Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

"You mean I have to bring it IN??"

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • "You mean I have to bring it IN??"

    I've written on this before, but it continues to be relevant.

    I was shopping at a pawn shop awhile back and I overheard a conversation between one of the owners and a customer. What I heard went something like this:

    "<Pawn shop>, How can I help you?...Yes, we buy laptops...How old is it?...Ok, well I can't really give you a quote over the phone, I'd have to see it first...because that's how these things work...Without seeing it, I can't give you any number...If it's four years old, it's probably running Windows Vista and I wouldn't be able to give you much for it...I realize you can tell me the specs but I still need to examine the item itself before I give you a number....ok then...have a good day sir."

    I can't really communicate it that well through text, but the employees voice was become slightly more agitated as the call wore on. I imagine he gets these calls ALL the time.

    Customers like this were the bane of my existence at <game store>. I've never liked the way that company handles their trade-in business. You see, in their case, there is no negotiation. They put a preset trade credit amount into the computer so that if you trade in Resident Evil: Even more Zombies! at ANY store in the country, you get the same amount for it. There are fees we can charge for product that has significant cosmetic damage, but whether the damage is "significant" is up to the discretion of the employee.

    Since the trade values are preset, many people call ahead to find out what they can get for their items before they bring them in. Standard policy is don't give values over the phone and tell them they have to come in. Not all stores follow this so customers get an expectation they can call in and get trade values whenever they need them.

    This can cause problems, especially when a busy employee looks at the wrong line on the screen and quotes a customer a trade value $100 HIGHER than what we're actually offering (this was for a PS3) .

    That one turned into a mess that involved corporate, but eventually we had to cough up the extra $100 when the employee in question verified that yes, he had given the customer the wrong number.

    I've had people call in before and want me to give them trade values on 10 games over the phone! Grrr...

    I also think it's funny how when I tell people the trades must be in good working order to get full value, EVERYONE, without fail, tells me their stuff is in good condition.

    And don't even get me started on people who think we're ripping them off. I'll be the first one to tell you that game store's trade values are usually low, but they are more than what you'd get at a pawn shop.

    I wish people would educate themselves on how the secondary market works. With rare exceptions, most items lose value QUICKLY. Video games are a great example of this. It's not uncommon for a game to lose over 60% of its value within a year of release (that would be a price drop of $59.99 to $24.99 roughly). Only the top tier titles hold their value for longer.

    Laptops and Smartphones are another great example. Anything more than two years old is practically a waste of time and even that's being somewhat generous.

    My general principle on reselling when trying to decide "is it worth it" is as follows: The moment you take an item out of the packaging, it drops at least 30% of its value (sometimes more, sometimes less). Then if you plan on selling it to a pawn shop or other second hand business, you're going to get even less because that business has to resell the item to make a profit.

    So if a $60 video game is selling for about $40 on the second hand market and you have a copy to sell to a game store or a pawn shop, you should realistically expect to get no more than $10-25 for it.

    This is not complicated, it's little more than common sense and simple math. Unfortunately most SCs lack these two abilities, causing me to be endlessly subjected to cries of "you're ripping me off!!" or "that's it?! That's all I can get?"
    "If we refund your money, give you a free replacement and shoot the manager, then will you be happy?" - sign seen in a restaurant

  • #2
    From someone who runs a pawnshop.... YES. We get this ALL THE TIME! Seriously, you're idea of "brand new" is not, in fact, brand new. It's pre owned (and upon inspection once brought in, most times it's in pretty rough shape LOL). And no, I won't give you retail value of a 2 year old laptop, not even close. Oh, you paid $10,000 for that? I'm sorry sir, but I think some unscrupulous business person has taken advantage of your good nature because you were ripped off.

    Comment


    • #3
      IF I were to get between $10 to $25 on a used video game, then I'd consider that generous. But that's just me..lol.

