Advertisement

Register for free to remove this ad

To those of you not following the "trade 3 get $10 bonus" thread at EB Games, there have been a few loopholes found for a deal or two. I found one, and tried it out a bit the other day. It went something like this:

Buy a few cheap games ($1.99/$2.99) for about $6.27 (after 10% Edge Discount) at EB/Gamestop, then trade them later in groups of 3 at a time, and get $14.40 (w/10% Edge Bonus) in credit. Net Credit Gain: $8.13 per transaction.

I jokingly mentioned in the EB thread about doing it once a day until the deal is over, a total of 25 days for July. I would never do that, but figured I would try it out just a bit.

Here's how it went:

Day 1:
EB Games 1: Purchased 3 Powerdrome, 1 Gran Turismo3 , 2 Max Payne, 2 The Getaway.

EB Games 2: Purchased 2 Powerdrome, 4 Gran Turismo3, 1 Airblade.

Day 2:
EB Games 3: Traded in 1 set of 3
EB Games 4: Traded in 1 set of 3
EB Games 5: Traded in 1 set of 3

Yes, we have that many EB's here, and that's NOT including G-Spot locations, I stay away from them, one even literally smells like rotten eggs/sulfur 24/7...something wrong with the store, I guess. I hope the rent is cheap there. One day soon I'll be going there and asking them why their store always reeks of fart. On to Day 3, where the problems begin:

Day 3:
EB Games 4: Traded in a 2nd set of 3, no problem (diff. employees from last time.)
EB Games 2: Tried trading in a 2nd set of 3. This is where things get hairy. The employee remembered me from the day before, and says, "I'm not taking these from you, you just traded in pretty much the same thing yesterday, I think you've made enough profit from it already." I say OK, and leave nicely. No mess no fuss. I figured I've got 4 other locations, 1 of which I've never traded any sets to...

Day 4: (Today)
EB Games 1: (back to the original one, which is even in a different state than the other locations)
Trading in my FIRST set to them, he takes a look at the games and asks "What's your name?" I tell him my first name, he says hold on, grabs a binder from behind the counter, flips through a few memos and then says: "sorry, I can't take trades from you, I've been told by the District Manager not to."

Intrigued, I start asking questions: "did I reach my trade limit?", "Does it really have my name on there?", "Can I trade better/other games in?". He apologizes for the situation and says "it's vague, but it pretty much says not to take trades from you until further notice".

I almost feel honored at the overnight infamous status I've gotten, and it's even state-crossing. He mentioned it had my name (including my last name, which I never told him), in the memo, but he wouldn't let me actually read the memo. When I asked, he looked it over once more, then closed the book quickly and shoved it back behind the counter and said: "no, sorry, I can't do that".

The most ironic part of this is that it was my last set of games I was planning on trading in, and then my experiment would have been over.

Moral of the story:

1. EB Games really DOES have a blacklist (I thought CAGs were just being silly by saying that so frequently in the threads).

2. EB Games has no problem raping us with their trade-in credit prices, but when their own pants get a quick drop, they castrate you within 24 hours.

FINAL NOTE: I admit what I was doing was a bit underhanded, but nothing I did was illegal, fraudulent, or dishonest. It was a simple loophole, and I respect their decision to deny my 5th trade. Heck, I even PLAYED the games I bought before trading them in, and now I know why they're $1.99 . The only thing I don't like was how they did it. A silent memo with my name specifically blacklisted, instead of a more logical across-the-board approach to the loophole problem (perhaps pulling all 2 or 3 of the $1.99 games from the shelves until the deal is over? How could they not see that coming?)

It looks like you were only blacklisted in your district though. Try asking for the district manager's number and see if you can sort things out with him.

It seems wrong you traded in 2 sets of games u paid for a few days before whats wrong about that?? U couldve played and beat those games and wanted to trade them this isnt the same as buying cheap games elsewhere and trying to build credit you shouldve threw a fit when the original guy refused to let u trade.
They let u buy games from them but not trade them back in??? Id flat out tell them to there face ITS NOT MY PROBLEM trade my games or I report to the bbb .

If I didn't work at GS I would be doing the same thing you guys are doing. Too bad they would track my trades on the quick.

I dont know - they ask for your name, phone, address etc etc. But do they do any verification after the fact? Is there any reason you can't have a new name every time you walk into an EB, besides the fact that the clerk might remember you as someone else yesterday?

Sweet, I might walk down to EB and buy some of those games, walk across the street and trade them to Gamestop then buy some from them and trade them at EB

I think that the problem was that you tried to do multiple sets of the same games, instead of trading one set of 3 at each store, while you picked up more,1.99-2.99 games.

Tell the BBB that they have a blacklist. Why? Because it's racist. Or better yet, tell them they put you on the blacklist because of your skin color.

(Yes, I am being sarcastic.)

