Did EB and Gamestop's trade in policy change?

Here's the deal:

My friend goes to an EB a night or two ago (not the local one), trades in some games, gets a new game, and has 3 dollars left in credit. Now, usually I just expect them to put that on a card, and say "Have a nice day". However, this EB told him he HAD to spend the 3 dollars there, as the computer won't let them finish out the sale with the trade in money remaining, and they no longer will give you back the credit.

He had to end up with 12 of the 25 cent PC games, and was pretty pissed about it, since he ended up with like 6 copies of Simcity 3000. I laughed, and told him it was funny he got suckered like that, since the EB here gives people gift cards with the amount left over.

Today, we go to trade in a ton of cheap games at Gamestop, for the trade in 3 get an extra 10 bucks in credit (30 bucks worth of shitty circuit city cheap games got me 47 bucks in credit), and, coupled with a different 8 dollar trade in, I had 55 bucks in credit.

I get a 30 dollar game, a 20 dollar game, and the guy tells me I have 5 dollars left over. I say "oh, I'll just save it for later", at which point I'm told that I can't. He offered to put it on a preorder, but everything I want is preordered over at the local EB which is right next to my house, and this Gamestop is too far a drive out of the way anyways.

I tell him this, he gets an attitude with me, and tells me that "you MUST spend the money now or the transaction cannot go through". Then he tells me the only thing I could do, is buy something more expensive and then have to use some of my real money to even out the difference. WTF.

At this point, I just combined it with my friends preorders to make an even 90 and he got Outrun 2 and everything broke even.

But honestly, is this some kind of new policy? If so, this is bullshit. There is abouslutely NOTHING in the store that has 5 dollars (except for a preorder, and I don't like being forced into one), or hell, even 3 dollars as a price tag to spend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roufuss

I tell him this, he gets an attitude with me, and tells me that "you MUST spend the money now or the transaction cannot go through".

---

I'd say fine, take my shit and leave.

As if EB and GS didn't make out like bandits on trade-ins as it is...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

I'd say fine, take my shit and leave.

As if EB and GS didn't make out like bandits on trade-ins as it is...

---

Well, in this case, I was actually making a 17 dollar profit, off of these shitty 5 dollar Circuit City games, like Spawn and Megaman X7.

If this was any other time, you better believe I'd have walked out.

Well I traded in about 137 dollars worth of anime dvds the other day and bought San Andreas(50) Mortal Kombat Deception(60) and Grand Theft Auto 3(5) and had about 15 bucks left over. I couldn't find anything else to buy so the dude gave me a reciept with the 15 bucks that i could use at a later date and at any other Gamestop

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roufuss

Here's the deal:

My friend goes to an EB a night or two ago (not the local one), trades in some games, gets a new game, and has 3 dollars left in credit. Now, usually I just expect them to put that on a card, and say "Have a nice day". However, this EB told him he HAD to spend the 3 dollars there, as the computer won't let them finish out the sale with the trade in money remaining, and they no longer will give you back the credit.

He had to end up with 12 of the 25 cent PC games, and was pretty pissed about it, since he ended up with like 6 copies of Simcity 3000. I laughed, and told him it was funny he got suckered like that, since the EB here gives people gift cards with the amount left over.

Today, we go to trade in a ton of cheap games at Gamestop, for the trade in 3 get an extra 10 bucks in credit (30 bucks worth of shitty circuit city cheap games got me 47 bucks in credit), and, coupled with a different 8 dollar trade in, I had 55 bucks in credit.

I get a 30 dollar game, a 20 dollar game, and the guy tells me I have 5 dollars left over. I say "oh, I'll just save it for later", at which point I'm told that I can't. He offered to put it on a preorder, but everything I want is preordered over at the local EB which is right next to my house, and this Gamestop is too far a drive out of the way anyways.

I tell him this, he gets an attitude with me, and tells me that "you MUST spend the money now or the transaction cannot go through". Then he tells me the only thing I could do, is buy something more expensive and then have to use some of my real money to even out the difference. WTF.

At this point, I just combined it with my friends preorders to make an even 90 and he got Outrun 2 and everything broke even.

But honestly, is this some kind of new policy? If so, this is bullshit. There is abouslutely NOTHING in the store that has 5 dollars (except for a preorder, and I don't like being forced into one), or hell, even 3 dollars as a price tag to spend.

