You guys want the truth about GS? Ask me.

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Also be sure to use as many coupons as possible, and see the thread where you can get an edge card for 2$ with a printed PDF file.

Buying the cheaper Game Boy Color games that have been clearanced is also a good way. Since these games have dropped in price pretty low and they have been sitting in the stores forever your likely not making them much profit if any by purchasing these games, especially when using coupons/edge card.

Note: you have to ask them to buy game boy color games because most stores have a huge binder of games and they will hand you the binder to look at them.

The clerks were really cool with me looking through that binder at the one Gamestop I went to so I am going back and next time I am bringing a GBA and my GBC memory card and I am going to download some save files from the games, lol!
 
[quote name='IOnceWasLegend']If you're only trading in one or two high-dollar games (Halo 3, etc.), a good thing to do when they have the 10/20/30% additional for 3/4/5 games is to go to one Gamestop, buy three/four .99 games (minus $4), so when you trade it in you get an extra 30%, plus 10% with the Edge card (comes out to $49 total, or an extra $10 net). I'm gonna be doing that today with Assassin's Creed.[/quote] That's good except that in some stores they've caught on to that. now you have to deal with the whole manager's approval thing. You guys have anymore tricks?;)
 
the easiest way for them to not make any cash and possibly lose is to buy all the old cheap games and/ or sports games 99 cents you know they are losing there by far just a thought i could be wrong but what do i know
 
Buy games as soon as they drop in price! When a game drops in price, they drop the price of the used game too, watch the website for price drops. Then as soon as it drops buy the game, because they will have given the person who originally traded it in a higher trade in value, which means they will at least lose a bit of money.

You can also buy a new game as soon as it drops in price, that seems to piss them off well.

Another way to piss them off, when they insist on buying the used copy, insist on buying the new one, this only works if there are copies of both in stock and they offer you a used copy at the register. Tell them its a gift and you simply cannot give an opened game as a gift because the giftee will think you have played it, that and its completely unacceptable in your family to give an opened gift regardless of the reason.
 
Or if you want to piss them off just be a dick of a customer...

Making corporate less money does not really piss off employees, it won't affect their pay since it is based on exp, ect....

They simply ask you to buy the used because employees are tracked by used sale numbers, they get in trouble for low percentage of used games sold.

Also ranked on edge cards, customer service, and reserves...

Another thing about checking out games, all the managers i know, tell their staff, you scratch it you buy it...

Overall to piss them off just be an ass of a customer, and then wonder y the staff won't help you out, or pull a game from the back later... Your choice there though.. Retail jobs suck for one reason, the customers.
 
Why did this thread turn into "Want to just be plain annoying?" I don't understand contempt for business' like GS - if you don't like them, don't shop there. There's no need to go out of ones way to ruin someone elses day simply because they work at a store you don't care for :huh:

And as for buying new over used - to me that's usually a terrible idea. All sales data aside, you can usually get the same thing used for at least $5 less and then use an edge card on it to get 10% more off. From my experience, especailly with newer games (maybe like last 6 months), the used games are often as good as a new. Not on everything, of course (we all know how terrible the policy is on accepting games without coverart), but I've been able to get near perfect games time after time, used.

[quote name='Whitedeath']the easiest way for them to not make any cash and possibly lose is to buy all the old cheap games and/ or sports games 99 cents you know they are losing there by far just a thought i could be wrong but what do i know[/quote]Actually that would most likely make them money - they bought the game new from distro, sold it for a little more than they paid, took it as a trade for 1/3 of that, and so on and so forth until they are selling you that game for $5 (don't see many $1 games), and then you come trade it back in for $1, since, well... there was a reason it was $5. Once they hit this point they'll make $4 a cycle, which is decent for a crappy game.

But maybe I'm reading into all of this too much :D
 
With the GBC games they have been in those stores for years, so they probably paid the kids fairly decent trade in for them at the time, keep in mind this was also before the Gamestop merger. Now most of the games are super cheap like 4.99 and 2.99 and 1.99 so I would think they are selling those at a loss just to get rid of them based on what they were originally traded in at many years ago.

With DS games the games are usually in almost new condition, but you have to consider that they gave the person who traded in the game probably 5-10$ and they sell it for 29.99 used, 24.99 used or for some of the newer releases 34.99 used. Unless you have a killer coupon, edge card and b2g1 you might as well not even bother.

I am not a dick of a customer at all, I just go into the store and do my business (being a dick only hurts the minimum wage employees at the front desk) but I find what pisses them off is

- purchase 1 used GBC game with Coupon + edge

- make a small transaction with coupon + edge, I have bought gba accessories for .99 (yes I actually used them too).

