Gamestop giving cash.

[Oobgarm]

Allow me to preface this rant by stating that I intend to offend no person with my comments. I’m just an employee at a game store expressing my displeasure with a recent policy change. If I seem to lash out and attack a person (or a group of people), I apologize in advance. I mean to slight you in no way.

It has been going on for a few weeks now, but I see no mention of it on the boards. Maybe it’s just not that big of a deal. Granted, I understand that the anti-Gamestop sentiment here is rather thick, seeing as how Funcoland pretty much went down the toilet after their acquisition. Then again, Funcoland wasn’t exactly loved by everyone either, but I digress.

GAMESTOP IS NOW GIVING CASH FOR GAMES.

Yes, that is correct. It may be only 80% of the TIC (trade in credit) value, but it’s a bold new territory that the company has decided to clumsily step into. I’ve been against this idea since I first heard about it. Now that I’ve just given up all hope of seeing the end of this awful idea, I’ve decided to post my thoughts in a public forum, so perhaps other Gamestop types (or former, as in Achika’s case) could chime in with their thoughts.

The reasoning behind the cash idea is this: Pawn Shops and “Mom & Pop” stores are taking away from Gamestop’s business by offering the “customer” cash for their goods. I use the term “customer” loosely here since the seller could very well be a regular shopper, but in most cases they are not. Sure, the store is getting the merchandise and reselling it, but they’re giving away cash so that the “customer” may go use it elsewhere. I don’t see that as a good way to run a business. That’s just my own personal view.

There are quite a few second-hand shops that deal in music CD’s, DVDs, and videogames that give cash for trade ins. Notice that most of those stores take in tons and tons of stuff, but don’t really sell much of it. I’m really surprised that most of them can remain open. Overstock of product is the beginning of the problem.

For example:

A few years ago, there used to be a CD/Game Exchange down the street from our Gamestop. It was cool to go there and trade in CDs and games and find great deals on stuff. Over time, it became a dumping ground for people to just offload a bunch of crap for cash. Finding cool stuff became more and more of a problem as garbage began to permeate their selection. Eventually, the store closed. They’ve got other locations, but none anywhere near where our store used to be.

Ever since then, our Gamestop has been bombarded with people looking to sell their games for cash. The end of the month is always the worst time, with people looking to scrounge up rent money or something to that effect.

I understand that sometimes money is tight, since I’ve sold stuff for cash in the past. I also realize that if I had watched my spending a bit closer in the first place, selling stuff wouldn’t have been necessary. However, the human ability to prioritize their finances is a discussion I’d rather not take part in.

I’m sure there’s more that I’m just not thinking about right now, but that’s all I can think about for the time being. I just don’t want to see our stores become a bastion for people to offload their junk for cash. That’s all.

EDIT:

I have learned that not all Gamestops give cash. Only the stores in designated zones. Maybe 1/2 or 3/5 of the stores give cash, from what I've heard. The company intends to roll out the program to everyone eventually. :D Sorry to get your hopes up if your local store doesn't give cash.

[zektor]

I really don't want you or anyone else that works at or likes Gamestop to take offense, but the hell with them really. If I were to sell ANY game, it would be to either someone on these boards or on Ebay...but NOT to Gamestop. Their trade in value sucks, and getting 80% of that in cash would suck even more. What am I going to get for some rare titles? 75 cents? A buck? Come on. Whats worse is that when you want to trade in a game for credit and take a look at the other games they have, they're all loose...no boxes or instruction manuals...and most of the time they're covered in stickers and really not in good shape. Gamestop throws away the boxes and manuals they get on trade in games, then they cover the carts in stickers and throw in all in a flea market type bin. Once again, no offense, but they are a joke.

[tynstar]

I work at a GameStop that gives cash. To me it is no big deal. As far as that CD store giving cash for CD's, if you have ten of the same CD DONT BUY IT!
That is the thing that bugs me most. We have 30 N64's but we will buy more to add to the ones we cant sell already. That is stuoid to me not the cash.

