Gamestop not allowing re-sellers to get Edge card?

[davyd]

I went with my roommate to GS today. While there, he decided to renew his edge card since it was expiring this month. When the clerk looked up his info, he claimed the system had a note in it saying NOT to renew the Edge card membership because he had been flagged as a re-seller.

Don't get me wrong, he IS a reseller (I think he bought something like 9 copies of ICO in the past 2 months), but it surprised me that Gamestop would actually pick that out.

This seems like a new thing to me, is this a recent development, or possibly in my area only? Do any GS employees here have any info on this? I'm hoping me buying two copies of DDR mario within 4 months didn't get me flagged, my renewal comes around in April.

EDIT: Tomorrow he's going to a different gamestop to try to renew. He believes that it's just that local GS attempting to get rid of him. We compiled a list of the things he purchased in the last three months in order to help people figure out if they are in the same boat as he is.


ICO - 7
Tetris DS - 3
Wavebird - 7
Advance Wars 1 - 3
Advance Wars 2 - 3
Advance Wars: Dual Strike - 4
Marvel vs Capcom 2 (PS2) - 2
Marvel vs Capcom 2 (xbox) - 1
Disgaea 1 - 3
Persona 3 (new) - 4
Persona 3 (used) - 1
Monopoly/Battleship/Etc. - 1
Gameboy Player - 4
Pikmin 2 - 2
Xbox Live Compilation - 3
Orange Box - 2
Assassin's Creed - 2
Halo 3 - 2
Etrian Odyssey - 3
Electroplankton - 1
Zelda Master Quest - 2
Zelda Collector's Ed. - 2
Fire Emblem (gba) - 2
Fire Emblem 2 (gba) - 2
Fire Emblem (gc) - 3
Nocturne - 2
Jedi Outcast (gc) - 1
Turok - 1
Devil May Cry 4 - 1
Devil Summoner (new) - 5
Devil Summoner (used) - 2
MGS: Twin Snakes (gc) - 1
TRAPT - 2
Shadow Hearts - 2
Rez - 3
DDR Mario - 3
Various DVDs/Seasons - 16

This does *not* include the items that he bought for his own use.

EDIT 2:
He was denied at a second GS today. He asked why, specifically, he was not allowed to renew. This employee just said that the system would not allow it, and that he was confused himself, as he's never seen it happen before. The manager was out and the other employee didn't know what was going on, either. He asked if he was banned from the store, the employee just gave him a weird look and told him no.

He went to a third Gamestop, this one he rarely went to as it was rather out of the way. He signed up for a "new" subscription with the same name but a fake address (he doesn't care about the mag), and it went through just fine. Apparently it's easy to get around the system. It'll be interesting to see if they catch on later.

[schuerm26]

I went with my roommate to GS today. While there, he decided to renew his edge card since it was expiring this month. When the clerk looked up his info, he claimed the system had a note in it saying NOT to renew the Edge card membership because he had been flagged as a re-seller.

Don't get me wrong, he IS a reseller (I think he bought something like 9 copies of ICO in the past 2 months), but it surprised me that Gamestop would actually pick that out.

This seems like a new thing to me, is this a recent development, or possibly in my area only? Do any GS employees here have any info on this? I'm hoping me buying two copies of DDR mario within 4 months didn't get me flagged, my renewal comes around in April.

bumping to see what people say. Seems weird to me. I have seen a couple threads lately about Gamestop flagging resellers. Wondering how they are getting this info. Just based on buying more than 1 copy of a game?

[davyd]

I'm not sure. I've never seen this happen before, so it might be a new development. I hope they don't start cracking down on people who use coupons excessively, or all of CAG will be banned from GS. Though coupons usually say "Limit one use per visit," so I don't think that would be a huge issue.

[bigdaddybruce44]

A week or two ago, a CAG posted about them denying him service on a GS.com order, because he had been flagged as a reseller. All of their promos warn about resellers, so I am sure this is something the corporation takes very seriously.

I have used many of the coupons extensively, coupled with my Edge card, without an issue at all, so I doubt that will come into play. As you point out, the coupon clearly says one per visit, so I don't think that is a problem.

[kell]

Reselling is the only thing GS is good for.

[Dr Mario Kart]

Reselling is the only thing GS is good for.

Haha. This.

I would think it would greatly benefit Gamestop to have all these people taking mass quantities of games from them. I dont think the 10% is going to break them though.

[1SwtDeception]

Surprisingly, I don't recall me ever reselling any of the games I bought from there...

Sucks for the resellers though.

[Vinny]

If it was online, that's one thing but this happening in stores is a little disturbing. They're tracking what people are buying? I wonder if they'll start tracking coupon usage too?

On many occasions, I've bought the same game multiple times due to sales/coupons (B2G1Fs especially). Hell, I bought like 3 copies of BG Dark Alliance II using that 25% off PS2 game coupon a few weeks ago... and I've picked up like 2 copies of DDS2 from the BF B2G1F sale. I never resold them, just traded them... though it's the same in prinicle I guess.

