Best Buy Trade-in 3.0: So long! New thread started.

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BudzMcGee

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A new year, a new thread. You can view the previous thread here!

All Promotions are available in-store only, and they DO NOT stack!
Only the 10% Bonus from Gamers Club Unlocked will stack with these offers.
Please read FAQ below before asking questions!

Current Promos:
- 100% Bonus Trade-In Credit W/any trade in:
Get a 100% bonus when you trade-in any game (Offer valid 8/19 - 10/6 - Unconfirmed end date, 9/8 is the latest confirmed date)

General video game promotions link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17093&type=page (Promotions are listed at the bottom of the page)

Previous Promotions:
Promos that have expired:
- 50% Bonus Trade-In Credit W/any trade in:
Get a 50% bonus when you trade-in any game (Offer valid 7/07 - 8/18)

- 50% Bonus Trade-In Credit W/any trade in of "hot titles":
Get a 50% bonus when you trade-in any game (Offer valid 4/22- 06/02)

- Minimum 50% Bonus Trade-In Credit W/ Select Pre-orders:
Get a 50% bonus when you pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Max Payne 3, Borderlands 3, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, BioShock Infinite, Madden NFL 13, NCAA Football 13, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Diablo III . (Offer valid 05/06 - 5/12)

- 40% bonus with pre-order of .
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you pre-order any of these games: Max Payne 3, Borderlands 3, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, BioShock Infinite, Madden NFL 13, NCAA Football 13, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier or Diablo III (Offer valid 04/08/12 -04/14/12).
- 40% bonus with purchase of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, Major League Baseball 2K12, FIFA Street, Mario Party 9 or Kinect Star Wars.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you purchase select title (Offer valid 04/08/12 -04/14/12).
- Minimum 40% bonus with pre-order from select list.
Get a "minimum" 40% trade in bonus when you pre-order any title from a select list of games listed below *note, I have absolutely no idea what this means* (Offer valid 04/01/12 -04/07/12):
Max Payne 3
Borderlands 3
Far Cry 3
Assassin's Creed 3
Halo 4
Medal of Honor: Warfighter
BioShock Infinite
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Madden NFL 13
NCAA Football 13
- 50% bonus with any trade-in.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you trade in any title (Offer valid 03/25/12 -03/31/12).

- Guaranteed $30 or more trade in credit for select games with purchase of game $39.99 or higher.
Purchase a video game priced $39.99 or more and get at least $30 credit when you trade-in one of the titles listed below (Offer valid 03/18/12 -03/24/12):

Twisted Metal - PS3
Final Fantasy XIII–2 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception — PS3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — PS3 or Xbox 360
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — Nintendo Wii, PS3 or Xbox 360
UFC Undisputed 3 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Soul Calibur V — PS3 or Xbox 360
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning — PS3 or Xbox 360
The Darkness II — PS3 or Xbox 360
Forza Motorsport 4 — Xbox 360
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — Nintendo Wii
FIFA Soccer 12 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Battlefield 3 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Zumba Fitness: Rush — Xbox 360
Grand Slam Tennis 2 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Syndicate — PS3 or Xbox 360
FIFA Street — PS3 or Xbox 360
Mass Effect 3 — PS3 or Xbox 360
MLB 12: The Show — PS3
MLB 2K12 — PS3 or Xbox 360
Silent Hill: Downpour — PS3 or Xbox 360
SSX — PS3 or Xbox 360
Street Figher X Tekken — PS3 or Xbox 360
Binary Domain — Xbox 360
Mario Party 9 — Nintendo Wii
Asura's Wrath — PS3 or Xbox 360

Link:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Games-P...er/pcmcat268500050004.c?id=pcmcat268500050004



- 40% bonus with pre-order of select titles.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you pre-order any title from the list below (Offer valid 03/18/12 -03/24/12):
Max Payne 3
Borderlands 3
Far Cry 3
Assassin's Creed 3
Halo 4
Medal of Honor: Warfighter
BioShock Infinite
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Madden NFL 13
NCAA Football 13

Link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Games-P...er/pcmcat268500050008.c?id=pcmcat268500050008


- 40% bonus with order of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Offer valid 03/11/12 -03/17/12

- 40% bonus with order of Assassin's Creed 3.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order Assassin's Creed 3. Offer valid 03/11/12 -03/17/12

- *RUMORED* 40% bonus with order of any pre-order.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you pre-order any game (rumor of a non-listed promo, may or may not be true). Offer valid 03/11/12 -03/17/12

- 40% bonus with order of Street Fighter X Tekken.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order Street Fighter X Tekken. Offer valid 03/03/12 -03/10/12

- 40% bonus with order of Mass Effect 3.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order Mass Effect 3. Offer valid 03/03/12 -03/10/12

