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CNET
18 hours ago
- CNET
I Ordered a Switch 2 From Verizon. It Didn't Go Well
Back on June 5, the Switch 2's launch day, I wrote about Belkin's new accessories for Nintendo's latest game console. I noted I hadn't tried the Belkin accessories yet with my Switch 2; I ordered my console from Verizon, and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until the following day. My Switch 2 didn't arrive on June 6. Or the day after. Or a week later. Or ever. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened: Verizon, a company that you don't typically associate with selling game consoles, allowed more people to order the Switch 2 than it had in stock. I checked in on what seemed like an apt Reddit thread entitled, "So I ordered my Switch 2 from Verizon... and it's still not here," which confirmed my suspicions. One of the commenters reported that he'd spoken to a customer service rep and was informed that not only was the device backordered, but there was no word as to when delayed orders would be fulfilled. The commenter also learned that Verizon had farmed out its Switch 2 sales to a third party, which made it more difficult to cancel your order. Read more: CNET's Switch 2 restock tracker As days turned into weeks and I heard nothing from Verizon, and my "track order" page continued to list my Switch 2 as "scheduled to arrive June 6," I started calling Verizon customer service every couple of days to see if anybody had any updates. The reps I spoke to were sincere in their efforts to help me and wished they could provide more clarity. But all they could tell me was that the console remained backordered. Enlarge Image My order status never changed from the day I ordered it. Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET Truth be told, I wasn't terribly upset about the situation because I wasn't all that eager to buy a Switch 2 in the first place; I was a little annoyed my credit card had been charged, however. Like a few people I know, I ended up ordering the Switch 2 partially because the opportunity to buy one popped up without me making a serious effort to get one -- I wasn't going to follow CNET's Nintendo Switch 2 Stock Tracker and dash off to a retailer like Best Buy or Target the moment a new shipment arrived in store. As it was, I was on on the morning of June 5 and saw a post about the Switch 2 being in stock at Verizon online, albeit only available to Verizon customers. I clicked the link and was slightly shocked to discover it was indeed in stock and that I was able to order it, with a confirmation email to prove it. As soon as I placed the order, I had a tinge of buyer's remorse. Not so much because my bill came to $500 after tax and an extra $13 for expedited shipping. But I thought that maybe if I was dropping $500 on this thing, it would have been a better idea to wait and spend an extra $50 on the Switch 2 plus Mario Kart World Bundle, which was sold out at Verizon when I placed my order for the standalone Switch 2. At least I'd get a discount on one of Nintendo's absurdly priced new games for the Switch 2. Arguably, the best deal right now for a Switch 2 is Costco's Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle that also comes with a 12-month individual subscription to Nintendo Online, plus the Expansion Pack for $525, saving you $25 off the subscription. But you have to be a Costco member to get it -- if it's in stock. But even with that touch of lingering regret, I didn't cancel my order, though I did get my money back for the expedited shipping. However, when I spoke with a very nice customer service rep with an Australian accent a few days ago, I did start asking some questions about how hard it was going to be to cancel the order. She confirmed the process was a little tricky, but she'd be happy to cancel it. She'd need to "file a ticket," and it might take three to five days before my order was actually canceled and my credit card credited. I told her thanks, but I was going to hold off on canceling for a few more days. After I hung up with her, I thought, OK, I don't really want to be a jerk about this, but I do work for CNET, and maybe it's time to share my Switch 2 buying saga with a wider audience. It's Been a Week Since the Nintendo Switch 2 Launched: Now What? It's Been a Week Since the Nintendo Switch 2 Launched: Now What? Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 0:06 Loaded : 100.00% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:05 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. It's Been a Week Since the Nintendo Switch 2 Launched: Now What? As a journalist, what you should do in a situation like this is reach out to a company media representative and inform them that you're writing about how you've had a rather poor shopping experience with their company. So I did just that, explaining that I wasn't too upset about the situation, but I was concerned about the lack of communication about the status of my order, which seemed to be stuck in a state of limbo. Also, judging from a couple of Reddit threads on the topic, others were in the same position. Did Verizon have any comment? Initially, it appeared Verizon might give me a comment. But then it didn't. However, I did get tipped off that the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle had just come back into stock and that no one had posted about it. I quickly fired up my computer and headed back to Verizon's website, where, sure enough, it was in stock. Glutton for punishment that I am, I placed an order for it since the bundle was what I wanted in the first place. I