Best Buy GCU to be discontinued 3-1-2021

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Ugh. I had a year left. Oh well, good while it lasted.

——

We have an important announcement to share about your Gamers Club Unlocked* membership.

Thank you for being a My Best Buy® member and part of the Gamers Club Unlocked program. We have made the decision to end the current Gamers Club Unlocked program which means we will cancel remaining memberships and discontinue all current benefits as of March 1, 2021.

As a current Gamers Club Unlocked member, we will be refunding you the purchase price of your unexpired membership(s). We will mail you a refund check equal to $30 for each membership. You can expect to receive your check by the end of March 2021. To ensure you receive your check, please log into your account at https://www.bestbuy.com/profile/c/address/shipping and confirm your primary address is up to date. Your Gamers Club Unlocked benefits will remain active through February 28, 2021.

Despite this change, you will remain a member of My Best Buy which earns you rewards on your Best Buy purchases and additional member benefits.

If you need assistance with this, or have questions, please feel free to contact us at
1-888-BEST-BUY (1-888-237-8289) or through our chat channels on BestBuy.com.

Thank you for continuing to be a loyal Best Buy customer!

The Best Buy Team
 
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scottman said:
Well to be fair, we haven't seen what bestbuy will do after ALL the GCU accounts are gone in march yet. Not holding my breath, but that frees them up a bit in pricing freedom. If they do nothing, amazon will just take further share in this area from them.
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There can’t be more than a few thousand people who still have an active subscription. This isn’t freeing them up for anything.
 
WindyJ23 said:
Jeez man really cmon lol I mean how many people even still had GCU at this point for them to want to just straight up cut them out of it now.

Possibly introducing a new membership and they want to phase GCU out completely?
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I mean, this does kinda suck for people who had memberships left, but they cancelled the program like, I dunno, 2 years ago? It seemed like a nice gesture they let people stay on to begin with. Honestly, being BB I’m surprised they didn’t do this from day 1. I actually think it makes less sense for them to support it now for the handful of people who still have it.
 
DeGarmo2 said:
I mean, this does kinda suck for people who had memberships left, but they cancelled the program like, I dunno, 2 years ago? It seemed like a nice gesture they let people stay on to begin with. Honestly, being BB I’m surprised they didn’t do this from day 1. I actually think it makes less sense for them to support it now for the handful of people who still have it.
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Agreed. Any other company would have just axed it across the board. It never makes sense to keep a dead program around for just a few folks because the logistical costs outweigh the benefits. This was good will that went on too long. It's almost as if someone at management came into the job, and then noticed one day a line item on a worksheet, and asked, "WTF is this?"

 
Mattiful-Joe said:
Agreed. Any other company would have just axed it across the board. It never makes sense to keep a dead program around for just a few folks because the logistical costs outweigh the benefits. This was good will that went on too long. It's almost as if someone at management came into the job, and then noticed one day a line item on a worksheet, and asked, "WTF is this?"
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Yeah, they gave it 3 years to time out. That's a full 2 years for anyone that bought it right before they ended it. That's reasonable, it would be crappy to cut it for anyone that just bought it. Then they gave it another year for anyone that had some extra on top of that. Beyond that, you just run into an incredibly small number of people that stacked years, usually from deals - not paying full price (I doubt many would have re-upped at full price for stacked years). It actually sounds pretty well planned out.

Yes, it will upset those people, but anytime you change or cut a program, you are going to make people mad that are affected. As has been covered, this discount was probably costing them money - all things told. And they had to continue to maintain it for a dwindling number of people. There is a line where benefit just doesn't outweigh cost. You compensate them, and those that swear off the store because they can't continue to buy things below cost you just have to consider attrition.

 
defpally said:
Yeah, they gave it 3 years to time out. That's a full 2 years for anyone that bought it right before they ended it. That's reasonable, it would be crappy to cut it for anyone that just bought it. Then they gave it another year for anyone that had some extra on top of that. Beyond that, you just run into an incredibly small number of people that stacked years, usually from deals - not paying full price (I doubt many would have re-upped at full price for stacked years). It actually sounds pretty well planned out.

