The Last Days of the Hastings / GoHastings Universe - Check the latest posts!

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BEFORE YOU ASK A QUESTION IN THIS THREAD, READ THE FAQ BELOW!

GoHastings.Com Promotional Deals and Codes

AMARILLO, Texas - Texas-based Hastings Entertainment Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Company officials say the reorganization filing includes its parent company, Draw Another Circle, and sister brands Movie Stop and SPImages.

A statement posted Monday on the Hastings website says the Chapter 11 process will help prepare the business for an intended sale, while providing protections and financing to continue operations. Further financial details weren’t released.

Hastings will no longer accept or honor deposits for movie purchases and will no longer rent games. Hastings gift cards expire July 13, 2016. The company’s buyback program has been suspended.
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Full List Of Online Coupon Codes

In-Store Sales / Discounts / Liquidation will vary from Online Sale / Coupon offerings

Check latest posts in thread for more specific updates

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Please read me before posting a question!

Click the "Show Spoiler" button below to see the FAQ
General
Question: What is Hastings / GoHastings.Com?
Answer:
Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used books, videos, video games and CDs, and trends and consumer electronics merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format. Currently there are 146 superstores. Hastings also operates www.goHastings.com, an e-commerce Internet Web site that makes available to customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys.

Question: Gee, this is a really long FAQ. Doesn't Hasting have their own FAQ for customers?
Answer:
Hastings does have their own FAQ. You can read Hastings' official FAQ by clicking here. However, this FAQ goes into many details that Hastings' own FAQ does not. So be sure to read through all of this before asking a question!

NEW!
Question: How can I filter and sort Used Video Games to remove the out of stock items?
Answer:
Find the "Stock" dropdown menu option when browsing the used game selection and choose "In Stock." Games that have been purchased in the past day and are now out of stock may still appear.

NEW!
Question: Where can I find clearance video games and other clearance items?
Answer:
Clearance Video Games are in New condition; Plus $2.28 shipping per game
Click Here For Overall Video Game Clearance Items > Sort by Platform on the drop down menu
Click Here For Overall Clearance Items

Game / Item Condition
Question: What is the difference between "used" and "previously viewed" items on GoHastings.Com?
Answer:
"Used" games and movies are items that have been traded in to a Hastings retail location by a customer. "Previously viewed" games and movies are items that Hastings has rented out to customers at their retail locations but are now selling to the public.

When it comes to video games, most CAGs report no real difference between the two other than some ancillary stickers, but both "used" and "previously viewed" games are subject to being scratched, abused, or incomplete depending how well it was previously taken care of.

When it comes to movies, the "Previously Viewed" rental versions often lack features from the full retail versions and may come in different boxes, have different UPCs, have white barcode stickers around the center ring of the disc, etc.

You may encounter a situation where a customer has purchased a "previously used" item from Hastings, then traded it back into Hastings, thus making it a "used" item. This practiced is frowned upon by most customers, but Hastings has shown next to no incentive to change it. It mostly happens with movies.

Question: Do used and previously viewed video games come complete with the original case and manual?
Answer:
GoHastings.Com states as follows:

Due to the nature of used products; booklet inserts, digital movie downloads and manuals are not guaranteed in our used video games, movies and CDs.
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However, the vast majority of CAGs have reported that a large majority of their games do arrive complete. Incomplete games are more of an exception rather than the rule.

Question: Are used collector's editions and limited editions of games guaranteed to come with extras like bonus discs, statutes, and other items?
Answer:
No. Hopefully the used CE and LE games would at least come with all of the discs, but this is not guaranteed. And there is absolutely no guarantee other physical items or "swag" will be included for these used copies. However, CAGs have reported that they have purchased used CE and LE games and received all of the extras. If you order a used CE or LE and it does not come with the extras, just contact customer service and ask about a return/refund.

Question: What condition do "used" and "previously viewed" discs come in?
Answer:
Mosts CAGs seem to get games in good, playable condition if not better. However, there have been cases of receiving a game so scratched up that it would not load/play. These games can be returned to GoHastings.Com at no cost to the customer for a full refund.

NEW!
Question: Are New condition games factory sealed or gutted and re-sealed?
Answer:
As of mid-2013, Hastings retail stores have adopted a policy of gutting games then storing the game discs, manuals and DLC papers separately. This is so they do not have to lock up games or put security cases on games yet still allow the customer to physically handle the boxes in-store. When a new game is sold, Hasting will either re-seal the game or they will place the game in a bag that cannot be opened if you want to return the game as new.

