I received Fallout New Vegas for christmas. It was purchased from Walmart as new and was shrink wrapped with a sticker on it beneath the wrapping that read "do not sell until 10/19/10". Within this package was a memorex 4.7 GB DVD+R. The movie "The Goods" was burned to this DVD. Because it is christmas day I cannot return it and am rather miffed at Walmart not so much for the mix up as I am for them selling it as new when this mistake seems to suggest otherwise. To clarify my opinion I have come to these forums to request information on the manufacturing process Bethesda uses during packaging, mechanical or otherwise, as this mistake could just as easily have been a case of sticky fingers on the production line. I highly doubt that such a mistake is possible and believe the error to be Walmart's, but at the same time I was wondering if anyone else had this problem through any retailer.

As best I can guess, someone bought it and switched out the disks and returned it with repackaged paper saying they didnt need it or 'bought it for the wrong system' and returned it.
I've not heard of this happening before, so my guess is someone scammed walmart.

That's most likely what happened. Damn unlucky.

Wow.

Thats first time I've heard of someone getting away with that. Despite the fact you got ripped off, the other guy is very lucky/skilled.

Explain to Walmart what happened.

nah they check the returned stuff, I would more likely think that it was a prank by a wall-mart employee, or wait check the flip side

I've heard of this happening a few years back. That svcks, hopefully you'll be able to return it but walmart will most likely say you have no proof.

They won't open a packaged item swarley.

If that's true then this person that bought it managed to open and get the game out, then re-shrink wrap it, and replace the do not open until 10/19/10 sticker themselves before returning it? that is one dedicated jerk.

Flip side? it's a dvd. And fallout is supposed to have graphics on the disk. Also, if the returner re-shrink wrapped it themselves then walmart wouldn't be able to check it since that would involve breaking the seal.

I did not get mine retail so I don't remember if it came in a carton, nor if the DVD case was shrink-wrapped.

What I can tell you are two things. The DO NOT SELL BEFORE 10/19/10 sticker is placed across the top. The case cannot be opened without damaging the sticker or the case; But, if slit carefully it would not be visible if the case was then shrink-wrapped.

If Wal-mart will not replace your copy, you might try reporting the CD Key to Steam as stolen and try to get a new key. If someone else has registered that key and you can show Steam that you have the case and key in your possession, they may accommodate you.

Something like that happened to a friend of mine but, it wasn't at Wal-mart.
Also, you should be able to return it for a gift card or New Vegas, just tell them what happened.

Oh yea I forgot to mention Walmart is closed today

Wow. Every DVD and game that I've returned to Walmart always ended being opened by the customer service cashier. This is terrible. I hope you can get it exchanged for the real thing. If you do, have the cashier open game for you, if they don't do it already. I exchanged a defective DVD set at Walmart earlier this year and the cashier opened the new one before letting me have the set.

Forgot about that :facepalm: , well there's always tomorrow. (don't they open at 6pm today?)

Even if they do open at 6 I won't be hitting the iced over roads dotted with idiotic north carolinian drivers. Seriously, North Carolinians don't know how to drive in snow AT ALL

If you've got the code, you could always try registering it with Steam. The disc isn't even needed to install the game.

i always get my stuff from gamestop there cool with stuff like that had a scrached nv disk without game damage protection and he was like don't tell my boss replaced it got a protection plan great customer service always shoping there

I don't mean to hijack your thread..umm..but I'm going to anyway. I used to work for security in a retail store, we a had a camera and electronics dept. I got a call to go to the camera dept. Seems we had a customer who bought a $500 35mm camera, got the shrink wrapped box home, opened it, and found a rock inside. A quick check revealed we had refunded that camera a few days ago. The original purchser had taken the camera out by carefully slicing the wrap along an edge, removed the camera, replacing it with a rock about the same weight and carefullly taping the slice. We accepted the story of the poor guy with a rock and gave him a new camera. I came in a few days later with a rock and asked the employee at the counter if I could still get a refund for my camera even though I did not have the box.
Hope the hijack at least gave you a chuckle....return to thread now.

I used to be a retail manager way way back. Anyway, in your case something along the way went wrong either w/ a shoplifter, cashier, or a stocker. It's extremely unlikely this came from the source. Either way, if a cashier won't let you exchange the product ask to speak w/ the manager. An experienced manager will know the possibilities of how this could have happened. They will also be able to tell from your expression if you're being honest or not. If they agree to exchange it, make sure you open the new product in front of the manager (check to make sure you have the CD key sticker) and ask that they sign the receipt to acknowledge that they witnessed you opening the product. That way, if you take it home and find it's defective in any way, you can call in advance to return it and meet with that same manager to get another exchange. This also lets the manager know to keep an eye on certain employees or alert certain employees that they have a security issue in their section/zone so this doesn't happen to other customers in the future.

I worked at both hastings and best buy and I do know that both stores have a shrink wrapper in the back room.. Returned stuff still gets sold as new in many cases. I would also assume though that the replacing of an object like that was most likely an inside job. Or someone actually did scam the store. When I worked at best buy we had amazing instances of finding empty boxes of heavy stuff like stereo's, game consoles.. all sorts of gear. Somehow people opened things like that in store and stole them. Thieves are pretty amazing sometimes.