Pre-Order Pushers explores retailer fibs
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jun 6th 2007 at 8:01AM }
There are already some real gems here. We're particularly smitten with the manager who, in the quest to get a Spider-Man 2 pre-order, told customers that the game was like a hybrid of GTA and KOTOR that allows you to punch pedestrians, fill up your evil meter, transform into Venom and infect people with your symbiote to have them fight for you. Yeah, Spider-Man 2.
If you're a game store clerk you may be tempted to get your dander up -- don't. They're not talking about you, they're talking about the bad ones. Just think of this as the spiritual counterbalance to Acts of Gord.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ted @ Jun 6th 2007 8:16AM
The guys that work in US game stores are the most arrogant, self important bunch of store clerks I have ever seen... Usually if you ask them a question they either act all condescending as though you're an idiot for asking a question, or they mumble some complete rubbish in that same mock-authoritative way. And that is sooo true that most people interested in games know more than the employees. Sometimes there are nice guys working in the game shops who genuinely like games and that you can have decent conversations with, but too often they are complete jerks.
Arris138 @ Jun 6th 2007 8:31AM
The best quote from the whole page is just an aside about the employee:
(Before I continue with the story, I need to tell you he was the know-it-all video game guy who obviously has never had a girl friend and may or may not play magic the gathering.)
Rob Accomando @ Jun 6th 2007 8:42AM
I usually try to avoid conversing with the clerks because they either have no clue what I am talking about or talk out of their ass about the importance of pre-ordering or other things.
Joshua @ Jun 6th 2007 8:58AM
My local place has one guy that can't stand anyone he works with. I stop in to look around and he is the only guy I will speak with. When the others start going on and on and clearly telling lies he will just roll his eyes and look at me. My favorite was telling a guy that his Wii would have a great WiFi signal when the guy stated he lived in a 3 story home with the router in the basement.
That's why when I do preorder, I only give him the credit. I can't tell you the joy I get from telling the annoying bunch no thanks to the preorders only to turn to the other guy and place three preorders right in front of the whole lot of them.
Be cool with me, I'll be cool with you.
Browzilla @ Jun 6th 2007 9:02AM
Am I the only person in America who has a Gamestop with decent employees? I'm in there fairly consistently, and I rarely, if ever, see an employee push a preorder. Sure, they give their spiel about how you CAN preorder, or trade stuff in, or get a membership. But if you say no, they leave it at that. I've never felt forced to, and no one else I've seen has been forced either. They give honest reccomendations (although they won't STOP someone if they try to buy the Lizzie McGuire game or whatever, or at least recommend something else. They also never try to get me to buy used for the company's profit, if I walk to the counter with a new game, I don't get "Here, lemme get you a used copy, it's $5 cheaper, so it must be better."
And I can pretty much say the same about both of the Gamestops here.
Tsunami @ Jun 6th 2007 9:03AM
You guys are just going to the wrong stores then. There's plenty of guys that would much rather be honest and earn your trust then just turn customers into another number.
Phranctoast @ Jun 6th 2007 9:03AM
I hate gamestop. I called them an asked if God of war 2 was in when it was first released. I get there to purchase it, and they tell me they are only filling preorders now and ill be hard pressed to find it. I was pissed becuase I drove 30 minutes to find htis out without them saying the same over the phone.
I just went across the street to best buy and bought it. Hard pressed to find it my ass!
Martin Austin @ Jun 6th 2007 9:29AM
@Browzilla
My GameStop has great employees as well. And to offer a different perspective on: "They also never try to get me to buy used for the company's profit, if I walk to the counter with a new game, I don't get 'Here, lemme get you a used copy, it's $5 cheaper, so it must be better.'"
It's not only the company that profits from used game sales, but the consumer as well. GameStop / EB Games will let you bring back any used game towards another product.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather they made more profit and offered me the chance to bring back a turd game for the price I paid, rather than getting stuck with a new copy of said turd.
Martin Austin @ Jun 6th 2007 9:34AM
That should have been "GameStop / EB Games will let you bring back any used game towards another product. (within 7 days)"
hegemonyhog @ Jun 6th 2007 9:34AM
Worst preorder experience I ever had was with the Dreamcast, at an EB Games outside of Philly.
