Best Buy Trade-in 4.0 - see new thread (5.0)!

BudzMcGee

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At nearly 300 pages it was time for a new thread. You can view the previous thread here!

THIS THREAD OP IS NO LONGER ACTIVELY UPDATED WITH NEW PROMOS.

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, and it definitely does stack despite what some employees will say.

Please read FAQ below before asking questions!


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)

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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 may be done in the Gaming Dept or at customer service depending on the store.

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F.A.Q. Best Buy has a short FAQ here.

How does the **% bonus TIV 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.

How does the 10% Gamers Club Unlocked bonus work?
The 10% bonus for Gamers Club Unlocked members is calculated from the base trade in value. So in the above example, a $100 trade would get an extra $10 with the GCU membership bonus. So if there was a 50% trade in bonus it would be $100 base, $10 Gamers Club Unlocked bonus and $50 TIV bonus for a grand total of $160.

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 (which typically has a couple of great coupons every month). 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.

I didn't get my 10% bonus or the employee said it doesn't stack, what gives?
As of September 2012 the trade in system at Best Buy was updated, and employees seem to be having a hard time making sure that they add the GCU bonus. It should be added immediately after they scan your games, and before they take your personal information. You also should always try to know your full trade in value with bonuses before going to the store so that if the price is different you can identify it immediately. The 10% bonus definitely does stack with any TIV promo (100%, 50%, it doesn't matter). All the Gamers Club Unlocked pamphlets say so, as does the website, and are a great place to point to if an employee or a manager tells you otherwise.

Do we get Reward Zone points for trade-ins??
Yes. You get one point for every pre-bonus dollar traded in. So if your TIV was $100 before bonuses, you get 100 Reward Zone points. Gamers Club Unlocked members (and possibly standard Gamers Club members) get double points for everything gaming, including trade-ins. So in the same example you would wind up with 200 Reward Zone points. To get Reward Zone points you must have them include your Reward Zone membership information (easiest to look up by phone number) with your trade-in (this is required for the Gamers Club Unlocked bonus anyway).

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. Some states, or even localities (county, city, etc.) may not allow the sale of 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 often sucks for updating values (and some games simply don't show up), don't rely on it if you don't have to.

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 (as in, it is possible that has never been 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 99% of the time. 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 and honestly, Best Buy probably doesn't trust their employees to make sure all the extra content is included. 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 at an atypical time, 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, and busier stores are more likely to have employees that have done more trade ins and know the rules.

Does Best Buy accept game hardware?
Currently Best Buy only accepts various versions of the Nintendo DS in store, but 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 government issued ID (passport, drivers license, military ID, etc.).

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. It is their right to do so.

How does the get **% with pre-order bonus work?
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.

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.).

 
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[quote name='anarchyoblivion']Wow, the guy at my BB store let a customer trade in 3x Dishonored Xbox 360, 3x Dishonored PS3, 3x Resident Evil 6 Xbox 360, and 3x Resident Evil 6 PS3. All had no cases.

Yep, those aren't stolen at all. When asked why he had multiples, he replied "I like buying extra copies and copies for each system".[/QUOTE]

So he spent all of that money for those games at msrp just to trade them in ? Red box theif confirmed
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']So he spent all of that money for those games at msrp just to trade them in ? Red box theif confirmed[/QUOTE]
it is probably a sder, if you read their bestbuy b2g1 thread. it is their idea of making a "profit"
 
[quote name='TheEliminator62']Anyone know the trade in value of Uncharted 3 GOTY? I tried searching online but they don't seem to have it up. Just seeing if anyone has traded it in yet.[/QUOTE]

Same as vanilla which is like $5 base.
 
[quote name='YBX87']it is probably a sder, if you read their bestbuy b2g1 thread. it is their idea of making a "profit"[/QUOTE]

Profit ? I dont see how. For ex, 3 re6 with tax will cost you 130$ with the b2g1 and each copy trades in for 40$ or so which adds up to 120. you acually loose 10$
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']Profit ? I dont see how. For ex, 3 re6 with tax will cost you 130$ with the b2g1 and each copy trades in for 40$ or so which adds up to 120. you acually loose 10$[/QUOTE]Did you miss the part where this was probably an SDer? :roll:
 
[quote name='YBX87']it is probably a sder, if you read their bestbuy b2g1 thread. it is their idea of making a "profit"[/QUOTE]

Wow, I just started reading the SD page after reading your post. What the fuck man. What the fucking fuck? There's a lot of talk on there about how to return 2 of the 3 games and keep the 3rd one for free. Where do these guys draw the line?

