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Zero Originality- Gamestop's Profiteering Process Explained


Blue Radium
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An interesting video I found about how Gamestop works over its customers. I figured I would share. Youtube banned it, so you know it has to be good.

 

[ame]http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/264568.html[/ame]

 

[ame]http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/263260.html[/ame]

 

[ame]http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/264064.html[/ame]

 

[ame]http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/264076.html[/ame]

Edited by Blue Radium
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I work at Gamestop, and I can tell you that, well, it's all true. I get a discount and have an Edge Card for the soul purpose of the magazine subscription. I never buy from there, ever. Amazon.com and Ebay and various other websites always have a better deal on used. They give piss for your trade; you can get a hell of a lot more money for your used games selling on craigslist. They sell give you 1/4th the price of what they sell the game for, making a 75% profit. That means that the seemingly great $12 bucks you got for GTA is re-sold for $45, and you could have done very little extra work for another, if not more, thirty bucks. Even with the Edge Card, they gain and you walk away happy for your discount.

 

As for reservations, Gamestop takes all the reserve money that you put into them and they vault it in an interest account. No joke. So the five bucks you put down becomes fifteen by the time the game comes out - they made little over ten bucks per reservation.

 

Gamestop is very good at what they do, and I do compliment them in what they have created. But Hitler was a very intelligent man, built a great empire, and he was corrupt. Gamestop is the same. The business plans are solid to the ignorant people, and there are so very many of them. Most people are lazy enough to not spend five minutes on ebay to see what they SHOULD get.

 

 

Don't be lazy. There is little we can do being that Gamestop is legitimate in what they do - it's the people that willingly hand over their money to them.

 

 

 

 

You should see how they pay us.

 

I'm quitting within the next few days, though. I love the work, I love what I do and I love the people, but the company itself absolutely screws everyone below management and especially the masses. If you have any questions, PM me.

 

 

 

Don't be lazy.

 

 

 

EDIT: I only watched the first two videos, so if I missed any arguments, again, PM me or make this thread flourish.

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I watched the half of the first one and then my head was about to explode. This guy has to slow down and stop talking in that god damn annoying voice.

 

Usually he does short, funny videos, and the only reason I stopped watching was for the same reason. :/ He did a great Mario video, but my God, these ones are annoying!

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I work at Gamestop, and I can tell you that, well, it's all true. I get a discount and have an Edge Card for the soul purpose of the magazine subscription. I never buy from there, ever. Amazon.com and Ebay and various other websites always have a better deal on used. They give piss for your trade; you can get a hell of a lot more money for your used games selling on craigslist. They sell give you 1/4th the price of what they sell the game for, making a 75% profit. That means that the seemingly great $12 bucks you got for GTA is re-sold for $45, and you could have done very little extra work for another, if not more, thirty bucks. Even with the Edge Card, they gain and you walk away happy for your discount.

 

As for reservations, Gamestop takes all the reserve money that you put into them and they vault it in an interest account. No joke. So the five bucks you put down becomes fifteen by the time the game comes out - they made little over ten bucks per reservation.

 

Gamestop is very good at what they do, and I do compliment them in what they have created. But Hitler was a very intelligent man, built a great empire, and he was corrupt. Gamestop is the same. The business plans are solid to the ignorant people, and there are so very many of them. Most people are lazy enough to not spend five minutes on ebay to see what they SHOULD get.

 

 

Don't be lazy. There is little we can do being that Gamestop is legitimate in what they do - it's the people that willingly hand over their money to them.

 

 

 

 

You should see how they pay us.

 

I'm quitting within the next few days, though. I love the work, I love what I do and I love the people, but the company itself absolutely screws everyone below management and especially the masses. If you have any questions, PM me.

 

 

 

Don't be lazy.

 

 

 

EDIT: I only watched the first two videos, so if I missed any arguments, again, PM me or make this thread flourish.

 

Surprisingly, I work at Blockbuster and we give the most credit for games that i've seen out of any company.

 

Prices aren't bad on used games either, can't argue with Bioshock for $20 guarenteed to play. Plus my 20% discount.

