Best Buy Trade-in Thread 2.0: Please see new thread.

BudzMcGee

BudzMcGee

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At 276 pages and countless request for a new OP, it was time to retire the first Best Buy Trade-in Thread and start fresh. Thanks bh47 for your work in the previous thread (and providing the framework for this one)!

All Promotions are available in-store only, and they DO NOT stack!
Only the 10% Bonus from Gamers Club Unlocked will stack with these offers.
Please read FAQ below before asking questions!

Current Promos:
- 50% Bonus when you trade in ANY game.
Get a 50% trade in bonus when you trade in ANY game. Offer valid 01/01/12 - 01/07/12

- Trade 3, get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 30% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 01/01/12 -03/03/12

- 30% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 30% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 01/01/12 -03/03/12

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

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

Previous Promotions:
Promos that have expired:
- 50% Bonus with specific Pre-order from list.
Get a 50% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game from the following list: Halo 4, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto 5, MLB 12 The Show, Soul Calibur V, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Twisted Metal, Max Payne 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Diablo 3. Offer valid 12/25/11 - 12/31/11

- Trade 2, get 25% More.
Trade in 2 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/31/11

- 30% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 30% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/31/11
- 40% Bonus with purchase of any game $39.99 or above.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you purchase any game $39.99 or above. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/10/11

- 50% Bonus with purchase of any game $39.99 or above.
Get a 50% extra trade-in credit when you purchase any game $39.99 or above. Offer valid 11/27/11 - 12/03/11

 - Trade 3, get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 10/30/11 - 11/26/11

- 40% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer valid 10/5/11 - 11/26/11

- 40% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Saints Row 3. Offer valid 11/13/11 - 11/19/11

- 40% Bonus with Assassin's Creed Revelations Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Assassin's Creed Revelations. Offer valid 11/13/11 - 11/19/11

 - 50% Bonus with Modern Warfare 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/Purchase Modern Warfare 3. Offer valid 10/10/11 - 11/12/11 (Assuming this means a bonus for purchasing the game after it is released this Tuesday)

- 50% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Saints Row 3. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 50% Bonus with Assassin's Creed Revelations Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Assassin's Creed Revelations. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 40% Bonus with The Elder Scrolls V: Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11

- 50% Bonus with Max Payne 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Max Payne 3. Offer valid 11/6/11 - 11/12/11 - This promo seems a little odd and there is a chance it is an error on the site since the game is so far from release.

- 50% Bonus with Saints Row 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Saints Row 3. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 10/29/11

- 50% Bonus with Skyrim Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 11/05/11

 - 40% Bonus with Uncharted 3 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Uncharted 3. Offer valid 10/30/11 - 11/05/11

- 40% Bonus with Battlefield 3 Purchase.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you purchase Battlefield 3. Offer valid 10/23/11 - 10/29/11

- Trade 2, get 25% More.
Trade in 2 games or more and get 25% extra trade-in credit. Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/29/11

 - 50% Bonus with Battlefield 3 Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Battlefield 3. Offer valid 10/9/11 - 10/22/11

- 40% Bonus with purchase of Batman: Arkham City.
Get 40% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Batman: Arkham City. Offer valid 10/16/11 - 10/22/11

 - 50% Bonus with Batman: Arkham City Pre-order.
Get 50% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order Batman: Arkham City. Offer valid 10/9/11 - 10/15/11

 - 30% Bonus with Rage or NBA 2K12 Pre-order/Purchase.
Get a 30% extra trade-in Credit when you pre-order/purchase Rage or NBA 2K12. Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/08/11

- Trade 4 get an extra $20 Trade-in Credit.
Get $20 trade-in Credit when you trade 4 or more games (Current gen games only (no PS2) and $5 minimum for each game). Offer valid 10/2/11 - 10/08/11 **** This promo was cancelled early due to technical issues. There have been issues with this promo not working on some stores' systems or simply not even being available, the issue seems to be related to disc-only games (or any game that is typed rather than scanned) so plan accordingly. The $20 extra is once per trade-in, meaning 4 games or 123 games it will only be $20 extra per transaction. So if you want to trade in 8 games, do it in two separate transactions. ****

- 50% Bonus with Rage or NBA 2K12 Pre-order.
Offer was valid from 9/25 to 10/01/2011.

