Employees Claim EB Canada is Dropping Preowned Sections

thespyisdead

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my insight on the matter: remove preowned, and console piracy skyrockets... probably to the point, that people that do buy new games now and then will also stop buying any form of games, because they already have a modded console, and they do not have to go through GameStop customer service hell
 

Baresark

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Meh, I have read some of the comments. And I have this to say about them: Please don't defend this as capitalism. Also, please don't assume that this hurts customers. Also, just stop assuming a "leaked" memo is actual fact. Lastly, stop acting like you always spend more money on products than than the lowest market value for them (it's fine if you do, but it's stupid to assume other people are as financially inept as yourself). Also, stop defending game companies game companies for putting out expensive products and condemning other companies for offering you the same product for less.
 

Spud of Doom

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StBishop said:
DVS BSTrD said:
You mean now Aunt Petunia will actually have to learn to READ the stickers!?!
THOSE FIENDS!
Why would she read the price label. She may be unaware they even stock pre-owned.

I had someone try to buy a game from me today which had the yellow sticker and all and wasn't even aware it was pre-owned until I showed her the disk to check she was happy with the condition. She then figured out they were pre-owned got annoyed, flustered, (perhaps embarrassed/outraged as she went a little pink in the face)and left the store.

If you never/rarely buy games it's safe to assume you're unaware of pre-owned.
This is the biggest problem I have with it. It's not just favourable placement of used copies, but it's highly misleading to customers.
 

VanityGirl

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Apr 29, 2009
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That's retarded. We'd never do that in our store. There's a clear line between new and preowned and I'd be piss if I found out a retailer was hiding the new stuff behind the preowned.
I'd kill a man.
 

Gizen

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As an EBGames employee, I felt I would just offer a few more details in regards to the upcoming changes to their stores, as well as further corroborate what others have already said.

Indeed, EBGames are going to be merging their new and used sections together, and will also be merging all games from different consoles. Whereas currently stores are divided into seperate sections for PS3/Xbox 360/Wii, etc., they will instead be divided into Action/RPG/Sports/Family, which is a rather redundant method of organization since virtually any game can be classified as Action or RPG these days. Furthermore, puzzle games will be included in the 'Family' section, so good, wholesome games like Catherine will be confined to there where uninformed parents can purchase them for their kids.

The reason why the used signage is being removed has nothing to do with the continued changeover from EBGames to Gamestop brand, but rather, it's because we've been informed to no longer refer to the games as 'used'. Instead, we are to refer to them as 'recycled'. The reason given was because the term recycled implies that we've tested and repaired the games if they don't work (we don't actually do this, but they want it to look like we do).

The only change mentioned in the article that I haven't heard of happening is burying the new games at the bottom/behind the used games, however, I haven't been given full 100% details of the changes being done, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's part of the plan, as they specified that the reason why all these changes are being made is to encourage more used sales, since lately used sales have been lagging behind new sales considerably due to all the new releases this holiday season.

Considering that many of these changes promote confusion and make it harder to differentiate between new and used and harder to locate new games, that many EB employees have seen first hand that customers already have difficulty differentiating between a new and a used product, and that the stated goal is to encourage more used game sales, the commonly accepted view among employees is that these changes are being performed intentionally in order to mislead customers. Especially considering there will never be more than one new copy of the game visible on the shelves or walls, whereas there can be dozens of the same game used visible, those who don't look closely at the sticker for the word new or used (they're written in smallish print so many people don't notice), most people are expected to mistake the new copy of a game for one that simply has a wrong price tag and to grab the used copy thinking they're all the same.

Lastly, about the change to the price stickers themselves, I've heard mixed reports from both my manager and the assistant manager. One said that the changes so that all new and used games have the same standard stickers will be occurring for sure, while the other one said that they're still merely considering it and haven't decided on that for sure. All the merging of new and used games will be occurring within a week or two, but the changes to the price stickers won't occur until the new year, after they've had time to think about it (i.e. after they've had time to make sure they won't be ruined by the negative publicity first).
 

