Why The Hell Is Gamestop Opening Games Before They're Sold?
Aeropause's James Munn has posted what I can only describe as a horror story about a recent experience he had at his local Gamestop. Apparently, he wanted a new copy of Sid Meiers' Pirates for the PSP, but the store clerk tried to sell him an already-opened copy...
"I said NEW." I replied angrily, having seen this before and knew what he would say,*voice shaking* "This is new," I was furious at this point. It was cold and late and I didn't have time for his crap.
"So if I walk out the door right now with that unsealed case then walk back in here next week with it in the same condition, you'll give me full return credit as a new game? I mean, it IS new after all right!?"
*blank stare*
The story only gets more bizarre from there. It seems that Gamestop is actually opening new games all the time now, and the store's manager backed the policy up. No rationale for this behavior seems to have been offered, nor can I think of a single valid reason for this kind of policy. I think I'll just stick with my big, soulless, corporate chain stores to provide me with my gaming goodness.
Hey Gamestop! Stop Opening My New Games! [Aeropause]
Boy of Tomorrow
Posted to Miscellany on 1 February 2007
· Comments (15)
Other stuff like this: aeropause, gamestop, pirates, psp, used, wtf
Good lord. I used to be a manager at Gamestop and we got this kind of complaint all the time. It's a perfectly understandable complaint... mostly... But there is a reason.
All the boxes you see on the shelves are empty. The contents of the boxes are taken out and put into a sleeve in a drawer with the unopened copies. When you bring up the empty box, the employee is supposed to give you an unopened one. If it's the last copy, than they put the contents back into the box that you brought up and reseal it. It's not used, it's new... The contents [are supposed to] have never been touched aside from putting them in the drawer. Rest easy.
Plus, since they only really make their profit off used games, most EB's and GameStops only carry about 2 or 3 new copies of games now and just gut ALL the copies they have and put the cases on the shelf.
I hate it too but it's what they have to do to keep down the ridiculous amount of theft they have to deal with.
Why would someone go to gamestop for new games? Unless you're preordering and want the game the day it comes out, I would go somewhere else for a new one.
Because GameStop gets in a lot more titles then Best Buy or Target. If you want an obscure game, you're not going to get it anywhere else.
This is hardly uncommon. Here in NYC I often argue with store managers cause they say the box they are selling me was opened to be used as a display copy...they offer to shrink wrap it for me...so I tell them that I want them to hand write on the receipt that I can get a refund if it's not opened by me. They almost always refuse...and I walk out. They are so greedy they'll do anything to stick you with a sale. If that factory seal is gone they will not take a return...anyone can shrink wrap the case...so if they offer to do it for you...say no thanks and buy it somewhere else. What they always offer is the ability to return it for the same item...but sometimes they don't do that cause they now offer that stupid insurance you can buy for your games...Let Gamestop die please!
Yeah, when I worked at GameStop we would always open one copy of new games to use as a display copy. It's not a big deal. If a customer complained I would just shrink wrap it and write on their reciept that it was a display copy.
But really, think about buying clothes as a comparison. Do you try on clothes before buying them? Yes, most likely you do. Do you always buy every item you try on? I doubt it. So what happens to the clothes that you tried on that you don't buy... they get put right back on the shelf for someone else to buy as "new". That seems a little worse than opening game boxes (especially when the disc is still in perfect condition).
My GameStop puts a sticker on any of the opened copies when I buy then, effectively "sealing" the game. If the stickers broken, it's considered open. And even then they'll take it back most of the time because I don't act like a jerk.
Metal Gear Solid 3. Why, you were supposed to be new. I paid for you to be new. So why is the 'Sony' label on the top split down the middle and have such a poor shrink wrap job. Poor widdle game, you were supposed to be new, instead you're an expensive used.
Oh god...come the hell on. People like that infuriate me. A game is new until it's been placed inside of a machine. We arent selling you a box, we are selling you the disc. The box is a bonus, just like the damned plastic wrap.
Why would we keep sealed games on the floor, where everyone can steal it? When people already steal the empty boxes. Its a brand new game, and if you want a sealed one, fine, go somewhere else. But dont bitch at us if the game is opened.
Atleast at our store, we use a specific circle tape, we dont even reshrinkwrap it. If its sealed when it comes back, we take it back. Unless it obviously looks like someone else did it. That is it. Jeez...why the hell does everyone have to get pissed off at us for doing our damned job?
Okay, you dont like it, don't buy it. We don't force you to buy the game. If you don't want an opened one, then just leave. Quit your bitching.
OK, there's another side to this story I hate to divulge, because I used to be a manager for GameStop, and I understand the frustrations on that end with the display copy, that I'm being a bit turncoat etc. (And the sticker showing it's new as a seal is a great idea too few stores used).