Now I want to do this to see if I get on the blacklist

Originally Posted by js1 I think that the problem was that you tried to do multiple sets of the same games, instead of trading one set of 3 at each store, while you picked up more,1.99-2.99 games.

I know it's confusing, but I actually only traded in one set per visit, and I never mixed buying/selling during the same visit (except once when I was buying completely unrelated games for myself while trading in). I also never used duplicate titles in the same transaction: it was always: 1 Gran Turismo3, 1 Powerdrome, and 1 $2.99 game: Max Payne/Airblade/The Getaway.

AMUSING SIDENOTE: on one occasion, the clerk said he wouldn't accept The Getaway because it was too scratched up, and the $2 resurfacing fee would bring the trade-in value to Negative $1. He then said it also wouldn't count towards the $10 bonus because they have to be in working condition to qualify. I didn't bother telling him I just bought it the day before from another EB, but instead went to my car and grabbed a mint Max Payne for the 3rd game. Worked fine.

Pooky: EB falls under Pawn Shop laws here, they have to see and record valid ID for every trade they receive. (same reason why some EB's can't accept unopened games, they're not allowed to buy/resell new from off the street).

Thanks for the idea, I'll be duplicating it tomorrow!

Hold your head high Kerig, you sir are a true American hero.

I would have made a scene if they told me that they wouldn't take my trades. I would have screamed someting like this, "I've made enought profit? I've made enough profit? I trade my games that I've paid full price for and you give a few dollars for each of them and then sell them for $5 under retail? I've made enough profit? How about that when you make these ****ty little trade-in deals to get $10 extra, you drop the trade value of the games $3 or $4. I've made enough profit? **** you!" Or something along those lines, maybe not the last sentence, but I would definitely make my opinion of those stores heard.

Originally Posted by Skelah It seems wrong you traded in 2 sets of games u paid for a few days before whats wrong about that?? U couldve played and beat those games and wanted to trade them this isnt the same as buying cheap games elsewhere and trying to build credit you shouldve threw a fit when the original guy refused to let u trade. They let u buy games from them but not trade them back in??? Id flat out tell them to there face ITS NOT MY PROBLEM trade my games or I report to the bbb .

Originally Posted by smash bro I would have made a scene if they told me that they wouldn't take my trades. I would have screamed someting like this, "I've made enought profit? I've made enough profit? I trade my games that I've paid full price for and you give a few dollars for each of them and then sell them for $5 under retail? I've made enough profit? How about that when you make these ****ty little trade-in deals to get $10 extra, you drop the trade value of the games $3 or $4. I've made enough profit? **** you!" Or something along those lines, maybe not the last sentence, but I would definitely make my opinion of those stores heard.

What the hell has happened to this site?

This is a crack in the system and you guys get pissed when they bust out the Spackle? Imagine that, EB hates giving away money especially when you make it really obvious that you are taking advantage of them.

"DAMN U EB IWNT TEH FREE MONEIES YOU RICK S ILL CALL TEH BBB ON U LIERS I M ONLY TRING TO EXPLETE U "

Originally Posted by Kerig Day 4: (Today) EB Games 1: (back to the original one, which is even in a different state than the other locations) Trading in my FIRST set to them, he takes a look at the games and asks "What's your name?" I tell him my first name, he says hold on, grabs a binder from behind the counter, flips through a few memos and then says: "sorry, I can't take trades from you, I've been told by the District Manager not to."

Maybe you should have given him a different name? It's not like they have pictures of you all over their offices or something. Although that would be extreme, but funny at the same time.

The new Cag flash mob lets see how many of us could get banned. HAHHAHAHA... Really it wouldn't be that hard to do. Everyone could visit walmart grab the 3 pack for $10 from last christmas and hit every ebgames you could find. Imagine organizing that and ebgames buying 1000 copies of powerdrome in one day, talk about getting their panties in a bunch...

The whole "I'll call the BBB" routine does not work at all. The BBB does nothing and holds no power over companies. The BBB is just like bizrate, most companies don't give a what they say about them. The BBB gets so many complants per day about large corporations, its become common place.

Originally Posted by rodeojones903 The whole "I'll call the BBB" routine does not work at all. The BBB does nothing and holds no power over companies. The BBB is just like bizrate, most companies don't give a what they say about them. The BBB gets so many complants per day about large corporations, its become common place.

Have to agree 100% on the BBB nowadays. Do you know they sell memberships to companies. I get cold call from them all the time about paying a $250 fee to be a member of the BBB. The fee includes a plaque, description of company, use of logo on company material, etc. They are a joke...

Originally Posted by kjauburn Have to agree 100% on the BBB nowadays. Do you know they sell memberships to companies. I get cold call from them all the time about paying a $250 fee to be a member of the BBB. The fee includes a plaque, description of company, use of logo on company material, etc. They are a joke...

That's the way they've always been...

if thing doesnt work out you can always kick a magazine rack.