screw Gamestop

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Shalafi

Shalafi

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I called gamestop yesterday to make sure that I could pick up a copy of Mass Effect 2 even though I did not preorder. They said that it is open to anyone. After work I drove out there and got in line. When I approached the counter I asked for a copy of Mass Effect for the pc. The guy asked if I had preordered. I said, no and he then grabbed a copy from behind the register and put it on the counter. Another employee came from the store floor and put down an open empty box and proceded to dig through the bin of dvds. I asked is that my copy thats already opened? He was like yea its the "display." I'm not going to pay full price for an open box item. I said, what about the one you had on the counter in front of me. "Oh, those are pre orders." fucking douche bags. So long story short I told them no thanx. Fuck gamestop, once again I'm not going to spend full price on an open box item. I'll take my money elsewhere. They lost a customer. I wonder how long they have been selling "display's" at full price and what their fucking mindset is on that.

a friend of mine sent me that email

what a bunch of douchebags
 
same thing when I picked up Red Faction Guerrilla for the pc. at first it pissed me off but I had a game to trade in so I went ahead and bought. really after you install the game and start playing it, you want give a crap that it was opened beforehand.
 
yeah. Only reason I go to one is cause my friend is the manager and their particular store is not full of the normal eb retards (he usually fires those haha) but the other stores...grrr.
The other weekend I stopped in one to see about canceling an online preorder that I was having shipped to store. The guy there, which was a manager, told me I didn't need to cancel and since it was done online, i didn't put down any money and that i wouldn't be charged. Well, that wasn't true. My buddy (the manager at a different store) canceled for me since they were going to charge me $5
 
I was going to say, it's been almost a week since I've seen a thread like this.... The 'friend of a friend' was a nice twist though.
 
I love gamestop hate threads. I encoutered the same thing concerning open box over a year and a half ago. If you didn't know this already, you can't return the game to gamestop because...lol its been opened..
 
And you're surprised by this? Pre-orders are Gamestop's bread-and-butter.

What you experienced is institutionalized: employees are instructed to tell phone callers they can get the game without pre-ordering, then tell them they have no non-pre-order copies left when you arrive. They're effectively trying to "train" customers to pre-order.
 
that's why I don't shop at Gamestop unless they are offering the best possible deal at the time

ala Left 4 Dead 2 @ $29.99 in store Thanksgiving weekend

couldn't beat that
 
harmattan said:
And you're surprised by this? Pre-orders are Gamestop's bread-and-butter.

What you experienced is institutionalized: employees are instructed to tell phone callers they can get the game without pre-ordering, then tell them they have no non-pre-order copies left when you arrive. They're effectively trying to "train" customers to pre-order.
Click to expand...

The one close to me definitely does this. once after purchasing the open box "last copy" of a game without pre-ordering, I went back in 30 minutes later for something and they had another box on the shelf :(

anytime you get an open box game, call them up an hour later and ask if they have the same game in stock.
 
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harmattan said:
And you're surprised by this? Pre-orders are Gamestop's bread-and-butter.

What you experienced is institutionalized: employees are instructed to tell phone callers they can get the game without pre-ordering, then tell them they have no non-pre-order copies left when you arrive. They're effectively trying to "train" customers to pre-order.
Click to expand...

Used games are the bread and butter, not pre-orders. They make like ~$2 off of a new game. The pre-order fee goes towards the total cost of the game--not much profit to be made.

Employees are not instructed to tell people the games are available without pre-ordering. In fact, it's just the opposite. There are a designated number of copies set aside for pre-orders and people have a limited amount of time to pick them up. If they do not answer their phone and do not pick up the game within this time limit, the game is available to anyone. This is a courtesy given to those who pre-order. If no one pre-orders a game at a certain store, the store will only get a few copies, so it's not like pre-ordered games are being taken out of the general pool of available stock. Less pre-orders, less games in the store--fact.

Employees are told to ask if anyone wants to pre-order something, but not for the reason you are suggesting. If someone puts five bucks down on a game, they are more likely to come back to that store to buy it. There's no magic or corporate conspiracy--it's a low-level commitment to bring customers back into the store.

Employees are told to repeatedly ask if the customer has trades or if they want to buy a used game instead of a new copy--because that is where the individual stores make all of their profit. Say the store buys a used game from a kid for $5. They give the kid store credit and turn around and sell the used game for $9.99. That's ~$10 of revenue right there and a potential for ~$5.00 of profit. The cheap used games make the store far more money, especially if the kid doesn't use his store credit or takes ~30% less money if he prefers cash.

