Why you should NEVER EVER EVER buy software online

[jmdrake]

Here's the story. One of my son's has become something of a gamer. He's gotten into team shooters like Smite and Paladin. He was trying to get one of his friends on his soccer team to try Paladin. His friend said "Only if you try Overwatch." Now, in retrospect, I should have told my son "That's one stupid friend. Paladin is free and Overwatch costs money. If he's not a complete $#@! then he should be willing to download and try out Paladin for free without expecting you to first shell out $50.00 to just try and see if you like Overwatch." But nooooo. As the guilt ridden divorced parent I am, I gave into his incessant whining. (Another mistake). He was like "I can pay you back" (and I'm going to make sure he does) "But I need to buy it online." I was like "They have it at Target. I've seen it there. We can just go buy it at the store." But noooooo. His impatient butt didn't want to wait. (I think Target was closed when we had this conversation, but I'm foggy on that.) So I'm like "Okay. He's going to pay me back anyway." So....I let him do it. Then later he told me he couldn't install it. When I checked out the graphics card on his laptop it's an Intel HD 4000. Overwatch requires an Intel HD 4500. (Good grief! What the hell kind of game just doesn't require the latest Direct X drivers? Another reason why I like Linux. Game developers should just code to OpenGL and be happy. Do I really need to see the hair coming out of the mole of the monster I just killed?) Sooooooo.....now I have to go through Blizzard "technical support" which makes you fill out the equivalent of a 1040 just to be able to get a web ticket to ask a simple question like "How do I either A) get my money back or B) install this on a different computer?" Seriously if their game is so freaking computer specific they should have a free demo version that doesn't do anything but check to see if your computer can actually run the damn thing. If we had gone to the store and bought the shrink wrapped DVD, I could have just tried to install it on a different computer. Or maybe I could sell it on Craigslist or something. Anyhow, in a few hours I'll be able to actually call customer support, instead of getting a "web ticket" and I'll probably be put on hold indefinitely and get someone who's third language is Engwrish. Bottom line is, never give in to the whining of a teenager.

[oyarde]

I have never ever bought software online .

[tod evans]

Bottom line is, never give in to the whining of a teenager.

My whining 12 y/o starts out with "I neeeeed to earn X dollars..... If do my chores does that count as work for pay? "

He might, maybe, slim chance, break the $5.00hr wage this summer if he'll actually work for an entire hour instead of trying to bill like a lawyer.....

[jmdrake]

I have never ever bought software online .

Smart man! I can't think of the last time I bought software period. Okay, I've bought a few Wii games but I mean software for a personal computer. There is so much free stuff out there. I will never again hearken to the whining of a teenager!

[tod evans]

I will never again hearken to the whining of a teenager!

[jmdrake]

My whining 12 y/o starts out with "I neeeeed to earn X dollars..... If do my chores does that count as work for pay? "

He might, maybe, slim chance, break the $5.00hr wage this summer if he'll actually work for an entire hour instead of trying to bill like a lawyer.....

LOL. Actually I had come up with a way for him to pay me back. When my ex divorced me, she asked me "Aren't you lonely? Don't you want to take the dog." I was like "You ain't kicking me out and sticking me with the dog." For a while I left the dog with her and just kept it if she went out of town. But eventually I got sorry for the dog as she always kept it tied up, so I finally just kept it. For a few times after that she would let me leave the dog with her when I went out of town, but finally stopped claiming it was too much for her to walk the dog. Lately I've had to travel quite a bit because my dad's in the hospital. I thought "I can leave the dog with them, he can walk it, she won't have to do anything, and I can pay him what I would have paid my neighbor." But nooooooo.... Mind you this is the same woman that asked me to take them last summer to cut lawns so they could "earn money and learn responsibility" and I did it even though I ended up doing the lion's share of the work. Guess what ain't happening this summer? Oh, and he can bum the money off his mom to pay me back.

/rant

[jmdrake]

LOL.

[tod evans]

Oh, and he can bum my money off his mom to pay me back.

/rant

Here I helped.....

You'll be lucky to get back even a small portion of the FRN's you give her.....

[jmdrake]

Here I helped.....

You'll be lucky to get back even a small portion of the FRN's you give her.....

I don't give her any. Throughout the marriage she made more money than me. She's lucky I didn't hit her up for child support.

[tod evans]

I don't give her any. Throughout the marriage she made more money than me. She's lucky I didn't hit her up for child support.

You're lucky!

