Interesting GameStop Incident

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kaw

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I went into our local GameStop tonight, looking for nothing in particular. I was browsing the used PS1 games when I found a pristine case/instructions for Legend of Mana. I was even more surprised to see the sticker was 19.99. I looked around for a little while longer (I also saw a DDR Konamix for 29.99, and a Rhapsody for 39.99, but I passed on those). Maybe I'm paranoid, but I thought the two clerks noticed what I was holding, and were commenting on it.

So I take the game up to the counter, and asked to see the game before I purchased it. He immediately grabbed the case from me, and opened it up. He says to me, "It's gone dude, someone stole it." I said, "What?", and the clerk replied, "All of our PS1 games are 'live'. If it isn't in the game case someone stole it." And before I had a chance to question him further he took the case, and ran off to the back room. The other clerk immediately made himself busy with another customer.

Maybe it was the truth, maybe it wasn't, seemed pretty shady to me. I did notice there were some shit PS1 games in cardboard sleeves, but there were quite a few empty cases there. So either they're lying or someone is robbing them blind. On another note, I don't understand why someone would just take the disc when a whole case is only a little thicker.

I stopped over at EB on the way out. They also had a Legend of Mana; however, it was missing instructions, and the case looked like it had been through Hurricane Katrina -- not to mention the price was 29.99. Needless to say I passed without even checking the disc there (if they even had it). And The Legend of Mana eludes me yet again.
 
Yeah, thats ashame. You should ask to speak to a manager and then ask him or her what the deal regarding PSX games are. When I managed Gamestop, we put 9.99 and less out on the floor, and the cases for the ones over 9.99 out on the floor.


Why people so dishonest is beyond me
 
No game store keeps open display games in cases on the floor (the floor as in.. the area with all the games). That's how they get stolen. You got screwed.
 
[quote name='Scorch']No game store keeps open display games in cases on the floor (the floor as in.. the area with all the games). That's how they get stolen. You got screwed.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. I would've argued a bit more with the clerks at that store, or taken it up with their manager.
 
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Every Gamestop I've been to keeps the PS1 games in the cases. Odds are they weren't lying to you. Every time that I call them up or find a game online in one of their stores, their reply is always, "Yeah, since the game sells for 60 and we keep it out on the floor, they always get stolen." My reply is, "If this always happens, why don't you do something about it?"

I'd reckon that if most of you went to your local gamestop and looked through their PS1 section, you would see that most have the disc in them. They also keep a lot of DVD's out on the floor, too, especially if they don't have the original case for them.
 
I think you were hosed. Sorry! Happened to me when I called a gamestop about Suikoden II. Online inventory said thay had it. Store Manager said they didn't, without even checking. Called back at lunch time and the clerk said that they did have it but it was being held for...you guessed it...the store manager. I ask to speak to the Store Manager, which I did and was hung up on. Still waiting for a response from corporate...
 
Definitely call the manager or district manager. And the reason someone would take a disc without the case is that they might have security stickers in the case. Maybe your store/area has a unique policy...
 
[quote name='Tromack']Every Gamestop I've been to keeps the PS1 games in the cases. Odds are they weren't lying to you. Every time that I call them up or find a game online in one of their stores, their reply is always, "Yeah, since the game sells for 60 and we keep it out on the floor, they always get stolen." My reply is, "If this always happens, why don't you do something about it?"

I'd reckon that if most of you went to your local gamestop and looked through their PS1 section, you would see that most have the disc in them. They also keep a lot of DVD's out on the floor, too, especially if they don't have the original case for them.[/QUOTE]

In my experience, I've been to about 15 gamestops.... I'm not proud, but regardless, all of them except for one store kept their games behind the counter in their drawers. Oh or in the backroom too.
 
You should've taken his name before leaving, and a description. You then should've called the manager about it a few days later.
 
You got screwed. I'd call the manager, explain the issue with him and tell him that no matter what happens, you are taking it up with the district manager. The store manager won't probably help you, but you might get lucky if he doesn't want you to go to the district guy.

The trick to this (as I have found out), is play it like you are just telling the manager what's up and that nothing he can do will avoid the call to his boss. He might cave, but I don't know what that will get you.

I get so sick of hearing stories like this, it just pisses me off. All of the stores here have a stash (although I get to see the EBGames one pretty much any time I want) and it sucks. I don't have a problem with the store employess buying something, but if they don't bother to look and see whats new when they come in to work, it should be there loss.

It would be like you ripping the box out of another customers hands. I say take it to as high a level as you can. It probably won't help, but it might get someone in trouble.

TBW

And to think...EB Games will be the same Gamestop crap in another few months. It sucks.
 
That's what I figured. Sucks to be me.

When I walked out of the store I thought, well, if it was stolen, they don't need a case and instructions lieing around. So I went back in to see if they'd give or sell me that. I also thought maybe if I ask for it, and they were lying to my, I could catch them trying to make something up. But when I went back in, there were a bunch of snot-nosed kids running around, and their parents were selling all their games, so I just said screw it and left again. I had had enough.
 