Yes, it will upset those people, but anytime you change or cut a program, you are going to make people mad that are affected. As has been covered, this discount was probably costing them money - all things told. And they had to continue to maintain it for a dwindling number of people. There is a line where benefit just doesn't outweigh cost. You compensate them, and those that swear off the store because they can't continue to buy things below cost you just have to consider attrition.
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It had reached the point where just about all of the people still on it would be considered "demon customers", and Best Buy likely wouldn't care if they come back or not as they're in that group of excessively needy and demanding customers that aren't hugely profitable to deal with anyways.

 
JSweeney said:
It had reached the point where just about all of the people still on it would be considered "demon customers", and Best Buy likely wouldn't care if they come back or not as they're in that group of excessively needy and demanding customers that aren't hugely profitable to deal with anyways.
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Well I wasn't going to put it like that, but yeah. Anyone that stacked multiple subscriptions most likely did it through some stacked discount (like the mobile one), and was looking to lock in a pretty much permanent 20% off. More dedicated CAGs and SlickDealers type of people. Not exactly the kind of people that throw more full price stuff in their cart "while they are shopping", which is the only way they make money from them. Or buy a TV that isn't on a big sale. Cutting them off (and reimbursing them full value, not the discounted price they probably paid) in the long run works out in the positive.

 
I am pretty sure I ordered The Last of US 2 at the end of January with the 25% off coupon. 

Like others I haven't shopped much there since GCU ran out.  Partly because of Covid and partly because I didn't need any big ticket items in the last year.  If I am going to mail order a game might as well go with Target or Amazon at this point.   I am going to lose my Elite I guess but don't really care.  

I did look at bestbuy.com for a PS5 and XBox Series X a few times and would have probably bought at least one if not both if I lucked into getting one.   

 
I ended up speaking with five customer service reps, but finally got Best Buy to honor the 25% off a physical video game coupon they emailed me last month when my GCU ended. Probably not worth the time I spent, but just on principle I wanted that discount!
 
TBH with how last year went, big box stores will probably be in trouble unless they shrink their footprint with just how subscription-based media has become. The few random times I did set foot in a Best Buy for returns (actually, 100% of those trips were returns lol), it just seemed silly how much dead space they had towards the back where videogames largely occupied for years. All the games/movies/music sections have just been evaporating and I've finally converted to all digital now that I can have everything I need as a sub. As for what electronics they do offer, I just buy those online for delivery.

Even then, I don't qualify for any of their elite statuses this year since I bought almost nothing outside of the new consoles. Losing GCU for me wasn't even relevant by the time it did happen since I had just stopped buying games almost entirely.

 
Jodou said:
TBH with how last year went, big box stores will probably be in trouble unless they shrink their footprint with just how subscription-based media has become. The few random times I did set foot in a Best Buy for returns (actually, 100% of those trips were returns lol), it just seemed silly how much dead space they had towards the back where videogames largely occupied for years. All the games/movies/music sections have just been evaporating and I've finally converted to all digital now that I can have everything I need as a sub. As for what electronics they do offer, I just buy those online for delivery.

Even then, I don't qualify for any of their elite statuses this year since I bought almost nothing outside of the new consoles. Losing GCU for me wasn't even relevant by the time it did happen since I had just stopped buying games almost entirely.
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This is largely what's happening to most consumers' behavior for physical media. I'll never buy digital, but I get the writing is on the wall. Target has all but cut down films to one side of an aisle, and I suspect the games aisles are up next. Best Buy will do the same. Doesn't make sense to devote that much floor space to items they're likely making hardly any money on (and will continue downward).

Honestly, this is what makes me want to order the LRG PS4 games that Best Buy presumably will order. I can see the retailer reversing course on adding PS4 game inventory.
 