[CPUd]

Here's the story. One of my son's has become something of a gamer. He's gotten into team shooters like Smite and Paladin. He was trying to get one of his friends on his soccer team to try Paladin. His friend said "Only if you try Overwatch." Now, in retrospect, I should have told my son "That's one stupid friend. Paladin is free and Overwatch costs money. If he's not a complete $#@! then he should be willing to download and try out Paladin for free without expecting you to first shell out $50.00 to just try and see if you like Overwatch." But nooooo. As the guilt ridden divorced parent I am, I gave into his incessant whining. (Another mistake). He was like "I can pay you back" (and I'm going to make sure he does) "But I need to buy it online." I was like "They have it at Target. I've seen it there. We can just go buy it at the store." But noooooo. His impatient butt didn't want to wait. (I think Target was closed when we had this conversation, but I'm foggy on that.) So I'm like "Okay. He's going to pay me back anyway." So....I let him do it. Then later he told me he couldn't install it. When I checked out the graphics card on his laptop it's an Intel HD 4000. Overwatch requires an Intel HD 4500. (Good grief! What the hell kind of game just doesn't require the latest Direct X drivers? Another reason why I like Linux. Game developers should just code to OpenGL and be happy. Do I really need to see the hair coming out of the mole of the monster I just killed?) Sooooooo.....now I have to go through Blizzard "technical support" which makes you fill out the equivalent of a 1040 just to be able to get a web ticket to ask a simple question like "How do I either A) get my money back or B) install this on a different computer?" Seriously if their game is so freaking computer specific they should have a free demo version that doesn't do anything but check to see if your computer can actually run the damn thing. If we had gone to the store and bought the shrink wrapped DVD, I could have just tried to install it on a different computer. Or maybe I could sell it on Craigslist or something. Anyhow, in a few hours I'll be able to actually call customer support, instead of getting a "web ticket" and I'll probably be put on hold indefinitely and get someone who's third language is Engwrish. Bottom line is, never give in to the whining of a teenager.

Does he have Steam? That platform helps avoid hardware compatibility and other installation issues, though it doesn't have every game.

[Cleaner44]

Does he have Steam? That platform helps avoid hardware compatibility and other installation issues, though it doesn't have every game.

Steam for the win!

TF2 baby!

[heavenlyboy34]

I've never had a problem buying software online. But I also read spec sheets.

[juleswin]

Does he have Steam? That platform helps avoid hardware compatibility and other installation issues, though it doesn't have every game.

Do you get a your FRN back when you return a game through steam or just steam credits?

[CPUd]

Do you get a your FRN back when you return a game through steam or just steam credits?

Either/or. As long as you haven't played it for more than 2 hours.

http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds

[jmdrake]

Does he have Steam? That platform helps avoid hardware compatibility and other installation issues, though it doesn't have every game.

Yes but Overwatch isn't on Steam. It's on Blizzard. He told me he can download the game to my computer through his account so I'll let him do it. Then he asked me if he could have my computer. LOL.

[Suzanimal]

Steam for the win!

TF2 baby!

I love TF2.


MEDIC!

[specsaregood]

Smart man! I can't think of the last time I bought software period. Okay, I've bought a few Wii games but I mean software for a personal computer. There is so much free stuff out there. I will never again hearken to the whining of a teenager!

Technically speaking I don't think you bought any software in this instance either; but rather you purchased a license to use some software..

[TheTexan]

Here's the story. One of my son's has become something of a gamer. He's gotten into team shooters like Smite and Paladin. He was trying to get one of his friends on his soccer team to try Paladin. His friend said "Only if you try Overwatch." Now, in retrospect, I should have told my son "That's one stupid friend. Paladin is free and Overwatch costs money. If he's not a complete $#@! then he should be willing to download and try out Paladin for free without expecting you to first shell out $50.00 to just try and see if you like Overwatch." But nooooo. As the guilt ridden divorced parent I am, I gave into his incessant whining. (Another mistake). He was like "I can pay you back" (and I'm going to make sure he does) "But I need to buy it online." I was like "They have it at Target. I've seen it there. We can just go buy it at the store." But noooooo. His impatient butt didn't want to wait. (I think Target was closed when we had this conversation, but I'm foggy on that.) So I'm like "Okay. He's going to pay me back anyway." So....I let him do it. Then later he told me he couldn't install it. When I checked out the graphics card on his laptop it's an Intel HD 4000. Overwatch requires an Intel HD 4500. (Good grief! What the hell kind of game just doesn't require the latest Direct X drivers? Another reason why I like Linux. Game developers should just code to OpenGL and be happy. Do I really need to see the hair coming out of the mole of the monster I just killed?) Sooooooo.....now I have to go through Blizzard "technical support" which makes you fill out the equivalent of a 1040 just to be able to get a web ticket to ask a simple question like "How do I either A) get my money back or B) install this on a different computer?" Seriously if their game is so freaking computer specific they should have a free demo version that doesn't do anything but check to see if your computer can actually run the damn thing. If we had gone to the store and bought the shrink wrapped DVD, I could have just tried to install it on a different computer. Or maybe I could sell it on Craigslist or something. Anyhow, in a few hours I'll be able to actually call customer support, instead of getting a "web ticket" and I'll probably be put on hold indefinitely and get someone who's third language is Engwrish. Bottom line is, never give in to the whining of a teenager.

You did it to yourself by using a laptop that's 5 years old