Any former "GameStore" employees here? Share your SC stories!

[Devonian]

Trading in your games is a terrible rip off, and I for one refuse to be part of it.

FUCKING THIS. Hell, I've seen them sell used copies for the same price as the new ones (occasionally more)...

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I'd like to make a few points here:

1) My gamestore does still offer system warranties as do the others in our district.

2) The check out policy is real, but at my store we can't check out DS games (because of the save file issue mentioned above). Disc based software (execpt PC obviously) is fair game since no data gets saved to the disc itself. I still don't agree with selling the "rented" games as new.

3) A refurbished system is always a gamble. I think close to 75% of the refurbished 360s I've sold have come back days later because they red ringed or stopped working some other way. Used accessories are a gamble as well since we have no way to test them. People can trade in a broken controller that looks fine physically and we'll resell it in a flash because we don't test it.

4) Closely scrutinize everything you buy used. You have every right to thoroughly examine used product before you buy. This goes for games AND systems.

Also a vast majority of our trade ins are from kids younger than 16, who do not have a solid grasp of what decent value for a game may be so they seldom complain about the trade in values. The parents complain on occassion, but not often.

The "did not like" returns are allowed within 7 days on used games, I've done many returns myself this way.

[MercenaryMuffin]

Hmm...must have been different back when I worked

Again, maybe it differs by district, but on used games we were always told to treat returns within 7 days as "no questions asked".

New, used, doesn't matter in this case. We were always told you could return the game within 7 days for another copy of the same game, be it new or used. I don't know if the whole "Play it for 7 days then return it" thing is nation-wide, but back in 2006 this didn't exist in our store. Might be different now, I couldn't say. Personally, I think it's stupid to let someone return a game after 7 days for a refund and/or store credit, but meh.
What GameStop should do is adopt what GameCrazy/GameTag has done, and just let people rent the games for up to 10 days at a time if they want to. I do this quite often, and if I like a game, I just keep it and they charge me for the game. A much better system than GameStop, I believe.

What are the realistic alternatives for tradeins?

The very practice of trading in games is not something I'm opposed to. What I am opposed to is GameStop giving you pennies on the dollar for your trade, then immediately marking up the price by 800%. Play-N-Trade and GameCrazy both give markedly better trade-in values, and their used games are almost always cheaper as well.

Besides trading in your old games, there's some things you could do to get more use out of them. There are many websites out there where gamers can trade and swap old games, meaning that both you and someone else get to enjoy a new game, all for the simple cost of shipping (or not even that, if you live in the same city). You could bundle the games and sell them on eBay or Craigslist, there's a big audience out there that is always on the look for good, hard-to-find games. Even if you sold five older games for thirty bucks, that's still a hell of a lot more than you'd get from GameStop.

And in the case of selling them, you get cash. Real cash. Not fake money that you can only use to buy even more GameStop products.

just remembered about the worker "rental policy". The video talks about this.

Yeah, I've heard a lot about this. Back when I worked at EB, this policy didn't exist, at least not in our store. If you wanted to play a game, then you went out and rented it somewhere or bought it. No taking games home, that was STRICTLY forbidden. You would be fired for doing so.
Nowadays, I guess things aren't as clear-cut. Which is a shame, because a new game should be new, not played by an employee and returned.

Now, I want to make it clear that there IS a difference between the current practice of taking home games, and the practice of placing "gutted" games on the display stands.
If you see a new game on the display stand, and you take it up to the counter, then the rack behind the counter will be checked for a new, unopened copy of said game (after trying to get you to buy a used copy, of course). If none are left in the rack, the copy you brought up is the very last copy, then you will get the disc and booklet placed into the box. Gutting a game makes sure that some jack ass who walks out with the box doesn't get a free game.
The game they put in the box is NOT used (or it shouldn't be, anyway). The only thing that has been done to it is putting the game in a sleeve. No one played it, no one scratched it, no one put their finger prints on it (hopefully). It is, for all intents and purposes, a new game. Period. It just doesn't have the shrink wrap on it. And if you want the shrink wrap so bad, I'm sure someone can put some on to satisfying your OCD little heart.
Though, with Gamestop letting employees take games home these days, the above is really more in doubt than it used to be, sadly.

[ArcticChicken]

(Sidenote: the book is still being written, by another author basing it on detailed notes RJ prepared, though the publisher decided to stretch it out for "at least" 3 more books)

Brandon Sanderson is a fantastic author. I'm almost tempted to read the entire series, just to read the ones written by Sanderson.

Diablo III will be out sometime this year... to which I generally reply that I expect to be playing it somewhere around 2012.

I'm saving up for a shiny, shiny computer. I fully expect to have enough to buy a pre-made shiniest gaming system available when Diablo III is released.

[MercenaryMuffin]

Obviously, Blizzard is planning to release both StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 on December 20th, 2012. Doing so will bring about the apocalypse.
Oh, Blizzard, you crafty people...