Shipping
Question: Why are my items shipping individually? Why does GoHastings.Com include a shipping charge for each individual item ordered?
Answer:
Hastings does not have warehouses for fulfilling internet orders. All items are shipped from individual brick and mortar retail stores. If your order contains multiple items, your order may ship from multiple locations at different times if one location does not have all of the items you ordered. Because items could ship from more than one location, GoHastings.Com charges a per item shipping fee. Yes this can be frustrating, so its best to either get over it if you intend to shop at GoHastings.Com, or if you can't get over it, shop elsewhere. Like all "deals," include the shipping price per item into consideration for the total cost of the game being purchased.

UPDATED!
Question: How much is shipping per item?
Answer:
Video Games and PC software ship for $2.28 per item.

CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays ship for $1.29 per item.

Books have a per-order charge of $3.00 plus $0.99 shipping per book ordered.

Game Hardware, Electronics and Trends have a per-order charge of $1.99 plus $0.10 shipping per ounce for each item ordered.

Full shipping information, including expedited shipping prices, can be found HERE.

Occasionally, GoHastings.Com offers free or reduced shipping promotions.

Please note, books used to ship for $0.96 per order with no per item charge but Hastings discontinued that pricing scheme as of January 10, 2014. CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays used to ship for $0.96 per item, but Hastings raised that price to the current cost as of approximately May 25, 2014.

Question: How long does it take GoHastings.Com to ship my order?
Answer:
Standard Shipping:
Order processed within 48 Hours
Shipping time is 3-10 Days

Priority / Expedited Mail:
Order processed within 48 Hours
Shipping time is 2 - 3 Days

Question: What service does GoHastings.Com use to ship items?
Answer:
GoHastings.Com primarily ships items using the United States Postal Service (USPS). Video games ship via USPS First Class Mail. Books, movies and music ship via USPS Media Mail. Larger orders may ship via UPS.

Question: Will GoHastings.Com give me a tracking number for each shipment?
Answer:
Every shipment usually has a tracking number associated with it. If you did not see a tracking number in the shipping confirmation email, check your order history on GoHastings.Com.

Question: What will GoHastings.Com ship my items in?
Answer:
It will vary. Hastings might use a yellow paper mailer with bubble padding on the inside. They might use a white plastic envelope with bubble padding on the inside. They might use a stiffer paper/lighter cardboard envelope with no padding. Hastings will try to jam as many items into any of the above envelope options as possible, resulting in frequently damaged books, broken game/movie/CD cases, etc. On rare occasions, someone at Hastings will have the common sense to put larger or heavier items into a box for safer shipping, but even then they will neglect to use padding. Hastings used to ship items in a white plastic poly-bag with absolutely no padding or protection, but after numerous complaints, the company claims these are supposed to be phased out and no longer in use. They still pop up from time to time.

Order Cancellations / Out Of Stock Items
Question: Why was an item cancelled out of my order? Why is that item back in stock right now?
Answer:
GoHastings.Com fills their stock from their Hastings brick and mortar retail locations. Additionally, GoHastings.Com sells items on Amazon and eBay. Their online inventory system is antiquated and does not update stock instantaneously across physical store locations, GoHastings.Com, Amazon, and eBay. Therefore if someone bought the same item first in store/on Amazon/on eBay, their order will be fulfilled first and your item will be cancelled if there is not enough inventory to go around, even though you thought the item was in stock. Yes this sucks, but now you know about it so you can simply choose not to shop at GoHastings in the future if you can't deal with it. No need to endlessly complain about it in posts. Consider writing a letter to the president of Hastings, whose contact info can be found below this FAQ.

Because Hastings' physical store locations accept trade-ins for the used items that they sell, an item that was out of stock may quickly come back into stock if someone trades in the same item, or if someone returns the same item. However, as stated above, GoHastings.Com has an antiquated online system, and they will not be able to fulfill any items on your order once they have been canceled. You will have to re-order the item, at which time the promotion you initially ordered under may have expired. You can try to contact customer service to see if they will create a new order for you with the price point your originally ordered under.

Question: I just ordered something and now it shows as out of stock, either on my order history page or on the item's page. Will my order be canceled?
Answer:
Probably not, but it is still possible. GoHastings.Com updates its inventory count immediately when sales from the website are made. Therefore if they had one item, and you ordered it, it will now show up as out of stock on GoHastings.Com. However, if someone ordered it off Hastings' eBay or Amazon Marketplace listings first, they may fulfill that order first and cancel your order. Also, if someone walks into the store and purchases the item before it is pulled to ship to you, your order will be canceled. Additionally, store employees may not be able to locate the item and thus cancel your order for that reason. Hastings also has a problem on their website where items in your order history show as out of stock, sometimes regardless of the actual stock. Your best bet is to take a deep breath and not worry about it.

