Gamestop stories

[HappehLemons]

Anyone have any? Here's mine.

As a Chirstmas gift for my brother I decided to get him a psp, so I went to Gamestop the other day to buy a PSP-1000. Where I live there's quite a few Gamestops in my city (About 4) but only one of them had the 1000 model PSPs. As I'm checking out she rings me up and asks for my debit card and I tell her I'd like to actually look at the system first before buying it. Lo and behold it's missing it's analog numb that she somehow forgot to mention.

I tell her that it's missing a part, and ask her to get me another one or to just grab one off the other PSP. She comes back saying that she can't find it and that the other PSP is missing it's analog nub too! So I tell her I'd like to see the manager and see if I can get some kind of discount because of the flaws on this one, and while she is gone the other casher feels the need to butt into things and tell me straight up that there's no way I'm going to get a discount and that I should just take the PSP the way it is. I respond by simply asking is she's the manager and she responds "...yes, i'm one of them" although it was obvious that she wasn't the store manager. She then begins by giving me a real attitude about how there's nothing they can do about it and then actually tells me that they don't accepted used ones like that! So how the heck did it end up like that? Oh that's right, they must of lost it. I tell her is makes no sense that you shouldnt be selling that PSP at it's full price if it's missing a part and she then takes another customer in line.

My casher comes back and tells me that they can't give me a discount and I tell her "Okay then" so I turn to the girl that was giving me attitude and I say "I'd like to know your name". She then begins to tell me that there's nothing they can do about it (again, lol) and I said that it was fine, I'd just like to know your name at this point. After saying that the REAL manager pops up (Most likely because she realized that I was going to call in about this issue because I asked for a name) and tells me if it's a problem that they would give me a PSP Slim at the price of the PSP-1000 and of course I accept.

Seriously. What a scam... What if a parent came in looking to buy it for their kid and didn't know that it was missing a part? At least I ended up with a good deal in the end.

[Enigmus]

I once went in to get a used copy of Metroid Prime 2. I only had three hours of sleep, so my train of thought was borked. I took the case off the shelf, and it had everything (manual, warranty/terms booklet, poster). I take it up, and know what I forgot? They take the cases and swap them. I get the case and I look, and know what it was? The case and the disc. No manual, no poster, nothing I could've used. I ended up confused as hell control-wise while playing in my sleepless daze and didn't touch it for a week.

And that's just the start.

I once got a copy of Wind Waker (missed out on GCN until 2008- I was an Xbox supporter) with the case AND manual stuck with an unknown substance (possibly peanut butter). Luckily, I just went to the display case and switched manuals, and the dumbasses at the desk were too busy arguing over the meaning of the tagline "the official video game" to notice.

I also once bought a fat PS2 in early 2008 (once again, Xbox). It broke after two days. Turns out that not only did the drive wear out during a session of Guitar Hero 3, but the system jolted, frying my memory card. The next day, it didn't even turn on. Why? I opened the PS2, and there were approximately 18 large dust bunnies. Imagine if those caught on fire.

Also, I was nearly banned from a GS in Indiana for finally angrily telling the clerk to shut the hell up about Edge cards. Turns out he was a hyper sensitive type of person, meaning he got offended by my telling him to shut the hell up about the cards (I counted 15 to 17 mentions of the damn things). I left after trying to calm him down, which led to him whining for a manager. Everyone nearby could tell the guy had serious issues. I even saw a woman near the PSP games shoot a "WTF?" look at him.

Once again, just the tip of the iceberg about GameStop.

[Hwj_Chim]

I have not bought from them for a long time. I tried to buy Shinobi for the Ps2 some years back from them. The only copy the had was a New copy that had been used as a display and they could not find the disk. It had been checked out by an employee, and they were trying to sell the game as new. I told the employee at the cash register never mind, left and never went back.

[sebastiankirchoff]

I know I'm a dumbass, but when I was 11, I sold a few X-Box games (Halo, a couple of other games too) for I think two dollars and fifty cents. At the time I didn't know anything about video game values, and ended up buying a couple of burritos at the Del Taco next door with that money. That is the extent of my stories there.

[maxlords]

I have nothing but great experiences now since I've made friends with one of the local ones. It's about a 30 min drive for me, but it's totally worth it. Never had a single issue. I get every promo item, they hold stuff for me as long as I need (I'm a regular and they KNOW I'll buy it)...everything a store SHOULD do.

Before that though....every single store was a hassle, from "we didn't get any of those promo items at this store" to "oh, you preordered that, we're all out" to "this new copy only has a few scratches" and on and on and on. If you can find a store with a GOOD manager....you're set, other than that, they're ass.

The store I go to, the manager bashes the fuck out of em too...but not too many stores have employees that are with it. It's like they purposely hire douchebags at most of em.

[Zthun]

Your experience isn't really Gamestop fault though. It sounds more like the incompetence of the managers and workers there.

The only thing anyone can really burn Gamestop for is their crazy policy for trade in prices. I understand why they are that low, but still...I guess if a person can't figure out how to use eBay, they're better off going to gamestop.

I had an interesting conversation about game informer before, but that's about it. Never really had any scruffles with the people behind the counter, or any real major scores at it. Though I remember when the place was called EBGames and I used to know the guys who worked there.

[maxlords]

Yeah, rule of thumb is trade nothing in there. However, that trade 3 get one free deal that's ALWAYS running and they don't advertise is awesome. Trade any 3 games worth $8 or more in credit in and get a brand new preorder up to $70 fully paid for, no tax? Always a steal if you can get decent trade stuff cheap enough.

[SpaceHarrier]

Though I remember when the place was called EBGames and I used to know the guys who worked there.

This for me is the key difference between what used to be and what is.. I could have a conversation with knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff at EBGames before Gamestop slithered out here. Now even the small, independent videogame dealers in my area are staffed by idiotic, lazy teenagers. The whole culture of game retail has changed.

I don't have any nifty GS story, but I did buy a "new" copy of F-Zero GX that turned out to be a re-shrinked display copy, complete with so many greasy fingerprint smudges on the cover that I had to wash the case with soap.

Didn't notice at point-of-sale because they pulled the game from the rear case and it was in the bag before I could inspect it. And why would I? It was supposed to be NEW.

[wfnjstallion]

I guess I am fortunate that the Gamestop I frequent has always been run by really cool people. Friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to go the extra mile. All I have to do is ask for promo items and they hand it over no questions asked. I guess it also helps that I served my time working in retail and know how rude the general public can be, so I always try to be that nice guy that helped a cashier get through their day. Seriously some people are just assholes. 2 quick stories that come to mind are while working at Border's a customer refused to pay the tax on a book simply b/c he felt books should not be taxable. Thankfully my manager threw him out before I threw the book at him and paid the tax portion myself. While at Blockbuster I had a "dad" come in looking for Gilmore Girls for his "daughters". I explained the particular season he was requesting did not release till next Tuesday and I could not break street date by selling it to him. He became furious and actually threatened to come behind the counter and kick my ass. he eventually tucked his tail between his legs and walked out without attempting to kick my ass.

[dao2]

Your experience isn't really Gamestop fault though. It sounds more like the incompetence of the managers and workers there.


It really is their fault. Their terrible policies (for employees), terrible pay, force most of the people that would normally be interested at working there into hating it. That's on top of the stuff they force employees to annoy customers with and other stuff like guts. They have terrible managers and workers because of their own doing and the ones that do work there are usually miserable cause it's such a shitty store.

[exit]

Yet another "Gamestop Sucks" thread? There's about 1 million of them all over the internet, no need to bring that trash here as well.

[Zthun]

It really is their fault. Their terrible policies (for employees), terrible pay, force most of the people that would normally be interested at working there into hating it. That's on top of the stuff they force employees to annoy customers with and other stuff like guts. They have terrible managers and workers because of their own doing and the ones that do work there are usually miserable cause it's such a shitty store.

You'll have to elaborate a little more. I've never actually worked at a Gamestop, so I can't really debate this, meaning I have to take your word for it.

I don't know a lot of retail stores that have fantastic pay. I assume you mean that terrible pay = minimum wage, which is pretty common for most retail stores. Maybe I've been very lucky, or maybe I've only had the opportunity to come in contact with really good actors; nobody I've ever seen work at Gamestop is butt-hurt about working there. It's just another job.

[Flashback2012]

Yet another "Gamestop Sucks" thread? There's about 1 million of them all over the internet, no need to bring that trash here as well.

