DEAD - How to order 'backordered' items from Gamestop.com - updated 4/6/08

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davyd

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UPDATE: With the new Gamestop site launched, it seems that this method no longer works. Orders submitted prior to the website changed are still in process and show items as backordered. This method is officially dead. If anyone gets their orders sent out to them, let us know.

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As you may know, Gamestop hides pages of backordered items from its usual search results and does not allow the adding of backordered items to your cart. There is a way around this.

The first step is to find the page of the backordered item. The method that I use, and has worked 100% of the time for myself, is to go to google. Type in the name of the item that you want, followed by "site:gamestop.com", without the quotes. The first result is typically the item you are looking for. Alternatively, go to Gamestop's website and search for the item you are looking for. If it is backordered, it will not normally appear in search results. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says "show backordered items." The item you are looking for should appear.

The only piece of information you need from this page is the item number. Look at the address bar. You should see the following link:

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=######

The "######" part of that link will contain a 6-digit number. Copy down that number.

Now, paste that number into the "######" spot of the following URL:

www.gamestop.com/_additem.asp?product_id=######&product_qty=1

Copy that new address into your browser, along with the 6-digit code, and you should be brought to your cart - with the backordered item in it. You are now free to place your order for that item.

Unfortunately, it appears that no coupons will work on backordered items. Apparently coupon code SAVER still works for free shipping. Thanks, hero101.

Other than the free shipping, if you're looking for that hard to find game, you will have to pay full gamestop price. Also, as always, gamestop does not guarantee you will receive anything other than the game you ordered. You may very well not receive a case, case insert, or instruction booklet.

It may take gamestop a while to fulfill a backordered item order, but you will receive it eventually. I used this method last November to get a copy of DDR Mario for my girlfriend when copies were selling on Ebay for $100+. I was lucky and got a complete copy. Unluckily for me the price dropped on this game and now it's rather easy to get a complete set for ~$65. Live and learn. :roll:

People have been asking questions regarding backordered items from gamestop. There's a page on their website that deals with some of these questions:

http://www.gamestop.com/gs/help/backorders.asp

What does Back Order mean?
Back orders are products which are not currently available or out of stock. We will attempt to find and ship backorders to you as they become available.
Click to expand...
My Order is on Back Order, when will GameStop get more product in?
Back orders can take several weeks to fill depending on the demand for the product. Keep in mind, we do not charge your credit card until the item ships to you.
Click to expand...
I have some used product on Back Order, when will I receive my product?
You may order a used video game which is backordered. GameStop.com will search through our nearly 4,600 stores and attempt to find the game for you. This typically takes 6-8 weeks for backordered used product. For rare used video games it may take longer. Keep in mind, we do not charge your credit card until the item(s) ships to you.
Click to expand...
(3/24) UPDATE:
[quote name='jp0213']All the items I have put on my order are now no longer on the website. When I checked my order and then clicked on the link to the product they aren't there. All the Dreamcast stuff has disappeared from the site.[/quote]
 
You can just go to gamestop, type in a common game and hit backordered items and all backordered items will appear for then on.
 
[quote name='bluekeith75']You can just go to gamestop, type in a common game and hit backordered items and all backordered items will appear for then on.[/quote]

Depending on browser settings, yes. I have FireFox set to delete all cookies upon closing so I always use the google method. It's especially easy since I just use the google search in the toolbar, so it's basically one step. Go laziness!. :drool:
 
When I ordered DDR Mario back in November, I could not get a coupon to work with it since it was backordered. I don't know if this has been changed or not, but I doubt it.

EDIT: SAVER did work? Good to know, I will update the thread.
 
Saver works with software but Mario DDR (w/ mats) probably won't work. That would be hardware or console related I guess.

[quote name='davyd']When I ordered DDR Mario back in November, I could not get a coupon to work with it since it was backordered. I don't know if this has been changed or not, but I doubt it.

EDIT: SAVER did work? Good to know, I will update the thread.[/quote]
 
Thanks!

I've gotten both DDS and Nocturne from backordered orders (Nocturne was complete too, DDS wasn't) so figures this might get something too.
 
