GameStop Responds to "GTA V Midnight Release Video" Controversy

[Tyranicus]

I used to work at Gamestop and those midnight launches are terrible. Those people are nuts and all we'd ask is for some form of photo id. Its not that hard. It like when you ask for tobacco products at a store if your under 27 you need to show id.

 

[WeepingAngels]

The customer was a perfect example of an angry and lonely nerd who is inconvenienced for 2 seconds because they needed to follow the law and he felt that justified his shit attitude.

The Manager made the mistake of the "threat" or just a bad comment. Many years of retail suggest that you say those types of things after the customer has left. Hell if she would have waited 5 more seconds I bet she could of had a nice laugh with all those in line, taken her shots at him, and pressed on without issue.

She will probably get written up at the very least or possibly fired depending on how deep the shitstorm goes. At the same time that person is revealed online (name or not) as being an angry prick to people doing their jobs.

Both sides are reaping what they sow. My point is where is the controversy? Usually controversy implies an issue that is unresolved.

What law?

I used to work at Gamestop and those midnight launches are terrible. Those people are nuts and all we'd ask is for some form of photo id. Its not that hard. It like when you ask for tobacco products at a store if your under 27 you need to show id.

Games are not tobacco products, please don't compare them.

I also don't appreciate being carded for buying a game. I expect it when buying cigarettes or alcohol. Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

 

[Matt Raven]

That guy was a douche!

Having worked in retail, I think he got off lightly.

I was a manager of a much larger store and if customers gave me shit, I just gave it back to them with a polite smile and made their outing more work for them!

Just because he is paying money doesn't give him any right to be a rude prick to someone who was very politely doing her job.

Maybe she crossed the line by joking about handing out her details but i take it in the form it probably was a joke.

I hope that guy got car jacked on the way home..... Karma!

Also he's definitely a virgin!

 

[Ken Sapp]

Other than the one offhand comment which brought him back I would say she seemed to be handling the situation fairly well. She kept a fairly calm attitude from what I saw and tried to deflect his bad behavior rather than confronting him directly and escalating the situation. If she had just let him walk out the door without the smart#@$ comment it would have been a non-event. Unless she has a history of problem behavior I would say Gamestop should issue a disciplinary warning with a letter in her file. The guy should be ashamed for causing such a scene in the first place over an ID check he should have been expecting anyway.

 

[nathan-dts]

It's sad that employee will probably be fired over his tantrum. Hope that game is worth messing up someones life.

Not really. If someone threatened to give people my personal information, you can be sure that I'm reporting them to their company and failing her getting fired, the police for violations of the data protection act.
She messed up.

 

[WeepingAngels]

The customer was a perfect example of an angry and lonely nerd who is inconvenienced for 2 seconds because they needed to follow the law and he felt that justified his shit attitude.

The Manager made the mistake of the "threat" or just a bad comment. Many years of retail suggest that you say those types of things after the customer has left. Hell if she would have waited 5 more seconds I bet she could of had a nice laugh with all those in line, taken her shots at him, and pressed on without issue.

She will probably get written up at the very least or possibly fired depending on how deep the shitstorm goes. At the same time that person is revealed online (name or not) as being an angry prick to people doing their jobs.

Both sides are reaping what they sow. My point is where is the controversy? Usually controversy implies an issue that is unresolved.

What law?

I used to work at Gamestop and those midnight launches are terrible. Those people are nuts and all we'd ask is for some form of photo id. Its not that hard. It like when you ask for tobacco products at a store if your under 27 you need to show id.

Games are not tobacco products, please don't compare them.

I also don't appreciate being carded for buying a game. I expect it when buying cigarettes or alcohol. Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

Do you give the employee's shit for doing something they have no say in? It's not their call, and they could get fired if they don't.

The guy was being a complete douchenozzle. She should get a raise for handling it as well as she did.

Threatening to give out a persons personal information is "handling it well"?

Actually, yes I have objected to having to show ID to pick up a game I pre-ordered and paid for in full. I think my receipt should speak for itself. In the end I have to show ID but I want my complaint to be heard first. How would anyone know that some customers don't approve of being carded if no one says anything.

