Another Game Stop Noob story!

[vintagegamecrazy]

Long story short, I bought a Gameboy Advance SP from GameCrazy for my fiance's birthday with a copy of Yoshi Topsy Turvy, gave it to her, went to dinner and then asked her if she wanted to check Game stop to see their game selection, she said Yeah. Before we went to GS we stopped in Target and checked out their games as well and saw SM Advance 4 Mario 3 new for 29.99, we checked on a few more games then went to GS. We got to Gamestop and it was busy and cluttered as usual and there were two or three employees we went to the counter and saw a loose copy of Mario Advance 4 Mario 3 with no price on it and asked how much it costed because she really wanted it. He checked it out and said 29.99, I'm told him that's rediculous and a ripoff. He responds no it's not, it's a really rare game, I told him no it's not Target has like three copies new in stock for the same price
Now he gets this dry rude tone to his voice

.......it's rare for us very few people will ever trade it in to us....

I told him it's still a ripoff (I was being polite BTW) he then goes in the same voice

...the used one's a better deal.....
...you get $3 off with you GS card....

I told him three bucks is nothing I'd rather have a new one for that price.

He then walks away and starts findind a game for another customer and keeps babbling on and on.

...it's a better deal....
...we have 7 day guarantee...
...if it's defective we can return it for you money back and you can get a different game...
...if you buy it from Target and it's defective you own it and it's your problem...

I then repeated once again, "it's still overpriced and a ripoff!"

Finally he walked back to me and now acting like a jerk he said "then go over there and buy it!"

The whole time he was babbling on and on my fiance was telling me "Doug, I don't know anything about games but I know this guy is being a jerk." I'm like lets leave this is a waste of time.

I wasn't mad at the employee, I didn't want him to lower the price I know it was set, but I was pretty disgusted with snooty attitude and him trying to BS me into buying a severely overpriced game. It seems to happen a lot now with Game stop staff, they won't even make friendly talk with you at any location and they are 100% morons as far as games go and they pretend to know everything, and that urks me to no end. That is why I shop at Game Crazy now.

Just a week or so a close friend of mine went to another Game Stop in my area to buy a copy of Zelda Windwaker. He found two cases on the wall with manuals included, he took it and one other game up to the counter and was ready to purchase them and cashier pulled out both games from under the counter and neither had manuals and said you have to buy these two copies. He then said I want the manuals with them you have multiple copies of each and I want complete ones, the cashier said no, you have to buy these two, my friend stared at him for a minute or so then the cashier said (like a complete moron)

...wellllll yurrr nott gonna buy these then?.....

No I don't want the loose ones I want complete ones

... Okay, fine....

He walked out of the store and was pretty disgusted because he knew there was several copies there but the cashier was like trying to sell all of the clutter and excess loose games out, needless to say my friend got treated pretty badly.

I rarely go into a stop anymore they have nothing useful and the exployees are just usually jerks and not at all polite. What are your experiences as of late, have most of you given up on the stop too?

[Jorpho]

That's it?

(EDIT: Ah, in before the edit!)

[badinsults]

I guess the moral is, if you think it is overpriced, don't buy it. :p

[evil_genius]

lol i witnessed an EB manager throw an xbox at a customer, hows that for customer service.

[suppafly]

IF the price isnt right, then dont buy it and dont complain to the workers...they dont determine the price of the items

This is a kevin_psx-esque story x_x

[vintagegamecrazy]

I didn't try to complain, all I said is that is way overpriced. I wanted to leave it at that, he just went on and on trying to push the game on me, he was acting like he was working on commission and it was his first day there. I really wanted to tell him to shut up but I was tired and not in the mood for a war.

[slip81]

I can definately attest to the GS staff being snottyer than usual lately.

Just recently I bought a used copy of Breath of Fire II from there for the GBA for $14.99. I get home, play the game, save, pull the cart out and come back to it later to find out my save is gone. I do this three more times all with the same result.

So I bring the game back to GS and wait at the counter for about 3 minutes while the clerks 4 feet away ignore me because their busy complaining about another customer even after I say "excuse me" to them.

Finally I get a clerk, tell him the game doesn't work, he tests it, the game turns on, he tells me it's fine. I then say
"No, the battery is shot, it won't save games, try it out if you wish." He says "OK" and stares at me. I ask him for a refund and he continues to stare at me. I ask him for a refund again and they both give a dirty look and finally give me my money back.

I wasn't rude in anyway to these people and I certainly didn't appreciate their attitude toward me when I asked for my money back.

Needless to say I don't plan on going to a GS in the future.

[jcalder8]

IF the price isnt right, then dont buy it and dont complain to the workers...they dont determine the price of the items
Couldn't agree more.

I can understand telling the emplyee that you can buy it cheaper somewhere else to see if they will beat it but after he says no leave it at that. Just my two cents.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Yeah ain't it crappy how they shove that 7 day no hassle return policy down you throat to get you to buy the game, then when there's a problem they throw a fit about it and act like jerks?

[LAGO]

I can understand about shoddy customer servuce, but isn't stating that a game is overpriced kinda ... well complaining?

[Mr.FoodMonster]

It seems like if you had just said 'Wow, the sealed copy is cheaper, I'll go buy that' and walked away, you would've been fine. You were obviously egging the guy on by repeating 'its a rip-off!' and he was sick of it. I know if I was in his position with a customer telling me the prices of games that were beyond my control were a rip off over and over, I'd probably get a little more annoyed quicker. The guy was trying to do his job, and that is to sell videogames to people that want them.

Also, the GS employees at my local shop are pretty cool. One time I wanted a used copy of a PS2 game, and I asked to see all the copies they had. The guy brought all 4 or 5 out and laid them all out. I looked through all of them and got the best condition stuff (that wasn't greatest hits) and all he said, jokingly, was 'Oh, you're one of them?' I laughed and responded 'Yeah, I am' and he said he does the same thing when he gets something.

[Jorpho]

We got to Gamestop and it was busy and cluttered as usual and there were two or three employees


It seems to happen a lot now with Game stop staff, they won't even make friendly talk with you

:hmm:

[joshnickerson]

Eh, I've had a wide variety of experiences with Gamestop employees, and all from the same store! Some of them are rude and snotty, while others appear genuinely friendly and helpful, even going so far to check and see if they have manuals tucked away somewhere.