Shoggoth2588

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Oh boy! I see this as being a test market sort of thing but no matter how bad it turns out I wouldn't be surprised if this takes in every EB and Gamestop. This should make finding new games at Gamestop an even bigger pain in the ass though.
 

Gizen

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Shoggoth2588 said:
Oh boy! I see this as being a test market sort of thing but no matter how bad it turns out I wouldn't be surprised if this takes in every EB and Gamestop. This should make finding new games at Gamestop an even bigger pain in the ass though.
Actually, it was already a test market thing. We have specific flagship stores that they test things like this out in, and they've been like this for a while from what I hear. They're now rolling it out in all stores nation wide.
 

Shuichi_boy

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If true, it's a shame for people who live in small cities and towns where EB is one of their few choices for game shopping.

In Toronto, you'd have to be just plain stupid to shop for games there. There are so many independent game shops here with better prices, selection, and service. I'm frankly surprised that EB is able to do business in this city at all.
 

Don't taze me bro

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I worked at EB in Australia for 5 years, including a year as Store Manager. I have not been impressed with the slight of hand tactics used by the company during my time there.
These are just some things I took issue with:

*Increasing the price of an item just before a sale.
This is illegal by the way. Lets say for example that a game is selling for $29.95. Just before a sale, you get the price change information that you are to re-sticker it for $69.95 and then put a 50% off sticker and put it on the sale table. So that $29 game, is now on sale for $5 more during the sale, than what it was before. This happened 'every single sale'.

*Selling things for more than RRP.
There are a handful of things that EB Australia were selling for more than the RRP. One of these was Strategy guides. It was almost face palm inducing to sticker a strategy guide on the front with a $34.95 sticker, only to have the book clearly have labeled on the back AU RRP $29.95. And yes, customers ALWAYS asked about it.
Another item were Wow pre-paid cards. Everyone else was selling them for $29. We were selling them for $34. Why? Our head office told us that the publisher increased the price. Our reps from the publisher told us that was bullshit. Given how everyone else had them for $29, I'm inclined to agree with the publisher.

*Not paying staff overtime.
As a Store Manager, I clashed with my Area manager over this. We were told to never pay staff overtime. Here's the deal. I employed Pete. Pete was rostered on to 5:30. Because the store was so busy, we don't even get to close the doors to the store until 5.30. So do I let Pete go? Nope. His 'job' is to presentate the shelves and vacuum the floor. He doesn't get to go home until his job is done, whether that takes him 15, or 20 minutes. To get around this, I ended up paying my casual staff from 2.30 - 5.30, but told them not to start until 3pm and they would finish at 6pm.
When a particular EB store took action against their store for unpaid overtime, their casual staff were all consequently dismissed shortly afterwards.
 

AstylahAthrys

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Goodness gracious, that sounds like a pain for employees and customers alike. Employees have to completely re-arrange a store during holiday season and the customers are going to be confused. I hope this doesn't happen at my Gamestop eventually.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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sounds like aggressive marketing, trying to get rid of used/older copies. shops do it all the time for all products. and it would be fine, if it weren't for the complete abominations who decided that second hand game should be limited.
 

snave

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They were doing this in Australia shortly after they opened some years back. Y'know, in the N64 cartridge era. Once I found myself having to return a repackaged secondhand copy of a game with unerasable savegame progress. They claimed it was indistinguishable from new so company policy was to sell it as new. I've avoided patronising the chain where possible since.
 

Ziadaine_v1legacy

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Apr 11, 2009
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Sounds like EB Games alright. I refused to buy from them after repeated fuck-ups on their behalf and instead blamed "user error" for selling me a scratched disc from a New Disk section.
 

Andy Chalk

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I've received confirmation of this story from a couple of sources (including Gizen) so it appears to be on the level. Details and motivations are still a bit short, but corporate reorganizations are nothing new and this is the kind of thing that happens; but as I said, it's not necessarily as sinister or sleazy as it sounds.

