I recently went with my buddy to the local GameStop so he could trade in some old systems, a PS2 and an original Xbox, along with some classic games. As we walked in to the GameStop, we told the workers we were bringing in some classics and when they saw the two old systems and games like Madden ’06 and Grand Theft Auto III, they all smiled. As we reminisced looking at the classic titles, we all laughed and the workers rang us up and gave my buddy a grand total of $75 for two systems and about 20 games, which was about expected, so my buddy took his new found cash and asked for a PS3 controller.
Here is where my story took an interesting turn. When my buddy asked for a PS3 controller, the clerk said “no problem” and moved toward the controllers section. He first showed us the Logitech version of a PS3 controller to which I responded, “I thought we were friends?” The clerk laughed and looked at me and then pulled down an official PS3 controller. He then told me that he felt bad even offering the Logitech controller, which he admitted was cheaper in quality and would probably not last as long. I knew that already, but what he said next was interesting. “I know it’s shady, but corporate makes me push the cheaper knockoffs because they make more money off of them.” Pretty messed up since if I wasn’t with my friend, he may have been lead to buy an inferior controller just to save a few bucks and then regretted it in the long run. How many parents fall into this trap on a daily basis just so that GameStop can make more cash? Sad that the employees are forced to do this as well.
What do you think?
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Write a Comment»Its all about margins my friend.
Sell a Sony Ps3 controller for £35 make £15 profit.
Sell a Logitec controller for £30 make £20 profit.
Any good business will drive their employees to sell higher margin products.
“I recently went with my buddy to the local GameStop….”
See, this was your first mistake.
Gamestop, like any other business, does what they can to make profit. Many of their corporate policies are pretty lame, though, and their profit from used games hurts the game industry.
That said, PS2 and Xbox games “classic”? Makes me feel old; “classic” makes me think “NES”
NES… I can go back to the comodo 64, the old tapes sounding like a fax machine while loading.
Back to the subject tho…
Not the worst story I’ve ever heard coming out of Gamestop. I think it’s worth complaining more about the trade in values and used game prices instead of this if you ask me… Gamestop is a business trying to make money. Greed is the name, green is the game.
What do I think? I think you’re a bunch of idiots to trade in a PS2 and an original Xbox with 20 games for $75. You could have easily earned $100 in real money selling your collection on Craigslist or in the want ads.
Complaining that the game store clerk pushed an inferior quality controller on you when you were silly enough to sell your valued collection to a vulture like Gamestop for a pittance is being penny wise and pound foolish.
Isn’t the PS3 controller also a logitech? And logitech quality is very good, it may not have the same functions, but it doesn’t lack quality.
I used to be a manager at GameStop and no one at corporate has ever told me to sell a cheaper product nor did I ever tell one of my employees. So, either that store manager sucks, or the have a completely different policy.
@ Doc
yep your right that was there first mistake i steer away from Electronic Bullshit and Gamestupid….. its called Ebay or cregslist they donttry to fuck you on your equipment you couldve sold all the stuff for 150 on ebay or craigs…….. then after theyve just fed u over on ur stuff they try and give you a shitty controller YEP! hahahahah
As a former emp. of this company, GS rips off people and hires incompetent managers like Jessica Balmforth of Southbay Plaza Gamestop. If your wondering why nobody says anything to the District manager, thats because they are buddies and the DM will take the side of her over you.
I was in a gamestop (which I hate doing because of how much they mark prices up) looking for an original xbox game. It took all of about 2 minutes to realize they didn’t have it, but during that time I was listening to a customer up at the counter with an employee. Both were female and both around age 25.
What bothered me and kept me looking around so i could hear the rest was the employee asking if the customer wanted to buy a warranty for (whatever product it was). The customer said no, and maybe if her boyfriend wanted but he wasn’t here, so he can come get it if he wants it next time. The employee said (taken out of context) that the warranty cannot be gotten after the product is rung up (makes sense). The customer said no but the employee said “well let’s see how much it cost” so she proceeded to check on the computer by ringing the item up and asking all the information such as phone number, address, etc etc for warranty information (all the customer really needed was just a price, not ofr all the information to be taken). By the end of it the customer left with the product and a warranty, but the tactics used to get the warranty were sickening in my opinion (and I’m usually a pretty easy going guy) and made me leave immediately. If it were me at the counter I would have put the item back and said “You just lost a sale because of your tactics”
Gamestop was pretty shameless in promoting the third party controller, as well as trying to push me to reserve MLB 09 the Show and get an Edge card, one of the clerks must have asked my friend at least 4 times if he wanted one, until I pulled mine out, not to mention Game Informer as well.