- purchase a used game with coupon + edge the day after it drops in price

- purchase a new game that has just dropped in price the day before

- When they ask you if you have any trades tell them you recycle your old games by either donating them to the local hospital, selling them on ebay or trading them on game forums with other gamers with like minds.

- If the opportunity arises tell them you shop online with amazon or another store because the prices are cheaper.

- If opportunity arises tell them that after extensive research you feel that their buy more, trade more, play more program is a ripoff that is designed to take your money.

You can tell by the ways the employees act that they are pissed off at you for just making a small transaction, like they expect 500$ out of every customer that comes in the store, or they expect every customer that comes through the store to trade in all their old games to buy new systems + games.

I wouldn't say this stuff unless they really asked me, I am not going to go to the store to start trouble but if they started questioning me like they do with some customers I would tell them in a calm voice how I feel about their store.
 
[quote name='SaraAB']With the GBC games they have been in those stores for years, so they probably paid the kids fairly decent trade in for them at the time, keep in mind this was also before the Gamestop merger. Now most of the games are super cheap like 4.99 and 2.99 and 1.99 so I would think they are selling those at a loss just to get rid of them based on what they were originally traded in at many years ago.

With DS games the games are usually in almost new condition, but you have to consider that they gave the person who traded in the game probably 5-10$ and they sell it for 29.99 used, 24.99 used or for some of the newer releases 34.99 used. Unless you have a killer coupon, edge card and b2g1 you might as well not even bother.

I am not a dick of a customer at all, I just go into the store and do my business (being a dick only hurts the minimum wage employees at the front desk) but I find what pisses them off is

- purchase 1 used GBC game with Coupon + edge

- make a small transaction with coupon + edge, I have bought gba accessories for .99 (yes I actually used them too).

- purchase a used game with coupon + edge the day after it drops in price

- purchase a new game that has just dropped in price the day before

- When they ask you if you have any trades tell them you recycle your old games by either donating them to the local hospital, selling them on ebay or trading them on game forums with other gamers with like minds.

- If the opportunity arises tell them you shop online with amazon or another store because the prices are cheaper.

- If opportunity arises tell them that after extensive research you feel that their buy more, trade more, play more program is a ripoff that is designed to take your money.

You can tell by the ways the employees act that they are pissed off at you for just making a small transaction, like they expect 500$ out of every customer that comes in the store, or they expect every customer that comes through the store to trade in all their old games to buy new systems + games.

I wouldn't say this stuff unless they really asked me, I am not going to go to the store to start trouble but if they started questioning me like they do with some customers I would tell them in a calm voice how I feel about their store.[/quote]


Wow people love being Pricks to GS employees, meh not one of those things would bother me anyway, I only work at GS because its conveniant to get back and forth to and its a half way decent discount as long as i buy used. Customers are jerks to me here and there and hey, I love being a jerk back. If your not a jerk i'll have a civilized convo on the other hand though. Some tried prank calling a couple of days ago using the battletoads prank. I had a ball with the prank called, actually it made me happy to go to work. (GS is by all means the worst retail job pay wise on the planet though)
 
[quote name='SaraAB'] - purchase 1 used GBC game with Coupon + edge

- make a small transaction with coupon + edge, I have bought gba accessories for .99 (yes I actually used them too).

- purchase a used game with coupon + edge the day after it drops in price

- purchase a new game that has just dropped in price the day before

- When they ask you if you have any trades tell them you recycle your old games by either donating them to the local hospital, selling them on ebay or trading them on game forums with other gamers with like minds.

- If the opportunity arises tell them you shop online with amazon or another store because the prices are cheaper.

- If opportunity arises tell them that after extensive research you feel that their buy more, trade more, play more program is a ripoff that is designed to take your money.[/quote]I don't know why anyone would be mad about those things, probably just annoyed. Usually when someone acts like this I want to say, "Then why don't you buy it somewhere else and stop bothering me?"

Wanna know what will really drive a GS employee mad? Show up early in the morning with a box full of useless crap to trade and a cd binder full of worthless games. Despite the fact that everything about GS is to get people to trade more, these transactions are the WORST. The games without coverart mean for each one the have to be looked up, and if you're tradin a system there's all the hookin up and everything to test it. If you want to be really cruel, after the quote is given for the trade, say you've changed your mind.

