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.).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Original OP for safety
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:
- 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

- 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

Link: http://www.bestbuytradein.com/bb/Quo...VideoGames.cfm (click on "Show Promotions available in stores only" on top right)\

Upcoming/Rumored Promotions:
All promos that have yet to appear on Best Buy's site (or in an upcoming ad) are listed here:
None at the moment

Previous Promotions:
Promos that have expired:
- 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

Check most up-to-date TIV using BB's Video Games 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 tracks 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 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.

When do trade-in values update?
No one knows for sure, but major updates seem to come on Sunday and Tuesday nights (or at least have in the past). 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.

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.

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.

Does Best Buy accept game hardware?
Currently Best Buy only accepts various versions of the Nintendo DS in store, but word is that will change soon.

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 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 likely need a state ID.

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.
 
50% you say? With any trade in you say? No preorder shenanigans you say? I'll have to do a little looking. Thanks for the shiny new thread!
 
Sweet! I can get someone else to do some trades I've been sitting on this week (in case I'm banned), can get the 50% bump, AND they don't have to preorder anything!
 
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 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]

Thanks for the heads up I love it when people actually spread the knowledge rather than hoarding. Also 1st page!!
 
[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]

Thanks !
 
[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]
Thanks for that, now to convert some of my Gamestop credit to BB. :bouncy:

First time trading in Best Buy, wish me luck.
 
[quote name='Kingmojo210']Thanks for the heads up I love it when people actually spread the knowledge rather than hoarding. Also 1st page!![/QUOTE]

Translated: Thanks for spoon feeding a newbie who can't open 2 browser windows and look games up.
 
[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]

Crap, this one is going to tank by Tuesday now. Better get them in.
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']Translated: Thanks for spoon feeding a newbie who can't open 2 browser windows and look games up.[/QUOTE]
:rofl::applause::applause::applause::applause: Well said. Well said.

As for me I think I'm gonna see if I can dump some of my backlog I haven't touched with this 50% promo and make a lil scratch to start my flipping cycle again. I cashed out on BF by buying a tv n some games, but I wanna keep some cred on hand so I'm not spending cash anymore like I did today on some pre-owned games.:whistle2:#
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I cashed out on BF by buying a tv n some games, but I wanna keep some cred on hand so I'm not spending cash anymore like I did today on some pre-owned games.:whistle2:#[/QUOTE]

WHAT?????? IATCG actually bought a TV???? My God - that is front page CAG news!!! :lol:
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']WHAT?????? IATCG actually bought a TV???? My God - that is front page CAG news!!! :lol:[/QUOTE]

Don't get too excited, it was a 32" CRT that pennied out. ;)
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']WHAT?????? IATCG actually bought a TV???? My God - that is front page CAG news!!! :lol:[/QUOTE]
;)Even though I bought an HDtv, I bought it with flipping credit. My whole Black Friday transaction($400+) cost me $20 n change in real cash out of pocket. The rest was all gaming credit(that only cost me about $150 to make;)).:D
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']Translated: Thanks for spoon feeding a newbie who can't open 2 browser windows and look games up.[/QUOTE]

Translation: I just made a worthless contribution because i can yay me!

Anyway 3rd birthday can net a a couple of dollars of profit if people give a shit about it since gamestop sells it for 9.99 and the trade in is 8 at bestbuy before promos.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer'];)Even though I bought an HDtv, I bought it with flipping credit. My whole Black Friday transaction($400+) cost me $20 n change in real cash out of pocket. The rest was all gaming credit(that only cost me about $150 to make;)).:D[/QUOTE]

What size did you get? I keep thinking about getting another one, but I figure I'll just wait until one of mine dies. Between the BBV credit and giving BB their own new games back, I spent about $80 on mine. Wish I had known about Duke Nukem a few weekends ago - I'd be looking at a much nicer model ;)
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']What size did you get? I keep thinking about getting another one, but I figure I'll just wait until one of mine dies. Between the BBV credit and giving BB their own new games back, I spent about $80 on mine. Wish I had known about Duke Nukem a few weekends ago - I'd be looking at a much nicer model ;)[/QUOTE]
I ended up grabbing a 32" model from Panasonic. It was like $320, but even so the credit I used to buy it cost me only $150 to make.;)
 
[quote name='Kyden139']Yep, they'll take disc only[/QUOTE]

Cool. I think I'm swinging by to get my $5 Medal of Honor and my $10 Crysis 2. I've almost picked up Crysis about 5 difeerent times but never pulled the trigger so today is the day.