Guess what people. I worked at Gamestop and all of the PSone games were made live several months ago except for "rare" ones that were over 20 dollars, such as rare RPGs, which were kept behind the counter, along with their cases. There was even a case, WHILE I WAS WORKING, of this same thing occurring. Someone brings up a game (it wasn't Legend of Mana, it was a pretty common and craptastic game, though LOM is pretty craptastic, but that isn't the point here), there's no game in the case. Someone stole it. That's the first thing that could have happened here. Second, they keep the discs of the rarer games, such as RPGs, behind the counter and keep the cases out for people to purchase, and the guy was lying to you. At my store, however, if this scenario had happened to you, it would have been the truth that it was stolen. Still, the way you described it was pretty shady. I don't know the policy at the store you were at so I can't say for sure if they were lying or not, but there is a possibility that they were, and a possibility that they weren't.
 
I don't know about you guys, but the EB's and GS's in my area definitely keep the PS1 games on the floor. So, I don't know. I don't think they'd lie to you.
 
Gamestops most certainly do keep PSOne games in the cases on the floor. I went looking for Suikoden 2 & Ogre Battle, following up on a website inventory check that said this store had both in stock, a couple weeks back. No sign of Suikoden, but I did find the Ogre Battle case, empty. However, that was the ONLY case on display that did not have a game in it, and they had a TON of PSOne games there. Many of them were higher priced as well, still had the disks. I have no doubt someone stole the Ogre Battle disk. I also think it's very stupid of them to leave games like that in the cases. I told a friend of mine that they might as well keep their cash in stacks by the door. :|
 
I've been waiting for a response on a issue I had with Valkyrie Profile. I haven't heard back but the game was mysteriously taken from the store right before I showed up.
 
I mean, I remember when the have disc only games, they keep the discs out, as that's the only way of identifiying what the game is.
 
I picked up a mint/complete Legend of Mana from GS a few months ago... and I didn't get any trouble with that.

I'm guessing you GS is one of the fuck heads for workers.
 
[quote name='Otherguy676']I've been waiting for a response on a issue I had with Valkyrie Profile. I haven't heard back but the game was mysteriously taken from the store right before I showed up.[/QUOTE]

Dude, did you try contacting the manager or district manager? If there's employee foul play, they'll find you another copy.
 
Last week I went to an EB looking for Culdcept. I asked the guy to check local inventories and he found one at a store about 15 miles away. I get to the store and I can not find it on the shelf. I ask and the guy looks a bit strange for a moment and then tells me that it was just traded in 8 days ago and he can not sell it for me...
 
I just bought 3 games from Gamestop today... Parasite Eve I and II for 9.99 and 11.99 repsectively and a perfect non greatest hits FFVII for 14.99. All of the games had to retrieved from the back of the store, and in fact, the instruction manuals were in the sleeves the games were in. So I got all 3 games complete......but only after the worker retrieved them. That being said, Ive been to a closer gamestop, and they had a zillion PS1 games out, without jewels. However, games that did have jewels, needed to be retrieved by a worker. So, basically, I think the guys screwed you out of a game. The employee probably didnt even know they had that game....
 
Another day, another thead. Anytime anything happens to you guys that relates to a videogame store you feel the need to make a thread about how you were 'wronged'.
 
What exactly is wrong with this guy posting a thread about the 'possibilty' that he was fucked out of game he wanted, that was on the shelf, ready to be sold?
 
i saw a legend of mana a few months back for $19.99 or $24.99 (i forget) at a local gamestop and i opened it to see if the manual was in mint condition...the game was in the case, which shocked me...i was shocked no1 had already stole it...so i put it back down and left with the disc in my pocket...not really, i put it back down and felt weird like they were going to think i was trying to steal it because i opened the case (even though i didnt know the disc was in there until i opened it)
 
[quote name='Indiana']You got screwed... otherwise they wouldn't have ran to the back room with the case.[/QUOTE]

or he was putting the case somewhere where no other customer would have an unpleasant experience with it...should he have stuck around and explained longer that someone stole it or should he have hurried the hell up so he can get back to customers that are waiting to be helped (we have all impatiently been one)....while none of what im saying may be what really happened, you can't tell me that you know what happened...unless you're one of the employees...in that case, give him his damn game back!

anyways...it's not like legend of mana is that extremely hard to find...i bought one sealed off of ebay for $27 shipped a couple months back...and as i said, my gamestop had one too...ive also seen quite a few at ebgames b&m, where they also keep the discs inside of the cases
 
[quote name='Farny']I mean, I remember when the have disc only games, they keep the discs out, as that's the only way of identifiying what the game is.[/QUOTE]

Actually, most places (including the ones in my area) put out generic cases and just put a paper in the case saying what the game is. Easier than putting the game out there to be stolen.
 
[quote name='Rig']Actually, most places (including the ones in my area) put out generic cases and just put a paper in the case saying what the game is. Easier than putting the game out there to be stolen.[/QUOTE]

However not having the cover art means the game may never sell (who reallys look through all those generic cases?)
 
There really is a good chance that the game was stolen. Hell, people steal empty cases.