---

Sounds like bullshit to me. You shouldn't have to use all of your credit if you dont' want to. Normally customers were given the option to put it on a preorder, renew their GI subscriptions or save it for later. I am not there anymore (thankfully), so it sounds like the policy has changed...for the worse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Daitokuji

I couldn't find anything else to buy so the dude gave me a reciept with the 15 bucks that i could use at a later date and at any other Gamestop

---

Weird I tried to do this and he told me that "store policy forbids him from doing it".

I just found it weird at happened to my friend at EB, and then to me at a Gamestop.

Because I mean, if this isn't a company wide policy, you better believe I'm calling their main office on those assholes.

Could you take all those shitty copies of Simcity 3000 and save them for one of those "trade in anything but sports games" deals, thus turning it back on them?

I traded in Battlefront last 2 weeks ago paid off Halo2, had $5 left over and he gave me the card at EB. If this is a new policy it's really new.

It's called a trade-in special. Those trade in 3 games, get an extra $10 deals have restrictions, you know, and the restriction just happens to be that you must spend all of the credit at that point and time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Interpol

It's called a trade-in special. Those trade in 3 games, get an extra $10 deals have restrictions, you know, and the restriction just happens to be that you must spend all of the credit at that point and time.

---

I'd love to see where that's in writing, really.

Because the only restriction I've seen is "Must be games that aren't on the excluded list". And also that you have to spend SOME of the credit at that time, but I've NEVER heard of it being "please spend every last cent or we won't let you get a god damn thing out of the store".

Please tell me what I'm supposed to buy in Gamestop that's five dollars, since I wasn't interrested in a preorder, and wasn't a complete waste of my money. I don't see what's the big deal about letting me spend it later, since it guarantees I have to come back to the fucking store anyways.

I gave up on calling the gamestop.com number after I was on hold for 35 minutes, blargh :yuck:

Well you know what blows about the PS2 trade in policy right now...I have a perfectly functional launch-version PS2 in top shape, but it's considered "Broken" because the original model doesn't play the blue-backed discs properly. This, is bullshit. The guy taking my trade in didn't even check the serial number, so I shouldn't have told him. Now the new model is going to cost me 100 bucks, AND they didn't have any so I have to wait a week before I can play Katamari again. I am steamed.

I just traded in Rocky Legends yesterday ($15 in credit) and they just put it on the card, which is how it SHOULD be done. It sounds like you found a shitty GS, who REALLY went over the line with shit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MechDeus

Could you take all those shitty copies of Simcity 3000 and save them for one of those "trade in anything but sports games" deals, thus turning it back on them?

---

I don't think anyone takes PC trade ins. There's no money in it. You can hit ebay 2 months after a game comes out and get it for 15 bucks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Interpol

It's called a trade-in special. Those trade in 3 games, get an extra $10 deals have restrictions, you know, and the restriction just happens to be that you must spend all of the credit at that point and time.

---

This is true when that sell is running but it's been long over unless they started running it again. It was running around Sept.21 when battlefront came out because that's how I got it, but I was able to put the xtra credit they wouldn't refund me towards a pre-order. EB is the only one I know that runs this sale though, I don't know what the problem is at GS.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BRAD73

This is true when that sell is running but it's been long over unless they started running it again. It was running around Sept.21 when battlefront came out because that's how I got it, but I was able to put the xtra credit they wouldn't refund me towards a pre-order. EB is the only one I know that runs this sale though, I don't know what the problem is at GS.

---

The EB and Gamestop near me are both doing that still, and they both require you to spend all your credit if you do trade in 3+ games. Kind of lame, but I did talk one guy into giving me cash in full. Maybe mine are just retarded and special.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Interpol

The EB and Gamestop near me are both doing that still, and they both require you to spend all your credit if you do trade in 3+ games. Kind of lame, but I did talk one guy into giving me cash in full. Maybe mine are just retarded and special.

---

I wasn't looking for cash though.

I took the credit I got, bought TWO games with it, and had five bucks left over, that I was just going to save for later.

It's not like I traded them all in and just tried to take the credit.

All these sales I've participated in like this have just mentioned that you need to spend some the credit on something in the store at that time, but you don't have to spend every single last cent.

The people at your game store are liars, with the untruths and the falsehoods and the floigan! Bad Prof. Frink impression aside, both EB and Gamestop have cards that hold trade-in credit on them and anyone can get one at any time. Your store might have been out of cards to put the credit on, but their made up excuse was still total bullshit.

Plain and simple they lied like a cat in a sunbeam, minus the fur and cuteness.

