Ultimately, people need to realise what they're dealing with when they buy..

[Box]

from GameStop

When you buy a "new" game, there's a good chance it has already been opened, free shipping doesn't exist at a reasonable price, often times game sales are on games that aren't in inventory, and constant unknown restrictions on member perks.


Reality is that GameStop is pushing themselves closer to extinction with these practices. We don't need GameStop, but we do need physical games.

 

[JAHGamer]

Yeah, i hate gamestop, by far the worst retailer. Only reason I use them is because being a powerup rewards member is great value. If I don't have any reward points or get member exclusive discounts, I will buy from anywhere BUT GameStop. Best Buy used to be reliable but they've gone downhill..... Amazon, Target, and Walmart are very reliable but only Best Buy gets all the cool pre order bonus stuff But they always have very limited stock of the pre order bonus stuff, so actually getting it is purely luck.

 

[laynelane]

A while back I purchased a new game from that chain. I made sure that the game was still in its wrap and told the cashier why. He told me that they'd stopped the practice of opening new games. That was the reason I didn't buy games there for a long time. It sucks that their terrible practices eroded so much customer trust. I like buying physical and putting money into the local economy vs. Amazon, and there has been improvement at the stores here, but it's hard to forget all the bs that went on for years.

 

[Darth Vader]

from GameStop

When you buy a "new" game, there's a good chance it has already been opened, free shipping doesn't exist at a reasonable price, often times game sales are on games that aren't in inventory, and constant unknown restrictions on member perks.


Reality is that GameStop is pushing themselves closer to extinction with these practices. We don't need GameStop, but we do need physical games.

Ireland doesn't have GameStop anymore. As far as big retailers go, we only have Smyths, and they dont always have stuff, especially special editions.

I kinda miss them, and their service was good here.

 

[toadsage44]

I've seen a lot of discussion online about buying "new" games from GameStop that have been opened, but this has never been my experience. That said, if I did go into GameStop to buy a new game and they handed me one that didn't have the shrink wrap, I'd tell them I want one that's actually new. And if they didn't have one in stock with the plastic, I just wouldn't buy it. I know you don't necessarily have the luxury of declining the purchase ahead of time when you buy online, which is why I tend to not buy from them these days. Their sales suck mostly anyway.

I do agree with everything else you said. It's very frustrating that almost every time I consider buying a game from GameStop, I check the website to see if it's in stock near me and it either isn't or they only have one copy if they do have it. Typically the former of the two. And it's not like I'm looking for some obscure shit that got a very small release. As an example, this past spring I was looking to get a copy of AC Valhalla, so I checked the nearest GameStop. Not a single copy in stock. I had to drive an extra 20 minutes away to get a copy of the game. It's disgusting to walk through the door of GAMEStop and see a whole wall from floor to ceiling covered in Funko Pops, and aisles of useless trinkets and board games and socks, yet they can't keep a game like AC Valhalla in stock.

They've also gutted their rewards program. I was a pro member for about the last 5 or so years, but it expired a month or two ago and I don't plan to ever subscribe again.