This isn't the first and I'm absolutely sure it won't be the last of these type of threads. Though Gamestop's ill reputation is entirely self-inflicted, I would love for a change of pace in these kind of threads. I would love to see one that had posts from former employees such as myself detailing their regular patrons, their good (and bad) management/co-workers, and odd interactions they've had with customers.

I guess I could hijack this thread and do just that... :bareass:

We had this older fellow who came into my store and would just hang out. He would come in and make a beeline for the XB360 kiosk every day. He never spoke and we never learned his name so one of my part timers dubbed him "Grandpa Tiddlywinks". He had a younger friend or relative who would sometimes come in with him and the only game this fellow would play on the XB360 kiosk was Guitar Hero. Eventually, we dubbed him as "THE Guitar Hero" because when he played, he played with passion! He would stand in something of a wishbone stance with his feet far apart. He would arch his upper torso back and cradle the guitar on his stomach. When he strummed, he would sometimes raise his arm in the air after a particularly hard sequence (even though he always played on Easy).

In all my time there, I never saw "Guitar Hero" or "Grandpa" ever buy a single thing. They would hang out for 15-20 minutes and play, then leave, and not be seen again till the next day or the day after. If they came in during the morning while my part-timer wasn't there, I would remark to him when he came in "You missed The Hero and Grandpa today" to which he would throw a faux tantrum for having missed them.



I remember another time right around the Wii's release. In the store at the time was semi-regular who was massive in both height and weight. His appearance was unkempt and spoke in a rather boisterous tone, preferring to shout across the store rather than walk over to his friend and talk at a reasonable tone. Based on his appearance, I would say he had more in common with a basement dwelling 360 fanboy that pwns n00bs on Call of D00ty and gets into fights over the internet than a normal, functioning member of society. But anyway, I had a customer who was asking about the Wii and I explaining a few of the features such as the Virtual Console. I told them "You can download games from older systems such as the NES, SNES, Genesis and Turbografx-16." When the customer heard TG-16, their eyes mildly lit up and they remarked "How did Nintendo do that, I thought it was made by another company?"

It was at this point our basement dwelling "friend" jumped into the conversation he was eavesdropping on and proclaimed "That's because Nintendo bought and owns Turbografx and can put those games on their system!" I was unable to correct the mouth breather on the misinformation he had just spewed out as the inquiring customer turned their attention to him fully and I got called away by another customer seeking assistance. It pained me as a lifelong TG/Duo fan to hear that nonsense and though I've no proof, I have to imagine said dweller had never seen an actual TG16 in his life nor played any games for it. :grumble:



One more... ;)

For a few years, I transferred to a mall location not far from my original store. This was a few years before Gamestop bought EB and they were still competitors with us. They also happened to have a location in the same mall just down the hall. I knew the manager as he worked with me at Funcoland and also worked with me when GS first opened up. We had this regular customer who came into both our stores that they dubbed "Stinky Pete". I'm not sure what it is about the regulars we had but the pattern they all had was they always looked but never bought and Pete was the exact same way (and while I realize Stinky Pete is a Toy Story character, this individual did have body odor issues X_x).

Since me and the manager were friends, I would regularly send people to his store if they had something we didn't and I would stop in on my lunch break to talk with him or whatever. I got to know and befriend most of his keyholders and part-timers, in particular a girl he hired who was his friend's little sister, Lana. I remember one time where I was on lunch and went over to chat with him and Lana was working with him. As soon as I set foot in the store, she runs up and gives me a big hug and proceeds to walk with me around the store with her arms around me. I noticed Stinky Pete was in the store when I walked in and I happened to look up at him right when she hugged me. I swear to God, he gave me THE mother of all nasty skunk-eyes one could get. I mentioned the look he gave me to Lana and found out she's the one who dubbed him Stinky Pete in the first place! :p She said she was creeped out that he always came in and never bought anything and wondered if he was a stalker. I guess in retaliation and to better identify him (and because he had odor issues), she dropped the Stinky Pete moniker on him.

A couple of years later I had transferred back to my old store and was working with the assistant manager that day. Stinky Pete came in, looked around, again bought nothing, and walked out. I mentioned to the assistant as he left "That's Stinky Pete" and relayed to him the story about the skunk-eye. Apparently, a few days later, Stinky Pete came in and actually DID buy something. The assistant was the one who rang him out and at the end of the transaction said "There you go Pete", not thinking anything about it. "Pete" then flips out and goes "WHY DOES EVERYONE CALL ME THAT?! MY NAME IS NOT PETE!" :eek 2:

[dao2]

You'll have to elaborate a little more. I've never actually worked at a Gamestop, so I can't really debate this, meaning I have to take your word for it.

I don't know a lot of retail stores that have fantastic pay. I assume you mean that terrible pay = minimum wage, which is pretty common for most retail stores. Maybe I've been very lucky, or maybe I've only had the opportunity to come in contact with really good actors; nobody I've ever seen work at Gamestop is butt-hurt about working there. It's just another job.

I worked there for a grand total of 10 days before I decided to screw the noise, and my manager was actually a really chill guy. Of course the employees won't display their anger at the job, and I don't know how cool the store is where you guy but the one where I was and the one on the level above are pretty crappy. They're not the cleaniest and nobody really went out of their way to help people.

It's been a few years since I worked there so I can't remeber everything I hated but a few of the crap policies. First their pay, yah it was minimum wage and where I live that's not the average. It was 6.50 and you could get more than that almost anywhere, Starbucks paid 9 + tips (terrible job though I hated it). Giant Foods 9.50, and CVS Pharmacy 10.00. How they paid you? On a maestro card, the most useless thing ever. You want to your money? Gotta pay to get it out as there are no maestro atms that I know of nearby and you gotta pay for a check and from the other people working there good luck getting your direct deposit any time within a year.

Preorders, they pushed these really hard, good luck if you were in negative or at 0 or even low. That means less shifts for you and you know everyone you say it too is just annoyed by you. Same with the edge card. And like I said I don't remember everything I was young but there was other annoying stuff. Like every time you left the store you had to get your pockets checked by someone, that includes going out for lunch and stuff.

If you wanna hear more I remeber someone made a bunch of youtube videos in zero punctuation style about it. But it really is a shit job and while most of the time it isn't a bad experience if you keep going there you'll eventually get one. If it's buying used games, trying to return something, buying new games, buying used or refurbished systems. When you have a problem chances are they aren't gonna try and fix it. Also I'm pretty sure most people that work there hate customers. You do at any retail job for sure but a lot of the parents and others that come in there need some serious help.

[betamax001]

I went to GameStop and bought some used games. It was ok, the cashiers weren't really annoying or bitchy. I did go the day after Christmas and it was crowded as hell, but I didn't mind. I don't like that whole shelf copy new thing. It makes sense if there are a bunch of new copies behind the shelf, but when you are on the last one, put it on the freaking used shelf. It's not new, and I wont mind if you consider it as such. I don't mind so much if it's in decent condition, though I do remember buying Street Fighter Alpha Anthology and returning it because it had light and numerous scratches on it after buying it new.

[G-Boobie]

I have an Amazon Prime membership and I don't trade in games. GameStop doesn't sell anything older than PS2, and some of their used prices make Ebay at its worst look reasonable. There is literally ZERO reason for me to ever step into a Gamestop again.

[portnoyd]

I have an Amazon Prime membership and I don't trade in games. GameStop doesn't sell anything older than PS2, and some of their used prices make Ebay at its worst look reasonable. There is literally ZERO reason for me to ever step into a Gamestop again.

IBTN. With Amazon, I get direct to my door for free, don't have to deal with slapnuts trying to sell me discount cards and power points cards and no sales tax. It's really rare that I have a reason to go there anymore.

[jdc]

We're lucky enough to have two EBs in our city....one of them is of the "nightmare" variety, but the other one is staffed by fantastic people who actually play all consoles and genres. I'm on a first-name basis at the good location and it DOES pay off. I had preordered the Gran Turismo Collectors Edition as soon as it was possible to do so. Because we live in a smallish city, this store was unfortunately allocated one lousy copy of the CE. I'm sure they took plenty of preorders for it before the release date......but the staff were kind enough to ensure that I was the recipient of the single copy that they did get.

[zyo]

I've had missed experiences at Gamestop. The main one that comes to mind was when I went to buy Mario Galaxy and the counter girl asked "For which system"?

