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

Status
Not open for further replies.

BudzMcGee

CAGiversary!
Feedback
3 (100%)
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


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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:
Sorry you had to deal with that BS, twinton. I hate that feeling, but I get the same way, and can get extremely nervous when being approached by police in those types of situations: you have done nothing wrong, but they can sure make you feel like you did.

I guess you could look on the bright side..at least you didn't have a meth lab in your living room, or a house full of pot plants, LoL!
 
[quote name='KtMack23']This is a really good mentality to have, but me being 16, its difficult to put into practice. Granted I'm a straight A honors student who is on the straight and narrow, I'd still be worried talking to cops.[/QUOTE]

Fair enough. You're still young. I mean no offense by that, as we've all been there. But during your teenage years it's difficult to strike a balance between respectful questioning and disobedience. Especially because young people have a bad rap, and so I wouldn't put it past an officer to construe some backwards meaning to a comment or concern of yours.

I'm not much older than you; I just recently turned 23. But as a journalism major who has worked in many hostile confrontations, it's always good to know your federal and state rights. Don't be afraid to be firm ;-)
 
[quote name='mattcube64']Wow. Were the police nice/respectful? If they're just doing their jobs, then while I'd be irritated, I'd have probably done what you did. That said, for some reason I'm inferring they were being belligerent toward you. If that's the case, I would have asked them to kindly get the fuck of my property unless they have a warrant.

Don't feel bad - at all. You are 100% not in the wrong. So long haven't legitimately stolen anything, you shouldn't feel bad at all. Regardless of what the officers told you, I'd make sure to make a big fuss the next time you're at Best Buy, and I'd contact the police chief in your city and express your displeasure.

Continue on your merry trading ways, good sir! Definitely don't feel bad. That was an entirely exaggerated way of taking care of a problem on their end. It's seriously laughably bad.[/QUOTE]

I guess they were as respectful as they could be, while still questioning me as to where I got that much merchandise. I offered to show him all kinds of receipts, but he only ended up briefly looking at a Best Buy trade-in slip. Hopefully this is the end of it, and they don't come back with a warrant, although I have absolutely nothing to hide. He stepped 1-step inside our front door and could easily see we had more video game stuff in the house...so who knows?

I plan on going to Best Buy soon, and I will mention that I was visited by the police because of Best Buy trades.

While I have done all kinds of trading of video games, the only two places in my county that I've traded at are (2) Gamestops & (1) Best Buy. The more I think about his $28,000 number he claimed that we traded, the more I think that might have been original retail value, or a number just pulled out of his ass.

Anyway, I've calmed down quite a bit now, and I hope they don't bother me again.
 
I don't think it's Best Buy or Gamestop's fault. They probably had no idea. I think they simply have to report all trade ins to the police and some jr detective (a real one!) in the pawn shop unit decided your trade ins were fishy.
 
[quote name='mattcube64']Fair enough. You're still young. I mean no offense by that, as we've all been there. But during your teenage years it's difficult to strike a balance between respectful questioning and disobedience. Especially because young people have a bad rap, and so I wouldn't put it past an officer to construe some backwards meaning to a comment or concern of yours.

I'm not much older than you; I just recently turned 23. But as a journalism major who has worked in many hostile confrontations, it's always good to know your federal and state rights. Don't be afraid to be firm ;-)[/QUOTE]

Well I am 39, and a father of two, a 15-yr old & 13-yr old. I do have to also say it was a bit humiliating to have the police come to the door and question me like this in front of my kids. But my kids realize I didn't do anything wrong...so I guess all is good.

I guess if the police feel like they need to return again, I won't be taken by surprise like I was tonight, and they are more than welcome to look closer at my receipts.

The most important lesson here for all of you game traders....SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='confoosious']I don't think it's Best Buy or Gamestop's fault. They probably had no idea. I think they simply have to report all trade ins to the police and some jr detective (a real one!) in the pawn shop unit decided your trade ins were fishy.[/QUOTE]
Yeah it's not Best Buy or Gamestops fault...although I'm going to mention it to both stores next time I go in. Like I said, the police officer said we made the top 10 list in the county. I believe he was referring to everything they track under the pawn laws, and I also think he was basing this off of their $28,000 number he was accusing me of. He couldn't provide me any proof of how they came up with that number, so I'm guessing they used the original full retail value of the items I've traded or made it up for whatever reason?
 