- 40% bonus with order of MLB: The Show 12.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order MLB: The Show 12. Offer valid 03/03/12 -03/10/12

- 40% bonus with order of MLB 2K12.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you order MLB 2K12. Offer valid 03/03/12 -03/10/12
- 50% bonus with pre-order of Mass Effect 3.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you pre-order Mass Effect 3. Offer valid 02/26/12 -03/03/12

- 50% bonus with pre-order of MLB: The Show 12.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you pre-order MLB: The Show 12. Offer valid 02/26/12 -02/25/12

- 50% bonus with pre-order of MLB 2K12.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you pre-order MLB 2K12. Offer valid 02/26/12 -02/25/12

- Trade 3, get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 30% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 01/01/12 -03/03/12

- 30% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 30% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 01/01/12 -03/03/12

- 40% bonus with purchase of Vita Software or Hardware.
Get a 40% trade in bonus when you purchase Playstation Vita Software or Hardware. Offer valid 02/19/12 -02/25/12

- 40% bonus with pre-order/purchase of UFC Undisputed 3.
Get a 40% trade in bonus with pre-order/purchase of UFC Undisputed 3. Offer valid 02/12/12 -02/18/12

- 40% bonus with pre-order/purchase of Twisted Metal.
Get a 40% trade in bonus with pre-order/purchase of Twisted Metal. Offer valid 02/12/12 -02/18/12

- 50% bonus with pre-order of Diablo III or UFC 3.
Get a 50% trade in bonus with pre-order either Diablo III or UFC 3. Offer valid 02/05/12 -02/12/12? ***NOTE*** This promo is NOT showing up on the BestBuyTradeIn.com page currently, but it confirmed to work by at least one CAG. It is listed as "this weeks" deal, hence the probable end date.
- 40% bonus with pre-order/purchase of Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Get a 40% trade in bonus with pre-order/purchase of Final Fantasy XIII-2. Offer valid 01/29/12 -02/04/12

- 40% bonus with pre-order/purchase of Soul Calibur V.
Get a 40% trade in bonus with pre-orde/purchase of Soul Calibur V. Offer valid 01/29/12 -02/04/12

- 50% bonus with pre-order of Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Get a 50% trade in bonus with pre-order of Final Fantasy XIII-2. Offer valid 01/15/12 -01/28/12

- 50% bonus with pre-order of Soul Calibur V.
Get a 50% trade in bonus with pre-order of Soul Calibur V. Offer valid 01/22/12 -01/28/12
- 50% Bonus when you trade in ANY game.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you trade in ANY game. Offer valid 01/01/12 - 01/07/12

- 50% Bonus with specific Pre-order from list.
Get a 50% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game from the following list: Halo 4, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto 5, MLB 12 The Show, Soul Calibur V, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Twisted Metal, Max Payne 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Diablo 3. Offer valid 12/25/11 - 12/31/11

- Trade 2, get 25% More.
Trade in 2 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/31/11

- 30% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 30% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/31/11
- 40% Bonus with purchase of any game $39.99 or above.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you purchase any game $39.99 or above. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/10/11

- 50% Bonus with purchase of any game $39.99 or above.
Get a 50% extra trade-in credit when you purchase any game $39.99 or above. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/03/11

- Trade 3, get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 10/30/11 - 11/26/11

- 40% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 10/5/11 - 11/26/11

- 40% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Saints Row 3. Offer valid 11/13/11 - 11/19/11

- 40% Bonus with Assassin's Creed Revelations Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Assassin's Creed Revelations. Offer valid 11/13/11 - 11/19/11

- 50% Bonus with Modern Warfare 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/Purchase Modern Warfare 3. Offer valid 10/10/11 - 11/12/11 (Assuming this means a bonus for purchasing the game after it is released this Tuesday)

- 50% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Saints Row 3. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 50% Bonus with Assassin's Creed Revelations Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Assassin's Creed Revelations. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 40% Bonus with The Elder Scrolls V: Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 50% Bonus with Max Payne 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Max Payne 3. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11 - This promo seems a little odd and there is a chance it is an error on the site since the game is so far from release.