The thing that pisses me off the most is not just that they use price stickers that are hard to get off, but that half the time they pull the paper insert out and put the sticker on that, then slide it back in, permanently damaging the product. I've even seen that on their "new" copies, you know, the ones that have been opened with light scratches.

I miss babbage's and funcoland. The people actually knew about games and you could talk to them. I have a play n trade near me but it's not much better, the manager/owner is awesome and great to talk to, very knowledgable, and his video game music collection that he plays in the store rivals my own, however his employees all suck. They either don't know anything, or if they have any small amount of knowledge they act like they know it all even though I was playing games when they weren't even born yet.

But back to gamestop, the constant badgering for preorders, limited edition versions, edge card memberships, has kept me away for a long time. I've had them tell me "Well if you don't preorder this game, you might not get a copy". It's like, I'm pretty sure if you don't have enough copies of Tekken 6 I'll just walk NEXT DOOR to best buy where they have a table full of them on release day, not the day after like you.

Gamestop also has worse prices than most other retailers in my experience.

Oh one thing that happened recently, my friend went to buy a used 360 when they had them on sale for 99 bucks, they refused to let him check the manufacture dates to see what chipset it was before he bought it, and made sure to remind him it's only a 30 day warranty unless he pays extra.

Also in the past I've bought games from them with scratches used, went to trade them in at the exact condition I bought them, and had them say they wouldn't take them, although they did take them after I made a scene.

[Parodius Duh!]

there is literally 4 gamestops in the same exact mall near my home. Dont know why.


I would get pissed at them for putting stickers directly on the cart labels....Like, REALLY FUCKING pissed to the point that I got the district managers number and bitched him out. BUT, they dont sell carts anymore therefore I no longer need to go to gamestop.


Also when I traded in a copy of MvsC2 for ps2 the guy at the counter was all like "this is the rarest game" and I was all like "No its not, its just in demand, Ive had 3 copies that all came from WAL MART!!! you jack ass" .......It would be cool if they hired people that actually knew anything about games.

[calistarwind]

I knew the manager as he worked with me at Funcoland and also worked with me when GS first opened up. We had this regular customer who came into both our stores that they dubbed "Stinky Pete".

I actually had a run in with him as well, when I worked at the Funcoland in Florence, on Mall rd. That is too funny :)

[Emperor Megas]

I've had a few experiences with GameStop. The one that always comes to mind is when I went to purchase a copy of Outrun2006 for XBOX and the guy there told me that the game was only released for the PS2. I told him that it was available for the XBOX as well, and that I've seen it too many times, and that I have friends who own the game. The guy argued me down. I'm thinking, dude, just go online, right now, and look for yourself, but I grew tired of it and just went elsewhere and eventually found a copy. I'm pretty sure I got the "our database has every game ever made" line at some point, too.

By the time I returned to that GS again, I don't think that the guy worked there anymore. I don't think it had anything to do with his competency or anything, they just have a high turn over rate.

My wife had a few issues with GameStop as well. Whenever she gets me anything game related she's extremely anal about the condition, and when she went to buy me a "new" DS lite system and they started putting the shit together she was like, "oh, hell no". They didn't seem to understand why she had an issue with a "new" system not being "new". Why a box being damaged from the seal sticker being ripped off wasn't acceptable when she's paying for a 'brand new' product; one that's actually "new" across the street at Best Buy.

She's passed on several "new" items from GameStop when they weren't actually new and sealed, and every time they're bewildered, and I just know that they call her every name in the book when she leaves.

[Darko]

One of the only positive things I can say about GS is the PowerUp Rewards Program. Reading this thread reminded me that I have that. I just checked my account and have about 20,000 points after all of my Christmas shopping.

I'm one of the lucky few (it seems) that has a GS nearby that has somewhat competent and friendly employees. I've never really had too much of a problem with them. I typically only do pre-orders through them which ensures that everything I get is sealed and actually new.

[Hep038]

" But it really is a shit job and while most of the time it isn't a bad experience if you keep going there you'll eventually get one."


Welcome to life. Today might be a good day, but if you keep waking up every morning sooner or later you will have a shitty day...

[Emperor Megas]

One of the only positive things I can say about GS is the PowerUp Rewards Program. Reading this thread reminded me that I have that. I just checked my account and have about 20,000 points after all of my Christmas shopping.

I'm one of the lucky few (it seems) that has a GS nearby that has somewhat competent and friendly employees. I've never really had too much of a problem with them. I typically only do pre-orders through them which ensures that everything I get is sealed and actually new.Urgh! Another reason to hate GameStop. I just realized that I have one of those reward cards;I've never used it yet. They didn't bother asking me if I had or wanted one yesterday when I bought a game. I hate when I do that, but it's really bad form for the cashier to not ask you if you have one. The whole point of the program is to motivate you to come back after all.

[pseudonym]

I've never had a problem with GameStop besides the usual warranty and reward card spiel. I never purchase them but they'll ask anyway.

[buzz_n64]

Gamestop is the reason I stopped doing pre-orders at stores. A while back I desperately wanted the Xbox Music Mixer for some reason, and I finally decided to take Gamestop up on their pre-order program for it. I resisted doing pre-orders for years before that moment, but I wanted to be guaranteed to have the game when it came out. On release day, I was unable to make it there because I had to work, and had limited access to transportation at the time, so I decided to come the next day since I had it reserved. Well, it turned out that they were sold out, and didn't hold my reservation. I took my deposit back, and went to another store.

I have also bought a "new" game at Gamestop, and they slipped the disc into the case as I was watching. I was in a mild state of shock, but somehow they convinced me that it's how it's done, and I'm not the type of person to make returns or cause a scene.

[Lady Jaye]

I don't mind so much the "selling opened games as new" policy as long as everything is pristine. Last time I bought a "new" game at EBGames, it was Green Day Rock Band. They had only one copy. When I looked at it on my way out after paying, I noticed that the manual was dogeared. To me, dogeared = used, not new and open. I went back in, complained about it. Since they wouldn't give me a discount for this, I accepted a full refund... and found the game at exactly the same price (but definitely sealed) at The Source (former Canadian Radio Shack).

Once in a while I will find something there, but more often than not, I'm luckier at The Source and Future Shop/Best Buy.

[duffmanth]

Gamestop is usually the last place I go for my games, except for when they have exclusive collector's editions like GT5. I just don't like the way they do business. The Gamestops that I've gone into over the years, the employees are usually pretty cool people, it's just the way the company operates as a whole that prevents me from shopping there. I bought a "new" display copy of MGS2: Substance at one of their stores maybe 7 or 8 years ago, and the disc looked like a skating rink! They simply don't take care of the new display copies of games as I've had friends with similar experiences. The other thing that drives me crazy is the gummy price stickers they use. They put them right on the display case without even shrink wrapping it first, they also do this with the glossy cardboard cases that collector's editions come in!

Where Gamestop really pisses me off is the way they handle their used games/trade in's. First their trade in values suck ass, their used prices are way too high especially on current titles ($5 less than new), the condition of a large portion of their used games is disgusting, missing and damaged manuals, scratched discs, sticky DVD cases, etc.

[The 1 2 P]

I rarely ever get games from Gamestop, mainly because I mostly by new games. But recently I bought the legendary edition of Halo Reach there because it was both still new(and sealed) and on sale.

But I still can't put up with their "new" games that are out of their cases. Thats not new to me, it's opened and thus used, rather it got played or not.

[Tupin]

Seriously, why can't Gamestop just put games in those plastic security cases like every other game store? Alternatively, just use generic cases for display and keep the sealed ones behind the counter.

Sad that buying a game from a store that DOESN'T specialize in games is better than buying in one that does. It's like finding better art and more experienced/interested people at Pier 1 rather than at an art gallery.

[heybtbm]

I have an Amazon Prime membership and I don't trade in games. GameStop doesn't sell anything older than PS2, and some of their used prices make Ebay at its worst look reasonable. There is literally ZERO reason for me to ever step into a Gamestop again.

Same thing here. Gamestop's business model serves absolutely no purpose for me. They'll be gone or morphed into something completely different in 10 years. Their recent "we'll sell you DLC cards at our store" WTF moment is proof. They're more irrelevant every passing day.

Amazon = free shipping to my front door, no tax (for now), discounts, free game credits, and any game I could possibly want on release date with no special trips to "pre-order".

[megasdkirby]

Urgh! Another reason to hate GameStop. I just realized that I have one of those reward cards;I've never used it yet. They didn't bother asking me if I had or wanted one yesterday when I bought a game. I hate when I do that, but it's really bad form for the cashier to not ask you if you have one. The whole point of the program is to motivate you to come back after all.

