Would you get in trouble for this?? (possible cheap-ass tactic)

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Okay, technically I can't find anything wrong with this, but it could probably get you kicked out of a store. So I figured I'd run it by you guys.

Say you go into a game store that takes trade-ins. You're by the counter and some mother has a stack of her kid's game's that she's trading in. You clearly hear the manager say he'll give $8 for, let's say, Mario Advance for GBA. You then speak up, reach into your wallet, and offer to take the game for $10.

Technically, is there anything the store can do to stop you? I came really close to doing this a while ago, so it got me thinking. Maybe there's some law relating to it... I mean worse comes to worst, you could just discreetly whisper your offer to someone, step outside the store, and complete the transaction. It's bound to piss people off, but would you be in any danger otherwise?
 
you would get kicked out of the store most likely and told not to come back, other than that, there's no law against it.
 
Ill do it once in awhile, it depends on the person behind the counter. If I was working, i wouldn't care about trade ins. And I hear employees say "we'll we can't give you much for it" all the time. The only thing they can really do is make you get out of the store.
 
Yes, I have done this once before, I picked up Brute Force for $3 after a Gamestop employee offered the guy $2. All the employee did was remind me to take my business outside of the store.
 
It all depends on who's on the other side. I've seen it happen where the employee said that if the other person was giving them a better deal to go ahead and take it. Then again there are people who think that somehow the world is going to end and take exception to it.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

Where is your store? I will come and do it just to piss you off.

Why are you so adamant about ripping off mothers and little kids?
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU'RE BADASS!
 
That is BS I have worked at both major videogame retailers and promise you there is NOTHING they can do about it. The higher-ups clearly tell the employees they don't mind even them doing it as long as its outside the store.
 
[quote name='chunk'][quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

Where is your store? I will come and do it just to piss you off.

Why are you so adamant about ripping off mothers and little kids?[/quote]

I tell you where MY store is and I'll be sure to throw you the fuck out for being a little shit.

And ripping of moms and little kids? Someday when you are all grwon up and have a real job and learn what business is all about you will realize that no one is being ripped off.

Its people like you that think they could ever get a job at EB or Gamestop with an attitude like this. People come in all the time and ask for jobs that argue with me about trade ins and things they don't feel is fair and all I do is laugh at them and ask them if they actually expect to ever work for me.

And if you think I am full of shit, then why is my store always ranked at the top of the district/region??????
 
It's only a problem if you;re harrassing the customer, There's no law that says you can't make an offer if the person isn't happy with it.

Person 1: "8 bucks? uuunngh...."
Person 2: "I'll give you 10 for it!"
Registermonkey: "Hey, you cant do that"
Person 2: "What? Are you gonna change store policy and give him 10?"
Registermonkey: "Well, no... I cant do that..."
Person 1: "Thanks for the cash!"
Person 2: "Thanks for the game!"
Registermonkey: "..."

They can ask you to exchange the money outside, not on store grounds, but they cant keep you from doing it. Hell you;d be doing the store a favor half the time concidering how many hundreds of over priced, unsellable used games I see in EB and gamestop.

There are some stores where the register guys will offer more money from their own pockets if they;re game collectors. The management frowns one this and claims they're stealing profits form the store which leads to their termination... so if they offer to do this for you becareful not to be too loud about it.
 
If you're going to try and steal business from EB or GameStop, catch the person before they make it to the counter. That way, you're only stealing a potential customer, not an actual customer.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

People like you piss me off. I could understand if you owned the store. Believe me you won't make more money for being an ass. You are only helping Corporate America make more profits for what, am sure your efforts are not even aknowledged by your employer. Give up the power trip. Be a nice guy and help the little guy once in a while. It is called "good kharma"...
 
There's nothing wrong with doing it in legal terms, but they can (and will) kick you out of the store and perhaps ask you not to come back. You're taking their business and they won't be very happy about it. Of course, perhaps just some joe employee won't care, but you can bet the managers will at least.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']There's nothing wrong with doing it in legal terms, but they can (and will) kick you out of the store and perhaps ask you not to come back. You're taking their business and they won't be very happy about it. Of course, perhaps just some joe employee won't care, but you can bet the managers will at least.[/quote]

Guys we are forgetting something. We live in a Capitalist Society, The highest bidder wins. This is why a store offers a good sale to steal customers from another store. Can EB get mad at Gamestop for offering more money for the same trade in. The answer is no. That's exactly what we are doing. Be discrete and offer a bit more money for the game. The only way you would actually "steal" a customer would be if the store employee had already started the paperwork and then you made the person change their mind...
 
