Wii Super Paper Mario $30 @ EBGames (requires trip to Best Buy)

Z

Zorn

CAGiversary!
This involves going to both Best Buy and EBgames. Here's what you do:

First, print off two of the "$5 off any Wii game" coupons here: http://img452.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coupons1hf5.jpg

Then, go into Best Buy, and pick up Open Season and Far Cry: Instincts. These games are both $19.99, and if you use the $5 off coupons on them they are $15 each. Note that you may have to buy one at the customer service counter then buy the other one at the regular register since the same person might not let you use 2 coupons at once. Plus as a bonus, if you're a RewardZone member, you get the points on those games.

Then go to EBgames, they have a promotion going on until 4/15 where if you trade in any 2 Wii games, you get one for free, maximum value $49.99. So you trade in your two newly acquired $15 games and walk out with a $50 Super Paper Mario. All done!

Sure, it takes going to two stores, but if where you live is anything like me, the EBgames and Best Buy are basically right next door to each other.
 
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Seems that EB near work has used copies of Open Season and Far Cry. With the discount card, I should be able to get both for around $34. Not as cheap as the Best Buy route, but more convenient. I'll fight the urge to buy them and immediately trade them in, and instead buy them today and trade them in tomorrow. :D
 
[quote name='Chaz']Seems that EB near work has used copies of Open Season and Far Cry. With the discount card, I should be able to get both for around $34. Not as cheap as the Best Buy route, but more convenient. I'll fight the urge to buy them and immediately trade them in, and instead buy them today and trade them in tomorrow. :D[/quote]
You might want to try this same day if you find paper mario in stock. I just did this (bought them used at one EB, traded them in at another EB that had paper mario in stock), and the manager gave somebody a call over the $5 trade-in value (perhaps he was only an asst. mgr.). Long story short: he told me I was lucky, because once the system updates tonight these will not be viable for a trade-in under that deal. Of course, whether this is just at his shop, or if he was talking out of his @$$, I can't say.

It would be very fishy if they did not honor the original terms of the deal, but you might want to treat this as YMMV at this point. You should be okay with used games from EB, though, as you can just return them if they refuse the trade.
 
[quote name='1stmoon']EB usually is selling used games as new, so i don't quite see the problem of giving something sealed :roll:[/quote]

Problem with selling a game new they don't receive ALL of their profits, with used games they get 100% of profits (thus why they prefer used games).
 
[quote name='soyverde']You might want to try this same day if you find paper mario in stock. I just did this (bought them used at one EB, traded them in at another EB that had paper mario in stock), and the manager gave somebody a call over the $5 trade-in value (perhaps he was only an asst. mgr.). Long story short: he told me I was lucky, because once the system updates tonight these will not be viable for a trade-in under that deal. Of course, whether this is just at his shop, or if he was talking out of his @$$, I can't say.

It would be very fishy if they did not honor the original terms of the deal, but you might want to treat this as YMMV at this point. You should be okay with used games from EB, though, as you can just return them if they refuse the trade.[/quote]Unless the system is no longer going to allow them to manually override trade-in values (which would be ridiculous), there's nothing that a system update could do.
 
[quote name='fairtrade']
I don't think EBStop will let you pay off a game in full in advance so what gives? How are they ringing that one up?[/quote]

I asked earlier if they would accept the money to be put on pre-orders but they said no...They said it would have to be on something in the store as of now (and the offer excluded all but Wii games)

You could fully pre-order games so..I guess if u wanted u could return that gmae (sealed) and the next day put it towards something :cool:
 
Has anyone else heard about this exclusion thing? I'm not worried, since as you said, I can just return them.
 
[quote name='Foo228']Problem with selling a game new they don't receive ALL of their profits, with used games they get 100% of profits (thus why they prefer used games).[/quote]I don't think that's quite right. Isn't it just that new games cost the company closer to what they sell them at, so in the end they make little money? In that case, selling used as new would net them a TON. Take in a game at $5, sell it at $50, $45 profit. But I've never know GS to actually do this.
 
I had an issue at an EB games yesterday. I went to Best Buy...and they didnt' have Open Season. I said screw it and picked up two Farcrys for $19.99 each, minus two $5.00 off Gamepro coupons and one $5.00 off Reward Zone certificate. (My girlfriend went to one line and used a coupon...I used another in a different line.)

So that went off without a hitch. Two Wii games for $25.00 to trade in. So I went to the nearest EB Games with the games still sealed and wanted to trade them in. He was kinda a douche and said that it's company policy not to take sealed games for trade in. I told him I'd open them up right there and now. He said no...still company policy. I told him I know for a fact he's BSing and left. Went down the road to GS and brought the now opened games to them.

