GameStop being sued for ripping off gamers!!

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/GameStop-BioWare-Game-Lawsuit-DLC,news-6270.html

GameStop many need to change the way it sells used games.

ZoomThursday IGN reported that GameStop is now facing a lawsuit that alleges the company is "deceptively misleading" customers. The lawsuit, uploaded here in PDF format, says that the company is misbehaving because it's selling used games without informing the buyer that the downloadable content is not free.

Consumers who purchase a new game receive one-time-use-only codes to retrieve the free content (DLC) from publishers online. Those who purchase used games don't receive the same benefit, even if the used version is only $5 cheaper than a new copy. From a consumer standpoint, the minuscule reduction in cost is already a rip-off.

The current lawsuit centers on plaintiff James Collins. He purchased a used copy of Dragon Age: Origins for $54.99, a whopping five dollars less than the new, unopened version. He bought the game based on the advertisement on the box promising free downloadable content.

Weeks later he discovered that he would have to pay an additional $15 to grab the additional DLC. This would mean that ultimately he would spend ten bucks more than the new, sealed version of BioWare's RPG. Collins tried to return the game, however GameStop denied his request, stating that the seven-day return window had passed.

"GameStop, who makes more than 20-percent of its revenue and nearly $2 billion from the sale of used video games, is aware of this issue, and continues to fail to alert customers that this content is not available on used games," the suit states. "As a result, GameStop tricks consumers into paying more for a used game than they would if they purchased the same game and content new."

But who was really at fault here? GameStop charges a ridiculous amount for recent, used games. Most informed gamers know about the DLC rule when it comes to used titles-- this is a tactic used by publishers to reel in revenue. However GameStop should make an effort to inform the uninformed consumer by attaching labels or marking out the promise of free content on packages.

Or, GameStop should just simply lower the price of used games.

According to the lawsuit, Collins is seeking "restitution, punitive damages for fraud, and numerous other compensatory damages." So far GameStop has not replied to the allegations.

Finally!! I really do hope changes across the board can and will be made.

they really charge that much for a used game?!?!

That is insane. I would expect it to be like 20-30 bucks, not 55

Says right on the box that the code is used for new games. This guy doesn't have a case.

Wish more people would use thier brains instead of expecting other people to do it for them.

If you look on ebay right now you can get the PS3 version with the "buy it now" option for as low as $29.99 with free shipping.

The key is to not use GameStop.

If you are stupid enough to buy a used game for 5$ cheaper than you deserve to get ripped lol

why is this even in the pc games forum, I thought they stopped selling used pc games years ago.

they really charge that much for a used game?!?!

That is insane. I would expect it to be like 20-30 bucks, not 55

mrbojangles25

If you are stupid enough to walk in to a GameStop store...you deserve to be fooled

Wow, even though I don't like GamStop, that guy is a real moron. He exercised zero common sense when he bought the game. Hope he loses a lot more money in legal fees for being such an idiot.

He should have sued about them selling opened items, as new. Every gamer already know about the downloadable content, hoop. Specifically, invented by game publishers to deter used game sales, which they don't see a penny of.

If your customers are so stupid that they will pay 90+% of full price for used goods then there isn't any wonder these people are being ripped off.

Any company on the planet confrounted with customers that willing to be parted with their cash will obviously see them as ripe for the picking.

Fools and their money etc etc.

I am in no way condoning the skinning alive of said naive noobies but knowing the nature of business I am not the slightest bit surprised by this fleecing.

This isn't going far. That's a horrible case. Gamestop never said "Buy this game used and you'll get a code!". The box says it's a one time thing, which anyone with two working brain cells could figure out that the previous owner most likely used the code.

If you are stupid enough to buy a used game for 5$ cheaper than you deserve to get ripped lol

Memoryitis

^ this

they should lower the price and put the tagon there because whats the use i think its ridiculous that games are so priced i remember when a new ps2 game was only 20 bucks now i have to fork over 3 times as much just to get a shiney new game personally i think they should give us slack on that one like lowering use game and lowering prices on new games to like 39.99 that i think is compromisable so i dont have to spend $120 for a whopping 2 games when i could have gotten 6 ps2 game well now ps2 games are sold for $10 on the shelf.

I hope this guy wins. I hate gamestop and hope they go bankrupt. Also this is an example of how DLC is a bad thing.

Hey they do that over here in Australia like $104 for a used game instead of $110 for new.