- 50% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Saints Row 3. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 10/29/11

- 50% Bonus with Skyrim Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 11/05/11

- 40% Bonus with Uncharted 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Uncharted 3. Offer valid 10/30/11 - 11/05/11

- 40% Bonus with Battlefield 3 Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you purchase Battlefield 3. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 10/29/11

- Trade 2, get 25% More.
Trade in 2 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/29/11

- 50% Bonus with Battlefield 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Battlefield 3. Offer valid 10/9/11 - 10/22/11

- 40% Bonus with purchase of Batman: Arkham City.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Batman: Arkham City. Offer valid 10/16/11 - 10/22/11

- 50% Bonus with Batman: Arkham City Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Batman: Arkham City. Offer valid 10/9/11 - 10/15/11

- 30% Bonus with Rage or NBA 2K12 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get a 30% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Rage or NBA 2K12. Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/08/11

- Trade 4 get an extra $20 Trade-in Credit.
Get $20 trade-in Credit when you trade 4 or more games (Current gen games only (no PS2) and $5 minimum for each game). Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/08/11**** This promo was cancelled early due to technical issues. There have been issues with this promo not working on some stores' systems or simply not even being available, the issue seems to be related to disc-only games (or any game that is typed rather than scanned) so plan accordingly. The $20 extra is once per trade-in, meaning 4 games or 123 games it will only be $20 extra per transaction. So if you want to trade in 8 games, do it in two separate transactions. ****

- 50% Bonus with Rage or NBA 2K12 Pre-order.
Offer was valid from 9/25 to 10/01/2011.

- 40% Bonus with Gears of War 3 Purchase.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order/purchase Gears of War 3. Offer expired 10/01/2011

- Trade 3, Get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 30% extra trade-in credit. Offer expired 10/01/2011

- 40% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer expired 10/01/2011


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BEST BUY'S VIDEO GAMES TRADE-IN PAGE & VALUE ESTIMATOR

Check which BB stores do trade-ins here.
In-store trades are now done at the Trade-In Counter at the Gaming Dept.

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F.A.Q. Best Buy has a short FAQ here.

How does the get **% with pre-order bonus work?
The percentage is based on the final total of your entire trade in, so if the trade in is $100 and there is a 50% bonus your final gift card value will be $150. After trading in your games, the employee SHOULD then sell you the pre-order for $5.

How much is a pre-order at Best Buy?
Pre-ordering at Best Buy cost $5, in fact, you aren't supposed to pay any more than that (and most employees won't let you if you ask). Yes, you can use the gift card you just received from your trade-in to purchase the pre-order.

Can I cancel a pre-order and keep the bonus?
Yes, the trade-in and the pre-order are completely separate transactions. Nothing will prevent you from returning to the Best Buy canceling the pre-order and receiving a refund. Some users have claimed that they were flagged for doing this multiple times though and were denied, so be aware of how many pre-orders you are cancelling. Also keep in mind the obvious facts that this is not how the program is intended to work and over abuse will negatively affect the program long-term. Lastly, returns are tracked on a personal level by a third party. (Read: try not to cancel a bunch of pre-orders)

Do I have to cancel the pre-order at the same store where it was made?
No, this can be handled by any BBY. Don't be surprised if you get a customer service employee who says otherwise though.

Can I pre-order once and get the pre-order bonus on my next trade-in as well?
YMMV. Officially, the answer is no, but there is nothing that actually requires the employee to sell the pre-order in order to apply the bonus so if your blue shirt is in a friendly mood they may be willing. Doesn't hurt to get to know the employees at your store. That said, expect that you will have to pre-order another game and be surprised if you don't.

Can I combine a 3 games for **% and a pre-order for **% bonus?
No. Bonuses do not stack, and you must pick one or the other. The only bonus that stacks with other promotions is the 10% you receive if you are a Gamers Club Unlocked member.

How do I become a Gamers Club Unlocked member and get the 10% bonus?
Any video game section employee should be able to set you up with the GCU membership. It cost $15 and comes with a year subscription of @Gamer magazine. It will also get you a 10% bonus on trade ins and 10% off of used games (Make sure to point it out to the blue shirt doing your trade-in though as it is easy for them to skip, and they are still new to it). It can take 48 hours (or more) for GCU to show up on your Reward Zone membership.

Can I use my Best Buy gift card to purchase Amazon Kindle Gift Cards or Visa Gift Cards?
Yes, although some employees may not be aware of this and incorrectly refuse to do so. Visa Gift Cards have a $200 limit and a $6 activation fee. Amazon Gift Cards are available in $25, $50 and $100 depending on your store selection. IL does not sell Amazon Gift Cards. Yes, Kindle Gift Cards are good for anything on Amazon.

The value on the site doesn't match the store, why?
Sometimes the page may not update immediately. This is fairly rare though. The store's trade-in values are definitive though, so what they say is what you get. 99.99% of the time they will match up.

The value on the iPhone/Android app is way off, why?
The app sucks for updating values (and some games simply don't show up), don't rely on it.

The game I want to trade isn't on the site, what gives?
While rare, there have been some games recently not showing up in the online estimator. You can always check in-store to see if the price is in their system and simply not online, but that is unlikely to be the case. When Best Buy doesn't have a game on file they can offer $1 as a generic SKU, but that's it. New releases appear to be added on Tuesday evenings. Many new releases are taking upwards of a week or more to be added to the site.