- 40% Bonus with Gears of War 3 Purchase.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order/purchase Gears of War 3. Offer expired 10/01/2011

- Trade 3, Get 30% More.
Trade in 3 games or more and get 30% extra trade-in credit. Offer expired 10/01/2011

- 40% Bonus with any Pre-order.
Get a 40% extra trade-in credit when you pre-order any game. Offer expired 10/01/2011

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

BEST BUY'S VIDEO GAMES TRADE-IN PAGE

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

Check which BB stores do trade-ins here.
In-store trades are now done at the Trade-In Counter at the Gaming Dept.

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

How does the get **% with pre-order bonus work?
The percentage is based on the final total of your entire trade in, so if the trade in is $100 and there is a 50% bonus your final gift card value will be $150. After trading in your games, the employee SHOULD then sell you the pre-order for $5.

How much is a pre-order at Best Buy?
Pre-ordering at Best Buy cost $5, in fact, you aren't supposed to pay any more than that (and most employees won't let you if you ask). Yes, you can use the gift card you just received from your trade-in to purchase the pre-order.

Can I cancel a pre-order and keep the bonus?
Yes, the trade-in and the pre-order are completely separate transactions. Nothing will prevent you from returning to the Best Buy canceling the pre-order and receiving a refund. Some users have claimed that they were flagged for doing this multiple times though and were denied, so be aware of how many pre-orders you are cancelling. Also keep in mind the obvious facts that this is not how the program is intended to work and over abuse will negatively affect the program long-term. Lastly, returns are tracks on a personal level by a third party. (Read: try not to cancel a bunch of pre-orders)

Do I have to cancel the pre-order at the same store where it was made?
No, this can be handled by any BBY. Don't be surprised if you get a customer service employee who says otherwise though.

Can I pre-order once and get the pre-order bonus on my next trade-in as well?
YMMV. Officially, the answer is no, but there is nothing that actually requires the employee to sell the pre-order in order to apply the bonus so if your blue shirt is in a friendly mood they may be willing. Doesn't hurt to get to know the employees at your store. That said, expect that you will have to pre-order another game and be surprised if you don't.

Can I combine a 3 games for **% and a pre-order for **% bonus?
No. Bonuses do not stack, and you must pick one or the other. The only bonus that stacks with other promotions is the 10% you receive if you are a Gamers Club Unlocked member.

How do I become a Gamers Club Unlocked member and get the 10% bonus?
Any video game section employee should be able to set you up with the GCU membership. It cost $15 and comes with a year subscription of @Gamer magazine. It will also get you a 10% bonus on trade ins and 10% off of used games (Make sure to point it out to the blue shirt doing your trade-in though as it is easy for them to skip, and they are still new to it). It can take 48 hours (or more) for GCU to show up on your Reward Zone membership.

Can I use my Best Buy gift card to purchase Amazon Kindle Gift Cards or Visa Gift Cards?
Yes, although some employees may not be aware of this and incorrectly refuse to do so. Visa Gift Cards have a $200 limit and a $6 activation fee. Amazon Gift Cards are available in $25, $50 and $100 depending on your store selection. IL does not sell Amazon Gift Cards. Yes, Kindle Gift Cards are good for anything on Amazon.

The value on the site doesn't match the store, why?
Sometimes the page may not update immediately. This is fairly rare though. The store's trade-in values are definitive though, so what they say is what you get. 99.99% of the time they will match up.

The value on the iPhone app is way off, why?
The app sucks for updating values (and some games simply don't show up), don't rely on it.

The game I want to trade isn't on the site, what gives?
While rare, there have been some games recently not showing up in the online estimator. You can always check in-store to see if the price is in their system and simply not online, but that is unlikely to be the case. When Best Buy doesn't have a game on file they can offer $1 as a generic SKU, but that's it. New releases appear to be added on Tuesday evenings. Many new releases are taking upwards of a week or more to be added to the site.