First, I go in to reserve the system, put down my $50, no problem. Then, I start trying to reserve accessories and games...and am told that everything's first come, first serve, which I knew wasn't true - namely, because they had a big sign saying "Reserve Sonic Adventure" above the register.
I come back launch day to pick up the system. First, despite taking down my info, they won't let me get it because I have an out of state driver's license...which made sense, as I'd started college there two weeks beforehand. They wouldn't take a starter check, so I had to use a credit card. They wouldn't take the credit card, because my ID was out of state.
Eventually, I had to have a friend come pay for the thing, pay them back with a check, at which point I never went to the store again.
BrianG @ Jun 6th 2007 9:36AM
@Ted: Sounds like most of the internet.
Otis Whitaker @ Jun 6th 2007 10:00AM
Why do people preorder games anymore anyways? I mean, okay, yeah, a limited edition I can understand.
But, like some people preorder everything these days. Unless it's a niche rarely known thing, chances are really high that the game will be readily available, and in steady print for a long, long time.
So, basically, unless Nipon Ichi, or some other similiar company is making a game, or you have to have that limited edition, I just don't get you.
Surely it can't be out of covenience, that'd make no sense at all. If you wanted covenience, you'd be frigging ordering over the internet.
konajinx @ Jun 6th 2007 10:00AM
Nice Cindy Sherman pic. I knew you guys had class.
jojonyc @ Jun 6th 2007 10:07AM
a couple of times (especially early in the ds life) the dope at gamestop told me they weren't going to carry certain games, and that "if we don't have it, no one else is likely to carry it." they were pushing psp hard then...
each time i went across the street to virgin megastore and got what i was looking for. now i just go straight there.
jabbertrack @ Jun 6th 2007 10:13AM
Oh he's known as Ky-Ky Baby at other locations as well.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 10:18AM
I've never had a bad experience in a GameStop or an EB, and I've been to several in different states for the past seven or so years. I must be extremely lucky or something.
In fact, I've only had ONE guy push anything on me. Some new employee, this overzealous kid, who was shooting the breeze with me and then out of the blue started touting the benefits of the members' card. He was a new guy, excited to be working at a game store, so I just let him run his mouth. I'm sure that after working there for a few weeks, he got tired of the corporate bullshit and eased up on people.
Balla360 @ Jun 6th 2007 10:32AM
If you were making minimum wage and being harassed daily by management about making your preorder target number, membership card target number, and trade-in target number would you be pleasant to customers.
I would be, because I'm just a nice guy.
MasterChief @ Jun 6th 2007 10:42AM
hey people, calm down for a sec. I work at Gamestop so let me tell you how it works. We have to get pre-orders to keep our jobs. they require us to get a certain amount each week or we will get fired, you think we LIKE hassling people for them! Also, only SOME of use lie about products and don't know anything about video games. In my particular store, EVERYONE who works there, knows what there talking about because we all frequent multiple game websites and have industry friends from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. We know more than the customer thinks we know. I love when people have to get helped by the one idiot in the store who doesn't know what there talking about and then they come over to me and I give them an answer to give back to the customer. Recently we cut out the middle man and fired that guy. So don't hate us Gamestop employees, and talk like you think you know it all, cause you don't. People write books on it I see. What a waste of time. I Just told you the big secret, We will get fired if we don't get pre-orders! It's actually the worst part of the job, besides dealing with stupid people and listening to that F***IN' EB TV. Besides most of the time the customers are the idiots who come asking for help. If I literally had a dollar for every parent who walked in and said."can you help me, I don't know anything about this stuff", I would have quit a long time ago and would have a beach house in the bahamas. As much as you guys hate Gamestop employees, think of how much more we hate you.always bothering us and being rude, hangin' around the store for a freakin' hour playing the interactives. which suck btw. Just think next time, before you speak.
