how do you guys feel about test driving cars, or trying on clothing/shoes?
The fact is, the game check-outs are basically the same, only they are limited to employees, rather than being offered to customers. Is that what your gripe really is? That customers aren't allowed to do the same thing?
Evander on
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KetarCome on upstairswe're having a partyRegistered Userregular
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
I can't really say that anything Gamestop does nowadays surprises me. I try really hard not to step foot in one anyways if I can help it. I probably get 90% of my games online, usually from Amazon, and at a cheaper price than Gamestop ever offers. The only reason I can think of to do business with them is if I want to trade away my old games for credit, but even Amazon is getting in on that action a bit.
For the record though, I do agree that customers should be given a little break on gutted games. I understand the practice but I never really liked it. As I said before, my store had a open box discount on new titles. Two dollars off, not a whole lot, but enough to say sorry but this is all we've got.
But that option went away after GS bought EB (along with the coolest manager ever, but he got promoted to Regional Manager so I was happy for him). I really do think customer service has slide from the time I got hired to the time I left to now.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
To be fair, gamestop isn't exactly strict on their hiring policy.
"Do you have a pulse? Can you name the consoles?" If the answer is yes to both of these they're probably hired =P
I luck out on the fact the store I work at is fairly well informed usually (Though I had to bitch out my own assistant manager for telling customers that the DSi had two touch screens. He said he heard a rumor, and I told him he was retarded )
how do you guys feel about test driving cars, or trying on clothing/shoes?
The fact is, the game check-outs are basically the same, only they are limited to employees, rather than being offered to customers. Is that what your gripe really is? That customers aren't allowed to do the same thing?
Yeah, well those are norms. They have been established, because they do that in those areas. You test drive cars, you try on shoes.
But the thing is that they make exceptions! If you buy a new game, and trade it in after playing it for a couple of days, you get less money.
An employee, however, is exempt. If they let buyers do the same, then it would become a norm, like test driving a car.
For the record though, I do agree that customers should be given a little break on gutted games. I understand the practice but I never really liked it. As I said before, my store had a open box discount on new titles. Two dollars off, not a whole lot, but enough to say sorry but this is all we've got.
But that option went away after GS bought EB (along with the coolest manager ever, but he got promoted to Regional Manager so I was happy for him). I really do think customer service has slide from the time I got hired to the time I left to now.
I'll run with discounting "rented" games, but I think that gutted games are the discretion of the customer. If they aren't happy with an opened product, they can go pick up a copy somewhere else.
The fact is, there are plenty of folks out there who don't care (as evidenced by the fact that they still buy the gutted games) so discounting them would be a dumb business move for Gamestop, because some one else is happily willing to pay full price for it.
how do you guys feel about test driving cars, or trying on clothing/shoes?
The fact is, the game check-outs are basically the same, only they are limited to employees, rather than being offered to customers. Is that what your gripe really is? That customers aren't allowed to do the same thing?
No.
My gripe is that they're selling me something used as new. I know you don't grasp the concept that someone using something, regardless of who they are, does not allow it to be considered new.
If a pair of clothes or shoes show signs of ware, the clothing and shoe store should not be allowed to sell them. Clothing stores generally don't allow full refunds, or any refund, for clothing with the tag removed.
Thankfully, signs of use with video games is pretty easy to tell.
Sheep on
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KorKnown to detonate from time to timeRegistered Userregular
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
To be fair, gamestop isn't exactly strict on their hiring policy.
"Do you have a pulse? Can you name the consoles?" If the answer is yes to both of these they're probably hired =P
I luck out on the fact the store I work at is fairly well informed usually (Though I had to bitch out my own assistant manager for telling customers that the DSi had two touch screens. He said he heard a rumor, and I told him he was retarded )
Every store has one of these, I swear.
My wife's old ass. manager was telling people that the Beatles Rock Band game supported a 5th singer, trying to get more preorders.
If anything, I'd say the managers tend to be less knowledgable about games, because they're hired as managers, Gamestop assumes they'll pick up info as they go along. Its the "Game Advisors" (the low level guys) that tend to know more about the games, because they work there for the discounts and stuff.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
To be fair, gamestop isn't exactly strict on their hiring policy.
