Sales events, stupid cashiers and victory

[YoshiM]

Okay, when it comes to sales I'm typically a last minute kinda guy. I've got to mull on a purchase before I spring to action. Such is the case of the Prince of Persia/Splinter Cell deal that is ending tonight (2/15). For those of you who didn't know this deal: you buy Prince of Persia (new of course) you get Splinter Cell for the same system free on the spot. The sale was on until I think the end of January but Ubisoft expanded it to February 15th. This was (according to their site) available at "your local retailer or through Ubisoft's website". No hidden jargon on "participating resellers". Just said "local".

I've been trying to find a copu of PoP to rent as I wasn't sure if it'd interest me. Since the buyers at Family Video seem to be morons (they only bought one copy: for the PS2) and the local Blockbusters only have one copy that has a return date of eternity I decided to up an buy the game. I researched the deal and decided to get the Gamecube version from my local EB Games. Granted the local store seemed to have scared off the two good knowledgable guys there, but they at least have stock on stuff.

I walked in to EB Saturday, grabbed the games, and said to the clerk that I wanted to take advantage of the Ubisoft deal. The clerk looked at me funny like I was stupid and said the "sale had ended a while ago." I told him that Ubisoft had extended the sale on both their website and with local retailers. Again I get a strange look and a "no, it's over" from the obvious manager looking dude (or was he, he looked kinda like a weasel). Basically the vibe was "I'm a dumb customer trying to get something for nothing". My wife even felt that. Normally the guys I dealt with who weren't up to speed would listen, clarify, and would take care of the customer either with honoring a sale or telling me that EB wasn't included in sale (with an apology). They didn't do anything. Anyway I said, "Fine, I'll just get it from Ubisoft's site". It was kinda in an upset tone as I was disappointed but I didn't think I sounded like a dick. The manager dude said (in a somewhat ticked off tone) to "hold on, I'll check it out". He looked at his bulletins, some papers and called someone with a conversation of "yeah, a customer said that the Prince of Persia sale was still going on and I don't see anything in the system....yeah that's what I thought [probably meaning the sale was over]". He then said that I should go to Ubi's site and order it as it's a deal. He also said that his store lost on the sale but in the same paragraph said that they weren't a part of Ubi's promotion-basically telling me his store got reimbursed. Unless I misinterpreted.

Anyway, I get home and hop online. I checked around. Best Buy had it in the freakin' paper, the local Wal-Mart said they'd honor it but they didn't have PoP for the console I chose and I could always order from Ubi. I did the Best Buy "store pickup" order and went to Green Bay today to pick them up. All is good and so are the games.

Now, to those who work at game stores, is this situation normal? EB and other stores would have to get reimbursed somehow-they get a game sale PLUS at least cost back on another item. I know there are those "at participating stores" or exclusitivity deals but there was NOTHING of the sort for this deal. Local stores meant everyone. I kinda thought maybe the dudes at EB were being jerks..not that I see ALL EB people as jerks but these guys tried to practically steal a Mario Kart: Double Dash trade from my bro in law (Story: had a bunch of games for trade, they scanned them as we looked, put used labels on and as we walked away MK wasn't on the credit slip and when asked about it one of them said that the game was always there-as in wasn't ours. We pointed out that the game was UNDER THE STUFF WE JUST TRADED and they sheepishly fixed the problem).

Thanks for letting me share.

[Packerfan66]

Ugh I hate the shithead that works at the gamestop in Fargo. He really pissed me off one time when he gave me some smart as remark and I just stared him down like I was going to kill him. Now everytime I go in there he avoids me.

[Achika]

Well, Gamestop honored it (I don't remember seeing the promotion in our promo key, but then again I wasn't looking) But we had signs all over the store, above every platform the game was on.

Anyhow, about being "reimbursed". I think this is like the "Save 25 cents on this can of OJ" coupons people clip, they use them at the supermarket, the supermarket in turn, mails them to the company, and gets the "lost profits."

Sucks about the MK. That happened to me at a Gamestop (previously Funco, before I started working at that exact same store) The guys would "forget" to ring up some games, or ring up Aladdin for GB under Aladdin for GG, so we'd get less but they could sell it for more later. We figured this out while looking for other games, before leaving the store and they seriously had a record of 10 for 10. By mistake I've forgotten to do that sometimes when I get overwhelmed, but I usually remember, type up the extra credit real quick-like and chase them out of the store or run them down in the store to give them the difference. To be honest, I don't think most people check, all they see are $$

[LazingBlazers]

This is a little off topic... but YoshiM, if you're ever in the neighborhood of Brookfield, you need to stop at my freakin' Magic Funcoland. LOL

I've been going in there since the store's inception, well over 10 years, and they provide awesome service. They almost always have good stuff, too. Except for maybe 2 or 3 people TOPS, every single worker I have ever encountered there is at the very least pleasant. Most of them were/are good people.

