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Reader Comments (168)

Posted: Nov 25th 2007 11:59PM Jayeffaar said

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What I don't get is how that business model of theirs can work with customers. I'm not from the States and I've never shopped at Gamestop, but if I walked in there to buy a new game and they tried to sell me a disc that they just put in an empty box, I would laugh at them and walk out. How desperate do you have to be to accept that and pay full price?

I don't care that it's their way of preventing in-store theft, that's not my problem. My way of preventing theft is to only buy games with the factory seals still on the box.

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 2:40AM Ironhide Delta said

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Then any company you run will be drowning in product shrinkage. I work for Best Buy in the media department. I'm pretty much running the department on some days. You know what gets stolen most often? Product on the shelf that Timmy the thief can take and stuff in his pocket or run to a secluded section of the store and crack open that hardcase shell. Unfortunately, live product is the worst way of selling games.

EB Games has had the right idea of keeping live product out of the hands of potential thieves and into the hands of paying gamers. That title that has been opened to be placed on the shelf as a 'demo' has never been used. Most stores have discontinued the borrowing so the product is 99.9999% likely hood of never been played. It's still new. Should I worry about the fact that it's open? No, because it's still got a full 30 days or so on the product for defective exchange and also because I actually open my games when i get home, therefore rendering half the issues a moot point.

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Posted: Nov 26th 2007 3:39AM (Unverified) said

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most stores have the magnetic beepers and lots of cameras these days

theft isn't that hard to prevent, especially in a store as small as most gamestops, since you can see the entire store from any spot
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Posted: Nov 26th 2007 12:24AM VaultDweller13 said

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The only new games that are out of the shrink wrap are the games from the boxes left on the shelves. If that isn't the only copy then they sell you one that is sealed and put the empty box back on a rack. Think before you post stupid shit.

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 1:52AM (Unverified) said

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Same thing happened to me only through purchasing online and it was the game R.A.D.

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 5:52AM (Unverified) said

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Yet another niche classic.
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Posted: Nov 26th 2007 3:44AM kedward71 said

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Easiest solution for me is just to pre-order everything online. It's cheaper than a high-street retail price, I get the game shrink-wrapped and it arrives on my desk on day of release...

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 7:58AM Otimus said

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"Shut up consumer monkey! You deserve nothing! Now shut up and do whatever your cooperate masters tell you! You have no rights! Honestly.. questioning capitalism.. I should set you on fire..." - The gist of 50% of these comments.

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 4:18PM (Unverified) said

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VERY well put. I honestly fear the day these GenY'ers rule the world.
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Posted: Nov 26th 2007 9:58AM (Unverified) said

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I once bought a used copy of Spiderman 2 for PS2 at a Gamestop. For some reason, I checked the game when I got out to my car to find Spiderman 1 in there. I took it back in for the right game.
Luckily, I checked before I left or I would have probably had a hard time if I brought that back in with the wrong game in it.

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 6:20PM (Unverified) said

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No you wouldn't have. It happens all the time. Especially this time of year, when the store has two registers and there is 90 people in the store (most of whom want something from the stock room in the back, natch).

GameStop employees are human, and make mistakes, just like any other human ever. The only time I have a problem with a retail screw-up is when the company refuses to make it right (i.e., bait and switch, etc.).

If you got home, found out you had the wrong game, and you brought back the game and the receipt, GameStop would have taken it back. In my experience, with no questions asked. I imagine if the employee was suspicious (if this had been the nth time you had received the "wrong game" or whatever) then it would probably be pretty simple to check the inventory - in this case, they would be down one copy of Spider-Man 1 and up one copy of Spider-Man 2. And they'd switch it out.

But OMG, a little bit of retail knowledge and common sense? I must be a GameStop drone. o_O

If you don't like it, don't shop there. If you think their prices are too high, go elsewhere. If you don't think they give you enough money for your games, don't trade your games in. OMG! What a concept! Can it really be that simple?

Vote with your dollars. It's the only thing that makes sense.

But some people here seem to think that GameStop has some sick fascination with pissing people off. "They remove the shrinkwrap on my computer entertainment products just to torture me!" Yeah, sure. I'm sure GameStop, as a company, spends thousands of man-hours removing the shrinkwrap from games just to piss you off.

Jeez.
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Posted: Nov 26th 2007 7:47PM (Unverified) said

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someone bought a new copy.
they switched the disc with a demo disc.
they returned the copy claiming they didn't like it(GameStop's often allow this ONE TIME for a customer)
HUMAN employee misses the ESRB and the Scribbled DEMO spot.
Employee restocks game (new games are in an entirely different spot as used)
someone buys the copy...


Gamestop is a victim, customer is a victim.

I bet they made it right...

Posted: Nov 26th 2007 9:11PM (Unverified) said

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I would like to chime in again on this subject. Again I didn't work at gamestop but I worked at a local chain. So I imagine, if anything, our place was more keen to save any penny possible.

1. We didn't technically have commission. BUT we got a bonus check every now or then (in cash or for much more...store credit!) that we got for doing a good job. What is a good job?

Well we have a computer with every game we have and more in it. When a customer comes to trade in a game we type it up and it displays the maximum amount we will pay for it. The number of used copies we have effects this greatly. Then we enter whether there is a case and/or instruction booklet.

After that its up to us. We can reduce the number on the screen shown to whatever we want. It might say "16.00" but I am more than allowed to change it to 10.00. I was never good at this. Having a sense honesty pretty much doomed me at this job.

The tips I know are:

Don't trade in a bunch all at once. When you do, its easier to chip away at certain things and have it fly under your radar.