[AB Positive]

I too work at a GameStop-brand store (we aren't called GameStop yet, damn sign was supposed to come in a year ago...) and the cash policy did kick in at our store. I'm in support of it personally only because of what I've seen come in purely because of the 'giving cash' policy.

We've had three people give up gaming and come in to sell their stuff for cash. So far they're the only three people I've seen. Because of the 20% drop apparently, people only seem to bring in stuff they know they'll get high value for. For example: I've never seen a mint Xenogears, Final Fantasy Anthology/Chronicles, Paper Mario, Chrono Trigger complete, or Final Fantasy 3 complete come into the store in my almost-a-year of working there. Until now, when we've not only gotten at least one copy, but two complete chrono triggers and two Xenogears. We almost had a Lunar for Sega CD, but we couldn't take it in officially.

I don't know if this is just a happy accident in my area, but considering what people are selling for cash, I'm not arguing. Heh. Almost all of what we've sold for cash has re-sold that day, so in that case, I'm for it. Customers looking for rare titles see them at our stores and I would think it would make them come back more. Plus, with no other major chain offering that service, it's one more leg up on them.



Now... if tons of crap start coming in, then bleh. But remember, as of today you can only get $6 cash for a complete N64 system. Not many people are going to part with a complete system, no matter what one it is, for just 6 bucks. I hope that fact alone will keep the better stuff coming in.


EDIT: Xenogears dammit. why do I keep calling it xenosaga. Argh.

-AG

[maxlords]

I pretty much stopped trading in ANYTHING when the major chains stopped paying cash. Now, I make so much more on eBay and on forums from selling stuff that I'd NEVER trade in ANY game at a major chain. Never. I wish everyone would follow THAT example. Maybe it would teach them to lower their screwy prices.

[kainemaxwell]

Is the cash trade in value still low like store credit?

Anyone know what these "designated zones" are?

[Achika]

so perhaps other Gamestop types (or former, as in Achika’s case) could chime in with their thoughts.

Gimme a week and I'll be back in that wonderful world.

But I totally see where you are coming from. There's a store by my house called Jellybeans, that has like 20 copies of Britney Spears that people brought back, and they stopped taking them in for cash or even trade. Because they aren't selling and even with the permanent sale on them, they aren't moving. I think the time that may hit us hard is Christmas especially. Someone trades in all their stuff, "Oh, you're out of New PS2s? Just gimme the cash, I think I saw that Best Buy still had some". It's not like customers are nice about it either, they'll give the name of the store, the street, hell, even the employee's name that originally helped them out.

We've had people return things they've had for a few weeks with the excuse "I need to return this, I shouldn't have bought it. But I need cash not store credit so I can pay my phone bill" :hmm: But it's not even older people, I've had 11 year olds whine to me and their parents about how they aren't getting cash. Their parents basically tell them to "shut up", "deal with it", and "pick out something you want before I leave you with nothing."

I've been through it before, since I was an original Funcoland employee (before the merger). People were NOT happy AT ALL with the 80% lower cash prices.

[portnoyd]

Wow, I didn't think that GS Inc was that stupid. Mwhaha, do they give cash, or mail checks? What was so wrong with credit anyway?

Isn't this counterproductive? They have a buy 2, get 1 free used sale going on, to move used product, yet they want to increase the flow in at the same time by making trade-ins more accessible? I don't get it. Why not move THEN increase trades?

dave

[Captain Wrong]

If Gamespot is getting hammered by the mom and pop stores and other chains who are getting more trades in, maybe they should think about giving more in trade. Seems to me like the mom and pop shops out here give more in trade and that's why people go to them.

I have to agree with zektor though. They have kind of a messed up business model, and when they were the only store in town it didn't matter. As gaming gets more mainstream, there's gonna be more competetion and they're going to have to change their policies. I won't shop there because of their loose policies with regard to condition and packaging. (Don't they give less for scratched up discs yet still sell them for the same price??? WTF?)

Plus, as others have mentioned, they should stop taking stock they can't move. Example, try going to a used CD place and trading a copy of REM's "Monster". You aren't going to be able to because everyone has 50 copies already. That's just good business sence.

