Gamestop ridiculous "Refurbish Service" fees?

R

Rocospi

CAGiversary!
I recently traded in Battlefield BC 2 at Gamestop, and I got about $15 for it.
But then I see that $5 is being taken off the trade-in credit, and next to it said "Refurb Serv"
As if their trade-in prices weren't low enough, now they're going to charge me for some bullshit "refurbish service" fee? What, it takes $5 more for the guy at the counter to scan the game in?

What the hell is this shit? That's like 33% of my trade in amount, and I thought California taxes were high, GODDAMN.

I know this has been around only recently, but I'm not sure if it's a flat rate $5 for every trade in.

Has anyone else experienced this yet?

Jeez...I'll never trade in games there anymore.:cry:
 
Its been around for a long time, best thing is ask if they are applying any then take your business and trade ins to another location if they are. Lots of GS do this as a cash grab as its pure profit for the location doing it.
 
It is 100% the discretion of the employee you get. I've traded in games that were in their generic gamestop b.s. cases and had the employee try to hit me with a refurb because I didn't have the case. I promptly explained thats the crappy case they pass off as being good enough so he better take it back off.
 
[quote name='Stoic Person Eater']Is it really time for another "bitch about Gamestop thread"?[/QUOTE]

It's already been 2 days since the last one.

Don't you think it's time for another?
 
[quote name='Stoic Person Eater']Is it really time for another "bitch about Gamestop thread"?[/QUOTE]

Hey, it's whine o'clock somewhere...

Although I will admit that $5 is a real steep refurb fee, I don't like that they base it on percentage.
 
[quote name='Stoic Person Eater']Is it really time for another "bitch about Gamestop thread"?[/QUOTE]

Are you saying there is a time when it isn't time to bitch about GS?
 
[quote name='mrright4you4now']It is 100% the discretion of the employee you get. I've traded in games that were in their generic gamestop b.s. cases and had the employee try to hit me with a refurb because I didn't have the case. I promptly explained thats the crappy case they pass off as being good enough so he better take it back off.[/QUOTE]
Wow. I recently traded in Street Fighter 4 that a friend gave me that was disc only. I got $4 and no fee thankfully.
 
Dispute it? If the disc works in its current state and plays from first boot, I make an argument about it. Hell, I've even had them ask the other employee what they think (If one is currently in) and gotten them taken off that way. When you trade in games, but alert and look at that little pad with all the info on it. Don't expect them to give you the best for it, because thats not their business.
 
I would assume the fee, might just be based off the need for the "VIP" Code. I could just be over thinking it, but since the VIP code costs as much as you got... its not unreasonable to think of either...
 
Well here I go defending gamestop. NOT!

What bothered me the most the last time they tried it, wasn't that they added it, but they simply added it, and were not going to make me aware of it. I called her on it, and she explained it (only after I brought it up).

The worse part about this whole 'refurb fee' is that they're taking the money out of your pocket, and then turning around and putting that exact game back on the shelf without even looking at it again. So, they're supposed to resurface the disk or replace the missing manual or whatever else, they're supposed to use this fee to accomplish. However, their price back to you will be the same with and without the BS fee.

That's okay though, I took my 'disc drive works properly for 30 minutes before disc error is generated x360' back to same said store. Thanks to their 5 minute testing approach I got full credit (as little as it may be).
 
Here is my take....

I work for Gamestop and have taken in a LOT of trades where it honestly looks like someone scraped the CD around on the floor. We take those, but we send them off to get fixed and they end up on our website for sales. This isn't free. This is 1) shipping and 2) processing.

The only way this is not your fault is if either the employee taking them in didn't tell you they were charging you, or the disk wasn't that scratched and you got mischarged. I'm going to believe one of these was the case for you. Now it's your job to confront them on it.

Should you have to do this? No, but this can happen at any type of store you go to. Some people just don't appreciate having a job in a down economy.

Lastly, everyone should ALWAYS check your receipt when leaving a store. ALWAYS.
 
