Gamestop and lies or stupidity, you pick.....

So, yesterday I walked into my local Gamestop to purchase Rage. Of course, seeing that I am a "lover of all things game" with two kids, a wife, and responsibilities, saving a few bucks means alot so I looked at the "pre-owned" option first. Oddly enough, the game was $55, so I took it to the counter and asked how they would handle the missing content, would I receive a code, a discount, etc.... The response that I received was, "you're missing no content, it's $55." I tried to explain that the underground and various other aspects are tied to the new purchase DLC, only to be looked at like I was stupid.

Well, since I was there, I figured that I'd test the waters on a few other games, seeing if they had a copy of Batman : AC or Resistance 3, they did of both. So, I enet to the same clerk and repeated my question, "Why are these $55 when they both have DLC included with a new purchase that cost $10 to buy seperately." Once again he responded, "you're missing no content". I explained that Catwoman missions in Batman, online play in Resistance, all of these things depend on the code thus valuing these games at $45 maximum. All he was hearing was "yadda yadda hooba hooba"......Just before he turned his back on me he said, "I've worked in the gameing industry for 10 years, I know about these thing....you'll be missing nothing from buying these games used." I guess my 30 years of playing them makes me a "consultant" at a minimum.

Is this what the Gamestop Corporation is training people to do? To lie to the consumer? Are they so intent on getting the extra $10 that they're willing to cheat people from their hard-earned money? I'm not sure if this was my interaction with a "dummy" at a single Gamestop, or corporate guidelines......what I did get out of this was one overwhelming change in my buying habits.....BUY NEW!!!

UPDATE: After writing this, visiting the Gamestop website let me in on one fact, what's behind this is "Corporate Stupidity", as a copy of R3 is $55 on the site......I say every person out there should boycott Gamestop until they accept the value of games with new game DLC has de-valued most games! Futhermore, the reports that Gamestop is giving passes out to those purchasing used copies of Batman AC seems to be untrue (see pic)!

[xX-StolenSoul-Xx]

Wow, i would feel insulted if they tried to pull something like that upon me. I research before I buy a game and obviously that dude had no idea what he spoke of. "you'll be missing nothing from buying these games used." maybe except a few dlc content that adds few extra hours of gameplay.

"I've worked in the gameing industry for 10 years, I know about these things" Obviously this dude does not play video games anymore and is not informed with these things You should send in a complaint and get him fired.
Ripoff...

[darthv72]

the guy was both right and wrong. From the initial purchase of the disc you are getting everything that is on the disc. As for stuff you have to download, yeah i know those codes are good for one time so the fault should lie on the store for allowing it to be received.

They certainly cant sell it on the premise that you are getting the same game as if you were to buy new. They obviously cant ask for the codes back from those who are trading them in nor can they get the codes deactivated for use by another person. You have to blame the developers on that one.

I was torn between buying a track pack for rockband used or new. I knew i could play the game stand alone used but could never import the songs into the regular game without an access code. I chose the retail copy with the code and did the import myself.

I generally dont trade in games and perhaps these code situations is not only a deterent for used sales but also to give reason for the consumer to keep the game when they initially bought it. GS cant certainly reimburse the consumer for an activated code. That is something you would need to take up with the publisher/developer. GS could stop taking in games that have these bonus codes having been already redeemed.

[gamingdroid]

Yeah, I kind of agree.

Personally, I think the issue as a consumer you are getting screwed by both the publisher and GameStop.

Solution is to boycott both!!!

Plenty of great games and other retailers that don't pull that sh!t for *now*....

[jadenkorri]

i stopped buying from gamestop long time ago, ill go else where unless absolutely no other choice, it will only be a new purchase if i have too, not used.

[NewMonday]

he wasn't stupid, he was out right lying, this works on 95% of customers

[SageHonor]

Its not just that dummy. It's like a trend that most gamestop employees act like this. Nothing new here, I'm not surprised that they tried to lie like that.

Here is something else cheap. Not even 2 weeks after RAGE released i wanted to trade it in so i asked about the price i would get... He said 20 bucks -_________-... in STORE CREDIT....