...but if you have this kind of time, then you need a new hobby. But this, my friends, is what will really get their goat.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']Wanna know what will really drive a GS employee mad? Show up early in the morning with a box full of useless crap to trade and a cd binder full of worthless games. Despite the fact that everything about GS is to get people to trade more, these transactions are the WORST. The games without coverart mean for each one the have to be looked up, and if you're tradin a system there's all the hookin up and everything to test it. If you want to be really cruel, after the quote is given for the trade, say you've changed your mind.

...but if you have this kind of time, then you need a new hobby. But this, my friends, is what will really get their goat.[/quote]

You are a bad person :( :( :(
 
[quote name='assasin4hire']Wow people love being Pricks to GS employees, meh not one of those things would bother me anyway, I only work at GS because its conveniant to get back and forth to and its a half way decent discount as long as i buy used. Customers are jerks to me here and there and hey, I love being a jerk back. If your not a jerk i'll have a civilized convo on the other hand though. Some tried prank calling a couple of days ago using the battletoads prank. I had a ball with the prank called, actually it made me happy to go to work. (GS is by all means the worst retail job pay wise on the planet though)[/quote]

I know the ign boards had some of the prank calls, I only remember one calling about battle toads.

Pay it depands what you partime or full time. If full time your like a 3rd key or something. Anways yea pay not that great. Though i higly doubt it is the worst paying job on the planet.
 
There is a new Gamestop opening up in my town, and I was considering applying for a part-time position until I go to college in the fall.

What kind of pay can I expect? I'm hoping at least $7.50 / hour? Is that unreasonable?
 
[quote name='ByRdO']There is a new Gamestop opening up in my town, and I was considering applying for a part-time position until I go to college in the fall.

What kind of pay can I expect? I'm hoping at least $7.50 / hour? Is that unreasonable?[/quote]

If that's what minimum wage is in your state, yeah. But it's usually minimum wage that you start out at.

If you put $7.50 a hour as the wage you're looking for and it's not the minimum wage in your state, good luck. They'll probably pass on your app. and look for someone that will be cheaper to hire.
 
I worked for EBgames just before the Gamestop take-over, and for a few months after. I'm 33 now, was 31 at the time. So this was Dec. 2004-mid 2005

I was unemployed for aprox 1 month, and the guys I knew at the local EBgames offered me a job with the insanely unheard of hourly rate of $6.50 an hour. Cool, hah, and a discount. So I took it on while looking for something serious. I was older than the manager by 9 years, and the employees by at least a decade.

I eventually got a full-time office job (cubivore). My last full-time week the manager offered me the assistant manager position, which he said was paying in the mid-upper 20's. I passed: my job was starting in the upper 30s.

Fortunately they let me stay on and work 3rd-key Saturday only. I would open the store on Saturday, and work till close, or sometimes till 3pm. I worked solo, regardless, and against policy, till 3pm. Hey, the kids liked their Saturday off. For me, it got me out of the house, and I just love video games that much.

Anyway, I knew I was tired of it one Saturday I was working and didn't give the "right" rehearsed phone speach in 5 seconds or less (lawl) to the District Manager who was calling to check up on something.

The DM starts unloading, like, it was unreal. Very movie-like *yelling* at me. So I'm standing there, with a line of customers, just listening and ringing up people while this DM is shouting at the top of his little lungs at me. So unreal.

What do I do? I let him finish, I answer a few of his lesser questions till I'm done ringing up people, and they leave, then I dominate the conversation: "Let me ask you something, Sir, who do you think you're talking to? I'm not some teenage kid you can bully, I'm a 32 year old man, son, and I am worthy of your respect, and demand it". I was totally blind with rage. I explained that his bully-style of management was piss-poor, and promised to take up a crusade to punish him.

Yeah, I went nuts.

A week later they changed managers, and I quit, happy to have my Saturday off again.

...but I didn't stop- in the week prior to my leaving I made sure I was on the phone with the regional manager, his assistant, corporate HR, District HR, and the DM himself.

His punishment was to work in a store for several months. Not enough, if you ask me, maybe they weren't at liberty to disclose more: I asked that he be enrolled in a Dale Carnegie training course, or some sensitivity training, and some anger management courses. But that I walked into the store where he was working, and harassed him in person...golden/priceless.

It's not a bad job, but you'll get shit on by customers if you're young: Most kids I found can't, or don't know how, to relate to people and build a rap with customres very well. It's better than a lot of jobs at that pay rate, but fair warning: you could go through hell for it.
 
[quote name='tangytangerine']If that's what minimum wage is in your state, yeah. But it's usually minimum wage that you start out at.

If you put $7.50 a hour as the wage you're looking for and it's not the minimum wage in your state, good luck. They'll probably pass on your app. and look for someone that will be cheaper to hire.[/quote]

$7.50 is a little more than minimum wage.. I think it is around $7.15 or so.

