Gamestop is selling new games as used! Discuss.

Mookyjooky

Mookyjooky

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I've overheard that Gamestop will be selling select titles at used, even though they are new games.

Supposedly this is because the games arent selling and people tend to buy certain games that arent the "hot" titles as used more often.

I dont know which games these are, but the guy was walking towards the Xbox display when I left.

Anyone know what games there are and what would be the real reason for this?
 
I don't know why, but I always crack up whenever I hear the phrase "Hot titleS". My old theft-inclined boss used to say it all the time.
At anyrate, perhaps he means the display copies of newer games will now be sold as used? As they should be......
 
Reality's Fringe]I don't know why said:
Oh, of course not...they're money grubbers...and even though "new, but opened" means used to gamestop when you trade in games, it means the opposite when they sell games.

These are titles that Gamestop corprate spoke with game companies about.
Click to expand...
 
Ok....and? Stores have been doing this for many many years. EB does it, Game Crazy, etc. Its a way of clearing old stock. They simply 'convert' new copies to used by changing the status in the computers, and opening it up.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Ok....and? Stores have been doing this for many many years. EB does it, Game Crazy, etc. Its a way of clearing old stock. They simply 'convert' new copies to used by changing the status in the computers, and opening it up.[/QUOTE]

Well, I did not know that... lol

Not all of us have been throned in the glory of retail. I will commit this to memory and demand to know when new stuff becomes used at all stores.

I will demand used gas at the gas station tonight. ;-)
 
EB Games opens all of their games anyway, it really pisses me off.

If Best Buy didn't have 45 minute lines (selling service plans, etc.) I would go there instead.

I buy most of my games on ebay now. I figure most of the "new" games I have bought from EB Games are probably just used games they didn't put stickers on.


fuck them.
 
I managed to get a "brand-used" copy of Rallisport Challenge 2 at GameStop sometime earlier this year. The clerk joked to me that since it was still sealed I could just "take it to Target." Yeah, no.
 
This is probably evened out by the games they sell as new that are actually used. "Oh, it's just an opened copy for display". Call me crazy, but I think that new games should still be in the original shrink wrap. Sorry, I know this topic has been discussed to death, but it really irks me.
 
I've seen Gamestop sell new old stock of discontinued games for Genesis, SNES, Dreamcast, etc. as used in years past, but I've never seen this happen with current generation games.
 
They should make it a promotion or something.

"Buy New games for Used Game Prices!"*


*Only select titles apply. Selection varies by store. Only at participating stores. Limited time offer.

:lol:
 
I remember working at Funcoland back in '97, and having to open select new games and place them with the used ones, because we weren't going to carry/list them anymore.

What is worse is how stores like EB call a game NEW, and then dig a sleeve out of a drawer and say, "Here ya go!" Like hell that's new. When I want a NEW game, I want it sealed and untouched by human hands, and anything less is -- in my opinion -- bad business practices.
 
[quote name='wubb']They should make it a promotion or something.

"Buy New games for Used Game Prices!"*


*Only select titles apply. Selection varies by store. Only at participating stores. Limited time offer.

:lol:[/QUOTE]

Seriously. But GS corporate is too stupid to do that.
 
[quote name='Mookyjooky']Well, I did not know that... lol

Not all of us have been throned in the glory of retail. I will commit this to memory and demand to know when new stuff becomes used at all stores.

I will demand used gas at the gas station tonight. ;-)[/QUOTE]

There's glory in retail?
 
[quote name='gizmogc']How did I know this (and every EB/GameStop topic) would turn into 'they sell new games as used! ahhhhh!'[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I've heard they do this too. Good point.
 
I worked at EB for 3 years and we never had to change any new game to used unless it was accepted in to inventory wrong.

Also, EB opens the games for DISPLAY purposes, there are so many other places that don't do this, I don't understand why people shop at a place that sells games in this condition and then complain about it. The games are new, in most cases they go straight from the box to the bag(in my experience). Some stores in the region I worked in didn't gut their games but used display sleeves sent from the home office, for some reason not all EBs get all the same display boxes though. That also posed a problem because they'd accidentally put a display box out and not actually have the game in stock.(I know this happens sometimes even with real boxes, but it happened more there.)
 
I've bought a couple of games for the Playstation and Dreamcast that were in the new but sold as used. One of the Dreamcast games was still sealed and they just slapped a used sticker over the old pricetag.

As for the opened new EB games, I always ask for a sealed one, and the employees never make a fuss.
 
I've gotten new games as 'used' at FYE recently. If i recall, i got a Copy of Xenosaga I and Neo Contra. They were still factory sealed, but in their used plastic wrapping on top of that. Someone probably traded them in sealed though....but works out for me, w00t
 
[quote name='zackattack']I worked at EB for 3 years and we never had to change any new game to used unless it was accepted in to inventory wrong.