When do trade-in values update?
No one knows for sure, but major updates seem to come on Sunday and Tuesday nights (or at least have in the past). Sometimes an update will happen randomly, such as when GameStop has an advertised sale for a game well below Best Buy's trade in price.

What will be the TIV of Game X tomorrow/next week / next month/ etc
Nobody knows.

If I locked in a trade online, and the value drops, will I still get the locked in value when I mail it in?
Yes. You will get the locked in TIV as long as the item is received within 14 days of you locking it in (and the item is in the condition you described it as).

Can you lock in the price online then trade it in-store?
No.

Is there a limit to how many games I can trade in?
Officially, Best Buy only accepts 3 copies of a game, per system (i.e. you could trade in 3 copies of a game for Xbox, 3 copies for PS3 and 3 for Wii). This is for sure the online policy, but it varies in stores. Some people have reported being banned for trading in more than 3 copies of games, others have done so frequently without issue. Obviously it is YMMV, but do so at your own risk.

Can I trade game disc only, or do I need the case and manuals, too?
Best Buy accepts disc only games (for the same value as complete games). The trade in will take longer though as the employee will have to look up the games individually.

Can I trade in games that say "Not for Resale" on the back?
Yes, since the only thing that matters is the disc. Some employees will fight this though, and in that case, just trade the game in as disc-only.

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

Does the **% bonuses apply to game hardware?
No, games only.

When I do a in-store trade, I am asked: to be fingerprinted, to have my photo taken, how much I weigh, etc. What's the deal?
Pawn shop laws regulating trade-ins and resale of used goods varies from state to state or city to city. It is not Best Buy's rule, and varies from store to store depending on where you live. At a minimum you'll likely need a state ID.

I went to a store to do a trade-in and they asked for a Best Buy receipt. WTF?
Some stores are required to have receipts to accept trade-ins, again this is due to local Pawn shop laws and could vary from city to city. You can always check if the store(s) near you require a receipt on Best Buy's trade-in site.

Can I trade sealed games?
Yes. You must present your receipt for the sealed games you are trading in. It is ok if the purchase was made from another store. You do run the risk of drawing extra attention to yourself as trading in sealed products is often a sign of theft. Do not be surprised if this is questioned by an employee, or you are asked to leave, open the items and return.
 
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[quote name='chuckywang']Are you guys who are flipping from TRU to BB doing so with paying cash for games at TRU, or do you have TRU gift cards? I'd rather not spend cash to flip. I prefer flipping credit for credit.[/QUOTE]


You can purchase a pre-paid VISA Debit card to use at TRU.
 
[quote name='DerClaw']BB seems to be updating the system only on Tuesday all of a sudden, since nothing changed from last Tuesday (I don't think) until today. They also only posted half of the games that came out last tuesday on last tuesday, so I have no idea what they are doing. I assume BAC would have that 28-30 TIV, but if it's not going to be in the system until next Tuesday it's hard to tell what it will be.[/QUOTE]


They typically update on Saturday's and Tuesdays (early morning). About half the time there is a delay of about a week between when a game comes out and when it appears on the TIV estimator. Who knows why. Might be intentional, might just be that they can't keep up, which of course means that come November where each week has like 8 releases they'll be screwed.
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']Cause they can deny trade ins for any reason. Nothing screams "I'm trying to screw the system" than walking in with multiple games sealed.

I realize it may be fine to do with receipt, but most people are trying to keep BBY in the dark for as long as possible. Also the employees and especially the managers remember things like that. When tradin in multiples of one game it's better to just fly under the radar.[/QUOTE]

I see what you are saying.... but (and a big butt it is)... if you think that trading multiple copies of the same title "unsealed" is keeping BB less in the dark then sealed copies of the same you are in IMO sadly mistaken. That is only the case if you happen to have a tard at the counter. They see it all day long for one as YOU are not the only one trading in said titles as seen just by this site alone. That and do you really believe that even if you are the rare one for your store on said title that seeing you bring in and trade three copies of the same game that they actually think you just happen to OWN three copies that you opened and kept for personal use?