Sale Pricing
NEW!
Question: How can I tell if one promotion or discount is better than a different commonly offered promotion or discount?
Answer:
The following guides are only for video games since they take into consideration the $2.28 per game shipping price. You will have to do your own math for music/movies, books, trends/electronics and other shipping sales.

Remember, stock and prices fluctuate constantly and may not be the same by the next sale.

The math in the Buy 2 Get 1 For $1 deal assumes you choose three equally priced games to maximize your potential savings.

Free Shipping:
Vs. 96¢ Per Item Shipping: Use free shipping, obviously
Vs. 20% Off: Use free shipping with items $11.40 and less
Vs. 25% Off: Use free shipping with items $9.12 and less
Vs. Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 For $1: Use free shipping with items $7.84 and less
Vs. 30% Off: Use free shipping with items $7.60 and less
Vs. 33% Off: Use free shipping with items $6.91 and less
Vs. 40% Off: Use free shipping with items $5.70 and less

96 Cent Shipping:
Vs. Free Shipping: Wait for Free Shipping, obviously
Vs. 20% Off: Use 96¢ shipping with items $6.60 and less
Vs. 25% Off: Use 96¢ shipping with items $5.28 and less
Vs. Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 For $1: Use 96¢ shipping with items $4.96 and less
Vs. 30% Off: Use 96¢ shipping with items $4.40 and less
Vs. 33% Off: Use 96¢ shipping with items $4.00 and less
Vs. 40% Off: Use 96¢ shipping with items $3.30 and less

20% Off:
Vs. Free Shipping: For items over $11.40, use 20% Off
Vs. 96 Cent Shipping: For items over $6.60, use 20% Off
Vs. Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 For $1: For items under $2.50, use 20% Off

25% Off:
Vs. Free Shipping: For items over $9.12, use 25% Off
Vs. 96 Cent Shipping: For items over $5.28, use 20% Off
Vs. Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 For $1: For items under $4.00, use 25% Off

30% Off:
Vs. Free Shipping: For items over $7.60, use 30% Off
Vs. 96 Cent Shipping: For items over $4.40, use 30% Off
Vs. Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 For $1: For items under $10, use 30% Off

Buy 2 Get 1 For $1:
Vs. Free Shipping: Use free shipping with items $7.84 and less
Vs. $0.96 Shipping: Use 96¢ shipping with items $4.96 and less

33% Off:
Vs. Free Shipping: For items over $6.91, use 33% Off
Vs. 96 Cent Shipping: For items over $4.00, use 33% Off

40% Off:
Vs. Free Shipping: For items over $5.70, use 40% Off
Vs. 96 Cent Shipping: For items over $3.30, use 40% Off

Question: GoHastings.Com totally raised their prices prior to the sale! OMGWTFBBQSauce! Should I call the police / attorney general / president of the United States?
Answer:
GoHastings.Com claims to not raise their prices prior to sales. Their pricing is based on algorithms that consider things like supply, demand, competitor pricing, market rates, etc. If a game was $10 before the sale and $15 24 hours into the sale, chances are there were only a couple of copies of the game and someone bought one when the sale started, thus affecting the supply and demand. You are not the only one monitoring a Wish List on GoHastings.Com. However, there have been some clearly documented instances of raising prices right before a sale, especially with books rather than games.

Promotional Deal Codes
Question: Why is the promotional code not applying to my order?
Answer:
Certain M-rated games carry the disclaimer that "This item is only available for purchase by customers age 17 and older." If you have such a game in your cart, be sure to check the box by the "Check Out" button that says "I am at least 17 years of age" before clicking the "Apply Promotion Code" button to apply the promotional code.

Additionally, some promotional codes only apply to select qualifying titles. Be sure that your order only contains such titles. Occasionally the GoHastings.Com programmers miss something and games that are supposed to qualify do not work with the promotional code. If this is the case, please contact GoHastings.Com. Contact information can be found below this FAQ.

Question: Can I use more than one promotional code at the same time? Can I stack promotional codes?
Answer:
No, you can only apply one promotional code per order. This prevents code stacking. If there are two promotional codes valid at the same time that you would like to use, you must place two or more separate orders.

Question: What time do promotions normally begin / end?
Answer:
GoHastings.Com operates based on the Central Time Zone. Weekly promotions usually start on Sunday and usually last the whole week. Various other promotions may have different start times and durations. Promotions usually begin at midnight Central time. However, sometimes the new promotions take a while to go "live" on the website, so always double check your order that the correct discounted price is shown.