I worked there for two years. That's the way it was, and that's the way it still is, I promise.

ocellaris said:
The one close to me definitely does this. once after purchasing the open box "last copy" of a game without pre-ordering, I went back in 30 minutes later for something and they had another box on the shelf :(

anytime you get an open box game, call them up an hour later and ask if they have the same game in stock.
Click to expand...


Someone probably called in and canceled their pre-order. That shit happens all of the time, literally like every half hour at a really busy store.
 
What's a gamestop? I haven't bought a game offline since steam came down from the clouds and washed away all sin and turmoil.
 
PrincessFrosty said:
Buy online, and welcome to 2010.
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This is what I ended up doing. I went out to the midnight launch with the idea that I needed/wanted the PC CE....and low and behold, I was told that it was "pre-order only". Came home and bought the regular version on Steam.
 
bicycle_wreck said:
Used games are the bread and butter, not pre-orders. They make like ~$2 off of a new game. The pre-order fee goes towards the total cost of the game--not much profit to be made.
Click to expand...

Pre orders make gamestop a ton of money.

1. They simplfy their shipping processed by having a better idea of where to send copies.
2. They can force a better deal from the distibutor if they have solid numbers on the # they need.
3. You're giving them a free $5 loan. 5*200,000 is $1 Million dollars. It adds up.
 
cool_story_bro.jpg
 
demingo said:
Pre orders make gamestop a ton of money.

1. They simplfy their shipping processed by having a better idea of where to send copies.
2. They can force a better deal from the distibutor if they have solid numbers on the # they need.
3. You're giving them a free $5 loan. 5*200,000 is $1 Million dollars. It adds up.
Click to expand...

Plus, there's always a certain percentage who forgo their $5 and never buy the game.

I don't like gamestop because I don't like being annoyed with their pre-order pitches. It's the same reason I don't buy electronics at Best Buy and have to deal with their service plan sales pitches. But I have the internet where I can get things for cheaper and with no sales tax so neither of these are much of a problem anymore.

Although unless there is obvious physical damage or you were looking to resell it right away complaining about an open but unused game is pretty dumb. What exactly were you going to do with it when you got home anyways? I'm guessing open it. On top of that, if it's really such an issue, go to one of the dozen other places that sell the game.
 
Why do people insist on doing business with Gamestop when there are so many better alternatives out there?

Stories like these and worse are a dime a dozen when it comes to GS.
 
like i said, i only go there when there's a good bargain to be had

that was approximately one time last year
 
Honestly I really dont care. They have to have a display model and all they do is take the game out, put it in a sleeve and put it away. I never knew that shrink wrap was such a big deal.
 
Fail said:
I called gamestop yesterday to make sure that I could pick up a copy of Mass Effect 2 even though I did not preorder. They said that it is open to anyone. After work I drove out there and got in line. When I approached the counter I asked for a copy of Mass Effect for the pc. The guy asked if I had preordered. I said, no and he then grabbed a copy from behind the register and put it on the counter. Another employee came from the store floor and put down an open empty box and proceded to dig through the bin of dvds. I asked is that my copy thats already opened? He was like yea its the "display." I'm not going to pay full price for an open box item. I said, what about the one you had on the counter in front of me. "Oh, those are pre orders." fucking douche bags. So long story short I told them no thanx. Fuck gamestop, once again I'm not going to spend full price on an open box item. I'll take my money elsewhere. They lost a customer. I wonder how long they have been selling "display's" at full price and what their fucking mindset is on that.

a friend of mine sent me that email

what a bunch of douchebags
Click to expand...

I absolutely hate GameStop as it exists today. I have not purchased a game from them in over three years and its because of the “pre-order push” if you don’t pre-order then they couldn’t guarantee you a game. I would need to make two trips to this place once to reserve with $5 and a second time to pickup my copy, no thanks. My game purchases now come from Digital/Target/Wal-Mart. The last time I went there was after they sold my pre-order copy of Lost Planet, how could you sell my pre-order, it was mine right??? You only have some 24hours to pick it up are you freaking kidding me?? They broke the street date and sold the damn game early how is this my fault? Why the hell don’t they call you when the game comes in? And mind you this type of bullshit happened in multiple gamestops in my area and where I worked in another bloody state.

Plus it should be called console-stop as their PC games stock is so freaking limited. Why on earth is this company still around? Why hasnt anyone been able to compete with them in the used game market???? Come on Amazon!!!!
 
