Gamestop charging refurb fees for disc-only games?

KingofGames

KingofGames

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I traded in some Playstation 2 games at Gamestop today that were disc-only. My total seemed significantly lower than what I was expecting, so I asked for a breakdown. The cashier told me that each game was charged a refurbish fee because it did not include the original case. I've traded in games at Gamestop for years and never run into this situation. Is this a new policy others have run into, or was I just screwed big time?
 
This is a "new"(not really that new but not very old) policy. I for one am happy of this since I hate seeing a game I want and turns out it's missing the case and they lose my business because of this.
 
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This does not help consumers. They'll continue to sell disc-only games at the same price, but we'll get less value for them. Who exactly does that benefit?
 
It benefits the individual who wants to purchase that game with a case.

A little reminder, GS does not use half the titles that are traded in as refurbs anyways. They sit in a warehouse for years until clearance. They continue to take them on trade so you can come and buy more off them. It's simple. They give you a little, you spend a lot.
 
[quote name='NismoZZzz']It benefits the individual who wants to purchase that game with a case.
[/quote]
Yup. pretty much my point.
 
[quote name='MikeHoncho']This is a "new"(not really that new but not very old) policy. I for one am happy of this since I hate seeing a game I want and turns out it's missing the case and they lose my business because of this.[/quote]

Hate to correct you. But the GS employee is not supposed to be charging refurb fees for disc only games. Its for really scratched games and they are to be sent to HO to be refurbed. Hence the refurb fee.
 
[quote name='NismoZZzz']It benefits the individual who wants to purchase that game with a case.

A little reminder, GS does not use half the titles that are traded in as refurbs anyways. They sit in a warehouse for years until clearance. They continue to take them on trade so you can come and buy more off them. It's simple. They give you a little, you spend a lot.[/QUOTE]

Giving me less money for my games doesn't make the game complete, though. Each game has one set price, whether it's disc-only or complete. The amount of complete games in stock is not affected by the amount of disc-only games I trade in. I still fail to see how this benefits the consumer.
 
[quote name='THoward7382']Hate to correct you. But the GS employee is not supposed to be charging refurb fees for disc only games. Its for really scratched games and they are to be sent to HO to be refurbed. Hence the refurb fee.[/quote]
Then this should be corrected with them throughout the country because almost every single employee does this (I guess the ones around you don't). I hate people bringing in incomplete games so I really don't care about the people trading them in losing money. I have never traded in an incomplete game to gamestop and never will since I would want the same in return
 
[quote name='KingofGames']Giving me less money for my games doesn't make the game complete, though. Each game has one set price, whether it's disc-only or complete. The amount of complete games in stock is not affected by the amount of disc-only games I trade in. I still fail to see how this benefits the consumer.[/quote]
Because some people don't turn them in because the low TIV which is great since most sit there until all the complete copies are exhausted and if it doesn't sell then does it really benefit Gamestop? And the ones that do trade them in get "punished" with crap TIV
 
The GS Employees around here charge Refurb fees on anything, I could buy a "NEW" game from them and then bring it back a minute later and get charged a refurb fee. I think managers use it to maximize profits.

IMO if they are going to sell Disk only games for the same price as complete copys then they need to give the same TIV.
 
[quote name='Sinnbox']The GS Employees around here charge Refurb fees on anything, I could buy a "NEW" game from them and then bring it back a minute later and get charged a refurb fee. I think managers use it to maximize profits.

IMO if they are going to sell Disk only games for the same price as complete copys then they need to give the same TIV.[/quote]
The old saying comes to mind "They didn't become rich by handing out money". If there is something wrong with it then they'll bust you for it and give you less credit. It's called Business tactics, sure they suck but you don't have to deal with it as long as you have a complete game and don't use the disc as a frisbee
 
I have never had that happen. One GS refused to take disc only games so I just went upstairs in the mall to the EB and they took them no problem. Another EB told me there is no penalty for disc only games and how they have people bring in binders of discs and just start taking them out of the binder and put the discs on the counter.
 
[quote name='YoshiFan1']I have never had that happen. One GS refused to take disc only games so I just went upstairs in the mall to the EB and they took them no problem. Another EB told me there is no penalty for disc only games and how they have people bring in binders of discs and just start taking them out of the binder and put the discs on the counter.[/QUOTE]
Could be YMMV but I have seen this happen at more places than places that don't do it. I've never been to one that refuses to receive them though.
 