"Do you have a pulse? Can you name the consoles?" If the answer is yes to both of these they're probably hired =P
I luck out on the fact the store I work at is fairly well informed usually (Though I had to bitch out my own assistant manager for telling customers that the DSi had two touch screens. He said he heard a rumor, and I told him he was retarded )
Every store has one of these, I swear.
My wife's old ass. manager was telling people that the Beatles Rock Band game supported a 5th singer, trying to get more preorders.
If anything, I'd say the managers tend to be less knowledgable about games, because they're hired as managers, Gamestop assumes they'll pick up info as they go along. Its the "Game Advisors" (the low level guys) that tend to know more about the games, because they work there for the discounts and stuff.
>.>
<.<
*cough*
To be fair to him, he's actually like me and pours over joystiq/kotaku and other gaming news sites, he just said an unsubstantiated rumor so I had to call him out for it.
Actually gamestop is only supposed to "rent" out used games to their employees. They can only rent an individual title once, and only for 3 days max. This is stated in their handbook. If some manager is loaning out new copies of games, then that's on them, and their asses should be fired.
edit: and they're only supposed to allow rental when the store has more than 2 copies of said game.
Yeah, but the thing is, they can take it home and play it, whereas if I were to BUY the game, and then trade it in RIGHT THERE, it would diminish in value simply by my purchasing it. That is where the bullshit comes in.
Actually, no, that wouldn't happen, because gamestop gives you 7 days to try out any used game, and bring it back free of charge.
You can bring a used game back 6 days later, and say, "I beat it" and they give you back your monies.
edit: I'm getting my information from my wife's handbook, and she started working there last November.
He's referring to new, not used. You can't return a new game unless its defective and even then you can only exchange it for the same title on the same system unless you want to trade it in for 40% of what you payed for it.
Also not true. Though, I'll admit a lot of gamestops don't practice this in an appropriate way. The way I've seen her Gamestop do it, is they simply put a little clear sticker over the side of a "new" copy. They inform the customer that if that seal is tampered with in any way, they can't bring it back as new.
However, note that my wife works at what is basically the district store. As in, her Store manager is responsible for other stores in Albuquerque as well. Because of this, they follow the rules from corporate very closely.
Now, someone mentioned Company Policy and Store Policy. There should be no Store Policy, those are the douchebag managers that need to be fired.
edit: I'm just trying to make it clear that the company isn't entirely evil, its probably that nerd manager who's trying to abuse the system that screwing you guys over.
Right, but once that seal is broken, you're not returning it. That what he's saying. If an employee takes it home it can be returned and sold as new, if a customer does it then they can't bring it back as new.
Listen, I don't even agree with the GameStop is evil thing or even that this policy is all that fucked up, I'm just trying to clarify what Wombat said.
I mentioned Company Policy and Store Policy, but it goes both ways. Sometimes a Store Policy can be fucked up, no doubt about it. But sometimes its the Company Policy that's fucked up and the manager tries to help either his customers or his staff (or both) out by creating Store Policy.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games. I do want to state, for the record, that there is a benefit to the policy. Customers expect gamestop employees to be able to tell them anything about any game. Gamestop employees make near-minimum wage, and clearly can't afford to buy every game that comes out. If you want to be able to get answers about how games are from these guys, they need to be able to play the games. This may not be such a big benefit to guys on this forum, who keep informed in other ways, but it definitely helps out other people.
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
It was a single anecdote that I found representative of past experiences with Gamestop employees. This was simply the most recent, and memorable. I have met only a very small handful of Gamestop employees that I would consider to be remotely knowledgeable, rental policy or not, and an even smaller number that I would actually trust. I can honestly say that I have seen no benefit of the rental policy on employee knowledge that would make the risk of getting a scratched/damaged game purchased as new, and therefore non-returnable, worth it to me. No benefit whatsoever.