I didn't have a problem at all when I went to the one in Crossroads in Bellevue, WA last night without a pre-order. They just handed me a brand new one and even threw in the pre-order DLC.
 
There's a lot of misconceptions in each and every thread like this and very skewed stories by irate gamers.

Yes, Gamestop does not have the greatest policies or customer service or prices, we all know that. There's things you have to consider though:

1) People, this includes Game Advisors, Senior Game Advisors, Keyholders, Assistant Managers, and Managers at individual stores have absolutely no say in what the store actually receives in its shipments, or even when the shipments happen. It is all decided upon by distributors and computers far beyond their reach.

2) Gamestop's immediately available PC library has been shrinking for years. It's simply not as profitable nor nearly as demanded as console games. Like many of you have stated, many PC gamers prefer digital distribution and things like that. The Gamestop I just went to had exactly FOUR copies of ME2, two were pre-ordered (one was mine, the other was the guy who rang me up). Behind him was a shelf of probably 20-30 Xbox 360 ME2s. That's just how it goes. Almost no one asks for PC versions of ME2, so the computer at the distribution centers don't see any demand, and thus don't send any. That's the big deal about pre-orders, it's really their only sure-fire indication of demand. It would be FUCKING STUPID of them to get 50 copies of PC ME2 and sell maybe 5-6. So what if there was a copy on the counter? Ever think that it was a pre-order that was set aside?

3) You, and many of you, have said you called in to ask if they had any available without any pre-orders. I guarantee that none of the employees guaranteed you a copy over the phone. It's strict policy not to. In fact the first post stated that they had copies available but IT IS OPEN TO ANYONE, MEANING IF SOMEONE BEATS YOU TO IT, YOU GET BEAT. They're not going to sell you someone's pre-order; that person already put money down.

4) Display boxes can get resealed, usually with either a sticky tab or shrinkwrap. It can still be returned. If you open the shrinkwrap or remove the sticky tab, don't blame anyone else for not being able to return it; it wasn't because it was a display copy, it was because you opened it. Also, little tip: they tend to prefer to use a sticky tab because it's right there at the counter, however they will always shrinkwrap it for you if you ask.

5) Things are a little iffy with PC games and returns. Sometimes retailers, not just Gamestop, just won't accept returns on PC games at all, regardless of the circumstance. You could open the game, steal the CD Key, shrinkwrap it, and return it. It's happened before, many times before. While YOU SPECIFICALLY may not ever do this, there is no way for someone else to know. It's safer just not to accept returns on PC games. If you find some place that does, congratulations, go shop there and hope they don't stop selling PC games due to losses and giant customer service headaches due to issues like this.
 
bicycle_wreck said:
Used games are the bread and butter, not pre-orders. They make like ~$2 off of a new game. The pre-order fee goes towards the total cost of the game--not much profit to be made.

Employees are not instructed to tell people the games are available without pre-ordering. In fact, it's just the opposite. There are a designated number of copies set aside for pre-orders and people have a limited amount of time to pick them up. If they do not answer their phone and do not pick up the game within this time limit, the game is available to anyone. This is a courtesy given to those who pre-order. If no one pre-orders a game at a certain store, the store will only get a few copies, so it's not like pre-ordered games are being taken out of the general pool of available stock. Less pre-orders, less games in the store--fact.

Employees are told to ask if anyone wants to pre-order something, but not for the reason you are suggesting. If someone puts five bucks down on a game, they are more likely to come back to that store to buy it. There's no magic or corporate conspiracy--it's a low-level commitment to bring customers back into the store.

Employees are told to repeatedly ask if the customer has trades or if they want to buy a used game instead of a new copy--because that is where the individual stores make all of their profit. Say the store buys a used game from a kid for $5. They give the kid store credit and turn around and sell the used game for $9.99. That's ~$10 of revenue right there and a potential for ~$5.00 of profit. The cheap used games make the store far more money, especially if the kid doesn't use his store credit or takes ~30% less money if he prefers cash.

I worked there for two years. That's the way it was, and that's the way it still is, I promise.




Someone probably called in and canceled their pre-order. That shit happens all of the time, literally like every half hour at a really busy store.
Click to expand...


I believe you that this was the way it was. Although the means may differ from store to store, the end is always the same: train the customer-base to pre-order.