Like I said unless you have a totally oblivious tard you are not fooling anyone or keeping anyone in the dark.

Sorry just the facts of life. ;) :)

Edit update: I should say though that just on a recent transaction I did run into two tards at two different stores. So tards at BB are not that uncommon.
 
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[quote name='SyxxHallNash']Anyone know when they update the Trade in Estimator? I have 2 copies of Batman:Arkham City sitting here. 1 from K-Mart (had a $20 credit, got an additional $30 credit for buying Batman:AC) and my Best Buy copy with the Robin DLC. Since the bar codes are different I can't just use the DLC and return the K-Mart copy to Best Buy, so I was hoping to get a good amount for trade in credit. Otherwise I'll just return the BB copy and get the DLC later. Since they were offering $29 for a $40 Kinect dance game I was hoping for close to $40 trade in for a brand new Batman: AC game. With the 50% bonus you'd pretty much break even.[/QUOTE]

I can officially say, as i was told by their employee just yesterday when trading in jd3, that their TIV on new releases are always $29-30.
 
[quote name='cheapfrag']Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 bundle (PS3 & XB) with gun has been clearanced at Toys R Us for $9.98. I bought 3 PS3 bundles for $21.36 (after B2G1 Free and tax). I then traded 2 of the PS3 games to BB for $9 each for a total of $24.30 (after 25% bonus). So I got the game and 3 guns for a profit of $2.94.

But if someone wanted to flip them, you can double your money with the 50% promo ($9x3 = 27x1.6= $43.20)[/QUOTE]

Thanks for info.I bought 3 of them then traded all the games in. Too bad Gamestop doesn't take the guns for trading in.
 
[quote name='NeverGrewUp']I can officially say, as i was told by their employee just yesterday when trading in jd3, that their TIV on new releases are always $29-30.[/QUOTE]

While I agree with the information stated, you can not take anything a BB employee says as "official". 90% of the time a CAG knows more than they do about Best Buy prices, rules and systems.
 
[quote name='JungleRot']I see what you are saying.... but (and a big butt it is)... if you think that trading multiple copies of the same title "unsealed" is keeping BB less in the dark then sealed copies of the same you are in IMO sadly mistaken. That is only the case if you happen to have a tard at the counter. They see it all day long for one as YOU are not the only one trading in said titles as seen just by this site alone. That and do you really believe that even if you are the rare one for your store on said title that seeing you bring in and trade three copies of the same game that they actually think you just happen to OWN three copies that you opened and kept for personal use?

Like I said unless you have a totally oblivious tard you are not fooling anyone or keeping anyone in the dark.

Sorry just the facts of life. ;) :)

Edit update: I should say though that just on a recent transaction I did run into two tards at two different stores. So tards at BB are not that uncommon.[/QUOTE]

With trading in unopened games, Like you said I could care less about the idiot employee behind the counter doing the trade in. What I am worried about is 2 things.

1) that walk in the door while getting stickered to the trade in counter. As the managers spend a majority of the time up front having a bunch of sealed games kinda draws attention.

2) the idiot employee having to ask on their coms if they can accept sealed games.

The only people that can/will do anything are managers so I try to keep those people in the dark as mich as possible.
 
[quote name='ceve2001']Do you know how the Nightwing code works? The guy who rang me up asked if I wanted to buy the DLC for Nightwing for $6.99, so I said yeah. I got charge for it, but how does that work? I wonder if they're going to send me the code through e-mail.