Order Problems and Contacting Customer Service
(Including Returns/Replacements for Wrong Item or Damaged/Defective Item)
Question: I am trying to place an order and have entered my correct shipping address, billing address and credit card info. The check out page says there is a problem with my information and I need to correct it, but nothing is incorrect. What is going on?!
Answer:
This is a random error that seems to affect some people and not others. There is no known cause for it. People have reported it occurring with different credit card companies (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.). Some people think it has to do with what web browser you use, so perhaps try a different one. Some people have reported they can't place orders from computers or IP numbers located out of the state where their billing or shipping address is located. The bottom line is there is no fix for this problem from the customer's end. Your only attempt to get it resolved will be to CALL Customer Service. Contact details for Customer Service can be found below this FAQ.

Question: GoHastings.Com sent me a defective game or the wrong game. How do I return it? Can they send me a replacement/correct item?
Answer:
Contact customer service to initiate the return process. Customer service contact information is located in this post, below the FAQ. GoHastings.Com will not charge you to ship the game back, and they will give you a full refund, including what you paid initially for shipping. In some instances, they will simply refund the cost of the item and let you keep the defective or wrong item for free. GoHastings.Com will not normally send you a replacement item if you received a defective or incorrect item. They will usually tell you that you must place a new order, at which time the promotion you initially ordered under may have expired. You can try to contact customer service to see if they will create a new order for you with the price point you originally ordered under.

Question: Something went wrong with my order. How do I contact customer service?
Answer:
Customer service contact information is located in this post, below the FAQ.

Question: Should I call or email customer service?
Answer:
CAGs have reported mixed experiences with both calling and emailing Hastings Customer Service. It is up to your preference. If you are contacting them regarding credit card issues, it may be best to call rather than put highly sensitive information in an email. If you call during business hours, your issue may be resolved right then over the phone. You might also have to wait on hold for a long period of time during peak hours. If you email, you may have to wait up to 48 hours to get a response, especially if you email over the weekend. Often the email replies fail to understand your entire issue with your order. Customer Service contact information is located in this post, below the FAQ.

Question: What is GoHastings.Com return policy?
Answer:
The GoHastings.Com website states their return policy is as follows:

All items purchased through gohastings.com may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price, if they meet the following criteria:

  • All new items are in original unopened packaging.
  • Return of product is within 30 days of shipping date.
  • Returned product(s) must be in the original packaging and include any manuals, cabling and accessories in saleable condition.
  • Video Game Systems that are found defective within the 30 day window must make a return using the manufacturer's warranty.
Shipping and handling charges are not refundable.
Note: Products purchased through goHastings.com may not be returned to a physical store location for refund.
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However, this can be confusing considering used items, such as games, come in opened packaging. Normally GoHastings has no problem with returns for defective or incorrect used game shipments that are promptly requested. At the very least, if a game item was found to be defective within 30 days of the shipping date, you would have a good argument toward customer service that you should be able to return the game item. Abusing the return policy to replace your own broken items with items from GoHastings inventory wouldn't be a good idea.

Miscellaneous
Question: Does GoHastings.Com collect sales tax?
Answer:
According to GoHastings.Com:

Currently goHastings.com only charges sales tax in states where we have a physical presence. Sales taxes are calculated during the ordering process and will show tax charged for the delivery destination, based on current tax rates. Shipping charges may also be subject to tax in certain states.
Currently sales tax is automatically applied in the following states:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
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Question: Where are Hastings brick and mortar retail stores located?
Answer:
Click here to find the location nearest you.

Question: Are the online prices the same in store? Are the online specials valid in store?
Answer:
Generally speaking, no. For used items and for some new items, GoHastings.Com uses algorithms where prices can change multiple times in one day. Hastings retail locations have their own set prices. See your local store for more information. Additionally, online special sales and promotions are not valid in store. Sometimes Hastings runs the same pricing online and in store for certain items.

Question: Are the brick and mortar retail location advertisements valid online?
Answer:
Generally the prices in the retail location advertisements are not valid on GoHastings.Com. Sometimes Hastings runs the same pricing online and in store for certain items.



Customer Service Contact Information
Customer Service Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday 9 am through 9 pm CST
Toll Free Phone Number: (877)-HASTINGS (427-8464)
Fax: (806) 467-8330

Email: service[at]gohastings.com
PM the GoHastings Representative on CAG: gohastings (John) [Not active since October 2013]

Regular Mail:
Hastings Internet, Inc.
3601 Plains Blvd.
Amarillo, TX 79102

Comments to the President:
John Marmaduke, President & CEO RIP In Peace

Alan Van Ongevalle, President & COO
Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
PO Box 35350
Amarillo, TX 79120-5350



GoHastings.Com / Hastings Entertainment Online Information
Website: http://www.gohastings.com
Retail Store Weekly Ad: http://www.gohastings.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=StoreAd
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gohastings?sk=wall
Twitter: @gohastings
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107834874893127887270/posts
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/gohastings/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gohastings
Is the GoHastings.Com server down for everyone or just me?: Click here to check

 
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Looks like a two day sale (10/5-10/6):

- 20% off used games

- 30% off used blu-ray

- 40% off used dvd, music, books, graphic novels

Use code: CHILDSPLAY

 
I found some stuff that I've been wanting... nothing great, but the prices are decent after the discount.