Zulfikar @ Jun 6th 2007 10:45AM
I work at gamestop one day a month (for the discount and stuff) and I agree that most people that work at gamestop are tools. My manager gets pissed if we don’t get so many pre orders every shift. We are told on a daily basis (at least at my gamestop) that if we dont get X amount of preorders and X amount of Edge/Game Informer memberships sold that our job is in jeopardy. That’s how gamestop runs their business. Empty threats. So if they treat their employees that way, they treat their customers worse. Ive heard the manager offer the same thing to one customer 6 - 8 times before he gives up. Its borderline harassment. In addition to the harassment most gamestop employees don’t play games. The manager at my store doesn’t even own a console or a PC you can play games on. A couple of the part time employees play games but the manager and the assistant manager are always looking at the part time employees for info. The other day it took me 20 minutes to convince my manager that Mass Effect was not an MMO. Back in the day gamestop would get games a day or two before Best Buy but now they don’t. There is no point to preordering something unless there is some incentive. That’s not to say that gamestop doesn’t have its benefits. If you trade games in, it’s the only show in town usually. But if you don’t trade games in, stick to your local electronics store for your gaming goodness.
Dan @ Jun 6th 2007 10:55AM
Why does everyone still shop at brick and mortar game retailers? In the UK, you can get games for £10 cheaper (~$20) if you buy online, AND you get it delivered straight to your door.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 11:13AM
You can say anything you want about how much GameStop/EB marks up used games, but it is damn convenient. You'll take this game for $3? This one for $5? My launch title GBA game for $0.50? Go right ahead. I probably wouldn't be able to sell ANY of those games at a garage sale for more than a buck. What about eBay? I can't guarantee that someone wants to buy just my copy of "some game only I play," so you bundle it, but when you bundle that shit you gotta shave a few bucks off the asking price, and you're still not sure if you can sell it. If you DO sell it, then you gotta wait to see if the buyer actually pays, pay eBay's placement and winning bid fees, and drive down to the post office to mail the things out. Oh, and I really hope you figured out the shipping costs in your equation. All that trouble and what? You probably make $5 more on that stack of games than if you took them to GameStop/EB, where you would be GUARANTEED that they'll take it off your hands. Being asked to place a pre-order is a minor trade-off.
I use eBay to sell high-demand peripherals and consoles, but for rinky-dinky PS2 and GBA titles, I take that shit to the game store and save some time and energy.
Andy @ Jun 6th 2007 11:19AM
My personal favorite GameStop story happened about a year or so ago, maybe longer. I stopped in to check out the deals on used games, I think maybe I traded a few things in. There was a girl behind the counter (kind of rare at the Gamestops I've been to) and she was REALLY excited about some of the upcoming PS2 games. She shoved the pre-order book at me, and started going off on the various awesome games that were coming out soon, specifically Yakuza.
"That game is going to be so freaking sweet. It has all these shops, and you can go in and spend money you earn in the game to buy stuff. Awesome, man. Only $5 down now, if you want."
Agree, the only reason to pre-order anything anymore is because it's a console that won't be available until 9 months after launch (coughWII) or because of an awesome preorder bonus: "See Castelvania DS."
And to those of you who say you've not had a bad experience at Gamestop, my question to you is how recently you've been in there. It seems that Gamestop and EB have tripled in annoyance over the past 2 years since they merged. If the majority of your Gamestop/EB experiences are over 2 years old, then yeah, I agree - they're not too bad.
We have a local chain here called Gamers that is even worse. The kids (and they are kids, probably 17 at the high end of the management chain) are not able to answer a single question about anything. The only benefit of that place is that they still carry pretty much any age of system/game. The place looks like it's run out of the back of a truck, as they'll leave posters in their front window for 2 years until they're faded to all white.
meenstreek @ Jun 20th 2007 11:06AM
Masterchief, many of us that are employed know all too well the pressure to perform at our jobs. If we aren't productive, chances are we will be replaced.
However, you have a poor attitude and Gamestop employees like yourself are the reason blogs like this exist.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 11:25AM
Uhm, yeah, but you also get actual money for using ebay. Not store credit. It's not like it's that hard to do anyways. Craigslist is great too if you can find a local buyer. No shipping or listing fees.
sheppy @ Jun 6th 2007 11:30AM
There are good stores and there are bad stores. Defend or denounce however you wish. Examples? Well, let's put it this way. For a while, there were 4 game stores (5 if you count multiple locations) in my town.
Games XChange: Alright store in the fact that your could occasionally find some older games. Sadly, this store defeated Big Kids CDs & Games which had better deals. A pity since Games Xchange had some really shitty used hardware. Like Gamegears with watermarks and a ton of dust under the plastic, in front of the screen. They eventually closed.
Exile on Main: Ran by former employees of Volition so they actually stock the good games or titles of the more rare variety. They helped me track down a copy of Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne when EB accidently sold my preorder. So big ups on them. The staff is knowledgable but seriously, they USED to make games so it's expected.
