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:
[quote name='DudeImGodly']I wear my badge of trading in over $15k in games as an honor.

Then being promptly banned during the black Friday sweep.[/QUOTE]

El Flippo! :shock:
 
[quote name='mattcube64']Traded in two copies of MW3 (X360), and one copy of MW3 (PS3) today. Also traded in two copies of White Knight Chronicles II. This was all in a single transaction, and the girl didn't say anything.

She probably didn't read the new rules; but I'm just passing along my experience so we can figure things out.[/QUOTE]

Lmao. Nice sig!

O:)
 
[quote name='ChunLiBarbie']El Flippo! :shock:[/QUOTE]

Meh.

I'll spoiler this not to thread crap.
Some of this can be seen as bragging, most is just showing he easy it was to game the system at Best Buy.

So once again don't click the button to see what's underneath of the above bothers you.
Just trying to show how easy it was to game the system.
I was also the main trader in my area.

There was one other guy, but he had smaller trades and I remember he mainly doing the PS2 games on a spindle.

I was a volume trader.

Had around 35+games to trade in each visit, At a rate of about two visits each week over a spread of ten or so months.

I can't find any of my receipts but 15k is a guess on the low end.
I never cared about the 3+ rule and they never enforced it.
So I exploited it.

There are probably 3 or so other well known flippers who did the same thing as me. But in a more cautious way.

Also to note 15k is pure profit.

Gross Dollar amount in trades not accounting for what had to be put in to buy the games but just what best buy paid out is over $4500 a month for a total of 8 months.
Once again those are low numbers. never walked out with less than $600 a visit.
 
[quote name='DudeImGodly']Meh.

I'll spoiler this not to thread crap.
Some of this can be seen as bragging, most is just showing he easy it was to game the system at Best Buy.

So once again don't click the button to see what's underneath of the above bothers you.
Just trying to show how easy it was to game the system.
I was also the main trader in my area.

There was one other guy, but he had smaller trades and I remember he mainly doing the PS2 games on a spindle.

I was a volume trader.

Had around 35+games to trade in each visit, At a rate of about two visits each week over a spread of ten or so months.

I can't find any of my receipts but 15k is a guess on the low end.
I never cared about the 3+ rule and they never enforced it.
So I exploited it.

There are probably 3 or so other well known flippers who did the same thing as me. But in a more cautious way.

Also to note 15k is pure profit.

Gross Dollar amount in trades not accounting for what had to be put in to buy the games but just what best buy paid out is over $4500 a month for a total of 8 months.
Once again those are low numbers. never walked out with less than $600 a visit.
[/QUOTE]

O_____________O what did you buy?
 
[quote name='DudeImGodly']Meh.

I'll spoiler this not to thread crap.
Some of this can be seen as bragging, most is just showing he easy it was to game the system at Best Buy.

So once again don't click the button to see what's underneath of the above bothers you.
Just trying to show how easy it was to game the system.
I was also the main trader in my area.

There was one other guy, but he had smaller trades and I remember he mainly doing the PS2 games on a spindle.

I was a volume trader.

Had around 35+games to trade in each visit, At a rate of about two visits each week over a spread of ten or so months.

I can't find any of my receipts but 15k is a guess on the low end.
I never cared about the 3+ rule and they never enforced it.
So I exploited it.

There are probably 3 or so other well known flippers who did the same thing as me. But in a more cautious way.

Also to note 15k is pure profit.

Gross Dollar amount in trades not accounting for what had to be put in to buy the games but just what best buy paid out is over $4500 a month for a total of 8 months.
Once again those are low numbers. never walked out with less than $600 a visit.
[/QUOTE]

:shock:

Yesss mastah! Teach me your ways. Is there a profitable way to transfer credit from Gamestop to Best Buy, other than MW3, during this GS b2g1?
 
[quote name='DudeImGodly']Meh.

I'll spoiler this not to thread crap.
Some of this can be seen as bragging, most is just showing he easy it was to game the system at Best Buy.