James

I'd seriously place some thought behind robbery if this happened to me. Of course, he would have my name, phone number and perhaps credit card number, so if you were to consider my offer to go through with the robbery scenario then you'd almost certainly have to burn the shack to the ground once finished lifting the goods. Just kidding, of course. I would never rob any stores. I feel compelled to say the above explaining my comments now that "the man" is here breathing down our collective necks. Thanks Criticom, my criminal hijinks may have just been blown wide open!

It is a pretty lame policy to force consumers to spend peanuts or lose them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Interpol

The EB and Gamestop near me are both doing that still, and they both require you to spend all your credit if you do trade in 3+ games. Kind of lame, but I did talk one guy into giving me cash in full. Maybe mine are just retarded and special.

---

Mine does not. Lose. The policy is not changed, the stores you go to, Roufuss, suck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roufuss

Please tell me what I'm supposed to buy in Gamestop that's five dollars, since I wasn't interrested in a preorder, and wasn't a complete waste of my money.

---

You could've bought a couple of those nasty Nintendo lollipops. :p

Or get some Nintendo antenna toppers, which are rather handy.

is the 10 extra for 3 still going on? And can you do it like 3 6 9 and get 30 extra?

Becaues I have like a box of Amplitudes, brand new, that I got for 2.10 each, that have a 8$ trade in value.

I could get like 110 credit off of a 30 investment =D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cowutopia

Well you know what blows about the PS2 trade in policy right now...I have a perfectly functional launch-version PS2 in top shape, but it's considered "Broken" because the original model doesn't play the blue-backed discs properly. This, is bullshit. The guy taking my trade in didn't even check the serial number, so I shouldn't have told him. Now the new model is going to cost me 100 bucks, AND they didn't have any so I have to wait a week before I can play Katamari again. I am steamed.

---

wait, why would you mention that your launch system is busted? tsk, tsk. i traded in my busted launch PS2 the other day and got $100 back (promo at EB). didn't say a peep and he took it without checking. then again, i also had everything including the original box, manuals, and the cords still wrapped up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IronPlant

is the 10 extra for 3 still going on? And can you do it like 3 6 9 and get 30 extra?

Becaues I have like a box of Amplitudes, brand new, that I got for 2.10 each, that have a 8$ trade in value.

I could get like 110 credit off of a 30 investment =D

---

Ends today I think, and yea, the credit is stackable.

Blockbuster with Game Crazy is the place to go for trade-ins. Right now Blockbuster has a special "Trade in DVDs and get AT LEAST 8 dollars". They took DVDs I paid 5.00 for at Walmart and gave me 8 dollars for them. They also give you a lot of store credit for used games. I only shop at EB now for used games.

This is all utter bullshit. Unless their manager is a major fuckhead, you never have to spend every dollar you get in trade in. In EB's case, they were trying to raise their units per transaction number since that is a ranked catagory (Did he try and get him to put forth an extra two bucks and reserve Halo 2? I'd be surpirsed if they didn't). Gamestop sounds like they were trying to meet their presell quota for the day by forcing you to use the credit.
I know in EB's case, you can always get a gift card. Hell, I've seen giftcards get issued for 30 cents, three dollars should be no big deal.
I can't imagine any real reason why Gamestop wouldn't give you the credit, either. I've gotten next to nothing in Gamebux.
I really believe it's just managers of these stores putting the heat on their employees to get every coin the customer has in their pocket.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cowutopia

Well you know what blows about the PS2 trade in policy right now...I have a perfectly functional launch-version PS2 in top shape, but it's considered "Broken" because the original model doesn't play the blue-backed discs properly. This, is bullshit. The guy taking my trade in didn't even check the serial number, so I shouldn't have told him. Now the new model is going to cost me 100 bucks, AND they didn't have any so I have to wait a week before I can play Katamari again. I am steamed.

---

How is that bullshit? If you bought a used PS2 from EB, and you took it home and it didn't play Contra or Tekken Tag or Frequency or (insert blue disc game here) what would you do? You'd take it back, and you'd be pissed that they sold you a defective system. Why should they give you full credit for something that doesn't work?

So there IS a trade in deal going on with EB now? I asked the clerks the other day, and they said there was no trade-in special. Damn them...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Andrew

It is a pretty lame policy to force consumers to spend peanuts or lose them.

---

It's actually happening all over. Many stores and malls have started charging monthly "service charges" on gift certificates if they're not used within a certain amount of time after you purchase them...if enough time goes by, they're worth nothing. It's great for them, but bullshit to you and I.

why even bother trading shit in there in the first place?

what a freaking hassle they put you through to rip you off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnk_

what a freaking hassle they put you through to rip you off.