And if you think I am full of shit, then why is my store always ranked at the top of the district/region??????
Click to expand...

You must be lucky, because you seem like an ass and i sure as hell wouldn't shop in your store.
 
I've seen some pretty sweet games get traded in, and it was hard for me to hold back.

Still, it is rude and improper, if not illegal. It bugs me that game stores give so little for games, but they have to make money too. If gizmogc can keep from singing the praises of his store for this thread I'm going to have to support him on this. The stores will not make money if you steal their customers. Especially when they are getting trades for the big games that are sure to sell.

Every business, whether you realize it or not, has to make money or they will go away. They're not bottomless money-pits that are just there for fun or because somebody walked up to a guy and told him his destiny was to open a video game store.

And yes, when you take their customers you are STEALING from them. You think that space their store is sitting in is free? They paid for that customer to be able to walk in there and sell them a game that they will turn around for a profit. Look at it this way - why don't YOU open up a store. Start out by shelling out $1,000 a month for rent (pretty cheap for a good location), then another $100 a day for employee salaries ($3,000/month), figure $150/month (again, probably low) cost for all the punks who will be stealing from you. I won't even get into the costs of regular maintenance and electricity, phone, etc.

Now, someone FINALLY comes into your store to sell you some games that you might make $30 or $40 bucks on, and one of your customers who is in YOUR STORE that you're paying rent on steals the deal out from under you? Man, I have to tell you - that's just wrong. Gamestop PAYS for people to recognize their property as a place that they can trade and sell games. When you free-load at their store, you are stealing from them because you are using the service they PAID for (the service being a recognized locale where the owner is buying games) for free.

Anyone who has had the misfortune to have to read any of my posts knows my stance - wrong is wrong whether it's small or big. In this case it is wrong in every way.

Incidentally, I have been told that it is technically illegal. Not sure if it is true, but at least in some states I would expect it is illegal to try to negotiate business on somebody else's property, just as it would be illegal to stand in front of a guy's hot dog stand and try to sell hot dogs to his customers.
 
[quote name='xzafixz']
And if you think I am full of shit, then why is my store always ranked at the top of the district/region??????
Click to expand...

You must be lucky, because you seem like an ass and i sure as hell wouldn't shop in your store.[/quote]

I would shop at this store every day of the week. An employee who thinks it's important to make sure his store runs the way it's supposed to? Absolutely. I'd bet he doesn't let his employees snipe all the good games when they get traded in either. And he probably doesn't try to rip people off or sell crap to ignorant mothers either.

Since when did doing the right thing become unpopular?
 
I had something similar happen.

I was trading in some DVD movies to a local shop in buffalo, and the guy said "We have too many of this movie in stock, I will buy it personally off you". And I sold it to the clerk. He gave me his own money, because the store isn't buying it, the worker is buying it from me.

Now would a worker get in trouble for that?
 
most of the time when I walk into a store and someone has a rare game, workers will even tell them to Ebay it unless a manager is around
 
[quote name='The Game'][quote name='chunk'][quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

Why are you so adamant about ripping off mothers and little kids?[/quote]

I tell you where MY store is and I'll be sure to throw you the shaq-fu out for being a little shit.

And ripping of moms and little kids? Someday when you are all grwon up and have a real job and learn what business is all about you will realize that no one is being ripped off.

Its people like you that think they could ever get a job at EB or Gamestop And if you think I am full of shit, then why is my store always ranked at the top of the district/region??????[/quote]

Thegame, not only are you full of shit but you are an ASSWIPE. "Your Store"??? Do you Own it? And BTW what do you call getting $15 credit for a 2 week old game. RIP OFF!!! Am not putting down your job cause believe me mine aint glamorous but you impress nothing but pre-teens with your credentials. You need to grow up and give up the power trip. You will feel better...
 