I just sold it on Amazon.com or 45 bucks. I reccomend Amazon for your purchases

[Hicken]

This stuff again?

Listen: boycotting GameStop will change nothing. For every one person on this site (to say nothing of those who would follow you), there are a hundred who wouldn't even care. They'll keep going in and buying things at inflated prices, and your money will not be missed.

If you want to buy at a GameStop, I suggest you be more selective about the store you buy from. GameStop's primary hiring practices are to approve- and promote up the ladder- people with selling ability; employees who know games and care about games, as well as those whose primary focus is customer service, are being pushed out the door.

In my district, about six or seven managers and store managers have been fired, along with a dozen or more lower level employees; these were all individuals whose focus was not making a sale, but creating repeat customers. Corporate thinks nothing of foolish practices like hiring someone for a management position who has no experience with the company, and little with the industry, and then leaving that person out to dry.

It bothers me because our store- frequently one of the best performing stores in the company, despite competing with Toys R Us, Best Buy, and two other stores within a mile, and being smaller in a hard-to-access shopping plaza- has gone from a customer-oriented experience to one where the primary focus is getting numbers. A portion of it is unavoidable, as they literally decide who gets how many hours based on this performance. But it's already coming back to bite us in the ass, as our new manager is overzealous about encouraging people to reserve games, but hasn't figured out how to get people to come pick up those games.

I won't ever defend the company, even though I work for them, because I don't like most of their practices. I WILL, however, speak out against blanket statements that make all employees look stupid. Yes, there are those that exist, as there must be for every company. And it has even gotten to the point where that may be the majority. But please don't assume or imply that this applies to all employees at all stores. It's unfair to those who work hard and genuinely care.

[Nate-Dog]

I do agree with you that usually for one person that stands up for themselves against companies and corporations like this there are at least 99 others who will replace your service to them. But lately I've said to myself about matters of the same importance "well if I say that then no-one will ever stand up to these people will they?". Sometimes you've just got to stand up for yourself and hope that others may follow in your footsteps when they realise what's going on in the world and in business.

Not saying I disagree with you, but I just want to make that point. There are people willing to take a stand but if you always think that no-one else will do it and continue to think your action is completely pointless then it always will be so because no-one will want to make the effort.

[Hicken]

Part of the problem is that, right now, people can't afford to risk whatever little income they have coming in. Believe me, if I had another job lined up, I'd be doing and saying all sorts of things. But, right now, GameStop is my only source of income, and I just can't afford to lose that right now.

That's also a reason why people who work for the company don't stand up more often: because they can simply be replaced with someone less likely to make a fuss. At least half the managers and assistant managers in my district dislike the way things are being handled right now, if only in our area. But it's far easier for the company to just rid of ten or fifteen people than enact policies that would change the problem. And because most of them are afraid of losing their jobs, anyway, they won't say anything.

[discstu37]

Instead of trying to save $5 and prove how intelligent you are by getting in a a battle of wits with a minimum wage worker, just buy the game new and get it over with. If you're willing to spend $55 on a game, the extra $5 isn't going to throw your family into financial ruin. If it is, you should really re-evaluate what you're spending $55 on. Get over yourself. You outsmarted a GameStop employee and wrote a blog on the internet about your intellectual conquest, congrats bro.

[theonlylolking]

You missed the point. He is being charged $55 for a used game that is worth $45 because of what is not included.

[discstu37]

No, I didn't miss the point. GameStop, just like any retail outlet, can charge whatever they want for a product. Once the product is owned by them (which it is, upon a customer trading it in), GS could charge $100 for the used game if they wanted. OP knew there was DLC (which some may not...) so good for him. He got his answer the first time when the employee basically told him he isn't missing content. And since when is LAUNCH DISC DLC considered to be less than full content? There's reasons why companies want you to pre-order, and they try to get you to commit to that first go round of titles by including either company specific or general launch title DLC around it. If OP wanted the DLC so bad, why didn't he pre-order on Amazon where the prices are generally a bit lower or at least saved the tax? No. This is a clear "I'm smarter than you" post, and I for one do not think the OP should be patted on the back for yet another GS hate story.

[Pillville]

"And since when is LAUNCH DISC DLC considered to be less than full content?"