Hey they do that over here in Australia like $104 for a used game instead of $110 for new.

the_mitch28

Anyone else notice how hard they try to get you to pre-order??? I mean when I say No thanks, I mean No thanks. :|

Why sue them? They dont hold a monololy so they have the right to charge what they want,,,if its too expensive then dont buy it....DURRRRR!

Also you as a consumer should do your own research about DLC codes and stuff, they cant treat everyone like babies.

As much as I dislike Gamestop, this guy dosen't have a case. Most people know they aren't going to get those Premo codes with a used game. millerlight89

Gamestop sucks you guys need to stop defending them at least someone is putting forth effort to take our stolen money back from these bums. Hmm, let me sell my 50 dollar game for 20 bux so that they can resell it for 55.

Its the McDonalds Hot Coffee lawsuit all over again (that still gets me, I mean.. who orders a bloody COFFEE [not an ICED coffee, just a plain coffee] and doesn't expect it to be frikkin hot?!). A) If you are going to pay just $5.00 less for a used game.... why not just buy the new game? Seriously - if $5.00 is that big a deal then don't buy the game at all, problem solved. B) I am pretty sure the box says 'One Time Use' or whatever for the DLC items, so that invalidates that part of the suit right there. C) Why did he buy it and take a few weeks before trying to return it? If the store policy is 7 days for returns of used items like that, then you check out the game before that time period dies right? *sigh* makes me very very worried for the future of this world. The saddest part is that he will probably win - or at least get an out of court settlement.carlosjuero

The Mc'Donalds Coffee lawsuit was more than the girl getting burned by spilling it. What they found out was Mc'Donalds was actually heating the coffee past the boiling point and giving it to the customer extremely hot to save money. Mc'Donalds did a study and found that they could use less coffee and add more water if they made the coffee extremly hot. People were less likely to notice the watered down taste because it was so hot. They were saving something like 5 cents on every coffee. In turn this was a huge risk to customers because they were basically getting boiling water in a cup to drink. This is also obviously a health risk since drinking anything this hot even if people are just taking small sips burns the cell tissues in your throat. So the lawsuit was to force Mc'Donalds from heating their coffee way past safe temperatures as well as making them pay for putting people at risk to save a few cents on every cup.

Also keep in mind that the girl suffered 3rd degree burns as she had the coffee between her legs when she was driving. It also spilled because someone cut her off. She had not planned on suing Mc'Donalds but, when they started investigating the evidence started to show up about what Mc'Donalds was doing.

[QUOTE="carlosjuero"]Its the McDonalds Hot Coffee lawsuit all over again (that still gets me, I mean.. who orders a bloody COFFEE [not an ICED coffee, just a plain coffee] and doesn't expect it to be frikkin hot?!). A) If you are going to pay just $5.00 less for a used game.... why not just buy the new game? Seriously - if $5.00 is that big a deal then don't buy the game at all, problem solved. B) I am pretty sure the box says 'One Time Use' or whatever for the DLC items, so that invalidates that part of the suit right there. C) Why did he buy it and take a few weeks before trying to return it? If the store policy is 7 days for returns of used items like that, then you check out the game before that time period dies right? *sigh* makes me very very worried for the future of this world. The saddest part is that he will probably win - or at least get an out of court settlement.sleepingzzz

The Mc'Donalds Coffee lawsuit was more than the girl getting burned by spilling it. What they found out was Mc'Donalds was actually heating the coffee past the boiling point and giving it to the customer extremely hot to save money. Mc'Donalds did a study and found that they could use less coffee and add more water if they made the coffee extremly hot. People were less likely to notice the watered down taste because it was so hot. They were saving something like 5 cents on every coffee. In turn this was a huge risk to customers because everyone was basically receiving boiling water in a cup to drink. This is also obviously a health risk since drinking anything this even if it's just small sips burns the cell tissues in your throat. So the lawsuit was to force Mc'Donalds from doing this as well as making them pay for putting people at risk to save a few cents on every cup.

Also keep in mind that the girl suffered 3rd degree burns as she had the coffee between her legs when she was driving. It also spilled because someone cut her off. She had not planned on suing Mc'Donalds but, when they started investigating the evidence started to show up about what Mc'Donalds was doing.

I knew there was always another side to the story. Good info.