 

(I'm not plugging Blockbuster at all, just agreeing that i'll be damned if i'm gonna trade something into Gamestop and/or buy anything from there nowadays)

 

I see you were talking about reservation money, so that's probably why you can't get it back eh?

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Surprisingly, I work at Blockbuster and we give the most credit for games that i've seen out of any company.

 

Prices aren't bad on used games either, can't argue with Bioshock for $20 guarenteed to play. Plus my 20% discount.

 

(I'm not plugging Blockbuster at all, just agreeing that i'll be damned if i'm gonna trade something into Gamestop and/or buy anything from there nowadays)

 

I see you were talking about reservation money, so that's probably why you can't get it back eh?

 

Orly!? I had no clue that you could trade games into Blockbuster. We have a place called GameForce in Colorado that gives you what your game is worth. Granted, this generosity makes it hard for the company to make a decent profit, and mom and pop shops need a lot of support.

 

Gamestop discourages it, but I'll give it back.

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You should see how they pay us.

 

I'm quitting within the next few days, though. I love the work, I love what I do and I love the people, but the company itself absolutely screws everyone below management and especially the masses.

 

Just thought I should mention that they screw the management, too. I was an assistant manager for half a year, and they still ended up booting me for being under on magazine sales and reservations despite the fact I was busting my hump on every other front.

 

My manager at the same store got axed a month or two later, though he pretty much did so on purpose because he was just as sick of it as anyone else in their right mind would be.

 

For the record, most of the people that work there don't know just how deep things go; they tend to just be kids who signed on because they like games and want the employee discount, or just needed a job period, so don't hold anything against the guy at the counter. It's their corporate types that are the real bastards.

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Orly!? I had no clue that you could trade games into Blockbuster. We have a place called GameForce in Colorado that gives you what your game is worth. Granted, this generosity makes it hard for the company to make a decent profit, and mom and pop shops need a lot of support.

 

Gamestop discourages it, but I'll give it back.

 

Yarly! Blockbuster has been trying to get into the gaming market more and more. They actually have some stores that are devoted to games more than movies. They're called "Gamerush" stores iirc. Most people are surprised when I tell 'em we can preorder games and movies. As for the trading, most people are kinda surprised at how much we give since they're so used to Gamestop shaftin' them. Not the most in the world, but better than the 10 cents Gamestop might give 'em. I'm all for the mom and pop shops, i'd support them anyday.

 

I know one of my friends was assistant store manager at a Gamestop and he was sick of all the crap too as everyone has mentioned.

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i hate to play devil's advocate, but how is gamestop supposed to stay in business if they don't profit?

 

i understand that some of their methods can be a little ...extreme, but there aren't less than 10 people who sell back games and it's not like 1000's of people walk into a single gamestop on a daily basis.

 

i rarely buy used games at gamestop. before i did when they used to have the buy 2 get 1 free deal - but apparently they don't do that anymore. i usually sell my games back at gamestop because it's convienant. and that is why they screw you over because they can.

 

not talking about people above me or anyone specific, but sometimes i think that certain people make too big a deal about gamestop's practices. you have other options - whether it be renting or buying/subscribing online.

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I work at Gamestop, and I can tell you that, well, it's all true. I get a discount and have an Edge Card for the soul purpose of the magazine subscription. I never buy from there, ever. Amazon.com and Ebay and various other websites always have a better deal on used.

*shrugs*

 

Ordering online isn't a bad idea, unless you're one who wants to play the game shortly after you buy it. I prefer the only wait before playing a game is the time it takes to get home. Not having to wait for a seller to ship out the game, then hope the USPS doesn't lose it or send it around the US a few times before sending it up to Alaska. Not to mention, depending on where I'm ordering it from, that money I saved buying it used elsewhere, I coughed up in shipping. So essentially I paid the same amount simply to not buy from GameStop.

 

They give piss for your trade; you can get a hell of a lot more money for your used games selling on craigslist. They sell give you 1/4th the price of what they sell the game for, making a 75% profit. That means that the seemingly great $12 bucks you got for GTA is re-sold for $45, and you could have done very little extra work for another, if not more, thirty bucks. Even with the Edge Card, they gain and you walk away happy for your discount.
I don't bother trading in games.