:( What sucks is that I just drove all around Ohio hunting down the SMT games over the weekend at gamestops and overpaid for a DDS1 through amazon. Thanks for the awesome info for future reference though!

By the way, those sons of bitches didn't help me for shit when I e-mailed them looking for a game. I asked before I knew you should un-hide the backordered search results and what I asked is if it's possible they had any available to purchase, or if not, if there was a way to locate them in local stores for me. And it looks like they could have easily fulfilled both of those requests.
 
[quote name='chewster777']So if I order something and it's beat up/incomplete I can return it to my gamestop for a full refund? Or just credit?[/quote]

Yes. It's like any other used game or accessory. You can return it to any GS/EB within seven days.
 
How likely is it that they'd get the old Game Boy/Color/Advance games they have listed? A lot of awesome games for those consoles are pretty cheap at GS (usually only $3 to $10), but it is a pain in the butt to hope to find a specific one in the B&M stores unless you're super lucky.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Yes. It's like any other used game or accessory. You can return it to any GS/EB within seven days.[/quote]

You actually have 30 days after the shipping date to return the item. Just need the shipping order form that the items come with.
 
[quote name='Bavgate']You actually have 30 days after the shipping date to return the item. Just need the shipping order form that the items come with.[/quote]

Ah, yes. My bad. I was thinking of the policy for stuff bought in-store.
 
Too bad they wouldn't let me either return/rebuy or do a price adjustment at my local Gamestop that has PS1/N64 stuff or I'd order about 20 copies each of Silent Hill and Intelligent Qube. But $45 a copy for IQ with no guarantee it will be complete? fuck that.

Good idea though, OP.
 
Does anyone know if you order the old gbc or gb games if they will actually fill your order, and do they charge your credit card before the order ships, or after it ships. I don't want to pay money for a game and then never receive it.
 
I added some more info to the opening post. They do not charge until the item ships. I imagine if the order cannot be fulfilled, you would never be charged.
 
I'm trying it out with some Dreamcast controllers and memory cards. Be interesting if they have anything anywhere.
 
Ok that sounds cool, I think I will try for a few items then.

LOL, I just noticed the price for a Dreamcast keyboard was .99, it would be really funny if we used SAVER and made them ship us a Dreamcast keyboard for 1$!
 
Most definitely. I highly doubt any of this stuff will ever actually be fulfilled from the Dreamcast area. I'll give it like 3 months and if nothing comes of it I'll probably cancel the order.
 
I ordered like 5 things in one order so it might take forever for mine to come, hopefully they will fill the order partially if it cannot be fully filled. The 2 games I ordered are in stores within 200 miles of me so I think I have a pretty good chance at getting them (as I assume they will just pull the copies from those stores and send them to me or pull the copies from some other store in the nation). The other stuff I ordered was pretty old and obscure so I might never get it but heck I waited THIS long I can wait pretty much forever till I get it especially for those prices. At least I won't have to pay 8$ shipping on ebay to get it! I ordered mostly gameboy stuff so I don't mind if its cart only as thats what I expect, especially for the cheap prices (each item was $3 or under). I also have the tools to open and clean any gameboy game. Not sure that I would chance this system with a disc game unless it was something that I desperately wanted and it was cheap.

The only thing is that you have to pay the gamestop website prices for gameboy stuff or anything you order and as we have discovered in another thread most gameboy stuff is much cheaper than on the website if you go to the stores, so I had to pick and choose carefully. There is more stuff that I want but its so high priced on the website and I know it costs much less in the stores.
 
I ordered two rare-ish DVDs (WWF Wrestlemania X-Seven and Undertaker: The Phenom) for $10 each (I've seen them go for $40 and $50 respectively). There's at least 1 copy within 50 and 200 miles of my town, so I hope it's faster.
 
I placed orders for Pinball of the Dead ($3), Kid Icarus 2 ($6), and Boktai ($5). I limited myself to Game Boy games because they are cheap and I don't care if they have their boxes. This seems like a pretty sweet deal. Just set it and forget. Maybe someday those games will show up, maybe they never will and I'll just get to keep my $14.
 
Heh, I ordered pinball of the dead too (been wanting it for forever) so lets hope they have enough to fill both our orders!
 
