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Also because as this thread demonstrates, taking people's money in advance means that some percentage forget to ever come in and claim their product. That's free money for GS.
This program demonstrates that it's not. They can't just take money for a good, not deliver the good (through no fault of their own) and then spend the money anyway. There are laws that specifically forbid that. Their tax forms every year account for incomplete transactions that they can't count as profit yet (like when you buy a gift card).
Well, they seem to have been doing just that until now.
I've been using year-old preorder credit to purchase other titles since at least 2005.
And that is awesome for you, but as the necessity of this program demonstrates, most (or at least, many) people aren't doing that. And even with this website in existence, many people will probably continue to be unaware that they have five bucks of credit kicking around, or just not care about it.
The same thing happens with gift cards. Yeah, you could spend that random $2.47 you still have on your best buy giftcard, but most people don't. They lose the card or forget about it or whatever.
Well then it's the person's fault for not using their money. But it is not free money for GS. That's why they're doing this, because they want people to finally spend it.
It is free money for them, actually. They can eventually keep the money (depends on the state IIRC), and even if you do claim it, it's generating interest revenue for them in the meantime.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
The same thing happens with gift cards. Yeah, you could spend that random $2.47 you still have on your best buy giftcard, but most people don't. They lose the card or forget about it or whatever.
I have never understood the obsession modern consumers have with gift cards.
You have $50. You can spend it absolutely anywhere.
Why not turn that $50 into BestBuy money? Money you can only spend at BestBuy!
It's obviously a fantastic program for the company, but the customer is losing out. As gifts, I'd much rather receive $50 than a gift card.
I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think there's a stigma attached to cash-as-gift and gift cards are this fucked up workaround people use. I personally don't get it and agree that $50 is superior to a $50 gift card.
50 real dollars could be spent buying a $45 gift plus lunch.
And even if we accept that gamestop's motives are completely virtuous ( :rotate: ) the consumer has at the very least underwritten a holiday promotional campaign.
Why not turn that $50 into BestBuy money? Money you can only spend at BestBuy!
It's obviously a fantastic program for the company, but the customer is losing out. As gifts, I'd much rather receive $50 than a gift card.
pre-orders are essentially the same thing. They guarantee that your (generally very popular anyway) game will be available in that store for purchase on the day of release, and in return you convert some of your money into Gamestop money that there is a small chance you will never use.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
0
Foreverendercloaked in the midnight glory of an event horizonRegistered Userregular
edited December 2009
I would like to see proof that they eventually get to keep the money.
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
0
Foreverendercloaked in the midnight glory of an event horizonRegistered Userregular
And even if we accept that gamestop's motives are completely virtuous ( :rotate: ) the consumer has at the very least underwritten a holiday promotional campaign.
Why not turn that $50 into BestBuy money? Money you can only spend at BestBuy!
It's obviously a fantastic program for the company, but the customer is losing out. As gifts, I'd much rather receive $50 than a gift card.
pre-orders are essentially the same thing. They guarantee that your (generally very popular anyway) game will be available in that store for purchase on the day of release, and in return you convert some of your money into Gamestop money that there is a small chance you will never use.
It's not GameStop money. You can get a full refund on it however you paid. It's not locked into GameStop.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
I would like to see proof that they eventually get to keep the money.
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
I'm actually unsure there is any legislation on this topic at all, aside from the Fine Print™ you sign when you pre-order a game (which could say basically anything.) Gift cards must be valid for five years under (U.S.) federal legislation, and after that it varies by state. My personal reading of the law is that a store pre order would probably be considered a "gift certificate," but that might be wrong and I doubt it's been tested. I'm curious as to what law you think it is that requires them to necessarily return your money.
You can generally get a refund on gift cards, too, although it probably depends on the retailer.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
Why would this be the case? In a high percentage of cases they'll sell that copy of the game anyway, and after that the money is just sitting on a balance sheet generating interest until you claim it.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
0
Deebaseron my way to work in a suit and a tieAhhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered Userregular
I can easily believe people don't pick up shit they ordered. Throw some random names for your family members/ friends into unclaimed.org and marvel at the sheer magnitude of people you know that don't give a fuck.