He said that the trade in doesn't include duplicate games. I told him it says on the ad nowhere does it say that. He left the register to go read the sign...and then came back and said normally I'd fight ya on this, but it's busy. lol

So I'm now the proud owner of Super Paper Mario for a grand total of $25.00.

I realize we're taking advantage of GS/EB Games with this promo...but don't run a damn promo is you're gonna try and find every way to squirm out of it. I hate companies that do that...
 
[quote name='botticus']Unless the system is no longer going to allow them to manually override trade-in values (which would be ridiculous), there's nothing that a system update could do.[/quote]
That was exactly my thought as he said it, and for the record mine only traded in for $5 each, so unless they are able to somehow amend the deal, it should be valid still, no matter the price. I just thought I'd share my experience, and note that if Chaz can find SPM in stock at EB he should jump on it now. ;)
 
[quote name='ddrlenz']I realize we're taking advantage of GS/EB Games with this promo...but don't run a damn promo is you're gonna try and find every way to squirm out of it. I hate companies that do that...[/quote]

We're nowhere near taking as much advantage on this as they take every freakin' day on trade in prices.
 
[quote name='ddrlenz']I had an issue at an EB games yesterday. I went to Best Buy...and they didnt' have Open Season. I said screw it and picked up two Farcrys for $19.99 each, minus two $5.00 off Gamepro coupons and one $5.00 off Reward Zone certificate. (My girlfriend went to one line and used a coupon...I used another in a different line.)

So that went off without a hitch. Two Wii games for $25.00 to trade in. So I went to the nearest EB Games with the games still sealed and wanted to trade them in. He was kinda a douche and said that it's company policy not to take sealed games for trade in. I told him I'd open them up right there and now. He said no...still company policy. I told him I know for a fact he's BSing and left. Went down the road to GS and brought the now opened games to them.

He said that the trade in doesn't include duplicate games. I told him it says on the ad nowhere does it say that. He left the register to go read the sign...and then came back and said normally I'd fight ya on this, but it's busy. lol

So I'm now the proud owner of Super Paper Mario for a grand total of $25.00.

I realize we're taking advantage of GS/EB Games with this promo...but don't run a damn promo is you're gonna try and find every way to squirm out of it. I hate companies that do that...[/quote]

Good job, ddrlenz...put those companies in retrospect
They rip us off so its only fair and as for not being able to give them the sealed games the guy was probably afraid the games were stolen or something..:whistle2:?
 
[quote name='ryansebiz']We're nowhere near taking as much advantage on this as they take every freakin' day on trade in prices.[/quote]

exactly why its not as bad as people are making it out to be
 
Well, I don't have any problem with people doing this promo, just as I don't have any problem with the crappy trade in prices they offer. Nobody is lying to anybody. They don't force you to trade in your games, and you are abiding by their rules. There's a reason they excluded Wii Sports and Wii Play. If they wanted to exclude other games they have every right to put it in the promotion details.

I do have a problem with their employees giving misinformation (i.e., saying they don't accept multiple copies, etc) when it's just not true. If they had a corporate policy to not accept any duplicates or any sealed games, and none of the stores did it, I'd be fine with that. But to have it depend solely on the mood of the employee making not much more than minimum wage - that just seems stupid.
 
Peeps who feel bad about doing this are just silly. Do you feel bad when they give you $3 for a PSP game? Sure you do. Now is your chance to get them back.
 
Oh I'm not feeling guilty. The trade-in credit they'd give for these games is $5.00. That's being raped by a corporation.

I'm all for free market and capitalism, it's what the US is found upon. But they give me 5.00 and resell for 30. Sorry...I'll be playing my SPM and enjoying it! It was more so for the g/f, but I'm having a blast too! :)

-Ryan

P.S. Thank you ALL for this website. It's comforting to know that there are alot of other deal-seekers out there like me. I've found alot of great items and deals since coming here! You all rule!

(Now all I need is a deal on Oblivion for 360...hehe)
 
[quote name='drfunk85']Well, I don't have any problem with people doing this promo, just as I don't have any problem with the crappy trade in prices they offer. Nobody is lying to anybody. They don't force you to trade in your games, and you are abiding by their rules. There's a reason they excluded Wii Sports and Wii Play. If they wanted to exclude other games they have every right to put it in the promotion details.[/quote]Exactly my thoughts. It's not screwing them over in my eyes, it's taking advantage of their promotion.