Hopefully, it's not like the last time I ordered from them (many months ago) where my two used games ended up being PV copies instead. It did seem like a fluke since I never had an issue where I got PV when I ordered used and they just gave me my money back (no need to send the items back). 

 
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Is there anyone who can send me a $20 Hastings gift code and I'll trade you the equivalent in Xbox or PSN credit, or MMO time cards? Or you can wait a couple of days for my PayPal to clear? PM me please.

Edit: I forgot that I have Amazon credit, but I'm not sure if I can buy an Amazon gift card with that.

 
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Picked up CoD: Black Ops (PS3) for $5.22 plus shipping and tax, hopefully it's not all banged up. It was shipped via UPS mail innovations so it'll be a a while before it's delivered.

 
Used to be I'd be disappointed in 10-20% of the stuff I got from Gohastings. Now 66% of the stuff I get is completely unacceptable. I received an empty envelope 4 orders ago, a nice hardcover dinged to hell from being shipped in a box with zero padding 3 orders ago, and the softcover instead of the hardcover I ordered just now. And this is with the highest shipping prices of anyone that sells books.
 
cleaver said:
Used to be I'd be disappointed in 10-20% of the stuff I got from Gohastings. Now 66% of the stuff I get is completely unacceptable. I received an empty envelope 4 orders ago, a nice hardcover dinged to hell from being shipped in a box with zero padding 3 orders ago, and the softcover instead of the hardcover I ordered just now. And this is with the highest shipping prices of anyone that sells books.
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Yeah they have no quality control and no care about their packing. They've known for years about the "empty envelope" potential because the manilla bubble mailers and manilla rigid mailers break open so easily. They don't care. There's just no other way to say it. I pestered Billy May or Billy Mays or whatever his name is a few times over about quality control and shipping methods. I don't think he really cared. One time he gave me a couple of coupon codes to shut me up. One of them didn't even work right so I couldn't use it and they didn't give a shit. Every other time they either said return the items or if it was an empty envelope situation, I had to fight to get my money back.

With the recent 40% off sale I binge ordered a bunch of the super cheap books (under $5) I was interested in, piling them in one order. That way the shipping was averaged out to $1.14 per book or something like that, which made the shipping prices acceptable with the 40% off discount. Even if those come dinged up I won't be too mad.

The 7/$21 and 5/$25 sales are still total crap shoots in terms of cancellations and getting damaged goods to be returned. When you get a cancellation or have to do a return it screws your average price per book, especially if there are multiple returns involved.

Books from smokers are still my biggest pet peeve from Hastings. There's nothing worse than cutting open that envelope and being blasted by all of that hot smoker air with a book that smells like shit. And have you ever tried to clean one of those books? I took a tissue, put some rubbing alcohol on it, and ran it over the dust jacket. Wiped off a whole layer of yellow smoke or nicotine or whatever the residue from tobacco smoke is. It's practically invisible but just think that shit then gets all over your hands when you handle the book. And of course the tobacco smoke smell is still baked into the pages, so cleaning the dust jacket didn't help much at all.

The other way Hastings has managed to screw me these days is with gift cards. When they process returns they put the refund on any gift cards you might have used with the order. So just when I think I've finally used up the gift cards, boom, I have to return something and am still stuck with money invested in Hastings. I thought I was so smart taking advantage of the buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 gift card free deal. Now I'm the fool who can't even clear out the balance on my gift cards before this company inevitably goes out of business.

The one thing I like about Hastings is the switch to sending some stuff via FedEx Smart Post where your local PO finishes the delivery. It's no faster or slower than USPS Media Mail in my experience, and FedEx and my local PO handle the packages with much more care than the machines, bins and sort center employees do. Things that would have surely been destroyed using normal Media Mail actually arrive in pretty good shape. But I know FedEx Smart Post takes forever for some people so they hate it.

 
Well, I got my order from the 40% off sale on Friday. It was terrible: mailer torn in at least 3 places, box sets visible to any passerby. And out of the 4 sets, only 1 is worth keeping. The others are beat up, torn to hell, and generally look like they were thrown headfirst down the stairs. I never would've bought them in ANY store. Also, add in the fact that opening the dvd slimcases resulted in a little shower of broken plastic pieces = WTF.