Of course, in my experience these stores seem to cycle through employees pretty quickly. If you don't like a person that works there, chances are he'll be gone in a few months anyway.

[geneshifter]

I just went to the GS across from the parks mall in Arlington, TX, because of this thread to see for myself if this is true.

I haven't been there in a long time and they were kinda rude. They just act like no-it-alls and consider you subhuman. I'd like to shove my Ph.D. dissertation in their faces so we could compare brain power, but I decided THEY were the subhumans 8-)

[VACRMH]

Damn, glad I don't work at EB anymore.

I hated people like you.

[geneshifter]

Damn, glad I don't work at EB anymore.

I hated people like you.

I'm glad you don't either :P

GS used to be OK to go to but now I wonder about that seeing all the complaints here.

On a related question, how is gamecrazy compared to GS or EB??

[Xizer]

Topic creator sounds like an asshat.

Why complain to the employee when he can't do anything about it? It accomplishes nothing. It sounds like you were just trying to provoke him, and you kept arguing with him. It sounds to me like you're the noob. That's real mature to keep continuing a pointless argument.

Maybe if you didn't troll GameStop employees they would be nicer with you. I've never had a problem with a GS or an EB employee.

P.S.: I've never had a problem with the 7-day return policy. I returned a game once, and I was only asked a single question: Why? I just said it was giving me disc read errors, and the employee gave me a refund.

In fact, my GameStop used to have a 90-day return policy. Returned a game something like 80 days in for defective issues (I buy tons of games but don't get to play them all for a while), with no hassles.

[Damaramu]

Hmm....why say anything at all?

To echo a post above, in the time you spent standing there arguing with the employee you could've gone and bought the new copy elsewhere. :hmm:

[keiblerfan69]

Yeah I have never liked Gamestop. They do very shady business and its a shame that EB is run by them now.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Of course they're evil - they want YOUR MONEY. :P

I don't like the store so much. They have some very expensive prices... but they're okay for other things. I've bought Gamestop branded accessories and haven't had a problem with them at all.

Though... they wanted $40 for a GB game. Just... no. :P

[Sniderman]

Sigh. I see we have YAGSEBGBITST.










(Yet Another "GameStop/EB Games/Babbage's Is Teh Suxxors" Thread)

[Poofta!]

the interesting thing is, mario advance 4 has dropped to $20 dollars new in all locations (that im aware of), gamestop, eb and otherwise. i just picked up a new one about 2 weeks ago for 20$

[videogameoverdose]

I still ask and get manuals and cases when I ask for them, even for games I bought loose over a month prior.....I usually ask the same person I bought the game from or the manager. This is were the extra E3 shirts come into play. I give managers of the stores (chain stores and mom & pop) I deal with an exclusive E3 crew shirt (zero cost to me) and save thousands over the coarse of the year.
More than once, the managers of the GS I go to, have given me 6" stacks of original game manuals for GB, GBC, GBA, NES, SNES and PSX, I guess they needed room in the drawers for the higher priced/newer games! :D

Now the messed up part of Gamestop....besides the overpricing on newer games.
I won't be buying ANY new games from Gamestop since the time I bought FF11 for PC and I didn't get all the registration codes for the game. All I got was the buddy pass codes, by the time my kid told me about it, Gamestop didn't know where the other registration codes were. So now, when I buy new, I want to open the wrapper!

FYI: For all the N64 collectors, Gamestop will be dumping all their N64 carts just befor the PS3 hits the shelves, keep your eyes open for some great deals.

[Felixthegamer]

I know if I don't like a store, its employees or they way they do business, I stop shopping there. it really isn't a big deal. It also doesn't help to tell an employee that it is over priced when he has no control over what the price is.

[Fighter17]

I never shop any of there stores, there's something call the internet and the flea market. :P

[segarocks30]

Ya, I mean really, though, don't put the poor dude through hell for something he didn't have anything to do with it. Well he coulda at least said:

"Sorry sir, I have nothing to do with the prices and i also think it's stupid." He was trying to sell something to you, that's his job. But..He was pretty much trying to rip you off so he was an ass and fine in certain ways.

I dislike GS because at mine, they have very limited selections. Their employees have been fine. I've only dealt with one asshole VG Store employee, and that was at EB. What happened was, I saw Rolo for the Genesis there. I didn't get at the day, so, I called maybe a week later. It was almost complete (No Manual). So I call EB. This idiot picks up...

Idiot: "Hello, EB Games( all the other gibber)"
Me: "Hello, I was wondering if you have Rolo To The Rescue..."

Now the idiot doesn't even check the store for the game!

Idiot: "Oh, we haven't had that game for a long time"
Me: "Wow, strange, I saw it like a week ago..."
Then we end call. I then come to the store. Before that, he actually finally checked, and still said it wasn't there. I Went over to the all the complete Genny games. There it fucking is. The bastard only looked in the LOOSE games! Oh, my, that was funny.

[Muscelli]

do they make commission on used games or something? Every time (rarely) I buy games from one of the stores, they always ask me if I want to buy the game used, and then tell me their money back garuntee even if the used copy costs one dollar less..

I dont get where all these complaints come from.. I go to the mall often and usually visit an EBX while I am there. The guys are usually pretty chill, and will tell you if a game flat out sucks, and give you an honest opinion not to mention they usually DONT reccomend trade ins, yeah, numerous occasions they suggested I just keep the game instead of getting shafted..

I do have to admit that its pretty weird, the moment I walk in somebody working there will ask me if I want to trade in my games while my hands are empty and I have a blank stare, but heh whatever..

[steveant1636]

i just hope none of you guys shop at my store, LOL. if you know the game is cheaper brand new someplace else just shut up and go buy it there.

[Nick]

Hehe..gamestop is such a pos. I went in there about a month or two ago to trade in some games (knowing that I was getting ripped off, but wanted to buy a game that day due to boredom) and the girl that worked there told me she couldn't trade in my new games. I asked her what she was talking about and she told me my copy of Golden Sun was new and she wouldn't take it.

As i'm sure most of you can understand the game was complete and perfect in the box with the plastic wrap on but most definetely opened. I always slit the top of my gba boxes plastic and leave it on to keep it in perfect shape. She then told me that they have a policy on new game trade-ins and the store will not allow them to accept them. I told her that I like to take care of my stuff and as if I was talking to a wall she said she couldn't take new games. I didnt feel like arguing since all I was going to get was a nice fat F-ing rip off price anyway. Afterwards, she stated that I could go make it look used and bring it back another day.