How come the GOTY/complete version doesn't show up in the estimator?
Best Buy doesn't differentiate between the vanilla and GOTY/complete versions of a game. This is largely a cover-all policy due to the fact that many GOTY editions include the game's DLC and bonus content as one-time use codes; meaning that the game has no extra value on the 2nd hand market. So no extra TIV for your GOTY games. The plus side is that GOTY and vanilla versions sell at the same price, so if the DLC is located on disc and you find a GOTY version in-store it will be the same price as the vanilla one.

When do trade-in values update?
No one knows for sure, but updates can and do happen at any time. Sometimes an update will happen randomly, such as when GameStop has an advertised sale for a game well below Best Buy's trade in price.

What will be the TIV of Game X tomorrow/next week / next month/ etc
Nobody knows.

If I locked in a trade online, and the value drops, will I still get the locked in value when I mail it in?
Yes. You will get the locked in TIV as long as the item is received within 14 days of you locking it in (and the item is in the condition you described it as).

Can you lock in the price online then trade it in-store?
No.

Is there a limit to how many games I can trade in?
Officially, Best Buy only accepts 3 copies of a game, per system (i.e. you could trade in 3 copies of a game for Xbox, 3 copies for PS3 and 3 for Wii). This is for sure the online policy, but it varies in stores. Some people have reported being banned for trading in more than 3 copies of games, others have done so frequently without issue. Obviously it is YMMV, but do so at your own risk.

Lately some people have been told the policy is 1 game per system (i.e. you could trade in 1 copy of a game for Xbox, 1 for PS3 and 1 for Wii), and have been actively turned down when trading in more than one copy. Whether this is actually something they are banning for or if it is just what employees are being told to follow to limit multiples is unknown. Trade multiples at your own risk.

Can I trade game disc only, or do I need the case and manuals, too?
Best Buy accepts disc only games (for the same value as complete games). The trade in will take longer though as the employee will have to look up the games individually. Yes, this also applies to DS, 3DS, PSP, etc. If you have the manual and artwork you should trade it in though anyway to improve the quality of the selection for people who may want to buy the game in the future (you can't know if the game will be complete when you buy online for example).

Can I trade in games that say "Not for Resale" on the back?
Yes, since the only thing that matters is the disc. Some employees will fight this though, and in that case, just trade the game in as disc-only. Employees have gotten much better about knowing this policy though.

Does Best Buy accept game hardware?
Currently Best Buy only accepts various versions of the Nintendo DS in store, and some stores apparently accept consoles as well. Call ahead before bringing it in. That said, the TIV for most hardware is lower than competitors.

Does the **% bonuses apply to game hardware?
No, games only.

When I do a in-store trade, I am asked: to be fingerprinted, to have my photo taken, how much I weigh, etc. What's the deal?
Pawn shop laws regulating trade-ins and resale of used goods varies from state to state or even city to city. It is not Best Buy's rule, and varies from store to store depending on where you live. At a minimum you'll need a (United States) state issued ID or passport.

I went to a store to do a trade-in and they asked for a Best Buy receipt. WTF?
Some stores are required to have receipts to accept trade-ins, again this is due to local Pawn shop laws and could vary from city to city. You can always check if the store(s) near you require a receipt on Best Buy's trade-in site.

Can I trade sealed games?
Yes. You must present your receipt for the sealed games you are trading in. It is ok if the purchase was made from another store. You do run the risk of drawing extra attention to yourself as trading in sealed products is often a sign of theft. Do not be surprised if this is questioned by an employee, or you are asked to leave, open the items and return. You might even be flat out denied by the employee or manager despite the official rule.

Remember, all trades are technically at the discretion of Best Buy and they can refuse to accept a game for whatever reason they want (outside of you being black, woman, Jewish, etc.).
 
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Regarding the pre-order bonuses, I wonder if there is an issue with not picking up your pre-order. Some of us didn't cancel and some did, but how many actually followed through and picked up a pre-order? That could be a flag in the system as well.

I planned on making a decent sized trade-in today, hopefully I'm not in this wave of bannings.
 
Going to try and trade-in Bulletstorm. I say "try" since it's the epic edition or whatever it's called, and I'm not sure if it has the same UPC as the regular version.

I played it, didn't like it very much so now I can get rid of it for essentially the same amount I paid for it.

Also on a side-note, how do you look up games alphabetically by console. I did it yesterday, but I can't remember how I did it and whether it was on my phone or computer.
 
[quote name='Shaimun'] me. So beware of the policy guys. Don't break any of rules.