---

In this case I ripped them off, as I've stated before.

And yea, I decided to call two other Gamestop's today, and this is the new policy.

They can either modify the prices to make sure you use up all the credit, or you can take the credit and spend it on something else right now, but both gamestops agreed that they can no longer put it on a card and let you spend it for later.

What bullshit, one guy told me it was a "new company policy". So basacially now, if you trade in 55 dollars worth of credit, and have nothing to use the extra 5 on, that 50 dollar game you get magically becomes 55.

That's just incredibly wrong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by animegirl20

Blockbuster with Game Crazy is the place to go for trade-ins. Right now Blockbuster has a special "Trade in DVDs and get AT LEAST 8 dollars". They took DVDs I paid 5.00 for at Walmart and gave me 8 dollars for them. They also give you a lot of store credit for used games. I only shop at EB now for used games.

---

Gamerush is good for trade ins, especially if you can find a game in their system that they're giving good credit for (at one time, Space Channel 5 SE for PS2 was fetching $25 in store credit). However, stay far away from any prebooks. They do not get every title in stock, so if you're preordering 'niche' titles, you're left holding the bag. I had to transfer 4 prebooks in the last month in a half for various situations (2 games they did place on the side for my preorder and sold them, 2 never came in at all).

Just stick with the games in stock and you'll be fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

It's actually happening all over. Many stores and malls have started charging monthly "service charges" on gift certificates if they're not used within a certain amount of time after you purchase them...if enough time goes by, they're worth nothing. It's great for them, but bullshit to you and I.

---

I don't get gift certificates anyway since the people who receive them feel jipped out of a thoughtful gift. But couldn't somebody call the better business bureau on these people? I mean, you payed and gave money for the coupon and they're not honouring their part of the bargain.

the Best Buys around me don't give deadlines for their gift cards.

Well, if the deadlines are mentioned on the gift card, then this is probably legal, if not, then yeah, it isn't, and would definitely be primed for BBB reporting.

For the giftcard slowly becoming valueless thing, EB doesn't do that any more. They used to and then got their asses sued pretty hard in CA, so now a card is good forever. As, of course, it should be. I realize it's a pain in the ass to keep track of them all in some central server or whatever it is they do, but that's not exactly our problem.

As for "30 cents on a gift card", we just give out cash. Anything under a dollar just isn't worth the effort, corporate doesn't care, and it makes the customer happier.

James

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roufuss

What bullshit, one guy told me it was a "new company policy". So basacially now, if you trade in 55 dollars worth of credit, and have nothing to use the extra 5 on, that 50 dollar game you get magically becomes 55.

---

So, they make shitloads of cash off used games to begin with, and as a way of saying 'thank you' they reserve the right to overcharge you when you trade in those very games? Wow.

Good thing I don't trade in $50-$100 worth of games at a time like a lot of you guys seem to.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

Good thing I don't trade in $50-$100 worth of games at a time like a lot of you guys seem to.

---

Yah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fighter-X

Yah.

---

The actual amount of cash those people must spend on shit like games and DVDs scares me if they have that much to trade in at any given time. I mean, even $50 worth of credit on games is a lot of fucking games, considering the pittance that EB and GS normally offer you for trade-in value, promotions aside.

Well, I would have been able to get $43 in credit the other day for Dragon's Lair 3D, Rocky Legends, and Fable, so it isn't always a rip-off, "just" 99% of the time.

Just so it's clear, the Gamestop I work at in Annapolis, MD does NOT have this crazy store policy of not giving you your credit, nor have I read anything in a company email about it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

It's actually happening all over. Many stores and malls have started charging monthly "service charges" on gift certificates if they're not used within a certain amount of time after you purchase them...if enough time goes by, they're worth nothing. It's great for them, but bullshit to you and I.

---

Around me in MA they made a law that says that you have to honor it forever :) Too many people bitched because a lot of businesses would have like a 3 month window.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

The actual amount of cash those people must spend on shit like games and DVDs scares me if they have that much to trade in at any given time. I mean, even $50 worth of credit on games is a lot of fucking games, considering the pittance that EB and GS normally offer you for trade-in value, promotions aside.

---

Morphix's list alone, man. I swear the guy is sellin' crack. :lol:

I'm cracking down on my "collection", and trading in shit I don't play anymore, all the while trying to kill that "well I might want to play it later" fix that never comes.

I think I'm doing quite well so far.