You can get your "points" back by logging to the site, registering your card for an account, and call the rep with your receipt to add the points.

I've had mostly good experiences in GameStop...yet there have been some pretty nasty ones as well.

Before the EB buyout, I recall asking an employee at EB for a CDRW drive. The manager, which had a very bad attittude, told me "No sir, we don't do piracy". I was like "What the hell?", but I left the manager to her own self misery. I continued searching around when I spotted a drive, took it and placed it in front of the arrogant manager. "Here ma'am, you DO carry CDRW drives, so by your own theory, EB deals with PIRACY", I stated in a very sarcastic tone. I spotted her name, memorized it, and left the store. Later that day, I contacted the main offices in Nevada and I was informed that they will be "investigating" the matter. A few weeks later I went back to the store and noticed a new manager. Hmm...

In the GameStop where I work, two years ago GameStop had a special in which they offered an Xbox console for $40 (refurb/used) as a "Black Friday" special. I asked for one and one of the new seasonal employees was talking to another customer while attending me when he said "See sir? This guy is purchasing an Xbox console with the sole intent to download games instead of buying them". I was in shock, but I kept calm as much as possible until I went to the manager (I knew him and he was a very cool guy). I told him everything that happened and...well, let's just say that a few days later the same employee saw me, put a disgusted face and asked someone else to attend me. And after the holiday season, he was no where to be seen.

Those are the two, most serious encounters. Others have been mild, like when they try to do the "switch" stated in other posts. But since I go to the one near where I work (and most employees know me very well and are very friendly), they give me the best condition box.

But yes, depending on the store, they have some serious issues with customer service. Not even on my worst day do I treat customers like that.

Oh yes! I almost forgot about an ONLINE issue!

My brother wanted Asterix for PS2 and it was being sold as "NEW" online. So I made an order and when it arrived, it arrived OPENED. A sticker had been removed from the top right of the front of the case, mainly the price sticker. So therefore, I contacted GameStop online website and I was told to keep the game and that they would send another "new" copy. So I waited for a little over a week and the package arrived...only to see that it was yet ANOTHER opened copy. But this time, the sticker was left that said the price and "NEW" under the price! And the CD was placed inside one of those cardboard sleeve of theirs!

So even online, the assholes think that opened is still "new". Damn retarded company!

[Mayhem]

I had the switcherooni played on me a few times while I was collecting for the Gamecube. Every time I was paying attention because I'd deliberately brought the most best condition, complete (used) case up front to have the (inspected before inserting inside) disc retrieved from the drawer to make it whole. And every time I'd ask for the case I'd brought up instead of the one that they were going to use. Thankfully no one made a fuss and I got a 100% success rate there.

And for the cruddy cases (but good inlays and manuals) I had the replacements direct the Nintendo store...

[Kitsune Sniper]

A while back, my local store had a new copy of Metal Slug Anthology for cheap. So I went to buy it. I was told that the game was "missing"... eventually the cashier told me that another employee had taken the disc home for "testing".

Uh huh. Right.

I bought the game from Amazon. The manager is a total asshole too.

[j_factor]

EB used to be worse. Once I bought a new GBA game, and they gave me a shrinkwrapped cartridge and manual. I asked where the box was. It was the last copy, they said, so the box was the one being used for display. I tried to grab the display box on the way out and they wouldn't let me take it. They said they needed it for their display. Display for what, when they don't have any for sale? So they sold me a "new" game without the box, without giving me a discount or even telling me ahead of time that it would be without box.

[Emperor Megas]

EB used to be worse. Once I bought a new GBA game, and they gave me a shrinkwrapped cartridge and manual. I asked where the box was. It was the last copy, they said, so the box was the one being used for display. I tried to grab the display box on the way out and they wouldn't let me take it. They said they needed it for their display. Display for what, when they don't have any for sale? So they sold me a "new" game without the box, without giving me a discount or even telling me ahead of time that it would be without box.Um...you returned it immediately, right?

[Tupin]

EB used to be worse. Once I bought a new GBA game, and they gave me a shrinkwrapped cartridge and manual. I asked where the box was. It was the last copy, they said, so the box was the one being used for display. I tried to grab the display box on the way out and they wouldn't let me take it. They said they needed it for their display. Display for what, when they don't have any for sale? So they sold me a "new" game without the box, without giving me a discount or even telling me ahead of time that it would be without box.
Wow, I've actually wondered if there was a store who had the nerve to sell a shrinkwrapped cartridge and manual as a new game, but I assumed it wouldn't be Gamestop/EB Games.

Then again, knowing them...

Gamestop: The multinational, multimillion dollar company that cannot afford security cases.

[mnbren05]

I actually broke my resistance with Game Stop to purchase my younger brother some DS games there. (If interested my problems with GS date back to an issue with the DS Power Supply and the righteous phrase "I played Contra when I was your age").

I purchased Starfox, Sonic Rush, and Ben 10 for my brother (he is 7) all for under $25 with tax. (Pretty good for a last min holiday gift). I found the workers to be average at best nothing spectacular but hey I work retail too so I know how things are. The assistant manager Sheldon was pretty clueless about games. I heard a good earful of misleading crap about games and he tried to flex his knowledge of gaming (more laughable then anything). Saw Sheldon come into my store a three days ago to purchase an item and we got to talking. Bottom line I got onto video games and he pulls the "I'll have you know I'm an ASM at Game Stop!" card. Well I gave him a couple of shots about his video game knowledge and he was none too happy. Tried to fight back but he left red faced and I heard from one of his GSR's that he was mad all da'y about something.

If you ask me the days of the cool retail sales people in game stores are dead. Most people left in the retail game industry are bound by strict policies/managers or do not care for games as much as others.

[j_factor]

Um...you returned it immediately, right?

Of course.


I actually broke my resistance with Game Stop to purchase my younger brother some DS games there. (If interested my problems with GS date back to an issue with the DS Power Supply and the righteous phrase "I played Contra when I was your age").

I purchased Starfox, Sonic Rush, and Ben 10 for my brother (he is 7) all for under $25 with tax. (Pretty good for a last min holiday gift). I found the workers to be average at best nothing spectacular but hey I work retail too so I know how things are. The assistant manager Sheldon was pretty clueless about games. I heard a good earful of misleading crap about games and he tried to flex his knowledge of gaming (more laughable then anything). Saw Sheldon come into my store a three days ago to purchase an item and we got to talking. Bottom line I got onto video games and he pulls the "I'll have you know I'm an ASM at Game Stop!" card. Well I gave him a couple of shots about his video game knowledge and he was none too happy. Tried to fight back but he left red faced and I heard from one of his GSR's that he was mad all da'y about something.

If you ask me the days of the cool retail sales people in game stores are dead. Most people left in the retail game industry are bound by strict policies/managers or do not care for games as much as others.

From what I gather (I've never worked there myself), Gamestop just does not provide the kind of work environment that is in any way conducive to keeping employees who are knowledgeable and passionate about games. Between their shitty policies and dickhead management, most decent employees are gone quickly.

[ReaXan]

Gamestop is more for the crowd who like to get Black Ops or a similiar game at launch and then proceed to sell their $40 dollar game they bought last month for $12. Those kind of people have to get the flavor of the week game and Gamestop appeals to them. However these people have wised up and have started using Craigslist to sell their old games.

Real collectors stay away from Gamestop like the plague. I have been disappointed in dealing with them except for a few rare times going back to Funcoland in like 98.

However people like Suicide Bob from "Tru Life, I am a Gamer" go into Gamestop to preorder games. I saw him at my local store talking about how Silent Hill Homecoming sucked

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE9x8JPrwFc

[Icarus Moonsight]

Last time I actively went to GameStops was when they had the Devil Summoner 2 boxes for $20. Me and Fuyukaze cleared out the stores within 50 miles drive. No complaints.

SLAPNUTS! It's funny 'cause it's true.

[duffmanth]

I actually broke my resistance with Game Stop to purchase my younger brother some DS games there. (If interested my problems with GS date back to an issue with the DS Power Supply and the righteous phrase "I played Contra when I was your age").