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With this ending in a few days.  Anyone have thoughts about the last things that you might pre-order to get in on the 20% discount one last time for new games? 

 
psunami said:
With this ending in a few days. Anyone have thoughts about the last things that you might pre-order to get in on the 20% discount one last time for new games?
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Metroid Prime 4 and maybe New Pokemon Snap

Nintendo stuff holds value long enough that I know I won't get it much cheaper than with GCU

Pretty much anything else I can wait on and know I'll find a better deal evenutally

Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be some announcements in the Nintendo Direct this afternoon that leads to new games going up for pre-order. I'd love to get BotW2 on there.

 
Sonic Boom said:
Anyone else remember when GCU first started, they would have coupons in the magazine?
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Yes when GCU first came out (not sure what the program name was) it was a monthly magazine with coupons in it that you were supposed to pay for. However i would ask the cashier if they would scan the coupon and then i put the mag back with the others, never had any issues with this. And sometimes a game would go on sale and then if you combined with their coupons it would be FREE or super cheap! So when GCU first came out with a yearly membership i was opposed to it due to getting it free for so long prior.

But what kept me shopping there besides the occasional deals or trade in offers was the Penny Guides! Because every so often i could walk out with stacks of guides for less than a dollar and been doing biz with them for years i purchased all my electronic and media from them!! Loyalism! But once the Penny Guides went bye bye and their game deals tied to GCU i haven't stepped foot in a BB store in almost a decade now. Doubt they'll stay in biz much longer unless they come up with some new program soon1

 
avatar94 said:
Metroid Prime 4 and maybe New Pokemon Snap
Nintendo stuff holds value long enough that I know I won't get it much cheaper than with GCU
Pretty much anything else I can wait on and know I'll find a better deal evenutally

Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be some announcements in the Nintendo Direct this afternoon that leads to new games going up for pre-order. I'd love to get BotW2 on there.
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I’m hoping to see listing for some PS5 games before the end of March. God of War 2, Zero Dawn 2, Whatever other sequels they have shown off but not given a formal release date.
 
officeofpresident said:
But what kept me shopping there besides the occasional deals or trade in offers was the Penny Guides! Because every so often i could walk out with stacks of guides for less than a dollar and been doing biz with them for years i purchased all my electronic and media from them!! Loyalism! But once the Penny Guides went bye bye and their game deals tied to GCU i haven't stepped foot in a BB store in almost a decade now. Doubt they'll stay in biz much longer unless they come up with some new program soon1
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You realize that you buying them for a penny is why they don't exist any more, right?

 
avatar94 said:
Metroid Prime 4 and maybe New Pokemon Snap

Nintendo stuff holds value long enough that I know I won't get it much cheaper than with GCU

Pretty much anything else I can wait on and know I'll find a better deal evenutally

Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be some announcements in the Nintendo Direct this afternoon that leads to new games going up for pre-order. I'd love to get BotW2 on there.
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Hopefully we get pre-orders for Mario Golf and Skyward Sword HD now. Those were the two biggest ones that jumped out at me from the presentation today.

Edit: Metroid Prime 4, Mario Golf, and Skyward Sword pre-ordered. That's GCU sorted for now.

 
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Tyrok said:
You realize that you buying them for a penny is why they don't exist any more, right?
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Me? Well i did buy many, many guides (still have stacks, mostly hard bound guides and rare ones) for over a decade or so, so i guess i may be partly to blame. But there are MANY hypothesis of why Penny Guides died, only Corporate truly knows.

 
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Tyrok said:
You realize that you buying them for a penny is why they don't exist any more, right?
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Penny guides don't exist anymore because guides pretty much don't exist anymore. I think maybe Cyberpunk got one but have we seen any others in the past several months?

I know the system stopped allowing the sale of penny guides before they fully stopped existing... but not by much
 
I always got salty over penny guides- I'd hear everyone getting them but all the stores in my city would actually dispose of them... either rip off the front and rear covers for softcover guides or for hardcover guides, they would literally slash the covers with a box cutter knife and slash the UPC barcode.  