Also, at my midnight release. You get the option of getting a free shirt or poster. I chose the shirt.[/QUOTE]

Um.. im not entirely sure. But the ones that won the raffle last night were told to write down their email address and that they would get an email with the code on or before nov. 1st.
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']I don't see what trading in sealed games accomplishes. The values stay the same and you will only end up looking suspicious[/QUOTE]

Their reasoning is if they don't accept you trading in that copy then you can return it to the original store with receipt.
 
yeah even I can't understand why people want to trade in sealed games. The TIV's are known before hand or you can check them from your phone or whatever, so either you are fine with the TIV or not. If you are not then return the sealed game but if you are fine with it then tear off the packaging and trade it in.
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']Their reasoning is if they don't accept you trading in that copy then you can return it to the original store with receipt.[/QUOTE]

Ohh so are people trying to trade in games that don't have an estimate online?
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']I don't see what trading in sealed games accomplishes. The values stay the same and you will only end up looking suspicious[/QUOTE]

It hedges your losses if you get one rejected due to any unforseen reasons (drop in TIVs, confused employees, etc). If you open them and they get rejected, you can't return them to the original store.

I normally check to make sure the TIVs are current as of the day I trade. I have only traded one unopened game (Children of Eden) recently and I don't recall having a problem.
 
[quote name='arsenal_fan']Ohh so are people trying to trade in games that don't have an estimate online?[/QUOTE]

No. Stores can deny a trade for any reason. Some won't allow you to do multiples, some just like to give you crap. Luckily mine aren't like this and I always open games before going in.

But I could see why some would want to trade in sealed if the store was a PITA. still think it would draw too much unneeded attention for my tastes, but can at least see where they come from.
 
Oh, and to look a bit into the future, I wonder if at some point, BB is going to pull a BBV. Meaning if they get too many traded copies, that it will be mgr discretion to stop taking trades on a particular title.
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']I don't see what trading in sealed games accomplishes. The values stay the same and you will only end up looking suspicious[/QUOTE]
Multiple copies of the same game makes you look suspicions too.
 
[quote name='jacknicklson']No they are just covering their ass in case they are denied the trade for whatever reason[/QUOTE]

Hmm ok. Also, I think Best buy has an android app that can scan games and pull up the TIV on your phone. If it pulls up a TIV there I can't foresee a scenario where the trade will be rejected unless of course someone has traded in multiple copies and are banned for whatever reason.
 
[quote name='Evolved']Multiple copies of the same game makes you look suspicions too.[/QUOTE]

You are indeed playing with fire with multiples of 3 but it is exciting if you manage to get it without problems :)
 
[quote name='arsenal_fan']Hmm ok. Also, I think Best buy has an android app that can scan games and pull up the TIV on your phone. If it pulls up a TIV there I can't foresee a scenario where the trade will be rejected unless of course someone has traded in multiple copies and are banned for whatever reason.[/QUOTE]

The apps for android and apple aren't accurate. So I never use them. Great concept but it lags in updated TiVs.
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']The apps for android and apple aren't accurate. So I never use them. Great concept but it lags in updated TiVs.[/QUOTE]
You're right it does sometimes lag but I use it a fair amount and most times it's right one with the prices.

I've only received a different value in store once so far.
 
[quote name='Evolved']Multiple copies of the same game makes you look suspicions too.[/QUOTE]

True. But its easier to explain multiple used copies. I have plenty in my collection at home as when games get to a good buy price I buy 2 so me and my wife can coop/MP on them. Also have plenty of multiples due to friends giving them to me.

Not saying multiples don't draw attention. Just unopened games, let alone multiple unopened games would garnish more attention in my opinion.
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']True. But its easier to explain multiple used copies. I have plenty in my collection at home as when games get to a good buy price I buy 2 so me and my wife can coop/MP on them. Also have plenty of multiples due to friends giving them to me.

Not saying multiples don't draw attention. Just unopened games, let alone multiple unopened games would garnish more attention in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

Definitely
 
Think I'm going to trade in RAGE towards BF3 tomorrow. Rage is a pretty decent game but it looks like it'll net 45 bucks now towards BF3 and I have a $10 rz cert. I know I can get Rage a lot cheaper sooner than I can BF3.
 
[quote name='Evolved']You're right it does sometimes lag but I use it a fair amount and most times it's right one with the prices.