 

As for reservations, Gamestop takes all the reserve money that you put into them and they vault it in an interest account. No joke. So the five bucks you put down becomes fifteen by the time the game comes out - they made little over ten bucks per reservation.
Your point? So they make a few extra dollars off the $5 you put down on a game. You still get that $5 towards the game, so it isn't like your $5 suddenly is worth less.

 

Most people are lazy enough to not spend five minutes on ebay to see what they SHOULD get.
I find it odd that one will sit here and say not to deal with GameStop because of corrupt businesses practices, but in the same breath they suggest eBay.

 

 

  • eBay says sellers have to accept paypal only.
  • eBay doesn't allow sellers to leave negative/neutral feedback for buyers. Though buyers can leave negative/neutral no problem.
  • eBay makes you pay in order list said items, even if they don't sell. Then there are even more fees and such if it does sell.

People are going to shop at GameStop regardless of how many threads are made bitching about them. If you don't like them, don't shop there, work there, recommend them, etc. I wish people would just stop bad mouthing them, and let people make come to their own conclusions.

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well dude, that pretty much sucks then.

I always thought working at gamestop was awsome and being around there was cool. I don't live near one anymore, but the trade-in's where horrible. I sold alot of games and got barley anything for it, a lot of games got me less than 10, but i needed some credit for the games coming out.

I thought it'd be cool thought with your access and discounts to games.

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Maybe one of the most compelling arguments is about their pricing in general on used games, and that they shaft people on games that have been around for years but are still good. Gears of War is a prime example, especially with big signs saying you can pre-order the sequel, why can't they try and move that stock and generate interest?

 

A good deal of the complaints do come from working in "a store" and not just a gamestop. Such as the addicts trying to sell you things, quota obsessed managers, and the general public using the shelves as garbage receptacles.

 

It kinda boils down to them wanting to be money-making instead of community-building.

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Ordering online isn't a bad idea, unless you're one who wants to play the game shortly after you buy it. I prefer the only wait before playing a game is the time it takes to get home. Not having to wait for a seller to ship out the game, then hope the USPS doesn't lose it or send it around the US a few times before sending it up to Alaska. Not to mention, depending on where I'm ordering it from, that money I saved buying it used elsewhere, I coughed up in shipping. So essentially I paid the same amount simply to not buy from GameStop.

 

I have been doing business on eBay for years, and out of the hundreds of transactions I have made, only 1 was lost in the mail (some PS2 game that was around $10), so to say that you shouldn't order online because of the short wait or the microscopic chance that the item may be lost, just sounds silly. I understand you live in Alaska, so your view of ordering online and shipping charges may be a little biased considering the vast distance between you and the item sellers. But even with shipping prices included, you can still save a great deal of many, simply because you have so many options to choose from.

 

I find it odd that one will sit here and say not to deal with GameStop because of corrupt businesses practices, but in the same breath they suggest eBay.

 

 

  • eBay says sellers have to accept paypal only.
  • eBay doesn't allow sellers to leave negative/neutral feedback for buyers. Though buyers can leave negative/neutral no problem.
  • eBay makes you pay in order list said items, even if they don't sell. Then there are even more fees and such if it does sell.

People are going to shop at GameStop regardless of how many threads are made bitching about them. If you don't like them, don't shop there, work there, recommend them, etc. I wish people would just stop bad mouthing them, and let people make come to their own conclusions.

Comparing Gamestop to eBay is comparing apples to oranges.

Gamestop is a corporation that controls product price, wages, hours, etc.

 

While eBay is a corporation that hosts an online auction site, and allows users to sell items using their service. ebay does not sell the items, dictate the prices, or have a hand in the buyer seller process.

  • Paypal is the fastest, easiest, and most convenient way to pay for an item and recieve payment, so it is the preffered transaction method
  • There is no reason for a seller to leave negative feedback for a buyer, unless the buyer refused to pay for an item. But in that circumstance, the seller can file a non-paying bidder complaint with eBay, remove the auction, and relist it for little to no charge
  • eBay makes you pay to use their service, because it's the only way they make money. That's like saying the phone company makes you pay for using the phone, or the electric company makes you pay for using electricity. You are using a service, and they have to charge something or else they would bankrupt themselves. Nevertheless, their prices are tiny percenteges of the selling price, something like 2-5% depending on the total amount.

