EB resealing games and marking them as new- finally got my pictures.

Zahiti

Zahiti

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I am on vacation in San Francisco, nice city. While my mom and sister were in a store looking for clothes, i zipped across the street and went in to the EB. Nothing that i wanted but the lady behind the counter was doing something mighty fishy. As i walked by I stopped and watched as she grabbed a used PS1 game, pulled the 'used' sticker off and put some goo gone. After it looked new, she then put a bag on it and used a hair dryer on the bag and it shrunk to size, after it was sealed up and looked like new she put a new sticker on it with the sealed price. I have a picture of the operation but I do not have the cord to computer.

Sorry for bringing this one back from the dead, i just got the pictures on my comp. So here they are...


Took this one while walking out and not looking in the viewfinder.

Here's the culprit store.
 
Possibly it's one of those games they bought from gamequestdirect that they were selling as used since they weren't sealed? Eitherway, horrible.

What game was it by the way?
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Possibly it's one of those games they bought from gamequestdirect that they were selling as used since they weren't sealed? Eitherway, horrible.

What game was it by the way?[/quote]

I just talked to him on the tele. He told me he didn't know, but I assume teh picshar tells all.
 
They don't do that, you are an idiot.
Why would they make a USED game NEW? They make more MONEY off of a USED game. They can't just change their inventory either.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']They don't do that, you are an idiot.
Why would they make a USED game NEW? They make more MONEY off of a USED game. They can't just change their inventory either.[/quote]

I would assume they would make more money off selling a USED game as NEW since NEW games usually cost more than USED games...
 
[quote name='Zahiti']I am on vacation in San Francisco, nice city. While my mom and sister were in a store looking for clothes, i zipped across the street and went in to the EB. Nothing that i wanted but the lady behind the counter was doing something mighty fishy. As i walked by I stopped and watched as she grabbed a used PS1 game, pulled the 'used' sticker off and put some goo gone. After it looked new, she then put a bag on it and used a hair dryer on the bag and it shrunk to size, after it was sealed up and looked like new she put a new sticker on it with the sealed price. I have a picture of the operation but I do not have the cord to computer.
I get home saturday, so i will upload the picture then.[/QUOTE]


uh...maybe I'm just tired or something and not reading this right but you saw the woman behind the counter peel off a sticker, use goo gone, seal the game, took a picture of her doing it....and didn't say anything?
 
[quote name='Pookymeister1234']I would assume they would make more money off selling a USED game as NEW since NEW games usually cost more than USED games...[/QUOTE]

No. You don't understand how inventory works. When EB pushes used sooooo much, why would they want to now sell a used game as new? It screwed up their inventory. Loss Prevention would bust them in a second. There used % numbers go down.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']No. You don't understand how inventory works. When EB pushes used sooooo much, why would they want to now sell a used game as new? It screwed up their inventory. Loss Prevention would bust them in a second. There used % numbers go down.[/quote]

Their margin on used games is higher than new games, which is why they push them. Thats understandable.
What im saying is that if they paid $5 for Game X from Joe Blow, and their used game price is 17.99 but new price is 19.99, obviously they would make more money from selling it at 19.99.
Inventory-wise im sure there are backend things, but im just looking at it from a profit standpoint
 
[quote name='Pookymeister1234']Their margin on used games is higher than new games, which is why they push them. Thats understandable.
What im saying is that if they paid $5 for Game X from Joe Blow, and their used game price is 17.99 but new price is 19.99, obviously they would make more money from selling it at 19.99.
Inventory-wise im sure there are backend things, but im just looking at it from a profit standpoint[/QUOTE]

Still not getting it. They have quotas to meet on used game sales. They want to sell used, not new. There is no reason for gamestores to even sell new games as they make very little money. They just hope you trade them in so they can resell them. If stores did this (making used games now new) LP would flip out on them.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Still not getting it. They have quotas to meet on used game sales. They want to sell used, not new. There is no reason for gamestores to even sell new games as they make very little money. They just hope you trade them in so they can resell them. If stores did this (making used games now new) LP would flip out on them.[/quote]

Haha, im getting it fine.
($19.99 - $5) > ($17.99 - $5). Thats my whole point. Nothing about quotas or LP. Just straight profit.
 