So once again don't click the button to see what's underneath of the above bothers you.
Just trying to show how easy it was to game the system.
I was also the main trader in my area.

There was one other guy, but he had smaller trades and I remember he mainly doing the PS2 games on a spindle.

I was a volume trader.

Had around 35+games to trade in each visit, At a rate of about two visits each week over a spread of ten or so months.

I can't find any of my receipts but 15k is a guess on the low end.
I never cared about the 3+ rule and they never enforced it.
So I exploited it.

There are probably 3 or so other well known flippers who did the same thing as me. But in a more cautious way.

Also to note 15k is pure profit.

Gross Dollar amount in trades not accounting for what had to be put in to buy the games but just what best buy paid out is over $4500 a month for a total of 8 months.
Once again those are low numbers. never walked out with less than $600 a visit.
[/QUOTE]
Not to doubt you or anything but just pointing out that just because you leave with $600 each time, let's say 2 times. Does not mean you make a revenue of $1200. Here's what I mean
1st trade in $600 > visa gift card then you use maybe $300 to buy another batch of games, which yield you another $600. So although you left the store with $1200 in gift card, you only made $900 total.
Either way, you're a huge trader. Where in California are you? I'm guessing south?
 
[quote name='kouleefoh']You want a list of $32,000 worth of games trade in? :lol:[/QUOTE]

[quote name='kouleefoh']what are you talking about?[/QUOTE]


Those muscles.
 
[quote name='DudeImGodly']Meh.

I'll spoiler this not to thread crap.
Some of this can be seen as bragging, most is just showing he easy it was to game the system at Best Buy.

So once again don't click the button to see what's underneath of the above bothers you.
Just trying to show how easy it was to game the system.
I was also the main trader in my area.

There was one other guy, but he had smaller trades and I remember he mainly doing the PS2 games on a spindle.

I was a volume trader.

Had around 35+games to trade in each visit, At a rate of about two visits each week over a spread of ten or so months.

I can't find any of my receipts but 15k is a guess on the low end.
I never cared about the 3+ rule and they never enforced it.
So I exploited it.

There are probably 3 or so other well known flippers who did the same thing as me. But in a more cautious way.

Also to note 15k is pure profit.

Gross Dollar amount in trades not accounting for what had to be put in to buy the games but just what best buy paid out is over $4500 a month for a total of 8 months.
Once again those are low numbers. never walked out with less than $600 a visit.
[/QUOTE]

That's pretty much a part time job. I know you went only twice a week, but you also have to spend time researching flips and going out and buying games to trade in. $15k credit in profit in 10 months for a part time job .... meh, can't live off that.
 
[quote name='ChunLiBarbie']Those muscles.[/QUOTE]
He mentioned $4500 a month for 8 months. About $32,000. I didn't mean I flip $32000. I was no where near that.
 
[quote name='kouleefoh']Not to doubt you or anything but just pointing out that just because you leave with $600 each time, let's say 2 times. Does not mean you make a revenue of $1200. Here's what I mean
1st trade in $600 > visa gift card then you use maybe $300 to buy another batch of games, which yield you another $600. So although you left the store with $1200 in gift card, you only made $900 total.
Either way, you're a huge trader. Where in California are you? I'm guessing south?[/QUOTE]

He's in the Anaslime area, that's a lot of trading.. lol... You really got banned? I would be pissed because they allowed it to happen.
 
[quote name='kouleefoh']Not to doubt you or anything but just pointing out that just because you leave with $600 each time, let's say 2 times. Does not mean you make a revenue of $1200. Here's what I mean
1st trade in $600 > visa gift card then you use maybe $300 to buy another batch of games, which yield you another $600. So although you left the store with $1200 in gift card, you only made $900 total.
Either way, you're a huge trader. Where in California are you? I'm guessing south?[/QUOTE]

That why I said Gross. Not pure profit.

Pure Profit was $15k

I'm in Southern California.

My Store was the one straight across from the Block.

I got the store to 14th in the Nation around September-October around 500+ games during that period.