then called up Verizon customer service to cancel my initial order. The Reddit users' comments proved accurate. I spent almost 30 minutes on the phone -- most of it hold time -- waiting for the service rep to jump through all the hoops to get my order canceled. At the end of the call, I got a cancellation confirmation number (the aforementioned "ticket") and was told that it would indeed take three to five days to process. For my second order, I didn't add expedited shipping, opting instead for the free two-day shipping. I got an email that confirmed my order, but when I went to track its status the next day, it still showed that my order was received but had yet to ship. I was sure I'd entered the doom loop again. But lo and behold, a few hours later, I received an email saying my order had arrived. In the Verizon app, the status of my order had changed to "shipped." When I got back home, I found a plain brown box with an expedited shipping label on it. My Switch 2 and a code for Mario Kart World were inside. All's well that ends well? The Mario Kart World bundle arrived the day after I ordered it. David Carnoy/CNET If you're thinking someone made sure that order got to me pronto, you probably wouldn't be wrong. But I won't lie. Despite it costing what it did and my putting a lot more effort into getting it than I wanted to, there was a certain satisfaction in finally receiving it. I do think it's a lot better than the original Switch that I bought shortly after it launched. Or maybe I'm just trying to justify spending $544 on it. At least I can try out those Belkin accessories now.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Nintendo GameCube Controller
Over the last few years, I've been loving my wired GameCube controller: it's served me well in intense rounds of Smash with friends and felt great to use with, say, Super Mario Sunshine. I also enjoyed being able to connect it with devices such as a PC and Steam Deck with relative ease. Nevertheless, I've never quite liked the dongle needed with it, which was practically a bulky piece of plastic which eventually broke on me for no reason and which prompted me to buy a third-party one since Nintendo stopped making theirs years ago. Suffice to say, then, that I was thrilled to hear that, together with the Switch 2, the GameCube controller would be receiving the Nintendo Classics treatment, i.e. it would have full compatibility with the latest Nintendo console, and, more importantly for me, it would probably have Bluetooth functionality with little fuss and, of course, no dongle. Sadly though, especially for the price of 84.99 CAD (if you can even find it at this price to begin with), the end product is rather disappointing since the features lost in the process of modernizing the controller hardly make up for the convenience of having it work flawlessly with the Switch 2. As you can probably tell from the images included, this new GameCube controller stays very faithful to the design of the old one. The only two components missing are the metal braces/brackets that were used with the shoulder buttons and the notches needed with them. This is likely to be one of the reasons that the new controller is slightly lighter than the original. On the other hand, the new GameCube controller brings with it features and buttons which put it in line with the other pads, such as the Pro Controller 2, meant for dedicated use with the Switch 2. Namely, the sync, home, capture, C (meant for Game Chat) buttons, player indicator LED and USB-C port are all added to the top of the controller whereas an almost comically small ZL serves as a shoulder button on the left side. To my understanding, the ZL is tiny on purpose in order for users to avoid accidentally pressing it when playing GameCube-specific games, for which ZL is 'pause'. But, when playing any other title native to the Switch family of systems with this controller, which, yes, for the record, you can absolutely do, despite Nintendo's mixed messaging, the small size of the button is obviously an annoyance at best. The only button found on the Pro Controller 2 but not here is the '-' button, which leads to complications when trying to open the map in Breath of the Wild, for example. Surprisingly, given that Nintendo seems to have had only GameCube games in mind when launching this controller, it actually supports motion controls thanks to a built-in gyroscope. After actually using the GameCube controller—it's definitely become my go-to pad for Smash and/or the three games included in the 'GameCube Classics' catalogue: F-Zero GX, Soulcalibur II and Wind Waker. And…that's about it. This is because, at least at the time of writing, this new GameCube controller is exclusively compatible with the Switch 2—it's not even compatible with the first Switch! And, yes, before you ask, some sleuths online have already figured out how to kind of get it working on PC, but, and I can't believe I'm writing this, for anything but the Switch 2, I have no choice but to keep my original wired controller and the dongle, warts and all. Everything considered, save for enthusiasts, I don't think there are a lot of people for whom this new GameCube controller would be my first recommendation: at 84.99 CAD, not to mention availability issues and needing an active NSO account to even be eligible for the purchase, most players would be better off with the Pro Controller 2 and/or an original wired GameCube controller paired with a dongle. If/and when Bluetooth connectivity issues are resolved, this will be an easy buy. Until then, the new GameCube controller is unfortunately a missed opportunity.