[quote name='chosen1s']Incidentally, I have been told that it is technically illegal. Not sure if it is true, but at least in some states I would expect it is illegal to try to negotiate business on somebody else's property, just as it would be illegal to stand in front of a guy's hot dog stand and try to sell hot dogs to his customers.[/quote]

Source please!!

Also if the hot dog stand is on public property, not only could someone else stand in front of his stand to sell hot dogs but they could also blow a big cloud of ass gas his way.
 
Chosen1 you are very naive. You think this stores dont make money? What did they ever do for you exept suck your money. Thats exactly what this stores need. Some competition. Competition is what drives prices to go down so CAGers coud take advantage of this deals. If you feel so bad for the stores by games from a Mom and POp shop so at least your helping a small owner who probably works at his own store as opposed to aCorporate Giant. Use your head young lad.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

Okay, suppose a 'potential' customer walked in and wanted to trade in a few games for store credit. The guy at the register can only give him like $8 total. He probably expected maybe $25 (hell, we all expect kore than we really get). So this 'potential' customer decides he/she doesn't have enough cash to make up the difference between the $8 store credit and that shiny new copy of say, Fight Night 2004. This person doesn't want the credit because it doesn't really do any good because the games out of his price range anyway and he's about to walk right out of the store empty handed. Here I come in, and I see some stuff in this guy's lot that I wouldn't mind having. I offer him a decent price for some/all of it. This amount of cash I just gave him now allows him to get the game he wanted. In essence, I just gave you business from an individual who couldn't give you business one minute ago, turning a 'potential' customer into a 'paying customer.' I've done this several times in my local game stores and have been personally thanked by the managers for helping them out. Oh, but I would probably be thrown right out of the store by some of the nerdboy store managers here huh?
 
[quote name='BABETOOTH']Chosen1 you are very naive. You think this stores dont make money? What did they ever do for you exept suck your money. Thats exactly what this stores need. Some competition. Competition is what drives prices to go down so CAGers coud take advantage of this deals. If you feel so bad for the stores by games from a Mom and POp shop so at least your helping a small owner who probably works at his own store as opposed to aCorporate Giant. Use your head young lad.[/quote]

Fine,

If it's so easy for a game store to rake in the money and these Corporate Giants need some competition, I look forward to visiting your store, where you will be giving significantly fairer (higher) prices for used games. Where will you be doing this? I will be your first customer.

I'll tell you what they've done for me: Valkyrie Profile, Suikoden II, Dracula X, Mario RPG, Rez, need I go on because I'm just scratching the surface?

p.s. - Yes, I'm quite happy that they didn't let some schmuck come in and buy those games out from under them before they had the chance to buy them and sell them to me.
 
Guys we are forgetting something. We live in a Capitalist Society, The highest bidder wins. This is why a store offers a good sale to steal customers from another store. Can EB get mad at Gamestop for offering more money for the same trade in. The answer is no. That's exactly what we are doing. Be discrete and offer a bit more money for the game. The only way you would actually "steal" a customer would be if the store employee had already started the paperwork and then you made the person change their mind...[/quote]


Your argument is flawed as the store that you are in and offering a different deal is being paid for by their customers. While not illegal it is unethical. The business that you are standing in is providing the space and the reason for people and games to be there. Even if you stand outside you are taking advantage of someone elses work. If you put the store out of business by taking away customers/profits.. where will you go for your deals (to scavange)?

We do live in a capitalistic society, but if we don't live in somesort of ethical society, well whats the point of living?
 
[quote name='JibbaJabba'][quote name='chosen1s']Incidentally, I have been told that it is technically illegal. Not sure if it is true, but at least in some states I would expect it is illegal to try to negotiate business on somebody else's property, just as it would be illegal to stand in front of a guy's hot dog stand and try to sell hot dogs to his customers.[/quote]

Source please!!

Also if the hot dog stand is on public property, not only could someone else stand in front of his stand to sell hot dogs but they could also blow a big cloud of ass gas his way.[/quote]

My sources are:
Some friendly gamestore Managers I'm friends with. Not a conversation where they were being defensive - more like "Do you believe somebody can actually get arrested for pulling that?" - "Really?" - "Sure can."