I purchased Starfox, Sonic Rush, and Ben 10 for my brother (he is 7) all for under $25 with tax. (Pretty good for a last min holiday gift). I found the workers to be average at best nothing spectacular but hey I work retail too so I know how things are. The assistant manager Sheldon was pretty clueless about games. I heard a good earful of misleading crap about games and he tried to flex his knowledge of gaming (more laughable then anything). Saw Sheldon come into my store a three days ago to purchase an item and we got to talking. Bottom line I got onto video games and he pulls the "I'll have you know I'm an ASM at Game Stop!" card. Well I gave him a couple of shots about his video game knowledge and he was none too happy. Tried to fight back but he left red faced and I heard from one of his GSR's that he was mad all da'y about something.

If you ask me the days of the cool retail sales people in game stores are dead. Most people left in the retail game industry are bound by strict policies/managers or do not care for games as much as others.

This is why I mostly shop at indy game stores. Fortunately there a few really great ones with cool and knowledgeable staff in my area.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

While I can't speak directly to any of GameStop's current policies, pricing, or reservation/upsale strategies, as a long-time manager of a Funcoland, I'd say that a great deal of "frustrations" felt by users venting in this thread is simply a matter of perspective.

For every "omg GameStop suxxorz!" rant, I can guarantee you that there's a "you'll never believe what this idiot customer said/did." story to be told.

Without discounting the legitimacy of any of the frustrations over things like low trade-in rates, opened copies being sold at new prices, borked reservations/promos, etc. (because, those things absolutely do happen)

... some people need to keep in mind that most GameStop (and similar game retail store) employees deal with a huge HUGE HUGE amount of ignorance/grating personalities/behaviors from customers on a daily basis and while that's no outright excuse for bad service or bad company policy, that kind of thing rapidly wears away on the tolerance level of most sane, reasonable people and has a tendency to make them short-tempered, bitter, and apathetic despite their best efforts to avoid that kind of behavior.

Just remember there are always two sides to every story.

[pepharytheworm]

Just remember there are always two sides to every story.

Can we hear one of your other side of the story?

I was the manager of a Gamestop, and to be honest anything I did to make the store better for the customers and the employees, the DM would make me stop. A good example: we for a time were suppose to gut 8 copies of a new release, one diferent one per shelf, so thats around 8 different titles gutted 8 times. Because I didn't want that many new releases gutted, I used the available now artwork to place in the new release section only to be told I can't use them.

Also, sometimes new cases on the floor get stolen, if I had a lot of said title used I would use it for the new case instead of a generic case. I would rather sell a used game in a generic case then a new one. Of course that was stopped too. I know its not "new" and I would let the cutomer know, but they are always happier with an actual case when buying new.

I also did not want my associates taking new games home to play them, as I hate selling played games as new. Opened is one thing but played is another. I would also put the clear stickers on the sleeve of all new games so even though we gutted them I know it was only touched to put in the sleeve once. Even when we put it in the case we left it there, so the next person to touch the game is the purchaser. Of course I was told I couldn't do this when an associate complained they couldn't try new games out to the DM.

[VACRMH]

I've done my best to avoid Gamestop for the past few years, not so much from something that's happened, but just because I can get better deals elsewhere.

But I'm sure I used to drive a manager up the wall whenever I'd ask for a sealed copy of a game. I don't know if the stores that I'd shop at were pushed to sell gutted games, but whenever I'd decline taking a gutted copy they would give me a look of how they couldn't fathom someone asking for this, and would try to explain how it's the same thing.

I usually try to be nice with my requests, cause they're petty (Bought the last copy of Sakura Wars for PS2 at one store, gutted and crushed box, and exchanged it for a sealed copy at another) but if I'm not being holier than thou about how I must have a sealed game, don't give me crap for it.

One time it was pretty funny to make someone stop giving me the pre-order runaround however. I finally decided I would buy Super Street Fighter 4, the day it was out. Checked one store and they were out so I had them call another, went to that store and picked it up.

While he was ringing me up he was going on about how I could have reserved and gotten it right away, and I told him it was a last minute decision and I usually order from amazon. He said I could have the game on release date and such, but I told him that on amazon, I don't pay tax or shipping, and in the case of SSF4 I would have gotten a few bucks (I'm thinking $5?) in free credit just for buying it there.

He probably checked Amazon after that ;)

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Can we hear one of your other side of the story?

I'm actually saving most of my good stories for a Ken Burns style documentary/retrospective that I hope to produce one day.

Also, while Funcoland was the blueprint/model for the GameStop store as we know it it was a pretty different animal in terms of how a modern GameStop operates.

When I was with the company (97-2001) for a majority of that time - they didn't do cash trade ins, they didn't put any games or valuable merch out on the sales floor, they didn't gut new games, they didn't allow employees to take anything home (used or otherwise) and they did little to no reservation based business.

So, ultimately, my stories don't quite have a parity to most of the complaints here, but in general there were a bunch of archetype "characters" that we dealt with back then that I continue to see in my more passive role in game retail today:

The "clueless soccer-moms/Nascar dads" and their spoiled manner-less children.

The obsessive "daily callers" (or visitors) who had a lists of "wants" that they would obsessively request us to find and hold in our inventory (and seldom if ever make good on picking them up).

The myriad of customers who couldn't wrap their head around the concept of how a used game sales business operates for profit even WITH a logical explanation of how used software depreciates in value and is typically only sold at a high profit margin if it's new/rare/desirable (i.e. "What do you mean I only get X amount of money for this game that I paid X amount of money for?").

The customers who felt compelled to ask for "discounts" for no reason whatsoever (or no good one i.e. "I'm spending $300 here, can't you give me a discount?").

The ever-present attempts to "return" new games based on the claim that they "don't work in my system", where the poorly obscured reality of their position is that they simply just "didn't like them".

The loiterers who would interfere with our standard business (i.e. when we would tell a consumer the trade-in price on a game the loiterer would make that consumer a higher cash offer right in front of us ... this may sound unique but it was NOT an isolated phenomenon, it was something we dealt with on a very regular basis).

I could go on, but if you were a manager, I'm sure you're familiar with at least a few of those cast of "regulars".

And, don't get me wrong, being a part of that retail world one should fully understand and expect (or quickly learn) to deal with those scenarios on a regular basis.

I'm not claiming that any of the above is an excuse for a GameStop employee to treat any of those people poorly, customer service is customer service is customer service, but we're all human and a daily parade of the above can really get to a guy/gal ...

These threads venting frustration on game retail stores like Gamestop and Play N Trade only from the consumer point of view are a bit of a one-sided look at things.

I'm sure you won't find many GameStop employees extolling the virtues of what a casual/easy/stress-free job they have.

[calgon]

I'm not going to pretend I'm still an active member of any gaming scene or that the medium still interests me the way it once did, but I'd be remiss if I didn't share this gem...
I loved funcoland back from 2000-2003ish. During that time I enjoyed browsing their NES and SNES collection, looking for hidden gems and talking to a mostly knowledgeable staff of 20 or 20-somethings about games. I noticed that when Gamestop bought out funco and EB, the employees got much younger, and the stores mantra seemed to shift to pre-orders and edge cards. This was a business decision and Gamestop is a business, so that was fine with me. Anyway, around the time Wind-Waker was released, I happened to be in line behind a mother and her young son. The clerk was delivering the pitch of their reward card and touting the free subscription to game informer. The Mom seemed hesitant and asked if it had anything to do with Wind-waker. The clerk than responded with "This magazine will teach you all the codes in wind-waker as well as how to beat the game." At this point I just smiled thinking how ridiculous the whole thing sounded when I then overheard the employee say "you wont be able to beat the game without this."

It was at that point I realized that gamestop was now no longer any different from a used-car dealership filled with creepy salespeople who would lie to their mother if it made them a buck.

Sorry for the novel up there, but that story has always stuck with me, and is the chief reason why I've entered a gamestop maybe three times in the past seven years.

[Flashback2012]

Can we hear one of your other side of the story?

I was the manager of a Gamestop, and to be honest anything I did to make the store better for the customers and the employees, the DM would make me stop. A good example: we for a time were suppose to gut 8 copies of a new release, one diferent one per shelf, so thats around 8 different titles gutted 8 times. Because I didn't want that many new releases gutted, I used the available now artwork to place in the new release section only to be told I can't use them.

Also, sometimes new cases on the floor get stolen, if I had a lot of said title used I would use it for the new case instead of a generic case. I would rather sell a used game in a generic case then a new one. Of course that was stopped too. I know its not "new" and I would let the cutomer know, but they are always happier with an actual case when buying new.

