Out-of-state returns and EB Games/GameStop

S

stevecrime

CAGiversary!
I just got back from a frustrating experience at the local EB Games, and wondered if anyone else had this trouble, or if maybe an EB Games/GameStop employee can chime in.

A friend of mine who lives out of state gave me a copy of Chulip for my birthday. I already have it. Luckily, my friend also included the receipt when they sent me the game, so I figured I'd get my money back and get another game.

The clerk scanned the receipt and the game and said, "You'll get $31.79 back." (That's the original price plus 6% PA sales tax.) However, my friend lives in Alabama, which charges 9% sales tax, so they paid $32.69. I pointed this out to the clerk and he kind of shrugged his shoulders and said that only the manager could fix it and they weren't in. So, I told him to give me the game and my receipt back, put the more expensive game I was going to buy back on the shelf and left.

I know it's only 90 cents, but that really made me angry that they couldn't do a simple return without getting it right. What's happening to all of that extra sales tax they're collecting in instances like this?

Has anyone else run into this?
 
You know, that is actually a smart idea. I really mean that, too.

Even though it's gonna be cents per game, that WILL add up.
[quote name='thetoxicone']you need to buy hundreds of games and send them to alabama and see if it works the opposite way[/quote]
 
It's not really an out-of-state issue, it's just differing tax rates. In Ohio, tax rates are variable by county, so if I drive to an EB twenty minutes away, I save .75% in taxes. I know I've experienced similar things with Best Buy as well.

I guess GameRush is the most recent example of this... bought a DS Lite from one GR, returned/rebought at another GR to change the payment, ended up losing a few bucks on the deal. Annoying, but oh well.
 
It'd be worth it buying a console or something.
I remember I had a similar issue at a Borders, but after a bit of hullabaloo at the register it was fixed.
 
No offense, but it seems like you may be over-reacting a bit. Most likely the reason they needed a manager is because no store is going to let its lowly clerks change or negate local tax, because then the clerks could give that discount to buddies or mis charge regularly. Tomorrow there will be a manager there (I am sure of it), just go in and do the return. Perhaps if you tell them the problem from today, they will give you a discount.

Just a suggestion
 
That's just how it is, that store can't give you cost+higher tax rate back since it would reflect as a negative on their books, and that would be why he would need a manager to clear it up, and I doubt even than they would unless you made a big scene about it.
 
They tecnically CAN give it back to you, by changing what the tax rate is. On the return screen, there is a box for tax rate, but most of the time we ignore it because everybody is usually around here.
 
But it could work both ways. I know that FYE takes the time to change the tax rates (at least if they're losing money ... haven't tried it the other way around).
 
[quote name='Thongsy']That's just how it is, that store can't give you cost+higher tax rate back since it would reflect as a negative on their books, and that would be why he would need a manager to clear it up, and I doubt even than they would unless you made a big scene about it.[/quote]

Actually, not true. I don't work in the VG industry, but I work at Lowes. Which i frequently work at the return/c.s desk. We get people all the time who return items from the Toledo, OH store since it's only like 45 mins away.

We have to return the item at the 6.75% I believe it is? verse the 6% that we pay here in Michigan

I mean if it came down to how you said, it would be theft.
 
i know from experience that non-managerial employees at gamestop/eb have no way of doing anything on their own other than ring things up, pester about reserving games, and do general bitch work.
 
I recently bought a $49.99 game in PA (6% tax) and returned it in DE (no tax). The cashier adjusted the tax rate and gave me back the $3.00 tax. I then rebought said game with no tax ;)

I also recently bought a $14.99 game in DE and returned it in PA (on my lunch break). They gave me back $15.89 even though I only paid $14.99. I pointed this out and the cashier didn't seem to care.
 
[quote name='xcoax']i know from experience that non-managerial employees at gamestop/eb have no way of doing anything on their own other than ring things up, pester about reserving games, and do general bitch work.[/quote]

I can't tell which parts of this comment are "funny" parts, but everybody can do the tax rate thing.
 
[quote name='reibeatall']I can't tell which parts of this comment are "funny" parts, but everybody can do the tax rate thing.[/QUOTE]

i worked at gamestop summer of '05, and unless you have the almighty manager key you pretty much can't do anything on your own other than alphabetize games on shelves and various other forms of busy work.
 
I think shipping costs are easily worse. Say you get something online some place. Some places will make you cover the cost to return it.
 
I don't think I'm overreacting.

Why are EB's registers set up so that they can't simply pull the sale for my game out of their database (since I have the receipt which has a bar code and transaction code on it) and give me the proper amount of money? And how do they account for the extra 90 cents? Do they pocket it?

It shouldn't be that difficult for them to honor their own return policy.
 
[quote name='xcoax']i worked at gamestop summer of '05, and unless you have the almighty manager key you pretty much can't do anything on your own other than alphabetize games on shelves and various other forms of busy work.[/quote]

Well in the summer of '06 they changed the register systems.
 
[quote name='stevecrime']I don't think I'm overreacting.

Why are EB's registers set up so that they can't simply pull the sale for my game out of their database (since I have the receipt which has a bar code and transaction code on it) and give me the proper amount of money? And how do they account for the extra 90 cents? Do they pocket it?

It shouldn't be that difficult for them to honor their own return policy.[/quote]
Because the stores aren't connected. Hell, some of the stores are on dial-up.

1. It's already been said that it can be done, it's just something that's oftentimes overlooked because it A) usually doesn't happen, and B) when it does, it's a small amount that most people don't notice.

2. Tax goes to the state, not the company.

You just got a douchebag employee. I'd have slapped him if he worked for me. It's not GS, it's him.
 
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