Gamestop (EB )- Selling you an Open Game for Full Price - Yay or Nay? *POLL*

I went to EB yesterday to buy a couple of games, and the guy tries to sell me an opened copy of a game for full price. It's got stickers on the case, and has been left unsealed on the shelf for any goober to come along and touch with his grubby hands.

I refused to buy the game based on those reasons, and the fact that I'd never be sure I got all the inserts that originally came with the game. Plus, the disc had been removed and placed in to a sleeve. It just rubbed me wrong.

Someone needs to tell these guys that isn't acceptable. Maybe I'm being fussy, but if I'm paying full price for the game, it had better be shrink wrapped and guaranteed complete. Plus, the stickers being placed directly on the game case is assinine. You either get a horrible sticker stuck on there forever, glue residue, or some sort of imperfection on the case caused by trying to remove the sticker.

Do you think the practice of selling opened, tampered-with games as being brand-new is acceptable?
Vote and/or state your opinion. Thanks.

Ya, not the least bit acceptable...Gamestop/ebgames is horrible for things like that though and it's happened to me as well but I'd always say I want a sealed copy. but even then who knows because they've sold resealed games before.

and lol @ anygoober to come along and touch with his grubby hands...that's hilarious, I feel the same way, I buy my used games from this smaller game shop in my area and the traffic there is pretty high, whenever I bring a game home, i'll take it out and put it in my ps3, then leave the case to sit there for a couple days without touching it because the amount of dirty ass people i've seen in there, snotty kids eye level with the games coughing all over them...gross.

That's totally not acceptable. They should sell it at around 35% of its original price. However, since I live in Dubai currently, I don't care as all the games here are sold in original packaging.

Ultimately the reason they can get away with this is because the vast majority of customers simply don't care about it. Gamestop won't ever change what they are doing based on the minority.

It is also why you see games decreasing in their initial trade value. Recently released games that use to get you $30-$35 in trade value back 5+ years ago, now get you $20-$25. Gamestop was able to lower the values because most customers didn't care about this loss of $10-15.

unacceptable

plastic wrap violated = used price

Why would you go to the wall to buy a new game? Just go to the desk and request said game and if it's new enough, they'll have plenty of factory sealed copies. This isn't rocket science and no one is forcing you to buy that opened one as new. If they are sold out of sealed ones, either suck it up or move on.

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

Why would you go to the wall to buy a new game? Just go to the desk and request said game and if it's new enough, they'll have plenty of factory sealed copies. This isn't rocket science and no one is forcing you to buy that opened one as new. If they are sold out of sealed ones, either suck it up or move on.

In my case I went to the till, and he said it was his last copy so that was my only option. So ya, I moved on.

"No one is forcing you to buy it" is a completely lame comment and really has no merit in this conversation. It's simple: Do you consider an opened, tampered with game the same thing as a new one? Apparently you do, so you either work at EB or you just like to disagree with anything, no matter how absurd.

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Why would you go to the wall to buy a new game? Just go to the desk and request said game and if it's new enough, they'll have plenty of factory sealed copies. This isn't rocket science and no one is forcing you to buy that opened one as new. If they are sold out of sealed ones, either suck it up or move on.

Yusuke420

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

Why would you go to the wall to buy a new game? Just go to the desk and request said game and if it's new enough, they'll have plenty of factory sealed copies. This isn't rocket science and no one is forcing you to buy that opened one as new. If they are sold out of sealed ones, either suck it up or move on.

BranKetra

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Yusuke420

They get broken after so long and cost tons to buy more and more, Think about it they have 20 or 30 games for each system that could be considered new. it just too much to deal with. That could be a viable solution, but it honestly doesn't matter to me because the game is still new. They have a shrink wrap machine if you wand the feel of opening something or it's a present or something.

I went to EB yesterday to buy a couple of games, and the guy tries to sell me an opened copy of a game for full price. It's got stickers on the case, and has been left unsealed on the shelf for any goober to come along and touch with his grubby hands.

I refused to buy the game based on those reasons, and the fact that I'd never be sure I got all the inserts that originally came with the game. Plus, the disc had been removed and placed in to a sleeve. It just rubbed me wrong.

Someone needs to tell these guys that isn't acceptable. Maybe I'm being fussy, but if I'm paying full price for the game, it had better be shrink wrapped and guaranteed complete. Plus, the stickers being placed directly on the game case is assinine. You either get a horrible sticker stuck on there forever, glue residue, or some sort of imperfection on the case caused by trying to remove the sticker.