I can see how the store would have a policy regarding new games. Obviously there are dumbass thiefs who come in wanting to trade these games in, but what is that going to do to stop them? I had my nephew with me and I am without question a normal, decent and polite person. What a bitch and what a stupid ass store.

Next time you go to gamestop make sure to "Shitty-Up" your games before the trade-in because they might just decide your a thief with "new" stolen goods.

I do try and shop at GameCrazy as much as I can now and although the experience is usually more positive then GS it could be better. But what can we really expect from teenagers who make minimum wage at a national chain store?

Oh and btw, for the people that were getting on the topic creators case about "go somewhere else" etc etc You guys have no idea, you must be previous or future GameStop employees. Anyone decent knows the kind of BS and idiots good people have to put up with there. :D

[DragonMaster Sam]

Flea Markets will also overprice some games as well. I was at one last year, and some guy was selling Secret of Mana (cart only) for $54!! And Contra III: Alien Wars (SNES - cart only) was $18.

[Yoshukai]

I'll chime in with my GS opinion. The GS I shop at has been both a good and bad experience depending on who works there.

The Good: Back when Popolocrois came out I was desperate for a game for my PSP so I picked it up. A couple of hours into the game I was bored to tears. The GS that I bought it from used to have a policy where they would accept returns on new games within 7 days (I know this for a fact having used it before) so I attempt to return it. The policy was gone, and they offered me like $14 trade in, so that was somewhere between $20 and $25 down the crapper. However, the manager knew how often I shopped there and decided to let me return the game for full price.

The Bad: Not too long after the Pikmin 2 price drop I go by to buy it hoping they have some non GH copies left. They guy behind the counter pulls out a GH copy and I get some resistance when I ask him to see if they have an old version in. That isn't the bad part. When I ask if they have it used, some other jackass from behind the counter starts laughing at me, saying that there is no way they would have Pikmin 2 used.

The bad experience wasn't too terrible, I just don't appreciate condescending attitudes from clerks. But I think it illustrates that it really isn't GameStop as an institution that is flawed, it depends on who works there, IMHO.

[Tony Montana]

Wow, yeah the original poster is a definite asshole and I see nothing wrong with how they treated you. I love how you say "I told him it was still a ripoff (I was polite BTW)" so if I say you're a jackass but have a polite tone you wont be annoyed? They push the used stuff with all those standard lines because the store makes more money on used sales and they are told to do push those. Its obvious you knew he couldnt change the price but you kept pushing and pushing trying to get a reaction, I think that says far more about your character and attitude than his.

Your friend on the other hand has a right to be pissed, if theres a manual in the display there is no reason they shouldnt give it to them.

I dont think you guys on your high horse understand that there is several people like this who come into that store every day and some are alot worse, so try being nice and you will most likely get it in return.

Whats funny is that there are stories about "All EBs Suck" or ALl GS's have employees with bad attitudes" but it all comes down to the few stores you've been to, all companies have some bad stores with dumbasses running them. I personally have only been to a couple EBs that I liked and alot more GameStops.

And all I can say about the guy with a Ph D is Wow, just wow.

[videogameoverdose]

If you frequent the same stores and spend $$ on a semi-regular basis, the manager can give discounts, I think he rang it up under 'competitors discount' or something like that. He verified by phone the cost and sold it for the same price.
Gamestop manager called Blockbuster/Game*whatever.
I spend a lot at a couple of stores, instead of a little at a lot of stores. This tends to get me a little respect from the managers/owners.

The only thing you can do about the rude tude is to let the management know and take your $$ somewhere else, when they see the monthly sales drop and don't see you for a while, they figure out their problems and fix them.

[-hellvin-]

I can understand your frustration for sure. I hate buying anything from them because it looks like it was first used as toilet paper before being put on the shelf, and then they added like 20 stickers to the damn case. That's if it's complete. Otherwise it's a row of nice blue cases with all the game titles written in marker. I'd just much rather buy any new game where I work and get a nice discount. NO reason to bother with that store ever again.

I don't think you should have complained that much about the price though, that stuff's beyond their control. I kind of side with the guy on his attitude because I get the same thing people at best buy all the time regarding mostly DVDs. OMFG, 24.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF MAN, YOU ASSHOLES......

I don't decide the prices!!

[Sothy]

He shoulda totally been like "Oh shit its cheaper somewhere else!?" Then sold it to you for 2$ because he owns Gamestop.

[Niku-Sama]

well i guess i am lucky our game stop here is still called Software Ect. and they suck ass i dont go in there any more.

the EB down a littl ways form software is alright, i have had the guys lower the price for me on some things because they couldnt sell it. they offered to lower the price on a console only SNES but they said it would only go as low as $20 (regularly $25)....at the same time though they dont know any thing older than sex box and PS2....they know about The Wizzard but thats about it.

[scorch56]

I live in the same town as Niku. Our town isn't like most others.. for years and years the ONLY gaming chain in town was Software etc.. If you wanted more personal service you went to the only mom & pop store in town (here for years as well) but that guy (the owner) has always been kind of rude.. but he's probably in a bad mood because he never sells squat. He's WAY overpriced, and he gives next to nothing in trades (his "stock" sucks too).

Then we recently got an EB in the mall (Is THAT what it is Niku? I've only been in it a couple of times.) and a Game Crazy in the local Hollywood Video on my end of town. Medford is kind of a weird-assed place. I mean seriously. Most EB's and Software Etc's shut down in bigger cities years ago only to be replaced by bigger superchains (Game Crazy or Game Stop.. we don't have one) and here we are JUST getting these older chains in here. Because most of them are new.. some don't even WANT to deal in 8 or 16-bit games. They "TRY" NOT to deal in them, but they'll take them in trade and give you next to nothing for them.

For the most part.. the workers are teenagers.. but for the most part.. they're also friendly. I'm 49 years old; and I can talk with the best of them. There's a guy at our Game Crazy that's into Mecha games, and we can talk for hours. I'll tell ya' though.. when I've been in these stores I've seen the majority of clientele they serve. In our town (also known as "poverty city") I've seen some REAL social rejects and "lonely" people in these places. Parents even drop off their "latchkey" kids in them for babysitting sometimes it seems. The employees seem helpless when it comes to this and I've seen 12 and 13 year old kids try and talk to these poor people for hours on end about any drivel they can come up with. You can tell they are bored but they're always polite, maybe because so few kids here in town have that "dream job" of working in a video game store that they actually APPRECIATE it. I've seen them put up with endless amounts of crap from ignorant, clueless customers.. and smile.