Here's what the sheet stated:
"Cannot proceed with this transaction"
"Best Buy Asset Protection for violation of Best Buy Policies has placed a person with this name and DOB on a list of persons prohibited from conducting secondhand transactions. If the customer believes this is an error, they can contact customer service at 877-210-4227 or email [email protected]."[/QUOTE]

See, that combined with the second part they told me about (where apparently it says they can override if they are sure they know who it is they are trading with) makes me think this is a loss prevention thing more than anything and should be able to be dealt with as long as you can show you aren't a thief.
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Sorry to hear man. Welcome to the club. Budz was right all along. They are doing waves of bans. By my count this is the 3rd wave. I had a strong feeling I wasn't gonna be the last (I got caught in the 2nd wave).

I'm gonna bet that anybody that traded in any unusual amount of games thus far is gonna get banned eventually. Whether its the 3rd wave or the 10th wave - a good number of folks are gonna get caught in due time. I suspect that it's not so much about the 3 limit rule as it is the total number of games traded that loss prevention flags down for account review as unfair as it is.

For anybody thats worried but doesn't want to spend money on an upcoming sale, I would buy any random $1 PS2 game from GS or Amazon AWD and use that as your test trade. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

thanks man, its all good. with what i was doing it knew it was inevitable. wait, you got banned too? how was our whole experience? i probably went over 3 games for about 4 different games. also, i canceled around 6 pre-orders and didn't pick up two pre-orders. so yeah as you can see, it was coming. i enjoyed the ride while it lasted. but im gonna see if i can get my ban removed or what the gaming supervisor has to say about it. also i would say that i traded in around 100 games max.

[quote name='Shaimun']I just got back from bestbuy and the Trade-in cashier also printed out the pop up for me as well. It was fun while it lasted. I guess I canceled too many pre-orders and I did break the 3 limit game once so I got what was coming to me. So beware of the policy guys. Don't break any of rules.

Here's what the sheet stated:
"Cannot proceed with this transaction"
"Best Buy Asset Protection for violation of Best Buy Policies has placed a person with this name and DOB on a list of persons prohibited from conducting secondhand transactions. If the customer believes this is an error, they can contact customer service at 877-210-4227 or email [email protected]."[/QUOTE]

yup, that's exactly what it said. here's a picture of the printout just for extra proof.

2012-01-03_13-33-01_175.jpg
 
[quote name='io']See, that combined with the second part they told me about (where apparently it says they can override if they are sure they know who it is they are trading with) makes me think this is a loss prevention thing more than anything and should be able to be dealt with as long as you can show you aren't a thief.[/QUOTE]

Which also lends credence to the theory that it's all over the limit based banning and does not have anything to do with visa cards or kindle cards or cancelled preorders.
 
[quote name='boosted02gt']Has anyone actually called the number to see if they could get their trade in privileges reinstated?[/QUOTE]

IIRC, someone in the other thread said they had success by calling. they called about 4 times and finally had their whole account (history) wiped and were able to trade in again.
 
[quote name='boosted02gt']Has anyone actually called the number to see if they could get their trade in privileges reinstated?[/QUOTE]

I called twice and 2 people told me that they didn't/couldn't tell me what was going on just that there was a ban put on me. They said no one can override it and basically I'm SOL.
 
[quote name='bagwelljeff']I posted this in the other BBY trade-in thread that was just closed:

Found a good GS to BBY flip - Venetica (X360) at GS is $9 used and $10 new - BBY is giving $12 base which works out to $19.20 after 50% bonus and 10% GCU - Don't bother with the PS3 version as BBY is only giving $4 base[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Joe Fongul']For anyone looking to transfer credit from GS to BB:
Front Mission Evolved :ps3: is going for $8.99 used at GS. Current BB trade in value is $10 ($16 with 50% & 10% GCU bonus)[/QUOTE]


Thanks for posting these. I have some GS credit I'm wanting to transfer, so both of these worked out perfectly. I traded in one of each and my personal copy of Singularity for $52.80 BB credit.

I also found another one if you're just looking to transfer credit. None of my local stores had it in stock, but maybe someone else will have better luck.

:ps3:Dance Dance Revolution (game only) is $19.99 at GS ($18 after PUR) and BB gives $15 ($22.50 after bonus/$24 with membership).



[quote name='io']There is no such thing as gaming-only credit. It is regular Best Buy gift card type credit. I used some of mine a month back to buy a new washing machine when ours went up in smoke (literally) ;).[/QUOTE]

I was once in a shower when it caught on fire. Really.

[quote name='skateraXVIII']Also on a side-note, how do you look up games alphabetically by console. I did it yesterday, but I can't remember how I did it and whether it was on my phone or computer.[/QUOTE]

Just click the tab above the search bar for whichever system you want to look at alphabetically.
 
