Posted in Random Musings, Technology
GameStop Suckage
I am going to let all my PC and console game friends in on a big secret. GameStop sucks harder than a Hoover. GameStop may be the single worse place to have to buy a video game in the known universe. GameStop has made a fortune ripping people off for years. Okay, that wasn’t really that big of a secret. In fact if you buy games, there is a pretty good chance you are already very aware of the seventh level of hell known as shopping at GameStop.
The problem is that many towns have very few places to choose from when it comes to buying games. In my small town we have a GameStop and a WalMart. That’s like asking a customer do you want to drink the Kool-Aid flavored acid or the fruit punch flavored acid.
There is a long list of transgressions this store has pulled over the years. From jacking up prices on console bundles by putting lame ass junk in the bundle to the buying of used games for nothing and then selling them just under the retail price. They do these things because they can.
The latest transgression just boggles my mind though. It seems they have been opening up copies of the new game Deus Ex: The Human Revolution and removing a coupon code for a free download of the game on the OnLive service. This is a $49.00 coupon. They then reseal the box and sell it as new. Apparently, GameStop’s definition of new is different then mine. Considering they don’t take returns on games that have been opened it seems they must be currently revising their definition of new also.
OnLive is a competitor of GameStop. I can actually understand why it might not make them happy to be giving away coupons for a competitor. However, I think that leaves you only one choice. Don’t sell the game. Maybe work out a deal where you sell the game in your stores with a coupon for your services. Oh wait a minute, I forgot. That’s not possible because you are not customer friendly and prefer to gouge your customers every chance you get.
As you can probably tell I don’t like this company much. I haven’t bought anything from them in a long time. I actually buy most of my games through GameFly with an occasional Amazon purchase. I don’t trade in games to GameStop either. I would rather give them away for free to my students then look at their smug faces while they act like they are doing me a favor taking my game off my hands.
I keep wondering when some company is going to step in and put GameStop out of business. They are ripe for it. With very little effort you could offer better customer service, a more customer friendly location, and better trade in policies. They are practically daring someone to try. In the meantime, remember when you buy a game from them it might only be almost new.
Is that even legal? Ugh. I don’t use them often, but I think I’ll have to stop using them completely. 😛
I don’t think it is legal and actuallyt expect a class action law suit sooner rather than later.
Oops. I make a “sticking out tongue face” and it made it a big smile. That’s vexing. >:(
Like you said, there’s not a lot of options for gamers. In my hometown, there were actually THREE gamestops until recently. You can get used games a lot cheaper on Amazon than in the stores (usually) but I’ve found that new games are about the same–I paid the exact same price brand new for “Catherine” in the store that they’re currently selling it for on Amazon.