[QUOTE="carlosjuero"]Its the McDonalds Hot Coffee lawsuit all over again (that still gets me, I mean.. who orders a bloody COFFEE [not an ICED coffee, just a plain coffee] and doesn't expect it to be frikkin hot?!). A) If you are going to pay just $5.00 less for a used game.... why not just buy the new game? Seriously - if $5.00 is that big a deal then don't buy the game at all, problem solved. B) I am pretty sure the box says 'One Time Use' or whatever for the DLC items, so that invalidates that part of the suit right there. C) Why did he buy it and take a few weeks before trying to return it? If the store policy is 7 days for returns of used items like that, then you check out the game before that time period dies right? *sigh* makes me very very worried for the future of this world. The saddest part is that he will probably win - or at least get an out of court settlement.sleepingzzz

The Mc'Donalds Coffee lawsuit was more than the girl getting burned by spilling it. What they found out was Mc'Donalds was actually heating the coffee past the boiling point and giving it to the customer extremely hot to save money. Mc'Donalds did a study and found that they could use less coffee and add more water if they made the coffee extremly hot. People were less likely to notice the watered down taste because it was so hot. They were saving something like 5 cents on every coffee. In turn this was a huge risk to customers because they were basically getting boiling water in a cup to drink. This is also obviously a health risk since drinking anything this hot even if people are just taking small sips burns the cell tissues in your throat. So the lawsuit was to force Mc'Donalds from heating their coffee way past safe temperatures as well as making them pay for putting people at risk to save a few cents on every cup.

Also keep in mind that the girl suffered 3rd degree burns as she had the coffee between her legs when she was driving. It also spilled because someone cut her off. She had not planned on suing Mc'Donalds but, when they started investigating the evidence started to show up about what Mc'Donalds was doing.

Gamestop sucks you guys need to stop defending them at least someone is putting forth effort to take our stolen money back from these bums. Hmm, let me sell my 50 dollar game for 20 bux so that they can resell it for 55.

balla4162

Not sure how McDonalds has anything remotely the same to the topic.

A quick question if I may. Why even sell the game as used, why not repack it and sell as new ?

Anyways, what ever happened to disclosure of the product ?

You do know that all the print on a "new" game is not just game desciptions and company names. It also states in that small print disclosure of legalities and so forth.

Perhaps some people would like be able to sell "used" items as new. Perhaps car companies, housing and other turn over products, could be excluded from such trivial things, such as changing the miles(km) on the vehicle because they changed the oil, perhaps that house your looking at buying was "not really" a meth lab, but home business. Need more rhetoric to make the point ?

Yes, those examples are extreme but when do we start to pick and choose who must and must not dislose the details of a product they sell ?

People should buy used games off Amazon instead.

Gamestop sucks you guys need to stop defending them at least someone is putting forth effort to take our stolen money back from these bums. Hmm, let me sell my 50 dollar game for 20 bux so that they can resell it for 55.

balla4162

It's like they're trying to, *gasp* make money! Seriously people. It's a business. And do you really thing that it's good that someone is suing Gamestop because of their incompetence?

Well, actually, these codes are only guaranteed to work and come with brand new copies of the game. I don't think GameStop has much too worry about. It's not their job to inform the consumer about it. I mean come on, think about it for a second. If the previous owner used the code then it would be stuck to that persons account. If they hadn't you would still have a properly working code.

Lol at the people calling the man stupid, he possibly found an easy way to make a quick buck. Pretty smart imo, hopefully he wins one for humanity.

Lol at the people calling the man stupid, he possibly found an easy way to make a quick buck. Pretty smart imo, hopefully he wins one for humanity.

califinest101

Or he loses because of his incompetence. Does anyone really believe he'll get anywhere with this case? "Well, I bought this used game that somebody else already played and it didn't come with the code for the extra content. GameStop is ripping me off."

I can't help but get annoyed at how wrong everyone is on this McDonalds Hot Coffee case.. It was a 72 year old woman who spilt 190F coffee on her lap giving her third-degree burns, I actually think it's fairWaterMelnKidd

So, if I went to McDonalds and bought a Hot Coffee and spilt it on myself(an accident at which I'd be at fault for), it's fair that I could sue them for thousands of dollars?

Hope he wins, I'd get pissed, there is no point in doing research on a game, and if you see a game for cheaper buy it! It's a game, who cares about the box. I don't know about you guys, but if you do research on a game, wtf are you doing with everything else? Sure see the rating, and how it is, who looks at stuff like that?JigglyWiggly_

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]Hope he wins, I'd get pissed, there is no point in doing research on a game, and if you see a game for cheaper buy it! It's a game, who cares about the box. I don't know about you guys, but if you do research on a game, wtf are you doing with everything else? Sure see the rating, and how it is, who looks at stuff like that?UbiquitousAeon