I think they made it up or it was an accounting error by gs/bb. Cause they wouldn't take the time to look up the full original retail value, you know? Unless you traded in $2000 worth of games $5 at a time and they multiplied everything by $60. Cops aren't accountants and that wouldn't make sense. I think someone moved a decimal by mistake or he made it up.
 
[quote name='twinton']Well I am 39, and a father of two, a 15-yr old & 13-yr old. I do have to also say it was a bit humiliating to have the police come to the door and question me like this in front of my kids. But my kids realize I didn't do anything wrong...so I guess all is good.

I guess if the police feel like they need to return again, I won't be taken by surprise like I was tonight, and they are more than welcome to look closer at my receipts.

The most important lesson here for all of you game traders....SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS![/QUOTE]
I usually save the receipts on stuff I buy solely to trade only until the return period has lapsed, so if the police decided to show up I'd have to make a mad scramble to find all of my BB trade receipts as those are likely the only ones I have left by this point probably.

Actually I probably do have the Blockbuster ones from my $150 in games I bought just before BF to trade to BB, but that's about it.:cry: So in other words, I'd be fucked.

But(and I know saying this will likely jinx me) if trading in thousands of dollars of crap at GS didn't put me on the radar for the trade po-po's to show up, then I doubt my piddily amounts I've been doing to BB would now.;)
 
[quote name='twinton']Just had my local county police show up at my house accusing me and my wife of excessive trading of video games. They claimed they have been investigating me for 1 year and that we've traded in $28,000. By the way, I have traded nowhere near that amount...in fact, I may be right around $2,000 give or take a bit at Best Buy.

I absolutely do not know what else to say...I am just really flustered that the police show up at my house because I trade video games. I explained to the officer what I do, how I come across the games (clearance sales, etc at other stores)...but man, now I feel like I did something wrong when I know that I haven't. I even showed the officer my trade-in slips from Best Buy. He says that it wasn't Best Buy that turned me in, it was the local Pawn Laws, and that they monitored it since all the trades were attached to our ID. I explained to him that I'm a little concerned at the $28,000 amount since I know that I haven't traded anywhere near that. He said I caught their attention because I was on the 'Top 10 List' of people pawning/trading in the county.

Well sorry for the rambling post, but I just had to share this. I can barely type this message, cause I'm still flustered that the police showed up over video game trading.

By the way, I am in the county of Clark in Vancouver, Washington.

Edit - I also just had to add that I'm not even banned at Best Buy.[/QUOTE]

Holy shit. That sucks. That is insane. I thought this was a joke post at first and then I kept reading.
 
[quote name='twinton']Yeah it's not Best Buy or Gamestops fault...although I'm going to mention it to both stores next time I go in. Like I said, the police officer said we made the top 10 list in the county. I believe he was referring to everything they track under the pawn laws, and I also think he was basing this off of their $28,000 number he was accusing me of. He couldn't provide me any proof of how they came up with that number, so I'm guessing they used the original full retail value of the items I've traded or made it up for whatever reason?[/QUOTE]

28000 divided by 60 is 467. Have you traded anywhere close to 467 games at BB or gs? Maybe an employee called and said $2800 and the coPs hears $28000. I don't know.

Off topic: I'm typing on my phone. What a fucking bitch trying to read the fucking white font in the op. It is impssible. There's no way I'd switch cag to the traditional fullscreen format and have to load everone's big ass signatures, achievements, and trophies on 3G. I should definitely be more polite about this grievance, but it's really fucking stupid.... I could have worse problems than this though... At least the police aren't at my door. J/k

Too soon?
 
you should keep an eye out twinton sounds like theres way more going on than just trading. people talk and if enough people notice what you do they could be thinking of robbing you. the whole pawn shop thing sounds like a bs excuse to come see what you have at your house and ive never heard of excessive trading and more over than that wtf would it matter if you paid for things with your own money? not trying to freak you out but if i were you id contact the police about it at the station and get more info on this whole exessive trading thing.
 
the police are thinking of robbing him? Or someone sent the police over to stake out the place so they can rob him? wow, talk about paranoia.
 