It was pretty cool because it made the Manager's of the store look good because they we're getting so many trade ins (each game is treated as an individual trade in regardless if there all brought in by the same person)
And in turn the Manager's would Price Match anything I wanted. And the entire stores staff new me.

It was all cool.


[quote name='sninh']O_____________O what did you buy?[/QUOTE]
Way too many Amazon Kindle Cards, Way too many Visa Gift Cards, a tablet, a new laptop, any and every game that came out, a wii, a dsi xl, shoes, clothes, the list goes on.

Pretty sure i have at least $100-$200 in preorders I haven't picked up or cancelled. Should probably go cash those out.


[quote name='chuckywang']That's pretty much a part time job. I know you went only twice a week, but you also have to spend time researching flips and going out and buying games to trade in. $15k credit in profit in 10 months for a part time job .... meh, can't live off that.[/QUOTE]
I have no living expenses.
I spent roughly 2 hours a week researching values.
Gas isn't an issue, Bills are taken care of, Rent is paid for.

an Extra $1500 a month for 8 hours of *work* (Dicking around on the internet)
Sounds pretty good to me.
 
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Eh, I only managed to put my Best Buy into 4th in the district/region. But didn't get banned yet!

They need to quit sending near mint games to be refurbished! Wasting money and losing sales.
 
[quote name='sninh']looks like im near you haha i usually go to the south coast or westminster ones[/QUOTE]

Avoid the Anaheim/fullerton one like the plague. Its the absolute worst store around. The entire staff is incompetent and moronic.
 
[quote name='jdb230']I was recently banned, so I had called the 1-877 (dont remember the rest) given by the register. Of course, that person was not at all helpful and could not provide any information as to why I was banned, but I wouldn't take that for an answer, so she said she would forward it to a supervisor for review. Well finally heard back today and the official reason why I was banned is because in a 6-month period I traded in over $2000 in video games, which "Far exceeds the average customer" and although they don't have an official limit, because of that and on one game in particular, I traded in a total of 4 copies, at two different stores though.

Kinda shitty customer service imo.....I'm a silver member + rewardzone mastercard member for several years, and also a gamers unlocked. I' probably spent over $1000 in video games sales alone in that 6 month period, and yes have traded in prolly close to 90-95% of those games back to bestbuy (most times at a profit since I only buy when on sale or other promotions). I do flip occasionally, but always try to stay under the 3 (even though i've been told by repeated employees the restriction is only 3 of the same per trade in).[/QUOTE]

how is it shitty customer service? you broke the rules and got banned. you knew what the rules were. Don't even blame it on some employees telling you the restriction is 3 per title per trade in. Hell, when trading began, half of us were showing employees how to do the transactions.

Just accept your banning with some dignity like most people have.
 
[quote name='scblueeyedguy']They need to quit sending near mint games to be refurbished! Wasting money and losing sales.[/QUOTE]
They honestly need to get their lawyers trying to figure out how the frick Gamestop is able to just plop the games right out on the sales floor right after taking them in instead of how BB has had to do it, where they gotta send shit out and it sits for at LEAST a month.

If they expect to compete at all in the used game market with GS they NEED to do this and do it quick.

Not only that but they also need to get the company that's distributing these games to actually send a good variety of stuff back as opposed to the 10 copies of (old ass title) and 7 copies of (nearly as old ass title) to each store like they have been.

That and they really need to whore out that they sell used games like Gamestop now. Most normal consumers likely just pass by the lil used sections in the store since they're not front and center and well advertised or marketed.

I hate to say it, but I see them joining WalMart in giving up on the used game market VERY soon if they don't change a buncha shit. To me, the amount of marketing they've done to the average shopper to get the word out for their used games is like Kmart was doing for their gamer program. A lil blurb in ONE circular once every couple months or so is NOT gonna sway the average shmuck buyer from going to the place they always have:Gamestop.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']They honestly need to get their lawyers trying to figure out how the frick Gamestop is able to just plop the games right out on the sales floor right after taking them in instead of how BB has had to do it, where they gotta send shit out and it sits for at LEAST a month.