 
I haven't been able to buy anything from BB.com all day today using Firefox, but for some reason it works in all my other browsers.

Any idea what's up with this? It just says "sorry, can't add item to your cart." But only on Firefox.

 
Vinny said:
I always got salty over penny guides- I'd hear everyone getting them but all the stores in my city would actually dispose of them... either rip off the front and rear covers for softcover guides or for hardcover guides, they would literally slash the covers with a box cutter knife and slash the UPC barcode.
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Yeah this was my experience with Gamestop. But with BB there are 4 in my area (once i did a weekend trip to Seattle and hit 8 BBs in a row, 1000s of guides) and they were all Goldmines & as far as i could tell i was they only person lookin exclusively for guides. Damn those were the days, $ grew from trees!!

 
officeofpresident said:
Yeah this was my experience with Gamestop. But with BB there are 4 in my area (once i did a weekend trip to Seattle and hit 8 BBs in a row, 1000s of guides) and they were all Goldmines & as far as i could tell i was they only person lookin exclusively for guides. Damn those were the days, $ grew from trees!!
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I remember when our Best Buy opened we went there the first day and they had an entire shelf of Silent Hill 3 guides for a penny. I was able to pay off a credit card with those!
 
avatar94 said:
Penny guides don't exist anymore because guides pretty much don't exist anymore. I think maybe Cyberpunk got one but have we seen any others in the past several months?

I know the system stopped allowing the sale of penny guides before they fully stopped existing... but not by much
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Well online wikis and YouTube strategy videos are most to blame but why keep printing thousands of them only to have a few lax stores not throw them away like they are supposed to? That trained so many people to never pay full price for them.

 
Anyone else having problems ordering from Best Buy today? Everytime I go through the purchase screen and get to where it says to proceed to payment it gives me an error saying something went wrong. Happens on every browser I've tried.

 
Tyrok said:
Well online wikis and YouTube strategy videos are most to blame but why keep printing thousands of them only to have a few lax stores not throw them away like they are supposed to? That trained so many people to never pay full price for them.
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Agreed that online free options probably killed the industry! But i do NOT blame the stores. See the problem was Corporate wouldn't put out THE LIST of penny drops til the day of or the day before. And because we had insiders on the boards here we got that list soon after. Then you got people like me waiting outside the store at 15 minutes before it opens so the store rarely had the time to get to low priority guides. Plus when us CAGs cleared them out not only did it save them the work but it had to increase foot traffic. Inevitable tho the guide industry was doomed!

 
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DesertLeo said:
Man, my last GCU preorder from a year ago was Cris Tales on switch.

...stiiiiiill waiting for it.
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If I understand how BB and GCU work, wait long enough and your CC on file will expire. When you go to update with the new card - BOOM - full price charged.

 
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Kakashi25 said:
Anyone else having problems ordering from Best Buy today? Everytime I go through the purchase screen and get to where it says to proceed to payment it gives me an error saying something went wrong. Happens on every browser I've tried.
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I've been having issues since yesterday. Do you by any chance have an ad blocker?

Disabling that made it work for me.

Not sure why this is suddenly an issue, but it's annoying.

 
psunami said:
With this ending in a few days. Anyone have thoughts about the last things that you might pre-order to get in on the 20% discount one last time for new games?
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So to answer the question, I have these games preordered

Tales of Arise - no date
Balan Wonderworld - end march
Bravely Default 2 - end february
Deathloop - may

Ratchet & Clank - june 11

and am considering placing orders on the following list

Bayonetta 3 - no date

Biomutant - may

Cris Tales - july

Disgaea 6 - end june

Elden Ring - no date

Metroid Prime 4 - no date

Scarlet Nexus - no date

Since I can always cancel or return the games if I change my mind, it's likely that I'll end up preordering all of them. The biggest concern is my preferred card does currently expire in July, so all these games with no dates, I have to use a different card.

 
Similar boat. Unfortunately I’m all digital on switch so no help there. Have like 5 years worth of GPU on account and unredeemed cards so no Xbox titles. Leaves me PS5 titles which I’ve basically preordered all that are available. 