I DO think it's kind of funny though.. the way some of you guys lump ALL employees of any given superchain into one profile (rude, nice, etc.). It's like you think they all come out of a mold somewhere or maybe they process them like the Necromongers did the converts in the Chronicles of Riddick.
Do they send them to GameStop U or something? LOL

I've always wanted to work in a game store (even at my age) but there's no amount of money that could make me do it here.. locally.

[Niku-Sama]

yea its eb that came here a year or 2 ago.

although its near by i dont go to game crazy too often and the mom and pop store (the game exchange down by marie callenders) is closed for good now soo....flea markets i guess.

i should go to game crazy more often its close by, i managed to get a NES challenge set for $40 there in box...its in awsome shape how ever the manuals dissappeared from wheni saw it the first visit to when i came back to buy it. also the last time i was at game crazy some chick asked me at the door if i had any money....i gave her a lottery ticket i hadnt checked but it werided me out...and i have put up with this place all my life and it still werided me out.

[scorch56]

also the last time i was at game crazy some chick asked me at the door if i had any money....i gave her a lottery ticket i hadnt checked but it werided me out...and i have put up with this place all my life and it still werided me out.

..SERIOUSLY? Was it the little blonde bimbo? She shouldn't even be working there.. she's kind of snooty (I'd like to see here end up at Taco Bell) or was it the little petite brunette with the tattoos down here arm? She's actually very nice; and knows games.

I also remember being in there once and there was a female manager calling people for job interviews (and having a hard time getting anybody to come in I remember).

Game Exchange went out of business? Does he still have his first store open out on N Pacific Hwy? I remember when he opened the newer store in town.. I couldn't believe he was actually going to keep them BOTH open.. because his business was so poor to begin with. I knew his second store wouldn't last long.. everytime I went in there.. I was alone.

[Leo_A]

Poofta, that's not true. Retailers like EB aren't selling Super Mario Advance 4 for $20. You must be thinking of the recent players choice rereleases of Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 and Super Mario Advance.

[InsaneDavid]

That is why I shop at Game Crazy now.

Why does everyone sing the praises of Game Crazy when they're simply the lesser of the remaining evils?

Their games are the same beat up, untested crap as everyone else. (although after a 3 for $15 PS1 buying frenzy I go in the next day "these all skip" and get them all buffed out and resurfaced for free) LOL They open brand new games that no one wants to play because "they're new releases, go ahead and open them in case someone wants to try them out" and then sell the opened games as new. Now if there's a problem with that game that THEY opened before you purchased it, you cannot return it as new. If you gave it as a gift and the person already had it, it cannot be returned as new. THEY opened it, when you weren't even in the store, the ONE copy they may have gotten in... you as the purchaser didn't say "I'd like to try that..." they did it on their own, and now you get the shaft. Where if the game was sealed there would be no problem at all. My time on both sides of the counter at GameCrazy was a big awakening to the morons at the highest levels in these companies - I knew they weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, but oh man...

[Oobgarm]

Wow, yeah the original poster is a definite asshole and I see nothing wrong with how they treated you. I love how you say "I told him it was still a ripoff (I was polite BTW)" so if I say you're a jackass but have a polite tone you wont be annoyed? They push the used stuff with all those standard lines because the store makes more money on used sales and they are told to do push those. Its obvious you knew he couldnt change the price but you kept pushing and pushing trying to get a reaction, I think that says far more about your character and attitude than his.

Your friend on the other hand has a right to be pissed, if theres a manual in the display there is no reason they shouldnt give it to them.

I dont think you guys on your high horse understand that there is several people like this who come into that store every day and some are alot worse, so try being nice and you will most likely get it in return.

Whats funny is that there are stories about "All EBs Suck" or ALl GS's have employees with bad attitudes" but it all comes down to the few stores you've been to, all companies have some bad stores with dumbasses running them. I personally have only been to a couple EBs that I liked and alot more GameStops.

And all I can say about the guy with a Ph D is Wow, just wow.

Well said.

[scorch56]

Hmm....why say anything at all?

..his GIRLFRIEND was with him! (I think it's required.) ;)

[geneshifter]

Well, I went down the street to an EB in Mansfield and those guys were great; A lot better experience than GS in Arlington. I thought I read that EB and GS had merged so I wasn't expecting much difference. I think the difference really was that the guys at EB were a bit older and knew how to deal with people better than those kids at GS.

I've read other people's comments and it does seem to be a mixed bag. For you that work at these places, do they still teach you that the customer is always right? Just wondering because it seems some of you have similar attitude issues.

My dissertation comment was made about that particular GS since they really were a bunch of morons, probably similar to the employees others have experienced. Just give people a SHRED of respect, that is all it takes. You are in customer service so suck it up and have a better attitude. This is what I did when I worked customer service many moons ago.

[Tony Montana]

If you frequent the same stores and spend $$ on a semi-regular basis, the manager can give discounts, I think he rang it up under 'competitors discount' or something like that. He verified by phone the cost and sold it for the same price.
Gamestop manager called Blockbuster/Game*whatever.
I spend a lot at a couple of stores, instead of a little at a lot of stores. This tends to get me a little respect from the managers/owners.

The only thing you can do about the rude tude is to let the management know and take your $$ somewhere else, when they see the monthly sales drop and don't see you for a while, they figure out their problems and fix them.

Yeah the manager can price match if another store has the same NEW product in stock cheaper, but they are not supposed to change any prices on the used stuff.


He shoulda totally been like "Oh shit its cheaper somewhere else!?" Then sold it to you for 2$ because he owns Gamestop.

Thats beautiful.


Then we recently got an EB in the mall (Is THAT what it is Niku? I've only been in it a couple of times.) and a Game Crazy in the local Hollywood Video on my end of town. Medford is kind of a weird-assed place. I mean seriously. Most EB's and Software Etc's shut down in bigger cities years ago only to be replaced by bigger superchains (Game Crazy or Game Stop.. we don't have one) and here we are JUST getting these older chains in here.

