After someone exchanges a game at the store ... what happens to it?

I was thinking recently about how most retailers have return/exchange policies that will allow you to exchange a "defective" game for a new copy of the same game.

Well, this may be fine and dandy for the guy getting the new copy, but what happens to the copy that he ALREADY opened?

What does the store do with that copy? If they sell it as "used" (and many retailers do not even sell used merchandise), they'll be losing money on the deal, as they exchanged it for a new copy.

Plus, this would be highly unethical on the part of the retailer, as they'd basically be selling a copy already deemed as "defective" and hoping the next buyer won't realize or care.

Does the retailer ship the copy back to the manufacturer and receive a new copy in return? I would think that the manufacturer would legally be able to destroy the defective copy and replace it by adding another unit to be produced, with no cost to them?

The absolute worst case scenario would be if the retailer "repackages" the game itself as tries to sell it as NEW. Aside from being FRAUD (which is illegal), this kind of business practice really screws over the customer who ends up buying that copy of the game.

So when someone exchanges a game at Best Buy or Walmart or any other major retailer, are you are risk of buying someone's repackaged used copy, even though you're paying the price of a new one?

The problem is, a decent portion of games come with the "heat-sealed wrap" straight from the manufacturer, instead of the conventional "y-fold" seal. I remember that almost every copy of Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV for the PS3 was "heat-sealed" at launch,and they were pre-ordered for release date (there is a cheapassgamer thread about it on the internet where everyone who preordered the game received such a copy).

So in the case of those games, how do you tell if the game was heat-sealed by the manufacturer, or RE-sealed by the retailer?

The game is examined for fingerprints, hairs, skin flakes, fabric scraps and any other piece of information which could point to the identity of the person who brought it in. The results are then entered into a top secret database. In the event that the government needs to test a highly dangerous experimental procedure for turning ordinary people into unstoppable cyborg killers, guinea pigs will be drawn from this list. You have been warned.

I guess they re-sell it as used.

The game is examined for fingerprints, hairs, skin flakes, fabric scraps and any other piece of information which could point to the identity of the person who brought it in. The results are then entered into a top secret database. In the event that the government needs to test a highly dangerous experimental procedure for turning ordinary people into unstoppable cyborg killers, guinea pigs will be drawn from this list. You have been warned.

Business_Fun

If a game is opened it can only be returned to most "big box" retailers for one simple reason: its defective. You aren't legally allowed to return a game because "you didn't like it". And this is why when you return an open game the most you can really get is an exact copy of the game you are returning.

When a retailer gets an open game returned they have a few choices dependant on who their supplier is. In every case there is paperwork that must be filled out - the paper work tells the manufacturer that there was a defective item and the store is given credit for that item. Now this is the tricky part - the store can either A: return the defective copy to the manufacturer IF that is required or B: once the paperwork is complete and the credit is in the system the game is simply thrown away.

Sometimes a retailer can see that there is nothing wrong with the product, they can then sell the game at a steep discount as an "open box" item. And it won't matter how low they sell it - as they have already recieved credit for the item from the manufacturer - its essentially a "free" item now and whatever they sell it for is profit. But "open box" items are very rare and in about 98% of the time the items were actually opened "in store" for a promotion or other reason and haven't actually been in the hands of any consumers.

If a game is opened it can only be returned to most "big box" retailers for one simple reason: its defective. You aren't legally allowed to return a game because "you didn't like it". And this is why when you return an open game the most you can really get is an exact copy of the game you are returning.

When a retailer gets an open game returned they have a few choices dependant on who their supplier is. In every case there is paperwork that must be filled out - the paper work tells the manufacturer that there was a defective item and the store is given credit for that item. Now this is the tricky part - the store can either A: return the defective copy to the manufacturer IF that is required or B: once the paperwork is complete and the credit is in the system the game is simply thrown away.

Sometimes a retailer can see that there is nothing wrong with the product, they can then sell the game at a steep discount as an "open box" item. And it won't matter how low they sell it - as they have already recieved credit for the item from the manufacturer - its essentially a "free" item now and whatever they sell it for is profit. But "open box" items are very rare and in about 98% of the time the items were actually opened "in store" for a promotion or other reason and haven't actually been in the hands of any consumers.

CrimsonpugTwo

this is true ... except there are no legality issues, it's store policies not law.

If a game is opened it can only be returned to most "big box" retailers for one simple reason: its defective. You aren't legally allowed to return a game because "you didn't like it". And this is why when you return an open game the most you can really get is an exact copy of the game you are returning.

When a retailer gets an open game returned they have a few choices dependant on who their supplier is. In every case there is paperwork that must be filled out - the paper work tells the manufacturer that there was a defective item and the store is given credit for that item. Now this is the tricky part - the store can either A: return the defective copy to the manufacturer IF that is required or B: once the paperwork is complete and the credit is in the system the game is simply thrown away.

Sometimes a retailer can see that there is nothing wrong with the product, they can then sell the game at a steep discount as an "open box" item. And it won't matter how low they sell it - as they have already recieved credit for the item from the manufacturer - its essentially a "free" item now and whatever they sell it for is profit. But "open box" items are very rare and in about 98% of the time the items were actually opened "in store" for a promotion or other reason and haven't actually been in the hands of any consumers.

CrimsonpugTwo

I hope this is the truth right here. If this was Yahoo Answers, I'd give this the "Best Answer" points.

However, as far as "legality" goes, I do know for a fact that selling an opened item as NEW is indeed fraud, and it is very much illegal ... at least in the USA.