Which isn't saying that it's not. Just that it might not be.

On a related note, I was also told that I've got it backwards and that Gamestop stores in Canada are actually switching over to EB Games, not the other way around - but a few months back, in conversation with another EB employee regarding an entirely separate matter, I was told that EBs are transitioning to Gamestops. At the time, ebgames.ca redirected to gamestop.ca, but now it's gamestop.ca that redirects to ebgames.ca. The change in layout could still be related to the transition (although that's still purely speculative) but what exactly the stores are transitioning to is a bit fuzzy.
 

Xanadu84

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Xanthious said:
If this is true all I can say is GOOD! Fuck the publishers and developers right up their fat over entitled asses. If they want to ***** and moan about used game sales then I say give them something proper to ***** about. If I were Gamestop I'd go a step further and put ALL new games behind the counter and only sell them to people who specifically asked for them.
And then we, the consumer, can enjoy $100 unplayable bug filled games with over half the game in expensive DLC, 5 releases a year, and there all Military shooters.

Those developers and publishers make the games you pay. If they don't make money, we don't get games. That's the reality. Complain all you want about the evil companies, doesn't change Math.
 

Xanthious

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Xanadu84 said:
Xanthious said:
If this is true all I can say is GOOD! Fuck the publishers and developers right up their fat over entitled asses. If they want to ***** and moan about used game sales then I say give them something proper to ***** about. If I were Gamestop I'd go a step further and put ALL new games behind the counter and only sell them to people who specifically asked for them.
And then we, the consumer, can enjoy $100 unplayable bug filled games with over half the game in expensive DLC, 5 releases a year, and there all Military shooters.

Those developers and publishers make the games you pay. If they don't make money, we don't get games. That's the reality. Complain all you want about the evil companies, doesn't change Math.
Your right the math is pretty damn simple and the math says game companies are making money hand over fist even during this current economic free fall. I know it might suck for John Riccitiellio when he has to settle for a gold lined shark tank instead of a platinum lined tank but hey times are tough and everyone has to sacrafice. This recent trend of bashing used game sales is nothing more than pure unmitigated greed.

The math also says that Gamestop is responsible for moving and promoting massive amounts of new titles for these companies that are pissing and moaning and being as absurd as to call Gamestop "the enemy". Gamestop probably does not make a lot on new game sales. Hell, they probably couldn't stay viable on new game sales alone. So it stands to reason that if these asshats making these comments still want their product moved in obscene quantities through Gamestop stores then Gamestop needs to make some money too somehow.

It's nothing short of insulting when these publishers are happy to take all the money Gamestop makes them by promoting and selling their product but wants to act like an over entitled pricks when Gamestop has the audacity to make money for themselves. That's why I say "fuck em" if I were Gamestop I'd either stop carrying new titles all together or at the very least stop promoting them with pre order bonuses and the like and just put them behind the counter with no pre orders, no midnight releases, no floor space, no promotion at all, just a stack of titles to sell to people that ask for them. I'd wager the developers need Gamestop to move their new titles more than Gamestop does.

The bottom line is that used game sales aren't the devil they are being made out to be. These companies are still earning record profits that most other industries would stab their mothers to earn. DLC and multi player codes are not a result of the gaming industry suffering because of used sales but rather the gaming industry making slightly less obscene profits. It's nothing more than greed and an inflated sense of entitlement that the gaming industry is somehow different than EVERY OTHER FUCKING INDUSTRY THAT MAKES AND SELLS GOODS. They aren't. The devs and publishers bitching about used sales need either shut the fuck up or go find a really big fire to die in.
 

Phoenix Arrow

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CrystalShadow said:
-Sigh-

Welcome to the situation in England. More or less. Although they do seem to be taking it to a new extreme here.

Both Game and GameStation, while still having dedicated second hand sections routinely mix new and used copies together on the same shelf.