Well you got 2 GameStops now, Software Etc was bought by them a long time ago they just must not have changed the name on it for some reason, and EB is part of GameStop now too.

[vintagegamecrazy]

You guys that are bashing me aren't understanding me, I told him it was a ripoff once and just wanted to keep browsing, I was looking with my fiance at rest of the GBA games and was trying to mind my business and he kept going on and on. I for the most part ignored him but I finally just told him it was too much and he kept going on and on. I like Game Crazy a lot more now, when you go in they are like hay, how's it going lately (in any store) Game Stop is always like "what'd ya come in for?" they always have a lesser degree of customer service. I don't normally shop there but Game Crazy was low on GBA games this time around.

I don't like Gamestops attitude about scratched games either, I've asked why they sell games that are in such bad shape, they replied "games with scratches will play just fine and the scratches don't matter" Game Crazy on the other hand is aware of bad games, I tell them or the manager about a game that is in bad shape and he says I'll buff it for you, or "Wow that's in bad shape I'm gonna write that one off because it'll get returned anyway." He then throws it away. I just don't like GS for that reason. Like I said I dont' normally shop there because I don't like their customer service, It was just this one time and I didn't try to keep the employee going, I wanted him to shut up but he didn't.

EB on the other hand has been a lot better now and I actually make frequent visits though I don't buy much for the fact that GC gives better prices.

[roushimsx]

The bad experience wasn't too terrible, I just don't appreciate condescending attitudes from clerks. But I think it illustrates that it really isn't GameStop as an institution that is flawed, it depends on who works there, IMHO.

There's two Gamestops locally that I only go to as last resorts because of the condescending douchebags that work behind the counter at them.

One of the local Gamestops is really hit an miss, with some of the employees being reasonably cool/nice/friendly and some being cold/distant/assholish.

The EB up at Penn Square (the only place to get N-Gage games anymore :( ) seems to hire some pretty cool people, though. It's a shame it's so far away, but when we're up in that area of the city I always make it a point to swing by and check out their inventory.

For anyone that complains on the intarweb about their local Gamestops, have you ever taken the time to GameStopFeedback (http://www.gamestopfeedback.com/) and tell them what you thought about your shopping experience? Whenever someone dicks me around I always make it a point to drop some feedback and request for a manager to call me back.


I can understand your frustration for sure. I hate buying anything from them because it looks like it was first used as toilet paper before being put on the shelf, and then they added like 20 stickers to the damn case. That's if it's complete. Otherwise it's a row of nice blue cases with all the game titles written in marker. I'd just much rather buy any new game where I work and get a nice discount. NO reason to bother with that store ever again.


God, and it's only going to get worse. I've been noticing in recent months that the generic blue case games are starting to outnumber the complete copies by a wider and wider margain and some employees seem to have a hard time grasping that while I may be looking for a game, I'm not going to buy an incomplete copy of it.

[Hamsnibit]

I didn't try to complain, all I said is that is way overpriced. I wanted to leave it at that, he just went on and on trying to push the game on me, he was acting like he was working on commission and it was his first day there. I really wanted to tell him to shut up but I was tired and not in the mood for a war.


They don't get commision, but they are treated like they are. I have 2 good friends that are the manager and assistant manager and the locan EB/Gamestop. They have to meet a certain quota of used games sold, warranties sold, and pre-orders sold. I know that guy probably seemed like an ass, but if her doesn't get so many he will get written up or possibly fired. That company is a worthless piece of shit. They constantly call them and threaten them because they haven't met their percentages for the month and so on. I only buy there because I didn't know these guys before i met them there and we became good friends because they recognize I'm a gamer/collector and talk to me about the stuff all the time and treat me real good. So i buy from them to support their livelyhood. Otherwise I could care less if gamestop went belly up.

[vintagegamecrazy]

They don't get commision, but they are treated like they are. I have 2 good friends that are the manager and assistant manager and the locan EB/Gamestop. They have to meet a certain quota of used games sold, warranties sold, and pre-orders sold. I know that guy probably seemed like an ass, but if her doesn't get so many he will get written up or possibly fired. That company is a worthless piece of shit. They constantly call them and threaten them because they haven't met their percentages for the month and so on. I only buy there because I didn't know these guys before i met them there and we became good friends because they recognize I'm a gamer/collector and talk to me about the stuff all the time and treat me real good. So i buy from them to support their livelyhood. Otherwise I could care less if gamestop went belly up. :roll:

Yeah it's a shame, I used to love going into GS the employees were great and they constantly got a new selection of trade ins, now it's like everone just unloads the junk on them. I don't get why they won't require a game to have at least the case, I can understand the manual missing but not the case. I guess their corporate is just plain ignorant. I bet used game sales would be through the roof if they all had cases. @_@

[cyberfluxor]

I think you were out of line vintagegamecrazy. It is their store and you have a choice of where to shop and buy your goods. I don't always like the people working behind counters and they can give you some crappy service but ultimately since you're the consumer if they don't satisfy you just go elsewhere. Personally I shop at GS, EB, BB, and CC for new games. If I want older games used it's time to wonder over to pawn shops and privately owned game stores. Privately runned places are also really nice because they know how to take care of their customers and bring them back over and over.


The other day at a pawn shop I usually go to at least once a week and nearly everytime purchase games, computer hardware, speaker boxes, ect. pissed me off pretty bad. There's 1 employee that whenever I bring items up to the counter she tosses out prices from her ass and under her voice calls me a cheap'o and a shopper just trying to rip them off when prices are clearly marked or items are misplaced to other bins.
Example yesterday:
A bin that said "2 for $1" had all their N64 and SNES games in it so I grabbed what I wanted and there were no price tags stuck to the backs or colored dots to represent value. When I got to the counter to confirm pricing she gave me an evil look and in a snoty voice: "All N64 games $4 each, not 2 for $1" and that pissed me off because they were racing games. Then when I asked about the return policy on a RAM stick I planned on getting she said 1 day. As a follow up I simply asked what the return would be, like would I get cash back. Then she snickered and was said "NO! Only credit for another item" as if I knew their policy because I've never returned things there. So because I only wanted 1 stick for $10 instead of both sticks for $20 she got all pissed and quicky rung me up and as I left instantly started talking to another employee about me being an ass. IF she's there again and once again treats me like complete SHIT I'll be talking to their manager. She's been there for a few weeks now and has horrible customer service.