As far as your comparisons to shoes/clothing, and cars... When I buy a pair of shoes that has been tried on by other consumers, I see the shoes before I buy them. I have every opportunity to observe any sort of damage as a result of previous wear/use. Likewise for any other article of clothing that may have been tried on. If there is a problem that I missed in the store, I am generally covered by a return policy if it is noted before the tags are removed, and quite possibly even if they have been. I similarly have an opportunity to note any obvious scratches or damage to a car that has been test-driven, and should have warranty coverage for any unseen problems on a new car that I purchase that may have somehow resulted from a test drive.
If the game I bought thinking it was new has some unnoticed scratch or other damage to it that renders some or all of the game unplayable, I have no recourse with Gamestop to the best of my knowledge. I buy new with the assumption that I am getting "virgin" product (an assumption only an ass would make with regard to clothes or cars), and should not have to worry about anything other than possible factory defect. Given my inability to return an opened product to Gamestop, I want to be damn sure that there is NO chance that said product has been previously damaged by a previous user - in this case, an employee. If clothing and cars had similar issues with return (or repair, in the case of automobiles) I would have similar expectations. Since their policies are less draconian, I don't. A rather far cry from your suggestion that people are just jealous that Gamestop employees are allowed to do this.
It is NOT Gamestop's Policy to allow their employee's to rent new games. That is the store manager abusing the system.
Stop talking about it like Gamestop is okay with it.
Hey! Listen!
Everyone fucking does it! There are 3 gamestops within a 2 mile radius of each other north of me, all of which have a of mine working at it, and each one does this. It may not be technically allowed, but if they are not stopping it, then they are in the shit.
If the game is unsealed but is in otherwise absolutely pristine condition do you care? I don't. I'm going to take the seal off anyway right? I have no problem buying gutted stuff from GameStop as long as it looks like its in good condition. I dunno, maybe I'm the weird one here.
My big gripe with them is that they gut one new game for display on the store floor but they have hundreds of blank cases where they could have put that on the floor with a printed game case display(dont know the correct term). They have those preorder display boxes. Those are good enoungh. Never understood why they have to rip open a new just to show the box. Gamestop should have a printable database or something for this.
My big gripe with them is that they gut one new game for display on the store floor but they have hundreds of blank cases where they could have put that on the floor with a printed game case display(dont know the correct term). They have those preorder display boxes. Those are good enoungh. Never understood why they have to rip open a new just to show the box. Gamestop should have a printable database or something for this.
I thought the same thing before I started working at GameStop. Then I saw how much space those things take up. Our backroom was the size of your average port-o-potty, we simply didn't have enough space for extra boxes.
If the game is unsealed but is in otherwise absolutely pristine condition do you care? I don't. I'm going to take the seal off anyway right? I have no problem buying gutted stuff from GameStop as long as it looks like its in good condition. I dunno, maybe I'm the weird one here.
I do, actually. I don't want to take the chance that the game is damaged in some way that I'm not seeing. When I picked up MLB The Show '09 a couple weeks ago I first attempted to buy it from Gamestop since I was in the mall anyway running some errands. The only copy they had left was gutted - I didn't even bother to look at the disc, just told him I'd pass and left the store. And then I bought a new copy at Best Buy.
Ketar on
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KorKnown to detonate from time to timeRegistered Userregular
My big gripe with them is that they gut one new game for display on the store floor but they have hundreds of blank cases where they could have put that on the floor with a printed game case display(dont know the correct term). They have those preorder display boxes. Those are good enoungh. Never understood why they have to rip open a new just to show the box. Gamestop should have a printable database or something for this.
I thought the same thing before I started working at GameStop. Then I saw how much space those things take up. Our backroom was the size of your average port-o-potty, we simply didn't have enough space for extra boxes.
That, and certain companies pay gamestop to be displayed more than the average game.
You know how gamestop usually has a shelf of whatever came out that week behind the counter? That developer payed Gamestop for that "advertisement"
The other week I bought a 'new' copy of Endless Ocean that came in a used game package.
Thing is, it was kindof a chore to find a copy in the first place and I didn't notice until I got home. Going back to yell at some kid for a 5$ store credit over box art I don't really care about didn't seem like it was in the cards.
But it was saddening. I don't see what's so hard about insisting that 'new' games never have their seal broken.