I...just looked my name up and I have about $200 in wages from an old job that I apparently didn't get while I was there o_O
Grats dude! I'm counting this as my good deed for the day. Now Im gonna punch me some babies in the throat, guilt free!
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
There is no denying, though, that Gamestop fills a certain niche in the market that consumers DO want.
No consumer wants a magazine slash warranty pusher.
Gamestop is in the business of selling games. They deliberately low ball game projections to force pre-orders. They give customers shit about preordering big name guaranteed to sell games.
Gamestop doesn't have the storage space, and can't afford to give them away cheaply, because that is WHERE they make their profits.
They make their money on used game sales and you fucking know that. The whole deal regarding pre orders is so they don't have to worry about the margins they make on new game sales. They get 30 preorders, they order 30 copies.
Specialty/niche store my fucking ass. It's a pawn shop. Plain and simple. I can go into the local WalMart and pay, full price, for Raiden Fighters Aces and the local GameStop won't have it.
"You should have preordered it dude."
My store has Raiden Fighters Aces.
So does mine.
I couldn't think of the actual game where that happened. My GameStop is right next to WalMart. Went to pick up something like Raiden or WarTech or something. They didn't have it, got a "you should have preordered" from the hipster behind the counter. Walked over to WalMart and got it.
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
Why would this be the case? In a high percentage of cases they'll sell that copy of the game anyway, and after that the money is just sitting on a balance sheet generating interest until you claim it.
There's a reason our DM's have us call up every customer that hasn't picked up their game and remind them. I'm sure it has to do with increasing numbers which look good for the company. They want those sales, it shows the store is functioning as it should, garners more support from publishers since they see we are pushing their titles, etc.
Pre-order pickup % is closely looked at, and is on par with subscriptions.
I've worked there for awhile. I'm not an idiot, I understand they are a company that wants to make money. You can trust me when I say they want you to pick up your game.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
It must be really good to have so much money that you can just buy stuff and never actually get it.
And Gamespot wants you to pick the game up do that they can get it back from you in exchange for store credit and then sell it again for 40 dollars. Their scam doesn't work without used games coming back to them.
I doubt it. It's a smart move business-wise. If you tell someone they have $10 in credit, they come in to look around, and maybe end up buying a game that's $50-60.
But what's odd is that they're just now doing this, after sitting on the uncollected deposits for many years.
Because it's pretty universally expected to be a weak retail holiday this year.
I doubt it. It's a smart move business-wise. If you tell someone they have $10 in credit, they come in to look around, and maybe end up buying a game that's $50-60.
But what's odd is that they're just now doing this, after sitting on the uncollected deposits for many years.
Because it's pretty universally expected to be a weak retail holiday this year.
yeah, I'm quite sure that what happened is that someone in a marketing meeting slapped their forehead and said "what if we tried to get people to come in and spend their pre-order credit?" Then another someone checked and found out that most customers only have $5-10 in their name, and the rest is history.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
I can easily believe people don't pick up shit they ordered. Throw some random names for your family members/ friends into unclaimed.org and marvel at the sheer magnitude of people you know that don't give a fuck.
I...just looked my name up and I have about $200 in wages from an old job that I apparently didn't get while I was there o_O
Grats dude! I'm counting this as my good deed for the day. Now Im gonna punch me some babies in the throat, guilt free!
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
So you are against anything used in general that can still be purchased new? I'm just curious.
Also, you have to consider that the game that was traded in might have gone towards the purchase of a new game that otherwise the individual wouldn't have been able to afford. A lot of people trade in towards pre-orders because they get a bonus on trade that way, so that's potentially a new sale for the developer.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
yeah, the answer is that it's a huge muddled mess, and to even get to the huge muddled mess we're making the assumption that pre-orders can be considered in the same way gift cards can, which is far from certain
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
So you are against anything used in general that can still be purchased new?
I am quite sure that publishers are familiar with gamestop's business model. They also have a need for a mall retail level distribution, though, and gamestop accomplishes that for them.