Guess I'm on that list then.:lol:

[bigdaddybruce44]

I am going to assume that their policy would be pertaining to a clear pattern. I have bought multiples of good deals before, keeping one and flipping another. I haven't had any problems with my Edge card or buying online. I'm guessing this is going to apply to people who are constantly buying five copies of something.

[SlimJim0725]

resellers are probably a lot of their business, so if they lose them, it looks like a bad move on GS from where i sit. they are paying gamestop the same amount someone else would, so i honestly don't see where they have legal grounds to even deny you renewing it since while morally wrong, there is no law against being a reseller. oh well, i try to sty away from gs anyways, just 1 more reason to add to my "gs is stupid, do not shop there" list.

[Brian9824]

If it was online, that's one thing but this happening in stores is a little disturbing. They're tracking what people are buying? I wonder if they'll start tracking coupon usage too?



it's called edge card. it tracks every purchase you use it on. Same deal with bestbuy rewards. You get an incentive and they get information on marketing and shopping patterns. Standard practice

[kell]

What?! Gamestop actually doing something that's... good? Huzzah Gamestop!:applause:

You should be one to talk...

Guess I'm on that list then.:lol:

Hypocrite.

I am going to assume that their policy would be pertaining to a clear pattern. I have bought multiples of good deals before, keeping one and flipping another. I haven't had any problems with my Edge card or buying online. I'm guessing this is going to apply to people who are constantly buying five copies of something.

I have been labeled as such with only one order of multiples.

[schuerm26]

Im just wondering how they classify this. Do they track multiple purchases on the same game and then make a decision? If anyone with knowledge of exactly how you get classified as a reseller can post that would be great. I used that GC coupon last time about 25 seperate times. Not that that matters since there are no restrictions.

Judging by the couple seperate posts I have read it seems to me that there is no real rhyme or reason for how they classify this stuff. As I posted in the other resellers thread, this is a completely boneheaded move by Gamestop, if they are somehow deciding to crack down on resellers. I can guarantee you 100% that stockholders don't give a sh-t if resellers are feeding money into the system.

[bigdaddybruce44]

so i honestly don't see where they have legal grounds to even deny you renewing it since while morally wrongMorality and law don't always overlap. Stores can deny you service for just about any reason they want. Blatant discrimination, like denying people service over race or religion, would certainly got them in hot water, but nothing is stopping them having other such policies, like "no shirt, no service" or not selling to resellers.

[SlimJim0725]

Morality and law don't always overlap. Stores can deny you service for just about any reason they want. Blatant discrimination, like denying people service over race or religion, would certainly got them in hot water, but nothing is stopping them having other such policies, like "no shirt, no service" or not selling to resellers.


while i understand that, how can they be the judges of who is reselling for sure? you could be buying for friends as gifts. while not likely, the only thing that i can figure out is that they think it is morally wrong. they cant claim legally it is another business without proof and i honestly dont see a real reason why they can take it. i also think it is very bad for business on their end, since the resellers probably buy more games than most of their other consumers year round and if the resellers can get it elsewhere for the same price, why would they go to the place that did that to them? i dont get it, but i guess i am just not the greatest at understanding business tactics.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

it's called edge card. it tracks every purchase you use it on. Same deal with bestbuy rewards. You get an incentive and they get information on marketing and shopping patterns. Standard practice

This is why when you make a purchase that may be bordering on the realm of being a reseller(like buying multiple copies of games, like I did with Powerdrome Racing for PS2 about 2 years ago)or when it's for an insanely small purchase(like a penny guide or something), DON'T USE YOUR RZ OR EDGE CARD!!!!!!

Since it seems that those using their Edge card or other discounts are getting nailed by GS for being a 'reseller', the best way to do transactions are face to face, in store with CASH. You know, that green stuff they give you at the end of your work week for doing your job?

I know, I know, it's alot easier for some to just go online, click a few buttons, enter in a coupon code, enter in CC info and just wait for the stuff to be delivered to your house. But from the stories people have been relating on here lately, it seems like you're better off not trying to get that piddily 10% off by using that card if you're buying a couple of the same item.

That's about the ONLY way I figure you could avoid being labeled as a reseller.

[DrNo888]

ooops..time to cut back on flipping?
LOL

[rywateska]

Don't want to be seen/labeled/flagged?

Bite the bullet and don't buy/trade-in with your Edge card. Or, if you must, use friends Edge cards instead, and rotate around. Lastly, always pay in cash.

Trading-in with your own Edge card should be no problem, so long as you don't stretch the credit too long.

[Sharp Katana]

regardless of giving them your edge card doesn't GS always ask for your info when reselling games. Thus when they ask for your address and phone number it'll still be linked to your edge card (unless you moved or something), but I don't remember a time when they haven't ask for my info. And i don't think it's just your area i'm sure most places keep track of how many sales and/or returns you've made with their store. I know walmart and target keep track of that, i'm sure a handful of other stores do too.

[dinaboo]

It's not about legality. It's not about morality. It's about profit. It's very similar to a casino tossing out card counters. They want to be the only ones to profit from the reselling of games.

[magiic]

yet another reason to avoid GS/EB and their bullshit

[RandyTsai]

just get someone else to buy you the edge card. its not like they card you when you use a edge card.