I've only received a different value in store once so far.[/QUOTE]

They probably have gotten better. I was an early adopter of the apple one and it seemed like 1/10 was off. Stopped using it after I got screwed on it once. Hope they get it with real updating then it would be awesome.
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']I don't see what trading in sealed games accomplishes. The values stay the same and you will only end up looking suspicious[/QUOTE]

You are not Trading in SEALED games. You verify "to hedge your losses" as another poster put it, then YOU open the Games and trade them in. NP.

[quote name='Evolved']Multiple copies of the same game makes you look suspicions too.[/QUOTE]

That is exactly right. It makes NO difference as far as keeping them in the dark.
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']They probably have gotten better. I was an early adopter of the apple one and it seemed like 1/10 was off. Stopped using it after I got screwed on it once. Hope they get it with real updating then it would be awesome.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it was bad early on. Seems like they fixed things.
 
I know that I cannot take sealed games into the Gresham BB for trade in. Lesson learned but I just wanted to make sure I was protected.
 
I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
[quote name='JungleRot']You are not Trading in SEALED games. You verify "to hedge your losses" as another poster put it, then YOU open the Games and trade them in. NP.


[/QUOTE]

Bringing in 3 sealed of the same game raises eyebrows.

How hard is it to check the trade in estimator? Or if you're really paranoid, go inside, ask for the value and say "i left it in my car, i'll brb."?
 
[quote name='JungleRot']I think the "sealed/ unsealed" subject is mostly YMMV. As both sides have valid points as why or why not.[/QUOTE]

I think it freaks some people out and it increases the chances of having problems, such that the "benefit" of being able to return them is outweighed by the fact that they might chose to "any reason" you and refuse to take the games because they are sealed. So you are increasing your % chance of needing to return the games anyway.

It's allowed, so if people want to do it, then go ahead, I just think that people are making it harder on themselves, unless they have a store where they know the manager is on board with sealed trade ins.
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
Of course the TIV of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 plunges from 16 to 8 today, which is the day my $10 copy came in the mail from Gamefly. Nice...real nice.
 
[quote name='Evolved']Multiple copies of the same game makes you look suspicions too.[/QUOTE]

Traded in 3 copies of Just Dance 3 last night that I got from the TRU sale, right before the value dropped. I got asked, "Are you a video game tester too?"

Sure...
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
[quote name='rey6eric']Same thing happened to me when I tried trading in 3 Madden 11's last month. I just told him I'm a collector but Im pretty sure he didn't buy it. I try and split my trade ins between 2 bestbuys to prevent akward situations like those.[/QUOTE]
I usually split it up so it's never more than two of the same game. There are, about, 5 BBY with in 30 mins of me so it's not any extra work.


But you could say you bought them as part of a b2g1 sale and you're trading in the other two to off set the cost of the one you kept.
 
[quote name='confoosious']Bringing in 3 sealed of the same game raises eyebrows.

How hard is it to check the trade in estimator? Or if you're really paranoid, go inside, ask for the value and say "i left it in my car, i'll brb."?[/QUOTE]

3 copies of anything sealed or not raises eyebrows. I never bring more than 2 at once, and I usually try to avoid that as well.

I've never taken sealed games in but I could see this reason for doing so: their flaky trade-in system. I know it was "down" frequently when I was first trading at Best Buy. And even though I was "assured' the trade-in values wouldn't drop that much in just a day (when I had to go back to see if it was working again) I know better (and in fact one of the games I had one time this happened dropped a ton). Then there are times when maybe no one there knows how to trade - I've almost run into this (guy was at lunch or something but then just came back).

Unlike GS, there are a lot of other issues that can impact your ability to trade and so that is one reason why I can see keeping things sealed.
 
[quote name='musicjunkie']
The sealed thing can be kind of strange esp if its a game that just came out atleast to a less knowledgeable employee. I've seen a fair share of people who are clearly not gamers/CAGs would trade-in 3 of the same title the day it came out if not a day after and asking about cash back (so they are clearly unaware there is no cash option, just mail check) and then don't want to take advantage of a pre-order promo.[/QUOTE]

Now, coming in day or release with 3 sealed games and asking for cash-only and not being interested in a trade-in promo is an ENORMOUS red flag that that person is dealing with stolen merch. I would deny that trade-in all day long!