Do you think the practice of selling opened, tampered-with games as being brand-new is acceptable?
Vote and/or state your opinion. Thanks.

Conjuration

Yea, I agree with you. It's complete BS.

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Yusuke420

No, wrong. They actually let their employees sample those opened games, Gamestop has a policy allowing employees to borrow a game for a specific time for free. I have bought the same games from the sleeve and they have had fingerprints on them and such. It sucks but I understand why they do it.

Nay. I'm happy to buy used games, so long as I pay the used price.

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Yusuke420

[QUOTE="BranKetra"][QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

Why would you go to the wall to buy a new game? Just go to the desk and request said game and if it's new enough, they'll have plenty of factory sealed copies. This isn't rocket science and no one is forcing you to buy that opened one as new. If they are sold out of sealed ones, either suck it up or move on.

Yusuke420

-Some people do take them home. I had a friend who used to work in Gamestop and he would do that. Though, I doubt it was the "new" copies.

Fully agree with you, TC, and that is why I have never spent money at such places. When I buy new, I better damn well get new. I hate places that try to pull that crap on me.

It's annoying but the practice has been going on forever. Sometimes people try on a pair of jeans before you buy them, sometimes people test drive a car before you buy it, etc..MethodManFTW

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Yusuke420

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Nercay

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Headpopper333

No, wrong. They actually let their employees sample those opened games, Gamestop has a policy allowing employees to borrow a game for a specific time for free. I have bought the same games from the sleeve and they have had fingerprints on them and such. It sucks but I understand why they do it.

First of all it might happen, but I'm pretty sure corporate brass would be PISSED if they found out employees were taking the games home, even the used ones. This is a slap fight about nothing because you can get factory sealed copies from Gamestop. You don't have to take the one or two that end up opened, it's not like they open all of them. Even if it was opened, the game is still new, it hasn't been used and you get everything that came with it. Hell, most of the cases still have a new game smell.

When they get games, they get X number of copies.

They take 1-2 copies, and open them as a display model.

The disk and inserts go into the desk.

The rest of the copies sit under the counter, sealed.

So if you want a sealed copy, you go to the desk and ask for one.

If they don't have it, then you either take the display model, or go to another store.

The alternative to that would be to use those clunky plastic security things with a chain attached.

But #1 those things cost money, #2 people sometimes cut the chain with pliers and run out with it. #3 they don't look/feel inviting

A smarter way would be to print out the game cover, put it in a generic case, and use that as a display model.

Anyway this is how running a business works.

If you want a sealed copy them ask for it.

This is really the only thing that bothers me about this place. I've seen like 20 to 30 copies of a game gutted so they can put the empty cases up on display. How this is legally acceptable is beyond me. I don't care if someone with white gloves has opened the game not even 5 minutes before. If I'm buying a new game then I want to be the one to unwrap it. This is the reason I almost never buy from them.Archangel3371

I don't buy from them anymore. Amazon Prime+Release Day Shipping+No Sales Tax FTW.

Why anyone does is baffling to me.

First of all it might happen, but I'm pretty sure corporate brass would be PISSED if they found out employees were taking the games home, even the used ones. This is a slap fight about nothing because you can get factory sealed copies from Gamestop. You don't have to take the one or two that end up opened, it's not like they open all of them. Even if it was opened, the game is still new, it hasn't been used and you get everything that came with it. Hell, most of the cases still have a new game smell.

Yusuke420

[QUOTE="Archangel3371"]This is really the only thing that bothers me about this place. I've seen like 20 to 30 copies of a game gutted so they can put the empty cases up on display. How this is legally acceptable is beyond me. I don't care if someone with white gloves has opened the game not even 5 minutes before. If I'm buying a new game then I want to be the one to unwrap it. This is the reason I almost never buy from them.Yusuke420

Go to the counter ask for a sealed copy easy as that if they don't have one leave and go to wal-mart.

Go to the counter ask for a sealed copy easy as that if they don't have one leave and go to wal-mart.

ReviewerDrake

I went to EB yesterday to buy a couple of games, and the guy tries to sell me an opened copy of a game for full price. It's got stickers on the case, and has been left unsealed on the shelf for any goober to come along and touch with his grubby hands.

I refused to buy the game based on those reasons, and the fact that I'd never be sure I got all the inserts that originally came with the game. Plus, the disc had been removed and placed in to a sleeve. It just rubbed me wrong.