I am also quite sure that publishers would very much like to get rid of used game sales, but until steam and similar services become more prevalent, they're stuck with them.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
yeah, the answer is that it's a huge muddled mess, and to even get to the huge muddled mess we're making the assumption that pre-orders can be considered in the same way gift cards can, which is far from certain
This basically, there may be laws against gift cards expiring but I'm not putting it above GameStop's lawyers to find a loophole which calls it a "pre-order fee" and something that can't be considered in the gift card category. It's definitely not out of the realm of possibility for them to label your pre-order as "non-refundable after 90 days" in the future.
I really think this "lets give all that money back" is just the first step in a new corporate policy that allows them to keep that money after it hasn't been redeemed in a certain time period. It wouldn't be the first shady practice GameStop has pulled off.
I mean how many times have you had to pay a non-refundable fee on a good or service that you may or not have used/gotten? It happens all the time on all sorts of goods and services.
Allforce on
0
Foreverendercloaked in the midnight glory of an event horizonRegistered Userregular
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
yeah, the answer is that it's a huge muddled mess, and to even get to the huge muddled mess we're making the assumption that pre-orders can be considered in the same way gift cards can, which is far from certain
This basically, there may be laws against gift cards expiring but I'm not putting it above GameStop's lawyers to find a loophole which calls it a "pre-order fee" and something that can't be considered in the gift card category. It's definitely not out of the realm of possibility for them to label your pre-order as "non-refundable after 90 days" in the future.
I really think this "lets give all that money back" is just the first step in a new corporate policy that allows them to keep that money after it hasn't been redeemed in a certain time period. It wouldn't be the first shady practice GameStop has pulled off.
I mean how many times have you had to pay a non-refundable fee on a good or service that you may or not have used/gotten? It happens all the time on all sorts of goods and services.
Find a loophole that makes it not considered a gift card? What the hell? It's not a gift card. You're just trying to find reasons to hate on GS. It's better than a giftcard because you can just get your money back if you want.
And I really doubt this is a step towards a new policy so GS can steal all your monies. Even if they are changing it, GS tries to get you to pick up your game and use your money! They call/text you when it's out as a reminder. You act like it's their fault these customers are forgetting their money.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
This might just be the first step in overhauling the process. Basically give all the pre-order money they have floating around at every location, and then institute a new policy of "pre-order funds not used for the designated purchase becomes property of GS after XX days".
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
yeah, the answer is that it's a huge muddled mess, and to even get to the huge muddled mess we're making the assumption that pre-orders can be considered in the same way gift cards can, which is far from certain
This basically, there may be laws against gift cards expiring but I'm not putting it above GameStop's lawyers to find a loophole which calls it a "pre-order fee" and something that can't be considered in the gift card category. It's definitely not out of the realm of possibility for them to label your pre-order as "non-refundable after 90 days" in the future.
I really think this "lets give all that money back" is just the first step in a new corporate policy that allows them to keep that money after it hasn't been redeemed in a certain time period. It wouldn't be the first shady practice GameStop has pulled off.
I mean how many times have you had to pay a non-refundable fee on a good or service that you may or not have used/gotten? It happens all the time on all sorts of goods and services.
Find a loophole that makes it not considered a gift card? What the hell? It's not a gift card. You're just trying to find reasons to hate on GS. It's better than a giftcard because you can just get your money back if you want.
And I really doubt this is a step towards a new policy so GS can steal all your monies. Even if they are changing it, GS tries to get you to pick up your game and use your money! They call/text you when it's out as a reminder. You act like it's their fault these customers are forgetting their money.
They know how consumers behave. They know that pre order customers forgetting their money is something that happens, and it's something that figures into their bottom line. Saying that "it's the customer's fault for forgetting" is just a way of minimizing GS' side of the arrangement (especially since it's apparently only been very recently that they've started pursuing people to come back and spend their money.)
You keep saying that GS is under some obligation to return that money, but it's far from clear that this is true. The reverse seems more likely, especially since this particular effort coincides neatly with efforts to get people back into brick and mortars to buy things.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
Why would this be the case? In a high percentage of cases they'll sell that copy of the game anyway, and after that the money is just sitting on a balance sheet generating interest until you claim it.
ever take an accounting class? It's unearned revenue, which is basically accounted for as a liability since the company has not provided anything for that $5 Joe Schmoe paid when he thought he wanted Borderlands but it turned out to be a kiddie celshaded game and he never actually picked it up.