[Dr Mario Kart]

But how does Gamestop suffer if someone buy two copies of ICO for the price they are asking -10% for Edge versus if 2 other people buy one copy of ICO for the same price?

I suppose you could argue that they are after that extra 10% if the other people DONT have edge, or new Edge customers?

[dinaboo]

WTF? What's with the double post? I have a brutally slow wifi connection tonight, but I only submitted once. Damn you, internets!

[Vinny]

Hypocrite.


I definitely deserve that. When I said that in whatever thread I said it in, I was only thinking of online orders and never thought about the fact that while I never did it online, I did buy multiple games from a B&M GS store.:dunce:

[Dr Mario Kart]

If they can track what people are buying, and they really wanted to stop resellers WHILE making money, they should be raising the prices on the games that resellers buy so that they are closer to street market value.

Of course they have been raising lots of prices across the board to some extent.

[davo1224]

Hoarders generate pissed off customers. Rewarding those people with 10% off just seems foolish. It's definitely in Gamestop's best interest. Why risk pissing off the soccer moms/casual gamers in favor of people who just wanna make money on eBay?

[phear3d]

seeing this is the second thread about this new thing at gamestop, i cant help myself so i made this:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g20/phear3d/cag/gsreseller.gif

feel free to use it.

maybe i will get this stamp as well since ive been buying all the wavebird i see.

[Cmosfm]

Well, I guess I won't be able to renew my card this time. lol

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

Don't want to be seen/labeled/flagged?

Bite the bullet and don't buy/trade-in with your Edge card. Or, if you must, use friends Edge cards instead, and rotate around. Lastly, always pay in cash.

Trading-in with your own Edge card should be no problem, so long as you don't stretch the credit too long.

LOL Didn't I just say all that, admittedly with a large diatribe along with it?

[phear3d]

I went with my roommate to GS today. While there, he decided to renew his edge card since it was expiring this month. When the clerk looked up his info, he claimed the system had a note in it saying NOT to renew the Edge card membership because he had been flagged as a re-seller.

Don't get me wrong, he IS a reseller (I think he bought something like 9 copies of ICO in the past 2 months), but it surprised me that Gamestop would actually pick that out.

This seems like a new thing to me, is this a recent development, or possibly in my area only? Do any GS employees here have any info on this? I'm hoping me buying two copies of DDR mario within 4 months didn't get me flagged, my renewal comes around in April.
you should write to their corporate offices asking for a refund of your edge card. since you cant use it, you should be entitled to get your money back.

[m0rningbreakfast]

Screw the schlubs out of their commissions and just renew your EDGE card via that Game Informer mail-in card for $2 - get the card in about 2-3 weeks.

[SlimJim0725]

It's not about legality. It's not about morality. It's about profit. It's very similar to a casino tossing out card counters. They want to be the only ones to profit from the reselling of games.

yes, i understood that part. if you read the rest of my post, it also stated how i dont understand it really benefits them in any way at all. they are making the same amount of money one way or another since the "reseller" is paying their asking price anyways.

to the person that said it was about pissing off others because of them hoarding, that is complete bs too. 3/4 of the games that person is buying has had the same amount of opportunity for everyone to get it and it would only appeal more when they see it is the last ones leaving. if they saw 5-6 of them, they wouldn't be interested in it at all, because then it is "not popular".

again, i may not understand business tactics very well at all, but i don't see anywhere that this will benefit gamestop at all and if anything i see it hurting their business more. this just means more stock not selling or selling for the same amount as the "reseller" paid for it, which may push that "reseller" to buy their items elsewhere which is basically handing the competition more money.

[SlimJim0725]

Screw the schlubs out of their commissions and just renew your EDGE card via that Game Informer mail-in card for $2 - get the card in about 2-3 weeks.


you think they get commission? in the year that i worked there, no commission was given anything for pre-orders, what is now the edge card, or replacement plans. it was just stuff that was shoved down our throats to pester the customer with and if the employees respected the manager, they tried so that he didn't hear from the DM about his stores low numbers. the only reason i ever asked for any of that stuff was out of respect for the store manager since he was a really cool guy and busted his ass working there around 80 hours a week since he was the only salary person there after they transferred the asst. manager to another store,

[schuerm26]

Hoarders generate pissed off customers. Rewarding those people with 10% off just seems foolish. It's definitely in Gamestop's best interest. Why risk pissing off the soccer moms/casual gamers in favor of people who just wanna make money on eBay?

No they don't. This is ridiculous. The only thing you can resell at Gamestop is the occasional bargain bin game or the occasional regular priced rare PS2 game. Gamestop is being foolish about this. Resellers are driving their profits, soccer moms are also, so are the hard-core gamer and occasional gamer, but they are all coming from different angles. You're confusing hoarders with people who seek out rare games. You can't "hoard" rare games. There aren't enough available.

Gamestop is making a HUGE mistake by doing this, if it is even true. I can guarantee I spend much more money (Im talking a LOT more) at gamestops than most people on here yet I have never been branded a reseller. That also includes buying multiple copies of games. That is why Im still wondering how these people supposedly get labeled as resellers (though it still makes no sense to do this for Gamestop business wise). Games that are able to be resold make NO difference to their profit margins, since few are actually looking for them in brick and mortar.