[quote name='strait edge follower']Profit ? I dont see how. For ex, 3 re6 with tax will cost you 130$ with the b2g1 and each copy trades in for 40$ or so which adds up to 120. you acually loose 10$[/QUOTE]

Maybe they think "profit" is in the measly reward zone points they'll get in 30 days? I don't know. Since I discovered CAG, I've flipped games to BBV, Amazon, BB, GS, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']Did you miss the part where this was probably an SDer? :roll:[/QUOTE]

Im not to familiar with how they work but if they are doing this then wow smh. If they are gonna flip at least so it right lmao
 
[quote name='anarchyoblivion']Wow, the guy at my BB store let a customer trade in 3x Dishonored Xbox 360, 3x Dishonored PS3, 3x Resident Evil 6 Xbox 360, and 3x Resident Evil 6 PS3. All had no cases.

Yep, those aren't stolen at all. When asked why he had multiples, he replied "I like buying extra copies and copies for each system".[/QUOTE]

Legit.
 
Hey has anyone tried trading in the Forza 4 Essentials Edition yet? Even if it's the same trade value as the vanilla version (currently $14) I'd definitely trade it in (I'd rather play NFS Most Wanted anyway).

I'll try it this weekend and report my findings.
 
Traded in Dance Central 2 since my DC3 has everything imported now. Got 8$ for it (16$ after bonus) and priced matched lollipop chainsaw on amazon for 19.99. Paid a little over 5$ out of pocket for it. Good deal for me.
 
I'm trying to prepare for Black Friday by amassing as much Best Buy credit as possible while the 100% is going on- I remember Best Buy having the best deals last year, so I'm choosing BB for my Backlog cleansing needs...what is the earliest we might find out about BF deals?
 
[quote name='wpress']I'm trying to prepare for Black Friday by amassing as much Best Buy credit as possible while the 100% is going on- I remember Best Buy having the best deals last year, so I'm choosing BB for my Backlog cleansing needs...what is the earliest we might find out about BF deals?[/QUOTE]

Bfads.net is a nice site
 
[quote name='shadowkast']Bfads.net is a nice site[/QUOTE]

You can also check out: dealnews.com They have a whole section devoted to BF and they have expected dates of when the BF ads will appear on their site. Historically, they have been very accurate.

Also, you can sign up for emails for specific deals. I am alerted for all Xbox 360 deals. Finally, I am in NO way associated with this site. I just like it! :bouncy:
 
So u can trade in up to 3 copies of the same game at the same time? Five below had deca sports extreme for $5 and it trades in at best buy for $8 base so $16.80 with with gamers club unlocked and 100% bonus so I might do this for 3 copies.
 
[quote name='Outlaw1986']So u can trade in up to 3 copies of the same game at the same time? Five below had deca sports extreme for $5 and it trades in at best buy for $8 base so $16.80 with with gamers club unlocked and 100% bonus so I might do this for 3 copies.[/QUOTE]

The policy states that, yet they may still ban you for doing that...I would try not to do it personally.
 
exactly, take a friend, sibling or bf/gf, when trading in two games i usually bring my bro and we talk for a sec then he goes around when the best buy rep sees him.

"oh you both bought it for co-op" , "Yup we always do"

*hears police sirens* :p


will try to get a couple deca extremes tomorrow, also have a rayman to trade from the huge sale a few months back.
 
[quote name='milehighshooter']i just traded Medal of Honor i finished the story got to level 15 in multiplayer done with it!

got $42 for it[/QUOTE]
Will probably take mine in early next week. Multiplayer isn't good and I'm currently half way through the campaign after around 3 hours.
 
[quote name='milehighshooter']i just traded Medal of Honor i finished the story got to level 15 in multiplayer done with it!

got $42 for it[/QUOTE]

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I'm maybe halfway through the story and have played a couple hours online. I think the MP is decent but it will go on the shelf when Halo 4 hits so I might as well get as many achievements as I can then get my BB credit back towards AC3.
 
[quote name='hypertails02']Hey has anyone tried trading in the Forza 4 Essentials Edition yet? Even if it's the same trade value as the vanilla version (currently $14) I'd definitely trade it in (I'd rather play NFS Most Wanted anyway).

I'll try it this weekend and report my findings.[/QUOTE]

They gave me $17, before bonuses today.
 
I tried to trade in some games today - they told me the server was down nationwide for trade ins. I called another store and they said the same thing... This was around 12:30 PM.

They suggested that I trade them at online at bestbuy.com. I looked at it - I don't think you get any of the bonuses there - no 100% nor 10% or gamers unlocked (not that I've been getting that the last few times without having to call customer service later...)
 