Hockey Johnston on
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GoodKingJayIIIThey wanna get mygold on the ceilingRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
I don't even care if it's legal or not, "renting" new games to employees is stupid and yet another reason I do not give GS my dollars.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games.
I think a lot of the complaints would diminish if GS took your advice.
To use your car analogy, you said factory-fresh cars cost more than dealer-used ones. Similarly, an opened copy is dealer-used while a sealed copy is factory-fresh. So like a dealer-used car, a dealer-used game should be discounted.
If a pair of clothes or shoes show signs of ware, the clothing and shoe store should not be allowed to sell them.
And if the video game DOESN'T show signs of usage? If it looks absolutely as good as when it was opened?
Has it been opened? Yes?
Sign of use. Give me an unopened copy, please.
Somehow that's still not okay by you, due to some intangible quality, right?
New is a very tangible quality.
factory sealed =/= new
cars and books are both sold to you as "new" with the factory seals removed
Evander on
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KorKnown to detonate from time to timeRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
You guys need to just stop with the analogies. There is a reason they are mocked in the NPD thread.
Cars and not games, games are not cars. They are 2 totally different business with different policies and different customer perspectives. Same with buying shoes and clothes and whatever.
Whats acceptable for one of them, doesn't mean it should/shouldn't be acceptable in the gaming industry.
Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to discounting "rented" games.
I think a lot of the complaints would diminish if GS took your advice.
To use your car analogy, you said factory-fresh cars cost more than dealer-used ones. Similarly, an opened copy is dealer-used while a sealed copy is factory-fresh. So like a dealer-used car, a dealer-used game should be discounted.
The way I see it, the majority of people who have a gripe are really just looking for an extra discount (I'm a bargain hunter myself, that is not an insult)
The fact is, the majority of consumers just don't care, and since that is the case, GS isn't going to do anything about it. People buy the opened copies regardless.
Yes, except that the perspective of "core" gamers on the internet is NOT the perspective of the majority of the market.
That's the piece that people seem to keep missing.
Most customers don't care about gutted games. As long as the disc reads, they couldn't care less if there was a factory seal on it or not when they bought it.
And those that do don't sit around bitching about Gamestop, they just shop elsewhere off the bat, and put GS entirely out of their minds.
This gripe is one that is held by a small minority of the market. I am NOT telling you to be okay with it, I'm telling you that other folks are okay with it.
Evander, in your own horrible car analogies, you presented the counter to your argument. You said you can pay extra for a factory direct model. Well, what if you paid for that factory direct model, and when you got it, the car had 500 miles on it that company erased on the odometer? In the video game business, every damn store in the world sells "new" as never been played. For Gamestop to come along and sell something that doesn't match those standards while claiming they do, is deceptive.
Rakai on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]XBL: Rakayn | PS3: Rakayn | Steam ID
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KalTorakOne way or another, they all end up inthe Undercity.Registered Userregular
edited April 2009
This practice doesn't really surprise me. I generally only buy used games a Gamestop on impulse - if it's a planned purchase I'll go with ebay or Half.com. New games, I get at Amazon, Best Buy or Target, where I get the same price and I know I don't have to deal with getting a possibly used game. I agree with Sheep, but the sentiment just means I don't buy new from GS.
If this does end up getting investigated by the FTC, odds are they'll just settle for an Assurance of Discontinuance and Gamestop won't do it anymore.
It is NOT Gamestop's Policy to allow their employee's to rent new games. That is the store manager abusing the system.
Stop talking about it like Gamestop is okay with it.
Can you tell me when policy changed? In my eleven years with Gamestop, it was always considered okay by the corporate office that employees check out new games.
Posts
The fact is, the game check-outs are basically the same, only they are limited to employees, rather than being offered to customers. Is that what your gripe really is? That customers aren't allowed to do the same thing?
The last time I let a Gamestop employee offer me any unsolicited advice he tried hard to sell me on Lair about 1 week after its release. That and a title I can't recall now that was a terrible port of something that had originally released for the 360, and had multiple well-known issues. If that's the kind of knowledge that Gamestop employees are gleaning from the rental program, I'll gladly pass, thanks.
One idiot represents everyone?