[Niku-Sama]

..SERIOUSLY? Was it the little blonde bimbo? She shouldn't even be working there.. she's kind of snooty (I'd like to see here end up at Taco Bell) or was it the little petite brunette with the tattoos down here arm? She's actually very nice; and knows games.

I also remember being in there once and there was a female manager calling people for job interviews (and having a hard time getting anybody to come in I remember).

Game Exchange went out of business? Does he still have his first store open out on N Pacific Hwy? I remember when he opened the newer store in town.. I couldn't believe he was actually going to keep them BOTH open.. because his business was so poor to begin with. I knew his second store wouldn't last long.. everytime I went in there.. I was alone.

no no no it was some trashy looking customer. yea its true they may have hardships but to ask for money in front of a game store? fred meyer mabe woulda got something outa me.

the game exchange hasnt been out on the highway for quite some time, the reason he kept both open for a while isbecause he ran that trailer place behind the shop on the highway...or so i am told.

its kinda sad, when the game exchange was in the gi joes shopping center it did really well, there were always lots of people in there but thats when i was a kid and before these other places came to town....i think it was a different owner too i am not sure.

if there were more people in this valley who were into this type of collecting theres a huge open market for it but i donno....huge risk at the same time

[scorch56]

LOL

Sorry.. I thought you were talking like the store wanted you to show some cash before they let you in the door. That WOULD be the epitome of rudeness.

Yeah you see a lot of "unfortunates" hanging around FM. That's because Bear Creek runs behind the shopping center.

"Remember kids.. stay in school.. or you'll end up.. living in a van.. DOWN by the RIVER!"

[Tony Montana]

You guys that are bashing me aren't understanding me, I told him it was a ripoff once and just wanted to keep browsing, I was looking with my fiance at rest of the GBA games and was trying to mind my business and he kept going on and on. I for the most part ignored him but I finally just told him it was too much and he kept going on and on. I like Game Crazy a lot more now, when you go in they are like hay, how's it going lately (in any store) Game Stop is always like "what'd ya come in for?" they always have a lesser degree of customer service. I don't normally shop there but Game Crazy was low on GBA games this time around.

I don't like Gamestops attitude about scratched games either, I've asked why they sell games that are in such bad shape, they replied "games with scratches will play just fine and the scratches don't matter" Game Crazy on the other hand is aware of bad games, I tell them or the manager about a game that is in bad shape and he says I'll buff it for you, or "Wow that's in bad shape I'm gonna write that one off because it'll get returned anyway." He then throws it away. I just don't like GS for that reason. Like I said I dont' normally shop there because I don't like their customer service, It was just this one time and I didn't try to keep the employee going, I wanted him to shut up but he didn't.

EB on the other hand has been a lot better now and I actually make frequent visits though I don't buy much for the fact that GC gives better prices.

Ok well in your original post you said you told him it was a ripoff 3 times, but even if it was just once it is still very rude. Maybe no one taught you but here is the polilte way to handle that situation and next time I can virtually guarantee the employee would treat you well:

You:"hey how much is that Super MArio Advance 4 there?"
Him:"Its $29.99"
you:"Oh really? I just saw it brand new at Target for $29.99, can you lower that at all?"
Him:"No, sorry thats the price we have to stick too but our used games are a good deal - <7 Day return, Discount with card, Guaranteed, etc,.>"
You:"Oh thats cool, but I'd really like a new one."
Him:"Okay, let me see if we have it for you and we might be able to match their price, hang on..."
You:"Okay thanks alot!" (optional: pump your fist in the air and say "Yay, GameStop Rocks!") :)


And about how GameCrazy is "nicer" because they dont "push stuff" on you, whether you like it or not its that environment that sells stuff and is why GameStop is the biggest video game retailer now and not Game Crazy. Because they make more money and push the money makers (i.e. used stuff) (BTW I dont mind GC they have some good stuff and decent prices) But on the other hand I have seen the other side also and it can suck to work in that environment with that kind of pressure, theres always 2 sides.

About the scratched games - it all depends on the store, some will take trades in virtually any condition and not charge a fee to send them away to be fixed and some are very very picky about what they take.

[Ponyone]

The only experiences I have had there were.

I bought the TMNT trilogy dvds for my nephew for christmas, the manager (no longer working there) gave my girlfriend the dvds. We wrap them up. Christmas morn and my nephew rips them open. I am busy opening my own packages and he says "ha ha very funny" I question this, and walk over there. The cases were empty. We did go back and get them though. It twas quite humorous.

and this didn't happen to me, but I was in there one day and some 13 year oldish kid brought in his n64 for trade. The girl at the counter was looking it over, and then got this odd look on her face. She looks at the kid angrily and then asks "Why does the n64 smell like chicken?" or "why does it smell like you stuck chicken in your n64?" (one of those two, I forget how she worded it) I had to leave due to laughing.

[Guyver03]

I think maybe part of the problem is you came at him with the word rip-off. It immediatley puts the retailer/employee on the defensive.

It kinda reminds me of the time a lady came in to buy Chronicals of Narnia for PC. Someone accidentally put a used price sticker price on it versus the new one. She brings it up to the cash register and I scan the upc and give her the total. "Oh god! How much is your tax rate here?!" I tell her it's about 7.5%. "Oh, wait..." I said, "we accidentally put the wrong price on this one. It's normally new for $39.99."

Now this happens sometimes...no big deal. It was only a $5 dollar difference. I usually just change the price to what it's marked and let it go. I say it's mismarked, bend over to the register to fix it, but this time before I even get my hands to the keyboard to start the change she screams, "What a rip-off!" In my head I just laugh and think, "Well...there went ANY chance you just had for me helping you." She literally flipped out. She demanded I change it. I flat looked her in the face and said, "I usually do that...in fact I was going to this time before you even yelled, but not now. You can pay $39.99 or you can not buy it."

This was at X-mas time so of course the store was packed. People were just staring at her and she knew it. I don't think she wanted to lose in front of all those people and finally pulled out the "Haven't you heard the phrase that the Customer is always right?!" card. My custom retort (which was the 4th time and counting I've used it...I'm up to 6 now) was "Yes, it was coined in 1842 in Scotland by Mickey McWrongCustomer."