Ummm... when they started including free DLC codes in the package.

The CONTENTS mean what's in the case, not just the bits on the disk. Ever notice how Gamestop charges less if the original case or manual are missing? Wouldn't you agree that there's a reason for that?

A new game includes $20 worth of DLC codes. If that's not in a used copy, then the used copy is MISSING CONTENT.

[kennyboy]

discstu37 what if he had no amazon cards, paypal, or credit card?

[Deadman_Senji]

I haven't stepped foot in a GS in years, man. I buy all of my games online now.

[Tuxedo_Mask]

Despite his lack of knowledge about what you were trying to tell him I don't think he could have done anything about it anyway. He's just an employee, he can't set the price of a game however low he feels like.

You can boycott Gamestop if you'd like, and buying online is usually cheaper anyway, but there are a lot of people who are just as misinformed as that associate that will continue to shop there. To me, that's worse than what you went through because they probably won't even know what they're missing by buying used. You can blame Gamestop, but the developers are just as guilty in my opinion for starting this idea in the first place.

[jeeves86]

I'm pretty sure that if the end of the game was missing, there'd be a different story. The extra content is a bonus for buying new - it's not required to play the game.

You lose out on those bonuses for buying the game used. That's the whole point of including the DL codes with new copies only. Gamestop isn't going to adjust their prices to compete with new games - they're more of a competitor to the new-games industry than anything else.

[Tuxedo_Mask]

I understand the reasoning behind it, but what about the people who buy PS3/360 games when the PS5/1080 come out? You can buy a game from the days of the Atari up to the PS2/Xbox generation and almost 100%, excluding online games like FFXI, will have everything the game offers on the disc/cartridge.

You won't be able to say that about PS3 or 360 games twenty years from now unless they're played on an emulator with manipulations, a.k.a. piracy, or unless someone has backed up their hard drive and still possess it. In a sense, what was once a permanent form of entertainment as long as the chips/disk lasted will become partly disposable due to DLC.

I myself have bought DLC for games I really like, Valkyria Chronicles for example, but it makes me feel a bit uneasy to know that someone who explores the history of video games in the future will, at the very least, have a difficult time getting the complete game as it is being presented today.

[ZombieAssassin]

The guys and girls and my local Gamestops know their stuff, the only problem I have with them is they know I don't pre-order games but yet they always ask me even after I've told them plenty of times I don't do that.

[Captain Tuttle]

Same here. I like my Gamestop. I usually don't buy used though, only if the game is dirt cheap. One of the few good things about buying used at Gamestop is that you can return the game for ANY reason in 7 days, so if I'm not sure about a title I'll consider used.

[bbblasterfire]

Go ahead and purchase the game because you can always return within 7 days. Fill out the survey and rip the clerk a new one. Go on about how you felt misled with your purchase and that you fully intend to take the game back and that the entire ordeal has left a very bad impression of gamestop as well as wasting your time. The reality of the situation is, gamestop is trying to prey on the ignorant people out there. This will probably be the last Christmas season that they will be able to do so as people will get more educated (mainly parents buying for their kids). The market will force them to drop the prices more for used games than they currently are. I have a feeling that your situation was more of a case of an ignorant worker rather than maliciousness. When I spoke with a local gamestop employee prior to making such a purchase, he checked and assured me that I would not be missing anything.

[Bladesfist]

Gamestop must be eliminated, at any cost!

[BuT_TeR]

I only buy from Amazon now. Gamestop sucks.

[Michael-Jackson]

Online shopping is cheaper than retail. Problem solved with budget gaming.

[Vortex3D]

The best use of Gamestop is "buy" the pre-owned games, play them and return within 7 days. If you completed the game, it costs you $0. If you do decide you like the game enough that has online pass, return the preowned copy and buy the game new.

[Phi39582]

I'm not sure how some of you think that I was trying to get a "pat on the back" for my post.....I had two points to make, first is that reports of GS offering codes to consumers buying used games are either untrue or only partially true at best. Second, I'm not trying to save $5, if that were the case I'd buy new.....I'm tryimg to save $20. The used game should rightfully be $45, with 10 percent off we're at $40ish dollars. Yeah, yeah....they can charge what they want, undetstood. The rest of you can do what you want.....as for me, screw GS! Good day....