If they expect to compete at all in the used game market with GS they NEED to do this and do it quick.

Not only that but they also need to get the company that's distributing these games to actually send a good variety of stuff back as opposed to the 10 copies of (old ass title) and 7 copies of (nearly as old ass title) to each store like they have been.

That and they really need to whore out that they sell used games like Gamestop now. Most normal consumers likely just pass by the lil used sections in the store since they're not front and center and well advertised or marketed.

I hate to say it, but I see them joining WalMart in giving up on the used game market VERY soon if they don't change a buncha shit. To me, the amount of marketing they've done to the average shopper to get the word out for their used games is like Kmart was doing for their gamer program. A lil blurb in ONE circular once every couple months or so is NOT gonna sway the average shmuck buyer from going to the place they always have:Gamestop.[/QUOTE]

LOLLL!!!! :lol:

Maybe it's a rush job. I think Best Buy doesn't know what in the hell to do!
 
[quote name='confoosious']how is it shitty customer service? you broke the rules and got banned. you knew what the rules were. Don't even blame it on some employees telling you the restriction is 3 per title per trade in. Hell, when trading began, half of us were showing employees how to do the transactions.

Just accept your banning with some dignity like most people have.[/QUOTE]

do you even have a job? or does trolling occupy all of your time?
 
he mentioned hes in so cal and frequented the bb across from the block (in orange). i think he spoiler'd the money info for a reason so i think it best if we let it go for now and go back on topic for the sake of sanity. could always fill his inbox with pm's tho lol.

[quote name='kouleefoh']Not to doubt you or anything but just pointing out that just because you leave with $600 each time, let's say 2 times. Does not mean you make a revenue of $1200. Here's what I mean
1st trade in $600 > visa gift card then you use maybe $300 to buy another batch of games, which yield you another $600. So although you left the store with $1200 in gift card, you only made $900 total.
Either way, you're a huge trader. Where in California are you? I'm guessing south?[/QUOTE]
 
Well, I noticed last week at my Bestbuy that the Used Game shelf was probably half gone comparing to maybe a week or two before. Maybe they're starting to sell more with those $10 off coupons.
One thing they can improve immediately is organizing their used games better. It's all stacked one after the other and it's never in order. Makes it really hard to look for things and may turn potential customers away.
 
[quote name='kouleefoh']Well, I noticed last week at my Bestbuy that the Used Game shelf was probably half gone comparing to maybe a week or two before. Maybe they're starting to sell more with those $10 off coupons.
One thing they can improve immediately is organizing their used games better. It's all stacked one after the other and it's never in order. Makes it really hard to look for things and may turn potential customers away.[/QUOTE]

thats exactly how i feel about our local BBY. i know they recently got a restock on used games too, but mostly call of dutys if i remember correctly and some skyrims.
 
Traded in MW3 for both 360 and PS3 today. Put $5 down on AC for the bonus and got the steel book (which I don't want). Picked up a Kindle Fire for $12 out of pocket. Then the fighting erupted at home over it with my family. Guess I have to return it.:whistle2:(
 
I've noticed some BBs mix in their used games with their new games but then have a used game section as well.

And then maybe there's a kinect section too.

They really need to have either all new and all used separately or together. And put clear signage. Just copy GS. I can't stand that place but they know what they're doing.
 
My BBs mix in the "value" games and the used ones. It annoys me because I thought I was gonna score some games with my $10 off coupon, but it was a new value game.
 
[quote name='jbz']My BBs mix in the "value" games and the used ones. It annoys me because I thought I was gonna score some games with my $10 off coupon, but it was a new value game.[/QUOTE]
My BB does this too, it's pretty annoying, and it doesn't help that they are placed incredibly close and some are just completely misplaced.
 
Not sure how I feel about this...

I traded in MW3 (1 for each platform). I asked the supervisor if I would be able to trade in another copy for the PS3. He said sure as long as you don't do it in the same day.

Is this the consensus now? Just spread it out? Honestly I don't want a ban. Would rather have the privilege of trading instead of getting served.
 
[quote name='jiggyteddy']Not sure how I feel about this...