Always remember, the flipside of the coin is that as many stories that you have about dick store employees...they have just as many stories about dick customers.

[ROBOTNIK666]

The reason I don't go to Gamestop any more is because of this sign I saw on one of the shelves:

AS OF JUNE 1st, GAMESTOP WILL NO LONGER BE SELLING PLAYSTATION 1 OR NINTENDO 64 GAMES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

You're not welcome!

[Tony Montana]

The reason I don't go to Gamestop any more is because of this sign I saw on one of the shelves:

AS OF JUNE 1st, GAMESTOP WILL NO LONGER BE SELLING PLAYSTATION 1 OR NINTENDO 64 GAMES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

You're not welcome!

Actually its that they wont be BUYING them anymore but they will still sell through the rest of the games they have, it will probably be condensed to less stores like the SNES and Genny games were.

[mailman187666]

I can honestly say it all depends on which store i go to and who is working that day. The best/most helpful employees are the ones that have been there for years. The ones that piss me off and the ones I catch lying to me are the ones I only see working a couple times and never see again. Usualy I can tell which employees are dicks and which ones are cool when i ask them for specific rare titles (just for shits and giggles). They cool employees tell me that "the game is wicked hard to find man, chances are you'll have to go on ebay and pay the price for it." the asshole employees will go

worker: "are you serious, I can't believe you are asking me for that game right now!"

me: "well i figured you wouldn't have it but I guess it never hurts to ask."

worker: "yes it does, you won't find that game...I have this and this and this at home because somebody traded it in here and i had first picks and blah blah blah."

but i think that guy got fired cause i haven't seen him there since then. Eventually unless the guy running the store is a retard, the bad employees will get tossed. I got a gamestop near my house that has some hotties working there. I don't bother to hit on them though because I'd probably be guy number 30,674 that came into the store looking for a date with the almost non existant "hot gamer girl"

[MarioMania]

The 2 times I went to Gamestop to get the Zelda Collecters Disk - I even asked to look at both, the had 2..I picked up the better copy :)

the 2nd time was I traded in Contra for the Game Boy..The gave me $8 in Credit for DOA 3..When I was on the trian they gave me the Conta Advanca Credit besides the GB version

[Kuros]

I agree with the others. By proclaiming that the game is a ripoff, you put the employee on the defensive right away.

You were at fault here OP.

[segarocks30]

The only experiences I have had there were.

I bought the TMNT trilogy dvds for my nephew for christmas, the manager (no longer working there) gave my girlfriend the dvds. We wrap them up. Christmas morn and my nephew rips them open. I am busy opening my own packages and he says "ha ha very funny" I question this, and walk over there. The cases were empty. We did go back and get them though. It twas quite humorous.

and this didn't happen to me, but I was in there one day and some 13 year oldish kid brought in his n64 for trade. The girl at the counter was looking it over, and then got this odd look on her face. She looks at the kid angrily and then asks "Why does the n64 smell like chicken?" or "why does it smell like you stuck chicken in your n64?" (one of those two, I forget how she worded it) I had to leave due to laughing.

Now that is just weird.

[kentuckyfried]

You never gave us the punchline......

SO WHY DOES THE N64 SMELL LIKE CHICKEN?

[Aussie2B]

You never gave us the punchline......

SO WHY DOES THE N64 SMELL LIKE CHICKEN?

Yeah, inquiring minds want to know. :) I mean, I'd bust out laughing too, but I'd at least stick around long enough to hear the answer, hehe.

Anyway, while I rarely shop at GameStops, I've been to enough to know it's a real mixed bag when it comes to employees. In fact, I went to one last summer that was just great. It had the best PlayStation selection I've seen in a GameStop in a LONG time, and most of them were complete and in good condition. The guys were really friendly and complimented me on the selection of games I had picked out (mostly RPGs). Although, they joked about Punky Skunk, and I explained that I was just getting it because it was rare and they agreed that they almost never get it in. I asked them about the condition of the discs, and they explained how they were generally all really good and wouldn't take something in that they personally wouldn't buy. Then when I got home, I saw that all the discs were practically flawless.

So don't give up hope on nice GameStop employees. :) On the flip side, don't expect independent stores to necessarily have better customer service. One of my favorite independent stores had some of the biggest jerks for employees (but they also had some cool ones so it came down to luck of the draw of who was there when I went).

[PentiumMMX]

I've never had any problems with Gamestop othet then one time when I found "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door" for $35, but it was only $10 at a pawn shop, but instead of creating a big scene with "You idiot! Teh Peper Mario shuldn't be $35! Total ripoff!!!!1!1oneoneone1!", I just left quietly, went to the pawn shop, bught Paper Mario, and got on with my life.


Flea Markets will also overprice some games as well. I was at one last year, and some guy was selling Secret of Mana (cart only) for $54!! And Contra III: Alien Wars (SNES - cart only) was $18.

That reminds me of a Goodwill I went to. They had a copy of Madden 2001 for PC for (Wait for it).............
50 FREAKING DOLLERS!? WTF? @_@
That's insane, but I feel sorry for whoever actuly bought it at that price!



I've been noticing in recent months that the generic blue case games are starting to outnumber the complete copies by a wider and wider margain and some employees seem to have a hard time grasping that while I may be looking for a game, I'm not going to buy an incomplete copy of it.

I've noticed Disc Only games becoming more common then the complete stuff. However, I do admit I bought Wild Arms 2 (Discs Only), but that's the only Disc Only game I'm buying.



The reason I don't go to Gamestop any more is because of this sign I saw on one of the shelves:

AS OF JUNE 1st, GAMESTOP WILL NO LONGER BE SELLING PLAYSTATION 1 OR NINTENDO 64 GAMES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

You're not welcome!

Actually its that they wont be BUYING them anymore but they will still sell through the rest of the games they have, it will probably be condensed to less stores like the SNES and Genny games were.

Yeah, they have stopped taking in N64 amd PSX stuff for Trade in, but one problem:

They are packing up all the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation stuff and sending it off to other Gamestops! :angry:
That's why I bought a 2-discs only copy of Wild Arms 2

[PentiumMMX]

Double Post...

[Tony Montana]

The reason I don't go to Gamestop any more is because of this sign I saw on one of the shelves:

AS OF JUNE 1st, GAMESTOP WILL NO LONGER BE SELLING PLAYSTATION 1 OR NINTENDO 64 GAMES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

You're not welcome!