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[quote name='Kerplunkuga']I tried to trade in some games today - they told me the server was down nationwide for trade ins. I called another store and they said the same thing... This was around 12:30 PM.

They suggested that I trade them at online at bestbuy.com. I looked at it - I don't think you get any of the bonuses there - no 100% nor 10% or gamers unlocked (not that I've been getting that the last few times without having to call customer service later...)[/QUOTE]The exact same thing happened to me today (around 11-11:30am EST), though it wasn't just down for trade-ins from what I heard but the entire employee access system (not sure what it's actually called, ETK?). The employee who was trying to help me was very apologetic (he's one of two gaming employees who know me and frequently process my trade-ins), used the back of some blank receipt paper to write the amount I should have received for the games I brought in and sign his name (I wrote down the values before I came into the store and had them handy in a notebook I carry around), and said to come back another day when the system was working to hopefully get the value I would have gotten today.

If the values hold through Sunday, I probably won't need his paper, but it's cool to know he would go to such lengths to ensure I get the credit I should. :applause:
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']hope that this gets taken care of soon[/QUOTE]

Well, as irritated as I was about going to BB and then the system being down, I guess it could have been good fortune for me - I had never seen the person at the trade in counter who was working when I got there. First words out of her mouth - "I don't really know how to do trade ins... They make me really anxious." She then spends 5 minutes going over all my games with a microscope pretty much. Finally the manager she called over walks up and says "The systems down - you know that. We can't do any trade ins anyway..."

I don't think I've ever had one trade in/store pick up experience that went smoothly.

:roll:
 
Good thing I checked this thread before going to best buy, now I wont have to carry 10+ games and waste gas today. Hopefully the 100% bonus does last another week or i'll be pretty mad.
 
[quote name='Kablasia']Good thing I checked this thread before going to best buy, now I wont have to carry 10+ games and waste gas today. Hopefully the 100% bonus does last another week or i'll be pretty mad.[/QUOTE]

I'm just hoping the trade in values hold until the system comes back up. I'll be a sad panda if the games I was looking to get rid of today significantly drop before I can trade them in.
 
argh went to trade in MoH and system was down, god i hope tiv doesn't drop. i just beat this last night and got most of the trophies, i dont want to be stuck with this game...
 
[quote name='J7.']Their site indicates text that reads "Gran Turismo 5" (no XL or Collectors Edition). However, the picture for that text is of the Collectors Edition. So are they giving the $ value for GT 5 vanilla, GT 5 Collector's Edition, or both? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...sc&sc=gameToySP&newsearch=newsearch&platform=[/QUOTE]

They will treat copies of vanilla GT5 or XL as the same. The image thing is screwed up for a bunch of other games as well, most notably the :ps3: version of Black Ops which shows the CE.

As far as bundled games go, with a "Not For Resale" label instead of a UPC... I don't know if they accept them or not. You could always try to trade it in without the cover art but that will be YMMV depending on your store's trade-in policy on game condition.
 
damn brought in 23 games to trade in but system was down. pretty much go trade in games every couple of days and this is first time this has happen:cry:
 
bleh system was in and out while i was trading in two decas at best buy and the guy was not even a person from the game department and kept bitching that i was trading in two so he only let me do one.

sucks to trade in the night when the game guys leave, oh well, will go to another best buy tomorrow and trade it.

watch the tiv plummet :(
 
I did a trade like an hour ago, so only some stores seem to be down still. The base value is the same as it was online.
 
well, if it make you guys feel any better. bb rarely update their tiv on fridays, lol. It is mostly Sunday, monday, and tuesday, when they do update the tiv. UNless the game was on dotd sale.
 
[quote name='YBX87']well, if it make you guys feel any better. bb rarely update their tiv on fridays, lol. It is mostly Sunday, monday, and tuesday, when they do update the tiv. UNless the game was on dotd sale.[/QUOTE]

That actually does. I saw posts on here about Best Buy's system being down and I called at least four different stores in my area. ALL were down. :(
 
[quote name='ral1121']Damn it, Black Ops takes another dip!!


$17 to $11 to $9[/QUOTE]

it was actually $8 a few nights ago IIRC
 
I'm hoping that a bunch of stuff doesn't tank. I was at my store for 45 minutes before the guy gave up and apologized for not being able to submit my trade in.
 
[quote name='perfectsil']Just traded in 5 games, guy said their system was down til couple hours ago. Tiv didn't change[/QUOTE]

Black Ops dropped a few dollars. Though everything else I had planned on trading in is the same.
 
Well, some of my tivs tanked while the system was down. Awesome. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I will be hanging onto a few of these i guess.
 
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