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
Why would this be the case? In a high percentage of cases they'll sell that copy of the game anyway, and after that the money is just sitting on a balance sheet generating interest until you claim it.
ever take an accounting class? It's unearned revenue, which is basically accounted for as a liability since the company has not provided anything for that $5 Joe Schmoe paid when he thought he wanted Borderlands but it turned out to be a kiddie celshaded game and he never actually picked it up.
yeah, it's an unfinished transaction or whatever the term is, but the interest on it is not. And it even being considered unearned revenue (or whatever) depends on how that money is considered by the law and by the company. It's far from clear to me that any law mandates that GS return or ever intend to return that money, and until they decided to use it as a way to boost sales, they didn't really try to.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Yeah it was nice to bust my butt through college for six years, two degrees, and get a job so stressful that it pays enough to where I don't have to obsess about every pre-order I ever made. It was just so nice of that to happen all by itself without an ounce of work from me. Oh and by the way, I moved before Viewtiful Joe 2 came out, and that's why I didn't pick it up.
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
So you are against anything used in general that can still be purchased new? I'm just curious.
Also, you have to consider that the game that was traded in might have gone towards the purchase of a new game that otherwise the individual wouldn't have been able to afford. A lot of people trade in towards pre-orders because they get a bonus on trade that way, so that's potentially a new sale for the developer.
this is already out of topic.
But there is a big difference between "anything used" and building an entire business model with used games as a cornerstone.
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
So you are against anything used in general that can still be purchased new? I'm just curious.
Also, you have to consider that the game that was traded in might have gone towards the purchase of a new game that otherwise the individual wouldn't have been able to afford. A lot of people trade in towards pre-orders because they get a bonus on trade that way, so that's potentially a new sale for the developer.
this is already out of topic.
But there is a big difference between "anything used" and building an entire business model with used games as a cornerstone.
here's what you need to understand: games, unlike other media such as music, movies, and books, are expensive as fuck. you need an initial investment of atleast $200 to play them, and each game is $50/60 new. most people don't have the cash to buy games. in fact, i'm lucky if i can get 5 games a year (luckily i have friends, and we buy games and trade them off later ).
there is demand for second hand games. hence why gamestop can make so much money selling them, however large or small the price difference. people will trade old unplayed games into gamestop by the stack just to get something new, and it's simplest way to get those games.
rental places often only carry 2-3 copies of a new game, and ebay/ craigslist prices will be much closer to retail than what timmy can get when he trades in 4 of his old games (which will be "free").
gamestop isn't fucking over anybody, the people fuck themselves
oh and to people bitching about how they only order enough copies for preorder, have you even been in these stores? they always have rows and rows of major releases right behind the counter in the glass cases. i can't remember one time i went to buy a game and they didn't have a copy for me to buy (except like, skate 2, which i found at best buy anyway)
localhjay on
0
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
oh and to people bitching about how they only order enough copies for preorder, have you even been in these stores? they always have rows and rows of major releases right behind the counter in the glass cases. i can't remember one time i went to buy a game and they didn't have a copy for me to buy (except like, skate 2, which i found at best buy anyway)
There's also a whole accounting reason for ordering exactly how many are needed rather than stocking the fuck up... keeping a good current ratio and a not-crazy-high inventory level is really nice for investors, and shows some amount of strength. Inventory is not a liquid asset, after all... though I realize I'm pissing into the wind at this point.
As for the topic, hey, is there a place to check for credit? Or do you just wait for a call? I'm pretty sure I have zero, but I'm curious if I can check.
oh and to people bitching about how they only order enough copies for preorder, have you even been in these stores? they always have rows and rows of major releases right behind the counter in the glass cases. i can't remember one time i went to buy a game and they didn't have a copy for me to buy (except like, skate 2, which i found at best buy anyway)
There's also a whole accounting reason for ordering exactly how many are needed rather than stocking the fuck up... keeping a good current ratio and a not-crazy-high inventory level is really nice for investors, and shows some amount of strength. Inventory is not a liquid asset, after all... though I realize I'm pissing into the wind at this point.
