I have a GameStop case sitting on my desk

[AD2101]

Yea, I'll embrace DLC too when it arrives in full force, provided they make it really hard to screw you out of a copy you've already purchased. As it is currently, video games are the only entertainment medium I actually buy physical copies of (unless you consider books entertaining, lmao). I'm probably going to get rid of my dvd collection as I have most of them on my ps3's hdd and like having them all easily accessible like that.

[WarmSignal]

OMFG, there's nothing wrong with GameStop. Any complaints against GameStop have a completely legitimate justification, most of which boil down to: RUNNING A BUSINESS COSTS MONEY! I don't shop there, but that's because the people that trade games in rather than selling on eBay are usually people that don't take care of their games.

They do plenty wrong. But I will continue to shop there purely for the convenience of walking in and maybe finding something worthwhile now and then, and so long as they continue to run their business like an overpriced rental store with no concern for quality or honesty whatsoever, I will moan.

My gripes:

- They rip people off. I know they need to make a profit on their used games, but it doesn't seem like they're just making profit, too often they're making one hell of a profit with their ridiculous trade in values.
- There is no standard of quality for the used merchandise they will take. They'll take a console that's been crapped on by a dog, or a disc that's been used as a coaster.
- They don't care if a game is complete. Very annoying, but not entirely GameStop's fault. I think it's just the dumbasses who bring the games in, thinking they don't need or want the cases or manuals. Because there's no way that many people loose that much shit, in that short of time. Every week old game you spot in the used section will have at least one disc only on the shelf. If they demanded used products be complete, I bet a lot of kids would go fetch. The idea would catch on, I don't think they'd actually loose any business over it.
- They sell new merchandise that has been opened and crammed into disc sleeves, and probably many of the employee's game consoles.
- The employees.


I just think they could do better, and I think a lot of what I just pointed out boils down to greed, and the attitude that if it's something that won't significantly increase profits, even if it doesn't necessarily hurt them either, why bother?

[WarmSignal]

I'm probably going to get rid of my dvd collection as I have most of them on my ps3's hdd and like having them all easily accessible like that.

Until it unexpectedly becomes corrupted and you loose all of your dvds, that is! Better make a back up on an external, and hope that doesn't one day get corrupted too!

[AD2101]

Moot point to me. Plenty of things can ruin my entire DVD collection too, and if it were a fire or something and I had time to grab my PS3, then I just saved my movie collection in the process.

As for your gripes about the lack of quality control, what do you propose? Trades are taken in at the employee's discretion and what they'll take, won't take, or slap a refurb sticker on is purely subjective. Looking at a disc and determining whether or not is salvageable is an effort in futility in 90% percent of cases. Some games that look like ass run like a top, and some that look totally fine won't boot. And you can't suggest that they test each game because:
A: it won't prove a thing, people will still return a game and say "Didn't work on my system brah"
B: would cause customer service to fall even further into the shitter.

I get that people hate these types of stores, but hate them for the right reasons.

[GregadetH]

GameStop offered my nephew $80 trade in for his PS3. Had I been there with him, I'd have told the guy behind the counter (who looks like a gangbanger Screetch Powers with a comb-forward) to fuck himself sideways. Sadly, my nephew took the deal. Rippin' off the kids is their entire business model.

[Puffy2k316]

80 dollars really? They took my wii for $150 which is like what I would have got on ebay. 80 for a ps3 is terrible. It varies store to store btw depending on how many they have in stock.

[old man]

Tell me about it. I've taken games back that I bought the week before for $50 and been offered a measly $4 for them. As for ebay, I would just as soon throw something in the dump as sell it on there. I honestly don't know how people make any money selling stuff on ebay.

[JRedmond3]

GameStop offered my nephew $80 trade in for his PS3. Had I been there with him, I'd have told the guy behind the counter (who looks like a gangbanger Screetch Powers with a comb-forward) to fuck himself sideways. Sadly, my nephew took the deal. Rippin' off the kids is their entire business model.

No offense, but if someone is dumb enough to sell a PS3 for $80 they probably deserve to get ripped off. The same goes for people trading games in for a few cents.

[Brickadier General]

Tell me about it. I've taken games back that I bought the week before for $50 and been offered a measly $4 for them. As for ebay, I would just as soon throw something in the dump as sell it on there. I honestly don't know how people make any money selling stuff on ebay.

You can't, and it's really sad because, once upon a time, it was a great place to sell. You had more options, both as a seller and a buyer. Those days are gone now, and I'm hoping for a worthy opponent to appear on the online auction scene. There needs to be more competition, or eBay won't have much incentive to reverse their douche-baggery.