And on another thread I am positive I ran across some others who had mentioned they were pretty certain it is illegal (They were recommending you go outside the store to bargain).

Like I said, I'm not sure it's true but this thread is the first that I have heard otherwise.
 
[quote name='AGuth'][quote name='gizmogc']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

Okay, suppose a 'potential' customer walked in and wanted to trade in a few games for store credit. The guy at the register can only give him like $8 total...This person doesn't want the credit because it doesn't really do any good...I offer him a decent price for some/all of it. [/quote]

I don't have nearly the ethical problem with this because you allowed the store to do what they have paid to do. They paid for the opportunity to have "first dibs" on that customer. If the customer didnt' like it, the store has had the opportunity they paid for. I would still think it would be respectful (and possibly more legal) to follow them out of the store though.
 
[quote name='"AGuth"'] I've done this several times in my local game stores and have been personally thanked by the managers for helping them out.
Personally, I don't mind if someone swings a deal with someone who didn't want to trade their games to the store anyways. Like someone said before, that's competition, and as long as it isn't done on store grounds, it is fine with me. But the manager THANKING you?

"Man, I was wondering when that person was gonna realize you are the better deal! Can I buy you a beer?"

You're 2-lb trout became a 20-lb trout in the same story.
Click to expand...
 
[ Your argument is flawed as the store that you are in and offering a different deal is being paid for by their customers. While not illegal it is unethical. The business that you are standing in is providing the space and the reason for people and games to be there. Even if you stand outside you are taking advantage of someone elses work. If you put the store out of business by taking away customers/profits.. where will you go for your deals (to scavange)?

We do live in a capitalistic society, but if we don't live in somesort of ethical society, well whats the point of living?[/quote]

Loot, so you are teling me that if I offer some dude money for his game at a store, such store runs the risk of going out of business due to my activity? WOW how did stores survive before they sold used games. How does Toys R Us compete. Next thing you know they'll be out of business too right?
 
[quote name='BABETOOTH']Chosen1 you are very naive. You think this stores dont make money? What did they ever do for you exept suck your money. Thats exactly what this stores need. Some competition. Competition is what drives prices to go down so CAGers coud take advantage of this deals. If you feel so bad for the stores by games from a Mom and POp shop so at least your helping a small owner who probably works at his own store as opposed to aCorporate Giant. Use your head young lad.[/quote]

I can't wait for Babetooth to grow up, and try to get a job to support himself and maybe afamily. "what did they ever do for you? sheesh talk about narcissistic. They provide a service if you don't want the service move on. I'm guessing either BABETOOTH is a kid who hasn't entered the real world yet, or is a government employee. :)
 
[quote name='BABETOOTH']

Guys we are forgetting something. We live in a Capitalist Society, The highest bidder wins. This is why a store offers a good sale to steal customers from another store. Can EB get mad at Gamestop for offering more money for the same trade in. The answer is no. That's exactly what we are doing. Be discrete and offer a bit more money for the game. The only way you would actually "steal" a customer would be if the store employee had already started the paperwork and then you made the person change their mind...[/quote]

You don't understand Capitalism. You are only talking about half of Capitalism. The foundation of Capitalism relies on every person's ability to utilize what they paid for. You're not in a Capitalistic society just becasue you are able to bid on a tractor and win it at the fair market price. You are only in Capitalism if you are ALSO allowed to choose how that tractor is used once you have purchased it. If you bought it and then had to share it with all of your neighbors for free, you are not in a Capitalist society. Retail stores PAY for the right to sell exclusively out of the space they occupy. When you try to use that space you are stealing.

I've got an idea - how about one of you asks Defender if he will let you make a slightly lower offer to any of his customers who want to buy a game off his site...free of charge? I'm sure he won't mind if you can afford to undercut him a little. After all, it's a Capitalist society, right? Why should you have to set up your own site and do your own advertising when his site is all set up? After all, there are probably some games he is priced a little high on. He deserves to be undercut - ON HIS OWN PROPERTY - right?
 
everyone knows gamestores only make a small precentage of money from selling new games. The place they make their money is used games, so yes you are impacting their business.
 
