I bought the game "new" from Gamestop, or so I thought.... The code to download the dlc was absent from the package and it had clearly been used before. Now Gamestop is refusing to accept the trade-in because of the fact that I opened it. They totally screwed me out of my money, and I really loved the game a bunch, so if any Giantbomb user has an extra Alan Wake DLC code lying around, I would really appreciate a PM with the code! Thanks a bunch everyone and have a better holiday season than Gamestop apparently thinks I should have.
I leave this thread alone for a few hours and come back to see 45 replies. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in, so allow me to clarify my situation exactly.
1. This was a shrink-wrapped "new" copy of Alan Wake.
2. Upon opening the package once I got home it was quite clear that the game was used. (The disk was slightly scratched and the manual was crinkled.)
3. I know not to buy from Gamestop, I was just using up a giftcard that was about to expire.
4. I'm not just saying "OY GIMME FREE DLC!" I'm just asking that, if someone didn't like the game and has an extra card floating around, I've got my hand held high with some hope of actually playing the DLC, as I thoroughly enjoyed my run through of Alan Wake.
5. Though the suggestions of "nut-up and argue your way to victory" are fun, they aren't exactly likely as my attempts to talk with the managers have, thus-far, been less than fruitful.
Thanks again to everyone that replied, and I'll be sure to let everyone know how this fight against a massive conglomerate over a 3 cent piece of cardboard goes.
Alan Wake
Game » consists of 14 releases. Released May 14, 2010
- Xbox 360
- Xbox 360 Games Store
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
- + 4 more
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
When famous novelist Alan Wake goes on vacation with his wife Alice, he has no idea that the idyllic town of Bright Falls will soon be the site of a terrible battle between light and dark that could threaten everything, even Wake's own sanity.
So, I got screwed by Gamestop.
Hmmm.
You know, I don't doubt that your situation was as tragic as you lay it out to be. But for the punchline to be, "So who wants to give me free DLC?" makes it a bit harder to empathize.
" Don't buy at Gamestop. Every single one of their customers gets screwed in some way. "I buy my games there and i have never had a problem, It's obviously OP's fault he knew the game had been opened but he still bought the game.
Gamestop sucks, avoid asking for free stuff on the internet, you can happily pretend that the DLC does not exist because the ending is perfectly good on its own.
Boom, thread closed.
Actually I think that DLC code was only a limited time thing, to try to boost launch time sales. Perhaps you should have done research.
Plus you can always tell if the game has been opened. Honestly how do you not notice the shrink wrap is missing? You've bought a used copy, its your fault.
I've been buying games and consoles from GameStop for awhile now and never had any problem. I really think the biggest problem is that a big portion of their customer base is just plain dumb.
" @CptBedlam said:They overprice all of their items. New, used... it's always more expensive at Gamestop." Don't buy at Gamestop. Every single one of their customers gets screwed in some way. "I buy my games there and i have never had a problem, It's obviously OP's fault he knew the game had been opened but he still bought the game. "
I only go there once a year or so to trade in old games when they offer a new game in return for two old ones. And I always laugh at their prices.
" Actually I think that DLC code was only a limited time thing, to try to boost launch time sales. Plus you can always tell if the game has been opened. Honestly how do you not notice the shrink wrap is missing? You've bought a used copy, its your fault. "1. No every new copy of AW has a code for the first DLC. Not time-limited.
2. Gamestop takes all the discs out and only puts empty cases on their shelves - even with new games. So no, there is no way to tell if a copy has been slightly used or not because they ALL get opened at Gamestop.
Indeed weird. Regional differences maybe." @CptBedlam: Weird because I've bought about 6 games from them this year, all of them shrink wrapped, sealed, with all contents in the package. All at the same price I could have got them anywhere else. "
Well, they have a few games behind the counter - usually the new releases - that are still wrapped. But everything the customers themselves can grab in the store is just empty cases. Also the games that are advertised as new.
And as for the prices: Around here all the Gamestops are usually 10€s more expensive when it comes to new games. The used-game price are an even bigger joke.