Sent a long email detailing my disgust at the situation. Can't wait to eat the shipping on these items!!! What fun we have when we buy from GoHastings! Looks like my last purchase from there, ever.

 
I...have had little problems with Hastings. Never had an open package nor have I had many broken cases. And I have literally dozens of empty cases from condensing my collection so I don't worry about it.
 
I rarely have problems with GoHastings either. Occasionally I get the wrong volume of a book or a game comes in terrible condition but a quick call to customer service resolves it.

General tip for dealing with customer service anywhere, not just GoHastings: you will get better service over the phone compared to e-mail. If you e-mail, the customer rep has to take more time to address the issue so you're more likely to get stock responses. If you send a nasty e-mail, don't be surprised if your complaint gets "lost".
 
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Same here, no huge issues with hastings. I sometimes order games from them but I never had a problem with those. Used games are in generally good condition with everything included. As for music CDs, I've had a couple of broken jewel cases with shards in the mailing. Some didn't even have the right case/inserts.
 
Haven't had any problems until recently when I ordered an Avengers vs Xmen comic and the shipping came ripped to hell. The spine was beat up. I posted a picture on their Facebook page and they apologized profusely (publicly) and then told me to send them a FB message. I did (three times within three weeks) and they were all ignored. I really think they have just given up.
 
I'm in the same boat with not having that many issues with GoHastings.  It's been a while since I ordered books, but last time I did all the graphic novels looked fine to me (I bought them for reading, not for collecting).  DVDs and CDs have always come in pretty good condition with inserts and cases mostly in tact.  The CD cases are the ones that tend to be cracked, but that's not their fault, that's USPS.  I ship CDs as a seller and USPS messes them up pretty consistently.  

Overall, they are a decent used seller.  My suspicion is that the people claiming to receive horrible stuff from GH are just overly critical and expecting to receive mint condition stuff from a high volume used goods seller and that's just not reasonable.  That's the reason I don't ever sell much stuff on CAG, too many people on here seem like they'd lose their mind over a small scratch or a little corner wear, etc.  That sort of stuff is expected in used stuff IMO.  

 
Cheaplikeafox OS X said:
I'm in the same boat with not having that many issues with GoHastings. It's been a while since I ordered books, but last time I did all the graphic novels looked fine to me (I bought them for reading, not for collecting). DVDs and CDs have always come in pretty good condition with inserts and cases mostly in tact. The CD cases are the ones that tend to be cracked, but that's not their fault, that's USPS. I ship CDs as a seller and USPS messes them up pretty consistently.

Overall, they are a decent used seller. My suspicion is that the people claiming to receive horrible stuff from GH are just overly critical and expecting to receive mint condition stuff from a high volume used goods seller and that's just not reasonable. That's the reason I don't ever sell much stuff on CAG, too many people on here seem like they'd lose their mind over a small scratch or a little corner wear, etc. That sort of stuff is expected in used stuff IMO.
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How do you rarely sell stuff on CAG but have 1366 feedback?

 
I received my Star Ocean PS3 game ordered last weekend. Everything came in great shape. Case, disc and even the manual looked great. Guess I got lucky.

 
Nah I've had my fair share of issues with Hastings.  Missing items, scratched discs, wrong items all together, dented boxed items, and the infamous manila envelope "mailer" with a game case inside that is blown to smithereens and back.  

I think the people who've had issues are the ones who have been around for years and place the most amount of orders (high volume) or who order older stuff that tends to be in worse condition due to the passing of time/more customers handling the used item over multiple trade ins.  I've definitely had my fair share of surprise cigarette stench bombs opening up packages.

That being said, in my experience the customer service has always been top notch for my needs. They may be unhelpful with exchanges, but they have never failed at offering a mailer to send back the item and I've always received my refund for a bad order.  In some special cases they would actually just refund the order immediately if the item was cheap enough and let me keep the damaged cd/movie/game. 

GH has always been a roll of the dice for me, with the massive discounts being worth the potential hassle of a return.  However with the poor discounts they've offered lately and the hike in shipping costs, I haven't had to place an order in quite a while. 

 
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jupiterjones said:
Well, I got my order from the 40% off sale on Friday. It was terrible: mailer torn in at least 3 places, box sets visible to any passerby. And out of the 4 sets, only 1 is worth keeping. The others are beat up, torn to hell, and generally look like they were thrown headfirst down the stairs. I never would've bought them in ANY store. Also, add in the fact that opening the dvd slimcases resulted in a little shower of broken plastic pieces = WTF.