But one of the perks( with some conditions such as meeting sub/res quotas and a good inventory) to working there is Checkout Privelages-that is, checking out a game for a few days. Often this is used items or DVDs-but gut copies of new games may fall to this as well. Likewise, we all know the demo discs aren't what the display system is always running, nor is it a used copy. So claiming that a display copy gut has never seen use isn't always true-and while some stores may be very good to keep them from seeing use, let's face it, that's an ideal situation.
However, I think the real issue here is why you don't just smile, nod, and give the customer an unopened copy if the copy having been open bothers them. If you don't have one, and they are uncomfortable, do what you can to make them so, or be alright with them not wanting to buy it. Blank stares and stammers and 'Uhms' do not help things. It's just basic customer service.
badgerlord71, at our store, we only allowed our employees to check out used games. Problem solved.
I've had this happen countless times with my local EB, but one time in my mind sticks out in particular.
I wanted cooking mama, new, as it had just come out a day or two before. I checked online, they had only one listed in stock at the store, so I hopped in the car and headed over.
I was told that yes, one copy was there. They spent a good 20 minutes trying to find it before checking in some random notebook hidden behind the counter. They went round and round for a few minutes trying to figure out where it had gone.
It was finally figured out that there was only one copy and it was currently 'checked out' by one of the employees, even though he was supposed to have turned it back in that evening. They called him right in front of me asking if he still had it and he said he'd have it back in a few days because he was still playing it.
I was bewildered. Had I stumbled into Blockbuster or Hollywood video? What's this 'renting out' policy? Why do I, the paying customer, have to wait a few days for some employee to turn a game in that he didn't pay for?
I shrugged it off, minorly annoyed because I didn't want to wait a few days, but I let it go because it wasn't necessary just yet-- I wanted it for a trip I'd be making in a few days. I could wait 2 days, and hey, I'd save a buck or so, because I'd be buying it used. That's fine.
Until, come that day it's meant to be back in store. I go in, ask for the game, have another employee not able to find it at first. It's finally found, part behind the counter, the game in a seperate folder, and he charges me full price for it. I mentioned that no, this was used, I know for a fact that (employees name) had checked it out for several days and I had to wait 2-3 days to buy it because of that. They refused to sell it to me at the used price. I still bought it because I wanted it for my trip and it was maybe a dollar difference, but it was the principle of the whole thing that angered me.
I wrote a long winded email to EB corporate, but unsurprisingly, it went unreturned.
It's one thing to be sold a display copy, never played game as new. It's another to sell a 'barely used' game as new. If I'm all for the employees being familiar with the games they're selling but they should not be able to 'check out' games that are:
1) Rare (which cooking mama seemed to be the first few weeks)
2) the last in store copy (They should be required to at least keep two copies in store before allowing any to be checked out)
3) Not Used (Or if a new game is 'checked out', they should be willing to take the $1-5 loss by now selling that game as 'used')
Apologies if part of this seems repeated from earlier comments-- My comment wouldn't go through earlier.
And had you read my comment in detail, Nathan, you'd of noticed that I said in an ideal situation, it's only new guts. You and I both know the policy varies from store to store, with some being less ethical about it than others.
"But one of the perks( with some conditions such as meeting sub/res quotas and a good inventory) to working there is Checkout Privelages-that is"
F#CK YOU.
are you guys for real?
ok to all of these comments,
no its not ok to open a game and use it as a display case
why? because if you need to do that in the fist place we know you dont have any copies of the game. the reason I have started to reserve copies, is because every gamestop ony gets it the first day if you reserve it, unless its a huge game, or magic spells have been cast, so usually they only get a few copies.
NO YOU CANT TAKE THE GAME OUT OF THE BOX AND PLAY IT AND CHARGE 50 bucks for it. There's no way you can say its just guts, its just a dvd, its just packaging.
I dont even care about this, but what about opening the thing you worked stupid hard for or waited on reserve for months on. this is not at the pleasure of gamestop employees to have as a F#CKING "perk"
i know i sound like the son of commercializm and pop culture, take it as you will, it's not YOUR perk.
and wow i never realized how many gays worked at gamestop, half the posts, but then my boyfriend said that gaming is like musical theater, it's an escape and all that...
to be honest im just like all the non employees on this post, i sucked it up and took my opened copy of warioware and reserved another title, with a crinkled brow.
god i hope they find an unmodded way to boost games for the wii and 360
after paying 10 bucks for mariocart, i decided to hook my mac upto my tv and..... suprize virtual console you guys, complete with controller.
im sick at the thought of people screwing over the consumer, and oil company is an oil company they will continue to make seventy something billion in surplus over poluting the planet, but a video game, is entertainment, they should be giving me popcorn and a flipping how do ya do every time i blow my wad in there, not handing me sloppy seconds.
WOW what a rant, i need a xanax.
b