I am on the outs with Ubisoft. And it’s frustrating.

As I wrote about in an earlier piece, I had had an issue obtaining the appropriate code from Ubisoft for an advertised bonus when pre-ordering Far Cry 4 by a certain date from GameStop. The mission was called Blood Ruby, and I did everything as I was supposed to to obtain it. Ubisoft didn’t hold up their end of the bargain, and I’ve been trying to hold them accountable since.

Good luck to myself on that.

When I pre-ordered the game back in early July, the code to enter on the Blood Ruby site was printed at the bottom of my receipt. I went to the site, entered the code, and the site told me within a day of release I would receive an email with the appropriate PSN code.

That never happened.

A week or so later, I wrote to Ubisoft customer support asking for help. All I’ve gotten is supremely frustrated.

I feel the need to point out that I’ve been a huge Ubisoft supporter for the past several years. I’ve pre-ordered nearly all their releases, and I’ve registered each with the Uplay service. Based on the Uplay data alone, Ubisoft could see I’ve had each release at launch.

I had been so excited for Far Cry 4 that I went to midnight release. When I reached the counter to pick up my copy, the gentleman at the counter asked if I wanted to keep my receipt and I told him no, as I had already done what I needed to with it.

I also need to point out that I nearly always keep my receipts (and file them appropriately) however this once, I did not, and it has come back to bite me.

Chomp.

Since the 26th of November, I have written to Ubisoft customer service eight times. Eight times. In the handful of times they actually contacted me back, they not only will not help me, but they have also never apologized for the issue.

Color me confused.

They continue to tell me I must prove that I pre-ordered the game when I said I did. I have made two additional trips to my local GameStop (where they are amazing and have tried just about everything to help me) in an attempt to find a way to prove to Ubisoft I am not a fibber. Unfortunately, the transaction is too old, so the receipt can not be reprinted.

Darn.

I have tried pointing out to Ubisoft that they could look on the Uplay website to see that I registered the game before midnight of the release date, thus alternately proving I had it pre-ordered. I also offered to show them my bank statement showing the purchase on the date specified. They do not care. They have been steadfast in their rampant unhelpfulness.

My real issue here is that I am not getting something I paid for. I did my part. I entered the information on their site as instructed. Their system failed, and now they are penalizing me instead of helping me obtain what is rightfully mine.

A side-effect of this nonsense is that I have become turned off of playing Far Cry until this is ironed out. If you had told me I wouldn’t have beat Far Cry 4 long before now, I would have told you to get out of town. Far Cry 3 is one of my favorite games of all time, and I couldn’t have been more excited for this release.

Somehow Ubisoft has put a great big rain cloud on the experience.

It gives me pause. I have been a staunch supporter of Ubisoft for years. The one time I need their help with something seemingly small, they offer none. They tell me I must prove something I’ve already proven simply because their system doesn’t work as it should.

I would think with all the (far larger) issues they have been having with various releases, that this would be a simple fix. Apparently not.

I have assured their customer service department that I will not be letting this go. They continue to reiterate that unless I provide them with a copy of the receipt, no resolution will be had.

So when I read the following statement (from an article on Game Informer) regarding their handling of yet another massive patch for Assassins Creed Unity, I snerked so hard I thought I was going to barf a little:

“We are committed to delivering major performance improvements, which requires that we refurbish the Paris map and that will take a few more days to hit the high level of quality our players deserve.”

I find this statement deeply ironic.

Does this mean their customers deserved a sloppy release (or two, or three?), but in the case of this particular patch, they were concerned with quality? Did their customers deserve an obviously unfinished game? Do their customers deserve to purchase something in advance yet not receive what they paid for?

Apparently, yes.

I had been stewing on this (again) when I happened to check my email. I (amusingly) found the following:

Oh, you would like my feedback, Ubisoft? Count on getting it.

Also, when I saw that in my inbox, I rolled my eyes so hard I thought I might fall from my chair. Their automated system must have a wicked sense of humor.

One day I would love for this company to be held accountable for their pathetic treatment of their customers. And even if I am still writing to them in a year, I will get that code for the Blood Ruby mission. I paid for it, and I expect it.

For me, it’s the principle of the matter. And I don’t give up easily.