Let me explain from a corporate level, at a 10,000 foot view, why the motivation to perpetually increase pre-orders is so strong for Gamestop. Projected profits are hugely important for Gamestop who relies on both consumer and tech sectors. Often, what's projected is even more important than actual profits that quarter. When Gamestop announces in earnings that they expect a windfall next quarter because they have x amount of pre-orders for games x, z, q, good things happen: capital market investors -- who are normally forward-looking -- buy more shares, Gamestop has more leverage to raise capital with other securities, loans etc. with which they buy more stores, increase comp (for execs, of course, not you), make acquisitions (remember EBGames?), and equity analysts and rating agencies publish positive reports and up ratings. The motivation to raise projections supercedes any percieved or supposed responsibility to customers internally lauded by official Gamestop's in-store docrine. None of this is a " corporate conspiracy" -- it's corporate finance and consumer price modeling 101 and is instituted within stocking strategy and in-store communications.

So yeah, next time you go to Gamestop to buy a copy of that new game without pre-ordering, this is why they don't have it.
 
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Neurofreeze said:
There's a lot of misconceptions in each and every thread like this and very skewed stories by irate gamers.
Click to expand...

People are complaining about their experiences. Regardless of the official "Gamestop Rules", it's hard for myself or most of my friends to go in one more than a few times without some shady stuff happening.
 
I only go to GameStop store for the loot, don't buy game from them, but do grap preorder cards with exclusive preorder content. And if there is a douche working...well it might be against forum rules to explain exactly what I do.
 
Most of the gamestops around me must be pretty decent. My friend and I went got there at like 11:55 we hadnt preordered. We paid, they gave us preorder codes and just made us wait a few mins until we could grab it and go.
 
people still havent realized gamestop does this??? if there selling the last copy...its usually the one off the wall... if you dont like it, goto best buy or any other B&M store. i may be late.. but these hate threads are sad :)
 
Just last night when I was picking up my preorder some guy walks to the end of the line at like 12:05 saying "Oh no I did not pre-order I hope I get the game" sarcastically mocking people that pre-order.


I hope he did not get the game.
 
xFuryofFivex said:
people still havent realized gamestop does this??? if there selling the last copy...its usually the one off the wall... if you dont like it, goto best buy or any other B&M store. i may be late.. but these hate threads are sad :)
Click to expand...

Well most of the time the ones on the wall are just opened to keep the box up there for display and they keep the cd/dvd behind the counter when someone wants it. Its how most console games are kept over here in the stores near me Southside Chicago. I see no problem with it for console games that were like that when I bought them. As for PC games the ones near me bearly started selling PC games meaning I went around 4-6~ months ago and they always said the ''We don't care Pc games'' but now they do. So I am guessing they just remove the dvd/booklet like consoles games. To be honest I am not worried about that or about to complain about it. As long as if their return/exchange policy is good, I will continue buying games there for my little cousins. That being said It has been very long before I have stepped foot in there looking for something for myself.

I do agree with Princess. Tell you're friend to buy online and welcome to 2010 unless he wants a cool looking box with a manual that tells him how to play.
 
wrxdrunkie said:
Just last night when I was picking up my preorder some guy walks to the end of the line at like 12:05 saying "Oh no I did not pre-order I hope I get the game" sarcastically mocking people that pre-order.


I hope he did not get the game.
Click to expand...

That's enough to make me never shop at any gamestop ever again.






:p
 
Casper312 said:
Well most of the time the ones on the wall are just opened to keep the box up there for display and they keep the cd/dvd behind the counter when someone wants it. Its how most console games are kept over here in the stores near me Southside Chicago. I see no problem with it for console games that were like that when I bought them. As for PC games the ones near me bearly started selling PC games meaning I went around 4-6~ months ago and they always said the ''We don't care Pc games'' but now they do. So I am guessing they just remove the dvd/booklet like consoles games. To be honest I am not worried about that or about to complain about it. As long as if their return/exchange policy is good, I will continue buying games there for my little cousins. That being said It has been very long before I have stepped foot in there looking for something for myself.

I do agree with Princess. Tell you're friend to buy online and welcome to 2010 unless he wants a cool looking box with a manual that tells him how to play.
Click to expand...

i totally agree pc games should be sealed...i told that to a nearby Software etc.(gamestop owned) i told him with an unsealed game..they keep the cd-keys in teh manual and someone could write that down..the employee must have been a supervisor or manager. he got real pissed...i didnt end up buying the game from there.. even though it wasnt at the best buy in the same area.
 
the owners of the stores are interested in used gamed sales, because that generates tremendous profit. the corporate owners who get franchise fees make based on store sales. because preorders = new games = higher prices = more sales, they push for more preorders.

still. i happen to like my gamestop. they're next to my work and the employees are not pushy. i've gotten most of my hardware/accessories/games/points from there without incident. if they don't have a sealed copy i ask for one, if they say they don't have one i just politely leave. it's about 50/50 that i get an unopened without a preorder. (i preordered mass effect 2) and i waited a week for them to get an unopened copy of the first game when it came out.

why not go to walmart/bestbuy? they're just as abundant and they always have unopened copies and the price is the same.
 