And if you start at minimum wage, are raises offered? Are they based on time, performance, a combination, the managers? Any other general knowledge or advice would be wonderful.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']Wanna know what will really drive a GS employee mad? Show up early in the morning with a box full of useless crap to trade and a cd binder full of worthless games. Despite the fact that everything about GS is to get people to trade more, these transactions are the WORST. The games without coverart mean for each one the have to be looked up, and if you're tradin a system there's all the hookin up and everything to test it. If you want to be really cruel, after the quote is given for the trade, say you've changed your mind.

...but if you have this kind of time, then you need a new hobby. But this, my friends, is what will really get their goat.[/quote]

Actually, I haven't done all that, though I did take a stack of games I was getting rid of into them first, even though I knew most of the values I was getting were going to be higher @ FYE. So, after the clerk gets done checking the values for me, I say in a loud voice(with many customers in the store) that I knew they were gonna give me some ripoff trade values and I'd just take my stuff to FYE where even their used games are in better shape.

Then, I left the store. :lol:
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Actually, I haven't done all that, though I did take a stack of games I was getting rid of into them first, even though I knew most of the values I was getting were going to be higher @ FYE. So, after the clerk gets done checking the values for me, I say in a loud voice(with many customers in the store) that I knew they were gonna give me some ripoff trade values and I'd just take my stuff to FYE where even their used games are in better shape.

Then, I left the store. :lol:[/quote]


owned
 
[quote name='Critter']I know the ign boards had some of the prank calls, I only remember one calling about battle toads.

Pay it depands what you partime or full time. If full time your like a 3rd key or something. Anways yea pay not that great. Though i higly doubt it is the worst paying job on the planet.[/quote]

White castle employees get paid more than Gamestop employees.

And as the pay rates go.
GA(game advisor)=minimum wage or a couple nickels over
SGA(Senior game advisor)=around 9 an hour, If your lucky it can go up to 9.50
ASM(assisant manager)=13 an hour
Store manager gets a salary. Its around 900 every two weeks, even if you work 60 hours a week(which is what happened last christmas in my old store. our 3rd key and another associate where stealing, got caught. Sooo it was myself and four other people working from thanksgiving to two weeks after christmas. Thank god it was a low volume store)

As soon as i get out of High School i'm going to make more than my store manager, by joining a iron union, making roughly 42 an hour before taxes, like 35-36 after.
 
[quote name='assasin4hire']White castle employees get paid more than Gamestop employees.

And as the pay rates go.
GA(game advisor)=minimum wage or a couple nickels over
SGA(Senior game advisor)=around 9 an hour, If your lucky it can go up to 9.50
ASM(assisant manager)=13 an hour
Store manager gets a salary. Its around 900 every two weeks, even if you work 60 hours a week(which is what happened last christmas in my old store. our 3rd key and another associate where stealing, got caught. Sooo it was myself and four other people working from thanksgiving to two weeks after christmas. Thank god it was a low volume store)

As soon as i get out of High School i'm going to make more than my store manager, by joining a iron union, making roughly 42 an hour before taxes, like 35-36 after.[/quote]

What is the difference between a SGA and a GA? Just amount of time worked?

And if a new store is to open, do they just start with managers, ASM, and GAs?
 
[quote name='ByRdO']What is the difference between a SGA and a GA? Just amount of time worked?

And if a new store is to open, do they just start with managers, ASM, and GAs?[/QUOTE]

SGAs are usually 3rd Key also, it depends on the store. My store, for example, went Manager > ASM > SGA

SGAs will typically close at nights.
 
[quote name='assasin4hire']White castle employees get paid more than Gamestop employees.

And as the pay rates go.
GA(game advisor)=minimum wage or a couple nickels over
SGA(Senior game advisor)=around 9 an hour, If your lucky it can go up to 9.50
ASM(assisant manager)=13 an hour
Store manager gets a salary. Its around 900 every two weeks, even if you work 60 hours a week(which is what happened last christmas in my old store. our 3rd key and another associate where stealing, got caught. Sooo it was myself and four other people working from thanksgiving to two weeks after christmas. Thank god it was a low volume store)

As soon as i get out of High School i'm going to make more than my store manager, by joining a iron union, making roughly 42 an hour before taxes, like 35-36 after.[/quote]

Umm. where are you getting these numbers? It must be different for your state, because I was getting $7.75 as an SGA, $10.06 as an assistant, and I'm down to an SGA again at $6 something. And I know that my stuff is pretty average for this area.
 
