@0806tice Big box stores sell the sims 3 packaged with a disc. There seems to be some vendors that are spoofing codes (on Ebay?). These vendors are not authorized by EA to sell codes and what happens is a true buyer gets burned. OR what I have seen is shoppers go into these stores and open the product and copy the code and then return the product to the shelf. The product is then sold to an unknowing customer. Many big box stores buy their product from a distributor who then sells it to one or many big box stores. Resale stores have the same problem. They pay for a sims 3 disc with a code that has already been used. As the big box store is NOT an authorized seller, the customer needs to return the purchase to the place of sale for an exchange or refund and let the big box store return the product to the distributor (their problem). First let me say that the disc is generic (meaning they are all the same for a given product) and contain the old DRM (SecuROM and SafeDisc) that is no longer supported by Windows and OS X operating systems. I think Sony paid someone to develop SecuROM. Once the product was developed SecuROM was never really supported and really acts like a rootkit (if it looks like a rootkit and acts like a rootkit maybe) that is never updated to fix holes that are found over time. The new DRM is Origin (no more install limit and no more disc required to play) which makes the disc pretty much useless because you have to update the disc version to Origin because all the DLC has been updated for Origin and will probably not work with the old DRM. Many software companies are getting away from physical distribution. The last two Tombraider games and Fallout 4 required Valve's Steam activation. I bought Fallout 4 from Amazon and it came with a disc I never used. I used the enclosed code and got the digital download from Steam. I include this because Origin is much like Steam. I recently bought an Xbox live code from an Ebay seller (had bought from twice before) and got an error when I tried to enter the code. After hours (over 8 hours) of chatting and faxing with some rude lady(?) Days later I found out from Microsoft Xbox support that if I turn off the automatic replenish that it also rejects card codes (what?). Over 12 hours to redeem a code bought from Gamestop and the code was good. Same thing happened to may PS3. after a year of using it the console quit working. After a few trips to Gamestop it turns out you have to register the console (after a year?)! This happened just before the PS4 was released. Just take the game back to that big box store and get an exchange or refund like any other purchase you would make there. I hope this explains some of the mechanics of software sales.