I do have a problem with their employees giving misinformation (i.e., saying they don't accept multiple copies, etc) when it's just not true. If they had a corporate policy to not accept any duplicates or any sealed games, and none of the stores did it, I'd be fine with that. But to have it depend solely on the mood of the employee making not much more than minimum wage - that just seems stupid.
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AFAIK it IS company policy to not take multiple copies or sealed games. I don't think it's the mood of the employee, but how well they are informed. And sometimes people just plain forget things. I think of it as, if you can get away with it great, but don't expect it.
 
It's been a while since I've looked, but when I was running an EB, I believe there was a policy to not take duplicates.

I picked up my used copies of Open Season and Far Cry. There were suddenly a lot of copies of both of these, which weren't there two days ago, so I suspect that the nearby BB has been nicely cleared out of both of them. Unfortunately, they wouldn't sell any of the mountain of SPM that they had behind the counter for preorders. I'll go back tomorrow when they should be selling them to non preorders.

I love screwing over my former company. :D
 
[quote name='LinkinPrime']Finally got my Mario copy after trading in WSP (9.98 @ Target) and FarCry ($15 AC @ BB). Didn't even have to pay tax :bouncy:

Thanks again OP![/quote]

What does WSP stand for?...
 
[quote name='DarkEclipse234']What does WSP stand for?...[/quote]

world series poker, and im pretty sure its hard to find at a local target
 
[quote name='Foo228']world series poker, and im pretty sure its hard to find at a local target[/quote]

Mine has like 5 copies, but they are all regularly priced
 
[quote name='soyverde'] Long story short: he told me I was lucky, because once the system updates tonight these will not be viable for a trade-in under that deal. Of course, whether this is just at his shop, or if he was talking out of his @$$, I can't say.
[/QUOTE]

It is the latter ;). Botticus pretty much covered it. But I think it is funny that this guy you talked to thought it would update "tonight" just because HE saw that the trade-in values for those games were only $5 just now. They've been that way for over a week now :roll:.
 
Hahaha...good call io. I'm surprised the guy didn't just bang on his chest and yell "Zeus has spoken!" Once again, this goes back to my theory of employees taking it personal when you're able to get a good deal and "swindle" the system. These are the people that should be reported to corporate. I'm sure the EB/GS headquarters realizes some people will work this promotion to their advantage...but it will also encourage them to do future shopping at their stores. If it was hurting them that bad, they would have pulled the plug already.
 
My local BB has three copies of Open Season but no Far Cry.

I would be all over this deal but I bought Red Steel for $30 last week from BB. Yesterday I did a Wal-Mart swap and got SPM.

Gotta love the Wal-Mart swap, they'll take anything.
 
Hey there guys, this'll be my first time doing something like this and I just want to confirm if Best Buy will accept printed copies of the coupons? I plan to buy Far Cry and Open Season at different times with different cashiers, since you can only use them once per customer.

Thanks much
 
[quote name='ryansebiz']My local BB has three copies of Open Season but no Far Cry.

I would be all over this deal but I bought Red Steel for $30 last week from BB. Yesterday I did a Wal-Mart swap and got SPM.

Gotta love the Wal-Mart swap, they'll take anything.[/QUOTE]

Go to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
 
Got my Paper Mario today. Had a nice manager that didn't know what was going on so he called up corporate.

Had to pay tax though. :cry:
 
[quote name='illway']Hey there guys, this'll be my first time doing something like this and I just want to confirm if Best Buy will accept printed copies of the coupons? I plan to buy Far Cry and Open Season at different times with different cashiers, since you can only use them once per customer.

Thanks much[/QUOTE]
I printed them out on a color printer and just had the cashier ring them separately. I didn't have any problems at all. They even scanned in right. Then again, I was wearing a tie, have a good color printer and the cashier looked new. Try your luck. At worst, it doesn't work.
 
[quote name='torifile']I printed them out on a color printer and just had the cashier ring them separately. I didn't have any problems at all. They even scanned in right. Then again, I was wearing a tie, have a good color printer and the cashier looked new. Try your luck. At worst, it doesn't work.[/quote]

Thanks for the reply. The best I can do is give it a shot. Not to be sexist, but I hope the cashier is a young female with blond hair! :lol:
 
Man, I just got screwed.

I called seven EB's/Ga,mestops until I found one with copies of SMP. So I asked the guy about the trade in deal on the phone. He said yes. I asked himn about trading in two oif the same game. he said yes.

SO I mow the lawn, get in the car, open up my two copies of Far Cry and head to the store.