[banner]

I'm with you I stopped going there a long time ago though and for a different reason.

I had my wife pick up 2 games for me, seperate occasions, the first time I get home pick up the game and was like why did you buy used? The game just came out what you saved 5 bucks? She said no its new it was the last one though... Boy was I pissed when she said that, I just paid full price for an open box game! I don't care if it was never sold for all I know it was the game being passed around to employees! But I said what ever just don't go ther again...

Then it happened a second time. Naturally she forgot not to go to gs and the same thing happened this time I went back the next day and gave the a piece of my mind, the damn game even had finger prints! I wanted my money back but all they wanted to do was gove me store credit. I wasn't having that so I made them contact a gm and that's when I got my money back. That was 3 yrs ago and never went back, my wife either she know now it walmart or target.

[Main_Street_Saint]

The only thing I have with gamestop is the fact that the price of the used games usually start at $55. Why not save a little more and just buy new? When the gap is that small, its not worth it.

[Phi39582]

Like I said just above you, the gap is $20 if priced correctly.....because most of the $10 pass fee isn't worth it to me, I prefer SP exp.

[Ulf]

No point in buying used from GS until they drop the price to $45. They are trying to rip SP-only players off, by overcharging them for the SP-only experience early, plain and simple.

Buy new, and sell the codes on eBay, or wait for prices to drop, plain and simple.

[Bathyj]

I dont think they're deliberately trying to cheat you.

I think they're just dumbasses.

Why else would they consistently have 2nd hand games that cost more than the new version in the same shop?

I'm talking about EB in Australia here, but I see it all the time. 2nd games, unless if they're included as part of some sale that they have at the time, always cost heaps, and the new version is usually less on the next shelf over.

And this is corporate pricing, I'm sure the staff and managers have obviously seen it too and must be shaking their heads.

My only explanation is they have sales fairly often, and they must want people to NOT buy 2nd hand so when their IS a sale we all think, well I better snap these deals up now before they go back to their normal ridiculous prices.

Give a starving man a cracker and he'll think he's just had a great meal.

[svoulis]

I want to agree with this blog i really do but i can't.

Simply put like everyone has already said. You are asking or more so telling them it's only worth 45$ when in fact it isn't. The DLC is a reward and only meant for people who bought the game new. That isn't up to Gamestop to honor that, that is up to the publishers to stop doing. You can not go into any establishment and tell them what something is worth because that isn't how a used game store works. Maybe a car dealership or auction.

Your gripe should not be with Gamestop for the staff "not knowing" about it. More so they are simply doing there job and trying to sell you a product. I've faced the same problem with TVs and computers, go to Best Buy and see what they try and sell you.

What i am trying to say is if you think a game is worth 45 dollars because the developers add extra content for new purchases then Gamestop would have to also lower their trade in price and thus the developers would try and find a new way to make purchasing new more appealing than saving that 5 extra dollars.

[Robotronfiend]

I think he was annoyed that if he bought the game used and then paid $10 to get the extra sewer missions it would end up being more expensive than a brand new game. When the clerk acted like they weren't missing anything, it felt like he was encouraging buying the used copy, when in fact that is not treating the customer right.

Many consumers, especially during the Holiday season, will be purchasing games for other people and know nothing about the game industry's new practices. Thus some folks will be disappointed to find their copy (new to them as a gift) doesn't have access to everything the game offers. Not telling the buyer they can save money buying new (if they want ALL the content) is a disservice to the customer and feels like a ripoff.

[dotwithshoes]

Your picture says the DLC code will be printed on the receipt.. The code does indeed print on the receipt. How is this anywhere near NOT entirely true, when it seems to be totally true?

[Phi39582]

The pic was some random junk.....I may have misread it. My story originated with Rage......the pic stemmed from a story whereas GS was providing codes to the consumer purchasing a game with an online pass.

[dotwithshoes]

The picture, and GameStop has never said they would provide codes to games using online passes. Only to two specific games that use one time use codes.

[LANC3R]

"Gamestop and lies or stupidity, you pick....."

Nazis