I traded in MW3 (1 for each platform). I asked the supervisor if I would be able to trade in another copy for the PS3. He said sure as long as you don't do it in the same day.

Is this the consensus now? Just spread it out? Honestly I don't want a ban. Would rather have the privilege of trading instead of getting served.[/QUOTE]

If you're not willing to risk the ban, then it's probably smarter to just adhere to the 1 copy per game/console limit. The system won't stop you from trading in more and friendly CSRs that let peeps trade in more than the established limit (or didn't know/enforce the limits) is how a lotta people got banned last year. Volume trading and breaking limits seem to be the most widespread reasons given for bans...
 
[quote name='esalw822']If you're not willing to risk the ban, then it's probably smarter to just adhere to the 1 copy per game/console limit. The system won't stop you from trading in more and friendly CSRs that let peeps trade in more than the established limit (or didn't know/enforce the limits) is how a lotta people got banned last year. Volume trading and breaking limits seem to be the most widespread reasons given for bans...[/QUOTE]
Yeah you're right. It probably isn't worth it. Supervisor told me I could trade in up to 3, but only one at a time.

I honestly don't know what the policy is. I always just trusted what the supervisor tells me, but I've been having my doubts lately regarding the "limit of 3" thing due to reading around here.

Sure it is ultimately up to me to weigh risk and reward... but I appreciate the feedback. I also appreicate reading the contributions made by everyone regarding this issue. Thank you guys.
 
[quote name='chuckywang']That's pretty much a part time job. I know you went only twice a week, but you also have to spend time researching flips and going out and buying games to trade in. $15k credit in profit in 10 months for a part time job .... meh, can't live off that.[/QUOTE]

I was (believe I was) the other trader in this area. For me it was a cheap way to fund my VG hobby. For DIG I figure it was a way to make money since he cannot legally work (age)?

[quote name='kouleefoh']He mentioned $4500 a month for 8 months. About $32,000. I didn't mean I flip $32000. I was no where near that.[/QUOTE]

I think alot of that is churn money. Real $$ to credit, then credit to more credit, and credit to cash, then repeat.

[quote name='skiizim']He's in the Anaslime area, that's a lot of trading.. lol... You really got banned? I would be pissed because they allowed it to happen.[/QUOTE]

I saw him in there on a few occasions, trading 3x almost every game that was on sale via Gamefly. Then throw in some of the listed flips from GS, and probably the occasional flip from AMZ WH, and other sources.

[quote name='DudeImGodly']That why I said Gross. Not pure profit.

Pure Profit was $15k

I'm in Southern California.

My Store was the one straight across from the Block.

I got the store to 14th in the Nation around September-October around 500+ games during that period.

It was pretty cool because it made the Manager's of the store look good because they we're getting so many trade ins (each game is treated as an individual trade in regardless if there all brought in by the same person)
And in turn the Manager's would Price Match anything I wanted. And the entire stores staff new me.

It was all cool.



Way too many Amazon Kindle Cards, Way too many Visa Gift Cards, a tablet, a new laptop, any and every game that came out, a wii, a dsi xl, shoes, clothes, the list goes on.

Pretty sure i have at least $100-$200 in preorders I haven't picked up or cancelled. Should probably go cash those out.



I have no living expenses.
I spent roughly 2 hours a week researching values.
Gas isn't an issue, Bills are taken care of, Rent is paid for.

an Extra $1500 a month for 8 hours of *work* (Dicking around on the internet)
Sounds pretty good to me.[/QUOTE]

I saw the manager bend over backward for DIG. I tried to jump on the bandwagon with a PM one time and the manager flat out denied me for the same exact game that DIG just PM'd. I knew managers thought they were god with their mighty powers so I did not fight it and then just left. I eventually got the game I wanted cheaper by waiting for a price drop (would have sat on my shelf anyway). I recall that same trip DIG was buying like $900 in AMZ cards and this was during the $100 cards not activating wave of bad cards. I think the manager gave him some BB gift card or something while apologizing.