I also did not want my associates taking new games home to play them, as I hate selling played games as new. Opened is one thing but played is another. I would also put the clear stickers on the sleeve of all new games so even though we gutted them I know it was only touched to put in the sleeve once. Even when we put it in the case we left it there, so the next person to touch the game is the purchaser. Of course I was told I couldn't do this when an associate complained they couldn't try new games out to the DM.

Aside from the clowns in corporate, one of the biggest problems that continues to plague Gamestop is/are the DMs (District Managers) and RDs (Regional Directors). I know from personal experience that an overwhelming number of these individuals were hires from outside the company from other similar positions in other companies as opposed to being promoted internally. These middle management hucksters didn't have the first clue about games or gaming, I can recall several instances where a DM would be on the floor with me and a customer would ask them a gaming question. Without hesitation, the DM would defer to me or another associate to field the answer for the customer instead of answering it themselves. Granted, I understand his job was to manage people and my job was customer service and game knowledge but it felt mildly embarrassing that these people in charge didn't have the first clue about the products their company carried.

By the same token, it was mildly funny at times where a DM was forced to help on the sales floor. I remember one instance where the DM terminated one of my managers mid-shift. Right after doing so, the store got PACKED with customers and I couldn't handle all of the customers on my own. The DM had to help me out and he was actually more of a hindrance than a help. Ultimately, about the only thing he was good for, which he quickly realized, was fetching games for me that the customers wanted. All of the sales pitching and answering of questions about games was left to me (including ringing out purchases because he had NO clue how to use the POS). I have NEVER cared for those kinds of bosses, I've always felt my boss should be able to do the same job as I can and then some.

[TonyTheTiger]

I don't have any experience working in actual game retail but I did work at Blockbuster. And whenever these anti-GameStop threads pop up at least 95% of the complaints aren't actually GameStop specific. Individual corporate policies aside, the employees and general "personality" inside is going to make or break the overall shopping experience at any store.

Retail jobs are retail jobs. Generally speaking, they're populated by young college age people looking to earn a few bucks before moving on to the next step in their lives. Turnover is going to be pretty high.

They're going to be doing their best to strike a balance between the employee handbook way of doing things and the real world way of doing things which often don't quite match up. And if they swing too far in one direction they risk either getting in trouble (or getting their managers in trouble) or alienating customers who get freaked out by the Stepford "Welcome to X, my name is Y, how can I help you today?"

They're looking to help you purchase whatever you're going to purchase and that's about it. They're not there to take any verbal assault from a customer upset over something like opened shelf copies or trade in values. And, truthfully, they're not really there to opine on the finer points of the hobby, either. They should have a working knowledge of the merchandise to help a customer but there's no reason they should be expected to be gurus of field.

[Zthun]

The loiterers who would interfere with our standard business (i.e. when we would tell a consumer the trade-in price on a game the loiterer would make that consumer a higher cash offer right in front of us ... this may sound unique but it was NOT an isolated phenomenon, it was something we dealt with on a very regular basis).

What is the policy with this one (I assume kick the guy out of the store)?

[megasdkirby]

What is the policy with this one (I assume kick the guy out of the store)?

Good question. What can the store do if they lack security personnel? It's easy if the store has some, but for a store lacking any security personnel, how can they enforce rules and a "ban" from a store?

[Kitsune Sniper]

Can't they call the cops? That's what stores (not Gamestop) around here do, anyway.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

What is the policy with this one (I assume kick the guy out of the store)?

I would ask the loiterers not to do that and if they weren't making a purchase (from Funcoland) to leave the store.

On a few occasions I had to call mall security to usher the loiterers out. One angry loiterer came back with a VHS camera and started harassing my staff about being kicked out (he was genuinely clueless that what he was doing by interfering with our business was wrong on any level) and I needed to get the local police to come down.

I took no joy in any of it, massive headache those people were.

[zyo]

They're not there to take any verbal assault from a customer upset over something like opened shelf copies or trade in values. And, truthfully, they're not really there to opine on the finer points of the hobby, either. They should have a working knowledge of the merchandise to help a customer but there's no reason they should be expected to be gurus of field.

There's a big difference between "verbal assault" and wanting to get your moneys worth. When you say you want a sealed copy, they roll their eyes and speak in a sarcastic tone, and act like they're doing you a favor by taking your money, there's no excuse for that anywhere. I've worked in retail before and it wasn't tolerated. But it's fine, they're the next blockbuster video, it's only a matter of time.

[megasdkirby]

I took no joy in any of it, massive headache those people were.

At first I was like this, but after nearly five years at retail, I started to love these type of situations and people. May sound mean, but it's better to enjoy their stupidity than to be subjected negatively to it.

[Doonzmore]

Chalk me up as another person who is annoyed as hell about edge card memberships. A close friend of mine recently subscribed to GI so I just use his to save me from the bullshit. I kindly explained to the same employee numerous times that I don't have any of the new consoles so I wouldn't have much use for the magazine, and I always get the same response:

"Still be saving money"

Uh, yeah, if I spend over 150 a year. Not likely when you buy nothing but GBA and GC games during the B2G1 sales. Dumbass.

On another note, once my brother and I went in so he could buy FIFA 09 for the 360. A new copy was 20 and a used copy was 18. The same employee made the rude remark, "have something against buying used games?"

Maybe if it were more than just a god damn 2 dollar difference.

[Flashback2012]

Also, while Funcoland was the blueprint/model for the GameStop store as we know it it was a pretty different animal in terms of how a modern GameStop operates.

I imagine this is splitting hairs but the first sentence isn't entirely true. Funcoland was around for a few years before Gamestop even existed. I worked for Funcoland from '97-'99 and jumped ship to Gamestop just as it was starting up. About the only thing Funcoland and Gamestop had in common in '99 were that they both sold used games. There was no cleaning kits that you had to essentially force onto customers like you did at Funcoland, there was no pitching the Game Informer magazine. There was no retaining of boxes of games just so they could be used as a display. There was no incessant nightly counts of games.


When I was with the company (97-2001) for a majority of that time - they didn't do cash trade ins, they didn't put any games or valuable merch out on the sales floor, they didn't gut new games, they didn't allow employees to take anything home (used or otherwise) and they did little to no reservation based business.

The easiest explanation for this paragraph is because Funcoland and Gamestop were two separate companies for half the time you listed and even after the buyout/merger, Funcoland didn't fully transition over to the Gamestop model because of the cost associated with upgrading the POS in all of the existing Funcoland stores.


So, ultimately, my stories don't quite have a parity to most of the complaints here, but in general there were a bunch of archetype "characters" that we dealt with back then that I continue to see in my more passive role in game retail today:

The "clueless soccer-moms/Nascar dads" and their spoiled manner-less children.

The obsessive "daily callers" (or visitors) who had a lists of "wants" that they would obsessively request us to find and hold in our inventory (and seldom if ever make good on picking them up).

The myriad of customers who couldn't wrap their head around the concept of how a used game sales business operates for profit even WITH a logical explanation of how used software depreciates in value and is typically only sold at a high profit margin if it's new/rare/desirable (i.e. "What do you mean I only get X amount of money for this game that I paid X amount of money for?").

The customers who felt compelled to ask for "discounts" for no reason whatsoever (or no good one i.e. "I'm spending $300 here, can't you give me a discount?").

The ever-present attempts to "return" new games based on the claim that they "don't work in my system", where the poorly obscured reality of their position is that they simply just "didn't like them".

The loiterers who would interfere with our standard business (i.e. when we would tell a consumer the trade-in price on a game the loiterer would make that consumer a higher cash offer right in front of us ... this may sound unique but it was NOT an isolated phenomenon, it was something we dealt with on a very regular basis).

I could go on, but if you were a manager, I'm sure you're familiar with at least a few of those cast of "regulars".

And, don't get me wrong, being a part of that retail world one should fully understand and expect (or quickly learn) to deal with those scenarios on a regular basis.

I'm not claiming that any of the above is an excuse for a GameStop employee to treat any of those people poorly, customer service is customer service is customer service, but we're all human and a daily parade of the above can really get to a guy/gal ...

Heh. Seeing all these archetypes listed out invokes several stories and memories/interactions I've had with each type.


These threads venting frustration on game retail stores like Gamestop and Play N Trade only from the consumer point of view are a bit of a one-sided look at things.

These threads that pop up are most certainly one sided and very biased in nature. I sometimes think people put these unattainable expectations on game store employees where they should know everything about everything in terms of games. Having been in gaming retail for over 10 years, I can tell you that while I knew far more than the average employee, I barely scratched the surface of everything there was to know.