Actually its that they wont be BUYING them anymore but they will still sell through the rest of the games they have, it will probably be condensed to less stores like the SNES and Genny games were.

Yeah, they have stopped taking in N64 amd PSX stuff for Trade in, but one problem:

They are packing up all the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation stuff and sending it off to other Gamestops! :angry:
That's why I bought a 2-discs only copy of Wild Arms 2

Yeah it makes me pretty happy though, we got literally over a 1000 PSX games in in the past week and a half and a few dozen N64 games. Just too bad all stores dont have great standards on trade-ins.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Man there aint gonna be too many places that carry oldies now, Game Crazy and the Music Recyclery for me, if I wanna drive Sean's store is an hour away. Game Stop why did you have to do that?

[Ponyone]

You never gave us the punchline......

SO WHY DOES THE N64 SMELL LIKE CHICKEN?

I don't think he ever said anything.. he was just kind of dumbfounded. I would probably be too if I were 12 and some adult woman asked why my video game system/cartridge slot smelled like chicken.

[mezrabad]

You never gave us the punchline......

SO WHY DOES THE N64 SMELL LIKE CHICKEN?

To get to the other side!

I just had an EB Games experience yesterday. I found Syberia II, new, for $10. I've no idea if this is a particularly rare game or if this is a good price, but I've never seen the Xbox version of it when I've gone shopping before so I thought I'd pick it up.

After playing a little Guitar Hero, they mention that I could reserve GH2 (due out in October) and I say oh, yeah, I'll finallyhave a reason to order a second guitar which they then tell me for the first time I'll be able to buy a second guitar in July. I'm a little surprised because redoctane.com has been selling them since January (at least). Anyway, that's not the point of my story, that was the nice part of the visit.

Then they give me my "new" copy of Syberia II. The disc has a large and obvious finger print on it. Not a "fingertip" print, this is the whole fricken digit. He had offered me the game guarrantee and I had said "but it's new". After looking at the disc I said, "This isn't new it has a finger print on it" his only response was, "well, that's not my finger print!" I said he was completly missing the point and decided not to waste my time any further.

I like browsing in game stores, really, but damn I hate actually buying anything there.

[christhegamer]

To tell you the truth, I kinda sounds like it was YOUR fault. GameStop employees do have the personallity/intelligence of a carpet mat, but I mean, come on; they're all probably just a bunch of retarded college kids trying to make ends meet. The least you could do is cut him some slack and just plain-ol' leave if you don't like their prices.

[irata]

I really don't think it matters what store you shop in. Could be GS, could be Jiffy Lube, could be Menards. More than likely you'll run into some shithead with the customer service skills of a stapler. Most people I run into at the consumer level go to work with the attitude that you should kiss their ass because they're working retail. I don't mean to say that anyone on the boards here that works at GS, EB wherever are shmucks, I don't know any of them nor had any experience with them that I know of, so please don't be offended by my generalization of customer service. I just can't go a week without needing to take a deep breath when I buy/return something because of the assclown behind the counter.

A year or so ago when GameCrazy was thinning out their N64 inventory at $5 a pop I bought a bunch. I probably had 40-45 carts stacked up ready to buy when I saw Mario Party 3. He asked me if I wanted to buy whatever the discount card is called. I asked if it would apply to what I was buying then and he said no. So I decided not to buy it. I asked him again if I could get the Mario Party 3 and he said no. Not unless I bought the stupid card. I didn't want it, nor did I feel like being extorted into buying so I said no, bought my shit and left. Just some jackass who happens to work at GameCrazy. Has nothing to do with the specific store, he's just an unimportant little twit who needs to get people to buy extra shit, and feels it's appropriate to act like that.

[ChronoTriggaFoo]

Last week I found a PS2 game I wanted and took it to the counter. The game I brought up to the counter was complete with instruction manual and all.

The clerk had taken a while figuring out how to work out the transaction properly, since it involved a return on a Buy 2 Get 1 Free transaction. After he finally came up with a solution and rang me up, he puts the complete case and manual on the back counter and hands me the game in a sleeve.

I had a bewildered look and hesitated to take it from him. Since he knew I was a regular and friends of a couple of current employees, and knowing the transaction process had been lengthy, he read my look, turned around and gave me the complete copy.

Looks like it's their policy to get rid of the disc only copies out first, cause he did by instinct.

What I'm trying to say is if they see you enough, most of the time they'll be friendlier and hook you up with better service.

It's hard for me to build up that type of relationship with non-local Gamestops, but I shouldn't expect to since I don't see them regularly.

Additionally, one should only expect to receive what they have put in themselves. If you're friendly, most likely you'll get a friendly response. If you put in hostility, you'll be eating some of that humble pie.

[Kuros]

To tell you the truth, I kinda sounds like it was YOUR fault. GameStop employees do have the personallity/intelligence of a carpet mat, but I mean, come on; they're all probably just a bunch of retarded college kids trying to make ends meet. The least you could do is cut him some slack and just plain-ol' leave if you don't like their prices.

So I have the personality (That's the correct spelling unlike what you put in your post) /intelligence of a carpet mat?

I'm also retarded?

Yea, thanks. Hope you don't come into my store. I don't want anyone going "I WANT FINAL... FAN-TA-SY? FIN-AL FAN-TA-SY? YOU UNDERSTAND?" because I'd probably hit you.

ChronoTrigger: That guy must have been new, gut copies are supposed to be given out last, as are gutted copies of new games.

[ChronoTriggaFoo]

ChronoTrigger: That guy must have been new, gut copies are supposed to be given out last, as are gutted copies of new games.

He's not so new. Been there for a few months. That was the first time in my 8 years since I've been collecting and buying at Gamestop that has happened to me. When I made that statement, I was thinking that it was perhaps a new change that came along with the merger with EB since it also happened to vintagegamecrazy's friend as well. Thankfully, as you confirmed, its not.

[GrandAmChandler]

Wow. Okay. I am going to ASSume that everyone knows about this site:

http://www.gamestopfeedback.com/

Feedback whether good or bad, usually ends up in the district manager's inbox. All you need is your receipt. If you ever receive poor customer service, call:

1-800-883-8895

They will send a message to the District Manager, who then will take care of the situation.

Stop bitching on an online forum, and actually take action!

-GAC-