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

BudzMcGee

BudzMcGee

CAGiversary!
Feedback
3 (100%)
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.

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

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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
[quote name='Joseph Condello']So let me get this straight. I used the BB estimator and it said my games total were $80. So now technicality with this 50% more deal I have $160 towards any game of my choosing. So I can walk in there tomorrow and pick up MW3 and Elder Scrolls and still have a difference left over? Just want to clarify this before I walk down there in the next half hour.[/QUOTE]


Bad math there buddy...the bonus is 50%, not 100%! 50% bonus on $80 is $40...making a total of $120.
 
[quote name='Joseph Condello']So let me get this straight. I used the BB estimator and it said my games total were $80. So now technicality with this 50% more deal I have $160 towards any game of my choosing. So I can walk in there tomorrow and pick up MW3 and Elder Scrolls and still have a difference left over? Just want to clarify this before I walk down there in the next half hour.[/QUOTE]

Yep, that would work, however, you need to check your math since it is wrong.
 
[quote name='backseatdog']Yep, that would work, however, you need to check your math since it is wrong.[/QUOTE]\

My bad. That was my dream deal 100% credit. So I would have $120. Thanks , man. haha
 
[quote name='Joseph Condello']\

My bad. That was my dream deal 100% credit. So I would have $120. Thanks , man. haha[/QUOTE]

If you spend $15 and get an unlocked membership (which gives you a @gamer mag sub which has usefull coupons, 10% bonus on tradeins, 10% oFf used games, a packet sent to you in about 2 months that gives you a b2g1 free coupon along with 5 other coupons and some other stuff )

That 10% bonus will give you an additional $8 making out of pocket for the sub only being $7.
 
[quote name='stoned99']He may have been misinformed about the closing of BBY U.K[/QUOTE]

Oh no I told him I heard news about BBY UK closing down and he said in the states the gaming department is being closed down.

It's whatever. I don't understand why these low-ranking GS employees even care about their corporation losing business to BBY.
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Unlocked memberships have taken awhile to update properly so he may not get the 10% bonus for them.[/QUOTE]

They now have an "honor system" check box, just like they do with game preorders.

In other words if your gaming specialists are smart at all (which sometimes is far fetched at BBY) then he knows that he can manually add the 10% bonus by checking a box saying that you are going to purchase the membership once you are done trading in. This giving you the bonus instantly.

I kmow they have this because my unlocked has been messed up for 2 months and they have been using this method as a workaround so I can get my bonus until they straighten out my membership (which mike did btw, I love that guy)
 
[quote name='Jimmienoman']They now have an "honor system" check box, just like they do with game preorders.

In other words if your gaming specialists are smart at all (which sometimes is far fetched at BBY) then he knows that he can manually add the 10% bonus by checking a box saying that you are going to purchase the membership once you are done trading in. This giving you the bonus instantly.

I kmow they have this because my unlocked has been messed up for 2 months and they have been using this method as a workaround so I can get my bonus until they straighten out my membership (which mike did btw, I love that guy)[/QUOTE]

Interesting good thing they have that option then. I was one of the lucky ones that it rang up fine for me the first time I paid for my membership. Btw thanks for staying on top of things on behalf of cag over on the BB forums. You and Enuf have been on it.
 
Drove by my local GS to see a line of kids hanging out for Skyrim. I understand different places have specials, people have credit etc. But with the trade in bonuses at BB, why is anyone sitting out in the cold when they can go in the store and wait at BB and probably wind up with a better deal.
 
[quote name='Loxias']Drove by my local GS to see a line of kids hanging out for Skyrim. I understand different places have specials, people have credit etc. But with the trade in bonuses at BB, why is anyone sitting out in the cold when they can go in the store and wait at BB and probably wind up with a better deal.[/QUOTE]

Ignorance is bliss, until you realize the grass is greener at BBY.

Obviously not CAGs
 
I'm heading to BBY for Skyrim tonight. I don't usually go to these midnight releases but I'm super excited for this game.

Will the store be open prior to midnight so I can trade in some games? I have about 40 games to flip and I don't want to inconvenience other people waiting for the game or employees who want to go home.
 
[quote name='IamCaleb']I'm heading to BBY for Skyrim tonight. I don't usually go to these midnight releases but I'm super excited for this game.