Also, EB opens the games for DISPLAY purposes, there are so many other places that don't do this, I don't understand why people shop at a place that sells games in this condition and then complain about it. The games are new, in most cases they go straight from the box to the bag(in my experience). Some stores in the region I worked in didn't gut their games but used display sleeves sent from the home office, for some reason not all EBs get all the same display boxes though. That also posed a problem because they'd accidentally put a display box out and not actually have the game in stock.(I know this happens sometimes even with real boxes, but it happened more there.)[/QUOTE]

Sorry, but if the wrapper is taken off and the disc is removed from the case then to me its a USED product. No exceptions, ands, ifs, or buts about it - and certainly no excuses either. This is one of the main reasons why I rarely shop at EB is because of this practice.

I simply refuse to pay a new price for a USED product, and I encourage everyone to follow me on this.
 
[quote name='zackattack']I don't understand why people shop at a place that sells games in this condition and then complain about it. [/QUOTE]

I never once purchased one of those half-assed excuses for "new" games, so I can complain all I want and not feel like a hypocrite. We have every right to find this to be shady, because it is. Of course, you're free to think differently. Besides, many stores carry specific display boxes that don't require them to tarnish their actual inventory.
 
[quote name='demomanTNA']Sorry, but if the wrapper is taken off and the disc is removed from the case then to me its a USED product. No exceptions, ands, ifs, or buts about it - and certainly no excuses either. This is one of the main reasons why I rarely shop at EB is because of this practice.

I simply refuse to pay a new price for a USED product, and I encourage everyone to follow me on this.[/QUOTE]

Not to mention your "new" copy comes with 3 or 4 EB stickers that are hell to get off, and then they slap ANOTHER sticker on the box to seal it up. That clear sticker leaves all sorts of nasty residue.

Even when asked not to do that, they said "company policy" and press that sucker on there good and tight.
 
This has been happening for years; it just isn't advertised. The way they used to do it, they'd literally slap a used sticker on a brand new sealed game, and we'd sell it that way. Nowadays, they usually remove the wrap and then place the sticker on there, I assume to prevent dishonest stock balancing (Hmm, our new copy of Blah-Blah is missing? Well, let's just peel the sticker off this "used" copy...). More often than not though, they leave the binding seal intact, so you know it's an untouched copy.

Most of these come directly from warehouse, obviously. 9 times out of 10 when you see a copy like this, the used UPC sticker will have a rather large "R" on it.
 
[quote name='demomanTNA']Sorry, but if the wrapper is taken off and the disc is removed from the case then to me its a USED product. No exceptions, ands, ifs, or buts about it - and certainly no excuses either. This is one of the main reasons why I rarely shop at EB is because of this practice.

I simply refuse to pay a new price for a USED product, and I encourage everyone to follow me on this.[/QUOTE]

I can see where everyone is coming from; I work at EB and I try to avoid buying display copies when I buy new games. What i hate is when someone decides to bitch me out about it...since it's so obvious I have a lot of influence over company policy.
 
This is true. I bought Malice last night from GS. They told me it was new but they were told to sell it as used. My guess is it was the last one and therefore had been opened, which suck's, but I guess they have to prevent loss somehow.
 
[quote name='Mookyjooky']I've overheard that Gamestop will be selling select titles at used, even though they are new games.

Supposedly this is because the games arent selling and people tend to buy certain games that arent the "hot" titles as used more often.

I dont know which games these are, but the guy was walking towards the Xbox display when I left.

Anyone know what games there are and what would be the real reason for this?[/QUOTE]

Thats funny you bring this up... here in Chicago when the "reprint" of RE2/3 hit a few months back and new copies were widely available for $30, every Gamestop in town suddenly had used copies - one of each per store. Each was absolutely mint so I guess they just opened up their own new copies to charge more for them.
 
Looks like it's time for CAG's weekly debate over EB/GSs gutted copies selling as new. I really love the comments like "GameStop coporate is too dumb to do this..." or "Morons run EB/GS" Seriously, you should try it for a week. ;) These guys know what they are doing.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']Not to mention your "new" copy comes with 3 or 4 EB stickers that are hell to get off, and then they slap ANOTHER sticker on the box to seal it up. That clear sticker leaves all sorts of nasty residue.

Even when asked not to do that, they said "company policy" and press that sucker on there good and tight.[/QUOTE]

That one happened to me when I purchased two copies of Paper Mario: TTYD at ebgames.

Both copies were display and "open, but new" copies, but the ironic thing was that neither copy was on display! Both came from the back. :bomb:
 
Most of the time, they're not used, just gutted. Sometimes they are used, because they were checked out by employees.
 
this happens to a lot of the guncon games at eb(vampire night, time crisis 2 and 3). they sell them as used because no one buys them new.
 
today i bought a "used" copy of judge dredd: dredd vs death and i paid the used price with 10% discount and they handed me a copy from the back still sealed with the microsoft sticker. I didnt complain because it is sorta payback for the time i bought a "new copy" of wario ware touched and when i pulled off the plastic there was somebody elses receipt from a few months ago inside even though i paid ful price. fucking basterds.
 