[quote name='Lootr2Core']

I can't wait for Babetooth to grow up, and try to get a job to support himself and maybe afamily. "what did they ever do for you? sheesh talk about narcissistic. They provide a service if you don't want the service move on. I'm guessing either BABETOOTH is a kid who hasn't entered the real world yet, or is a government employee. :)[/quote]

Well said. I remember when I thought retail stores owed me something. Darn. Back to reality. I have to go to bed so I can get to work tomorrow.
 
[quote name='Lootr2Core']We do live in a capitalistic society, but if we don't live in somesort of ethical society, well whats the point of living?[/quote]

Why don't come down from that soapbox you are preaching from and ask President Bush, "What's the point of living?" He, like many other powerful men and women in this country, still seem to find a reason to go on living despite not having the highest moral turpitude.
I'm sorry, but your whole argument takes advantage of a false premise: to make your argument even remotely plausible, you are expecting me and every other reader here to believe that our society holds the highest code of ethics, from consumers, to store employees, to corporation management. Which, to me, seems laughable. And I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only person who would feel this way.
 
I'll tell you what they've done for me: Valkyrie Profile, Suikoden II, Dracula X, Mario RPG, Rez, Gitaroo Man, Castlevania Chronicles, Castlevania: SOTN, Persona 1&2, Klonoa, Mega Man X2, Mega Man X3, FF2, FF3, Lunar I, Lunar II, Arc The Lad Collection, need I go on because I'm just scratching the surface?

p.s. - Yes, I'm quite happy that they didn't let some schmuck come in and buy those games out from under them before they had the chance to buy them and sell them to me.[/quote]

You got some great games. Good for you! My point is they sold these games new for a profit. Lets say $50 a pop plus tax. Then I bring them back and they give in average $12 each but here is the catch no tax added to that credit. Yet when you bought those used games on average $25 each you also paid tax. If they dont give me tax on my used game how can they charge it on the same game when they sell it. That sounds a bit illegal too. This is why I dont feel bad for any of these chain stores.
 
[quote name='"gizmogc"']Do it in my store, and don't expect to ever walk in again.[/quote]

:shock: WOW...tough talk from a game jockey!!! :lol:
 
[quote name='BABETOOTH']You got some great games. Good for you! My point is they sold these games new for a profit. Lets say $50 a pop plus tax. Then I bring them back and they give in average $12 each but here is the catch no tax added to that credit. Yet when you bought those used games on average $25 each you also paid tax. If they dont give me tax on my used game how can they charge it on the same game when they sell it. That sounds a bit illegal too. This is why I dont feel bad for any of these chain stores.[/quote]

Do you know why they don't give you the $12 + tax? Because you aren't an agency which collects tax dollars for the US government that would then pass the money on to the government. Do you think they just keep the tax money and laugh all the way to the bank? No, they hold it in specialized accounts and then send a big check to the government every month. This happens on the sale of a new or used game. In fact, it happens on every sale, at every business, everywhere in America. And they probably put money aside to pay for the taxes when they purchase an item secondhand, although I can't be sure about that. I don't know where the re-purchase of used goods would be categorized for taxing purposes.

Background knowledge: important things in giving a valid argument.
Research could be good if, like in this case, you don't know anything about what you're arguing about, but insist on arguing anyway just for the sake of pissing other people off.

Edited for profanity.
 
[ I've got an idea - how about one of you asks Defender if he will let you make a slightly lower offer to any of his customers who want to buy a game off his site...free of charge? I'm sure he won't mind if you can afford to undercut him a little. After all, it's a Capitalist society, right? Why should you have to set up your own site and do your own advertising when his site is all set up? After all, there are probably some games he is priced a little high on. He deserves to be undercut - ON HIS OWN PROPERTY - right?[/quote]

First off we are not talking about "DEFENDER" I would never approve of such behavior. We are talking about a ChainStore that will not be affected by me telling a person discretely if they would like to sell me one of their games outside of the store. If stores did not make a good profit out of selling new games then if I was Toys R US i would not sell them...
 
first of all the quote button is your friend.

Games are mainly sold as leaders to get you into the store. Ask anyone who owns a gamestore how much they make on a new game and you will see how little it is
 
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