 
ShadowAssassin said:
I've been having issues since yesterday. Do you by any chance have an ad blocker?

Disabling that made it work for me.

Not sure why this is suddenly an issue, but it's annoying.
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Thanks for the tip. I was having problems adding to cart too, and disabling it worked.

I thought something was fishy when it wouldn't work in Incognito. When I used the Edge browser, it worked.

Gotta make sure and make my final pre-orders before GCU expires at the end of this month. PO that new Mario Golf game... hopefully they will honor GCU after it has expired.

 
My GCU expired in 2018 but I maintained Elite status for years because of how many games I purchased. I’d use it to buy games for my friends and family too, so I constantly got certificates back. Back then I was frequently trading in games/consoles and didn’t have to spend much on consoles during the Wii U/PS4/Xbone/Switch era too.

Since then my spending at Best Buy dropped dramatically. I still purchase a lot of stuff, but 2020 was my first year without the Elite status. It’s just not the same anymore and I don’t buy as many games now. GCU caused my collection to explode and I bought 90% of my video games from Best Buy. Hopefully they bring something back to replace it.

 
So are we going to hold a virtual funeral for this gem of a program? It got me in their stores and on their site often, buying other things. I would hardly buy electronics anywhere else.

That is a distant memory. Hopefully they come up with some type of replacement.
 
I haven't had GCU for a couple of years now but I still have several games on pre-order with the discount. I've still been buying a lot of games there but usually because of extras that come with it, free shipping, and they have had a lot of clearance pricing. Most titles I can get a similar discount just picking up at Walmart so if I do want something day one I usually just pick up there.

 
My Adblock is turned off but I’m still having trouble checking out.

Edit: it seems like I can’t combine preorders without release dates in a cart with preorders with dates.
 
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I hadn't purchased any games from Best Buy in nearly a decade* so count me in the number that thought they ended this program years ago. 

*They sent me a coupon for something like $30 off that I was going to use on an HDD for my PS3 (or maybe the coupon was specifically for the HDD) and after half and hour (no exaggeration) of trying to get someone to help me get it out of the cage (seriously, I think the first guy is still there looking for the key) the cashier informed me that her manager decided that they weren't going to accept the coupon.  She told me that someone had posted it on Reddit(?) so they weren't accepting it.  I tried pointing out that my email address (my name!) was on the top of the page and even brought up the original email on my phone but the manager was insistent that I "got that off the internet." (not technically wrong.) My overall experience with Best Buy is about 50% without an issue anyway (They once accused me of trying to steal Pong) so, whatever.  I won't miss them when they're gone.

 
Stanley the Bugman said:
I hadn't purchased any games from Best Buy in nearly a decade* so count me in the number that thought they ended this program years ago.

*They sent me a coupon for something like $30 off ...
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Oh man yeah I remember that coupon! It was like $30 off any $100 purchase I think, and maybe it was tied to Mastercard or something. I know I used it 2 or 3 times before they nixed it. There was even certain gift cards it worked with (pretty sure I got Netflix) so you could use those as filler to get to just over $100.

 
Losing GCU was the worst, but really the best thing that could of happened to me. I went from impulse buying dozens of games day 1 to buying almost nothing at launch. Now most of my purchases have been on Black Friday the past two years.

My collection isn't as big as it probably would be, but neither is my backlog!

 
intent said:
My Adblock is turned off but I’m still having trouble checking out.

Edit: it seems like I can’t combine preorders without release dates in a cart with preorders with dates.
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Your credit card likely expires this year. They're difficult with that. For example, my card expires next month and I can't even preorder a March release like Hades.
 
Best Buy has added all 3 of the new Pokemon games that are coming in the next year, so those might be the last pre-orders that I might take advantage of.  

 
Best Buy should bring GCU back!   It was an amazing game rewards program; I ordered tons of games from BB and still do. 

best program ever made.   

 
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