 

[Juste Goose]

I'm on the lady's side. The guy makes a huge stink and inconveniences both the customers and employees, then gets mad when she doesn't seem genuinely friendly enough? Yeah, she shouldn't have made that joke, but having to deal with an uppity nerd during one of the biggest midnight launches in years is a pretty stressful situation.

I hope she gets a stern talking to, and that's it.

 

[medv4380]

10 min is too long. If your asked to show ID when buying beer and you don't do it the clerk is going to kick out out. Same goes for the R rated movie. They're just less likely to ask with Beer, or Movies. He should have been kicked out, and security called if he refused to leave. My way the punk gets a nice beating if he keeps it up, and a ride in a cop car. The manager was far too nice, and she's paying for it.

 

[JasonBurnout16]

She made a mistake to say that but that guy was acting like such a douche. If she really did just want to see some photo ID that's fine - the game's an 18, so fair enough to ask that. Also if you pre-order a game for release isn't that part of the hoo-har, to show your ID.

But then I have a lot of sympathy after working in retail myself. Plus I highly doubt the manager or anyone really wanted to be there at midnight - the customers want to be home with their game, the employees want to be home doing what they do. It was a stressful situation that blew up.

 

[WeepingAngels]

The customer was a perfect example of an angry and lonely nerd who is inconvenienced for 2 seconds because they needed to follow the law and he felt that justified his shit attitude.

The Manager made the mistake of the "threat" or just a bad comment. Many years of retail suggest that you say those types of things after the customer has left. Hell if she would have waited 5 more seconds I bet she could of had a nice laugh with all those in line, taken her shots at him, and pressed on without issue.

She will probably get written up at the very least or possibly fired depending on how deep the shitstorm goes. At the same time that person is revealed online (name or not) as being an angry prick to people doing their jobs.

Both sides are reaping what they sow. My point is where is the controversy? Usually controversy implies an issue that is unresolved.

What law?

I used to work at Gamestop and those midnight launches are terrible. Those people are nuts and all we'd ask is for some form of photo id. Its not that hard. It like when you ask for tobacco products at a store if your under 27 you need to show id.

Games are not tobacco products, please don't compare them.

I also don't appreciate being carded for buying a game. I expect it when buying cigarettes or alcohol. Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

Do you give the employee's shit for doing something they have no say in? It's not their call, and they could get fired if they don't.

The guy was being a complete douchenozzle. She should get a raise for handling it as well as she did.

Threatening to give out a persons personal information is "handling it well"?

Actually, yes I have objected to having to show ID to pick up a game I pre-ordered and paid for in full. I think my receipt should speak for itself. In the end I have to show ID but I want my complaint to be heard first. How would anyone know that some customers don't approve of being carded if no one says anything.

I said "as well as she did". I'd have told the dude to fuck off.

You're saying it to the wrong people. The employees aren't going to tell the manager, and the manager isn't going to tell his boss. It's company policy and no one in your store is (usually) in a position to change it. And why does taking out your wallet to get your id bother you so terribly?

I don't like showing my ID to some stranger, simple as that. I think more people should be protective of who they show their ID to, it does contain some personal information.

 

[bliebblob]

Hard to say who's in the right here (if anyone) due to the vid not showing the whole incident.

Yet I have to admit I wish I could be as collected in these situations as that guy. I would've just kept walking and tried to wash down the sour taste with my shiny new game. Demanding her info wouldn't even occur to me until someone asked if I had. And even if it did occur to me, I'd probably let it be anyway. No way I'd go back in. Not with that pack of howler monkeys backing her all the way, just because you made them wait a whole ten minutes longer for their game.

 

[Kyogissun]

The customer was a perfect example of an angry and lonely nerd who is inconvenienced for 2 seconds because they needed to follow the law and he felt that justified his shit attitude.

The Manager made the mistake of the "threat" or just a bad comment. Many years of retail suggest that you say those types of things after the customer has left. Hell if she would have waited 5 more seconds I bet she could of had a nice laugh with all those in line, taken her shots at him, and pressed on without issue.

She will probably get written up at the very least or possibly fired depending on how deep the shitstorm goes. At the same time that person is revealed online (name or not) as being an angry prick to people doing their jobs.

Both sides are reaping what they sow. My point is where is the controversy? Usually controversy implies an issue that is unresolved.

What law?