@ kal-el - I agree that companies want to sell at higher margins but there is also some ethics that should be shown if you know that a product is just inferior to another. yes money makes the money go round but sleeping at night is also important, unless you sleep on a bed of money I guess. lol
it all makes sense now. i recall hearing an employee offering someone something logitech as i was walking out of the store. i laughed to myself and thought it was weird. good to know it is was just someone trying to squeeze a little more into an already obscene profit made.
I was looking for a used wired controller as they are only $20. Instead, the guy told me to buy a wireless controller used for $40 instead. He gave me 3 reasons.
1. Wired controllers have wires (you think I didn’t know that)
2. He apparently was a professional gamer and wireless controllers are just as good (I really didn’t care about that).
3. You can just plug it in with the play and charge kit to make it wired (holy hell…)
Anyways the main reasons I like the wired controllers is that they are lighter, less expensive and don’t heat up (my palms sweat).
Never been back to that gamestop since. The only I usually go to is real cool since I “know” the guys there so I’m not pressured into buying anything. I really do hate gamestop though.
just so you know i work at a gamestop and we are not required to push “off” brands on anyone. oh and number one logitech is a really good third party company…very good and number two im a first party kinda person myself so i tell people to buy first party just cause i think its better….however if i had to go with third party id choose logitech over anything.
GS needs to be stopped!
@ Author: Good of you to tell your friend not to buy the shoddy controller.
It’s too bad that EB Games/Gamestop does not give you the “real” amount we all deserve when we trade in any of our stuff.
I was also a Gamestop Store Manager ready “don’t go back” Gamestop makes money on used sales 100 percent profit and also on crappy madkatz cont it’s a dirty company threats there employees like crap and empolyees are pushed to sell reserves so Gamestop can eat those 5 dollars and invest it and make 10…. That’s why I left this horrible company I’ll go to 7 eleven man LOL
Actually thats a complete lie. Corporate in no way says what we have to sell to you. Its a personal choice weather you want to show them the 3rd party crap, or the 1st party quality items. the only person who tells you what to sell is the manger in the store and some dont care. So what the employee told you is a lie Gamestop doesnt force or make us sell those 3rd party ones. the only thing they tell us is to push for the used. but they dont force anyone to actually sell them.
@ crbonkid.
Isn’t the PS3 controller also a logitech? And logitech quality is very good, it may not have the same functions, but it doesn’t lack quality.
O really? you sir are a fucking moron.
No, the PS3 controller isn’t made by Logitech. Logitech does make high quality goods, though. Maybe you were thinking of Mad Catz’ quality levels while typing “Logitech.”
Andrew is completely correct. I’m going on two years with the company and I’ve never heard that load of BS. I honestly feel bad whenever I read stories like this because it makes every store in our company look bad.
I had a friend that used to get burn on Resistance Fall of Man because his logitech controller didn’t have sixaxis LOL
I work at Gamestop and I can tell you, even as an Assistant Manager I NEVER push the cheaper brands…In fact I talk people out of buying anything BUT 1st party. Corporate may WANT us to do it, but the reality is I treat the customers the way I want to be treated.
Profit is the number one priority of every retail store. I work for a liquor store, and my boss tells me to sell HIS liquors, even though the customers can also get the state’s one for similar price, all so he can make more money from the sale instead of getting a small commission from state liquor.
I went to trade in my old PS2 games and some of them were badly scratched so they charged me to refurbish it. The fucked up thing about it was that I was charged more than what I got out of the value of the game.
The clerk just scanned the game/punch in the game number or whatever, and didn’t tell me she was refurbishing it or anything and I didn’t notice until I had looked at the receipt. I didn’t bother since it was just this one time but it was messed up.
Basically, my game was like .50 and the service of refurbishing it was 2.00 so I pretty much payed them to take my game…
I also had replacement cases for the games they just didn’t have a cover on the case, so they threw away my cases and still charged me for a missing case, how retarded is that? I rarely shop at GameStop unless I go out and buy a new release or they happen have a sale that’s fair for once.
But there are some good Game Stop stores around as long as you know the employees/manager, I guess.
I think yr friend is a bitch!!
I am an assistant manager at gamestop right now and I will tell you this story sounds made up or that he is changing the details. You always want to sell the more expensive product because it helps the store more and the customer more time than not will be happy.NO employee is going to tell you they feel bad for offering the cheaper knock off. If it is just as good then why not. Logitech is a good brand. the controller made by sony is better but the logitech one is by far not a cheap knockoff. Also everyone is right corporate does not force us to sell anything over another primarily because they could face lawsuits from the companys that pay to have their product in our stores. We cant show loyalty to any product we must remain impartial. This sounds like a made up fabricated story that if i heard it from the horses mouth at gamestop probably would have a different version.