[quote name='reibeatall']Umm. where are you getting these numbers? It must be different for your state, because I was getting $7.75 as an SGA, $10.06 as an assistant, and I'm down to an SGA again at $6 something. And I know that my stuff is pretty average for this area.[/quote]

Well, I live in CA, and that's pretty much what it is for me. I'm a GA, and I make minimum wage (my boss is good about my huge courseload, though; so whatever); the SGA makes $9.50, and I never asked/heard from my ASM or manager, so donno on that.
 
Hi I have a question. I have a few sealed Wii games that I received as a gift and have no receipt, nor does the original purchaser (he lost it). However, they were actually purchased at a GameStop in a different area in CA.

So I asked if they could look up the transaction since I don't have the receipt, and the clerk said only in the store they were originally purchased. Is that true? I was trying to get store credit for the games, not a refund or anything.

Basically I have to mail back the games, ask the gift giver to go return them himself at the store he bought them with his ID?
 
[quote name='reibeatall']Umm. where are you getting these numbers? It must be different for your state, because I was getting $7.75 as an SGA, $10.06 as an assistant, and I'm down to an SGA again at $6 something. And I know that my stuff is pretty average for this area.[/quote]

I live in NJ. I also noticed that in the employee handbook it says that every 6 months we're supposed to get a 77 cent raise. Time to talk to the district manager and get my raise and backpay : )

Oh and referring to the last two posts.

Yeah we only keep a database on purchases made in that store. And even if they are kind enough to look it up, it will take HOURS because you have to know the day and what register the game was purchased on. To add on the subject, The registers erase data older than thirty days anyway.

And you get 30% extra on top of what the trade in price is i.e if you get 30 in store credit it will be pumped up to 39
 
I am deciding whether or not to go to work at one of the gamestops that is recently opening around here. I was wondering if when they open a new shop if they start all new employees, or if they transfer. And what the discount, bonuses, and pay is as of now. Thank you in advance.
 
[quote name='shurgie']I am deciding whether or not to go to work at one of the gamestops that is recently opening around here. I was wondering if when they open a new shop if they start all new employees, or if they transfer. And what the discount, bonuses, and pay is as of now. Thank you in advance.[/quote]When our local store opened they hired all new employees, but hired a lot to begin with. Once the store was set up, they let go about half. Not sure if it's standard practice, but be warned that if they do something similar you may not have a steady job simply because they need to cut people. (Of course half the initial hires were crap anyway).

[quote name='kingjer']Hi I have a question. I have a few sealed Wii games that I received as a gift and have no receipt, nor does the original purchaser (he lost it). However, they were actually purchased at a GameStop in a different area in CA.

So I asked if they could look up the transaction since I don't have the receipt, and the clerk said only in the store they were originally purchased. Is that true? I was trying to get store credit for the games, not a refund or anything.

Basically I have to mail back the games, ask the gift giver to go return them himself at the store he bought them with his ID?[/quote]
I know this was answered but I just wanted to say, it really sucks to try to look those things up. And nobody ever seems to even know what register they paid at, let alone time and date. (I believe it was register specific logs).
 
[quote name='shurgie']I am deciding whether or not to go to work at one of the gamestops that is recently opening around here. I was wondering if when they open a new shop if they start all new employees, or if they transfer. And what the discount, bonuses, and pay is as of now. Thank you in advance.[/quote]

Its mixed. All of the management staff, besides maybe the third key, are going to veterans. The GA's are going to be 50/50. To tell you the truth its a really bad idea to jump into a gamestop during christmas because it gets really hectic and your going to be payed accordingly. You can go to a Best Buy, or a Circut City and get paid more for being in a area such as sales associate. In gamestop your going to be paid less to be a stock boy, sales associate, Register attendent, and a Janitor.
 
[quote name='ByRdO']What kind of pay can I expect? I'm hoping at least $7.50 / hour? Is that unreasonable?[/quote]

lol the GS here pays $5.80/hour. And the kids that work there think it's the best thing in the world.
 
ok i got a question, im filling out an application for GS right now and im confused with what they are asking where it says game software knowledge, what exactly are they asking?
 
[quote name='darkling420']ok i got a question, im filling out an application for GS right now and im confused with what they are asking where it says game software knowledge, what exactly are they asking?[/QUOTE]

...Your game software knowledge. It's pretty fucking obvious.
 
[quote name='georox']...Your game software knowledge. It's pretty fucking obvious.[/QUOTE]

Common sense and literary aptitude, however, are optional.

I think this thread needs to be finally put to rest, seeing as it was already dead for 3 years before today.
 
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