As for the topic, hey, is there a place to check for credit? Or do you just wait for a call? I'm pretty sure I have zero, but I'm curious if I can check.
gamestop.com/credit and all you have to do is type in your last name and phone number that you used to preorder the game.
I don't have any old credit because I try to only pre order items I want/have an awesome preorder bonus. Bestbuy though has been getting my new game business with there $10 giftcard coupons on games, and it only available the first 4 days the games on sale. Games like Demon's Souls however I preorder because I don't want to not be able to find it if its a niche title.
I'm amazed that so many people are giving away $5 for a preorder and then not buying the game. Not only that but you don't go back for your $5?
Talk about disposable income.
I blame this and everything like it for the failing economy.
Stigma on
0
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
edited December 2009
Thanks ultimakey... I had a feeling I'd see a zero there. The only pre-orders I know I have out there are Darksiders and Splinter Cell: Conviction, and I'm pretty rabid about picking up releases when they come out. ;-)
You keep saying that GS is under some obligation to return that money, but it's far from clear that this is true. The reverse seems more likely, especially since this particular effort coincides neatly with efforts to get people back into brick and mortars to buy things.
I work there and I know the policies. GameStop is obligated to give you back a full refund on your pre-order in whatever form of payment you originally used if you request it. This is the truth. And I know for a fact they don't want your pre-order money just sitting there idle, despite what you think.
Now, I'm sure there's some shady managers that lie about this because they don't want their numbers to take a hit, and that's bullshit.
Foreverender on
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
oh and to people bitching about how they only order enough copies for preorder, have you even been in these stores? they always have rows and rows of major releases right behind the counter in the glass cases. i can't remember one time i went to buy a game and they didn't have a copy for me to buy (except like, skate 2, which i found at best buy anyway)
There's also a whole accounting reason for ordering exactly how many are needed rather than stocking the fuck up... keeping a good current ratio and a not-crazy-high inventory level is really nice for investors, and shows some amount of strength. Inventory is not a liquid asset, after all... though I realize I'm pissing into the wind at this point.
As for the topic, hey, is there a place to check for credit? Or do you just wait for a call? I'm pretty sure I have zero, but I'm curious if I can check.
But they are obviously not estimating right based on the number of times I hear "Yeah, I went to GameStop and they didn't have one so I went to Best Buy/Target instead and bought one of there 6,000 copies."
There is a difference between intelligent inventory forecasting and ordering only enough to cover preorders.
Big box retailers can afford to take losses on stagnant inventory, because the profit margin on other products (cables, speakers, etc) maintains the store's bottom line. ANY specialty retailer has to be a bit pickier when it comes to inventory.
How is it a scam? Letting you trade stuff in if you want?
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
Are used cars a scam? Used records? Used books?
No one is being scammed. You seem to just be complaining about the concept that individuals are allowed to own things rather than being forced to rent them directly from the manufacturer.
Games would not sell nearly as many copies if there was a $0 salvage value attatched to them.
Posts
It is free money for them, actually. They can eventually keep the money (depends on the state IIRC), and even if you do claim it, it's generating interest revenue for them in the meantime.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think there's a stigma attached to cash-as-gift and gift cards are this fucked up workaround people use. I personally don't get it and agree that $50 is superior to a $50 gift card.
50 real dollars could be spent buying a $45 gift plus lunch.
pre-orders are essentially the same thing. They guarantee that your (generally very popular anyway) game will be available in that store for purchase on the day of release, and in return you convert some of your money into Gamestop money that there is a small chance you will never use.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
But I can promise you, GameStop would much rather you pick up your pre-order than just forget about that money.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
It's not GameStop money. You can get a full refund on it however you paid. It's not locked into GameStop.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
I'm actually unsure there is any legislation on this topic at all, aside from the Fine Print™ you sign when you pre-order a game (which could say basically anything.) Gift cards must be valid for five years under (U.S.) federal legislation, and after that it varies by state. My personal reading of the law is that a store pre order would probably be considered a "gift certificate," but that might be wrong and I doubt it's been tested. I'm curious as to what law you think it is that requires them to necessarily return your money.
