Electronics Boutique Update

[Sylentwulf]

I just called, as of March 1st, Returns are for same title ONLY. If ANYTHING is opened and you have a receipt, you can only exchange for the same title, so they won't even be giving out store credit anymore :(

[Achika]

*wistles in amazement*

Glad I've never found anything there I wanted...cept for a few clearene rack items and good deals on DC games. But that sucks, they're really cutting people off there.

[hamburgler]

that isn't good at all.Now if i open a game,i can't return it for a different game which by the way sucks.Now i'm angry about what is gonna happen to
EB. >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

[EnemyZero]

Hmmmm...Yeah I went to EB yestarday only yo hear the words "sorry man" come out of my best friends mouth. No longer can they help me!. No more buying an RPG, playing on and off for a week , realizing it sucks then take it back.... hmph! STUPID STUPID EB GAMES! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

[kainemaxwell]

Well, doing that'll likely kill them. I don't buy new games from EB unless I have to, I usually go for Babagges/Gamestop and EBX for DC titles.

They've likely lost my business with them.

[briskbc]

This is pretty much the reason I rent before I buy.

[maxlords]

Wow....that must be new. I was in there just 3 days ago and the manager told me if I hated a game I could take it back and exchange it for another one. Now I can't even do THAT??? And not getting my money back if was bad enough..... I think they've lost me as a customer for the most part. I probably will go in there to buy a SCANT few games that I can't get other places, but only ones I KNOW I want. Even so...I used to buy 30-50 games a year from them a few years ago, and now I'm gonna be down to 5 or less. I'm waiting for htem to stop accepting used games as well, that would nail the coffin shut. I hope they go out of business.

@ birskbc - Not everyone can do that. I like to rent stuff before I buy it, but as I've stated elsewhere, it's almost impossible anymore, cause rental stores aren't buying RPGs due to the fact that they don't rent well. Kinda makes it 10X harder to justify buying new games at all really, since I can't play anything before I buy it or exchange it for something else if hate it or get my money back.

[MarkM2112]

I am actually surprised they allowed that in the first place... No place that I ever went to allowed that because of piracy issues...

[kevincure]

I shop at mostly independent stores, and I can tell you, none of them would let you return open games like EB did. You guys are basically ripping off the store and using it as a Blockbuster, and because of those kind of actions, people with legitimate reasons for returns are getting screwed. I fail to see how this is EB's fault.

[GENESISNES]

Damn. my eb wont let me test any of the games in the store, when they very well have the systems hooked up to the tv with a controller sticking out!! :argue:

[Nature Boy]

It's unfortunate but I'm guessing it was abused enough that they had to stop it. They'll lose some business in the short term but I think you're jumping the gun if you say it'll kill them.

They ticked me off this past Xmas though - I got a game for Xmas, still sealed, that I wanted to exchange (but I didn't have the receipt, it being a gift). The guy behind the counter had the nerve to suggest I could trade it in but other than that I couldn't exchange it. Like I'm going to trade in a sealed game - I'd've kept it before I'd do that.

[portnoyd]

Well, it'll hurt them. They're getting killed by Funcostop Inc anyway....

My opinion is that it's a pretty good idea. Leads to less games being sold that are not really "new".

dave

[YoshiM]

This is what people on the IGN boards are shnuttering about as well.

Personally, it's a loss that this feature will no longer be available. Where I live, there are only 3 video rental places that are local-a Family Video and two Block Busters. Family has the most selection, but the latest games are always rented out. Block Buster has a smaller selection but usually the latest titles are also rented out. What is a gamer to do when they want a new game? Buy the title and hope you like it or wait for the rental to come back the next time you walk into the rental store? At least this gave me another avenue-if I didn't like it I could bring it back.

Kevincure: EB's policy was when you buy the game and if you didn't like it, you could return it for store credit or for another title ONCE. After that (unless much whining ensued-I'm sure many a manager caved), the game is yours.

How they would lose money, I'm not sure unless they sold 'em as used right away or just reshrinkwrap 'em and resell as new. If the person got some used games, the store probably got MORE of a profit due to mark up of used games. Maybe it was just a hassle for them.

Oh well. I'll still shop there, as there isn't a store like it locally. I'll miss the policy and I probably won't buy new games as often. I'll probably buy the game used to offset the rental fee for trying it out.

[jaybird]

I shop at mostly independent stores, and I can tell you, none of them would let you return open games like EB did. You guys are basically ripping off the store and using it as a Blockbuster, and because of those kind of actions, people with legitimate reasons for returns are getting screwed. I fail to see how this is EB's fault.