Or is it the 12th? I dunno, hard to keep up with these end-of-the-world prophecies and what-not. I was rather disappointed when the world didn't end when we hit the year 2000. Had a nice pair of shoes picked out and everything.

[Lace Neil Singer]

A mate of mine managed, somehow, to walk into a games shop and buy their last Wii at around the mass craze. XD He didn't queue or anything, just walked in and bought it. I told him afterwards he was lucky he didn't get mugged for it.

Not quite the same topic but similiar; I remember being at an arcade with a friend and we were playing each other on Streetfighter 2. (This was a little while ago as you can imagine). This guy came up to my friend, who was prettier and more petite than me, and said to her, "Let me take over. I'll show your friend how to really play." He basically just shoved her out the way, and took over, therefore annoying both of us at the same time. Her cuz he was treating her like a helpless female, and me cuz he was assuming that just cuz I was a girl, I couldn't play.

Needless to say, he ended up being completely pwned when I whipped his arse in three games. I am actually very good at beatemup style games, having had years of practice playing against my brothers and their mates, and I knew all the moves of my chosen characters. He then stormed off in a huff, with both of us laughing at him as we resumed our game.

[bunnyboy]

Personally I have no problem with GameStore or it's affiliates... Until I get the employee who's about to get caned for lack of numbers.

Well that and going in right after a game is announced (not even release but just announced) and buying something similar to it.

Horror story was the only time I went to an EB in one of the local malls to pick up a WoW Game Card... Shortly after Lich King was announced to be in production.

went something like this, get it scanned, get asked if I want to reserve, simple answer of no, next was edge card, simple answer of yes... over the course of the transaction ( a couple of XBOX games that were nowhere near WoW related) got asked if I was sure I didn't want to reserve it.

Yes this is what I had to go through it wasn't the asking for a reserve for a game from a company legendary for it's release date slips (Starcraft Ghost anyone?), nor the fact that it was just announced, but the fact that my no was almost an affront to nature by the way it was asked for the other two times, and then again as the transaction was completing.

So yeah, I have no problems with the GameStore I normally go to, since they seem to have something resembling tact (got asked once said no that was the end of it.)

[Fenrus]

I actually love my local GameStore (except for them yesterday, not having any DDR games in stock. T_T had to go to Target.)

There was one that was relatively close to my house I'd frequent. Always get served by a really nice girl who knew her stuff! I'd ask, she'd have every answer I could possibly need, and then some.

New, closer GameStore opened up, so I decided to head over since it really is 3 blocks away from my house, walk in, and who do I see got transferred to this one? The same awesome, knowledgable girl that's helped me out. Apparently the new store is closer to HER house too.

I <3 GameStore... though I will admit, I hate trade-ins there. I'll go to GameCrazy or GamePeddler for that.

[Jack T. Chance]

I'm saving up for a shiny, shiny computer. I fully expect to have enough to buy a pre-made shiniest gaming system available when Diablo III is released.

I fully expect to have to replace my lovely Gateway gaming laptop with a newer, more powerful gaming laptop by the time Diablo III actually gets released... and I've only had my laptop since October of last year!

[Dreamstalker]

Hell, I've seen them sell used copies for the same price as the new ones (occasionally more)...

I once saw a used copy of PS3 Mirror's Edge for more than the new copy right next to it. Still can't figure that one out. Same thing with some DS games on occasion, typically if it's a known-hot title as they probably figure it'll sell no matter what.

The most I've spent on a single game is Electroplankton for DS ($40 from Amazon).

[MercenaryMuffin]

One day, StarCraft: Ghost and Duke Nukem Forever will be released. That day will be known as the Apocalypse.

[Jack T. Chance]

One day, StarCraft: Ghost and Duke Nukem Forever will be released. That day will be known as the Apocalypse.

Especially since the perpetually on again, off again Duke Nukem Forever is OFF again... the latest company that was working on it with plans to release it has folded, thus once again ending any chance of seeing the game within the foreseeable future.

[smileyeagle1021]

I actually love my local GameStore (except for them yesterday, not having any DDR games in stock. T_T had to go to Target.)

There was one that was relatively close to my house I'd frequent. Always get served by a really nice girl who knew her stuff! I'd ask, she'd have every answer I could possibly need, and then some.

New, closer GameStore opened up, so I decided to head over since it really is 3 blocks away from my house, walk in, and who do I see got transferred to this one? The same awesome, knowledgable girl that's helped me out. Apparently the new store is closer to HER house too.

I <3 GameStore... though I will admit, I hate trade-ins there. I'll go to GameCrazy or GamePeddler for that.

you must tell me where this mystical gamestore is with employees who know what they're talking about and have a good selection

[Fenrus]

you must tell me where this mystical gamestore is with employees who know what they're talking about and have a good selection

Jordan Landing. :P Wayy out of your range.

[smileyeagle1021]

Jordan Landing. :P Wayy out of your range.

umm... according to google maps that is pretty much in the center of the shopping center... which is 8 blocks across... so you live IN the Jordan Landing shopping center then... that explains a lot
(yes, I am a smart ass)