[quote name='prayformojo']Anybody still finding Amazon kindle gift cards at Best Buy? I did a trade earlier today, but could not find any cards.[/QUOTE]
Used BB gift cards (Xmas present) to get a $50 Amazon gc today. They also had $25 gc...they are separate from the other gift cards and iTunes cards.
 
good luck calling that number, its a total joke

its the "trade in" department and the employees just play dumb. they say theres nothing they can do for you because "someone at corporate made the decision." they repeatedly told me there was literally nothing they could do, he couldn't tell me how/why/when i violated the trade in policy, he couldnt even tell me what the policy was just told me the link, and he definetly couldnt unban/wipe/recreate my account cause that wasn't even possible (he was bullshitting by the sound of it)

gl with the number the computer screen gives you


[quote name='confoosious']Which also lends credence to the theory that it's all over the limit based banning and does not have anything to do with visa cards or kindle cards or cancelled preorders.[/QUOTE]

i have never traded over the 3 limit. not a single time
 
Well, I got the dreaded pop-up. Guy was staring at the screen, had no clue what to do, called the manager over and I readily agreed to dismiss the trade and call the number.

[quote name='herpderp118']good luck calling that number, its a total joke

its the "trade in" department and the employees just play dumb. they say theres nothing they can do for you because "someone at corporate made the decision." they repeatedly told me there was literally nothing they could do, he couldn't tell me how/why/when i violated the trade in policy, he couldnt even tell me what the policy was just told me the link, and he definetly couldnt unban/wipe/recreate my account cause that wasn't even possible (he was bullshitting by the sound of it)[/QUOTE]

Truth. A complete waste of time. A supervisor will be calling me tomorrow. In the meantime, I think I'm going to go into the store tomorrow and see if I can get the manager to give me a pass. I spend every single penny of store credit I get at the same store. No going to other stores, no buying gift cards/visa cards, just straight big ticket items at the same location.
 
[quote name='herpderp118']
i have never traded over the 3 limit. not a single time[/QUOTE]

This is why I'm leaning towards it being a simple quantity thing - ie, total number of games traded, regardless of title or quantity per title.

I'd be interested in knowing the least amount anyone who was banned had traded.
 
Well traded Front Mission Evolved from GS to BB for about a 4.20 profit. Hardly worth the effort but work was pretty damn slow tonight and did not have much to do. That and I was about out of BB credit, but had hoped that I was going to be able to get more items to flip but was not able to secure more than one copy.
 
[quote name='ryne candy']Used BB gift cards (Xmas present) to get a $50 Amazon gc today. They also had $25 gc...they are separate from the other gift cards and iTunes cards.[/QUOTE]
At my store, they're over by the ebook readers, right by the Kindles.
 
[quote name='ryne candy']Used BB gift cards (Xmas present) to get a $50 Amazon gc today. They also had $25 gc...they are separate from the other gift cards and iTunes cards.[/QUOTE]

Off topic but would anybody know where the kindle cards are at TRU? TIA
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Off topic but would anybody know where the kindle cards are at TRU? TIA[/QUOTE]

They were with the other gift cards when I bought them. On one of those circular display things. And they had no problem selling me them using trade in credit.
 
[quote name='io']This is why I'm leaning towards it being a simple quantity thing - ie, total number of games traded, regardless of title or quantity per title.

I'd be interested in knowing the least amount anyone who was banned had traded.[/QUOTE]
I agree. I think they ban based on a large number of trades within a short time period or something along those lines.
 
[quote name='DCpinoy']IIRC, someone in the other thread said they had success by calling. they called about 4 times and finally had their whole account (history) wiped and were able to trade in again.[/QUOTE]

Yep. That was me. I spoke to a rep 4 times. I actually called somewhere around 40 to 50 times over 12 days- all busy signals. The first thing I would suggest to you all now in hindsight after doing all of that is to simply create a new account on the Trade in website. If you have an updated address or phone number that might help(I know mine on the account were wrong that is about the only reason I suggest this.) I noticed that, once you have been banned, you can no longer login on bestbuytradein.com: indicaing that the account had been removed. Thus, creating a new account may be all that is neccessary for trade in. They didn't wipe my history, only deleted my account(s). I don't know who I got on the phone to delete the accounts and create a new one as I can't remember their name. None of the people I spoke to had a definitive answer as to why I was banned(number of trades is the only logical possibiliy- over 200 in the year, don't have my spreadsheet on my phone). I don't realy know if I am gonna stay unbanned. I just know that I can do trades again for now. If you guys need any more information I am glad to share it through PM, I have already gotten several on it, also just check previous my posts as well through my username. I will do what I can for everyone here but I think I may be the only one so far that has gotten essentially unbanned so far so I don't have any definative answers on the matter.

Thanks OP for the new thread though. trading Front mission and venetica if the value holds tomorrow.
 