As much as Gamestop doesn't seem to want to admit it. There IS a difference between online and in-store.

[YoshiFan1]

Now I know what to say when they ask to sell me an Edge card and I say no and they ask me 4 or 5 times. I'll just say I'm a reseller.

[bigdaddybruce44]

Now I know what to say when they ask to sell me an Edge card and I say no and they ask me 4 or 5 times. I'll just say I'm a reseller.


LOL, it would be funny to see the expression on their face.

[davyd]

Okay, my roommate is going to try to go to a different Gamestop tomorrow and renew. He thinks that maybe the manager at the one we were at today put that note in the system just for that store to try to "get rid" of him. To be honest, the one he was denied at was his main GS for buying stuff. He would go in once a week and just buy piles of stuff. Maybe the manager was just pissed that he was taking all of the good stuff?

I'll keep everyone updated.

And to the person saying that he should write corporate to get a refund, they didn't take away his CURRENT card. He still has that until the end of this month, when it expires.

[schuerm26]

Okay, my roommate is going to try to go to a different Gamestop tomorrow and renew. He thinks that maybe the manager at the one we were at today put that note in the system just for that store to try to "get rid" of him. To be honest, the one he was denied at was his main GS for buying stuff. He would go in once a week and just buy piles of stuff. Maybe the manager was just pissed that he was taking all of the good stuff?

I'll keep everyone updated.

And to the person saying that he should write corporate to get a refund, they didn't take away his CURRENT card. He still has that until the end of this month, when it expires.

That doesn't make sense though. Any manager would welcome the sales, no matter where they come from. It only makes them look better.

[davyd]

He'll find out tomorrow.

Just for fun, we're making a list of all the things he bought at gamestop in the last three months, as he keeps all of his receipts in a box. I'll post the list when it's done so people can see if they're in the same league as him.

[davyd]

I added the list of items he purchased in the last three months to the first post.

[rmb]

Well this will be interesting. Almost time for me to renew my card and I bought 5 gamecube's in the week they had the get a free game with it. Most of the time the only stuff worth reselling from GS comes from their coupon deals. Of special note how are all the GR/BB flippers doing with the edge card renewal? I mean some of these guys have bought 10+copies of Forza/MUA.

[dtcarson]

He's probably lucky they don't ban him/refuse to sell to him.
Most retailers have the fine print somewhere in their policies "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone", and "anyone" generally includes resellers. And like was said elsewhere, they don't even need a reason--as long as it's not based on race/sex/etc, they can refuse to sell to anyone for any reason; suspicion of reselling, you were rude to the clerk, you knocked over a magazine stand, etc.
I've bought a few things that were cheap to put on Amazon or trade elsewhere, but I've never had much luck at finding the great deals, and my time is worth more than the hassle and travel/gas to hunt down a game to "flip" for 10 bucks "profit". Plus I think flipping, games or houses, destabilizes and artifically inflates the market (and we see how well houseflipping has worked now).

Sure they can and do track what is bought. The only way they don't is if you pay cash and don't give your phone number or identifying information. All companies do this, sometimes at the high level "Store A sells lots of sports games" to the low level "Joe Smith bought NFL 2k and 2k5, let's send him an ad for 2k8."

Makes it even easier with the Edge card.

I think all GSes ask for info when accepting trade ins; laws regulating pawning/reselling used items require an "affidavit" that the item you're selling is actually yours, and they want some traceability in case the items were found to be stolen.

[YoshiFan1]

This is why when you make a purchase that may be bordering on the realm of being a reseller(like buying multiple copies of games, like I did with Powerdrome Racing for PS2 about 2 years ago)or when it's for an insanely small purchase(like a penny guide or something), DON'T USE YOUR RZ OR EDGE CARD!!!!!!

Since it seems that those using their Edge card or other discounts are getting nailed by GS for being a 'reseller', the best way to do transactions are face to face, in store with CASH. You know, that green stuff they give you at the end of your work week for doing your job?



I agree, I never use my Reward Zone card when buying a penny item and always pay with cash (if it's one or two items the cashier sometimes just tells me to take it and they take an extra penny or two they have at the register). Even though you are doing nothing wrong buy purchasing penny items, I don't want it tracked.

[eau]

I added the list of items he purchased in the last three months to the first post.
Crap! He surely had a LOT of cash to burn at that GS. I'm surprised that GS had such a good inventory on those hard-to-find games. Perhaps the manager and other customers were pissed by the excessive hoarding...?!

[Fuzi0n]

Tell him to try this. I got mine in about a month from sending in the check.

http://cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153027&highlight=%242+edge+card

[aihuman]

Who are resellers and what do they do?.Are they the people buying multiple copies of games with the Edge card then reselling X game back to the store?Or are they the people who buy multiple game to sell them somewhere else(ie ebay)?

[Methadon]

What if I bought a game, then a friend wanted the same game, so I bought it with my card, etc. Would they automatically think I'm a reseller if friends want to jump in on my discount? I think as long as I'm the one making the purchase it shouldn't matter.

Aside from that, if they blacklist resellers they must honestly expect to sell the same amount of copies with less discounts applied.