GameCrazy: Trash. Hardcore trash. Cramped store, poor selection, and let's put it this way. They keep a list of the PSX games they have in stock so I was shocked and downright aghast as I found Megaman Legends and Tomba listed. So I say I want those and they come back with the discs only. I'm like "where's the case?" and they inform me the manager threw all of the cases out to make room.
EBgames: The one on campus is damn good, just inconvenient to get to. The one in the mall is a 50/50 shot. Sometimes they have the good employees that are cool, other times the lines move way to slow because one of the clerks is talking with his friend about how much PS3 sucks.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 11:34AM
@Andy
I've been to three stores in the past two weeks, one was visited twice. I'm a regular. I have no bad experiences. Is that so unfeasible?
@polly
I'm selling games to, you guessed it, buy more games. GameStop/EB also has that trade X games and get an extra Y% bonus credit. All so that I may buy more games. Makes my life easier if I can do everything in one trip.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 12:00PM
@megaStryke
Hey, well good for you. Enjoy your undervalued reimbursement for a limited selection of products tied to one particular retail chain. Even during the EB/GS $10 bonus credit for 2 360 games offer, I still got a better deal selling them myself even after fees. I might not be so against it if they didn't turnaround and mark up their used stock 300%. The only thing I go there for now is their buy 2 used get 1 free sales, and even then it's a lot of searching for the decent stuff. Even if you're doing it to buy more games, there's almost always better deals at other stores in my opinion. To each his own.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 12:24PM
@polly
Well, if you can provide a list of stores that offer better values, I'll gladly go there. As it stands, I've yet to find them in the towns I've visited. Yeah, maybe the mom and pop stores that are so ABUNDANT in this country offer better deals.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 12:27PM
@polly again
So tell me... I have sold copies of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Dragon Ball Z: Legend of Goku, Drill Dozer, F-Zero, and many other such titles. Demand is so friggin' high for them, you kiddin' me? Where can I sell them and actually make some real money?
daniel @ Jun 6th 2007 12:45PM
in the uk game is basically our equivalent of gamestop ie almost a monopoly, have dodgy business practices and loads of people complain about them but ive never had a bad experience my local one is alrite theyre polite and dont try and sell you other stuff
Browzilla @ Jun 6th 2007 12:59PM
@Andy
I've also been in six Gamestops I can think of, and not once have I been assaulted by idiotic staff. Two, admittedly, were in the largest mall in America, and were rather crowded, I doubt they noticed me. But the other 4 I was one of the only shoppers in the store. And it was just fine. In fact, I've had very nice discussions with employees about less popular/obscure or old games such as Phoenix Wright, Atlus titles, classic old-school, etc.
The only idiotic moment I can really think of is when the manager of one referred to Samus in Zero Mission as a male, and called Metroid "bug-things."
Doug @ Jun 6th 2007 3:33PM
I have to repeat the question - Why pre-order?
I can think of no game that I *KNEW* was going to be so good, I just HAD to have it the MOMENT it was able to be sold. Yeah, some pre-orders come with extra stuff - which usually ends up on eBay if I was really that desparate to get the t-shirt, or "making of" video clips (does anyone actually watch these?)
It also doesn't help that most of the EBGames/GameStop stores near me are just a disorganized mess. Forget about alphabetization, or even keeping the new and used games separate, these places can't even keep games for different consoles separate. Xbox games mixed with GameCube games? PS2 games strewn everywhere? (including the floor)? Yep, just another day at the game store in the mall.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 1:29PM
"if you can provide a list of stores that offer better values, I'll gladly go there"
Circuit City always has good deals, ToysRUs Target & Walmart clearance, BestBuy almost always has a $5 coupon available somewhere (which is the usual GS/EB used discount), Amazon Deal of the Day sales, Half.com, Ebay, craigslist, pawn shops, garage sales...there's a good start.
"Where can I sell them and actually make some real money?"
Looks like GS/EB was offering $4 for Lament of Innocence almost a year ago, so it could be even less now, but the average half.com and amazon price for used right now is $8-$10. I know Half gives you a portion of their shipping fee to cover that cost. I've never sold on Amazon though but I bet they do the same. Minus the listing fee it's still about twice what you'd get otherwise. More recent games are even bigger rip offs.