Will the store be open prior to midnight so I can trade in some games? I have about 40 games to flip and I don't want to inconvenience other people waiting for the game or employees who want to go home.[/QUOTE]

You might wanna try getting there earlier. Not sure if they do trade-in's this late, i always tried to do it before closing.

Though, they try to speed people in and out of the store, so you'd probally get way fewer angry looks if you go early xD.
 
I was in the line for MW3's midnight release and someone brought games with them to trade towards it and they took them, so it looks like they accept trade ins even during midnight releases. I'd call first if you actually try this, though.
 
my bb no longer does game trade ins in the gaming dept. they moved the trade in scanner/register thing to customer service. i probably won't trade in there anymore since 1/2 the reason why i went there was because of the employees in the gaming dept.
 
[quote name='PrinnyOtaku']
It's whatever. I don't understand why these low-ranking GS employees even care about their corporation losing business to BBY.[/QUOTE]

uhhh cause maybe they like having a job?
 
[quote name='technicalstylez']my bb no longer does game trade ins in the gaming dept. they moved the trade in scanner/register thing to customer service. i probably won't trade in there anymore since 1/2 the reason why i went there was because of the employees in the gaming dept.[/QUOTE]
That's weird so they are going back to the way it originally started out by doing tradeins at CS again?
 
[quote name='stoned99']So the new way to make the BBY folks happy is to exchange old preorders for new ones , especially the games they need preorders for.[/QUOTE]

care to explain a little more?
 
Probably something to do with boosting the newest preorder games numbers. You know how the employees get free games if they hit certain numbers, and if you wait a few weeks after the preorder is released and cancel it, I guess it does not affect those games already given free to the employees.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']So there's yet another way BB has adopted the GS biz model for their trade program.:roll:[/QUOTE]

Yeah, anything that the employees can do to benefit themselves, why not. Free games for them, free BB credit for us, all until BB realizes this and puts a stop to it one way or another.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='nakanenui']Probably something to do with boosting the newest preorder games numbers. You know how the employees get free games if they hit certain numbers, and if you wait a few weeks after the preorder is released and cancel it, I guess it does not affect those games already given free to the employees.[/QUOTE]

okay, say I have MW3 preordered and I have no intention of picking it up. Is it possible to move the said preorder, to say the new zelda game (is that even possible?). Will that help them or is that a no-no and I risk getting red flagged.
 
[quote name='nakanenui']Probably something to do with boosting the newest preorder games numbers. You know how the employees get free games if they hit certain numbers, and if you wait a few weeks after the preorder is released and cancel it, I guess it does not affect those games already given free to the employees.[/QUOTE]
So there's yet another way BB has adopted the GS biz model for their trade program.:roll:
 
How many cancellations or 'preorder transfers' have you done? Onesie Twosie, I figure no problem. Once you get above ten (more like above 5), then you are possibly looking at a ban. I will let you know since I am already in that range (cancelled 6 and moved 2, but some were 1-2 weeks after the game came out).
 
My god man, why not just eat the $5 cost, at the very least? The 50-60% bonus that the little $5 preorder gets you is more than worth it; a cost of business, if you will. Do you really want to risk a ban for $30, when the bonus probably got you hundreds more in credit?
 
[quote name='backseatdog']okay, say I have MW3 preordered and I have no intention of picking it up. Is it possible to move the said preorder, to say the new zelda game (is that even possible?). Will that help them or is that a no-no and I risk getting red flagged.[/QUOTE]

You could move the preorder or just cancel it if you wanted to take advantage of TIV Bonus on Zelda by doing the Trade & preorder. If anything, when you go to buy something take your purchase to Customer Service and have them transfer your preorder money to pay part of what you are buying.

No one really knows how the bans work, it is all speculation. On the BB receipt I got today when I cancelled my preorders for Rage and NBA2k12, it says that they are collecting information on us which is why they require ID. Tracking returns will help them weed out (ban) the non-profitable customers (flippers, serial returners, etc). Last couple years they started with the ID to limit returns without receipt to 2 per year. I do not even think they do return without receipt any more, and who knows what kind of data they are collecting. If that data ever gets compromised, they will have DL#, CC#, etc.
 
I just got back from BBY and had no problem trading in my 45 games. All the gaming employees know me by name now, so they bumped me up to the front of the line and did my trade. I don't think people were pissed since they hadn't started processing other customer orders. There were probably 10 people there when I arrived at 11:20 and about 30 at midnight.
 