[quote name='SonictheHedgehog1337']28000 divided by 60 is 467. Have you traded anywhere close to 467 games at BB or gs? Maybe an employee called and said $2800 and the coPs hears $28000. I don't know.

Off topic: I'm typing on my phone. What a fucking bitch trying to read the fucking white font in the op. It is impssible. There's no way I'd switch cag to the traditional fullscreen format and have to load everone's big ass signatures, achievements, and trophies on 3G. I should definitely be more polite about this grievance, but it's really fucking stupid.... I could have worse problems than this though... At least the police aren't at my door. J/k

Too soon?[/QUOTE]

Maybe close to 200 games at Best Buy, but really not that much at Gamestop in 2011...so I'm kind of leaning towards the police having numbers that are way off. Anyway, I think I will go talk to Best Buy first and see what their records state, and what information was reported.
 
Tell the PO-lice to fuck Off. Unless they show you some kind warrant, there's no need to talk to them. fuck these power hungry bastards, they don't act like that when they are off duty.
 
[quote name='lokizz']you should keep an eye out twinton sounds like theres way more going on than just trading. people talk and if enough people notice what you do they could be thinking of robbing you. the whole pawn shop thing sounds like a bs excuse to come see what you have at your house and ive never heard of excessive trading and more over than that wtf would it matter if you paid for things with your own money? not trying to freak you out but if i were you id contact the police about it at the station and get more info on this whole exessive trading thing.[/QUOTE]

Although I do believe it was a real detective, some of these things did cross my mind.

But If it was somebody scouting out my house for valuables, they were likely disappointed, and probably a bit intimidated too as I'm no small dude.
 
For anyone that cares, here are a few "okay" flips from GS -> BBY. Some decent ways of making a little money after the GS B2G1 and the bonus 60% at BBY w/ preorder and GZU.

(All X360 - title/BBY base trade-in/Gamestop base price)

Active life: magical carnival $12 (18GS)
Blackwater $12 (18GS)
Daly’s Pro stroke golf $12 (18GS)
El shaddai $11 (19GS)
Fighter’s uncaged $11 (18GS)
Nail’d $11 (18GS)
Nba 2k12 $22 (35GS)

If anybody knows of a couple big flips, I'd really appreciate the info either here or PM. Looking for a way to get ME3 on the cheap. Thanks!
 
[quote name='twinton']I guess they were as respectful as they could be, while still questioning me as to where I got that much merchandise. I offered to show him all kinds of receipts, but he only ended up briefly looking at a Best Buy trade-in slip. Hopefully this is the end of it, and they don't come back with a warrant, although I have absolutely nothing to hide. He stepped 1-step inside our front door and could easily see we had more video game stuff in the house...so who knows?

I plan on going to Best Buy soon, and I will mention that I was visited by the police because of Best Buy trades.

While I have done all kinds of trading of video games, the only two places in my county that I've traded at are (2) Gamestops & (1) Best Buy. The more I think about his $28,000 number he claimed that we traded, the more I think that might have been original retail value, or a number just pulled out of his ass.

Anyway, I've calmed down quite a bit now, and I hope they don't bother me again.[/QUOTE]

Speaking to the police will not do you any good

If you have already been id on their system you are as good as guilty in their eyes, and they are looking for anything to haul your ass in
The fark man.... tell them to speak to your lawyer before you file a civil suit against everyone involved.
You know who will care about your reciepts.. A LAWYER, who will use that to sue the pants out of everyone involved in getting your name into the system.. The cops will probably destroy it to get rid of any evidence that would be beneficial to you..

Let me say this again: SPEAKING TO THE POLICE WILL NOT DO YOU ANY GOOD..