[bigdaddybruce44]

What if I bought a game, then a friend wanted the same game, so I bought it with my card, etc. Would they automatically think I'm a reseller if friends want to jump in on my discount? I think as long as I'm the one making the purchase it shouldn't matter.

Aside from that, if they blacklist resellers they must honestly expect to sell the same amount of copies with less discounts applied.

I've bought two copies of a game a few times over the past year or two, either at the same time or on separate occasions. I always use my Edge card and my credit card, so I would be easily traceable. I have not had any problems, so I don't think you'd have an issue in that situation you described.

[Trenchalicious]

If they mean reselling (the way I think) to other people... why the hell would they even care? They should be happy someone is buying from them. It makes them money! Who cares if someone buys 20 copies of the same game from them or even 1? I know I don't even like stepping foot in their stores to begin with. They make money no matter what with their cheap ass trade in values to begin with. Now if they are claiming, he's preventing his friends from getting edge cards and brings them in with him when they want something, that is different.

[emceelokey]

When I worked at GS from 01-04 they already had this policy in place but it was mor about people buying multiple copies of something new for the most part. At that time I remember that PS2 memory cards were scarce at the time beause tere was some legal stuff that Sony was going through with that and we were only supposed to sell one per customer. That I could understand because you could potentially get some add on sales per customer. they usually do this with systems as well and that I could understand. Anything new I can understand because if people are going to the store to find something specific, it's usually a new item. A new game, new memory card, new system or whatever and you can get a lot of add ons with those sales, but to do so with used games makes no sense. They'll get the same amount of money wether some one buys three ICOs or3 people buy 1 ICO each. And seriously, who other than an educated gamer is going to buy any used games that's apparently not selling enough and has been traded in so much to have multiple copies in stock. For used stuff I really don't get it. If someone is reselling for profit oh well. What are they going to do? Stop people from shopping? Raise the price on something used?

[SlimJim0725]

When I worked at GS from 01-04 they already had this policy in place but it was mor about people buying multiple copies of something new for the most part. At that time I remember that PS2 memory cards were scarce at the time beause tere was some legal stuff that Sony was going through with that and we were only supposed to sell one per customer. That I could understand because you could potentially get some add on sales per customer. they usually do this with systems as well and that I could understand. Anything new I can understand because if people are going to the store to find something specific, it's usually a new item. A new game, new memory card, new system or whatever and you can get a lot of add ons with those sales, but to do so with used games makes no sense. They'll get the same amount of money wether some one buys three ICOs or3 people buy 1 ICO each. And seriously, who other than an educated gamer is going to buy any used games that's apparently not selling enough and has been traded in so much to have multiple copies in stock. For used stuff I really don't get it. If someone is reselling for profit oh well. What are they going to do? Stop people from shopping? Raise the price on something used?

exactly the point i was trying to pass along. if someone is buying that many games, why would you stop them unless it was a brand new/same day thing? i understand add-ons and such which could apply to a few games, but resellers tend to stay away from the more expensive games like say madden 09 when it comes out. if it is a popular title, they will have plenty in, if it isn't a big name title, it has probably been sitting there for months, so if he is willing to buy that stuff, which means less on inventory, more money for store sales, and a possible returning customer since he was able to get these items at a small discount (that HE paid for).

[Trenchalicious]

Not sure why they would even care about new game sales, since you can't get 10% off of those anyways.

[emceelokey]

I think the main point of new sales is to show how many units they can push so that they can potentially get a better deal from the distribution as well as more units per release and stuff like that.

[urzishra14]

i don't really care if they track what i purchase.. its not some conspiracy to get rid of product lines.. i think i'll make a point to use my edge card/credit card when i buy strategy guides now if it pisses some people off on here.. i mean its not going to stop them from doing it..

[davyd]

He was denied at a second GS today. He asked why, specifically, he was not allowed to renew. This employee just said that the system would not allow it, and that he was confused himself, as he's never seen it happen before. The manager was out and the other employee didn't know what was going on, either. He asked if he was banned from the store, the employee just gave him a weird look and told him no.

He went to a third Gamestop, this one he rarely went to as it was rather out of the way. He signed up for a "new" subscription with the same name but a fake address (he doesn't care about the mag), and it went through just fine. Apparently it's easy to get around the system. It'll be interesting to see if they catch on later.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

I care about the magazine, since that rag known as Game Informer makes great toilet paper, though the ink starts to run too quickly.

LMAO

The 10% off the used games that the Edge card provides isn't enough to bring the hiked up prices for some games(Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2 and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for PS2)down to a reasonable enough level for me to buy them. Mind you, if I ever get around to nabbing the $2 Edge card from the pdf or subscription card deal, it'd be worth it, but otherwise the magazine is trash.

[bigdaddybruce44]

The Edge Card has actually been pretty good to me, when coupled with 30% bonus or 25% off used. And GI...eh...it gives me something to read on the toilet.

[NOXER]

I really hope your friend isn't raping the price of MvC2 because I've been hunting down a copy for a long time. Not all resellers are bad, but if they are marking it up to ridiculous price then so be it, but I rather see a smile on happy gamers face then see the grin on the reseller who just make big profit.