[quote name='dragonjud']That's okay though, I took my 'disc drive works properly for 30 minutes before disc error is generated x360' back to same said store. Thanks to their 5 minute testing approach I got full credit (as little as it may be).[/QUOTE]

Congratulations, you are part of the reason why people hate Gamestop. I don't see how you are sticking it to them as much as you are sticking it to the next poor kid that buys a system. This behavior is also why you get crappy trade in prices when corporate tries to make up for it by raising prices or dropping trade in costs.
 
[quote name='WormFOODx']Congratulations, you are part of the reason why people hate Gamestop. I don't see how you are sticking it to them as much as you are sticking it to the next poor kid that buys a system. This behavior is also why you get crappy trade in prices when corporate tries to make up for it by raising prices or dropping trade in costs.[/QUOTE]

Uhhmm, no.

People hate gamestop because:
1) The refurbish fee you charged me will NOT be used to fix the disc as you said. Instead, the guy in the next shift will just 'sigh, and bitch about all the games he has to check in', and put the disc back on the shelf in its original condition.
2) Due to their proliferation there're now close to zero local game stores, and hence there's no competition. No competition, means we just have to walk into YOUR stores.
3) I must listen to all the annoying upselling each and everytime I make a transaction. Including all the lies about how if I don't pre-order 'insert name here', my life will end as I will not be able to find it. :roll:
4) Employee cut-throat culture (varies by store). Pennied merchandise is supposed to go back to the 'publisher/manufacturer,etc.' based on certain protocol. Instead, employees are allowed to make their own prices and sell at a 'discount' to the consumer whenever beneficial to the store. For example, a penny guide is put back on the shelf, and whoever is in the store is allowed to do a price adjustment to whatever they'd like (say $17.50). So, to a regular consumer that looks like they just saved '$2.00' on a transaction. The reality is that the employee just made a ton of money to improve the store's numbers.

meh, I really don't care. As consumers we have some choices. I choose gamestop whenever it's to my advantage, and will continue to ignore it otherwise. It is what it is.
 
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[quote name='dragonjud']Uhhmm, no.

People hate gamestop because:
1) The refurbish fee you charged me will NOT be used to fix the disc as you said. Instead, the guy in the next shift will just 'sigh, and bitch about all the games he has to check in', and put the disc back on the shelf in its original condition.[/QUOTE]
This isn't policy, it's a bad employee. Stores SHOULD be sending them back to corporate. This can actually get a manager fired.

[quote name='dragonjud']2) Due to their proliferation there're now close to zero local game stores, and hence there's no competition. No competition, means we just have to walk into YOUR stores.[/QUOTE]
Toys R Us, Play n' Trade, and Hastings just to name a few. Walmart has tried it some and Best Buy too. Things are looking up for competition.

[quote name='dragonjud']3) I must listen to all the annoying upselling each and everytime I make a transaction. Including all the lies about how if I don't pre-order 'insert name here', my life will end as I will not be able to find it. :roll:[/QUOTE]
Yup, you sure do. They are in a sales position. This is how business works. They get more hours based on sales, preorders, and edge card memeberships among other things. Gamestop isn't a grocery store, it's electronic sales. Even a Best Buy cashier will try to sell you a $1 warranty on a game.

[quote name='dragonjud']4) Employee cut-throat culture (varies by store). Pennied merchandise is supposed to go back to the 'publisher/manufacturer,etc.' based on certain protocol. Instead, employees are allowed to make their own prices and sell at a 'discount' to the consumer whenever beneficial to the store. For example, a penny guide is put back on the shelf, and whoever is in the store is allowed to do a price adjustment to whatever they'd like (say $17.50). So, to a regular consumer that looks like they just saved '$2.00' on a transaction. The reality is that the employee just made a ton of money to improve the store's numbers.[/QUOTE]
This is so against corporate I don't even know where to begin. In actuality these guides and pennied items are supposed to have the cover ripped off, zeroed out in the system, and thrown in the dumpster in the back. Make sure to mention that when the manager breaks the rules and tries to sell it to you for $2. Best Buy has also been cracking down on this as well.