God damn being a 30ish year old man you should have some common sense by now.. THERE IS NEVER ANY GOOD IN TALKING TO THE POLICE.
 
[quote name='twinton']Although I do believe it was a real detective, some of these things did cross my mind.

But If it was somebody scouting out my house for valuables, they were likely disappointed, and probably a bit intimidated too as I'm no small dude.[/QUOTE]


Did you see a police cruiser?
Was there one or two officers? ( all officers works in PAIRS )
Was the police in uniform?
Did he/she have their badge/shield?
Did you ask for ID?

If not and you are just opening doors to random people, I be more afraid that you might just put your family at risk.. Come on man you are 30ish, street smarts and common sense should be there...
 
Is it just me or did best buy change the look of the online trade in estimator? Its totally giving conflicting reports for tradein values.
 
[quote name='twinton']

While I have done all kinds of trading of video games, the only two places in my county that I've traded at are (2) Gamestops & (1) Best Buy. The more I think about his $28,000 number he claimed that we traded, the more I think that might have been original retail value, or a number just pulled out of his ass.
.[/QUOTE]

1. under legal matters, it is the RETAIL value of the games that matter, not how much you sold it for or its market ( used ) value. That way the prosecution can always start with a FELONY charge and get you to plea down or take a plea deal.

2. They definitely did not pull any number out of their ass, they used that number to gauge your reaction.

If I were you, my advice is to SHUT THE FARK UP when a police ask you anything. And since you know a file has already been opened against you, the more you continue trading the more record they will have of you. You ain't banned because the LEO probably don't want you banned yet, while they continue gathering evidence.
Go TALK TO A LAWYER, they all offer a free consultation, so you lose nothing. I seriously suggest, you get a criminal or civil lawyer advice before just brushing this off..

And PLEASE PHOTOCOPY ALL YOU RECEIPTS and have additional copies kept somewhere else besides your home.. The police already know you have receipts and if they serve a warrant to search your house, you bet they will confiscate those receipts to possibly DESTROY them..

FIND YOURSELF A FARKING LAWYER ...period... fark it pay a lawyer to safe keep some of your receipts too..
 
why would the police care about how much you trade in? Its not against the law to trade in games, I dont understand what good best buy trade-in receipts do you? Seems more like an IRS issue than a police matter.

Now if they think youre dealing stolen products, thats another matter. But unless you are, Im sure providing receipts to disprove that theory should be simple enough.

I hope video game theft is a big problem in your county, otherwise, yeah this does sound kind of sketchy, I would call your local police department, and find out if its legit.
 
[quote name='edson13']why would the police care about how much you trade in? Its not against the law to trade in games, I dont understand what good best buy trade-in receipts do you? Seems more like an IRS issue than a police matter.

Now if they think youre dealing stolen products, thats another matter. But unless you are, Im sure providing receipts to disprove that theory should be simple enough.

I hope video game theft is a big problem in your county, otherwise, yeah this does sound kind of sketchy, I would call your local police department, and find out if its legit.[/QUOTE]

Supposedly the amounts were reported to them under the local pawn laws. Like I've said in previous posts, I've only traded with Gamestop & Best Buy in my county. Gamestop, I've been trading to for years...Best Buy only since October 2011 and my last trade there was in November 2011. So, go figure, never a problem over the course of years at Gamestop. Two months trading at Best Buy last year and the police are knocking on my door. My guess is Best Buy reported some seriously skewed numbers. I will get to the bottom of this.

I appreciate the suggestions that some of you are making. I'm not stressing over this too much, because I know that I've done nothing wrong, and can back it up.
 
I'm not sure about gamestop but the best buy trade in receipt I still have does say Best Buy reserves the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities Best Buy believes to be unlawful.

If they really have proof you sold $28,000 of stolen goods, they would have came and arrested you right then. Not send one lone detective to your home and walk off afterwards... I think the detective had your address or name mixed up with someone else.
 
[quote name='htz']I'm not sure about gamestop but the best buy trade in receipt I still have does say Best Buy reserves the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities Best Buy believes to be unlawful.

