Gamestop's policy of selling opened/played games as new

[itsamemario]

it's policies like this that make me believe that gamestop (no matter how much cash they're rolling in right now) will not survive long-term...they just screw their customers over in every possible way...

the biggest part of their business is that they can sell games cheaper because they're used...but, somehow, if it's their employees that are using it, it doesn't count...it's even worse knowing that they have re-sealing machines...who knows how many gamestops have resealed their used display copies and straight up lied about the game being ever being opened...

[the7k]

Well, to anyone who says "An open game that plays is just the same as a sealed one", I'd like for someone sell a Mint copy of ANY game and expect it to sell for as much as Factory-Sealed.

The only reason I shop at Gamestop is the B2G1 Specials. Other than that, I can always get it for cheaper at Amazon, and if I really want it now, I can get it at Best Buy and at least get some Reward Zone points. It's just too bad no one else sees it the way I do.

[MrPopo]

To play devil's advocate, car dealerships have a similar policy. A car under something like 4k miles is considered New. They need this to allow for test drives, but it also lets dealership employees drive the new cars from the lot. My family only owned one car for about 10 years because my dad was able to simply drive the cars from the lot. Similar theory for games. Assuming that the employee doesn't spill his beer all over it, playing a game over a weekend is light use and aside from the lack of shrinkwrap you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a new and a used.

That said, I personally feel that the expecations when car shopping are different from game shopping. With the car you expect that it's been test driven a little. A game, on the other hand, is one of a series of identical units, so you should be able to get a sealed copy. If the employees want to take the store demo disc home at night, that's their business. Leave the rest of the copies alone.

[lordofduct]

To play devil's advocate, car dealerships have a similar policy. A car under something like 4k miles is considered New. They need this to allow for test drives, but it also lets dealership employees drive the new cars from the lot. My family only owned one car for about 10 years because my dad was able to simply drive the cars from the lot. Similar theory for games. Assuming that the employee doesn't spill his beer all over it, playing a game over a weekend is light use and aside from the lack of shrinkwrap you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a new and a used.

That said, I personally feel that the expecations when car shopping are different from game shopping. With the car you expect that it's been test driven a little. A game, on the other hand, is one of a series of identical units, so you should be able to get a sealed copy. If the employees want to take the store demo disc home at night, that's their business. Leave the rest of the copies alone.

Actually you can usually get the price down on a car that has been test driven quite a bit.

I bought my car brand new with 4 miles on it (this is rather normal as there is the loading and unloding of the vehicle amongst other things). But my friend bought her car new as well, it had like 1200 miles on from being test driven... she got 2000 dollars off the price tag because of this.

You also consider there is a lot of haggling in car purchasing as well. I didn't pay the sticker price for my car... we haggled that down a bit by 500 dollars, took the 2000 dollar cash back promotion they had an applied it to the down payment, and said we wouldn't buy if we didn't ALSO get the other promotion of 0% interest on it. Thusly letting us walk out the door with a 500 dollar discount, 0 down, and no interest for 5 years.

But as you stated, buying a car is a little different from buying a video game.


If you want to know HOW to do what I just described... I don't know, my dad helped me before he died. But I bet both of our credit ratings helped a lot.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I've made it my personal policy to only checkout used games whenever (if ever) I check something out. The rest of the guys at my store on the other hand like to see how how many new copies they can blow through in a month. Personally I view it in the same light as anybody would; that being if the seal is broken the game is open therefore not new.

[aaron]

I worked and loved that benefit. However, I always thought selling the "checked out" copies was sketchy at best. As for the practice of gutting. Unfortunately too many people are dishonest and it is required. I managed at the Mall of America. By the end of summer, we would gain 10-20 games without cases. Even though they are empty, people steal them.

then keep empty clamshell cases out there and keep the sealed, new copies behind the desk or in the back room. i know space is sometimes an issue, but i don't get why that's a good excuse to sell "new" games opened.

[Jrecee]

To play devil's advocate, car dealerships have a similar policy. A car under something like 4k miles is considered New. They need this to allow for test drives, but it also lets dealership employees drive the new cars from the lot. My family only owned one car for about 10 years because my dad was able to simply drive the cars from the lot. Similar theory for games. Assuming that the employee doesn't spill his beer all over it, playing a game over a weekend is light use and aside from the lack of shrinkwrap you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a new and a used.

That said, I personally feel that the expecations when car shopping are different from game shopping. With the car you expect that it's been test driven a little. A game, on the other hand, is one of a series of identical units, so you should be able to get a sealed copy. If the employees want to take the store demo disc home at night, that's their business. Leave the rest of the copies alone.

They sell these as demo cars. However once you get into car dealerships business models become veeeerry shady. But nobody in their right mind is going to pay msrp for a demo car. Then again people are paying 5k over msrp for camaros during a recession.

[corn619]

They sell these as demo cars. However once you get into car dealerships business models become veeeerry shady. But nobody in their right mind is going to pay msrp for a demo car. Then again people are paying 5k over msrp for camaros during a recession.

I almost bought a Camaro but didn't like it that much in person to be honest. I opted for the Harley and Toyota Matrix instead all for a unbeatable price might I add. Man, recessions are great "if you have a job" that is.

[schi0249]

I worked and loved that benefit. However, I always thought selling the "checked out" copies was sketchy at best. As for the practice of gutting. Unfortunately too many people are dishonest and it is required. I managed at the Mall of America. By the end of summer, we would gain 10-20 games without cases. Even though they are empty, people steal them.

then keep empty clamshell cases out there and keep the sealed, new copies behind the desk or in the back room. i know space is sometimes an issue, but i don't get why that's a good excuse to sell "new" games opened.

I've been in bathrooms bigger than the backroom my store had. Retail space is expensive, especially in key malls.

In theory, yes stores should be provided with display cases. But try to get the publishers to provide them. I do agree they should discount it when people buy the floor copy.

Crazy side note. At Christmas, we had to watch out for box cutters. People would slice open PC games to steal the discs.

[skate323k137]

Mind you this was many years ago but I was really pissed the first time I bought a "new" game from Gamestop. "This is the last one, sorry." I understand that corporate is corporate and it's not the employees choice, but I still gave the guy a kinda hard time. I always used to buy my stereo equipment off the shelf (i.e. display models) to get a discount, why is an open display game any different? I can't believe someone didn't complain about them selling open games as new a long, long time ago.

I have managed to score a ton of good PS2 titles complete in good shape, so I spent a lot of time scavenging bargain bins. One time I saw a case for a new "Fantavision" (launch title?), and for the hell of it I asked if they had it. The disc that came out from behind the counter looked like it was a remnant of WWII. The guy working and I enjoyed a good laugh, and after discussing whether or not it was even worth watching a system desperately try to read it, I got a used copy for kicks.

Another time I got Castle Shikigami 2 for ps2 for $4, but after an extensive search they couldn't find the case. I went back a week later and saw a case and manual for the same game, so I said screw it, If they actually have another one for $4 I'll buy it. Yep, you guessed it- After another search they couldn't find a disc. I did let them look for quite some time before telling them I'd already purchased the disc a week earlier; They let me have the case.