Yes, employees get free games if they hit the pre-order goal of each game. Sometimes they even have their own employees make the pre-orders to get there, and return it later on.
 
it made me laugh to see the 100 or so dumbshits still lined up OUTSIDE the gamestop as we drove back from best buy tonight around 12:20.. why do people do that to themselves?
 
[quote name='confoosious']uhhh cause maybe they like having a job?[/QUOTE]

Alright, any GS employee could just go walk across the street and work at Dunkin Donuts instead. 90% of these people don't even give a rat's ass about games to begin with, and are under-qualified to be giving anyone suggestions.
 
[quote name='allen9917']Crysis 2 - $2
Dw 7 -$10
Transformer dotm - $7

Nice one, bby, nice one.[/QUOTE]

So goosebumps for the ps2 is worth more than crysis 2 now ? Lmao. Wow those tiv's got nuked !
 
fuck damn it. Who else is it to blame but the stupid people locking trades @ BBY trade center. I'm done with this flips thing. People need to realize not to lock in profits until you actually have the item in hand.


Way to go.

EDIT. Look at the xbox kinect games. they are still holding their value b/c people don't lock in these as the have to actually go and find a copy to trade in. AGAIN, Thanks BBY Trade in Lurkers.
 
[quote name='allen9917']Crysis 2 - $2
Dw 7 -$10
Transformer dotm - $7

Nice one, bby, nice one.[/QUOTE]

Wow i thought you were trolling at first haha, that's going to suck for the people who bought Transformers from gamefly to flip. No way the received them in time. The PS3 version is still at $18 so i guess a lot of people locked in the 360 version online. And Crysis 2 for $2 is a joke.
 
[quote name='Daring']fuck damn it. Who else is it to blame but the stupid people locking trades @ BBY trade center. I'm done with this flips thing. People need to realize not to lock in profits until you actually have the item in hand.


Way to go.

EDIT. Look at the xbox kinect games. they are still holding their value b/c people don't lock in these as the have to actually go and find a copy to trade in. AGAIN, Thanks BBY Trade in Lurkers.[/QUOTE]

Just don't buy games from gamefly to flip that's all. Oh and I agree about the lurkers. They are doing damage to tiv's from gamefly games :(
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the bonuses don't apply for online trades, so ppl lock in why ?

Most flips without the bonus net about 1c
 
[quote name='stoned99']So the new way to make the BBY folks happy is to exchange old preorders for new ones , especially the games they need preorders for.[/QUOTE]

Didn't think this would be so controversial. I try and keep a good relationship with the BBY folks, it helps in many ways, including the fact my trades are done in an instant as they don't bother checking anything. So I always ask whats the game they need preordered to meet their instore numbers (and yes get 3 free copies of a game to share amongst the game folks).

It occurred to me yesterday, that rather than always exchange my preorders for other goods (I tend to buy phone cards to charge my kids phone), if I offered to exchange them for future games it would help the staff hit their numbers. So why not do it, it's not a cancellation, it helps my friends, and thus helps me. Building strong relationships with these folks can be very beneficial. They are not drones, or morons like some folks believe. And sometimes the 5$ can be 25% of a small trade, so throwing it away would be insane.
 
i'm sure best buy is going to crack down on TIVs after the holidays. They know this is the big time when casual game buyers trade in their games. Spring/summer is going to be mainly enthusiast gamers that know how to get deals and game the system.
 
[quote name='jer7583']i'm sure best buy is going to crack down on TIVs after the holidays. They know this is the big time when casual game buyers trade in their games. Spring/summer is going to be mainly enthusiast gamers that know how to get deals and game the system.[/QUOTE]


But the problem with making a game like crysis 2 $2 is that they will turn people to other stores. They have to strike a balance. They don't want to give people a fortune for crysis 2, but they don't want to lose their business to gamestop either. Making the value about 8 would be an example of how to strike a happy medium.
 
not if they had 10,000 trade ins locked in for it recently and they have only sold 1,000 used copies of it in the last 6 months in their stores.

I don't understand why they're even doing this trade in initiative. Nobody buys the used games at their stores. The prices are stupidly expensive and often more expensive than the new copies when they're on sale. They waste a ton of money shipping them off to distribution centers to be repackaged and re-sealed. It's absolutely crazy and I'd be really surprised to see them doing it the same way next year.