And this is why unless I pre ordered, or have not waited a few months after initial release, I buy my games from Amazon.
 
obs said:
Plus, there's always a certain percentage who forgo their $5 and never buy the game.

I don't like gamestop because I don't like being annoyed with their pre-order pitches. It's the same reason I don't buy electronics at Best Buy and have to deal with their service plan sales pitches. But I have the internet where I can get things for cheaper and with no sales tax so neither of these are much of a problem anymore.

Although unless there is obvious physical damage or you were looking to resell it right away complaining about an open but unused game is pretty dumb. What exactly were you going to do with it when you got home anyways? I'm guessing open it. On top of that, if it's really such an issue, go to one of the dozen other places that sell the game.
Click to expand...

As far as the game being opened, it means it's non-returnable if you're getting it as a gift, or an unscrupulous employee used the cdkey and then sold it to you. Also, you're paying for a BRAND NEW item, not an "open box" item... if they're going to have it be opened and oftentimes casing-used on the shelf, there should be a discount if they expect sales.
 
Neurofreeze said:
There's a lot of misconceptions in each and every thread like this and very skewed stories by irate gamers.

Yes, Gamestop does not have the greatest policies or customer service or prices, we all know that. There's things you have to consider though:

1) People, this includes Game Advisors, Senior Game Advisors, Keyholders, Assistant Managers, and Managers at individual stores have absolutely no say in what the store actually receives in its shipments, or even when the shipments happen. It is all decided upon by distributors and computers far beyond their reach.

2) Gamestop's immediately available PC library has been shrinking for years. It's simply not as profitable nor nearly as demanded as console games. Like many of you have stated, many PC gamers prefer digital distribution and things like that. The Gamestop I just went to had exactly FOUR copies of ME2, two were pre-ordered (one was mine, the other was the guy who rang me up). Behind him was a shelf of probably 20-30 Xbox 360 ME2s. That's just how it goes. Almost no one asks for PC versions of ME2, so the computer at the distribution centers don't see any demand, and thus don't send any. That's the big deal about pre-orders, it's really their only sure-fire indication of demand. It would be FUCKING STUPID of them to get 50 copies of PC ME2 and sell maybe 5-6. So what if there was a copy on the counter? Ever think that it was a pre-order that was set aside?

3) You, and many of you, have said you called in to ask if they had any available without any pre-orders. I guarantee that none of the employees guaranteed you a copy over the phone. It's strict policy not to. In fact the first post stated that they had copies available but IT IS OPEN TO ANYONE, MEANING IF SOMEONE BEATS YOU TO IT, YOU GET BEAT. They're not going to sell you someone's pre-order; that person already put money down.
Click to expand...

Why can’t they sell someone pre-order? Because it’s against policy? Because they have something in place that attaches the SKU to my name? Guess what they do break policy because they did with me and there inst anything in place that prevents it.. They did this with me and I bet it’s because one of the little f@!ks there wanted for themselves or there friends. I spoke with the Asst. Mgr in charge and she said nothing could be done, other then returned my $5, customer service is horrible at these stores, she refused to do anything to keep me as a customer therefore I will never be a customer of the company.


I honestly don’t care why they don’t have games in stock, it’s not there so I will look else ware and I will guarantee once large companies such as Amazon or Wal-Mart gets on the game trading/used games bandwagon then it’s all over for gamestop..
 
yes this is exactly why i don't order from gamestop. i buy all my games from amazon. they even deliver it on release day if you're a prime customer (i just do use as many trial memberships available). amazon has excellent customer service & reliability.
 
were you going to open the box when you got home? If so i don't see the problem. cry more
 
JonnyK said:
were you going to open the box when you got home? If so i don't see the problem. cry more
Click to expand...

So you're cool if I sell something to you as BRAND NEW but take it for a test-drive first, allowing other customers to touch and prod the box leaving you with no idea if it was already used. SWEET!
 
As a simple rule, I stopped shopping at those stores.

Bestbuy, Fry's, Walmart and Target feed my need for boxed software. Steam feeds my need for games on the cheap.

Not to mention gamestop will not pricematch Fry's.
 
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