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Over a month ago I signed up for Gamefly.com, a service for renting video games and having them delivered to your door a la Netflix. The service opened up its third distribution center recently, which caused me to expect faster shipping times and a better bang for the buck. While shipping wasn't exactly prompt (about 5 days between returning and receiving a game), it could be much worse.

However what really upset me as a new customer was not so much suffering the slightly unsatisfying gap between returning a played-out disc and having a new game in hand as getting a severely scratched game which was absolutely unplayable and having to send it back and wait another few days for a replacement game. I understand some games will get damaged in transit or even leave the warehouse with a scratch or two.  Gamefly states they visually inspect every game before it goes out. If this game was visually inspected, it would have been clear that it had been run through sandpaper and gravel for a few minutes before making its way back to the shipping envelope. The game I received should never have left the warehouse.

Here's the thing: I contacted Gamefly to indicate a bit of frustration with paying for a service that left me with no game for just shy of two weeks, and asked to be reimbursed for my loss. They declined. Flat out declined to do anything to satisfy a disappointed customer. I responded that I would cancel my membership if I was not compensated for the lapse in service I experienced and was offered $5 in "Gamefly Rewards", which are used towards the purchase of a used game. I don't want store credit, I want my money back because I didn't get what I paid for! When my favorite magazine gets lost in the mail, I call or send an email and an extra issue gets tacked on at the end of the deal. Make sense?

Here's the point: if you're looking for a service with fast turnaround, you won't find it here. And if you have customer service issues, you're going to get treated about as well as a bathmat in a truck stop restroom. Anyone had a similar experience here or with another company?