The Verge
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Here are the biggest Nintendo Switch 2 launch games you can buy
The Nintendo Switch 2 launched on June 5th, and with it, so did a bunch of games. Some are first-party Nintendo titles, though most are third-party offerings, including some notable ports of games we've been enjoying for a while on other gaming platforms. We bundled together all of the Switch 2 accessories in one, easy to browse article, so we're doing the same for the launch games. In addition to prices, we'll include install size, and whether the game is on the cartridge in full, or if it's one of Nintendo's Game-Key Cards (they're cartridges that entitle you to a digital download, and that can be resold without issue).
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Diddy trial live updates: Ex-assistant Mia questioned by defense in Sean Combs's sex-trafficking case
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Phone Arena
01-06-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Why reps at T-Mobile corporate-owned stores hate those working at TPR stores
In the past, we've explained the differences between a T-Mobile COR (corporate-owned) store and a TPR ( T-Mobile Premium Retailer) retail location. The latter stores are owned and operated by third-party companies and while the branding and the products are mostly the same, the TPR stores are independently run. T-Mobile and the third-party company typically sign a contract that details the obligations of both sides. It might not be easy for you to determine whether you are inside a T-Mobile corporate store or a TPR. There will be small signs, possibly on the storefront window, that say "Authorized Retailer" or "Independent Retailer" at a location owned and operated by a third-party. But these are usually much smaller than the huge brand signage that screams " T-Mobile ." In the past, we've told you about the metrics that T-Mobile reps must meet every month. Those working at TPR stores supposedly have higher goals to meet than the reps working in corporate-run stores. That might explain why we hear that shady sales practices take place more often inside TPR locations. You know what we are talking about. Adding accessories such as a case, a battery charger, insurance, additional phone lines, and other items to a customer's purchase without their consent has been a major issue at stores run by third-party companies. Leaked image shows monthly goals for an unnamed rep working at a T-Mobile corporate store. | Image credit-Reddit Reps working at corporate stores are getting tired of having to deal with the fallout caused by the shady practices of some TPR reps. One COR rep wrote on Reddit, "...franchise/authorized retailers get away with the wildest tactics just to hit their numbers. We're out here doing things the right way — no shady pitches, no burying add-ons just to hit goals — and somehow we end up cleaning up the mess they leave behind." One former TPR rep who was laid off said that in the short time he worked there, "I've seen some stuff." The rep in the corporate-owned store says that credit for a sale should go to the person who completes the port-in if a customer is moving over his existing number from another carrier. "If the sale starts in a channel, it should finish there," he writes. One reason why he says frontline reps are tired is because they are dealing with "the mess of every other channel." Besides having to clean up messes made by TPR reps, it appears that some members of the COR sales team are getting stressed having to handle "every aspect of someone's digital life." This corporate store rep notes that "Customers now expect us to store their passwords, reset Gmail or Apple logins, or fix their third-party apps like we're Genius Bar techs." This hits T-Mobile reps right in the wallet because it uses up time that could be used to make sales which is the only thing that these reps get paid to do. Many believe that T-Mobile is slowly transitioning to a business model that does away with all stores altogether relying instead on an app that customers would access to make changes to their T-Mobile account, buy new phones, and chat with a T-Mobile employee to solve an issue. This model is similar to how several pre-paid MVNOs do business such as Verizon-owned Visible. Such a business model might allow T-Mobile to reduce prices. The carrier has started pushing its T-Life app as a tool that customers can use in almost all situations. We've reached out to T-Mobile for a response. If the company responds, we will update this article. Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Buy at Total Wireless