And the manager there won't except the trade. The thing that suclks is that I've tanbgled with this guy before. He's an absolute stickler. I once was going around getting penny guides. My first two shoops had no problems. One ghuy even stated he had to tear the cover off but otherwise let me have the books. But this guy wouldn't give me crap for penny guys. "I can't sell them to you. I can't give them to you. I have to keep the whole book."

So he says no to two copies of the same game. I asked where it was written. he said it wasn't but it's a rule to prevent losses. He asked me if I ever had traded in two of the same thing. I said yes, but it was before the GS/EB merger. Two GBA carts of Metroid Fusion.

They had plenty of copies of SMP. But he wouldn't do the trade.

It's a trap!

But I have hatched a nefarious plan. I'm going to hit up one of the ten other local GS/evb's and get Open season there. I think it's $18. Then I'll trade that one in and one of my copies of Far Cry. That's $18 for the OS and $15 - $5 pricegrabber rebate for the Far cry makes SMP $28.

As for the second one, I'm going to trade that one in to secondspin.com where the value is currently $22. So I'll recoup the $15 I spent on it at BB and Get a few dollars extra for my troubles.
 
I was thinking the same thing, but then I managed to get 5 games w/ multiple trade-ins. Not great, but better than waiting for the better titles to maybe someday drop in price.

[quote name='diablofreak']i think its too much work. but if it works, kudos to you[/quote]
 
[quote name='ryansebiz']My local BB has three copies of Open Season but no Far Cry.

I would be all over this deal but I bought Red Steel for $30 last week from BB. Yesterday I did a Wal-Mart swap and got SPM.

Gotta love the Wal-Mart swap, they'll take anything.[/quote]

sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a walmart swap?
 
I think he's referring to the fact that if you take something to Wal-Mart and don't have a receipt they'll usually accept your return anyways -- w/o knowing if you really bought the item there or not -- and give you a gift card for their MSRP.

[quote name='monkeydeew']sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a walmart swap?[/quote]
 
It worked for me, but I swear I got lucky. Apparently, there IS an e-mail that does say Farcry and Barnyard are not...useable for trade. I went to get them both used at one Gamestop because my Best BUy didn't have either, and the guy knew what I was doing right away. It scared me. A lot. I would've done it there, but they didn't have any copies left. Next, I go to another Gamestop. They told me no with that e-mail of failure. I go to another one and the guy seemed oblivious to the deal but when he wrote both games into the computer it told him that they could'nt be used. Luckily, he just got the e-mail today and decided eh, this just happened today. He was uber nice about it too. I guess this deal is almost dead unless you have two other games, a really nice worker or they just dont care.

But yaay, it worked for me.
 
Hmmm... Was gonna try one more time tonight but maybe I ought to stop while I'm ahead ;). I don't know what to make of this report: "he wrote both games into the computer it told him that they could'nt be used". That doesn't seem to be something their system is set up for, but who knows. Hopefully we'll get further comfimation of this if it is the case. Or perhaps this was just a misunderstanding on that clerk's part (ie, it doesn't happen automatically so he assumed they didn't work). Besides, it is Open Season and Far Cry - not Barnyard and Far Cry. If that was a typo, then OK - but if he claims it told him Barnyard didn't work then that is BS because that is not a cheap game to flip (except for at a few select Targets).
 
okay so i am new to CAG..but i thought this deal was pretty good so i went to go try it out today. First i made sure that EBgames near my school (UCR) will accept ANY 2 games for a new game and the manager said yes. So, no problem with the BB 5 dollar off coupon and getting far cry and open season. So i went to EBgames and show him far cry and open season and he said that he was sorry but they can not accept those 2 games. So i ask him to show me proof that they cannot accept these 2 games and he showed me an email that states in bold font "Please exclude Far Cry: Vengeance and Open Season from this promotion." and it went on saying to give them customer the regular trade in price for these games. Now i'm stuck with 2 worthless games..anyone wanna buy? 20 bucks ha ha ha..looks like another trip to best buy....GOOD LUCK to the rest that are trying to get this deal..
 
Well, it seems reports are coming in that this deal is pretty close to dead. I wih I would have traded in my copy of Far Cry I bought earlier, but I was trying to figure out which one of my other games to trade with and was going to do it this week.

Is it worth the $16.99 I paid, or should I just return it?
 
[quote name='Zorn']This involves going to both Best Buy and EBgames. Here's what you do:

First, print off two of the "$5 off any Wii game" coupons here: http://img452.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coupons1hf5.jpg

Then, go into Best Buy, and pick up Open Season and Far Cry: Instincts. These games are both $19.99, and if you use the $5 off coupons on them they are $15 each. Note that you may have to buy one at the customer service counter then buy the other one at the regular register since the same person might not let you use 2 coupons at once. Plus as a bonus, if you're a RewardZone member, you get the points on those games.