If you don't have the time or patience to do it yourself and don't mind getting lowballed and store credit then hey go for it. For me it's a couple minutes to list, a quick drop in the mail and more money. Like I said, to each his own.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 2:12PM
@polly
You hit the nail on the head. I DON'T have the patience. Say I wanna get a new game TODAY but I don't have the money. Do I (A) sell it online and MAYBE get a buyer and then get the money days later or (B) go to the store TODAY and bring some old games and be GUARANTEED to have them taken off my hands and purchase something else right then and there?
Also, does Circuit City and Best Buy have some of the more obscure games that are several years old? Can you trade games in to those places? Do they sell games for $5-$15 that aren't the usual licensed THQ crap and shit like Big Mutha Truckers?
Am I gonna ride around town every weekend searching for garage sales in the hopes that MAYBE I'll find one family selling games?
Half.com and Amazon are great, but can they guarantee that I'll sell my game?
Like I said, selling individual games is too much hassle. I'd rather sell shit online that I KNOW will sell and that I KNOW will fetch me more money than at GameStop/EB. Convenience is a very strong motivator for me. Definitely a lot strong than MAYBE a few more bucks at the expense of waiting a whole week or so.
Jack @ Jun 6th 2007 2:29PM
you know, if its true that youll get fired without X amount of pre orders in a week, id quit right there and then. its a minimum wage job, which are readily available pretty much anywhere. its shady practices like that that make me want to revolt and create my own gaming megastore, no pushed preorders (though available for console launches, etc), and 50% cash for trade ins that would be resold for 75% as used games. that way i'd still make somewhat of a profit to keep the store going, but still have customers who dont feel like theyve been ass raped. id call it "FairGaming", or something. so if you see it one day, youll know where it all began!
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 3:09PM
@megaStryke
So do you work for GS/EB or are you just their number one customer?
"does Circuit City and Best Buy have some of the more obscure games that are several years old?"
Probably not, you'd be better off going the internet route for that stuff, but I can't tell you the number of times I made a list and went to GS/EB to only find maybe 2-3 out of the 10 or so I was looking for.
"Do they sell games for $5-$15 that aren't the usual licensed THQ crap"
Yes actually. Aside from good clearance deals like I mentioned, BestBuy has Tomb Raider Anniversary out today at $19.99. Throw in a GGC coupon or a rewardszone coupon and it's $15. Guess how much it is at GS/EB...$29.99.
The only issue I've ever had not selling a game within a week's time was when it was a 5 year old Madden game for 99 cents.
You like convenience, I like not feeling ripped off. Takes all kinds.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 3:46PM
@polly
I only buy new games if I really think they are worth more than they charge. Other than that, I go the used route. The ONLY dedicated game stores in my area that are relatively close to my home are GameStop/EB stores (with the exception of ONE new store that extends their range of titles back to Atari, but their selection of current titles are severely limited). If I wanted to find some other store, I'd have to use lots of gas, and gas isn't cheap. Money I might save would go towards paying for gas.
I simply do not understand this seething hatred towards GameStop/EB. You people act like gaming establishments are some kind of holy sanctuary that shouldn't be defiled on pain of death. You complain about this and that, but guess what? For every problem employee or stupid company policy in ANY retail business, there are about 100 retarded customers, maybe more. And these retard-O customers are far worse than any problem employee I've ever met.
Another thing: time is a commodity. When a task takes longer, I EXPECT more money. When it is quick and dirty, I'm probably not expecting that much. If I happen to be running errands one day and I HAPPEN to bring along some trade-ins and I HAPPEN to pass by a game store, it is so SIMPLE to just hop in and out in under 15 minutes. That's called a trade-off, not a rip-off. A rip-off would be if I step into a GameStop, am required to monitor the status of the item I brought in until it is sold, wait for someone to come and buy it, however long that takes, THEN receive my payment, only to find out that given the same steps and effort, I could have made more money via another venue.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 3:56PM
Ugh, you're right dude. Gamestop is a great company. Everyone should shop there.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 4:06PM
@polly
No. What everyone SHOULD do is stop acting like jaded pricks who refuse some store's services because of some unattainable standards. Jesus, gamers must be the ONLY group of consumers who expect to be practically handed everything at no charge to themselves, but when it comes time clean house they suddenly think they are sitting on a mountain of gold.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 5:04PM
Who's refusing their service? I already said I shop there for B2G1 sales. And why are my standards unattainable? I told you I've hardly ever had an issue selling a game myself for more money in a weeks time. Is that ok with you if I do that? Why does it offend you so much if I don't feel like giving Gamestop my shit so they can make more money off it than me?