As for the issue of game.stop, I have never particular cared for them. I do not think it is unreasonable to have trade-ins tested and graded. Thankfully estarland is capable of this. Being on a smaller scale helps, but they are growing because of it. Their quality control is second to none, and their trade-in credit for older games is a million times better than what game.stop offered when they last carried them.

[Baloo]

No offense, but if someone is dumb enough to sell a PS3 for $80 they probably deserve to get ripped off. The same goes for people trading games in for a few cents.

That's the thing though, kids don't really know any better, and they're the ones that are doing the bulk of the trading in.

[17daysolderthannes]

- They rip people off. I know they need to make a profit on their used games, but it doesn't seem like they're just making profit, too often they're making one hell of a profit with their ridiculous trade in values.

Usually poor trade-in values are due to poor demand or overstock. If people buy a $50 new release, then everyone says "this blows!" and trades it in the next day, GameStop has a stockpile of merchandise that probably won't sell. In the meantime, they're sitting on dollars and dollars of dogshit because they basically won't refuse merchandise if it's something they carry. Thus, they lower the trade value more and more until they either get a hell of a deal or people stop piling shitty games on their shelves. It takes alot of $10-$20 profits to keep a store front open.

- There is no standard of quality for the used merchandise they will take. They'll take a console that's been crapped on by a dog, or a disc that's been used as a coaster.

None of the stores I've seen would. I've seen games in questionable condition (and by that I mean scratched), but that's usually the fault of inattentive employees. If someone comes in with a whole collection during a busy time of day, they're not likely to pay attention to every detail of the condition beyond checking for the disc. Also, games get shuffled around alot by customers and shelf wear adds up fast.

- They don't care if a game is complete. Very annoying, but not entirely GameStop's fault. I think it's just the dumbasses who bring the games in, thinking they don't need or want the cases or manuals. Because there's no way that many people loose that much shit, in that short of time. Every week old game you spot in the used section will have at least one disc only on the shelf. If they demanded used products be complete, I bet a lot of kids would go fetch. The idea would catch on, I don't think they'd actually loose any business over it.

99% of people that play video games do not give a shit about the case and manual, fact. Most people simply misplace them. I have plenty of friends that get a brand new game and then when they take the disc out, they have no clue where the case is. People are slobs. Some people even throw it out immediately and just toss it in a CD/DVD binder. Only collectors and the anal retentive really care about cases and manuals, they rest would just as soon figure out the controls or go to GameFAQs if they really need help. I mean, almost all games have tutorials that blow the manual's instructions away, so most people don't care.

And yes, they would lose a TON of potential inventory if they were that anal about condition and you can bet prices would skyrocket. Keep in mind also, GameStop has a BIG influence on Amazon and eBay's prices, if GameStop goes up, they will too.

- They sell new merchandise that has been opened and crammed into disc sleeves, and probably many of the employee's game consoles.

This, again, doesn't bother most people. It bugs the shit out of me, and that's why I never buy new games from GameStop (why are you buying new games there anyway?). Employees are required to keep the game in "like new" condition or they have to buy it, I know this because I knew a former EB employee (think he was still there when they converted, at the very least it was bought out at the time). More than anything GameStop wants its employees to know as much as possible about the new releases, and the best way to do that is to let them open and play the games. Also, they would have to keep new releases behind the counter otherwise and that might keep people from seeing them if they aren't regular customers.

- The employees.

Hi, it's called minimum wage. Name one store that sells video games with good employees. I sure as hell don't know of one. In fact, aside from the "pushy" nature with EDGE cards and shit, I find GameStop employees to be more knowledgeable and helpful than Best Buy or similar employees that don't know jack shit about the games or systems.

I just think they could do better, and I think a lot of what I just pointed out boils down to greed, and the attitude that if it's something that won't significantly increase profits, even if it doesn't necessarily hurt them either, why bother?

IMO, GameStop is run exactly like they want it to. The point is to buy games, play them, then trade them back in. People that will be trading games in don't care about the completeness or scratches that don't affect play. If you cared THAT much, you could buy nothing but sealed games and pay a fortune. All other game stores went the way of the dodo because you just can't offer top notch quality and service at a competitive price and stay in business, period.

Moot point to me. Plenty of things can ruin my entire DVD collection too, and if it were a fire or something and I had time to grab my PS3, then I just saved my movie collection in the process.

That's why I just bittorrent movies. I'm actually thinking of getting a Netflix subscription, though, as for $9 a month you can stream movies on your PC or Playstation 3. Some may pirate-groan about my bittorrent-ing, but I generally see any movie I would consider buying in the theater, so the studio has certainly already gotten plenty of my money.

As for your gripes about the lack of quality control, what do you propose? Trades are taken in at the employee's discretion and what they'll take, won't take, or slap a refurb sticker on is purely subjective. Looking at a disc and determining whether or not is salvageable is an effort in futility in 90% percent of cases. Some games that look like ass run like a top, and some that look totally fine won't boot. And you can't suggest that they test each game because:
A: it won't prove a thing, people will still return a game and say "Didn't work on my system brah"
B: would cause customer service to fall even further into the shitter.