Has anyone ever bought a used game from best buy?
 
[quote name='jer7583']not if they had 10,000 trade ins locked in for it recently and they have only sold 1,000 used copies of it in the last 6 months in their stores.

I don't understand why they're even doing this trade in initiative. Nobody buys the used games at their stores. The prices are stupidly expensive and often more expensive than the new copies when they're on sale. They waste a ton of money shipping them off to distribution centers to be repackaged and re-sealed. It's absolutely crazy and I'd be really surprised to see them doing it the same way next year.

Has anyone ever bought a used game from best buy?[/QUOTE]

gamestop's used prices are basically the same and they have made a killing off the used market
 
I have bought used games from BB before. One point in time they had a @gamer coupon for 50% off a used game. That was a great way to use credit to build credit.
 
[quote name='stoned99']Correct me if I'm wrong, but the bonuses don't apply for online trades, so ppl lock in why ?

Most flips without the bonus net about 1c[/QUOTE]

It guaruntees only a certain loss. Say you grab game X for $10 and the TiV is $10. With all bonuses that's a 60% Return on investment (ROI). If I couldn't make it to the store that night to trade in game X I could lock in the TiV an make sure I get my money back if the TiV drops to $6 the following day.

While that is the least likely that is the basic jest of it.

Most lock in because they are buying from online stores that have to ship to their house. With the above scenario you lock it in the day you bought it and when it comes in if the TiV with all bonuses is less than the locked TiV then you mail it in for trade in. If not then you go to a store and trade in. Basically a guaruntee.

There are also times that I have locked in my trade in online because I want a free rental of a game I want to play. Given the above scenario of game X; Game X is a game I have been looking forward to playing. It sells for $10 at a local store and trades in for $10. I lock in the TiV online at BBY and they have to receive it within 7 days. Meaning I have 3-4 days to play the game before I have to mail it off. Thus giving me a virtually free rental (I never forget that I had to pay tax) for 3-4 days. This is especially awesome for EA games, sports games and games like BF3 that have online passes because if I rent from a local store I wouldn't get the online pass unless I wanted to buy it.

When I lock in and buy the game new I get that pass. If I bought it used then I know the pass probably isn't in there and take that into account.


Oh and the controversy on the preorders is 2 fold.
1) it draws attention to people abusing the system. They wanted you to preorder so you would pick it up. They adjust inventories to preorder demands. When a store has 200 preorders and only sells 100, they then have an overstock that they need to clear out. If it doesn't sell well they then have to have sales on the item to move it, creating a loss from assuming people would pick up their preorders. If this creates a loss then they will stop the bonuses linked to preorders or maybe just cut them completely down. I think they could justify offering those high bonuses because they knew (or at least thought) that they had you hooked for $60 later. This merges with point 2

2) the one thing that BBY does well is track returns. That is because they outsource to another company to track returns (or at least did in 2010). They started taking drivers licenses and the such because returned merchandise that was broken/stolen or multiple other reasons was costing them millions. No one has confirmed If preorder returns are processed the same as regular returns in the eyes of this outsourced company. If so you can/will get banned after so many returns or at the very least flagged.


I foresee a very bad ending to this promo in the near future. If I remember right GS ran into the same problem on preorders that didn't get picked up. I think they ruled that preorder monies that didn't get picked up HAD to be returned to the customer as no service or product was tenured. This rings a bell because I remember getting $5 back from a GS preorder that I did 3 years prior.

If true BBY is going to get hit hard. I know I just right off the $5 as a fee for the TiV boost and don't plan to return them. But if the above is true they will owe me $75+. Not a ton but times that by a few 10s of 1,000s of customers that didn't pick up a preorder and it adds up.
 
Honestly I didn't need the explanation it was a rhetorical question. I suspect the folks who don't follow through with their online trades will be flagged and banned eventually as they will be perceived as gaming the system / unreliable, etc. BBY's success will be in how successfully it can sell use games. My store tells me they are selling used games at quite the clip, so maybe the preorder issue will melt away once they figure out a preorder is not a sale, nor is it a promise to pick up an item. At least they are being floated 5$ small loans by a bunch of us.
 
[quote name='jer7583']

Has anyone ever bought a used game from best buy?[/QUOTE]

I have twice but I don't think many others do. Everytime I go to my Best Buy they have the same copies of games just sitting there (multiples of Homefront and such).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top