[quote name='dealsthatkills']Yep. That was me. I spoke to a rep 4 times. I actually called somewhere around 40 to 50 times over 12 days- all busy signals. The first thing I would suggest to you all now in hindsight after doing all of that is to simply create a new account on the Trade in website. If you have an updated address or phone number that might help(I know mine on the account were wrong that is about the only reason I suggest this.) I noticed that, once you have been banned, you can no longer login on bestbuytradein.com: indicaing that the account had been removed. Thus, creating a new account may be all that is neccessary for trade in. They didn't wipe my history, only deleted my account(s). ...[/QUOTE]:shock: Wait, is this all one needs to do to check if he/she's been banned? I'm able to log in, which is a good sign going by what you're saying, but is this a definitive method to check for a banned account? If so, this is far easier (and less strenuous) than attempting a test trade.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']:shock: Wait, is this all one needs to do to check if he/she's been banned? I'm able to log in, which is a good sign going by what you're saying, but is this a definitive method to check for a banned account? If so, this is far easier (and less strenuous) than attempting a test trade.[/QUOTE]

I just logged in and submitted a trade and I was banned a few weeks ago. So I guess this isnt the case.
 
My regular bestbuy.com account was deleted but I can still get into my reward zone account and I've been able to do a lot of trades since my account vanished
 
[quote name='dealsthatkills']I noticed that, once you have been banned, you can no longer login on bestbuytradein.com: indicaing that the account had been removed.[/QUOTE]
That's definitely not true. A few weeks after I was banned I actually sent in a few $0.99 ($0.94 w/ PUR + tax) games from GS to "test" the waters and was paid.

Anyways, The JDK2 and Front Mission Evolved flips were too good to pass up (especially using 3 $5 off PO PUR coupons) so I dragged my GF in to BB tonight, signed her up for Unlocked and I/we are back in business.
 
Hmm, I can't log into my trade in account but my BB.com and reward zone/GZ unlocked accounts are intact. Guess I got the ban hammer. The only thing I recall is going over the 3 limit on SW:TFU. Maybe 5-6 of 360 and 3-4 PS3 and 2 Wii, all from BBV BOGO flips.

Not sure of the total TIVs. If I had to guess, ~$750 total with about half of that going to Amazon/Kindle cards, some game/movie purchases and about $150 left on GCs.

And yes, I've returned a couple preorder deposits but kept at least two others. So looks like I may have triggered two of the speculated triggers. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. I'm not planning to put too much work into getting back in unless there is a trade deal too good to pass up.
 
How about a best buy trade in thread 4.0 that discourages constant talk of being banned and promotes talk of trade-ins!
 
Ok. On topic, my gamefly purchases got denied at BB because of the chips on the edges. He said he knew they'd work but thy are chipped discs... I was trying I get rid f my $1 brink+homefront
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']How about a best buy trade in thread 4.0 that discourages constant talk of being banned and promotes talk of trade-ins![/QUOTE]
That's because a lot of CAGs are Gamestop paid promoters, employees, with their many aliases. :bouncy: It's one of their shaddy ways of doing business.
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']How about a best buy trade in thread 4.0 that discourages constant talk of being banned and promotes talk of trade-ins![/QUOTE]
How about learning how to skim posts and skipping over the posts that're irrelevant to you? That's how many of us do it.;)
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']How about a best buy trade in thread 4.0 that discourages constant talk of being banned and promotes talk of trade-ins![/QUOTE]

Wouldn't you want to know when you are going to be potentially banned in a wave? Besides, this whole thread will die once everyone is banned. =D
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']How about a best buy trade in thread 4.0 that discourages constant talk of being banned and promotes talk of trade-ins![/QUOTE]

Well, it would be nice to talk of trade-ins if they could happen. But as it stands it seems like the majority of thread contributors have been banned.

Unless you really want this thread to end up on pg 3 or 4...
 
BTW - I've never set up an online account. Does it link to your in-person account if you haven't been banned already?

Or should I keep that as my ace in the hole when my seemingly innevitable bannination occurs?
 
How about not abusing the system?

And for those that didn't yet were still banned... Good luck. Hope you get it straightened out.
 
[quote name='jiggyteddy']How about not abusing the system?[/QUOTE]
It's really not abusing the system if you're sticking to the limits set down by the company themselves. But I can see how they would consider someone who traded in to the max limit of 3 per title per year as a suspicious trader.

But without proof of any real wrongdoing they're just banning the biggest volume traders en masse and essentially fucking themselves over in the end, since I have NOT seen very many people doing trades of any kind at BB.

If they truly want to compete with GS, then they had better advertise their program more vigorously or else their program will end up where WalMart's did.
 
[quote name='jiggyteddy']How about not abusing the system?[/QUOTE]

Please let me know where the rules and regulations are in-store for the trade-in program so that I may peruse them. Otherwise, no one is abusing the system or breaking the rules.
 
[quote name='casperinian']Would I be right in assuming if you traded in a stack of games that the 50% only applies to one of them?[/QUOTE]No, the 50% extra should apply to all of them.
 