I hate that we have to put N64 and PS1 games live, but I have no choice.
 
what sorta fucktard manager lets such an expensive game on their floor live? sure 19.99 isnt "expensive", per se, but comparably to most non-rpg ps1 games, it's quite a bit of money.


my assumption is that the clerk lied to you. did he at least look behind the counter for you?
most GS near me put the empty case on the floor to display, but keep the discs in a cd sleeve behind the counter.
 
They tried to do that to me when I found a copy of Valkyrie Profile, the employee said that he couldn't find it just minutes after telling me how much he'd been looking for it. After I punched him in the jugular he reappeared 15 min later saying it was in "the wrong box". So I think the moral of the story is to punch stupid employees in the jugular.
 
2 of my local gamestops did kept their game in case. I got thousand arms, suikoden, persona with the game inside the case. They resealed those games. For persona they have a sticker to keep it close.
 
[quote name='soulwish2003']Last week I went to an EB looking for Culdcept. I asked the guy to check local inventories and he found one at a store about 15 miles away. I get to the store and I can not find it on the shelf. I ask and the guy looks a bit strange for a moment and then tells me that it was just traded in 8 days ago and he can not sell it for me...[/QUOTE]

Isn't it the law in some places that they have to hold tradeins for a period of time?


I had a student who was a long time employee of GS and he told me that the clerks would basically buy up anything good that came in for themselves point blank. The good stuff wouldn't even make it in to the system . . . they put up their own cash immediately.

Just another reason why I barely set foot in the store. In fact now that they stopped buying used guides, I don't go to GS at all.
 
GS stores around my area have the games on the floor but they are in those plastic wraps. So I guess it varies from area to area. I must say that it sounds like you got shafted. This is not the first time it has happened and I'm sure it's not the last either.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Another day, another thead. Anytime anything happens to you guys that relates to a videogame store you feel the need to make a thread about how you were 'wronged'.[/QUOTE]

Another minute, another threadcrap.

This is a shopping discussion board after all, maybe that's why threads like this come up.

Anyways, I appreciate the other feedback.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']However not having the cover art means the game may never sell (who reallys look through all those generic cases?)[/QUOTE]

You got that right... looking through generic cases in a pain in the ass especially when there are a hundred cases in one tight spot so that you can't flip through them and instead have to pull out one at a time to see what's inside.

My GS has started putting old games in their original cases (if they have them) and then putting a clear, circle shaped tape to seal it. Another GS around me puts pristine condition games behind a locked glass shelf... not necessarily rare games, usually older games from past generation (that's where I saw the Legend of Mana I picked up).
 
Just to shift the topic a bit, is it normal for EBGames to open every "new" copy of a game they have for sale? I bought X-men legends when it was $15 new on sale, and the girl working there gives me an open copy, with the sticker on top razor-bladed (which I now do to all my games when I open them, too).

I didn't really mind, but the fact that it's never been played, didn't prevent the disc itself to lose it's mint/new status. It had a few blemishes that I would have never gotten on it if it weren't for their "security measures".

My friend bought a copy later in the week, and demanded a sealed copy. At first the clerk said he didn't know if they could, but was finally convinced by simple logic (if you sell me the open one, you'll need to open a new one to put on the floor, so I'm just saving you the trouble of preparing a new floor copy)
 
[quote name='Kerig']Just to shift the topic a bit, is it normal for EBGames to open every "new" copy of a game they have for sale? I bought X-men legends when it was $15 new on sale, and the girl working there gives me an open copy, with the sticker on top razor-bladed (which I now do to all my games when I open them, too).

I didn't really mind, but the fact that it's never been played, didn't prevent the disc itself to lose it's mint/new status. It had a few blemishes that I would have never gotten on it if it weren't for their "security measures".

My friend bought a copy later in the week, and demanded a sealed copy. At first the clerk said he didn't know if they could, but was finally convinced by simple logic (if you sell me the open one, you'll need to open a new one to put on the floor, so I'm just saving you the trouble of preparing a new floor copy)[/QUOTE]

I've had it happen to me in the past at both GS and EB, and I tell them I'm buying it as a gift, and I'm not giving someone an opened game. They usually don't argue with that.
 
Yeah sorry man, but you got screwed. When I worked at GameStop we only put the really crappy titles like the old sports games and some skating game. It's very doubtful that was a live copy, and knowing the way employees are at those stores they like to hoard all the hard to find games to themselves. I try to stay away from GameStop as much as I can, it's been almost 2 years since I've bought a game from them, and I buy games often.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Another day, another thead. Anytime anything happens to you guys that relates to a videogame store you feel the need to make a thread about how you were 'wronged'.[/QUOTE]

mmmkay..we're all glad you got to work at a game store. I guess there's nothing else in life for you to look forward to.
 
Actually, at my Gamestops they have all of their PS1 games in their cases, but they're taped shut. And it's not a small piece of scotch tape either. They take clear packing tape and wrap the case once around vertically and once around horizontally. Not very easy to take off, even with a knife (although I wonder if anybody tried stealing using a swiss army knife in the store).
 
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