At EHT,
You claim that you were charged 2 dollars when you traded in a 50 cent game. As an employee at GameStop, I can tell you that when there is a low value game and you tell the computer to mark it as defective, it will say “this item is not eligible for refurbishment.” So, there must have been something fishy(other than the typical Gamestop bullshit) with the cashier.
I used to work for gamestop, thats exactly what they do. do yourselves a favor and stop going to this store. They treat customers like shit, and sure as hell treat their own employees like shit. Which is why I no longer work for that backwards ass company.
@ all the bitching employees.
Seriously, what company did you guys work for? I have not seen a single negative issue on this whole thread that rings true. I have never been told, pushed, or hinted to sell anything other than res and subs. I’ve been with the company for 3 years, you’d think I would have noticed this by now. Everyone needs to realize that every store is going to be run differently, you can’t hold the whole company accountable for the actions of a few assholes. GameStop is no different than any other company on the planet. Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, Electronic Arts, everyone. People just get extra pissed at Gamestop because you actually see this process with trade in value. Buy low, sell high, or don’t make any money.
First off…why the HELL would anyone take CASH to turn around and make a purchase in that very store. At the bare minimum, getting CREDIT to pay for your items would have gotten you an additional 20% CREDIT, probably netting your friend something more around 100.00 ( /-). Then of course there’s the half dozen promotion these stores have going on at any given time, which would likely increase your CREDIT prices by another 5-10%.
I frequent the store enough to know the only reason to get cash is if your car is running on fumes. If you NEED the cash, fine…but if you’re using it to get more goods…seriously, why not extend your value?
Secondly, it seems more a case of perceived value on a consumer level. While the GameStop associate seems to have the general gist of the situation down (in concerns to corporate suggestion on markup for after market accessories), what is the extended value to the consumer? THIS is the job of a good employee to determine. If a thrifty mom is coming into a store to buy her tween son a new controller, well…maybe the extra money for a 1st Party Accessory really isn’t the smartest decision for that consumer. Granted I only buy First Party, but if I had a kid who would likely abuse said controller, you better believe the value of an after market periph would be looking quite nice. No harm in a suggestion…not like he’s putting a gun to every consumers head that walks in the store.
It’s impossible to charge more for refurbishment than the cost of game. The computer won’t allow it. If anything, you probably got $2 for the game and charged $.50 for the refurb.
umm thats not true. i have worked there for 4 years and as much as i disagree with alot of their practices this is far from true. We have never been told to push gamestop brand/logitech brand or anything. The only thing we push is used games
they push crap like this in order to get rid of it. Just like how i needed to push PS3 Intercoolers (seriously an intercooler for a ps3)
Worst company to work for.
Worst store to shop at.
Avoid Gamestop like you would avoid the plague.
i jut want to say LOL at the ethics claim are you forgetting that this is business not friendship.
the ethics to business are that there are no ethics. ex. microsoft and the rrod. most if not all business’s are more out to worry about the green dollar than a smile on your face.
remember that
Obviously the auther has minimum business experience. Most retailers will push higher profit products-case closed.
I think its business. Businesses exist to make money.
If they don’t make money, they go Circuit City and fail.
Holy Christ- you mean Gamestop is in the business of making a profit instead of a charity as we’ve all believed!? Black is white, up is down!
Seriously, get a life. This isn’t even just common business, it’s common sense.
If you have good patience then Ebay will make you more profit. Gamestop kind of rip off in someway.
I am in no way saying gamestop is perfect because there corporate offices suck! But if so many people refuse to shop at gamestop then they wouldnt of been the only store to post profit earnings this after christmas! There are gamestop stores that take care of there customers and are honest about everything.
As for the store telling a customer that gamestop makes them sell the cheaper products is the most stupid thing i have ever heard and Gamestop could be suid if it was true. Besides, Gamestop doesnt make its money from cheaper companies. They make money and gain the support from the big dogs like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. If you really want to know, Gamestop doesnt make much money at all from new products. They make all there money off used products. So if anything, they would recommend used before new if they were trying to make the extra money.
Point is, after seeing that they were the Only big name retailer in the USA that posted profit from Christmas, I highly doubt they need to push things to make money, they already are. Sounds to me like another pissed off former employee/customer story. The only thing that is true about any of that is Gamestop corporate offices are dumb asses lol.
I used to work for GAME (uk) and I too was told by management to push the un-official accessories (Gameware) as the markup on them was better, but they were so awful. We never got any sort of commision or anything for managing to sell the peices of crap to the customer, but the manager used to read out who was doing well and who wasn’t doing so well at selling them. I didn’t work there too long….
That cheapo controller is for guests, lol.