[quote name='dragonjud']meh, I really don't care. As consumers we have some choices.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='dragonjud']2) Due to their proliferation there're now close to zero local game stores, and hence there's no competition. No competition, means we just have to walk into YOUR stores.[/QUOTE]
You DO have a choice.

Anyway, please let me know how you still want to justify selling a broken system to the store so some kid can buy it without a warranty and find the issue outside of the month return policy.
 
[quote name='dragonjud']
4) Employee cut-throat culture (varies by store). Pennied merchandise is supposed to go back to the 'publisher/manufacturer,etc.' based on certain protocol. Instead, employees are allowed to make their own prices and sell at a 'discount' to the consumer whenever beneficial to the store. For example, a penny guide is put back on the shelf, and whoever is in the store is allowed to do a price adjustment to whatever they'd like (say $17.50). So, to a regular consumer that looks like they just saved '$2.00' on a transaction. The reality is that the employee just made a ton of money to improve the store's numbers.
[/QUOTE]

this one made me laugh... since I can think of 2 good examples XD

1) I went to best buy to try to get a cheap copy of blazblue, and dispite them not "allowed" to sell me it, they offered me it for +5 of what the retail was (I reported him too)
2) When I was buying Biohazard 5 from target for 5... I saw they had the guide too with nothing "in the system" and the guy told me he wanted more for the guide than the game... then got attitude when I asked him why the game was 5 and he wanted 20 (original retail) on the guide...

sigh~ I hate these people so much ~_~
 
[quote name='admiralvic']this one made me laugh... since I can think of 2 good examples XD

1) I went to best buy to try to get a cheap copy of blazblue, and dispite them not "allowed" to sell me it, they offered me it for +5 of what the retail was (I reported him too)
2) When I was buying Biohazard 5 from target for 5... I saw they had the guide too with nothing "in the system" and the guy told me he wanted more for the guide than the game... then got attitude when I asked him why the game was 5 and he wanted 20 (original retail) on the guide...

sigh~ I hate these people so much ~_~[/QUOTE]

And see, I hate these people too. I had a guide in hand at Best Buy, and when I asked for the price they ripped the cover off and said "not for sale." The reason why corporate doesn't want people to get cheap or free guides is because then they will know not to buy them at full price, which well, we don't. Like I said above, report crappy employees, and if they are managers report them to the district.
 
I believe we had one of these discussions before. It's not the refurb fee that pisses me off. It is the fact that they don't tell you anything about it unless you ask. The usual GS shadiness.
 
[quote name='dinobot']I believe we had one of these discussions before. It's not the refurb fee that pisses me off. It is the fact that they don't tell you anything about it unless you ask. The usual GS shadiness.[/QUOTE]

That's my problem with one guy at my local GS. First time it caught me by surprise as I was leaving and looking at my receipt. Said no give me my game back, what is the point of trading these in if I don't trigger a trade-in promotion anymore? Then he proceeded to make faces because he had to return my game to me. Now I just stare at the screen during the trade-in process.

Guy has some ridiculously high standards for trade-ins; all three games he's tried to slap a refurb fee on looked better than many of the games I've purchased from that exact store and traded in without a hitch with another manager.
 
[quote name='nekromantix']That's my problem with one guy at my local GS. First time it caught me by surprise as I was leaving and looking at my receipt. Said no give me my game back, what is the point of trading these in if I don't trigger a trade-in promotion anymore? Then he proceeded to make faces because he had to return my game to me. Now I just stare at the screen during the trade-in process.

Guy has some ridiculously high standards for trade-ins; all three games he's tried to slap a refurb fee on looked better than many of the games I've purchased from that exact store and traded in without a hitch with another manager.[/QUOTE]

I can't stress enough to look at the receipt, no matter where you go. Don't even leave Taco Bell without it.
 
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