I have not seen this in my area, but I wish it was their policy. You shouldn't get the same trade-in value as everyone else, when you aren't trading in the whole product. Of course, it would also be nice if they didn't charge you the same for the incomplete products they sell, but we can't have everything.
 
They should not have charged a fee. Its YMMV I guess, but go to another GS. Seriously, if they're gonna charge the same price for a disk only copy and a complete, then they should accept them at the same price. The day that charge less should be the day they pay less for disk only.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']I have not seen this in my area, but I wish it was their policy. You shouldn't get the same trade-in value as everyone else, when you aren't trading in the whole product. Of course, it would also be nice if they didn't charge you the same for the incomplete products they sell, but we can't have everything.[/QUOTE]
Exactly, what's up with everyone else complaining about it. I hate seeing incomplete games at gamestop and at least this might stop some people from trading them in. I can't stand to have only the disc and a crappy ugly gamestop case because someone who traded it in lost the case or threw it away.
 
Because you're in the minority, by far. People on this site and Gametz.com love complete games, but the common gamer could not care less. If they're gonna charge the same price, give me the same amount of credit. How anyone can celebrate Gamestop giving LESS credit is far beyond my comprehension.
 
[quote name='MikeHoncho']This is a "new"(not really that new but not very old) policy. I for one am happy of this since I hate seeing a game I want and turns out it's missing the case and they lose my business because of this.[/quote]

I completely agree with this statement, they may do it simply to deter people from trading in disc only games too.

[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']I have not seen this in my area, but I wish it was their policy. You shouldn't get the same trade-in value as everyone else, when you aren't trading in the whole product. Of course, it would also be nice if they didn't charge you the same for the incomplete products they sell, but we can't have everything.[/quote]

Yes, it would be nice if they charged less for disc only copies. I still wouldn't buy them regardless, but it'd still be nice.
 
[quote name='KingofGames']Because you're in the minority, by far. People on this site and Gametz.com love complete games, but the common gamer could not care less. If they're gonna charge the same price, give me the same amount of credit. How anyone can celebrate Gamestop giving LESS credit is far beyond my comprehension.[/quote]
Well then I guess people on this site aren't common gamers. What is a common gamer then? Someone with a Wii? Wait, that's a casual gamer. You aren't giving them the whole game then you don't deserve all of the credit. Maybe they will adjust the prices later on for incomplete and complete but like you said, the "casual" gamer won't care so I doubt they will
 
[quote name='KingofGames']Casual gamers are common gamers. Seems like the hardcore gamer is easily the minority in today's gaming world.[/quote]
Good for the "casual" gamers and let them have their incomplete copies. You are still trading in incomplete merchandise so that means you'll get less. Also what is a casual gamer? I want a definition, is it someone who buys a game every year, is it someone who buys kiddie crap games, or is it someone who doesn't care for complete games
 
[quote name='MikeHoncho']Someone who doesn't like games or girls?[/quote]

:rofl:

Anyway, even my friends who are casual gamers at best want their games complete since they're paying the same price for disc only copies. They have a PS2 and maybe 4 games for it at most. Just DBZ, FF, star trek and one more I forgot. So it really varies from person to person. I can understand you being frustrated for being charged a 'refurb' fee seeing as other gamestops don't, but life's not always fair. One of my gamestops does it and the other doesn't, it's just that way.
 
[quote name='KingofGames']Casual gamers are common gamers. Seems like the hardcore gamer is easily the minority in today's gaming world.[/QUOTE]

Unless this happened in the last 8 months, I know of no new policies at Gamestop requiring game associates to charge a refurb for an incomplete game.

The only time people will accept a disk-only game, is if it is the only thing available. But that is partially because they do not know better. Most people won't buy a DVD or CD without a case. We, as the knowledgable gaming populace, need to show the newcomers to our hobby the importants of the case. We need to set an example that complete packages are important. Many people at CAG do that by refusing to buy loose, I would expect them to trade the same way.