You can generally get a refund on gift cards, too, although it probably depends on the retailer.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Why would this be the case? In a high percentage of cases they'll sell that copy of the game anyway, and after that the money is just sitting on a balance sheet generating interest until you claim it.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Grats dude! I'm counting this as my good deed for the day. Now Im gonna punch me some babies in the throat, guilt free!
@Turkey
I don't know the legality of it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to implement in some legal speak in the fine print so that they don't have to worry about giving this money back to idiots who don't pick up their games after a pre-determined time.
Basically like others have said, designate "pre-orders" as a gift card. Most gift cards expire after a certain amount of time and aren't good anymore. Or like the Visa gift cards, they slowly take off from the amount after a scheduled amount of time.
So does mine.
I couldn't think of the actual game where that happened. My GameStop is right next to WalMart. Went to pick up something like Raiden or WarTech or something. They didn't have it, got a "you should have preordered" from the hipster behind the counter. Walked over to WalMart and got it.
Woo
There's a reason our DM's have us call up every customer that hasn't picked up their game and remind them. I'm sure it has to do with increasing numbers which look good for the company. They want those sales, it shows the store is functioning as it should, garners more support from publishers since they see we are pushing their titles, etc.
Pre-order pickup % is closely looked at, and is on par with subscriptions.
I've worked there for awhile. I'm not an idiot, I understand they are a company that wants to make money. You can trust me when I say they want you to pick up your game.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
And Gamespot wants you to pick the game up do that they can get it back from you in exchange for store credit and then sell it again for 40 dollars. Their scam doesn't work without used games coming back to them.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
Because it's pretty universally expected to be a weak retail holiday this year.
yeah, I'm quite sure that what happened is that someone in a marketing meeting slapped their forehead and said "what if we tried to get people to come in and spend their pre-order credit?" Then another someone checked and found out that most customers only have $5-10 in their name, and the rest is history.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Because they let the developers and publishers think that Gamestop is an ally, when it's probably their number one revenue loss source. Each used game they sell for like, 5 bucks less than new is one less game the publisher is gonna get payed for. It's not that they gracefully allow gamers to get rid of old, crappy game. Their major focus is the pawn shop shit. Selling new games is just a way of having more used games to pawn.
As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than leeches or parasites.
Hey, my buddy's sister has over $100 unclaimed from Qwest. I'll have to let her know about that.
A lot of states don't allow gift cards to expire, so this would be moot. For instance, in New Hampshire, gift cards cannot expire until the money is considered abandoned, and then the money has to be given to the state. Further reading.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
So you are against anything used in general that can still be purchased new? I'm just curious.
Also, you have to consider that the game that was traded in might have gone towards the purchase of a new game that otherwise the individual wouldn't have been able to afford. A lot of people trade in towards pre-orders because they get a bonus on trade that way, so that's potentially a new sale for the developer.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
yeah, the answer is that it's a huge muddled mess, and to even get to the huge muddled mess we're making the assumption that pre-orders can be considered in the same way gift cards can, which is far from certain
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
I am quite sure that publishers are familiar with gamestop's business model. They also have a need for a mall retail level distribution, though, and gamestop accomplishes that for them.
I am also quite sure that publishers would very much like to get rid of used game sales, but until steam and similar services become more prevalent, they're stuck with them.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
This basically, there may be laws against gift cards expiring but I'm not putting it above GameStop's lawyers to find a loophole which calls it a "pre-order fee" and something that can't be considered in the gift card category. It's definitely not out of the realm of possibility for them to label your pre-order as "non-refundable after 90 days" in the future.
I really think this "lets give all that money back" is just the first step in a new corporate policy that allows them to keep that money after it hasn't been redeemed in a certain time period. It wouldn't be the first shady practice GameStop has pulled off.
I mean how many times have you had to pay a non-refundable fee on a good or service that you may or not have used/gotten? It happens all the time on all sorts of goods and services.
Find a loophole that makes it not considered a gift card? What the hell? It's not a gift card. You're just trying to find reasons to hate on GS. It's better than a giftcard because you can just get your money back if you want.