Then go to EBgames, they have a promotion going on until 4/15 where if you trade in any 2 Wii games, you get one for free, maximum value $49.99. So you trade in your two newly acquired $15 games and walk out with a $50 Super Paper Mario. All done!

Sure, it takes going to two stores, but if where you live is anything like me, the EBgames and Best Buy are basically right next door to each other.[/QUOTE]
hey i heard that starting today that gamestop no longer takes far cry and open season as trades for the buy two get one free. someone might still be able to get away with it though.
 
[quote name='coolman04']hey i heard that starting today that gamestop no longer takes far cry and open season as trades for the buy two get one free. someone might still be able to get away with it though.[/quote]

went to EB games and asked one of the guys if they had the 2 for 1 promotion going

before he answered yes or no, he told me "no far cry and open season"

lol
 
I was able to get in on this yesterday. Bought Far Cry and Open Season from BB with $5 GamePro Coupon. Opened the games, went over to EB Games, and asked if they were doing the trade-in. They said yes and took the games although I had to pay sales tax.
 
Great Success! Today I was in the nearby city (which has a BB, about 45 minutes away from my house) for a job interview. I called the Software Etc in the mall and asked about the promo; the person said anything but wii sports.
Stupidly, I went just in time for the interview (at 2pm), so didn't get to BB until 3pm. My g/f and I picked up Open Season and Far Cry (lots in BB on the shelves), and headed over to Software Etc. I knew it was still posible for them to change their minds so I left the games sealed in the car while I went in to ask. Employee told me right away it wouldn't work for those games, didn't even have to ask about them. I asked why, and he said an email had come through today about it.
So we decided to try the GS across town; no luck there either.
We went back to town and argued a bit (my g/f was mad that we wasted so much time doing this when it wasn't going to work, but I thought we should at least give our local store a shot). So we called, and were given the run-around: GS guy said he wasn't sure which games would work and which wouldn't, and wanted to know what we were trading in. Luckily my g/f is quick on her feet and just said she wasn't sure which ones she wanted to trade; she would think it over and call back.

SO we got online to confirm that the ad still only excluded Wii Play/Sports, which it did. We called back to say it seemed the titles not allowed were those, and told him what we wanted to trade. He THEN said he would have to read the fine print on the ad in store, can we call back in 20 minutes? (We assumed this meant check the emails and call around, so we figured we're screwed, but we called anyway).

He said he hadn't had a chance to check it out but didn't see why we couldn't trade them in (!!). The g/f rushed down to the store and was able to snag SPM (had to pay tax though).

Good luck in getting this to work, but thankfully we barely did :D I KNEW our store wouldn't be so up-to-date on emails.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']Great Success! Today I was in the nearby city (which has a BB, about 45 minutes away from my house) for a job interview. I called the Software Etc in the mall and asked about the promo; the person said anything but wii sports.
Stupidly, I went just in time for the interview (at 2pm), so didn't get to BB until 3pm. My g/f and I picked up Open Season and Far Cry (lots in BB on the shelves), and headed over to Software Etc. I knew it was still posible for them to change their minds so I left the games sealed in the car while I went in to ask. Employee told me right away it wouldn't work for those games, didn't even have to ask about them. I asked why, and he said an email had come through today about it.
So we decided to try the GS across town; no luck there either.
We went back to town and argued a bit (my g/f was mad that we wasted so much time doing this when it wasn't going to work, but I thought we should at least give our local store a shot). So we called, and were given the run-around: GS guy said he wasn't sure which games would work and which wouldn't, and wanted to know what we were trading in. Luckily my g/f is quick on her feet and just said she wasn't sure which ones she wanted to trade; she would think it over and call back.

SO we got online to confirm that the ad still only excluded Wii Play/Sports, which it did. We called back to say it seemed the titles not allowed were those, and told him what we wanted to trade. He THEN said he would have to read the fine print on the ad in store, can we call back in 20 minutes? (We assumed this meant check the emails and call around, so we figured we're screwed, but we called anyway).

He said he hadn't had a chance to check it out but didn't see why we couldn't trade them in (!!). The g/f rushed down to the store and was able to snag SPM (had to pay tax though).

Good luck in getting this to work, but thankfully we barely did :D I KNEW our store wouldn't be so up-to-date on emails.[/quote]

thanks for sharing your story
but going through all that trouble isnt really worth it for me
i learned my lesson and i'm moving on. i am never going to try exploiting deals anymore
 
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