So, I have to agree with MikeHoncho that turning in an incomplete game should come with repercussions, much like if you were to sell that game on Ebay or at a pawn shop. There is additional value in the case, and without it, value is lost.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_gamer
 
[quote name='KingofGames']Because you're in the minority, by far. People on this site and Gametz.com love complete games, but the common gamer could not care less. If they're gonna charge the same price, give me the same amount of credit. How anyone can celebrate Gamestop giving LESS credit is far beyond my comprehension.[/quote]

I would agree that it's potentially a minority, but not by this massive margin. People want complete games for various reasons. One, there are the more "hardcore" gamers or collectors you are referring. Then, there are people who simply think it's the principle. You also have OCD individuals, like myself, who just don't want to look at a generic case. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of people out there that want to buy the whole product, not just a disc.

Personally, I "celebrate" it, because it's what they should be doing. If I trade in a complete copy of GTAIV, for example, I should get the full $18 credit, because I am trading in a complete product. Yeah, they should charge less for disc-only copies, but they don't. It doesn't change the fact that when I trade in a complete game, and someone else trades in a disc, I should get more.

Now, the one thing I don't like is when stores...or even worse, individual employees...are making up their own policies. If it's the GS policy to give the same credit, people should get the same credit. They should also tell you straight-out and upfront if there will be a penalty. You shouldn't have to ask them about it.
 
[quote name='THoward7382']Last time I bought a game, I bought it because of the game, not because of the manual or cover.

Just food for thought.[/QUOTE]
Well that's you. Most people on CAG want it complete.
 
[quote name='THoward7382']Last time I bought a game, I bought it because of the game, not because of the manual or cover.

Just food for thought.[/quote]

I don't think anyone is arguing that they buy games for manuals and cases...though I'm sure some odd purchases have been made in the past for such reasons. Anyway, the point is, those things are still part of the product, especially the manual, which might actually be needed, though the need for them has been greatly diminished, thanks to the 'net.

When I buy a product, I want the whole product, or else I would like a discount for not getting the whole product. The only way that is ever going to happen at GS is if they first begin to penalize the traders who dump their disc-only copies on them. Of course, knowing GS, if they ever did implement a universal change, they would still simply just charge the same for the disc-only copies, but hey, we can hope.
 
the same guy that tried to charge me a fee for 'too many fingerprints' on a disk also said no cover art is needed and any generic case will be ok
 
[quote name='monkeydeew']the same guy that tried to charge me a fee for 'too many fingerprints' on a disk also said no cover art is needed and any generic case will be ok[/quote]

I would have taken the disk back, wiped the fingerprints off with my shirt right in front of his face and hand it back to him fingerprint free.
 
[quote name='Link927']I would have taken the disk back, wiped the fingerprints off with my shirt right in front of his face and hand it back to him fingerprint free.[/quote]

the point is that he is a huge freaking dbag but for some reason he doesnt care about cover art just the generic plastic dvd case
 
[quote name='Link927']I would have taken the disk back, wiped the fingerprints off with my shirt right in front of his face and hand it back to him fingerprint free.[/quote]

A "hardcore" gamer would have wiped the fingerprints off with the employee's face.
 
Some Gamestop employees do not follow this policy, others do. I have traded disc only games in before and not been charged the 1.00 for the no case/manual fee. Other times I do.

It seems it's been awhile though since I haven't been charged it. They must be getting stricter on this policy ...
 
I think that the employee was just lazy and instead of taking the time to make generic cases for each game, they just gave you the refurb fee
 
They tried to charge me a refurb fee for a disc only game that I had bought from their store it even still had the ugly case they sold it in. I told them that if they charged me a refurb fee on that I would start charging them a refurb fee for incomplete games and scratched up games.

Needless to say I wasn't charged the refurb fee.
 
If it were only a dollar, it wouldn't be as big of an issue. However, several of the games were hit with a fee of $2. With a base of $5 trade-in value, that's a HUGE hit. It's a bad policy, regardless of how many people want complete games. If they change the price of disc-only games, I'll change my tune.
 