[SaraAB]

What if you buy a game, play it, either hate it or finish it, don't you have the right to do with it what you want to afterwards, that includes reselling it on ebay or trading it, or selling it on amazon. They are trying to FORCE us to trade our games back to them, saying that we cannot do anything else with them after purchasing a game at a gamestop. This is just yet another reason not to support gamestop.

[TimPV3]

while i understand that, how can they be the judges of who is reselling for sure?Who the fuck else would buy multiple copies of expensive and rare games? Did Mr. Howell come in and decide to buy the most expensive used games they have with his Edge card just to look at?

[SaraAB]

My other question would be with the recent ebay fee hiking going into effect in a few days, would it even be worth it to resell these games, taking into account paypal fees, ebay fees, gas to the post office, to gamestop and packing materials, and other expenses? I mean I wouldn't even bother unless I was making a clear 30$ and up profit on each game AFTER expenses and fees, and I don't think there's too many games that you can make that kind of money with just from buying from gamestop. You wonder how much these resellers are actually profiting, all that time wasted trying to pick out the rare gems could be time that I am playing my humongous backlog of games that I already own.

[Who's The Twitch Now?]

Who the fuck else would buy multiple copies of expensive and rare games? Did Mr. Howell come in and decide to buy the most expensive used games they have with his Edge card just to look at?

It could - theoretically - be that the guy wanted 9 copies of Ico because he loves the game and wants to get it for others as gifts, so they can experience it. I've bought a few copies of Viewtiful Joe as gifts for the same reason. Who is Gamestop to make the arbitrary distinction of a 5 dollar game not mattering and a 30 dollar game being off-limits?

I understand the business side of it, and from that perspective, it makes sense, but they shouldn't have the right to cut off paid memberships without evidence that the consumer is doing something that will harm their business. The guy was, indeed, a reseller, but he just as easily could've been an Ico junkie and wanted to get it for anyone who hadn't played it.

[Jeoff]

A dickface reseller forced to pay 10% extra? Oh noes!

[bigdaddybruce44]

What if you buy a game, play it, either hate it or finish it, don't you have the right to do with it what you want to afterwards, that includes reselling it on ebay or trading it, or selling it on amazon. They are trying to FORCE us to trade our games back to them, saying that we cannot do anything else with them after purchasing a game at a gamestop. This is just yet another reason not to support gamestop.

I think you're blowing the situation way out of proportion. By "reseller," they basically mean a larger scale one. I have bought games from and sold them elsewhere, either after I was done playing or right away, if I saw a profit in it. There isn't anyway for them to track that, obviously. All they know is that I bought games from. They have no way of knowing what I did with them.

They are banning people directly through information they have from their records, either through the Edge Card or credit card. And they are banning people who are clearly reselling things, like the guy who suddenly buys all 10 copies of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 within a week from a 20 mile radius, just as a 25% coupon hits for used games.

Now, on a related note, someone who has had this happen to them who should really contact corporate and see if they get it reversed. This might be an automated response they have been testing out to deal with resellers and legitimate people might be getting caught up in it. You might get a little something for efforts...or, at the very least, an opportunity to bitch at someone over than your fellow CAGs.

My other question would be with the recent ebay fee hiking going into effect in a few days, would it even be worth it to resell these games, taking into account paypal fees, ebay fees, gas to the post office, to gamestop and packing materials, and other expenses? I mean I wouldn't even bother unless I was making a clear 30$ and up profit on each game AFTER expenses and fees, and I don't think there's too many games that you can make that kind of money with just from buying from gamestop. You wonder how much these resellers are actually profiting, all that time wasted trying to pick out the rare gems could be time that I am playing my humongous backlog of games that I already own.

Large scale resellers can make a pretty penny. Let's take my above example for instance. Say a guy took last Saturday afternoon to drive around his area, picking up every copy of MvC2 for the Xbox that he could possibly find. Let's say he found 10 copies in a 20 mile radius. With the coupon and the card, it would cost him around, say, $47 after taxes. So, that's $470 for the games. And we'll say he spent $30 on gas and tolls. So, we have $500 for the day.

Now, assuming this guy is good at what he does, he won't throw them all up on eBay at once and compete against himself. So, he should be able to make, say, an average of $75 per copy. So, that's $750...a profit of $250. I guess we should subtract something for frees, but how much? Many eBay sellers find most certainly find ways to recoup some of their fees through shipping and "handling." So, for the sake of moving along, let's say that in the end, he still loses $50 in eBay and PP fees. He still made $200 for the day, and it's not like he worked 8 hours for it.

You also can factor in the reality that the guy more than likely won't just pick up 10 copies of one games. He will probably get whatever rare games he can find and only be limited by how many games he can get with one coupon. He might also get lucky and find something worth flipping even without a coupon, like a WaveBird controller or a hard-to-find collector's edition of a game.

For some people, this is a big and easy business.