And I really doubt this is a step towards a new policy so GS can steal all your monies. Even if they are changing it, GS tries to get you to pick up your game and use your money! They call/text you when it's out as a reminder. You act like it's their fault these customers are forgetting their money.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
They know how consumers behave. They know that pre order customers forgetting their money is something that happens, and it's something that figures into their bottom line. Saying that "it's the customer's fault for forgetting" is just a way of minimizing GS' side of the arrangement (especially since it's apparently only been very recently that they've started pursuing people to come back and spend their money.)
You keep saying that GS is under some obligation to return that money, but it's far from clear that this is true. The reverse seems more likely, especially since this particular effort coincides neatly with efforts to get people back into brick and mortars to buy things.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
ever take an accounting class? It's unearned revenue, which is basically accounted for as a liability since the company has not provided anything for that $5 Joe Schmoe paid when he thought he wanted Borderlands but it turned out to be a kiddie celshaded game and he never actually picked it up.
yeah, it's an unfinished transaction or whatever the term is, but the interest on it is not. And it even being considered unearned revenue (or whatever) depends on how that money is considered by the law and by the company. It's far from clear to me that any law mandates that GS return or ever intend to return that money, and until they decided to use it as a way to boost sales, they didn't really try to.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
So we can stop with faux-outrage now.
I just don't preorder things
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
this is already out of topic.
But there is a big difference between "anything used" and building an entire business model with used games as a cornerstone.
here's what you need to understand: games, unlike other media such as music, movies, and books, are expensive as fuck. you need an initial investment of atleast $200 to play them, and each game is $50/60 new. most people don't have the cash to buy games. in fact, i'm lucky if i can get 5 games a year (luckily i have friends, and we buy games and trade them off later
there is demand for second hand games. hence why gamestop can make so much money selling them, however large or small the price difference. people will trade old unplayed games into gamestop by the stack just to get something new, and it's simplest way to get those games.
rental places often only carry 2-3 copies of a new game, and ebay/ craigslist prices will be much closer to retail than what timmy can get when he trades in 4 of his old games (which will be "free").
gamestop isn't fucking over anybody, the people fuck themselves
oh and to people bitching about how they only order enough copies for preorder, have you even been in these stores? they always have rows and rows of major releases right behind the counter in the glass cases. i can't remember one time i went to buy a game and they didn't have a copy for me to buy (except like, skate 2, which i found at best buy anyway)
There's also a whole accounting reason for ordering exactly how many are needed rather than stocking the fuck up... keeping a good current ratio and a not-crazy-high inventory level is really nice for investors, and shows some amount of strength. Inventory is not a liquid asset, after all... though I realize I'm pissing into the wind at this point.
As for the topic, hey, is there a place to check for credit? Or do you just wait for a call? I'm pretty sure I have zero, but I'm curious if I can check.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
gamestop.com/credit and all you have to do is type in your last name and phone number that you used to preorder the game.
I don't have any old credit because I try to only pre order items I want/have an awesome preorder bonus. Bestbuy though has been getting my new game business with there $10 giftcard coupons on games, and it only available the first 4 days the games on sale. Games like Demon's Souls however I preorder because I don't want to not be able to find it if its a niche title.
Talk about disposable income.
I blame this and everything like it for the failing economy.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
I work there and I know the policies. GameStop is obligated to give you back a full refund on your pre-order in whatever form of payment you originally used if you request it. This is the truth. And I know for a fact they don't want your pre-order money just sitting there idle, despite what you think.
Now, I'm sure there's some shady managers that lie about this because they don't want their numbers to take a hit, and that's bullshit.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
But they are obviously not estimating right based on the number of times I hear "Yeah, I went to GameStop and they didn't have one so I went to Best Buy/Target instead and bought one of there 6,000 copies."
There is a difference between intelligent inventory forecasting and ordering only enough to cover preorders.
Are used cars a scam? Used records? Used books?
No one is being scammed. You seem to just be complaining about the concept that individuals are allowed to own things rather than being forced to rent them directly from the manufacturer.
Games would not sell nearly as many copies if there was a $0 salvage value attatched to them.