Honestly why can't Gamestop grow some brains and get a cover art printer and buy the extra manuals... considering that evenutally new stuff will be too old to get those, they could at least give it the cover art it deserves... They should knock down the price of used games that are disc only and leave the TIV for those to be shockingly low....Example...Mario Kart Wii sells for 50, TIV is 25... if you have disc only that's going to be like 33% off or about 16.50... but Gamestop should return sell it for only 35 and not 50.... but no, GS sells it for 50 even.That or get a bonus $5 credit to ones that have case + manual... either one gone and no bonus.What I'd like to see is a change to TIV for disc only going for ONLY in store credit... no cash... We could see a change where GS would actually price it less then....instead of giving it a 1-2 bucks off since the user won't get a real case or manual BS.There's plenty that could be fixed, but I think rejecting disk only would hurt GS and then actively devoid a need that it currently provides.I think the after market for cases and game inserts should be like bigger... every game company should be able to sell insert/booklets for a nominal fee and just charge actual shipping..... The big N used to do this... at least the manual portion before it decided to do photocopies on some of it's IP.I'm not a hardcore gamer, or a collector... maybe a OCD person but I like to at least have a manual to read, and a case to put on the shelf... I can print off cover art because of the Cover Project... which is awesome... but the fact is that getting a disc only.... is what turns me away. I don't get games to play, i get games to own and to own it should at least have manual and case with original artwork.It's the proper thing to do.... but I know there are gamers just want to play it, and honestly they should get a cheaper price... let them pay less for it, they get less to trade in and that keeps an incentive to keep the fucking manual and case.... GS still gets the same profits.. maybe more since TIV for disc only would then only be GS credit... no cash.....
 
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[quote name='dragonjud']Another reason not to do business with gamestop. Enough said.[/quote]

Or another reason to simply play it smart when dealing with GameStop. A smart consumer never closes off a potential avenue of deals.

[quote name='xycury']Honestly why can't Gamestop grow some brains and get a cover art printer and buy the extra manuals...[/quote]

No thanks. They would just hand down the cost along to us...at a premium. I would much prefer to either just pass on their disc-only copies or track down/print the stuff myself.
 
Some of you guys are completely unaware of how this works so let me help you out

You are trading in incomplete merchandise so you are bound to get less.

They sell them at the same price as complete because people buy them, if people would stop buying them then it might cause a difference but it won't happen anytime soon

And no Gamestop is not losing money because of the people turned away by refurb fees, you know why? Because alot of them just sit there until all the complete copies are exhausted and as you can tell by their yearly earnings and it increasing each year it really doesn't look like it's hurting them.

Also the cover art printer is not going to happen since people still keep on buying these disc only copies and they will only be losing money on the materials
 
Im pretty sure a "Cover Art Printer" would cost GS a lot of money to reproduce copyrighted material, so the cost would be cost onto us. On top of the cost of making it too.

I've never bought a disk only game when I can, I try out my options at other GS, even a missing manual throws me off.
 
[quote name='Link927']Im pretty sure a "Cover Art Printer" would cost GS a lot of money to reproduce copyrighted material, so the cost would be cost onto us. On top of the cost of making it too.

I've never bought a disk only game when I can, I try out my options at other GS, even a missing manual throws me off.[/quote]

Well I'm doing it in my home... someone come bust me.

Anyways as long as there isn't an answer to the disc only issues... then everyone can just stfu..... It's not going to stop, Gamestops process works because there are just too many out there that will buy disc only/trade in disc only.

I would think that they could add some TIV if you have case and manual... or maybe give out points to redeem something extra at Gamestop... something... to promote the idea of not fucking trashing the case/booklet.
 
[quote name='xycury']Well I'm doing it in my home... someone come bust me.

[/quote]

You're not selling these to millions of potential customers, displaying it publically that you do these reproductions for profit.
 
[quote name='xycury']Well I'm doing it in my home... someone come bust me.

Anyways as long as there isn't an answer to the disc only issues... then everyone can just stfu..... It's not going to stop, Gamestops process works because there are just too many out there that will buy disc only/trade in disc only.

I would think that they could add some TIV if you have case and manual... or maybe give out points to redeem something extra at Gamestop... something... to promote the idea of not fucking trashing the case/booklet.[/QUOTE]
Hey buddy, keep the flaming down. You're acting like a 12 year old in a temper tantrum.You know something great that's already out that promotes not screwing over your games? The fact that you won't get a refurb charge and the fact that whoever is buying it will enjoy having it complete
 
[quote name='KingofGames'] If they change the price of disc-only games, I'll change my tune.[/quote]


Agreed. Why charge a fee when the games w/ no manual/case are the same price as those with?
 
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