I'm sure you won't find many GameStop employees extolling the virtues of what a casual/easy/stress-free job they have.

The job itself wasn't hard at all, it was a combination of various other factors that made things annoying and stressful (the bulk coming from stupid mandates by corporate and the rest from the archetype customer base listed above). I imagine most employees don't post because any commentary on their part about the company, regardless of slamming or in the company's defense, has a potential negative effect on their employment. I know that GS does at times monitor the internet for anti-company rhetoric.



I'm not going to pretend I'm still an active member of any gaming scene or that the medium still interests me the way it once did, but I'd be remiss if I didn't share this gem...
I loved funcoland back from 2000-2003ish. During that time I enjoyed browsing their NES and SNES collection, looking for hidden gems and talking to a mostly knowledgeable staff of 20 or 20-somethings about games. I noticed that when Gamestop bought out funco and EB, the employees got much younger, and the stores mantra seemed to shift to pre-orders and edge cards. This was a business decision and Gamestop is a business, so that was fine with me. Anyway, around the time Wind-Waker was released, I happened to be in line behind a mother and her young son. The clerk was delivering the pitch of their reward card and touting the free subscription to game informer. The Mom seemed hesitant and asked if it had anything to do with Wind-waker. The clerk than responded with "This magazine will teach you all the codes in wind-waker as well as how to beat the game." At this point I just smiled thinking how ridiculous the whole thing sounded when I then overheard the employee say "you wont be able to beat the game without this."

It was at that point I realized that gamestop was now no longer any different from a used-car dealership filled with creepy salespeople who would lie to their mother if it made them a buck.

Sorry for the novel up there, but that story has always stuck with me, and is the chief reason why I've entered a gamestop maybe three times in the past seven years.

Post like these always grind my gears a bit because I can't fathom how people could look back at Funcoland with any kind of fondness. It's like every time I see a post like this, I imagine the person typing it has super thick rose colored goggles on. I remember all too well the two years I worked for Funcoland and mostly hating having to deal with trying to peddle $15 dollar cleaning kits on people, pushing the Game Informer magazine all the time, and having to constantly explain why we had cases on the wall for games we didn't have in stock.

When Gamestop first started up, I didn't have to deal with ANY of that nonsense and it was GREAT. When I jumped ship from Funcoland to GS, it felt like a liberation of sorts. I can assure you, no one was more distraught to hear about the Funco/GS merger than I was because I KNEW it wouldn't be long before a lot of that suggestive selling nonsense would get incorporated into GS...and sure enough, it did :(. I held on for as long as I did because for the bulk of the years I worked for GS, I was a part-timer and enjoyed the discount (which when I first started was FAR superior to the joke discount I got at Funco) and being around games. I always did good enough in sales to be kept on after a good 20 or so different store managers (the fact I worked my butt off and never had to be told what to do helped as well).

Obviously, I never really got to experience Funco as a customer. When they moved into the area, I was the 2nd non-manager employee hired (5th employee hired overall) so I there right at the beginning. I've no doubt there was a sense of joy and wonderment to be had as a customer, but as an employee I rarely felt it. ^^; I guess what irks me the most is a lot of what I see people bitching and venting about with Gamestop originated with Funcoland and that GS was essentially hijacked and morphed from used to be a really cool place to the insidious creature that exists today. :moon:

[TonyTheTiger]

There's a big difference between "verbal assault" and wanting to get your moneys worth. When you say you want a sealed copy, they roll their eyes and speak in a sarcastic tone, and act like they're doing you a favor by taking your money, there's no excuse for that anywhere. I've worked in retail before and it wasn't tolerated. But it's fine, they're the next blockbuster video, it's only a matter of time.

If they're rude for whatever reason that's one thing. I've never personally experienced anything of the sort with staff being rude to me simply for declining a purchase. Less work for them.

But the point is that regardless of whatever the store policy is, you're either going to buy the game or not. If you want to pretend the store copy isn't really there and if they're out of shrinkwrapped copies then they're effectively sold out of the game so be it. Call people out for being rude if that's what they're being but other than that nobody deserves a lecture.

I'm going to go out on a limb here based on my own personal experiences and seeing lots of things as a third party observer. I'm not pointing any fingers at anybody specific but I'm going to guess that if somebody frequently gets treated rudely by a store's staff they're probably doing something to provoke it.

[Lanzo]

I like gamestop but some of the things they do are just silly. Used games with generic cases and stickers piss me off. Especially the one time they took the time to remove the artwork and apply the sticker directly on the artwork then slip it back in the plastic giving you know way to remove the sticker without ruining it. I also wish they would keep more in stock because 90% of the time I'm buying the last copy and get stuck with the opened ones and I don't have the balls to say no thanks.

On the other side though, I have worked in a grocery store for 7 years and people do wear on your soul. I get mad when someone asks where something is and I answer them with "That's in isle 6". The customer then looks at me baffled because they are so oblivious they didn't know the isles were numbered by giant hanging signs.

[zyo]

If they're rude for whatever reason that's one thing. I've never personally experienced anything of the sort with staff being rude to me simply for declining a purchase. Less work for them.

But the point is that regardless of whatever the store policy is, you're either going to buy the game or not. If you want to pretend the store copy isn't really there and if they're out of shrinkwrapped copies then they're effectively sold out of the game so be it. Call people out for being rude if that's what they're being but other than that nobody deserves a lecture.

I'm going to go out on a limb here based on my own personal experiences and seeing lots of things as a third party observer. I'm not pointing any fingers at anybody specific but I'm going to guess that if somebody frequently gets treated rudely by a store's staff they're probably doing something to provoke it.

I've never lectured the employee about how it bothers me. I just say no thanks, then they insist that it's just as good, I decline again, and they get an attitude. It's a gamestop trademark, at least the ones near me. Maybe you're right though, perhaps I am doing something to provoke it. Not buying "new" opened copies when I can go next door to best buy and get it sealed, but with reward zone points. Asking to see multiple copies of used discs to not get a sandpapered one. Saying in a firm voice "I said no, but thanks" when they ask me about preordering 3 times during checkout. How dare I want my moneys worth and not be hassled like I'm in a car lot.

[jb143]

Just remember there are always two sides to every story.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t4/thebluesound/cubist.gif


The annoying customers with an unrealistic sense of entitlement is one thing. Customers making valid complants about stupid company policy is another. Complaning on a forum like this isn't going to do much other than help vent frustration though. Complaning in droves to the higher ups at said companies might however. The problem is though, that takes much more effort than internet complaning.

Sharing amusing stories of different experiences is in a different category all together and that's how I view *most* of these discussions.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t4/thebluesound/cubist.gif


The annoying customers with an unrealistic sense of entitlement is one thing. Customers making valid complants about stupid company policy is another. Complaning on a forum like this isn't going to do much other than help vent frustration though. Complaning in droves to the higher ups at said companies might however. The problem is though, that takes much more effort than internet complaning.

Sharing amusing stories of different experiences is in a different category all together and that's how I view *most* of these discussions.

I'm always a big advocate of people being more even keel about these kinds of discussions, especially since a lot of us have or currently do work the retail end of things.

While my tenure with Funco was significant, I only worked for GameStop for a very short time, so I can't speak to a lot of their modern policies, however, as far as the "opened games being sold as new" they've been to court over that and paid out "damages" in $5 coupons.

It may be a stupid policy to gut games and then sell them brand new with no open box discount (I personally think it's stupid and annoying), but the general public has taken that as far as they possibly can and it's pretty much a dead issue at this point.

People can keep bitching about it on the internet as long as they'd like, but it's not going to go away as a GameStop policy unless GameStop decides that it is in some way hurting their bottom line (which apparently it isn't).

As a consumer I avoid it where I can.

There are always other outlets to get new sealed games if I need them. Like, literally every other outlet that sells new games. :D

[bangtango]

If Gamestop sucks so badly, why not just shop at a competitor instead of doing this :frustrated: for the rest of your life?

Besides, 95% of the people here saying how awesome things used to be when Funco and EB were still in business are judging those companies 10-15 years after the fact with memories that are probably a little fuzzy.

I don't know about the rest of you but I am not good at recollecting how now-defunct companies treated me in the 1990's. I'm lucky if I am able to recall how good their products were with 100% clarity. Meanwhile, doesn't the fact that a company goes out of business or gets bought out mean they were doing things WRONG?