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth CrazedClerkthe2nd View Post
        "<Pawn shop>, How can I help you?...Yes, we buy laptops...How old is it?...Ok, well I can't really give you a quote over the phone, I'd have to see it first...because that's how these things work...."
        Yeah, we got calls like that when I worked at the coin shop. "Um, I've got this, like, penny? And it's got these, like, feathers on the back? Is it worth anything?"

        Yeah, it could be worth one cent, it could be worth hundreds of dollars. We'd have to see it in person.
        Last edited by XCashier; 07-04-2012, 07:19 PM.
        I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
        My LiveJournal
        A page we can all agree with!

        Comment


        • #5
          I used to manage the jewelry department of a pawn shop and got calls all the time asking what they could get for their stuff sight unseen. What a nuisance.
          I think one of my most memorable calls was a man who wanted to know how much he could get for his ring. I told him that it all depended on the ring, kind of metal, weight, if it had a gemstone/s, what kind of gemstone/s and so then I asked him what kind of ring it was... His reply? "It's round."

          Comment


          • #6
            It's not just game trade ins! Oooh, I hated it when people would call in about wanting an estimate for repairs!

            As this happened so often, I'll just use a VCR as an example. Customer called in wanting an estimate for getting a 2 year old VCR fixed. Problem stated was, "Not playing tapes." All I can tell them is the spiel about the estimate fee, which if they choose to have the item repaired is deducted from the final total. But nooooo, the customer wants ME! to get them a full estimate on repair.

            Firstly, the problem as described is so vague that even the trained tech wouldn't be able to give a good estimate without cracking it open and looking.. Secondly, I. Was. Not. A. Trained. Tech. You have to bring it in and let a tech look at it.

            *sigh* And I loved that job.. which only proves I'm insane.
            If I make no sense, I apologize. I'm constantly interrupted by an actual toddler.

            Comment


            • #7
              that business has to resell the item to make a profit.
              This is the part they're not getting, and they don't care anyway. It never occurs to them that the business wants to be able to resell the item. They just want their money blargle blargle!!!!!
              When you start at zero, everything's progress.

              Comment


              • #8
                Former GameStore dude here, many years past.
                Quoth CrazedClerkthe2nd View Post
                There are fees we can charge for product that has significant cosmetic damage, but whether the damage is "significant" is up to the discretion of the employee.
                I have actually had trade-in customers exclaim that "it works great at home!" when handing me a disc that literally looked like it had been repeatedly dragged over a gravel driveway. With malice.

                ProTip: While this doesn't work for blurays (it works on DVD's and CD's), one easy way to tell whether a scratched disc is even worth trying to sell is this : Hold it up to a bright light (not the Sun, please ) with the label facing you. If you can see any scratches, or anything light at all, thru the label, the disc is ruined. (blurays store their data in a less-easily damaged area, iirc)

                And don't even get me started on people who think we're ripping them off.
                A certain company that shall remain unnamed has been running ads lately that are likely exacerbating this issue, displaying people who are (understandably) disappointed and (NOT understandably) borderline abusive, on both sides of the counter. One of them even shows a custy doing something I can only describe as "Simple Criminal Damage to Property" as a result oO

                I'll be the first one to tell you that game store's trade values are usually low, but they are more than what you'd get at a pawn shop.
                Very true.

                I wish people would educate themselves on how the secondary market works. With rare exceptions, most items lose value QUICKLY.
                Sports games are a really good example of this -- even the big ones lose value incredibly quickly, simply because ...

                Vast number of initial sales + Games devalue when the season ends, and they become worthless when next year's version comes out = large numbers of copies traded in

                This means that the buyback price plummets incredibly quickly. At the store where I was -- approaching a decade ago -- ya know that big major football game that (apparently) everybody buys? The one named for a commentator who loved his turkey? We averaged 700+ preorders for that game every year. At that store alone. Most games are lucky to get fifty preorders. Average turnout for the midnight release was 200-300 people. If you wanted to get decent value for that sucker, it meant trading it in within TWO WEEKS...Also, consider that most of the ones traded in will never ever sell.
                "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

                Comment


                • #9
                  Sometimes my mother or brother will ahve one of those Pawn shows on when I'm walking by, and god help me sometimes I linger and watch for a moment. But I usually can't stand it because of course the good TV comes largely from SCs and people trying to wrangle huge sums for their junk.