Sent a long email detailing my disgust at the situation. Can't wait to eat the shipping on these items!!! What fun we have when we buy from GoHastings! Looks like my last purchase from there, ever.
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You won't have to eat the shipping on items when it's Hastings fault. The only place you ever eat the shipping costs is with books because they'll refund the $0.99 per book charge, but the $3 flat rate charge sticks unless you return your entire book order.

redreflect said:
Haven't had any problems until recently when I ordered an Avengers vs Xmen comic and the shipping came ripped to hell. The spine was beat up. I posted a picture on their Facebook page and they apologized profusely (publicly) and then told me to send them a FB message. I did (three times within three weeks) and they were all ignored. I really think they have just given up.
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That seems to be their canned response when people post problems on Facebook. I wouldn't waste time with Facebook unless you just want to publicly shame them. Just call or email CS to get your return/refund underway.

Cheaplikeafox OS X said:
I'm in the same boat with not having that many issues with GoHastings. It's been a while since I ordered books, but last time I did all the graphic novels looked fine to me (I bought them for reading, not for collecting). DVDs and CDs have always come in pretty good condition with inserts and cases mostly in tact. The CD cases are the ones that tend to be cracked, but that's not their fault, that's USPS. I ship CDs as a seller and USPS messes them up pretty consistently.

Overall, they are a decent used seller. My suspicion is that the people claiming to receive horrible stuff from GH are just overly critical and expecting to receive mint condition stuff from a high volume used goods seller and that's just not reasonable. That's the reason I don't ever sell much stuff on CAG, too many people on here seem like they'd lose their mind over a small scratch or a little corner wear, etc. That sort of stuff is expected in used stuff IMO.
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Since you're essentially calling me out, among others, with that last paragraph, I feel compelled to respond.

I'm not expecting to receive mint condition used items. I've stated this multiple times in the past. I generally hope for something that would pass for Amazon and eBay "Very Good" standards, and I don't think that's unreasonable because that's what they often claim the condition of their items are on those sites.

I am expecting to receive items that don't give me second hand smoke concerns. I think there is a reasonable expectation Hastings should give a little bit of a shit about how they package things.

When it comes to books, I don't put "readable" as my minimum. Practically any book is "readable" if the pages aren't torn out or blacked out. It's reasonable to expect the book to also be in decent looking shape whether or not you plan on "collecting" it. I received a trade paperback the other week with the spine broken in several spots and the book itself was bent and crumpled several times over. I doubt this was the condition of the book when it left the store. I'm guessing it got murdered in the shipping process because it was just in a small bubble mailer that had no rigid protection, allowing it to bend, crease, crumple and break as it was slammed through the shipping process. That is BS. That is not what I paid $9 bucks for. I wouldn't pay any amount of money for a book in that condition.

Because of Hastings shitty packaging I get many unnecessarily damaged books I either keep and deal with, or I keep and re-sell to break even so the book doesn't go back into their system and I end up buying it again. (Because I actually got the same damaged book I bought and returned twice before). I think if Hastings properly packaged their books - not going above and beyond, but just using more reasonable options which are already available to them - probably 90% of my stuff would arrive in very good if not near mint condition. But because of how Hastings packs things, the condition of the items is generally a full grade or two lower than what I'm sure it was when it left the store. Now if I want a book for collecting purposes, I'll buy it new or buy it off eBay where I can see pictures.

On some DVD box sets I've bought in the past, they arrived with the cases significantly damaged but I just put up with it. I've never really had a problem with DVD cases being broken in the mail. Usually the simple bubble mailer protects those fine. I did have many multiple problems with Hastings sending me Previously Viewed rental discs instead of the Used retail DVDs I ordered, so I stopped buying DVDs from them all together.

I've never ordered CDs from them, but I know I've broken jewel cases on my own from just regular handling so I wouldn't be surprised if those broke in the mail. I've seen special jewel case mailers but I'm guessing Hastings doesn't use those.

I've had a few gross game cases cases covered in food or other body excriment that I've returned because it's not my job to clean up what could be literally shit. I've receieved a few Previously Viewed games with the ring stickers instead of Used that I've had to return. I've also just had some straight up non-playable game discs that had to get returned. But overall I'd say my video game purchasing from them has generally been fine. Although with their sparce sales and high pricing lately, I haven't purchased a video game during a sale from them in ages. The only purchases I've made are on a couple of rare games that popped up with their lower in-store system price before the overnight refresh jacked them up to the crazy high Amazon Marketplace prices.

For all of Hastings' various problems, I will always get my money back eventually. Sometimes its more of a bitch than other times. But I don't think they should get a pass just for that alone. They could do better and they don't want to. At the end of the day it's a simple equation of "Are we still making enough money despite returns and shipping costs?" and thus far the answer has been yes, with some raising of shipping prices. The idea of pride in their business and work is non-existant. They're almost more like a flea market where anything goes as opposed to a business that cares about quality and their customers.