Someone needs to tell these guys that isn't acceptable. Maybe I'm being fussy, but if I'm paying full price for the game, it had better be shrink wrapped and guaranteed complete. Plus, the stickers being placed directly on the game case is assinine. You either get a horrible sticker stuck on there forever, glue residue, or some sort of imperfection on the case caused by trying to remove the sticker.

Do you think the practice of selling opened, tampered-with games as being brand-new is acceptable?
Vote and/or state your opinion. Thanks.

Conjuration

If it is factory sealed, how would the game get stolen? Getting the wrapping off is a pain in the ass... Hexagon_777

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

Hexagon_777

COkay, a couple of things: 1. Gamestop's policy is that employees are encouraged to borrow USED games in order to gain experience with specific titles and to be able to make good recommendations. New copies are still new. El_Zo1212o

I would imagine this is true. I used to work for Software Etc. about 20 years ago, and one of the main reasons I kept the job was because I was able to take home two titles at any time. The manager would open them, give me the carts, and when I returned them, he had shrinkwrap sleeves that he'd reseal them with. They didn't have used games to draw from at that point.

It was a nice policy for an employee of Software Etc., but it was kind of a dick move to a customer. Although, back then returns were much more relaxed than they are now anyway, so whether it was an employee that opened the copy or a resealed copy returned by a customer, it was kind of all the same. There has always been a really flabby definition of what constitutes "new" at retail anyway.

Regardless, I don't buy from them anymore not because I may not be the first person to play my copy of Game X, but because I can get the games for less elsewhere, usually just as fast, and I don't have to smell nerd sweat or peel a bunch of stickers off my game case.

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]If it is factory sealed, how would the game get stolen? Getting the wrapping off is a pain in the ass... El_Zo1212o

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]

[QUOTE="Yusuke420"]

I don't work there, but I understand what it is they do, they aren't tampering with anything. They get a shipment of lets say 25 or 30 of a said game. They open one or two copies for the display, simply to remove the game from the case so it doesn't get stolen. It goes straight into the sleave and isn't touched until the last sealed copy is sold. What would you have them do? Leave the game in the case so someone could just walk in and get a 60 dollar game? Should they lose money on a new game because they simply opened it? No, this is the problem with gamers, they are spoiled brats who don't live in the real world. They aren't doing this to screw you over as an "evil" corperation, it's simply a tactic to combat shrink.

dotWithShoes

I believe it's the fact that you can get games elsewhere for less while still being factory sealed that annoys many. Why pay more for something that "some goober touched with his grubby hands?"

Would never accept it.

Luckily, here they sell used games clearly as used, and in the case of rare gems I'd even be willing to accept a lot of damage done to the disc (as long as it's still functional of course), for example Dark Cloud, found it surprisingly in a GameSpot for 15 ?, clearly printed on the case: "Used", and the manual was missing and the owner before me thought it would be cool to write his name with a red edding on the frontside of the disc.

I stil bought it and had a great time with it, wished I owned this game much earlier, was certainly searching for it for about 10 years. But trying to selling me something as damaged as this for new would be considered fraud in front of any court I'd say.

No. That's one of many reasons I haven't been in a Gamestop in years. New = unopened.

No. That's one of many reasons I haven't been in a Gamestop in years. New = unopened.

Jackc8

It's kind of a nebulous term, though, isn't it?

I bought a truck four years ago with 9 miles on it -- was it new?

I saw a lady returning panties (of all things, opened and unpackaged; likely worn) at the cologne counter at a Dillard's a week ago -- are those still considered new?

I myself have returned a number of different articles of clothing I've received for the holidays that I tried on once and decided I didn't like -- I can assure you those were retagged and put right back on the shelf as new.

All of these were "like new," but they were not "new" in the truest sense of the word. Video games are no different, the sole difference being that if, say, I walked into a Gamestop and bought one of their opened box new games, put it in the mail with a bow as a birthday present to my brother, who gets it in the mail and says "MGS4 wtf man, I'm selling dis!" and there is not a Gamestop close to him or the local store won't take it, he's essentially stuck with an open box game that hasn't been used, but would be considered used by every retail outlet he tried to return it to. This is absolutely wrong.

[QUOTE="El_Zo1212o"][QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]If it is factory sealed, how would the game get stolen? Getting the wrapping off is a pain in the ass... Hexagon_777