[chadtower]

I don't know if this is just a happy accident in my area, but considering what people are selling for cash, I'm not arguing. Heh. Almost all of what we've sold for cash has re-sold that day, so in that case, I'm for it. Customers looking for rare titles see them at our stores and I would think it would make them come back more. Plus, with no other major chain offering that service, it's one more leg up on them.



No one I know woudl bother looking for rare titles at Gamestop for one reason. We all know that none of the rare titles ever hit the damn shelves there. I know for a fact that at many of the Gamestops, at least in my area, any rare game gets bought by an employee well before it goes to the display. Then it either hits a collection or ebay or perhaps some underground network only Gamestop employees know about. But I've asked around at many of them and also know a manager of one and have been told at each one that that is exactly the case.

[Captain Wrong]

Not always true chad. I got a top loader and Panzer Dragoon Saga (and walked away from Shining Force III) at Funco.

Though I would tend to agree with you otherwise. I guess I was just lucky.

[Sylentwulf]

I was in Electronics Boutique the other day, some guy came in wanting to trade in State of Emergency. Heard him say he paid $40 for it when it first came out, then the EB employee said $3.00 credit. I swear I HEARD the guys jaw hit the floor, he stuttered for a bit and then offered a few pathetic whimpers, then asked if they had any other PS2 games they would sell for $3.00 :)

Thought it was HILARIOUS. Fact is, game company's make a FORTUNE through trade-ins, even if they offer cash, they're STILL getting a game VERY VERY cheap to re-sell. More trade-ins lowers the purchase AND sale prices, drawing in MORE business, and getting MORE cashflow.

Now matter how you put it, the company IS going to make more money overall, even if they run out of shelf space.

[Raedon]

Others can do what they want.. I sell my overstocked games on ebay because I'm not a fool or someone who doesn't see his finances months in the future. Those people that don't see that rent is due at the first of the month are morons. :roll: Life isn't THAT unexpected. Your car could blow up yes, but rent is always due. prepare fore it for fucks sake. Hell, have $50 out of each pay check go to a savings account at a bank far far away so you can't just go there easily if you need to.

I like pawn shops, they don't buy "collectables" they buy used games in bulk.. You bring in DVD's? you get $3 and they sell em for $6. pretty good racket. They buy NES carts for .25 cents and sell em for $1.99-$2.99 no matter the title. I like that.. Gamestop buys for .25 cents and sells for $9.99-29.99 and that is just wrong.

Many collectors talk about price gouging and you could put gamestop right next to the word pricegouge in the dictionary. This only pisses me off when I see some kid who doesn't know better sell a Harvest Moon 64 for $6.00 trade in. The kid doesn't know that he is being ripped off, and it hurts me to see a company take advantage of children.

On the other hand I've found some rare NES carts at gamestop for under $5 and all my Blockbuster exclusives except for one came from gamestop and didn't cost more then $10.

As for new games I almost always use gamestop as the people who work there know me by name.

[chadtower]

Not always true chad. I got a top loader and Panzer Dragoon Saga (and walked away from Shining Force III) at Funco.

Though I would tend to agree with you otherwise. I guess I was just lucky.

You likely were just lucky. I've been TOLD by the people there that rare games rarely hit the shelves. The last 'rare' game (ha) I saw there was NES metroid that I had to pass on right then, went back a few hours later for it and the guy behind the counter said "oh I bought that the second my shift started, I buy all of the rarer stuff"

[kainemaxwell]

Most the games at my Babagges part of their 9.99 or less rack is mostly commons anyhow. I did see a few I wanted though.

[Keir]

Isn't this counterproductive? They have a buy 2, get 1 free used sale going on, to move used product, yet they want to increase the flow in at the same time by making trade-ins more accessible? I don't get it. Why not move THEN increase trades?

My thoughts exactly. I think it would make more business sense to change the policy on trade-ins to store credit for used games only. But I don't know if that would help them move used product or stop people going there alltogether. Considering the number of places that buy used games now, it would probably be the latter. (How's that for changing my opinion in mid-paragraph?)