The Coupons say one per but I could buy another mag and get another copy for a friend couldn't I?
 
Be careful their trade in values are so bad now its a joke. A lot of games only net $1-2. I did notice most Kinect games get good trade in values. That is about it.
 
it's odd. lots of older, unpopular games have better tiv's than new/hot games cuz they have had sales on those, etc. like i have to plat n get rid of rogue warrior which is 6, but acr/sr3 etc are so low cuz of sales i guess. idk
 
[quote name='buster90']Be careful their trade in values are so bad now its a joke. A lot of games only net $1-2. I did notice most Kinect games get good trade in values. That is about it.[/QUOTE]

With all the games that got traded in from their DOTDs, I'm not surprised. Most games that they sold for $5-$8 during these past few weeks have dropped down to a $1 TIV.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Don't get too excited, it was a 32" CRT that pennied out. ;)[/QUOTE]
lol

What's next? a PALM PILOT?

just kidding iam. :)
 
Went to my Best Buy today, and was told they can't do trade ins because their trade in machine is broken. Very annoyed, I asked how long it's been and if they have an estimated time for it to be fixed. They said it's been like two weeks now, and they have no idea when it'll be fixed.

So I had to go to the second closest BB instead, which is usually just as bad. I had to wait almost 10 minutes at the kiosk before someone came over to help me. Not because they were busy helping someone, not because there was a line, but simply because the employees were too busy talking to each other to care.

I feel like every time I go to Best Buy, I get more and more annoyed with them. If only their trade in values weren't so good most of the time...
 
Looks like Kung Fu Panda (xbox 360) got abuse to hell... it traded in to BBY for 8.00 yesterday and now is only 1.00. hahhaha. found this yesterday but did not even attempt it. flipping game is cheese money. i've realize that its not worth my time and gasoline cost thanks to BBY epic TIV drops. Like everyone else, I think BBY will be done with pre-own games by the end of 2012.
 
[quote name='xskaxninjax']Went to my Best Buy today, and was told they can't do trade ins because their trade in machine is broken. Very annoyed, I asked how long it's been and if they have an estimated time for it to be fixed. They said it's been like two weeks now, and they have no idea when it'll be fixed.

So I had to go to the second closest BB instead, which is usually just as bad. I had to wait almost 10 minutes at the kiosk before someone came over to help me. Not because they were busy helping someone, not because there was a line, but simply because the employees were too busy talking to each other to care.

I feel like every time I go to Best Buy, I get more and more annoyed with them. If only their trade in values weren't so good most of the time...[/QUOTE]
Trade-in machine or system? Every register in the CS area should be able to do trade-ins.
 
Found out I was banned today while doing a two game trade-in. Must have been another wave of bans, because I traded in on December 23rd. But yeah, the worker still did it for me.
 
[quote name='DCpinoy']Found out I was banned today while doing a two game trade-in. Must have been another wave of bans, because I traded in on December 23rd. But yeah, the worker still did it for me.[/QUOTE]

Same here almost exactly - traded a few games last week no problem, and then had problems today. I believe these were my only trades in all of December - about 8 games total.

At the first store they flat out refused to override. The clerk called the manager to override, and he wouldn't. He looked up my purchase history and saw that I bought a lot of clearance games and said I was violating the spirit of their clearance program and that's why I was banned. Note that I had not traded in any of those games and my purchases from the recent clearance have absolutely nothing to do with my trade-in history. In fact, I really haven't traded much of anything since the big clearance/outlet center stuff started in late November. He was just pulling a reason out of his you know what...

