Guitar Hero---Drum Problem

It's a shame (a real shame) that the first thing I can do after dragging myself out of bed with the flu is to write a note about Guitar Hero, ActiveVision.

We bought our daughter Guiar Hero, World Tour, for Christmas. ($200+) from EBGames in the Moorestown Mall.

Christmas morning she excitedly opens it--guess, what the drums don't work.

A Google search reveals that this is a known issue---

On Saturday, December 27th, my wife tries to return the defective item to EBGames in the Moorestown Mall, but it's not their 'policy' to accept Guitar Hero defective material (they should tell you that before you buy the junk). They give us a Toll Free Number: 1-800-205-4713.

I call the number---they've been waiting for me, as there is a dedicated number for the return of defective Guitar Hero World Tour Units.

I give them some information---they ask the for Serial number found on the Drum console. Hmmm...there is none. What does that mean?

No matter, they will accept the return, email me a postage paid label and ship me new drums when they get the old ones. By the way, if you go through this process, you may as well ship back the cymbals---an orange and yellow one---as they may be defective also. I am given three RMA numbers for the return. One for the drum console, one for the orange cymbal, and one for the yellow cymbal.

I'm told that it will take at least 24 hours to email me the package label, 3 days shipping each way. My daughter wants to know when she can start drumming.

Sunday morning, I check my email--nothing there. Perhaps the operator got my email address wrong? Perhaps my ISP has determined that it's junk mail and filtered it. I decide to wait until Monday. All of this, by the way, while coughing and hacking up huge amounts of thick, disgusting mucous. Merry Christmas.

Monday morning---no email from ActiveVision.

I call them again around 12:45.

I get the same woman (at least it sounds that way) who dealt with me before. She tells me I should expect the email sometime today.

I say wait a minute, I called on Saturday.

Oh, she says, I need to call the RMA hot line at this number. 1-310-255-2050. Then press #1.

I call, the phone rings. It tells me I have reached the Drum hot line. I press #1. This option wants to give me cheat codes for some game.

I can no longer type my responses---now I need to speak them (with a raspy voice nonetheless).

In frustration, I utter a profanity into the phone, and the automated response comes back and says "just a minute, we'll have you speak to an operator." That was at 12:50.

Every one in a while a message comes on telling me that all operators are busy, and that someone will be with me momentarily.

It is now 1PM.

1:04---I'm now speaking with a very knowledgeable person who tells me that with the weekend, it may take more than 1 to 2 business days for the email to show up.

He also seems to know about the Drum Controlller and the Wii, and he thinks the problem is probably the drum controller.

The bottom line--give it another day.

He also says that I can check this link for the status of my RMA...

http://www.activevision.custhelp.com/

However, that doesn't exists...hmmm

Let's try

http://www.activision.com/

That's close.

Turns out the actual URL is this one...

https://activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin

In fact, here's a dedicated cutsomter site for Guitar Hero World Tour

http://redoctane.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/redoctane.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=EeDAkBmj