Pre-owned or new games?

Saw a couple of games in Smyths going cheap that I fancied; cheaper even than online. Due to the extras that would come with them I checked they were new rather than pre-owned, or as Smyths puts it 'pre-played' and took them to the counter. One came back shrink-wrapped the other with the security seal on it.

Yeah to start, with non-shrink-wrapped games you should give the customer the opportunity to examine the disc before it gets sealed up. I opened up the box and checked the disc and the manual - both were fine.

I got home opened up the shrink-wrapped game and tapped in the code for the extras and to activate the free-multiplayer access. Confirmed and downloaded.

Tapped in the code from the security sealed game and it was rejected. I tried again; rejected. I drove back to Smyths and they found another. I drove back home; tapped it in - rejected. By this time it was getting late so I thought to deal with it in the morning.

Morning came and I thought I'd give Sony Playstation a quick call just to make sure these codes hadn't been removed given that they were supposed to remain valid until 2016. I mean one is a mistake; two is downright odd. The call connected quite quickly and the guy I spoke to stated he himself had bought this game recently and had had no problem.

"Silly question can you check to see if a code's already been used?" I asked
"Yeah sure what's the code?"

I recited it and the reply "That was activated last year" came back.

Another trip to Smyths and another code; they only had two in the pack set aside for this game and when I asked to see the one they hadn't given me would you look at that it was the one I'd returned the day before.

Fortunately third time was the charm and this code worked; however if you're looking to buy a new copy of FEAR3 (F3AR) from Smyths check the code you've been given if it starts 98FM or E244 they might be the ones that have already been used.