Then I went to the more friendly store and luckily got the guy who has processed most of my trade-ins before. But he was clearly puzzled by the popup and called his manager over too. They both knew me well, though, and did the override.

Here's the interesting part: while they wouldn't tell me exactly what the popup said, they did mention that it said to make sure that they knew that this was the actual person doing the trade-ins before overriding. Since they know me well they were laughing at that part. But that is an interesting twist I have never heard mentioned here before. It is almost like they think multiple people are trading in on the account or something? I dunno. I will probably tally up my trades and see if I passed some sort of barrier (like 50 or 100 games traded) to see if maybe that is the trigger. While I did go over 3 of some titles (and never more than 4), that was long ago (probably last time was in Sept) so I'd think I would have gotten rounded up earlier if it was just because of that. If anything, I've really laid low on trading recently, so even though I was expecting it at any time, I was surprised it came now after being fine last week.

The gaming guy at this second store said he would get it cleared up for me, but of course he doesn't know that one way or the other as it was all new to him. He is going to talk to his gaming supervisor (another person who knows me well) and see what the deal is. He has personally processed at least 75% of the stuff I've traded to Best Buy, and he couldn't even think of why I'd be having problems. Chances are I can still trade at least when he is there. But I'll probably hold off for the most part anyway (as I was doing already). I only traded 3 games in today just because of the 50% bonus with no strings attached. These were 3 games I'd never traded before (and I didn't bring any dups this time either).

As for all the "bad" values you may notice that for the most part those are games that were DotD or clearance items. They are smart to knock those down, but it doesn't really reflect on the trade-in values overall. They are still somewhat decent if you can find games that weren't part of their own clearance or DotDs. However, I still diverted several games I was going to bring to Best Buy to Gamestop instead tonight because I got more for them at Gamestop with their 50% bonus. And at GS I never have to worry about crossing some unknown threshold of trades and getting banned. I've probably traded at least 10x - 20x the amount of games there as I have at Best Buy.
 
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the worker actually printed out exactly what the pop-up said for me. if anything i can post up the pic and exact text of what it says tomorrow. i left the paper in my bag. im kind of sad but knew it was inevitable for me. gonna talk to the gaming supervisor probably on wednesday and see what she has to say about it.
 
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 name='PublikDefender']Is the 50% extra applicable for systems? Can I trade in a Nintendo DSI and get 50% extra for it?[/QUOTE]

yes of course.
 
I've never traded @ BB so sorry for a noob question, but do u receive this trade-in bonus for gaming credit only or entire store credit? I've got a backlog that I should prob trade in for more adult-like boring appliance purchases
 
[quote name='Corndog_McGee']I've never traded @ BB so sorry for a noob question, but do u receive this trade-in bonus for gaming credit only or entire store credit? I've got a backlog that I should prob trade in for more adult-like boring appliance purchases[/QUOTE]

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 name='PublikDefender']Is the 50% extra applicable for systems? Can I trade in a Nintendo DSI and get 50% extra for it?[/QUOTE]


I'm pretty sure the 50% bonus only applies to games and NOT hardware
 
[quote name='DCpinoy']the worker actually printed out exactly what the pop-up said for me. if anything i can post up the pic and exact text of what it says tomorrow. i left the paper in my bag. im kind of sad but knew it was inevitable for me. gonna talk to the gaming supervisor probably on wednesday and see what she has to say about it.[/QUOTE]
Please do post the text, we should get this added to the OP, so people who get banned have the info available.
 
[quote name='DCpinoy']the worker actually printed out exactly what the pop-up said for me. if anything i can post up the pic and exact text of what it says tomorrow. i left the paper in my bag. im kind of sad but knew it was inevitable for me. gonna talk to the gaming supervisor probably on wednesday and see what she has to say about it.[/QUOTE]

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 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]

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]."
 
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