ripped off by gamestop

[monkeychemist]

So I have been looking to buy a new copy of Oblivion GoTY. I stopped by several stores but the only one that had one was Gamestop. They only had their shelf copy though. I asked if I would get a discount since it is an OPEN DISPLAY model and the guy said no, but don't worry, it's never been played.

I got it because I was out of options (aside from ordering online with a 2 week delay) but I feel cheated...

[Baloo]

How do you feel cheated? Were you planning on not playing the game? Is it scratched up? What?

Gamestop employees are notorious for playing games inside the store though, I remember when I had friends who used to work there, we would play the one copy of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for Playstation 2 in the Kiosk.

[roushimsx]

I got it because I was out of options (aside from ordering online with a 2 week delay) but I feel cheated...

Sounds like you screwed yourself over. You shouldn't have bought it.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Umm, yeah why did you buy it again?

You've waiting this long to buy it, so what was an extra 1-2 weeks going to matter if you wanted a sealed (or complete) copy.

Hopefully you'll realize next time before a buying impulse comes on.

[11killer11]

I don't feel as this needs it's own topic but we all get ripped off from Gamestop once in a while so here's my story....

Friday I go into Gamestop because Me and my dad were stopping by Staples for a External Hard Drive. They were having their Final Days Clearance on their Game Days Sale so I decided to pick up Line Rider 2 for DS which was $7.99. Since this was on my want list I decide to pick it up it. It's being advertised as New but the game is not sealed and the actual cart is up at the counter. Me not wanting to start talkin to the clerk as to why they're not sealed but being advertised as new, just buy it and go.

You think they advertised it as new but it was really pre-owned? I don't think so but who knows.
It was sealed to begin with why do you open it and then advertise as new?

[Sonicwolf]

You think they advertised it as new but it was really pre-owned? I don't think so but who knows.
It was sealed to begin with why do you open it and then advertise as new?

They tend to either A do that or B let the employees play with the games before they sell them.

[Neil Koch]

Yay. Yet another "Gamestop sucks" thread. Yawn.

[Overbite]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't give a damn if it's opened. I usually buy used games anyway and if I do buy new it's on release day and I preordered it. I get wrapped games all the time.

Actually I did buy kof11 new opened but it was because they only had one copy and none used.

[Diosoth]

If you want it new, demand they give you a copy in the original factory shrinkwrap. If they won't... well, walk out.

And yes, Gamestop is an awful store. The FTC is looking into their practices now. I hope they get nailed with fines so bad they have to shut down.

[Sonicwolf]

Im glad up here we dont have to see GameStops anywhere. British Columbia is filled with EB Games' - - The someone less evil looking version of GameStop.

[Tupin]

EB Games IS Gamestop, just under a different logo. That said, I don't have a problem with the employees, just the companies practices.

I guess they don't get that once a game is taken out of the plastic, it isn't new. It doesn't matter if it wasn't played, if it's taken out of its wrapping, it's used, not new.

This is why I always buy my games at Best Buy, sure the selection is more limited, but at least they sell new games.

[monkeychemist]

yes, that's why I ended up buying it because everywhere else was depleted. Yesterday was my birthday, I am poor so when I get money to buy a game I don't feel like waiting 2 weeks to get it. I get about 1-2 games a year, so my anticipation is already pretty strong.

So yea it was dumb to get it but thats all I could do I guess. It sucks that they sell an opened game as new. That's BS, but all the other stores that carry games fade out games after a year so really crappy selection.

...and to the guy who said "yay another gamestop sucks thread" butt out, no one forces you to read everything at digitpress.

[Sonicwolf]

EB Games IS Gamestop, just under a different logo.

I know, thats why I said "the less evil looking version"

[emceelokey]

Yet another "How is this new when it's opened" thread. Trust me, I'm no fan of that either but that's why I buy new games when they're actually NEW, as in just released this week, not three years ago, this was there's less chance of the game hitting the sales floor.

When I worked there, probably about 5 years ago now, I remember the head store manager of the area said something about "possession" and that when people can actually hold the game in their hand and look through it and all that, they're more likely to buy the game or what have you. Apparently it worked. In a way I kind of like it. I know whenever I go to Gamecrazy I don't even think of their new games because they're all behind the counter and just to look at the game you have to get an employee to pull it down for you.

[ProgrammingAce]

I'm as anti-gamestop as anybody here, but i don't really get the complaint. I was expecting another paragraph to your story about how you got it home and the disc is scratched to high hell. Now that's happened to me before, buy a new game that's been gutted and find it's been scratched so bad it doesn't play anymore. But to be honest, i took the game back and they didn't have any problem refunding me.

Seriously though, you knew exactly what you were buying. Obviously you thought it was worth the convience of not having to wait for shipping.

[GrandAmChandler]

He chose..... Poorly....

[Sonicwolf]

He chose..... Poorly....

Love the reference.

Did you ever notice how Donovan turns into Doc Brown from BTTF for around 2 seconds after he chooses poorly and starts melting?

[SegaAges]

He chose..... Poorly....

WIN!

Yeah, unless I am buying a game on a killer deal (very rare at G$), then I either pre-order, or buy used.

Last game I pre-ordered from them was Project Sylpheed, which is my now all time fav S-E game.

[TonyTheTiger]

Is this "no discount" policy a chain wide one? Because when I bought Castlevania Chronicles (admittedly quite a few years ago) it was a shelf copy and the manager outright offered me a 10% discount without me even saying anything.

I really don't have any principled objections to the shelf copy. I've used the opportunity to flip through a new game's manual once or twice. And if the prospect of buying a shelf copy is so objectionable then the consumer is free to shop around. What I do object to is the employees doing anything with the shelf copy beyond storing it away in a sleeve. The whole employees borrowing the shelf copies thing needs to stop because then selling the game as new is genuine misrepresentation. I don't care what they do with the games marked "used" but if they insist on putting "new" on the item they shouldn't be allowed to leave the store with it.

[kupomogli]

Well. No one got fucked over by Gamestop as badly as I did. Guaranteed.

When I was younger and stupid, also right when the Playstation was out a few years. I had a bunch of the more popular expensive trade in titles for SNES. I had 12 titles from Mega Man X, Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG, etc. Called Gamestop before hand to trade the games in because some PSX titles I wanted to get.

So had my mom and step dad trade the games in for me, in a large bag. When I ended up getting back from going out to eat in the mall, the trade in ticket had every single game except for MK2 as a "generic title" trade in value of 2.00. Needless to say I was fucking pissed, but the Gamestop employee, an older woman, flat out refused to give the games back since it was already signed as traded in.

So instead of getting 12+ trade in value for multiple of those games(MMX and Mario Kart were 12, SMRPG was 16, and MK2 was 1, those I specifically remember.) I ended up getting about 25 dollars and from the rest of the money I had could only buy a single 50.00 game.

That's not really Gamestop's fault, but their fucking thieving employees and my parents who really didn't know what the trade in values were before hand.