Seriously, did you even think before typing up that post?
But that option went away after GS bought EB (along with the coolest manager ever, but he got promoted to Regional Manager so I was happy for him). I really do think customer service has slide from the time I got hired to the time I left to now.
To be fair, gamestop isn't exactly strict on their hiring policy.
"Do you have a pulse? Can you name the consoles?" If the answer is yes to both of these they're probably hired =P
I luck out on the fact the store I work at is fairly well informed usually (Though I had to bitch out my own assistant manager for telling customers that the DSi had two touch screens. He said he heard a rumor, and I told him he was retarded
The Pipe Vault|Twitter|Steam|Backloggery|3DS:1332-7703-1083
Yeah, well those are norms. They have been established, because they do that in those areas. You test drive cars, you try on shoes.
But the thing is that they make exceptions! If you buy a new game, and trade it in after playing it for a couple of days, you get less money.
An employee, however, is exempt. If they let buyers do the same, then it would become a norm, like test driving a car.
I'll run with discounting "rented" games, but I think that gutted games are the discretion of the customer. If they aren't happy with an opened product, they can go pick up a copy somewhere else.
The fact is, there are plenty of folks out there who don't care (as evidenced by the fact that they still buy the gutted games) so discounting them would be a dumb business move for Gamestop, because some one else is happily willing to pay full price for it.
No.
My gripe is that they're selling me something used as new. I know you don't grasp the concept that someone using something, regardless of who they are, does not allow it to be considered new.
If a pair of clothes or shoes show signs of ware, the clothing and shoe store should not be allowed to sell them. Clothing stores generally don't allow full refunds, or any refund, for clothing with the tag removed.
Thankfully, signs of use with video games is pretty easy to tell.
Every store has one of these, I swear.
My wife's old ass. manager was telling people that the Beatles Rock Band game supported a 5th singer, trying to get more preorders.
If anything, I'd say the managers tend to be less knowledgable about games, because they're hired as managers, Gamestop assumes they'll pick up info as they go along. Its the "Game Advisors" (the low level guys) that tend to know more about the games, because they work there for the discounts and stuff.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
I've seen it both ways here
And if the video game DOESN'T show signs of usage? If it looks absolutely as good as when it was opened?
Somehow that's still not okay by you, due to some intangible quality, right?
>.>
<.<
*cough*
To be fair to him, he's actually like me and pours over joystiq/kotaku and other gaming news sites, he just said an unsubstantiated rumor so I had to call him out for it.
The Pipe Vault|Twitter|Steam|Backloggery|3DS:1332-7703-1083
Right, but once that seal is broken, you're not returning it. That what he's saying. If an employee takes it home it can be returned and sold as new, if a customer does it then they can't bring it back as new.
Listen, I don't even agree with the GameStop is evil thing or even that this policy is all that fucked up, I'm just trying to clarify what Wombat said.
I mentioned Company Policy and Store Policy, but it goes both ways. Sometimes a Store Policy can be fucked up, no doubt about it. But sometimes its the Company Policy that's fucked up and the manager tries to help either his customers or his staff (or both) out by creating Store Policy.
Has it been opened? Yes?
Sign of use. Give me an unopened copy, please.
New is a very tangible quality.
It is NOT Gamestop's Policy to allow their employee's to rent new games. That is the store manager abusing the system.
Stop talking about it like Gamestop is okay with it.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
It was a single anecdote that I found representative of past experiences with Gamestop employees. This was simply the most recent, and memorable. I have met only a very small handful of Gamestop employees that I would consider to be remotely knowledgeable, rental policy or not, and an even smaller number that I would actually trust. I can honestly say that I have seen no benefit of the rental policy on employee knowledge that would make the risk of getting a scratched/damaged game purchased as new, and therefore non-returnable, worth it to me. No benefit whatsoever.
As far as your comparisons to shoes/clothing, and cars... When I buy a pair of shoes that has been tried on by other consumers, I see the shoes before I buy them. I have every opportunity to observe any sort of damage as a result of previous wear/use. Likewise for any other article of clothing that may have been tried on. If there is a problem that I missed in the store, I am generally covered by a return policy if it is noted before the tags are removed, and quite possibly even if they have been. I similarly have an opportunity to note any obvious scratches or damage to a car that has been test-driven, and should have warranty coverage for any unseen problems on a new car that I purchase that may have somehow resulted from a test drive.