Don't seem desperate. Duh. If they know someone is some kind of addict or this shit is stolen, they will rape them. That is the extreme case (and I have seen it happen) but I have also seen some honest guys/girls that probably need to come up with some cash fast have to accept giving away their games for crap.

3. Ever try and ask for prices over the phone for what you would get? No chance in hell. They will probably tell you it depends on what is in stock and their assesment of the condition of the games. That is true. But they won't tell you they can mark it down like crazy.

It was weird too. It was totally encouraged. But no one would talk about it unless it was some "criminal" that brought in stolen goods.

Again I don't know the ins and outs of Gamestop but thats how our place worked. For those of you asking I think I racked up 110.00 total in store credit for about a year of part time work. I was not a valued employee.

Posted: Nov 27th 2007 4:20AM (Unverified) said

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Anyone consider that the person just scribbled out the demo: not for resale and posted a bogus story to promote is anti-GS propaganda?

Posted: Nov 28th 2007 3:32AM (Unverified) said

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@kent

I can tell you that this is not how Gamestop works. All prices in the system come directly from corporate and cannot be changed to any amount that the employee desires. The only thing that can happen is that you will be charged a refurbish fee, but this is for a game that is damaged an deemed unplayable. If a refurbish fee is charged that game is then sent back to the warehouse to be resurfaced.

Posted: Dec 2nd 2007 1:28AM (Unverified) said

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OK I admit I'm a corporate drone. That said:

(1) I really doubt it was a new game, and that instead the customer merely thought it was. I can't recall the last time I saw a copy of Steambot Chronicles in any store new. But it happens all the time....customers don't read the sticker that says NEW or USED on it, and assume it's the exact opposite. Let's see the sales receipt! If the product code started with a 9, then it was used. If the product code started with a 2 then I'll eat crow.

Also note that the article doesn't say a thing about how the situtation was resolved. Because the customer in all likelihood was taken care of.

(2) Yes, used games really are often about 10% cheaper than a new game. Which, to me, is fair. (a) The game content is the exact same (b) It's still protected by a 30 day in store warranty...with a new game you have to go through the manufacturer's warranty (c) It has the extra 7day ANY REASON exchange/refund period (d) No, it doesn't always have the original box or directions. But hey! You can find it! The store I'm at has a selection of about 300 new PS2 titles. And about 800 used PS2 titles. You tell me which category gives you, the consumer, greater choice. Much better to have something to sell than nothing (e) The moment you play a new game it's used anyway...guess what. They trade in for the same either way.

If you're planning on keeping the game forever, and take care of your stuff, I understand why you might want to buy it new and I don't care. But please...used does not equal abused. And you scoff at a $5 discount, but hey. That's a meal at McDonald's

(3) Believe it or not, Wal-mart, Best Buy, etc., reshrink wrap product that gets returned and sells it as new too. Ask an associate; if they're honest they'll admit to it. Most companies will take stuff back that they know works fine when the customer "says" it doesn't work just to shut them up, and resells it as new (the way in entered inventory) to avoid having to write $60 off as they throw it out. Yes, it's of questionable ethicality, I agree. But it happens EVERYWHERE

(4) On that note, factory-sealed games aren't immune from not working. Every year at least one game goes out that gets stamped wrong, and has to be recalled. Stuff happens, and buying new all the time can't save you from that

(5) Different stores yield different results, especially in small-box environments. Is every McDonald's you go to the same? The employees the same level of friendly, the bathrooms the same level of clean...heck the food the same temperature? I doubt it. Why apply the uniform standard to GameStop? Especially to GameStop - that's a company built up from an amalgamation of Babbage's, Software Etc., FuncoLand, Planet X, GameStop, Rhyno Games, EBX, EB Games, Electronics Boutique, and probably more? If you don't like one store, chances are there's another near by that you may like better.

(6) If you don't like the trade in values GameStop gives you, keep the game! Sell it on your own! If you take the time, you'll probably make more. That said...you have to take the time; GameStop offers the convenience of a guaranteed buy. Ever priced milk at a convenience store vs a supermarket? You don't get the better deal at where it's convenient for you, now do you?

(7) I LOVE how some people complain about the checkout policy, and then complain how employees aren't knowledgable about games that just came out. Look. Either let us play the damn game so we can tell you if it's good or not, or don't complain if we don't. You know what we get paid. We aren't about to buy every game. Make up your mind as to what's more important to you, tell our corporate overlords, and they just may listen

(8) Lastly, if you have tried several different GameStop's in your area and you're still not happy with the service you get...excercise your freedom of choice and don't shop there. Just don't yell at people who excercise their freedom of choice and still shop at GameStop because they find a value there that you don't.

Posted: Dec 2nd 2007 5:35PM (Unverified) said

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I was in a gamestop last week and bought bioshock and halo 3. What's interesting is how they gave me halo 3 in it's shrinkwrapped form, and yet they gave me bioshock with it's disc being put into a case. I looked at the disc and found a little blimish on it.

Also, I bought a used copy of NHL2K7...and it always freezes at the 6 minute mark of the 3rd period. I'm seroius...and yet they just took it without even looking carefully at the discs. I too recommend shopping there if you have no choice...like I did, cuz I wanted to trade in games I no longer played.

Posted: Dec 2nd 2007 9:16PM (Unverified) said

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"(8) Lastly, if you have tried several different GameStop's in your area and you're still not happy with the service you get...excercise your freedom of choice and don't shop there. Just don't yell at people who excercise their freedom of choice and still shop at GameStop because they find a value there that you don't."

You can also call the District Manager or corporate office. If you have a major problem this is your best bet at getting the issue resolved.

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