[quote name='SaraAB']Heh, I ordered pinball of the dead too (been wanting it for forever) so lets hope they have enough to fill both our orders![/quote]

I wouldn't be surprised if there is only one copy of that game. I remember thinking it was neat it came out, but then I never saw a copy of it anywhere.
 
[quote name='Lost Loser']I wouldn't be surprised if there is only one copy of that game. I remember thinking it was neat it came out, but then I never saw a copy of it anywhere.[/QUOTE]


There were a few in stock within 200 miles of me so if they are pulling from stores for this there should be enough to cover the orders here.
 
Sweet... and with the new addition of being able to use your Edge card to get 10% off used games and accessories online, this will really come in handy!
 
Hey, does anyone know where I could print up a case insert, if I do get a disc-only copy of the Document of MGS2? I'd at least like the case to have something on it.
 
Man, I really wish that 75% PS1 game clearance applied. Placing an order for Suikoden 2 would be tempting, but at $59.99 for a potentially scratched disc-only copy, it hardly seems worth it.
 
[quote name='Lost Loser']I wouldn't be surprised if there is only one copy of that game. I remember thinking it was neat it came out, but then I never saw a copy of it anywhere.[/QUOTE]

I saw a bunch in the dump bin of my local Wal-Mart. That is where I picked up my copy. It was around $10 or so at the time.
 
[quote name='garfep']Man, I really wish that 75% PS1 game clearance applied. Placing an order for Suikoden 2 would be tempting, but at $59.99 for a potentially scratched disc-only copy, it hardly seems worth it.[/QUOTE]

Do you honestly think they would fill that order?
 
All the items I have put on my order are now no longer on the website. When I checked my order and then clicked on the link to the product they aren't there. All the Dreamcast stuff has disappeared from the site.
 
[quote name='jp0213']All the items I have put on my order are now no longer on the website. When I checked my order and then clicked on the link to the product they aren't there. All the Dreamcast stuff has disappeared from the site.[/quote]

Might have something to do with them finally updating their website...or all us here trying to order very old backordered stuff that they have zero intention of fulfilling...or a combination of both.
 
That is kind of what I figured. I'll give it a couple months to see if they ever fill the orders and see what happens. They actually have PS1 consoles on there, and apparently there are like 5 within 200 miles of Indianapolis. It's quite entertaining to see that there might be a store out there that has PS1 consoles, according to their inventory.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Hey, does anyone know where I could print up a case insert, if I do get a disc-only copy of the Document of MGS2? I'd at least like the case to have something on it.[/quote]

I use http://www.thecoverproject.net/ for that sort of thing. They don't seem to have one for the Document of MGS2 up right now, but you can go to their forums and request it.
 
I added the bit about the Dreamcast items no longer being available to the first post. Can anyone confirm similar difficulties?
 
I know they dropped the listing for those .99 gameboy pockets a while ago because I had that link bookmarked, but I seriously doubt they would fill that order even if I was able to try. The links for the other items I tried to order still work. Maybe they only are dropping the items they REALLY don't stock anymore or have no intention of carrying anymore?
 
[quote name='Vinny']Do you honestly think they would fill that order?[/quote]
Haha, no, but if it was ~$10 I'd think it certainly couldn't hurt to try.
 
[quote name='davyd']I added the bit about the Dreamcast items no longer being available to the first post. Can anyone confirm similar difficulties?[/QUOTE]

In another thread someone mentioned that all DC and PS1 items were destroyed by Gamestop (and thus will likely never be on the website again).
 
[quote name='Josef']In another thread someone mentioned that all DC and PS1 items were destroyed by Gamestop (and thus will likely never be on the website again).[/quote]

Actually, there were 2 of us, Rollett and I both mentioned it I think. It kind of sucks that they didn't take it to 90% off, but hell, I know I grabbed a ton of good stuff when they had the dump store loaded up here(one of those $9.99 PS2/Xbox bins STUFFED FULL). So, I definitely got my fill of cheap games, but I still wish they had waited a while longer, since I planned on hitting the store this weekend one final time.
 
^ my town has about 5 EB/GS stores and none of them have had anthing older than PS2 for years...I never had the joy of having a "Dump store".... :(
 
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