Is it possible that you missed somewhere on the package where it said it was used? If not, and you used a credit card to buy the game at the "new" price, then I would dispute the charge and try to have it canceled. You should call Gamestop first to let them know, because maybe they'll back out and give you the proper game and also because the credit card companies want you to do everything possible on your end before canceling it. If the product they gave you was not the one they charged you for, then you're under no obligation to pay for it!
Well actually the Alan Wake free DLC code was a limited time offer. It was to last through the end of June I believe.
Go and look it up. S'why I bought it before I June.
I've had a few issues with gamestop recently.
I bought my niece a PS2 to replace her broken one about 2 months ago. When she got it home she found out that there was no power cord in it. She took it to her local gamestop and they told her it would have to be brought back to the place where it was originally purchased to get the cord, which is just silly. What if she lived across the country? I also got her a copy of Rachet and Clank: UYA and she found when she got home, the box was empty. The clerks never put it in the box.
It just reinforced the fact that I really have no need to buy from gamestop anymore.
I've never had any of these issues everyone else seems to have with Gamestop, guess it depends on where you live.
Learn how to be a man and don't take bullshit like this without a fight. Take it up with the manager, complain, make noise, or you aren't going to get anything but screwed again in the future.
Call the main offices!
I don't let anyone screw me over
I bought a refurbished Wii from Gamestop and when I hooked it up it looked like an old timey movie. It looked like it had a bunch of debris on the screen except it didn't look good.
I took it back to Gamestop and asked them to give me my money back. They said that they would only give me store credit. I said "You sell me a broken product and you think I'd want store credit? I never want to shop here again!"
They still didn't give me my money back.
It's not their faults they couldn't give me my money back (although THEY should've made sure the "refurbished" console actually worked properly). They're told by "top men" that they can't give money back...
So I called their head offices. I yelled at some guy who was higher up at how displeased I was with their products and service and he mailed a cheque to EB Games with my name on it. I haven't shopped there for anything since and I never will again.
" @CptBedlam: The cases on display are solely for display purposes, they will then change it for a shrink wrapped version from behind the desk. Are you sure you just didn't buy a second hand version? "I once was offered a non-shrink wrapped copy as new in GameStop and asked for one that was. They complied after I made a stink about it. GameStop employees do occasionally try to pass off used copies as new. The solution is that if they try to pull this on you, ask for one that is shrink wrapped. If they tell you no, don't buy it. I doubt that GameStop, as a matter of policy, unwraps every copy of a game that comes in. If you're not paying attention, it's relatively easy to not notice that the game has been opened. You have to make a point of checking. If the game has been opened, it's not new and you shouldn't have to pay full price for it.
Yea, I really don't like how they don't have shrink wrapped copies, and beyond that, put stickers on all their game cases. But beyond that, I've never really had a problem with their service.
For the DLC code, either ask them if they have extras (as you are entitled to one, and they can't deny you it). Or if they don't, just call the company and you should be able to get one pretty easily. Same thing happened with my BC2 limited edition code (but in that case they were honest and said they really didn't have any leftover).
" I bought the game "new" from Gamestop, or so I thought.... The code to download the dlc was absent from the package and it had clearly been used before. Now Gamestop is refusing to accept the trade-in because of the fact that I opened it. They totally screwed me out of my money, and I really loved the game a bunch, so if any Giantbomb user has an extra Alan Wake DLC code lying around, I would really appreciate a PM with the code! Thanks a bunch everyone and have a better holiday season than Gamestop apparently thinks I should have. "dont take shit from no one. id be heated as a motherfucker and id get them to give me a new game and some fucken extra shit for maken me mad. it happens all the time.
" @Burns098356GX said:This is how it is in Sweden as well. When i pickup a pre-order I always get a wrapped copy but as you say, other ones are just empty casesIndeed weird. Regional differences maybe. Well, they have a few games behind the counter - usually the new releases - that are still wrapped. But everything the customers themselves can grab in the store is just empty cases. Also the games that are advertised as new. And as for the prices: Around here all the Gamestops are usually 10€s more expensive when it comes to new games. The used-game price are an even bigger joke. "" @CptBedlam: Weird because I've bought about 6 games from them this year, all of them shrink wrapped, sealed, with all contents in the package. All at the same price I could have got them anywhere else. "
I love how everyone are bashing GameStop, ignoring the fact that:
A) We have no way to know that the OP is telling the truth (sorry OP, but asking for someone else's code is...weird).
