Gamestop potentially selling used games as new

I find it funny how there are all these Gamestop horror stories going around in the states. We have EB Games here in Canada (which is owned by gamestop). I've never had any issues with them when I have bought stuff there.

"Oh no, my disk was put in someone else's console. I can't use it now!Who cares? We're not talking about virgins here, shit. Get a grip. "

I had them sell me a copy of Oblivion GOTY edition new yet it was actually "used". Well they claimed it was new, but when there's no shrink wrap and they have to get the disc out of the drawer, and you can tell that the instruction manual has been looked through and removed from the case, you know its used.

If I ever buy anything from gamestop, its only New if its a new release as most of the time there they still give it to you shrink wrapped. Or I may pick up something used but that's not often a good deal.

I would never pay full price for a "gutted" or display copy. I would ask for a sealed or walk out, I also always pre-order from gamestop and when I buy games that are older releases I buy em on eBay, Half, Amazon or NewEgg typically. Also they opened my copy of Mirror's Edge when I returned it, how do they expect someone to redo a factory y-seal? seriously you had my CC number and asked for my ID...retarded.

Really wish there were a lot more local game stores rather than that nazi chain store...

Well technically nothing Gamestop sells is new since the discs are always removed from the packaging. This is the reason I don't buy anything that's not shrink-wrapped. I would be surprised if this WASN'T happening.

"Well technically nothing Gamestop sells is new since the discs are always removed from the packaging. This is the reason I don't buy anything that's not shrink-wrapped. I would be surprised if this WASN'T happening."

I'm gotta settle this...

I work at Gamestop, and yes, they totally do this. Don't ever buy "gutted" games. We HAVE to do that, and it's stupid. I don't understand why the company can't just send us fake boxes.

I'll never forget opening my copy of Burnout Paradise, brand new, only for there to be 3 HUGE thumb prints on the manual, and the disk upside down in the case.

When I bought King Kong from them when getting my 360 I bought it for $60 and it was loosely shrink-wrapped in obviously not the official wrapper. It was really ironic because I was at the store where they had a choice of used or new and I bought the new one and the guy was like "OK but you're pretty much paying $20 extra for the shrink-wrap." Later I called him and was like "I didn't even get the shrink-wrap I paid for!"

'Tis true. I do rent new games, and then put it back into the new bin.

well, not to sound offensive, but clearly the solution is to stop buying stuff from gamestop. i did that long ago and will continue to do so. at best buy or HMV it's always a new copy (no shades of gray), always in stock, and no bullshit.

As a general rule of thumb at my store we go by the policy of if an employee borrows a new game it had better come back spotless to the store. Otherwise they are going to have to buy it. Many of the issues being brought up have more to do with the actions of select employees and not the company as a whole. It isn't like the executives at Gamestop corporate are mandating that this kind of thing go on to intentionally screw over customers.

While I can understand where many of you are coming from with the gutting issue I think you're taking it a bit far. Just because the game has been removed from the case for anti-theft purposes does not make it somehow not new anymore. If the company put out full cases the number of them walking off under their own power would be tremendous. However this does lead to the wrong game, or no gaming, being placed in the box from time to time. It's just confusion in the course of business and not a conscious action made by the employee. At least I hope it wouldn't be. This is why it's best to check the box as soon as possible to ensure you got the right thing.

I have to agree though on the stickering issue. I hate that we have to put stickers on the actual covers of games and try to avoid it by putting the sticker in with its back still attached. I'm a video game perfectionist and those things drive me insane.

Oddly, that's never happened to me before, I guess I'm lucky!

Happened to me when I bought Viva Pinata. I wish they'd stop doing that.

"CenturionCajun said:

 I hate that we have to put stickers on the actual covers of games and try to avoid it by putting the sticker in with its back still attached. I'm a video game perfectionist and those things drive me insane."

Hmm... I'm confused on why your store have to. The easiest thing to do is to just slide the sticker with the waxy-paper and all straight into the game case.

That's corporate policy anyways

"

When I bought Final Fantasy III for the ds, the dude went in back, got a cartridge and put it in a display case I was looking at earlier which was cracked. Said the game was shipped to them without casing... and was gonna charge me for new for 40$. I decided to go to the target in the same mall nearby and managed to find it at a point where they had shaved 5 dollars off the price. Fuck them.

He should have given you a 10% shop worn discount for that. He was wrong.

I've had issues with GameStop in the past when it came to opened "New" games.  It's complete bullshit, whether you care if the plastic was taken off or not.  They should not be allowed to sell games as new after being opened, let alone rent the games out to employees and then have the balls to sell them as new.  I hope they get into some serious legal shit soon that prevents them from doing this down the line.

So, how do you propose they advertise what games they have in stock? Putting out cases with the games in them is just asking to have unacceptable losses due to theft. In a perfect world I all stores would have the game behind glass but that isn't quite practical either because you would have to constantly be opening them. At Christmas it would be murder.

As long as the case still has the plastic wrap around it and those ridiculously hard to remove stickers, I'm happy.

Gamestop did that crap to me a couple months ago.  I was looking for C&C Kanes Wraith on 360 and the only place I found a copy was a Gamestop and as I went to check out, the employee opened the case and took a disc from their cabinet and put it in.  I asked for a sealed copy and she said all they had was "opened but unused" copies of that game thats why they were selling it as new.  I bought it because I really wanted it but was very vocal that selling people "new" games that were not sealed was a bunch of Shi* and I hoped one day they get sued.

Funny thing is, I live near dallas were the district attorney is filing charges.

"they always give me that "sorry this is the last copy" bullshit and hand me an opened box with a disk that has atleast one scratch on it. how can they charge that as a new game?"

That's why I hate buying games at Gamestop. They always try to push open crap as new.