 
I don't know why I keep coming back to GH. Ordered 3 games, 1 music CD and 1 BD. Of the 3 games, two were missing the manuals and the third was a RedBox disc that was damaged because someone tried to take the sticker off (they only partially took it off, guess GH didn't care). The music CD is fine. The BD isn't here yet... it's been showing up as "shipment info sent" since I placed my order. 

 
Just to update, I got CoD: Black Ops today and though it was supposed to be the Limited Edition (with $15 worth of extra content) it's the standard edition. Tiny hiccup and it's not a deal breaker so I'm not going to return it. I did get it for a lower price than the standard edition so it's not a bad trade-off. Thankfully it's complete and came in "used - very good" condition.

 
I got a bunch of DVDs today and while some had wear and some nicks, I have seen far, far worse. Devil Survivor 2 even had its spiffy slipcover.
 
alexgo said:
Thanks for the thesis.
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Thanks for the idiotic reply. Don't want to read something long? Don't want to read something I wrote? Then don't read it.

Vinny said:
I don't know why I keep coming back to GH. Ordered 3 games, 1 music CD and 1 BD. Of the 3 games, two were missing the manuals and the third was a RedBox disc that was damaged because someone tried to take the sticker off (they only partially took it off, guess GH didn't care). The music CD is fine. The BD isn't here yet... it's been showing up as "shipment info sent" since I placed my order.
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Incomplete games is the only area Hastings gets a pass in since they explicitly state it on their website, even though that isn't up to Amazon/eBay quality standards. The Redbox thing is annoying though. I can't blame the surely-minimum-wage associates for not giving a shit about what they accept for trade ins. There is little pride in anything within that company. This week I got a box with four books in it. But it was a flimsy box that originally held empty CD jewel cases, so one side tore open 75% of the way. Luckily nothing fell out of the package or was unusually damaged because of the large opening.

In other news, I updated the first post with a gaming deal I'm sure no one will use.

 
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Decent enough on DVDs I guess. Been wanting For All Mankind - The Life and Career of Mick Foley.

Also gets me the rest of Star Trek TOS.

 
kodave said:
Updated for whatever it's worth
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It was worth a small chuckle. Sadly, the $61.22 Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is out of stock. It must be selling like hotcakes at that crazy low price. I guess I'll have to settle for used Watch Dogs for only $60.49. Might round out the order with $54.99 CoD Ghosts for Wii-U, $54.44 Simpsons Game for 360, and $53.89 GTA V (if I can decide between 360 and PS3, luckily both are in stock. Good thing I passed on that $18.85 AWD LN PS3 copy that popped up yesterday).

All prices listed here are pre-20%, so, even bigger savings.
 
Mix & Match Sale- 33% OFF 3 or More USED
Code: OHNOWEDIDNT | Valid: 11/07 -11/08 on qualifying titles.
 
Been a bit, so some decent stuff has shown up.  Just close your eyes and click blindly when you get to the shipping page.
 
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LOL

The Dark Knight Rises BR in new condition is $8.99. The Dark Knight Rises BR in used condition is $15.99. Tried applying it to a used DVD I've been wanting, and it doesn't work. When I add a PV movie and a used 3DS game, it only takes 33% off the 3DS game. Pretty shitty, can't even discount the DVD.

Hastings has gone so far downhill, it's eroded away the valley and created a canyon of suck.

 
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lorne said:
Rayman Origins 3ds $3.99 before code.
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Try the demo first. It's not worth the cost of shipping for a game that took most of the fluid animated beauty and multiplayer fun out of a fantastic game just to can it into a sub-par portable experience. Also see: Adventure Time Explore the Dungeon for another example but with a much less quality original/console version.

 
Thanks for the sale, I love these guys for cheap CD's and DVD's. 

BTW, when was the last time they had a 40% off AND free shipping? I murdered those sales. :(

 
Blade said:
LOL

The Dark Knight Rises BR in new condition is $8.99. The Dark Knight Rises BR in used condition is $15.99. Tried applying it to a used DVD I've been wanting, and it doesn't work. When I add a PV movie and a used 3DS game, it only takes 33% off the 3DS game. Pretty shitty, can't even discount the DVD.

Hastings has gone so far downhill, it's eroded away the valley and created a canyon of suck.
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"Previously viewed" has always been excluded with the exception of some early sales. It's not the same as used - previously viewed are ex-rentals. Hastings is hardly perfect but don't be that guy.

 
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Gohastings does have some good deals, the 30 or 33% off days are less and less but I get annoyed when they hike the prices up. Like when a used game is more expensive than a new game. I agree with an earlier post, the free shipping deals are sometimes better when it comes to music and books.

 
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