[SaraAB]

I would think gamestop should be thankful for the business. How many people actually buy games like Marvel Vs capcom, and most of them that buy games like that know the value and are just trying to get it for their collection. Not to mention it would be impossible to pick up games like MVC 2 because most of the times they are at the store but sitting in the employee hold drawer, making it impossible for the customers to get to them. Thats why I suggested it would be a waste of time to try and get every copy from the store locator. You get to the store and it simply would not be there. Calling the store only alerts them to something that is rare and hard to find, then it mysteriously disappears into the employee hold drawer, never to be touched by a customer's hands.

80% of gamestop's customers here are people looking for cheap games, cheap games for their kids to play to keep them entertained or just cheap games in general. They won't pay the 60$ price for a rare game, even if its good. They would rather pay 19.99 for an inferior game even if it sucks, as long as it keeps the kids busy. The other 20% is made up of people who genuinely want the rare game for their collection and to play, and the people who go to Gamestop for new release games.

Our stores still have all the RPG's on the shelves, because no one buys them. I have found many rare RPG's here in this area even after their ebay value increased to more than the retail price. I am also really glad I like RPG's because they are easy to find!

I wonder what gamestop would think of me buying and preordering games there and then taking them and shipping them to a friend in the UK who then pays me for the cost of the games and shipping, because a ton of games are not released in the UK. That was the only reason I was buying from them for a while, because my friend from the UK wanted the pre order bonuses and the games. I usually order from Amazon and other online sites when possible even when I am shopping for my friend but sometimes there are bonus items you can only get at gamestop, like the castlevania stuff.

[bigdaddybruce44]

I would think gamestop should be thankful for the business. How many people actually buy games like Marvel Vs capcom, and most of them that buy games like that know the value and are just trying to get it for their collection. Not to mention it would be impossible to pick up games like MVC 2 because most of the times they are at the store but sitting in the employee hold drawer, making it impossible for the customers to get to them. Thats why I suggested it would be a waste of time to try and get every copy from the store locator. You get to the store and it simply would not be there. Calling the store only alerts them to something that is rare and hard to find, then it mysteriously disappears into the employee hold drawer, never to be touched by a customer's hands.Obviously, my choice of MvC2 was merely one example. There are other things that resellers can buy, things aren't even that rare in a particular area, and still spin a profit, if they know how to do it. Hardware and accessories are a good example. I live in Jersey, right across the water from New York. I have tons of stores, all types of stores, within my immediate striking distance. I walk out my door, and I trip on a Target, a Toys R Us, whatever you want. Some people are not that lucky. They have to make a day trip to reach the nearest shopping center. They may or may not also be somewhat ignorant to value. So, they might resort to places like the Amazon marketplace or eBay or whatever. Again, I'm just giving examples that pop into my head. I'm not a big time reseller, so I have no clue what exactly makes them a profit. But something does, or else, no one would bother. There is money there, which is why people bother to do it.

Also, the myth that if you called a GameStop looking for something rare that it will suddenly disappear is blown out of proportion. Think about it for a second, and you'll understand why it makes no sense. If you (and by you, I mean any "educated" gamer) worked at a GameStop, and you already knew, say, that MvC2 is extremely rare, how freaking long would it last on the rack, before you stored it away somewhere? If I worked there, the first day I arrived, I would already have the placed staked out. How about you? Exactly. From my experience, the majority of people who work at GameStop are either non-gamers or people who couldn't be bothered with knowing what games are "rare." If you called and simply asked, "Do you have this in stock?", it more than likely will still be there when you arrive. I've done with many rare items, and I have never, ever seen one of them "disappear." YMMV, of course, but this is still blown out of proportion. Of course, if someone is dumb enough to go, "Yeah, that game is really rare and goes for like $100 on eBay," well, then it might be gone.

Now, as to why GS would care about this at all, that's simple. The reseller is not the average customer. The reseller is looking to take advantage of the store for his own benefit. They also probably have zero intention of making any purchases adjacent to whatever they walked in there for. In the end, GS would prefer a product to sit on the shelf a little while longer, in hopes that the actual customer who comes to buy it will see something else and buy that, as well.

[PrarieD0G]

Crap I have bought like 5 copies of DDR Mario Mix. I hope that I'm allowed to renew. If not, I could probably do the $2 mail-in to get the card.

[Cmosfm]

My other question would be with the recent ebay fee hiking going into effect in a few days, would it even be worth it to resell these games, taking into account paypal fees, ebay fees, gas to the post office, to gamestop and packing materials, and other expenses? I mean I wouldn't even bother unless I was making a clear 30$ and up profit on each game AFTER expenses and fees, and I don't think there's too many games that you can make that kind of money with just from buying from gamestop. You wonder how much these resellers are actually profiting, all that time wasted trying to pick out the rare gems could be time that I am playing my humongous backlog of games that I already own.

ebay listing fees are going to be lowered, final value fees will be raised slightly. it's going from 5.25% to 8.50% for the first 25.00 of the total and from 3.25 to 3.50 of the rest of the total, up to 1000.00. Not nearly enough to make a difference.

[cranguy]

This worries me as I would most certainly be flagged as a reseller.

Luckily there are ways around renewing....

A dickface reseller forced to pay 10% extra? Oh noes!
How is Gamestop any different from a "dickface reseller"? They give people jack squat in store credit (read: Gamestop bucks to be used on other marked-up stuff) and then churn it over again for a gigantic margin. They have to have a pawn license for a reason, you know.

