Has play.com gone really downhill?

[FelixofMars]

I would say Amazon where great at one point in time, then they started go downhill so I swapped to Play as they where cheaper and had better service in general. Now I go to Shopto as both Play and Amazon can't seem to find there arses with both their hands.

[shanaleonhart]

I've never had any problems with play.com and I've been ordering from them since hmm.. 2002? If not before that. Most items arrive quite quickly and I've never had to return anything. I have ordered a couple of items over the years that they've never actually been able to get in stock for some strange reason.

[Jebus]

I never learn do I.

Bought a bit of electronics off them on tuesday with "Usually ships in 24 hours" under it. Rang the courier company today to find out they picked it up recently and it would be delivered Monday.

Meaning a 4 working day turnout for something of high value.

The play.com help was hilarious, when questioning why my product hadn't been dispatched in the 24 hours it states, I was told "Sir, that is just a guideline for our customers"...err, you mean customers like the one you are speaking to?

Wouldn't mind but the courier company they use (HDNL) actually lied to me yesterday, telling me the parcel would "definitely be with you tomorow", having checked the tracking, something didn't seem right, so rang them again...and yep, Monday. "I'm sorry about that" was all I got when I told them THEY said it'd "definitely be here" today. She may as well have put the phone down, she didn't care.

So I've learnt my lesson this time, play.com won't get any more of my money.

[abigsmurf]

Yep, never use play.com for something you want fast.

The annoying thing is they don't send out pre-orders early to compensate for their slow shipping either.

[Jebus]

Like I said, I just didn't learn my lesson. Occasionally they just have an irresistable deal and I couldn't resist it.

[funkydan]

Amazon are soooooooooo much better and quicker, and it is worth signing up to Amazon Prime too, especially if you buy a lot from them! Their customer service is great too, especially on returns

[Jebus]

I really did look around for this deal elsewhere btw, but it was SOOOO good.

[abigsmurf]

Amazon are soooooooooo much better and quicker, and it is worth signing up to Amazon Prime too, especially if you buy a lot from them! Their customer service is great too, especially on returns

Love the way you can order something at 6pm and there's still a reasonable chance it'll be on your doorstep 8am the next day.

[funkydan]

Yup abs, couldn't agree more - it is the best online service around I'd say.

[Malc]

Yep, never use play.com for something you want fast.

The annoying thing is they don't send out pre-orders early to compensate for their slow shipping either.

All the games I have ever pre-ordered with Play thy have sent it out on Tuesday or Wednesday, and I've recieved every game on release date or 1 day before.

[NW2013]

I don't think I'll ever be desparate enough to have something show up the next day to lay out 50 notes a year. Super saver delivery and getting it the same week is good enough for me

Play is my less preferred option. Sometimes their stuff (CDs) are obvious grey imports or show up without cellophane wrapping. They also royally screwed up my Xbox 360 pre-order (ordered ages in advance but it seemed people who orderd later got theirs before me) and I ended up getting it elsewhere. Bought a TV from Play and I liked the way they took security precautions and when a game I ordered went "missing" in the post they replaced it free of charge and without fuss. Swings and roundabouts I guess. I would use them again but only if the deal was amazing.

Malc: you must be lucky, any game I preordered was with me at least 2-3 days after release.

[Spatial]

All I know about Play these days is that they have a horrible tendacy to overstretch themselves on things that aren't run of the mill DVD's / Books / Blu-rays.

At least three time I've had the dreaded "Sorry but we can't get this item " email, despite having pre-ordered months and months in advance.

You just know when that release date keeps going back by two / three weeks at a time then there's no chance in hell you're going to get your order and you might as well try to start sourcing it from somewhere else asap.

Current favourite date for them to put on things is 11/09/09 - which seems to roughly translate as "We haven't got a sodding clue when this is coming in, but hopefully this date will convince you otherwise..."

[Jebus]

I would use them again but only if the deal was amazing.

This deal was an absolute steal imho, couldn't pass it up but I've learnt my lesson, I'll never use them again. No deal is worth this.

[FelixofMars]

LOL - I like how this has reawaken a 2007 thread. What i said still stands. I either use Shopto, The Hut or Gameplay. I think I pre ordered the Assassin Creed Black Pack from them as they are the only stockists but... I don't hold out hope for swift delivery.

[Adam]

These guys emailed me used Dragon Age Origins codes