[quote name='casperinian']Would I be right in assuming if you traded in a stack of games that the 50% only applies to one of them?[/QUOTE]

Nope - you'd be wrong. Applies to the whole stack.
 
[quote name='outkastx']Please let me know where the rules and regulations are in-store for the trade-in program so that I may peruse them. Otherwise, no one is abusing the system or breaking the rules.[/QUOTE]

it would take effort to violate their policy. the policy is so basic and simple that i can only believe they are full of shit when they claim everyone banned has violated the policy. imo it must be a #'s thing

http://www.bestbuytradein.com/TradeIn/Clients/bb/tandcs.htm?
 
The problem is that those are the rules for trade-in transactions using the online system. When you go to the B&M store I don't see any rules or regulations or limits or anything.
 
I just had a real interesting conversation with a supervisor from the Trade-In Center. The key phrases were:

- I violated the "spirit" of the trade-in program.
- I did not break any rules, but they have decided to refuse service.
- The program is intended for personal use.
- No "normal" person should own more than one copy of a title (across platforms).
- Buying games for the purpose of trading them in to Best Buy was not allowed.
- There is no other number to call at "Best Buy Corporate"
- You cannot appeal the banning.
- The banning is for life.
- I am banned for life with no appeal.

So essentially what they are doing is removing all problem customers rather than maintain trade-in values. I mentioned that there is no issue at other stores which accept trade-ins, that there are no rules/guidelines posted at the B&M stores, that I did not violate any rules posted on the website fine print, and that the system should not allow multiple copies if that is against policy, but everything fell on deaf ears.

In addition, I mentioned that I should have received a warning rather than a banning, along with a list of guidelines I should follow from now on, but I think they just want to eliminate us rather than work with us.

Pretty interesting stuff - not sure they can actually get this program off the ground without our help.
 
After watching the financial news today, I'm thinking that Best Buy won't have to worry about it's trade program. They seem to think BB is a going concern - in other words, a prime candidate for bankruptcy. This has been going on for a couple of years, but it looks as if a dismal end of year may just spell the end of BB entirely.
 
"we reserve the right to refuse" is standard for every program and store. They don't have to provide you with any list of rules.

What you should've found out is who initiated the ban.
 
[quote name='confoosious']"we reserve the right to refuse" is standard for every program and store. They don't have to provide you with any list of rules.

What you should've found out is who initiated the ban.[/QUOTE]

It was the same "someone at Corporate gave us your account id", "there is no number to call Corporate", "Corporate did not give us the reason why you are banned" blanket statements. I don't think they will ever tell us "who" did it.

However, she did mention that the Trade-in Center is a Best Buy company, so it's not like we're dealing with a third party. If that is true, then we know that someone at Best Buy is the one cracking down on this and not an external company.
 
I have never done a trade in, but I have worked in fraud departments and I have also had a amazon ban lifted from my account.

IMHO They are just banning high volume traders even if they are within guidelines, until they can decide on a new policy to limit trades. They may lift the bans once the new policy is in place.
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']After watching the financial news today, I'm thinking that Best Buy won't have to worry about it's trade program. They seem to think BB is a going concern - in other words, a prime candidate for bankruptcy. This has been going on for a couple of years, but it looks as if a dismal end of year may just spell the end of BB entirely.[/QUOTE]

not sure if i should be happy or sad. it is nice to walk into their stores to check things out when i am bored and also sometimes to buy things that are sold out online. besides, where would people buy their electronics like tv and appliances if bestbuy and sears go down? (don't tell me online is the only way in the future)
 
[quote name='confoosious']"we reserve the right to refuse" is standard for every program and store. They don't have to provide you with any list of rules.

What you should've found out is who initiated the ban.[/QUOTE]

With all of the bans being reported simultaneously it must have been some random LP analyst that searched trade ins by drivers license. At that point whats done is done when it comes to initiation.
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']After watching the financial news today, I'm thinking that Best Buy won't have to worry about it's trade program. They seem to think BB is a going concern - in other words, a prime candidate for bankruptcy. This has been going on for a couple of years, but it looks as if a dismal end of year may just spell the end of BB entirely.[/QUOTE]

There was a good article on Forbes a couple of days ago regarding that:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/01/02/why-best-buy-is-going-out-of-business-gradually/
 
[quote name='frpilot']not sure if i should be happy or sad. it is nice to walk into their stores to check things out when i am bored and also sometimes to buy things that are sold out online. besides, where would people buy their electronics like tv and appliances if bestbuy and sears go down? (don't tell me online is the only way in the future)[/QUOTE]

Amazon. Seriously. Read the above article. Don't know if I quite agree with it - I'd rather reserve the ability to box up a DOA television and take it back to the store than deal with shipping it back and forth.
 
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