[Sinnbox]

This worries me as I would most certainly be flagged as a reseller.

Luckily there are ways around renewing....


How is Gamestop any different from a "dickface reseller"? They give people jack squat in store credit (read: Gamestop bucks to be used on other marked-up stuff) and then churn it over again for a gigantic margin. They have to have a pawn license for a reason, you know.

I agree that Gamestop is one of the worst resellers out there, but I doubt they have to havve a pawn license. I know the local resell stores dont need one. The guys at my local GS love it when resellers come int, they cant sell high priced games to normal customers. I dont buy to resell from GS unless they have a Wavebird in.

I know that the local Mom and Pop stores love it when i stop in and make a large purchase to resell. There are a lot of games that no one in my town will buy that I can resell online for quite abit....take ICo for example, they sell it for $4 here, and it will sit on that shelf forever at that price, so i buy them and put them on E-bay for $35-$50 apiece....

[refusedchaos]

I agree that Gamestop is one of the worst resellers out there, but I doubt they have to havve a pawn license. I know the local resell stores dont need one. The guys at my local GS love it when resellers come int, they cant sell high priced games to normal customers. I dont buy to resell from GS unless they have a Wavebird in.

I know that the local Mom and Pop stores love it when i stop in and make a large purchase to resell. There are a lot of games that no one in my town will buy that I can resell online for quite abit....take ICo for example, they sell it for $4 here, and it will sit on that shelf forever at that price, so i buy them and put them on E-bay for $35-$50 apiece....

all games stores like GameCrazy, Gamestop, Play N Trade, etc have pawn licenses cause they are considered pawn shops

[mrlokievil]

The reason gamestop doesn't want resellers buying games is because it reduces their business. If people are buying from resellers then they are coming into gamestop. GS wants a customer to buy more than one game, subscriptions and do preorders, if they don't come to the store they can't sell it to them.

Judging from your friends list of games he's a bad reseller. I have no sympathy who buys all of the rare games then tries to get large sums of money from people online. An ocassional item is fine but your friend is taking it too far. And he get get his edge card banned again if he keeps using it to resell like this.

[GizmoGC]

I agree that Gamestop is one of the worst resellers out there, but I doubt they have to havve a pawn license. I know the local resell stores dont need one. The guys at my local GS love it when resellers come int, they cant sell high priced games to normal customers. I dont buy to resell from GS unless they have a Wavebird in.

I know that the local Mom and Pop stores love it when i stop in and make a large purchase to resell. There are a lot of games that no one in my town will buy that I can resell online for quite abit....take ICo for example, they sell it for $4 here, and it will sit on that shelf forever at that price, so i buy them and put them on E-bay for $35-$50 apiece....

All those stores have a pawn shop license. Fail.

[refusedchaos]

The reason gamestop doesn't want resellers buying games is because it reduces their business. If people are buying from resellers then they are coming into gamestop. GS wants a customer to buy more than one game, subscriptions and do preorders, if they don't come to the store they can't sell it to them.

Judging from your friends list of games he's a bad reseller. I have no sympathy who buys all of the rare games then tries to get large sums of money from people online. An ocassional item is fine but your friend is taking it too far. And he get get his edge card banned again if he keeps using it to resell like this.


they harass people too much on preorders and EDGE card subs too much though

[bigdaddybruce44]

...ok...

[mrlokievil]

they harass people too much on preorders and EDGE card subs too much though


Have you been to any store that measures there employees buy how much they sell? If you have you would know that all stores do this. You can't fault a store for trying to make money. Yes it can be annoying but i've never been bothered by the employees after I tell them no.

[Sinnbox]

All those stores have a pawn shop license. Fail.

No You fail....jk. I have a friend that runs a mom and pop game shop. He has a resell liscence only, Here with a Pawn Liscence you have to hold onto the item for atleast 30 days. with a resell liscence you can put it on the floor the minute it comes in the door.

[refusedchaos]

Have you been to any store that measures there employees buy how much they sell? If you have you would know that all stores do this. You can't fault a store for trying to make money. Yes it can be annoying but i've never been bothered by the employees after I tell them no.

yea i know but they employees sometimes get very desparate (askign me 4 times in one checkout, lying to people, etc) i know i shouldnt judge the Corp. just on what the stores around me do but it seem a lot of them do it by the way people talk here. i just find it funny how a reseller bans a reseller. i buy and resale games at cost to my friends. i do cause sometimes i find games that i know that my friends are looking for. sometimes i pick up multiples.

[Vinny]

yea i know but they employees sometimes get very desparate (askign me 4 times in one checkout, lying to people, etc) i know i shouldnt judge the Corp. just on what the stores around me do but it seem a lot of them do it by the way people talk here. i just find it funny how a reseller bans a reseller. i buy and resale games at cost to my friends. i do cause sometimes i find games that i know that my friends are looking for. sometimes i pick up multiples.

That's what gets me... they don't know when to stop.

One girl asked me like 6 times to renew my card even though I had 2 months left on it. I kept smiling as I declined each time but then I just got upset, dropped my smile and stopped answering. She gave up them.