I've got a picture of the setup, not of the lady doing it. I waited til she walked in to the back to snap the shot.
 
wait wait wait... a ps1 game? Does anyone actually expect to walk into eb/gs and actually find a NEW ps1 game? Something about this story sounds... well... I will wait to see the photo...
 
You mean a shrinkwrap machine? Is this you're whole big 'photo'? All game stores have them. Is the goo gone next to it? Sounds like you should have called the police!!!!!!!
 
I'd buy this if it was just some kind of 'devil employee' who bought the game at the used price and then restickered it as new, charged the new price, sold it to a customer w/o entering it to the computer and pocketed the difference.

But that seems way too elaborate and risky to make a few bucks over :whistle2:s
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Still not getting it. They have quotas to meet on used game sales. They want to sell used, not new. There is no reason for gamestores to even sell new games as they make very little money. They just hope you trade them in so they can resell them. If stores did this (making used games now new) LP would flip out on them.[/QUOTE]I understand what you're saying, not to mention it would fuck up their inventory.

The only possible reasoning I can see behind it is perhaps she was selling it to somebody on eBay or something and said it was new, paid for it used and then changed it right in store. Either that, or would sell it as new, ring it up as used instead, and keep the difference. Both seem like a stretch though.
 
I dont know why she was doing this, i thought that it would mess up inventory.
No it was not a machine, it was a big roll of the plastic, and a hair dryer. The picture does NOT have the lady in it, all of the stores around san francisco have signs that say No Photography, atleast the ones i went to. It seemed like it was a pretty industrial kind of setup, had a big roll, a spot for the hairdryer and everything. Maybe they do it for people, idk. But i did not stand right in front of her and watch her do it, i walked around the area near her and watched her. While she was hairdrying it i saw the playstation logo.
 
Yes it might mess up their inventory, but I doubt that their corporate headquarters or LP really care as long as it means earning more money for the company.
 
It's illegal to do that... chances are there are still some stores doing it but they're not supposed to. Our GameStops did that for a while here before people caught on. But if they're doing it on a small scale, chances are nobody's going to notice.
 
You do make more money selling a used game. Let’s say you buy a game from someone for $3. You then resell it for let’s say $10. Profit = $7. While it may seem like you are making your company more money by selling the game for more money, you are actually doing them a disservice. Let’s say you sell the same used game as new for $15 your profit would be $12. This is where your companies POS system orders another game to replace the new game you just sold. Let’s say the new game costs $10. Although your original profit shows $12, you now have to pay $10 to replace the “new” game you just sold. So your real profit is actually $2. This is another reason why you see so many stores doing those B2G1F promotions. When you sell a used game your company does not have to replace it, only wait for the next person to bring another one in. Hope this sheds a little light as to why it does not make much sense to sell a used game as new…unless the clerk pockets the difference and rings it up as used. If that’s the case they can all, as the high and mighty Burger King says, “Eat This Meat.”
 
[quote name='Zahiti']I am on vacation in San Francisco, nice city. While my mom and sister were in a store looking for clothes, i zipped across the street and went in to the EB. Nothing that i wanted but the lady behind the counter was doing something mighty fishy. As i walked by I stopped and watched as she grabbed a used PS1 game, pulled the 'used' sticker off and put some goo gone. After it looked new, she then put a bag on it and used a hair dryer on the bag and it shrunk to size, after it was sealed up and looked like new she put a new sticker on it with the sealed price. I have a picture of the operation but I do not have the cord to computer.
I get home saturday, so i will upload the picture then.[/quote]
i think the same thing happend to me i bought a new copy of midnight club dub edition it said new so i paid $20 for it and to my surprise it didnt have even a plastic wraper on it.
 
[quote name='Zahiti']I've got a picture of the setup, not of the lady doing it. I waited til she walked in to the back to snap the shot.[/QUOTE]


ZOMG teh stealth mission. Snake? Answer Me! Snake? SNAAAAKKKEEEE!!!!!

(echo)
 
I say people should group up on here and start sending in e mails to the bbb and report this over and over again .

Think of how things could change for the better for us wonder if anyone will ever file a lawsuit they probly owe alot of people some credit/games back .