If the game I bought thinking it was new has some unnoticed scratch or other damage to it that renders some or all of the game unplayable, I have no recourse with Gamestop to the best of my knowledge. I buy new with the assumption that I am getting "virgin" product (an assumption only an ass would make with regard to clothes or cars), and should not have to worry about anything other than possible factory defect. Given my inability to return an opened product to Gamestop, I want to be damn sure that there is NO chance that said product has been previously damaged by a previous user - in this case, an employee. If clothing and cars had similar issues with return (or repair, in the case of automobiles) I would have similar expectations. Since their policies are less draconian, I don't. A rather far cry from your suggestion that people are just jealous that Gamestop employees are allowed to do this.
Hey! Listen!
Everyone fucking does it! There are 3 gamestops within a 2 mile radius of each other north of me, all of which have a of mine working at it, and each one does this. It may not be technically allowed, but if they are not stopping it, then they are in the shit.
I thought the same thing before I started working at GameStop. Then I saw how much space those things take up. Our backroom was the size of your average port-o-potty, we simply didn't have enough space for extra boxes.
I do, actually. I don't want to take the chance that the game is damaged in some way that I'm not seeing. When I picked up MLB The Show '09 a couple weeks ago I first attempted to buy it from Gamestop since I was in the mall anyway running some errands. The only copy they had left was gutted - I didn't even bother to look at the disc, just told him I'd pass and left the store. And then I bought a new copy at Best Buy.
That, and certain companies pay gamestop to be displayed more than the average game.
You know how gamestop usually has a shelf of whatever came out that week behind the counter? That developer payed Gamestop for that "advertisement"
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
Wouldn't this also imply that Gamestop employees are professional game handlers and can in no-way smudge or scratch discs, play games, etc?
Thing is, it was kindof a chore to find a copy in the first place and I didn't notice until I got home. Going back to yell at some kid for a 5$ store credit over box art I don't really care about didn't seem like it was in the cards.
But it was saddening. I don't see what's so hard about insisting that 'new' games never have their seal broken.
PSN: Threeve703
I think a lot of the complaints would diminish if GS took your advice.
To use your car analogy, you said factory-fresh cars cost more than dealer-used ones. Similarly, an opened copy is dealer-used while a sealed copy is factory-fresh. So like a dealer-used car, a dealer-used game should be discounted.
factory sealed =/= new
cars and books are both sold to you as "new" with the factory seals removed
Cars and not games, games are not cars. They are 2 totally different business with different policies and different customer perspectives. Same with buying shoes and clothes and whatever.
Whats acceptable for one of them, doesn't mean it should/shouldn't be acceptable in the gaming industry.
Pokemon Safari - Sneasel, Pawniard, ????
The way I see it, the majority of people who have a gripe are really just looking for an extra discount (I'm a bargain hunter myself, that is not an insult)
The fact is, the majority of consumers just don't care, and since that is the case, GS isn't going to do anything about it. People buy the opened copies regardless.
Yes, except that the perspective of "core" gamers on the internet is NOT the perspective of the majority of the market.
That's the piece that people seem to keep missing.
Most customers don't care about gutted games. As long as the disc reads, they couldn't care less if there was a factory seal on it or not when they bought it.
And those that do don't sit around bitching about Gamestop, they just shop elsewhere off the bat, and put GS entirely out of their minds.
This gripe is one that is held by a small minority of the market. I am NOT telling you to be okay with it, I'm telling you that other folks are okay with it.
noun
–adjective
1. of recent origin, production, purchase, etc.; having but lately come or been brought into being: a new book.
New=/=untouched
Evander's point stands.
Fixed, m i rite?
If this does end up getting investigated by the FTC, odds are they'll just settle for an Assurance of Discontinuance and Gamestop won't do it anymore.
Can you tell me when policy changed? In my eleven years with Gamestop, it was always considered okay by the corporate office that employees check out new games.