someone at home) I might go postal if you'll excuse the pun.


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## kained&able (Oct 5, 2010)

from play its day of release. Presume its the same with all the big boys. Only people i've done it with though.


dave


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## bemused (Oct 5, 2010)

I use shopto and normally get it the day before. Why don't you use steam?


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## Epona (Oct 5, 2010)

bemused said:


> Why don't you use steam?


 
I use Steam for loads of stuff, but I can't download a t-shirt.


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## Epona (Oct 5, 2010)

kained&able said:


> from play its day of release. Presume its the same with all the big boys. Only people i've done it with though.
> 
> 
> dave



That's reassuring, but I am still smarting from the DVD drive that never got delivered from Amazon (and yes it was direct from Amazon not a 3rd party).  I use Amazon a lot and this is the first time I've ever had to ask for a refund, but I was there building my new PC 4 days after it ought to have been delivered and had to send the OH to Maplins to buy one (at a higher price) because I needed one to install the OS.  Got a refund from Amazon (they didn't query it, so can't question their customer service, but we did have to wait 3 weeks before getting our money back - by which time we'd already had interest charged on the credit card) then later got an e-mail saying that our DVD drive had been returned as the post office couldn't deliver the item.  WTF, there is always someone in, I even stuck a note on the front door saying we were in and to knock hard if they hadn't already buzzed the entryphone, never even had a card through the door saying they'd tried to deliver it.

Sadly a little while back I got into a disagreement with the parcelforce guy because I wouldn't accept a parcel for my neighbour when she was out (she has live insect deliveries for her reptiles and I am completely entophobic, also she previously forced her way into my flat and threatened to kill me with an axe, it's gone way beyond the point of normal neighbourly relations and the police have advised her not to come to my door) and unfortunately since then I can't rely on getting anything delivered because the parcelforce guy thinks she is really nice and I was being unreasonable by not accepting a parcel on her behalf, since that happened I'm having trouble getting parcels delivered.


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## bemused (Oct 5, 2010)

Epona said:


> I use Steam for loads of stuff, but I can't download a t-shirt.


 
LOL fair enough


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## Sunray (Oct 5, 2010)

Generally they will send it so you should get it the day its released.

The post isn't 100% accurate, some will get it on the day and some a little later.


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## Epona (Oct 6, 2010)

Sunray said:


> Generally they will send it so you should get it the day its released.
> 
> The post isn't 100% accurate, some will get it on the day and some a little later.


 
Cheers, I'm very wary about ordering anything for delivery by mail because sometimes the buggers don't even attempt delivery although there's always someone here.  Most recently a DVD drive from Amazon just didn't show up at all and was returned to them after 6 weeks marked undeliverable, absolutely no attempt was made to deliver it here.  We got our money back but it was a huge inconvenience.  If I order a game I've been waiting for and it doesn't turn up on the release date I am going to be quite upset!  It's an HMV exclusive special offer, I might pop to Stratty and see if I can preorder in-store for collection on the day of release, circumventing the postal system entirely would be preferable.


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## grit (Oct 6, 2010)

It should be a case that it gets delivered on the release date, but if I'm pre ordering something I'm usually very excited about it. So just usually pop down to the shop that morning to make sure I get it on release date.


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## ohmyliver (Oct 11, 2010)

@Epona which pre-order pack did you go for? I mean 'classic'/'caravan'/etc rather than the promotional gubbins...


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## Steel Icarus (Oct 11, 2010)

When I used to buy a lot of games from Amazon, they used to arrive the day of release, almost without fail. The one exception to this was Resident Evil 4 which I was desperate to play, and it didn't come, so I cycled into town about 4.30 and bought it from GAME. When my ordered copy turned up the next day I popped round to my skint mate and gave him it. 

Can't see me being that bothered about getting games the day of release in future, apart from the next Zelda.


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## Epona (Oct 15, 2010)

ohmyliver said:


> @Epona which pre-order pack did you go for? I mean 'classic'/'caravan'/etc rather than the promotional gubbins...


 
I haven't done it yet.  For some reason I had it in my head that it was due out at the end of November so I've been caught napping on this one!  But I don't know if there are any in-game things I can get, my OH is throwing a wobbler about wanting the t-shirt from HMV and although I'd prefer an in-game bonus pack, if he doesn't get that t-shirt he's going to be unbearable.  He doesn't even play the bloody game.


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## Epona (Oct 21, 2010)

Just in case anyone is interested, neither OH or I got it together in time to pre-order a physical copy with the t-shirt, so I'm getting it from Steam and he will have to live without the t-shirt.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Oct 21, 2010)

just  find a dirty boiler-suit and paint a vault number on the back  for him


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## Epona (Oct 21, 2010)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> just  find a dirty boiler-suit and paint a vault number on the back  for him


 
 You know him Shippy, he wanted the exclusive t-shirt from the HMV pre-order BECAUSE it's only available that way.  I showed him 10 different NCR logo t-shirts that are readily available in online stores that I could buy for him if he wanted one, but "it's not the same".   

Well fuckit, it's too late now.


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## sim667 (Oct 21, 2010)

Do shopto only takenthe money when something is despatched? I wanna pre-order new call of duty, but don't want them to take the money yet


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## grit (Oct 21, 2010)

sim667 said:


> Do shopto only takenthe money when something is despatched? I wanna pre-order new call of duty, but don't want them to take the money yet


 
Yes you are not billed until the product is dispatched.


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## sim667 (Oct 22, 2010)

grit said:


> Yes you are not billed until the product is dispatched.


 
win 

New COD for me then


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