If they really have proof you sold $28,000 of stolen goods, they would have came and arrested you right then. Not send one lone detective to your home and walk off afterwards... I think the detective had your address or name mixed up with someone else.[/QUOTE]

I just tallied all my trade receipts from Best Buy and they total 152 games traded for $2184.20.
 
[quote name='person123']Is it just me or did best buy change the look of the online trade in estimator? Its totally giving conflicting reports for tradein values.[/QUOTE]

Getting the same thing. Now it's giving me good vs bad trade in value
 
[quote name='HaloSucks']Did you see a police cruiser?
Was there one or two officers? ( all officers works in PAIRS )
Was the police in uniform?
Did he/she have their badge/shield?
Did you ask for ID?
[/QUOTE]

While most of what he has said so far is excessive paranoia, there is some truth to this bit. A plain clothes detective is who you would of likely spoken with, but none the less they still would of produced an ID and given you their name.

One thing I can tell you is that you should never, ever allow a cop into your house without good reason. Search and seizure laws are entirely different once you allow them in the house. Block the door with your body (staying inside it) or walk out to speak with them outside after confirming their identity. If they do not have a warrant, do not let them enter the building.

I would follow up with your local police department, especially if the officer or officers didn't show a badge/shield and give you their name and information. There are a lot of shady people out there.
 
[quote name='NeverGrewUp']Getting the same thing. Now it's giving me good vs bad trade in value[/QUOTE]

It looks like they are finally folding in the two trade-in searches. Unfortunately it looks like they are folding it into the one that has been less reliable. On the flip side, that one has an easier search function... so... yeah.
 
The main Best Buy site no longer links to bestbuytradein.com for game trade-ins, although it still does for systems. That bestbuytradein.com site has different values (good/bad) for games, where the new one that stays on BB's main site seems to have the same values as yesterday.
 
which games of yours dropped? which search are you using?

I only ask because im using bestbuytradein.com and all my values held, and i checked several games
 
Just did a trade-in with MLB The Show preorder
WWE All-Stars $11--->$17.60
Madden 12 $16---> $24
Back to the Future $5---> $8
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 $7---> $11.2

Total $38---> $60.8
 
Skyrim and Batman dropped like rocks. both are at $14 for both platforms, where did that drop come from?
and no you are right about crysis 2, went back to what it was during gamefly nightly sales. and LA noire got the ax too
 
looks like everything is all jacked up....Twisted Metal and The Darkness II both have TIV of like $1.28 and UFC Undisputed 3 was showing up as $25 this morning and now its not even listed

edit: nvm, it looks like they fixed those TIV's now and UFC is now listed
 
[quote name='hobomatt']looks like everything is all jacked up....Twisted Metal and The Darkness II both have TIV of like $1.28 and UFC Undisputed 3 was showing up as $25 this morning and now its not even listed[/QUOTE]

use bestbuytradein.com

Twisted metal = $25
Darkness 2 = $20
UFC Undisputed 3 = $25
 
[quote name='NeverGrewUp']use bestbuytradein.com

Twisted metal = $25
Darkness 2 = $20
UFC Undisputed 3 = $25[/QUOTE]

just saw that...they must have updated as i was posting on here
 
Damn that scared me, was trading in Skyrim this weekend, would rage if it tanked that much.

Though maybe i should hurry and do it today or tommorow....
 
[quote name='HaloSucks']Speaking to the police will not do you any good

If you have already been id on their system you are as good as guilty in their eyes, and they are looking for anything to haul your ass in
The fark man.... tell them to speak to your lawyer before you file a civil suit against everyone involved.
You know who will care about your reciepts.. A LAWYER, who will use that to sue the pants out of everyone involved in getting your name into the system.. The cops will probably destroy it to get rid of any evidence that would be beneficial to you..

Let me say this again: SPEAKING TO THE POLICE WILL NOT DO YOU ANY GOOD..