I get that people hate these types of stores, but hate them for the right reasons.

Exactly. More than anything, it would just take too much time. To truly check every bit, it would take AT LEAST 10 or so minutes a game, and that's too much time for anything but the latest new releases. GameStop employees are already swamped sleeving games, helping customers, putting price stickers on, etc., there's just no time. There's a ?30? day warranty, isn't that enough?

80 dollars really? They took my wii for $150 which is like what I would have got on ebay. 80 for a ps3 is terrible. It varies store to store btw depending on how many they have in stock.

Exactly. They probably had a bunch of PS3s, so they had to take it at reduced cost. When a store is overstocked, those systems could sit for weeks or months unsold and that costs the store alot of opportunity to spend that money elsewhere.

Tell me about it. I've taken games back that I bought the week before for $50 and been offered a measly $4 for them. As for ebay, I would just as soon throw something in the dump as sell it on there. I honestly don't know how people make any money selling stuff on ebay.

You get alot more on eBay (provided it's relatively new) than GameStop. I haven't done it because I'm a video game "bottom feeder" in that most of my games are worth $20 or less and it's just not worth the hassle IMO. If buying $50 games and getting $4 is a problem, you should probably rent them or read more reviews before buying. I mean, it's not GameStop's problem you made a poor buying decision and thus they're overstocked with a shitty game.

You can't, and it's really sad because, once upon a time, it was a great place to sell. You had more options, both as a seller and a buyer. Those days are gone now, and I'm hoping for a worthy opponent to appear on the online auction scene. There needs to be more competition, or eBay won't have much incentive to reverse their douche-baggery.

I don't see anything eBay does that I think is unreasonable. Most of it (like withholding funds) is the fault of scammers, so take your hate out on them. Others faded away because they did something to keep them from being profitable, otherwise they would've beaten out eBay. You may say "oh, but eBay's so big, how could they compete with that?" to which I respond: the same could've been said about FireFox vs. IE.

As for the issue of game.stop, I have never particular cared for them. I do not think it is unreasonable to have trade-ins tested and graded. Thankfully estarland is capable of this. Being on a smaller scale helps, but they are growing because of it. Their quality control is second to none, and their trade-in credit for older games is a million times better than what game.stop offered when they last carried them.

You can bet they'll be out of business or drastically change their pricing structure/MO soon enough. I think eStarland is centered mostly around the website as well, and online sales don't cost as much to run as storefronts.

[GohanX]

I really, really hate to defend Gamestop, but if that PS3 was a fat model I can see them giving such little cash for it, as they are probably sitting on a stack of them while most customers want the new slim model. Most Gamestop customers aren't savvy enough to care about backwards compatibility or memory card slots, they just want the new jam.

I only traded in anything once in my adult life. I swapped a dead PS2 launch system (complete with really crappy third party controller) for $40 off of a new PS2 Slim. $40 for a dead system was loltastic.

[17daysolderthannes]

I really, really hate to defend Gamestop, but if that PS3 was a fat model I can see them giving such little cash for it, as they are probably sitting on a stack of them while most customers want the new slim model. Most Gamestop customers aren't savvy enough to care about backwards compatibility or memory card slots, they just want the new jam.

I only traded in anything once in my adult life. I swapped a dead PS2 launch system (complete with really crappy third party controller) for $40 off of a new PS2 Slim. $40 for a dead system was loltastic.

did they know it was dead? if so, wow, that was a good deal.

Also, that is true about fat vs. slim. Unless it was a launch model, it doesn't have backwards compatibility anyway, so you just get a gigantor power-sucking monster with a smaller hard drive than what's included with the slim. Slims are HELLA quiet too, it makes my Dreamcast sound like the final round of Monster Jam. I don't think any fan cooled system I've used is that quiet (except My MacBook My MacBook My MacBook Apple Apple Apple!)

[Knuckle Duster]

[Why-Disciple]

GameStop offered my nephew $80 trade in for his PS3. Had I been there with him, I'd have told the guy behind the counter (who looks like a gangbanger Screetch Powers with a comb-forward) to fuck himself sideways. Sadly, my nephew took the deal. Rippin' off the kids is their entire business model.

You need to understand that it's not the employee that's ripping him off, it's corporate. I'm willing to bet you haven't worked in retail and therefore don't realize this- it's not the employees fault, they're just doing what they're told, but no one seems to know this and takes their anger out on the scapegoat. This is why customers are almost always worse than the employees.

Once again, I link to the Zero Originality series, as it fluently illustrates what's wrong with Gamestop.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6w...e-1_videogames