Is Gamestop Evil? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

[01toubib]

Gamestop now does Ipods and Iphones :facepalm:

[skate323k137]

Gamestop really pissed me off tonight. Part of it is my fault for not bitching, but here's the short of it.

There's a ton of gamestops in my area (at least 7), but only a couple are open late on Sundays. I finally got a good adapter to use my arcade sticks on my 360, so I decided it was time to buy SSF4 arcade edition.

I went online, and found one of the two GS's that were open late had a "new" copy. Now, I'm well aware this often means "opened," but I've come to terms with that and stopped caring.

However, when I got to the store, the guy said "yeah we have it new, no used copies though," so I said "sure, I'll take it." What happened next is what really has me upset. He goes over to the new games shelf, and grabs one of their BS cases they make for used games that come in with no case. For a "new" game. Seriously?????

I didn't even think about it much till I walked out of the store. I was dead set on playing this game tonight, and at least I have that, however what I have is a disc in a non-original, ugly-ass case, no instruction manual, and to top it off the fucking disc is scuffed. Sure, it'll play fine, but there's no fucking way in hell this game was "new."

Tomorrow I'm just going to go into a different location where I usually get acceptable service, and ask for a case and manual. If they don't want to give me one, I'll just scratch the fuck out of the disc (I spent the $2 for the scratched disc replacement) and demand a new copy.

I don't know where they get off thinking that a disc with no original box or manual can still be sold as "new."

[Mendoza]

Gamestop really pissed me off tonight. Part of it is my fault for not bitching, but here's the short of it.

There's a ton of gamestops in my area (at least 7), but only a couple are open late on Sundays. I finally got a good adapter to use my arcade sticks on my 360, so I decided it was time to buy SSF4 arcade edition.

I went online, and found one of the two GS's that were open late had a "new" copy. Now, I'm well aware this often means "opened," but I've come to terms with that and stopped caring.

However, when I got to the store, the guy said "yeah we have it new, no used copies though," so I said "sure, I'll take it." What happened next is what really has me upset. He goes over to the new games shelf, and grabs one of their BS cases they make for used games that come in with no case. For a "new" game. Seriously?????

I didn't even think about it much till I walked out of the store. I was dead set on playing this game tonight, and at least I have that, however what I have is a disc in a non-original, ugly-ass case, no instruction manual, and to top it off the fucking disc is scuffed. Sure, it'll play fine, but there's no fucking way in hell this game was "new."

Tomorrow I'm just going to go into a different location where I usually get acceptable service, and ask for a case and manual. If they don't want to give me one, I'll just scratch the fuck out of the disc (I spent the $2 for the scratched disc replacement) and demand a new copy.

I don't know where they get off thinking that a disc with no original box or manual can still be sold as "new."

Damn.

[ZenErik]

"GameStop new" now includes games with no original packaging? That is pretty bad, even by GS standards.

I can't complain much about GameStop lately. My only dealing with them was buying Mortal Kombat for $10 for the Vita online a few days ago.

[Luke]

Gamestop really pissed me off tonight. Part of it is my fault for not bitching, but here's the short of it.

You paid full price for a "new game" without the original box and instructions? I'm sorry, even if I was psyched to buy a game, if I bought a game at a "new" price and someone handed me a disc in a generic case no way in hell would I pay full price for it.

I'm dumbfounded by your gullibility (don't take it personally). Maybe I misread your post, but for clarification: you paid full price for a "new" game that came in a generic case with no instructions (or leaflets these days) and you are pissed off at GameStop?

[isiolia]

I would have just said thanks but no thanks and not bought that. Then again, I usually would specifically ask if they have any non gut copies of new titles.

Personally, though I don't really go there much anymore, my last Gamestop experience was positive. I was checking for clearance GBA stuff (all gone ) but wound up perusing the PS2/GC/PSP selection for buy 2 get 1. Wound up getting three PS2 games in like-new condition, save for the stickers - but thankfully they actually didn't put them on the manuals anymore, or on the actual insert, just on the cases.
So, despite 95% of their selection being in substandard condition (if you count all those cheap PS2 games in yellow envelopes), at maybe they're easing off the sticker abuse?

[skate323k137]

Gamestop really pissed me off tonight. Part of it is my fault for not bitching, but here's the short of it.

You paid full price for a "new game" without the original box and instructions? I'm sorry, even if I was psyched to buy a game, if I bought a game at a "new" price and someone handed me a disc in a generic case no way in hell would I pay full price for it.

I'm dumbfounded by your gullibility (don't take it personally). Maybe I misread your post, but for clarification: you paid full price for a "new" game that came in a generic case with no instructions (or leaflets these days) and you are pissed off at GameStop?

You could say that two ways, one being I that I was "gullible" enough to pay it, the other being that I was charged full price for a "new" game with no case or manual. I have every right to be mad at them for even offering to sell that to me as "new." Sure, I could have said no, but even if they would have sold it to me as "used" (which I know they wouldn't) It literally would have been $18 instead of $20. This way, I paid for a "new" copy and I knew I could make somewhere else exchange it anyway. Case and point, I just took it back to another gamestop with competent employees, and they happily exchanged it. So, now I have my new copy, and I got to play it last night anyway.

[Luke]

So, now I have my new copy, and I got to play it last night anyway.

I'm glad it all worked out for you. My only point was:

I don't know where they get off thinking that a disc with no original box or manual can still be sold as "new."

But you still bought the game. Very counter-intuitive.

I'm literally shocked that someone sold you a "new" game in a used cased and you weren't all "what the fuck is this shit?".

It's just very:

"Can't believe they charge $20 for a pint of beer at NFL Games. Bunch of assholes, it pisses me off".

'How many did you buy?'

"Five. But it pisses me off."

It's a very don't piss on my leg and tell me it is raining situation where you took the decision to let them piss on your leg.

But that said, you finally got what you wanted in the end. Hope you don't let someone take advantage of you like that again.

[skate323k137]

I usually resist the urge to go all "WTF is this shit" on gamestop employees, because I know they all know it's BS, it's just "policy."

Sunday nights are often the only time I have more than 20-30 minutes to dedicate to gaming. I had a good few hours free, and that was the last open gamestop with a copy of the game. Had I not been dead set on playing SF4 last night, I totally would have gone all "WTF is this shit" on them and not bought it just to prove a point. Trust me, I won't let them pull that crap again, though it's unlikely seeing as I may buy 3-4 new current-gen games a year, if that.

[Luke]

^ I hear ya. Being in a time crunch can make your mind goofy. Especially when you have such limited free time.

And to clarify my "what the fuck is this shit?" delivery would be very Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop version) and not Eddie Murphy (Shrek).

In the end you got what you wanted, and that's all that really matters.