I've never seen this at Best Buy but I have definitely seen it at Gamestop. When the Wii first came out I was in a GS store waiting to trade and this guy in front of my had 2 or 3 Wii remotes (remember when they were actually hard to find?). Granted, they weren't sealed, but I could tell the clerks were a little suspicious. Of course he wanted cash at 20% less than store credit. After the transaction they told him he couldn't bring in any more. They told me afterwards that he had been bringing them in all week :lol:.
 
[quote name='confoosious']Bringing in 3 sealed of the same game raises eyebrows.

How hard is it to check the trade in estimator? Or if you're really paranoid, go inside, ask for the value and say "i left it in my car, i'll brb."?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Jimmienoman']True. But its easier to explain multiple used copies. I have plenty in my collection at home as when games get to a good buy price I buy 2 so me and my wife can coop/MP on them. Also have plenty of multiples due to friends giving them to me.

Not saying multiples don't draw attention. Just unopened games, let alone multiple unopened games would garnish more attention in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

I agree, and can verify trading multiple unsealed games can be done with no eyebrow raising whatsoever. (then again, the people who says it's YMMV, it's also right. You could always run into a blue shirt with an ongoing power trip). What I've done so far, when trading multiple UNSEALED copies of the same game, is simply wait until I have 4 or 5 DIFFERENT games to trade as well and bring them all at once in a stack so the repeated copies blend better in the pile. Then, I just hand the pile of games to the blue shirt stacked in the following order, being game A, the one with the multiple copies:

Game A
Game B
Game C
Game A
Game D
Game E
Game A
Game F

Most of the time, the blue shirt just sets the pile in the counter upside down and starts scanning the upcs from the back of the cases and doesn't even check the condition of the actual discs. He just checks the dics are inside the cases once he has scanned them. Now, if game A were to be sealed, that would totally fuck up his flow since he wouldn't be able to keep his assembly line like pace, where he scans and checks all the games in a seamless non stop motion. Now, I can't help to feel like I'm Steve Irwin watching the mating patterns of an endangered species in the wild and peeking from behind the bushes so it doesn't get startled. In this case, the exotic animal being the blue shirt, and its behavior in its natural habitat being one of the topics we discuss here. Maybe us cags are naturalists at heart? Shake in your boots Sir David Attenborough!
 
Listen to musicjunkie. Nothing wrong with the truth. My local stores know me and my game. My trades are silky smooth. They tell me about upcoming deals and other tips. I got the Dark Souls CE held for me while everyone else with a pre-order missed out. All because I have a good relationship with my stores :cool:
 
The guys talking about bringing in sealed games to trade remind me of the dudes in that pawn shop show on cable who bring in laptops without the power cord and when the owner asks about the specs, they're like 'it's a laptop man!' bottom line, multiple sealed copies don't 'look' too good
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']With trading in unopened games, Like you said I could care less about the idiot employee behind the counter doing the trade in. What I am worried about is 2 things.

1) that walk in the door while getting stickered to the trade in counter. As the managers spend a majority of the time up front having a bunch of sealed games kinda draws attention.

2) the idiot employee having to ask on their coms if they can accept sealed games.

The only people that can/will do anything are managers so I try to keep those people in the dark as mich as possible.[/QUOTE]

and that sums it all up in a nutshell. Nothing screams theft more than walking into a store and wanting to trade in 3 games released no more than 1 week ago that are still sealed. You draw attention to yourself, you run a higher risk of the employee calling a manager for approval. If the manager does come over and you explain that you got the games and just want to trade them in because the TIV is so good, you also run a higher risk of them telling you that you can't trade in all 3. While you may still get a successful flip you run the risk of causing yourselves more headaches than necessary by bringing in 3 sealed, 1 week old games into the store for trade
 
[quote name='dgwillia006']I remember trading in 3 copies of PS Move Heroes (When it was still near its peak value). The guy kept asking me "Is there a reason why you are trading in 3 copies of the same game?"

Had no idea what to say
 
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