The second-hand sections contain older titles you can't find new anyway, and the other section contains a more or less random mix of new & used games.

The only dedicated 'new only' section is PC games, and then only because you can't really sell second-hand PC games. (Although, believe it or not, Gamestation does. - Which came as a huge surprise to me.)
I don't know what game shops you're going to pal. I live in Southampton, there's 4 GAME shops here and one Gamestation and none of them do that. Well, I haven't been to Gamestation for years so I don't know if they do that.

Regardless, the video game market in the UK is in a position that there are what? 3 major video game retail chains? GAME who are ridiculous. Seriously, I went to buy a game there once, couldn't see it on the shelf, asked someone if they had it and they told me the game was a Sony exclusive and wouldn't be released on the 360. So I went to HMV and they had it. HMV. I forgot they even sold games.
Then there's Gamestation. Who are owned by GAME and I'm convinced they only exist so there's an illusion of choice.
Apart from that, there's CeX which is more a pawn shop than anything else. They mostly sell games, but they also sell electronic goods and porn with dodgy titles. They only sell pre-owned games, but at least their rates are fair, both for buying and selling.

But buying video games on high street in this day and age is a mugs game. Here's my advice, from me to all gamers. Use http://www.shopto.net/. Free 1st class delivery and they dispatch games so quickly.
 

Amnestic

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Aug 22, 2008
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Phoenix Arrow said:
CrystalShadow said:
-Sigh-

Welcome to the situation in England. More or less. Although they do seem to be taking it to a new extreme here.

Both Game and GameStation, while still having dedicated second hand sections routinely mix new and used copies together on the same shelf.

The second-hand sections contain older titles you can't find new anyway, and the other section contains a more or less random mix of new & used games.

The only dedicated 'new only' section is PC games, and then only because you can't really sell second-hand PC games. (Although, believe it or not, Gamestation does. - Which came as a huge surprise to me.)
I don't know what game shops you're going to pal. I live in Southampton, there's 4 GAME shops here and one Gamestation and none of them do that. Well, I haven't been to Gamestation for years so I don't know if they do that.

Regardless, the video game market in the UK is in a position that there are what? 3 major video game retail chains? GAME who are ridiculous. Seriously, I went to buy a game there once, couldn't see it on the shelf, asked someone if they had it and they told me the game was a Sony exclusive and wouldn't be released on the 360. So I went to HMV and they had it. HMV. I forgot they even sold games.
Then there's Gamestation. Who are owned by GAME and I'm convinced they only exist so there's an illusion of choice.
Apart from that, there's CeX which is more a pawn shop than anything else. They mostly sell games, but they also sell electronic goods and porn with dodgy titles. They only sell pre-owned games, but at least their rates are fair, both for buying and selling.

But buying video games on high street in this day and age is a mugs game. Here's my advice, from me to all gamers. Use http://www.shopto.net/. Free 1st class delivery and they dispatch games so quickly.
I have a local 'Chips' gamestore where I'm living and...well, it's the best gamestore I've ever been in. It's got prices on par with GAME but it has an enormous collection of older titles. And by 'older' I don't mean 'Old PS3 launch' titles. I mean Mega Drive, Dreamcast, N64, Gameboy Original, PS1, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, NES, SNES, Atari...and probably more I'm forgetting, all for fairly reasonable prices.

Plus, if they don't have something I want, they'll go out and order it into the store for me. I bought a new copy of Deus Ex: HR off them when it got released but found that the DLC code had already been used. I headed back over (they're 5-10 minutes walk from my flat), told them what was up and the next day they had a replacement code. Just like that.

While not all Chips stores are likely to be as good as this (and they seem to be fairly limited in store numbers), it's one of the few things I will miss when I move back home after my university course is finished.

I did pick up a Collector's Edition copy of Silent Hill 2 in pretty decent condition from CeX for £8 though, and this was before the HD Collection was announced. So yeah, CeX is a good alternative.