God damn being a 30ish year old man you should have some common sense by now.. THERE IS NEVER ANY GOOD IN TALKING TO THE POLICE.[/QUOTE]

Why are you riding him so hard? He didnt do anything wrong anyway we all know he just flips a ton of games like some of us here. I wouldnt have let the cop take a step inside to give him permission to search the premises but the guy is obviously being wrongly accused of theft so i dont see how he deserves to be railroaded here.
 
Lol, the prices keep going up and down. Skyrim looks like it stabilized though. Wonder if that Batman price is gonna stick though, thats insanely low.

Every other game i checked had the same value as it did yesterday though
 
what site are you guys using. bestbuytradein.com or bestbuy.com/tradein? i heard there were differences

and yeah la noire went back up.

Man i dont like across the board changes, means something bigger.
 
i tried both but it looks like both site redirects to the same site now or its because im using google chrome or something
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Why are you riding him so hard? He didnt do anything wrong anyway we all know he just flips a ton of games like some of us here. I wouldnt have let the cop take a step inside to give him permission to search the premises but the guy is obviously being wrongly accused of theft so i dont see how he deserves to be railroaded here.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for this comment. My whole point in even posting this ordeal to this thread is that I didn't do anything wrong or out of the ordinary. Many people here have traded just as much or more than I have. If it happened to me, it could happen to any one of us. Something to seriously consider for people who continue to trade with Best Buy. This detective kept bringing up Best Buy, and not GameStop, so I have reason to believe that information Best Buy provided was the main reason for the visit. Again I will say, never a problem trading with GameStop in years of trades, but two months of trades at Best Buy gets me a visit from the police.

To answer some of the questions that Halo brought up -

Yes he was a real detective, which has been confirmed by getting the 911 dispatch record.
Yes the detective had a badge, and I have his badge #.
Yes I have his name.
He was alone...in my area police/detectives do not always work in pairs.

I don't believe this will probably go any further at this point. If it does, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to prove my innocence
 
[quote name='twinton']Thank you for this comment. My whole point in even posting this ordeal to this thread is that I didn't do anything wrong or out of the ordinary. Many people here have traded just as much or more than I have. If it happened to me, it could happen to any one of us. Something to seriously consider for people who continue to trade with Best Buy. This detective kept bringing up Best Buy, and not GameStop, so I have reason to believe that information Best Buy provided was the main reason for the visit. Again I will say, never a problem trading with GameStop in years of trades, but two months of trades at Best Buy gets me a visit from the police.

To answer some of the questions that Halo brought up -

Yes he was a real detective, which has been confirmed by getting the 911 dispatch record.
Yes the detective had a badge, and I have his badge #.
Yes I have his name.
He was alone...in my area police/detectives do not always work in pairs.

I don't believe this will probably go any further at this point. If it does, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to prove my innocence[/QUOTE]

I could be wrong, but it just seemed like a look into it type of thing. If he was by himself, cordial, and gave you information, it seems like they were just seeing if you had stolen goods stacked to the ceiling. The NW tends to be more laid back, in my experience, but again I could be wrong.
 
To the cops showing up at your door thing....

maybe it is time to get a life dude... I think people who flip in large amounts, make huge orders on sites that have deals or mistakes, hoard etc etc are low lives. While what you did may not be illegal it is still considered by most unsavory/scummy. But maybe you did do something illegal we can't take your word for it. Either way I really suggest taking a break from mass flipping for more than just the cops showing up at your door. I would say get a real job and a real life as this could be a sign for you to change now and get your life together and quit being one of those despised flippers. You are offering nothing and are actually perpetuating bad behavior and practices.

Just s
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Why are you riding him so hard? He didnt do anything wrong anyway we all know he just flips a ton of games like some of us here. I wouldnt have let the cop take a step inside to give him permission to search the premises but the guy is obviously being wrongly accused of theft so i dont see how he deserves to be railroaded here.[/QUOTE]

Your best bet is to ignore HaloSucks. He's not the brightest bulb.

By the way, it hasn't happened to others on this thread (that we know) because not every city has pawn laws in effect. I don't think my trade ins get reported to the police.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top