I did this a few days ago, I forget which titles, but it was Malice and about half a dozen more, none of which were particularly good games, heh.
There is often times when games and other stuff like controllers will come in from warehouse with the R sticker and they've never been opened and they're sold as new(those sealed up green N64 controllers come to mind). But yes, this last thing was different in that it was actual store's stock being switched over, either way, if it's that important to get a nice looking used game, you could do better as far as titles go, lol...

for example~ my Phantom brave, Castle Shikigami 2, and Star Wars Trilogy Dvds are "Nused". :lol:
 
actually, I just recently had a horror story related to this.

I was at a Gamestop in McAllen, TX. Near the Border

I see a display case for Cubivore, marked new at $19.99. I ask to see the actual thing, and what they give me is a PS2 case with a printout of the front insert and no manual. And this is NEW.

They did however give me 10% off because it was opened/display copy. But getting the disc only and being charged new - Thats really about as bad as it can get. The disc upon inspection, was new however.
 
[quote name='dafunkk12']I managed to get a "brand-used" copy of Rallisport Challenge 2 at GameStop sometime earlier this year. The clerk joked to me that since it was still sealed I could just "take it to Target." Yeah, no.[/QUOTE]


:rofl:
 
[quote name='buffdrew84']today i bought a "used" copy of judge dredd: dredd vs death and i paid the used price.[/QUOTE]


You still got screwed they should of done the right thing. They should of gave you that game and then you should of burned it right there on the counter. It saves everyone time and pain.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']actually, I just recently had a horror story related to this.[/QUOTE]

This isn't what this thread is about *at all*, however it's lovely that you've shared your story of finding a copy of Cubivore!

[quote name='Graystone']You still got screwed they should of done the right thing. They should of gave you that game and then you should of burned it right there on the counter. It saves everyone time and pain.[/QUOTE]

:lol: yes, that was another one of them, and I'd have to say I agree, some games need every kind of discount they can get to get them the heck out of the way before the next-gen stuff.
 
I hate it when you go to EB and buy a new game and they give you a opened "new" copy. The manager (an old crab) would get shitty and say he doesn't see what the difference is between him opening and me opening it since it's never been played.......... I stopped going to his store because of this, now about a month ago i went to the other eb and he has switched stores to my old favorite one. :bomb:
 
:lol: So many of you aren't reading the topic title correctly. This thread is about NEW games being sold as USED, NOT OPENED/USED being sold as NEW.
 
[quote name='Ledhed']:lol: So many of you aren't reading the topic title correctly. This thread is about NEW games being sold as USED, NOT OPENED/USED being sold as NEW.[/QUOTE]

I read it right i just hate EB B&M stores. :booty: lol
 
yeah.. get a debit card and buy from ebgames.com or gamestop.com.. when you buy new there you don't get the opened copies (none that i've recieved anyway) and you pay generally the same..
 
I don't see what the big fuss is about "new" games being opened. I own a rental store, and all of my product on the floor is "dead", meaning the software is behind the counter. If I didn't do this, all of my time would be spent watching shoplifters, potential shoplifters, and those that are not shoplifters but make me nervous anyway. My store theft would go sky-high, putting me out of business. Corporate stores can absorb more theft than a mom and pop can, but it can still sting them pretty badly. Unless they have dishonest employees or empty display boxes, opening up a game is the way to go.


marc
 
I think this may honestly be the first time I want to see a thread closed, because now that everyone who had something interesting/knowledgable to say about the TOPIC has commented, it's going to become an, "omgtheygutnewgames!hate!" thread.

Because people reading the topic title keep thinking that's what it is, and the only irony that surpasses that is the irony that people actually think REAL $50 games are kept on the sales floor. :lol:
 
I'll share my experience... I bought Destroy All Humans at EB for the used price the day after it came out. It was a copy that an employee bought and traded in. It was pre-played, yet "new," because they were nice enough not to slap the price sticker on it. But I also wondered... how far ahead did these guys have the game? He said he beat it... it took me about 10 hours or so. Its possible he did it in one day, but I'm guessing he got it ahead of time. Any employee "insiders" know how far ahead you're allowed to get games? I'm just curious. ;-)
 
There are cases where I'd buy one of EB's quasi-new games.

I've only done it once, and that was for Disgaea, because I couldn't find it anywhere else. It was definitely worth it.

I really don't have a problem with the Used as New practice as long as they are upfront about it. It bothers some but not others, so, if you don't like it, don't buy it.
 
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