If I ever cought someone doing that id confront them and go off on them they would have to throw hush money/credit my way.

Lol I realy cant belive anyone is in this thread defending this or trying to downplay it .
 
[quote name='Skelah']I say people should group up on here and start sending in e mails to the bbb and report this over and over again .

Think of how things could change for the better for us wonder if anyone will ever file a lawsuit they probly owe alot of people some credit/games back .

If I ever cought someone doing that id confront them and go off on them they would have to throw hush money/credit my way.

Lol I realy cant belive anyone is in this thread defending this or trying to downplay it .[/quote]
me neither i was pissed when i paid for a new copy of mdc but it had scratches on the back
 
I don't think anyone is trying to defend or downplay it. I think most of us just require a little bit more evidence before we can actually make a solid judgement. You know the whole rule of innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.
 
How would she fake that border strip sticker? As far as I know, the only ps1 games without the sealing sticker on the side/top are the gamequestdirect reprints of Persona 2, Rhapsody, and maybe Dragonball GT.

Plus, I thought EB and GS were getting rid of their PS1 and N64 sections by some date in June.

Plus, a hair dryer? Seems to me like she wasn't doing something under orders. Maybe she's an ebay clown. You know, those people who sell "sealed" games, misrepresenting used games as new. There's plenty of those ebay sellers.
 
What I'm wondering is, why is this person trying to pass of a used ps1 game as new, when Eb is trying to phase out ps1 games? I mean, isn't today the last day that they would accept trade ins, and I know alot of EBs/gamestops that dont even have ps1 games. Why are they going through the trouble of trying to scan people. Unless that was like Suikoden II or something, but even then their used price is $59.99, and considering that is more than msrp, they wouldnt even make money.
 
[quote name='mbstuff']How would she fake that border strip sticker? As far as I know, the only ps1 games without the sealing sticker on the side/top are the gamequestdirect reprints of Persona 2, Rhapsody, and maybe Dragonball GT.

Plus, I thought EB and GS were getting rid of their PS1 and N64 sections by some date in June.

Plus, a hair dryer? Seems to me like she wasn't doing something under orders. Maybe she's an ebay clown. You know, those people who sell "sealed" games, misrepresenting used games as new. There's plenty of those ebay sellers.[/quote]
sounds like you work for eb
 
[quote name='mbstuff']How would she fake that border strip sticker? As far as I know, the only ps1 games without the sealing sticker on the side/top are the gamequestdirect reprints of Persona 2, Rhapsody, and maybe Dragonball GT.

Plus, I thought EB and GS were getting rid of their PS1 and N64 sections by some date in June.

Plus, a hair dryer? Seems to me like she wasn't doing something under orders. Maybe she's an ebay clown. You know, those people who sell "sealed" games, misrepresenting used games as new. There's plenty of those ebay sellers.[/QUOTE]

Actually, there are quite a few now that dont have the strip. I've seen Final Fantasy Chronicles, Anthology, DDR Konamix, at Fry's without the strip. I've also seen Silent Hills without the strip. Of course, these are all GH titles.
 
[quote name='lionheart4life']Yes it might mess up their inventory, but I doubt that their corporate headquarters or LP really care as long as it means earning more money for the company.[/QUOTE]


Wanna bet?
 
[quote name='pinoy530']Actually, there are quite a few now that dont have the strip. I've seen Final Fantasy Chronicles, Anthology, DDR Konamix, at Fry's without the strip. I've also seen Silent Hills without the strip. Of course, these are all GH titles.[/quote]

I meant PS1 games. Gamecube games never had the strip, and Sony console games stopped having them around the holiday season last year. It's actually something I hate, as I feel that those strips are the last barrier between me and scammers and EB/GS shenanigans.
 
[quote name='solid snake']sounds like you work for eb[/quote]

No, but I've been handed enough used games, "new" copies that had been gutted and gutted display copies labeled as "used" to know that there are different shades of "new" and "used" at EB/GS.

It's just that shrinkwrapping with a hair dryer doesn't seem like official GS work.
 
are we sure she was selling these as new?

A local GS near me shrink wraps all their used ps1 titles and even puts them in brand new cases. Many of them look like new but are definitely sold as used, they just look really nice and are much more tempting to buy.
 