B) The code didn't work for some at all, and you had to contact Microsoft to get a new one. Exactly what happened to me.
But I won't derail the thread with logic, please continue your good fight against evil videogame stores.
Yeah as a general rule, if you're buying a new game you never buy it at gamestop because fuck that place.
If it was a Used game in a new box then it would have already of been opened, so I don't get why they couldn't take it back for it being opened. I'm a pc gamer and I got screwed out of an entire game because the cd key was blank on the manual and they don't take pc games back opened. I had to call the company but the process was such a hassle to get resolved that it was just easier to "find another way of getting a cd key".
Other than that, Gamestop always helped me out. Hell, even my last experience was pretty damn good. I was looking for Golden Sun The Lost Age. The guy at my local Gamestop says the closest one that has the game is 50 miles away. He also told me that he can have them ship the game to their store. The dude was pretty helpful and got me what I wanted. So yeah, not all Gamestops are fucked up.
If my gamestop only sold open games, I wouldn't buy from there. But if I ever did, I would have the brains to open the box to make sure the disk was new and that the dlc card was there.
" @CptBedlam: The cases on display are solely for display purposes, they will then change it for a shrink wrapped version from behind the desk. Are you sure you just didn't buy a second hand version? "yeah. any new copy you get is shrink wrapped. only used copies are opened awaiting them to put a disc in.
i guess the moral of the story is not to go into gamestop while under the influence or otherwise in a daze.
" Actually I think that DLC code was only a limited time thing, to try to boost launch time sales. Perhaps you should have done research. Plus you can always tell if the game has been opened. Honestly how do you not notice the shrink wrap is missing? You've bought a used copy, its your fault. I've been buying games and consoles from GameStop for awhile now and never had any problem. I really think the biggest problem is that a big portion of their customer base is just plain dumb. "This...apart from one trade in issue, I have never had a issue with Gamestop. My cousin, however, keeps getting screwed by Gamestop on XB360 games, so I really don't know what to say.
I usually don't buy "new games" from Gamestop unless it is the day it is coming. It is hard for me to believe the game is new when you went into your lil drawer behind the counter and pulled the "new game" from a sleeve and place it into my games box. If these games are new what are they not doing in the games box with stickers around the edges and wrapped in plastic?
I leave this thread alone for a few hours and come back to see 45 replies. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in, so allow me to clarify my situation exactly.
1. This was a shrink-wrapped "new" copy of Alan Wake.
2. Upon opening the package once I got home it was quite clear that the game was used. (The disk was slightly scratched and the manual was crinkled.)
3. I know not to buy from Gamestop, I was just using up a giftcard that was about to expire.
4. I'm not just saying "OY GIMME FREE DLC!" I'm just asking that, if someone didn't like the game and has an extra card floating around, I've got my hand held high with some hope of actually playing the DLC, as I thoroughly enjoyed my run through of Alan Wake.
5. Though the suggestions of "nut-up and argue your way to victory" are fun, they aren't exactly likely as my attempts to talk with the managers have, thus-far, been less than fruitful.
Thanks again to everyone that replied, and I'll be sure to let everyone know how this fight against a massive conglomerate over a 3 cent piece of cardboard goes.
" @AlexW00d said:As stated by me and other in this thread: you're wrong. Gamestop opens new games and sells them as new." @CptBedlam: The cases on display are solely for display purposes, they will then change it for a shrink wrapped version from behind the desk. Are you sure you just didn't buy a second hand version? "yeah. any new copy you get is shrink wrapped. only used copies are opened awaiting them to put a disc in. i guess the moral of the story is not to go into gamestop while under the influence or otherwise in a daze. "
I could see them removing the disc from the case for USED copies, so they don't have to keep 50 of the same old game on the shelf. Im still under the impression that the OP bought something used by mistake.
" 1. This was a shrink-wrapped "new" copy of Alan Wake. 2. Upon opening the package once I got home it was quite clear that the game was used. (The disk was slightly scratched and the manual was crinkled.)Im confused. How is it that the game had the wrapping on it, but when you opened it, it was scratched and manual crinkled?
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