I used to work at Gamestop and those midnight launches are terrible. Those people are nuts and all we'd ask is for some form of photo id. Its not that hard. It like when you ask for tobacco products at a store if your under 27 you need to show id.

Games are not tobacco products, please don't compare them.

I also don't appreciate being carded for buying a game. I expect it when buying cigarettes or alcohol. Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

I wouldn't mind being carded. They check the card with their eyes and then move on, it's not like your information is getting stored.

I'm sorry but what kind of fucking moron doesn't carry their ID on them at all times? I feel no sympathy for the guy who made a scene, because if he had just remembered his ID or had agreed to give the ID and not been such an uptight dickhole, he would not be permanently shamed on the internet now.

That employee may not have behaved in the best manner ever, but it does not merit being fired. A write up or being put on notice for sure, but not losing her job.

There's a lot of stupid shit we're forced to do in this country but... This, I don't understand why more people can't just go with the flow, because all I see is a bloated ego in that fucking loser. I've had to ask for ID to confirm birthdate in people younger than the dude in the video before and when they didn't have their ID, you know what they said?

'Aw, it's cool man, I understand, you don't want to lose your job over me not having my ID.'

The accusation of lonely, enraged and self righteous nerd rage has never been more perfectly embodied than in that man in this video. And now that he decided to make a scene at a somewhat big event where there was a risk of being caught on film, he probably won't be able to escape that stereotype ever again.

I want to hear his side of the story though, because I want his nerd rage to have been justified, but it'll never happen. Still would have been interesting to learn more.

Hard to say who's in the right here (if anyone) due to the vid not showing the whole incident.

Yet I have to admit I wish I could be as collected in these situations as that guy. I would've just kept walking and tried to wash down the sour taste with my shiny new game. Demanding her info wouldn't even occur to me until someone asked if I had. And even if it did occur to me, I'd probably let it be anyway. No way I'd go back in. Not with that pack of howler monkeys backing her all the way, just because you made them wait a whole ten minutes longer for their game.

I don't think they had a problem with waiting so much as the reason why they were waiting, how the person who was making them wait was behaving and the domino affect it would have as a result.

I will agree though that the people there probably should have kept their mouths shut... I might have bitched and moaned a bit but I don't think I would have heckled the guy. He already embarrassed himself enough, I'd find the situation waaaaayyyyyy too uncomfortable to make ever more awkward.

 

[major_chaos]

Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

Yes and yes. I don't know where you are, but here in Illinois USA a store employee can lose their job for not carding you when you buy R rated movies or M rated games, not to mention IIRC there can be massive fines against the store if someone makes a fuss.
EDIT: Also why would it ever bother you? It takes like five seconds.

OT: The customer here was a massive twat and I'm glad I wasn't there. If one thing pisses me off enough to end up in a fight its people acting like shrieking whiny brats while I'm trying to shop.

 

[RicoADF]

He literally could of just shown his ID and get it over with.
A arguably 10 minute incident could of been reduced to 5 seconds.

The length people will go to to cause a ruckus is ridiculous.

On the off hand though, she didn't have to say that specifically. But still. All could've been avoided with a quick check of an ID.

Now i firmly agree with this. It is not hard to pull out your ID and show it to someone... HOWEVER the moment she made that threat, joking or not, she had crossed the line. I have no sympathy towards the customer, there is no reason to get upset over something so trivial, but she should not have said a single thing. If she gets fired for it, I'm in complete support of that decision.


You can't place all the blame on the customer, he may have started a scene, but he WAS leaving, but she had ot make a comment, honestly, shes to blame for that part.

Agreed, I'd be interested in weather she could be charged for this. Joke or not threatening to release private info is serious.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Do you get carded when you buy an R Rated Blu-Ray? Do you think you should be?

Yes and yes. I don't know where you are, but here in Illinois USA a store employee can lose their job for not carding you when you buy R rated movies or M rated games, not to mention IIRC there can be massive fines against the store if someone makes a fuss.
EDIT: Also why would it ever bother you? It takes like five seconds.

OT: The customer here was a massive twat and I'm glad I wasn't there. If one thing pisses me off enough to end up in a fight its people acting like shrieking whiny brats while I'm trying to shop.

It's pretty obvious that most people here are all ready to pull their ID out for any teenager that asks for it so I don't think my opinion is welcome here.