It wouldn't surprise me, but it doesn't really make all that much sense.

However, unlike the certain few in this thread that automatically dismiss the idea of this employee doing something wrong/illegal, I'll hold out judgement for now. As there is definitely a possibilty but no proof to validate the claims being made. And Retail employees are not saints, people.
 
[quote name='Phantom1219'] This is where your companies POS system orders another game to replace the new game you just sold.[/QUOTE]

dont think they would POS a psx game anymore.
 
The one local EB near me had that kind of set up and for anyone who bought a used game to give as a gift, they would offer(if asked) to re wrap the game, so it appeared new.

And, how do you think those PS1 systems end up shrink wrapped together? Magic?

Either way, it is shady to do this, unless the employee were doing it on a game they bought to sell on Ebay or somewhere. And even then, it still IS shady.

But its not like everyone on Ebay is upfront and honest about what they're selling, now are they?
 
My question is, how long ago was this?

There are a few issues with this story. All new PSX skus are gone. They were all converted to used. She was probably shrink wrapping them because she was instructed to put them out live, as in, with the disc in the case. You shrink them to prevent people from jacking the disc.

So, here is what really happened. The girls DM calls and says to put the PS1 games out live. So, she removes the sticker and takes off the residue that is directly on the case. Shrink wraps it and restickers it. Then puts it on the sales floor complete.
 
I bought a 'new' gutted copy of RE4 for the PS2 at my EB, and when I was hesitant to buy the gutted copy because it was a gift for my friend, they shrinkwrapped it, heat sealed it, and put a 'new' game white sticker on it so it appeared newer than it was. I didnt care too much because it was a gift.

But thats when I noticed the big shrinkwrap roll and heat gun (hairdryer) they had there. Not a big deal, Im sure every EB/GS has shrinkwrap and a heatgun.

Now heres the question for the OP, the sticker you saw the worker put onto the newly shrinkwrapped game, was it white or yellow? Cos at every single EBStop Ive been to, White sticker = NEW and Yellow sticker = USED. If she put a white sticker on there.. then something shady was probably going on.
 
[quote name='FREAKMIKE3']Wanna bet?[/QUOTE]

No, but I know a lot of business owners like to try to squeeze every cent out of customers, and why wouldn't they? A restaurant I worked at last year used to charge people for water and ice. If they didn't want to pay for it we had to tell them the machine was broken.
 
What exactly will these pictures prove? From the way he mentioned them he only got a pic of some shrink wrap and a heat gun. Not exactly incriminating evidence.
 
[quote name='Rei no Otaku']What exactly will these pictures prove? From the way he mentioned them he only got a pic of some shrink wrap and a heat gun. Not exactly incriminating evidence.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, from the OP I was hoping for a series of pics of the process. That might have landed stories on kotaku, a hot digg, etc. Picture of a shrink wrapping setup with a bottle of goo gone sitting beside it probably won't cause much of a stir.
 
Dear Jebus. Yes, they use a roll of PLASTIC when they shrinkwrap. Is that news to some of you? How do you think shrinkwrap gets their, magic elves?
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Dear Jebus. Yes, they use a roll of PLASTIC when they shrinkwrap. Is that news to some of you? How do you think shrinkwrap gets their, magic elves?[/quote]
its not a question of that ad usaully only new games come in a wrapper
 
IF we go back by there, which we probably will, i'll look to see and take more pictures. Sorry i don't have that many details, but i couldnt see much. I stood there at the counter looking at all the knick nacks, thats how i saw her use the goo gone, then after i was done with that she put the bag on and I walked to the area near her.
For the gift thing, I was pretty much the only one in the store. There wasnt a person standing there waiting on the game.
 
[quote name='danny-o'] dont think they would POS a psx game anymore.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure they wouldn't POS a PSX game, I was only using this as a reference of why it wouldn't make sense to sell a used game as new. But good point. I don't doubt that this could happen, I just have a hard time believing the OP story. I know if I was going to do something like that I wouldn't do it when someone was watching me. It's not it would be difficult for the employee to notice him. He said he was the only one in the store. And he was apparently watching the employee with a camera in his hands. Well, it's like I said before, I'm still waiting on some proof.
 
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