                  It's ALWAYS something like this:

                  *Item is appraised for say...$500 retail value*

                  Broker: I'll give you $200 for it.

                  SC: How about $350?

                  Broker:....How about $225?

                  Now we all know how this should work. You reach a middle ground on the price (if you are a lucky customer).

                  SC: How about $350.

                  Broker: I can't do that. I can do $225.

                  SC: $350!!

                  Me:

                  That's not how it works, asshole....don't insist on a high value like that!

                  I hate those shows. I shouldn't stop to watch.
                  "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

                  RIP Plaidman.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth EricKei View Post
                    ProTip: While this doesn't work for blurays (it works on DVD's and CD's), one easy way to tell whether a scratched disc is even worth trying to sell is this : Hold it up to a bright light (not the Sun, please ) with the label facing you. If you can see any scratches, or anything light at all, thru the label, the disc is ruined. (blurays store their data in a less-easily damaged area, iirc)
                    One place where I worked while I was in computers, I needed to install something extra from the "C" compiler disk (only one in the company - piracy, anyone?). I tracked it down, tried to install the item, and got a read failure. Turns out someone had found a great way of keeping the CD key with the CD - they had scratched it into the label side.
                    Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Quoth Dave1982 View Post
                      It's ALWAYS something like this:

                      *Item is appraised for say...$500 retail value*

                      Broker: I'll give you $200 for it.

                      SC: How about $350?

                      Broker:....How about $225?
                      I like the one in Las Vegas where the old man has this conversation regularly:

                      Broker: I'll give you $200 for it.

                      SC: How about $350?

                      Broker: $180

                      SC: $350

                      Broker: $160

                      SC: You're going the wrong way!

                      Broker's Grandson: You should have taken the $200!

                      SC: ......OK $200.

                      Broker to Grandson: Write him up

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Ok, well I can't really give you a quote over the phone
                        Sounds like they know the caller is trying to scam them too. Cos they're likely planning on getting the quote, knowing full well the piece-of-shit computer they have isn't worth anything close to that. But they're thinking "once i get a quote they have to give me that amount no matter what this computer looks like"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I get this in the textbook business, too. Same deal, a lot of titles depreciate in value SO quickly, it's not even funny.

                          Most callers, will ask flat out "How much will you give me?" Sight unseen. I explain that, as long as the book is in resellable condition, not anything we're not legally allowed to sell (desk copies, international editions, etc), then the HIGHEST we've bought it back for is $xx, but that all depends on the condition, which we have to see BEFORE I commit to a price.

                          Some people understand, some bring in ratty, worndown, unusable books, then pitch a raging hissyfit because "I WAS PROMISED $XX OVER THE PHOOOOOOONNNE RABBLERABBLERAWR!!!"

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth wolfie View Post
                            One place where I worked while I was in computers, I needed to install something extra from the "C" compiler disk (only one in the company - piracy, anyone?).
                            As an aside, this isn't that uncommon, and isn't often piracy. For example, at my workplace, we usually get only one copy of the software (which is swiftly copied to thumb drives for actual installs), but multiple seat licences. This allows us to legally install the same software on multiple computers. Hell, anymore, most companies don't even care where you get the actual software from as long as you have legal licenses for it.
                            The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
                            "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
                            Hoc spatio locantur.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              We sometimes purchase laptops, depending on condition.

                              Probably once a week I get someone calling who wants to sell a used inkjet printer (worthless) or they think they can get a couple hundred dollars for a ten year old computer. I usually laugh at them.

                              Comment

                              Working...