I have been anticipating the release of Forza Motorsport 3 for the XBox 360 for quite a while, and figured I'd actually preorder the Limited Collector's Edition. The preorder bonus was getting to download an extra car for free (an Audi R8 Quattro, I believe).
I went in to grab my preorder yesterday, and wasn't thinking about the preorder bonus at the time. I get home and redeem the two codes that were inside the box (one of them is standard for all Forza 3 owners, the other one gives VIP access and a few more cars (part of any Limited Collector's Edition box). There was nothing indicating how I'd download the Audi car I was entitled to.
I did a search online, and found a few posts from people indicating they didn't get the code either. Others mentioned they had to ask the retailer (Gamestop, in this case) for the voucher with the code on it. I called up EBGames and explained the situation. They informed me that there was no additional cards or anything, and that the preorder bonus codes would be inside the box (which it was not, and was not mentioned anywhere on the packaging). I called up another EBGames store, and they mentioned that there was a seperate shipment that contained the preorder bonus vouchers. Unfortunately, they couldn't give me one since I didn't preorder the game from that store.
Today I went back to the location I bought the game from, and tried asking for the card. The rep said the same thing I was told yesterday. I tried explaining that another location knew about the cards, but they wouldn't do anything for me. Which means, there was absolutely no point in me preordering the game (since there were still several copies of the Limited Edition available yesterday).
Sure, it's only a virtual car, but I certainly don't appreciate the way EBGames has handled this. I'm a big race fan, and there's no reason why I shouldn't have access to something I was guaranteed to get.
Update #1: I just called the EB Games Customer Service line, and after giving them my receipt info, they informed me I should receive a code via e-mail within 24-48 hours. Hopefully I get it. Thanks guys for suggesting this route. I've never preordered anything, so I didn't really know the dispute process. :)