What some of you are forgetting is that the only thing preventing you from finding a bunch of Funco Sucks and EB Games Sucks threads on the internet (if they aren't already there) is that they weren't in business long enough for those threads to start trickling in on more forums.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

If Gamestop sucks so badly, why not just shop at a competitor instead of doing this :frustrated: for the rest of your life?

Besides, 95% of the people here saying how awesome things used to be when Funco and EB were still in business are judging those companies 10-15 years after the fact with memories that are probably a little fuzzy.

I don't know about the rest of you but I am not good at recollecting how now-defunct companies treated me in the 1990's. Meanwhile, doesn't the fact that a company goes out of business or gets bought out mean they were doing things WRONG?

What some of you are forgetting is that the only thing preventing you from finding a bunch of Funco Sucks and EB Games Sucks threads on the internet (if they aren't already there) is that they weren't in business long enough for those threads to start trickling in on more forums.

If you want to get into the nuts and bolts of success/failure, Funcoland Inc. was actually doing record business when the CEO and founder Dave Pomije put it up for sale and a bidding war ensued between Software Etc. (Barnes & Noble Co.) and Electronics Boutique.

It wasn't a matter of a company going defunct due to declining profits or interest, it was a decision by an entrepreneurial company to sell at the peak of success.

Software Etc. made a cash offer of several millions in cash and EB made an offer of less millions in cash and the equivalent difference in stock.

Software Etc. made the winning bid, and then a few years year later bought EB and all of their branding as well.

[bangtango]

... some people need to keep in mind that most GameStop (and similar game retail store) employees deal with a huge HUGE HUGE amount of ignorance/grating personalities/behaviors from customers on a daily basis and while that's no outright excuse for bad service or bad company policy, that kind of thing rapidly wears away on the tolerance level of most sane, reasonable people and has a tendency to make them short-tempered, bitter, and apathetic despite their best efforts to avoid that kind of behavior.

Just remember there are always two sides to every story.

I agree completely. It is a given that a lot of people who complain about the way certain retail companies do business have never actually worked for that type of company before, whether it is a fast food company, thrift store chain, catalog company or video game store.

I work in retail (catalog) and constantly have to deal with people trying to order products that were discontinued 7-8 years ago, delibrately trying to goad employees into mistakes just to get compensation for the "error" by a manager, trying to get something for nothing, trying to come to grips with the idea of "processing" time, trying to understand why orders called in at 8 pm don't ship out later that day, etc. Not to mention credit cards. One customer is furious we don't already have their credit card on file while a customer ten minutes later is incensed that we do still have it on file.

You can never win.

With the constant complaining you see about retail, it makes me think most of the people doing the shopping are living off of unemployment checks, disability checks, lottery windfalls, lawsuit settlements or a spouse/parent's income because I think you wouldn't see half of the complaints about retail employees that you are seeing if the people doing the complaining actually made some sort of honest living 40+ hours a week.

I don't expect people who make their living solely by writing blogs, writing for web sites, reselling on Ebay, working in a cubicle for Facebook, posting videos on YouTube or any other job in which they never have to see consumers in person or talk to them by phone to have any sort of background on what it is like to be working at the retail level.

[Diatribal Deity]

.....

[duffmanth]

I'm not going to pretend I'm still an active member of any gaming scene or that the medium still interests me the way it once did, but I'd be remiss if I didn't share this gem...
I loved funcoland back from 2000-2003ish. During that time I enjoyed browsing their NES and SNES collection, looking for hidden gems and talking to a mostly knowledgeable staff of 20 or 20-somethings about games. I noticed that when Gamestop bought out funco and EB, the employees got much younger, and the stores mantra seemed to shift to pre-orders and edge cards. This was a business decision and Gamestop is a business, so that was fine with me. Anyway, around the time Wind-Waker was released, I happened to be in line behind a mother and her young son. The clerk was delivering the pitch of their reward card and touting the free subscription to game informer. The Mom seemed hesitant and asked if it had anything to do with Wind-waker. The clerk than responded with "This magazine will teach you all the codes in wind-waker as well as how to beat the game." At this point I just smiled thinking how ridiculous the whole thing sounded when I then overheard the employee say "you wont be able to beat the game without this."

It was at that point I realized that gamestop was now no longer any different from a used-car dealership filled with creepy salespeople who would lie to their mother if it made them a buck.

Sorry for the novel up there, but that story has always stuck with me, and is the chief reason why I've entered a gamestop maybe three times in the past seven years.

This is exactly how I feel about Gamestop. They tell people anything they wanna hear to make a sale, cuz there's a whole lineup of managers breathing down their necks. It's just too corporate, it was never a cool atmosphere to shop in and it's even less so now. For me going into a Gamestop is like going into a Best Buy. Half of the employees don't know their head from their ass, then the purchase of the a game is only the beginning of your adventure with them. They start trying to shove these stupid warranties and other shit down your throat.

[TonyTheTiger]

Just be thankful they're not commission workers. I can't walk into a P.C. Richard & Son without finding myself participating in the running of the bulls.

Honestly, I'm not sure why GameStop is being singled out for the clerks offering people stuff, sometimes more than once. McDonalds seems intent on pushing fries out the door, Micro Center always wants my last name, and Radio Shack seems to be awfully interested in my zip code. Let alone all the major retailers looking to get you to sign up for "their" credit card.

I think GameStop offering a magazine subscription and a preorder is par for the course. It's certainly not obscenely above and beyond what's normal.

Seriously. If you guys are freaking out about a clerk asking if you want a Game Informer subscription and a preorder for Madden you best not ever walk into a Micro Center. They ask for my last name, email address, and I'm pretty sure somebody offered me a colonoscopy.

[NaturalChemical]

Seriously, why can't Gamestop just put games in those plastic security cases like every other game store? Alternatively, just use generic cases for display and keep the sealed ones behind the counter.

That's what the shops around here have started doing; I went to pick up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom the other day, and they actually swapped the display case for a sealed one. 'Twas a pleasant surprise.

A question for anyone who's worked at GS: lately I've noticed the employees pushing used game sales harder, especially on recent games where the price difference is ~$5. Is that another thing management is trying to push, or do they just think they're being helpful?

[JerseyDevil65]

A question for anyone who's worked at GS: lately I've noticed the employees pushing used game sales harder, especially on recent games where the price difference is ~$5. Is that another thing management is trying to push, or do they just think they're being helpful?

They make more money on used games, I'm guessing thats why they push them over the new ones.

[megasdkirby]

That's what the shops around here have started doing; I went to pick up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom the other day, and they actually swapped the display case for a sealed one. 'Twas a pleasant surprise.

A question for anyone who's worked at GS: lately I've noticed the employees pushing used game sales harder, especially on recent games where the price difference is ~$5. Is that another thing management is trying to push, or do they just think they're being helpful?

The bulk of their revenue comes from used game sales, not new games or consoles. The profit margin is much larger selling a used console or game than it is selling it new. They will claim that it's a better offer, since the customer will be saving a few bucks, but underneath the statement the real truth arises, as stated above.

[Mayhem]

Gamestop pretty much makes nothing on hardware and first party accessories, but until the hardware manufacturers find a way to distribute their hardware themselves, they will always need retail outlets of some sort. Hence they need the shops.

I wonder how Gamestop will see 2011 given that Amazon are now accepting used games to buy in, and possibly at better rates...

[megasdkirby]

Gamestop pretty much makes nothing on hardware and first party accessories, but until the hardware manufacturers find a way to distribute their hardware themselves, they will always need retail outlets of some sort. Hence they need the shops.

I wonder how Gamestop will see 2011 given that Amazon are now accepting used games to buy in, and possibly at better rates...

How much does a retail outlet make per unit sold? I know they (retail) have to be making profit, else the product would not be sold...specially at work where employees get a commission from the sale (1%).

So a store has to make some profit, but how much? Probably like $20 or so per console?

[Leo_A]

That's what the shops around here have started doing; I went to pick up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom the other day, and they actually swapped the display case for a sealed one. 'Twas a pleasant surprise.

I assume you barely ever shop there or I misunderstood your message. But they always swap the display copy out for a sealed one, unless the display copy is the last one available. It's not a new policy, at least up here in upstate NY. It's been standard operating procedure since the ones up here were Electronics Boutique years ago.

Are you saying the display case wasn't a gutted new game? I've only seen that when they wanted a physical game case on the shelf for preorders of big games.