I have to agree. I've never returned a game I didn't like to any store. I always figured I was stupid for jumping the gun & buying a crappy game in the first place without researching it.

It's not the store's fault I bought a suck-ass game.

[Nature Boy]

What is a gamer to do when they want a new game?

The same thing you did before EB and it's policy (and the same thing you do when you're buying DVD Movies I'd bet) - research what you're buying before you buy it. Word of mouth, magazines, rent it, websites, whatever.

[bargora]

Well, it'll hurt them. They're getting killed by Funcostop Inc anyway....

My opinion is that it's a pretty good idea. Leads to less games being sold that are not really "new".

dave
Or as I think of them, "Funcostoppage's, Etc."

I wish I'd known about EB's liberal return policy before (1) they closed their local store and (2) ended the policy. I agree that they are being steamrolled by B&N's 4-headed VG hydra-juggernaut.

[maxlords]

By the way, in case any of you think EB is losing money on that policy..they're not. All returns that are in good shape are resealed and sold as new. I have it on good authority direct from a guy I know that works there (and he works in three different local EBs) that EVERY store in teh chain does that...it's company policy. They don't lose money...they make money. Sell the game....then sell it again. They do it on used games that aren't returns too, as long as they're recent games.

[Kid Fenris]

By the way, in case any of you think EB is losing money on that policy..they're not. All returns that are in good shape are resealed and sold as new. I have it on good authority direct from a guy I know that works there (and he works in three different local EBs) that EVERY store in teh chain does that...it's company policy. They don't lose money...they make money. Sell the game....then sell it again. They do it on used games that aren't returns too, as long as they're recent games.

I worked in an EB Games during this most recent Christmas season, and I never witnessed anyone resealing returned games. Sometimes, a returned game would be sold as "new," provided that it was in pristine shape, but the resealing thing isn't a chain-wide policy, and neither is the practice of sealing a second-hand title.

[Six Switch]

Damn. my eb wont let me test any of the games in the store, when they very well have the systems hooked up to the tv with a controller sticking out!! :argue:

Yea that sucks.The only game I have tested out there is Power Stone 2.

[digdug]

I would like to know what Gamestops policy on returns is??? EB is doing what ALL companies already do, i.e. Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal Mart, Meijer, Toys 'R Us, and MANY other stores. Most of the replies are correct, TOO many customers were abusing the policy. As far as Gamestop i.e. Barnes & Nolbe JUGGERNAUT; Have you checked the stock between the 2 companies. I rest my case,


I agree with the people that do not have the ability to rent games from places that have a large amount of games it does suck. Outside of us collectors most people trade in there games once they are done with them anyway, so outside of Gamestop, and EB and some Ma & Pa stores I don't see how you are losing out.

Just my 2 cents


P.S. Don't get me Wrong I like Gamestop as well, I just feell TOO many people used it as a poor mans Blockbuster.

DIG DUG

[scooterb23]

I figured this is the way it always was before. No changes in my attitude, still the best chain around here...

[YoshiM]

What is a gamer to do when they want a new game?

The same thing you did before EB and it's policy (and the same thing you do when you're buying DVD Movies I'd bet) - research what you're buying before you buy it. Word of mouth, magazines, rent it, websites, whatever.


Well, if you read my post a bit closer you'll know that for me and perhaps others who live in or by small cities or even towns, renting is some times not an option. Unless I want to camp out in front of the store.

I agree, research and reviews are paramount. I mean, how would you know if you like a game if all you know is the title? However, reviews aren't always great either as they sometimes have a bias slant-either to company product or by genre. There's reading about it, then there is playing it. Then there's the hype factor, which seems to be hitting many of the popular game news sites. IGN and DOAXV shows how far hype can go. Another example of both hype and high reviews is Shenmue. I looked forward to playing this game after reading the sheer electronic ton of information. Open ended? Yeah, I can handle that-I'm a die hard Elder Scrolls Arena and Daggerfall fan. How much more open ended can you get than walking across the realm of Daggerfall without using the time saving Travel mode? Living in a smaller city, I couldn't rent the game (Family Video didn't rent Dreamcast and both Blockbusters didn't have many DC games). No one I or my friends knew anyone with a Dreamcast or Shenmue. The web had all the info that made it sound good and any posting I read on message boards weren't really reliable as the most descriptions I'd get were "it r0x0rs" or "it sux0rs". So I took the plunge. Was disappointed. Got burned.

Now I'm a big boy and I will take my lumps with purchases. But to think I'm going to pass up the opportunity to legitimately take back a stinker game I researched thinking it was going to be good and get one I like? Your resolve is better than mine.