I give DIG props for hustlin' Video Games. Not many people his age (under 18) would think to make these amounts of money off games, instead they would either be playing them or getting into trouble doing stupid crap.
 
Today was interesting. I attempted to trade in 2 modern warfare 3's and was flat out denied. The guy's excuse was that I had traded in 3 copies of the game before (2 xbox, 1 ps3) and I had reached my limit of "3 titles per year." I'm not sure how you can consider games from different systems the same game, but the dude was having none of it. I asked to speak to the manager and he/she was busy and now I am supposed to get a call sometime today supposedly. The gaming rep showed me his sheet that said 3 titles per year, so can I argue that the bestbuy website specifies that you can trade in 3 titles per year per platform?
 
[quote name='Donut2922']I think you're supposed to be 18 to trade in games in California.[/QUOTE]
He has stated in the past that he had his mom trade in for him.
 
[quote name='@ndrew']Today was interesting. I attempted to trade in 2 modern warfare 3's and was flat out denied. The guy's excuse was that I had traded in 3 copies of the game before (2 xbox, 1 ps3) and I had reached my limit of "3 titles per year." I'm not sure how you can consider games from different systems the same game, but the dude was having none of it. I asked to speak to the manager and he/she was busy and now I am supposed to get a call sometime today supposedly. The gaming rep showed me his sheet that said 3 titles per year, so can I argue that the bestbuy website specifies that you can trade in 3 titles per year per platform?[/QUOTE]
You can try like hell, but the thing is even their FAQ hasn't been changed as of yet to reflect the new 1 per title per console limit.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/null/pcmcat257100050022.c?id=pcmcat257100050022&h=488

[quote name='BestBuyTradeFaq'] 12.Can I trade in more than one item at a time? Are there any limits?
For Video Games, you are limited to no more than three copies of the same title and platform within a year (e.g., three copies of Madden 2011 for XBOX 360).[/quote]
 
In regards to my age I can legally work, it just didn't make since to get a part time job when I could make more in a week than I could working minimum wage for a month.

Also it started off with an initial $40 investment the rest paid for itself.
 
[quote name='DudeImGodly']In regards to my age I can legally work, it just didn't make since to get a part time job when I could make more in a week than I could working minimum wage for a month.

Also it started off with an initial $40 investment the rest paid for itself.[/QUOTE]

Even though you're banned, has your store allowed you to trade in?
 
[quote name='DCpinoy']Even though you're banned, has your store allowed you to trade in?[/QUOTE]

Haven't attempted it since I was first banned. None of the employees knew about it and the Guy processing the trade in freaked out when he saw the pop up.

Never attempted calling CS because I fully knew it was only a matter of time before I was banned. It would've been nice to hear them explain to me why I can't trade in anymore.
 
Thumbs up for 16 year olds making paper on the flips. I'm 16 too and most of the doofs I know are way too lazy and dense to do stuff like this. This one per rule is killing me though.
 
Could get the 40% bonus for preordering a game if I already have ACIII pre-order with BB. I don't want to have to preorder another game.
Edited read YMMV in op.
 
10% stack on the 40% for GCU members?

Sorry, I've only been a member for a month, not sure how all the rules work here...
 
[quote name='MikeE021286']10% stack on the 40% for GCU members?

Sorry, I've only been a member for a month, not sure how all the rules work here...[/QUOTE]

If you had read the OP, you would see that it does indeed stack.
 
say if I really don't need/want the pre-order....and all I want to do is get the 40% + 10% trade-in.

What is the minimum I have to put down on the game? and how does it work when I want to cancel?

Example: I trade in MW3 and Skyrim and get $75 for them, then I want to cancel the pre-order. What happens here/?
 
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[quote name='MikeE021286']say if I really don't need/want the pre-order....and all I want to do is get the 40% + 10% trade-in.

What is the minimum I have to put down on the game? and how does it work when I want to cancel?

Example: I trade in MW3 and Skyrim and get $75 for them, then I want to cancel the pre-order. What happens here/?[/QUOTE]

Read the OP its all in there!
 
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