I get it. You like Gamestop. Take comfort in the fact that you're not the only one.
refinedsugar @ Jun 6th 2007 5:13PM
LOL ... people, people, people! Stop all the trolling. Gesh either we like to regurgitate the same crap over and over again or people aren't clueing in to the fact that the shite goes both ways. Yeah there's good staff ... bad staff ... and then there's good informed customers ... a million varieties on the bad customer. Write a book about it already and get it over and done with.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 6:07PM
@polly
Because it makes you a hypocrite. If you are offended by their business practices, why do you still give them business?
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 7:16PM
I go where the deals are buddy. Calm down.
megaStryke @ Jun 6th 2007 8:58PM
@polly
The deals. You go to where the deals are. You buy used games at EB. The same used games that you are so up in arms against because they are marked up beyond for what they were traded in. So you are cool with buying these used games because they are good deals, yet you also say they AREN'T good deals because they are disgustingly marked up. So you have no problem buying these used games because other people traded them in, but you think the pricing policy on used games are outrageous and shouldn't be condoned. You turn a blind eye to other people being ripped off so that you can get a good deal on used games that you say AREN'T a good deal because they are overpriced.
Make up whatever excuse you want: "Oh, I only do Buy 2, Get 1 Free promotions!" No. You want them to stop their questionable practices? STOP buying from them.
polly @ Jun 6th 2007 10:02PM
Yeah man. It's this crazy free market economy thing. I think it might catch on.
dsub @ Jun 7th 2007 2:12AM
"You're reading Joystiq, so you're probably used to knowing more than the guy on the other side of the counter at your local game store."
I am the guy on the other side of the counter at the local game store. I read joystiq every single day.
As someone who shopped in game stores for years, I understand where everyone is coming from. I get the same treatment when I go into most other gamestops/EB Games stores when I am out of town and such. In fact I've even spoke out against employees at other stores for giving people like me a bad wrap. I suppose I would consider myself one of the rare "good" Gamestop employees (I used to call myself an EB employee, but my store got switched to gamestop 2 days ago)
Anyways, I am a knowledgeable guy who just does my job. I like to think that I don't "push" pre-orders, I merely suggest them. I try to look at the games that people buy and suggest a title that I think they might like. If they say no, I leave it at that. I don't do the whole "come on..." sort of deal, and I don't feed people lies. This honest attitude actually nets me more pre-orders usually than anyone in my store . If anyone on here lives in the Columbus, OH area, come on in to the EB Games/Gamestop on Hilliard Rome Rd. in Hilliard, OH.
My name is John, and I am not a dirtbag lying sack of turds like the gamestop employees described here. I won't treat you like dirt and I actually play games and know what I am talking about. I can promise you that.
What? @ Jun 7th 2007 5:33AM
I find it funny how people complain that EB/Gamestop rip people off on Trade-In prices. They don't force you to trade it in. You don't like the price they offer for it? Keep it. Sell it on E-bay. Those Clerks really don't care if you do or not. In fact it's less work for them if you don't.
megaStryke @ Jun 7th 2007 9:08AM
@polly
My final remark to you.
A free market economy allows for businesses like GameStop/EB to offer whatever they want for trade-ins. You are not losing any money giving back these games. These games don't even have to come from an EB store! They could have been purchased from Target or Wal-Mart or Circuit City! It doesn't matter where they come from. You are guaranteed money for you trade-ins, but you don't know if your game will ever be sold. Did you think of that? Your game could sit on the shelf and never move. They wind up making nothing in that case.
Free market economy means that bitching about their trade-in policy is pointless and unfounded.
polly @ Jun 7th 2007 10:37AM
You've really turned me around on this whole thing. I'm going to grab a bunch of games so I can go trade them in right now! Thanks man!
polly @ Jun 7th 2007 10:52AM
@megaStryke
My final remark to you.
What are your hours? I want to make sure you get credit for my preorders. It's the least I can do.