I still to this day cannot fathom why so many people seem to dislike Funcoland/GameStop? I've read the complaints, but I guess the grass is just greener over here. LOL

[nesuser2]

Awesome to hear that you actually managed to get in on the deal without going online. I always wait until the last minute and end up screwing myself.

As far as eb and gamestop. Some of the people there, I'm ok with. Then there are others that seem ok, but after you've asked the 2nd question...they start getting short with you. And that really ticks me off. When I went into EB and asked if they had the Viewtiful Joe Strategy Guide, they said....it's back on the shelf. And I already looked there, but I checked again because I was in a hurry. So I come back and say that I didn't see it and considering they work there, they should know where to find it better than I. So the guy says, O...I guess we don't have any. And walks off to help somebody else. So, I went to TRU...asked the clerk for one...she walks into the back and comes back..."Is this all you need?" I don't expect a red rug rolled out but I don't want to dig through disorganized NEW stuff just to find something that they should have. I will however dig through disorganized used stuff for a while to hunt down obscurities. Also, none of the GS or EB employees in my area know anything about computers or games. I hear them talking a couple months ago about how they found this awesome program for their computer that lets them play NES games but they can't find any of the games. Is that a current event? And a used Microcon controller for xbox in the used GCN section marked 3rd party GCN controller. So I bought it for 9.99 and the right thumbstick doesn't work for up and down. Returned it and ended up with a used controller S(stupid move) but it does work and they put it back in the GCN section for sale. Lastly, I was at a GS about an hour from my house...all sorts of great finds, awesome service. :hmm: Anyways, all done with my rant now....

[SoulBlazer]

AS with any store or place of business, it really varies from place to place. Hopefully you live in a major area where there's several stores that will all honor each others prices if you have any problems. I normaly get most of my stuff at a EB and I know most of the people there by first name. Just last month I asked to find some guides after looking for them, they said there was one in the computer, and the assisant manager dug around all the stacks to find them for me AND disocunted them since he recalled I had bought the games. THAT was cool. 8-)

[YoshiM]

This is a little off topic... but YoshiM, if you're ever in the neighborhood of Brookfield, you need to stop at my freakin' Magic Funcoland. LOL

I've been going in there since the store's inception, well over 10 years, and they provide awesome service. They almost always have good stuff, too. Except for maybe 2 or 3 people TOPS, every single worker I have ever encountered there is at the very least pleasant. Most of them were/are good people.

I still to this day cannot fathom why so many people seem to dislike Funcoland/GameStop? I've read the complaints, but I guess the grass is just greener over here. LOL

Actually I have stopped in there a few times and you are right, those people are pretty good. Last time I was in asking for Saturn games they started talking about imports for the system. That was refreshing. Appleton has a decent Gamestop/Funco as well.

Soulblazer: I live around Sheboygan so my pickings are really slim: EB Games, Sears, Wal-Mart, Shop-Ko and a ghetto Big K (the only thing big about it is the sign-place has practically been the same since for as long as I can remember). 10 minutes away leads to another Wal-Mart, Fleet Farm (like a Menards if you don't have an FF-"if you can't find it at FF you don't need it" is the common motto) and another better Big-K. I probably could have gotten the deal at the other local stores but their game stocks are fairly limited and none of them had either PoP or S.C. in stock. Since I was going to Green Bay to do our Sam's Club run we stopped at Best Buy on the way. Not an overly big deal but the experience makes me not want to deal with that particular EB.

Achika: yeah I'm now a LOT more careful if I do have to deal with EB (still have some credit left there) and they are losing my trust on many fronts. They also tend to really mark stuff up that are supposedly "hard to find". I've seen those Outlaw Golf/Vollyball games Blockbuster sells for $5 on the EB used shelf for $15, the Zelda OoT/Master Quest disc for $35 and (the REAL kicker as IT'S STILL AVAILABLE for at LEAST a $20 subscription) $44.99 for the Legend of Zelda Collector's edition for Gamecube. On the last one I literally exclaimed "what a ripoff" when I saw it on the shelf. I can kinda understand the OoT/M.Q. as you can't get it anymore but the Collector Edition is still available (while supplies last).

Ugh. Well hopefully an acquaintance of mine will be opening his game store soon. New, used AND classic.