Regardless of whether you personally like eBay or not, doesn't negate the fact that, compared to Gamestop, eBay is a jewel. I have been anti-Gamestop for years, and I've always advocated eBay. I've purchased hundreds of items off of eBay, and I couldn't even begin to calculate how much money I've saved. So for a healthy alternative to Gamestop, use eBay.

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...so to say that you shouldn't order online because of the short wait or the microscopic chance that the item may be lost, just sounds silly.

I never said people shouldn't buy online. I just said I prefer not to. More times than not, if I've ordered something from the lower 48 states, it had a tendency of getting from point A to Washington state in a matter of days. After that, it could stay in WA for the better part of two weeks before even making its way to Alaska. So between bidding time on the auction, the time the seller ships it out, and the time it actually gets to Alaska, I could be looking at a good three weeks or more before I even get a chance to play my game.

 

Not to mention if something is wrong with the game, then I have to go through all the hassle of sending it back and getting it taken care of. Which can even add another few weeks before getting a chance to play said game. I just prefer the convenience of driving 20 minutes to the mall, taking my time picking out a game, foo-fooing around the other stores, then driving another 20 minutes home and playing my game. If something is wrong, oh no, it is another 40 minute drive there and back.

 

I'm fine with paying a little more for instant gratification. Granted, it also depends on the game. If it is a game that I was thinking about getting, but not in too big of a hurry, then sure I'll do the eBay thing. I have gotten a small hand full of games, and my husband's original Xbox off eBay.

 

  • There is no reason for a seller to leave negative feedback for a buyer, unless the buyer refused to pay for an item. But in that circumstance, the seller can file a non-paying bidder complaint with eBay, remove the auction, and relist it for little to no charge

Regardless of whether you personally like eBay or not, doesn't negate the fact that, compared to Gamestop, eBay is a jewel. I have been anti-Gamestop for years, and I've always advocated eBay. I've purchased hundreds of items off of eBay, and I couldn't even begin to calculate how much money I've saved. So for a healthy alternative to Gamestop, use eBay.

There are plenty of instances, other than non-payment, where negative feedback would be appropriate. The fact that eBay has taken that option away from sellers is a crock of shit.

 

 

It just boils down to some days I'll take convenience over price. Not to mention I like the idea of being able to return a game within seven days if I just happen to not like it.

 

To each their own.

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I know what you said, and I wasn't trying to skew your words. I noted in my post that I realize that you live in Alaska, and purchasing things online is probably a big hassle for you. I just wanted to let people know that eBay is almost always the smarter choice compared to Gamestop. Unless people have a situation like yours, there's no reason not to save money and buy smart on eBay, unless you're after the instant gratification.

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I used to reserve quite a few games at Gamestop/EB and I have noticed that most of the timeI do not get the codes or other things from pre-ordering. I had to go back 3 times to get my pub games code and I never got my Too Human codes. Now I just order online seems like less of a hassle. I sell my games via Craigs List or Ebay for a little work I can get a better deal on my returns.

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I've done business at Gamestop for a while and haven't had a problem yet other than the terrible trade-in values. I did try to get a job there as a manager once and wasn't hired; I was put off repeatedly after the first interview for an answer and told that they had a hiring freeze on. After reading through this thread, I might start doing business with Blockbuster instead (there's a Gamerush near where I live). Or I'll just start using Gamefly and buy at some other store.

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I go to gamestop pretty often but don't buy unless I have a coupon they do offer some good deals with alot of the weekly ads. I bought Force Unleashed a week after it came out for $38 with a coupon. Also, like it or not it is because of GS that alot of other retailers offer video game specials, like extra things with purchases. Being an old school gamer i remember when any game you wanted costed $50 no matter how long it was out. BTW I bought Jericho over the summer beat it in 6 days and returned it and got all my money back. I've also bought games used I didn't like and took them back and got something else that is nice. But I never trade in I like having a collection.

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