Opinions on: GAME and their site GAME.co.uk

Pebblig

New member
Jan 27, 2011
300
0
0
Has anyone else had a poor experience of GAME?
I'm having a bit of a rant, see I needed some more Microsoft points (bloody online pass) and rather than going through Microsoft itself, GAME offered the points ever so slightly cheaper via download (they'd email me the code). So I figured, "hey might as well", should be nice and fast.

I figured it'd be nice and fast, but it's still waiting to "dispatch", so I figured I'd be better just cancelling and going through Microsoft instead. But NO, apparently I can't cancel the aforementioned order and apparently many people have had problems, they go to cancel (preorders etc.) yet there is no option to. I go to my orders, I amend it and all I can do is edit details like address and payment.

The only direct option I have is to call customer service, but they can piss right off with that option.

In the help section of their site, the way they describe how to cancel is outdated, they refer to sections of their site that no longer go by the name they say, or don't exist. Their website seems buggy as shit, and a lot of the time I try to do things, yet their site responds with an ascii error screen.

Slightly unrelated, is the fact that their products are usually overpriced (Both in store and online). For example charging £37.99 for a brand new 3DS game.

Many of the employees piss me right off. About 50% have no idea what they are selling. While at a GAME near me, there's this really moody ***** who is ALWAYS rude. I try to be extra polite, but to no avail.

It's just a multitude of things, that over the years have made me hate the chain. They are the dominant high street videogame retailer, yet their service is often piss poor.
Y U NO GOOD GAME?
 

Lawnmooer

New member
Apr 15, 2009
826
0
0
I really hate Game.

I've often argued with my friends (Who really love Game) that Gamestation is much much better (And it is)

In Game the people who work there never know anything about games other than what they read off the back of the box (I bought a second copy of WoW there and the guy selling it was reading off the back "This game like needs the internet because it's not really focused around the single player." Geee... Really?) I also find that their prices are really quite high which is quite annoying the only reason I shopped at that place is because if I'm not in the town I live by it's the only video game store and I had a Game card to use.

Whereas in Gamestation the people working there actually know about and play games, and will go into really awesome discussions about different games whilst awesome music plays in the background. Fortunately they brought out a Gamestation card that I can now use to get awesome deals as well as their games being sold at retail price (Rather than tacking on extra to make more personal profit) and their pre-owned deals (I know Boo! Support the developers! I have no money I have to make do with what I can afford) are simply amazing.

In short Game is really really sucky I hate everything about it and really do like the fact that across the street from my local Game store is a Gamestation.
 

Pebblig

New member
Jan 27, 2011
300
0
0
Lawnmooer said:
I really hate Game.

I've often argued with my friends (Who really love Game) that Gamestation is much much better (And it is)

In Game the people who work there never know anything about games other than what they read off the back of the box (I bought a second copy of WoW there and the guy selling it was reading off the back "This game like needs the internet because it's not really focused around the single player." Geee... Really?) I also find that their prices are really quite high which is quite annoying the only reason I shopped at that place is because if I'm not in the town I live by it's the only video game store and I had a Game card to use.

Whereas in Gamestation the people working there actually know about and play games, and will go into really awesome discussions about different games whilst awesome music plays in the background. Fortunately they brought out a Gamestation card that I can now use to get awesome deals as well as their games being sold at retail price (Rather than tacking on extra to make more personal profit) and their pre-owned deals (I know Boo! Support the developers! I have no money I have to make do with what I can afford) are simply amazing.

In short Game is really really sucky I hate everything about it and really do like the fact that across the street from my local Game store is a Gamestation.
I totally agree, Gamestation is so much better, they have such good details on their used games. Only problem is there aren't any near me! =p just two GAMEs (That happen to be 200m away from each other -_-)
 

Phasmal

Sailor Jupiter Woman
Jun 10, 2011
3,676
0
0
I can't say I've ever had a bad experience in GAME.
I haven't used their site to order anything (I don't think, though I think my boyfriend did and that was fine).
But I've always had good service in GAME, they usually have nice chatty people who like to talk about games (though they can be a teeny bit pushy about trying to get you to pre-order stuff!).
If I'm going to trade-in new games or buy new games I tend to go to GAME but I go to gamestation if I am looking for older games. Gamestation are always really friendly to me too, though my sister went in recently to return a broken game and said they were really patronising because she wasn't a gamer.
 

ChildishLegacy

New member
Apr 16, 2010
974
0
0
Lawnmooer said:
I really hate Game.

I've often argued with my friends (Who really love Game) that Gamestation is much much better (And it is)

In Game the people who work there never know anything about games other than what they read off the back of the box (I bought a second copy of WoW there and the guy selling it was reading off the back "This game like needs the internet because it's not really focused around the single player." Geee... Really?) I also find that their prices are really quite high which is quite annoying the only reason I shopped at that place is because if I'm not in the town I live by it's the only video game store and I had a Game card to use.

Whereas in Gamestation the people working there actually know about and play games, and will go into really awesome discussions about different games whilst awesome music plays in the background. Fortunately they brought out a Gamestation card that I can now use to get awesome deals as well as their games being sold at retail price (Rather than tacking on extra to make more personal profit) and their pre-owned deals (I know Boo! Support the developers! I have no money I have to make do with what I can afford) are simply amazing.

In short Game is really really sucky I hate everything about it and really do like the fact that across the street from my local Game store is a Gamestation.
That doesn't necessarily mean that all GAME stores are misinformed, and all gamestations have well informed staff, it might just be the ones where you live. Where I live, the GAME store has staff that will talk to you about your choice in games or about upcoming releases etc. and it actually feels like they play games and are interested in them, whereas the gamestation, the staff are pretty rude and unhelpful.

Also game.co.uk has been a very good site for preorders for me, making sure i get them a day before release date or on the day.
 

Lawnmooer

New member
Apr 15, 2009
826
0
0
Midgeamoo said:
That doesn't necessarily mean that all GAME stores are misinformed, and all gamestations have well informed staff, it might just be the ones where you live. Where I live, the GAME store has staff that will talk to you about your choice in games or about upcoming releases etc. and it actually feels like they play games and are interested in them, whereas the gamestation, the staff are pretty rude and unhelpful.
I'm basing this veiw on not only the GAME stores near to where I live but on all the GAME stores I've been to all around the country (I moved around a lot and go visit family and friends and go shopping with them)

With the number I've been to I've not yet found one that isn't how I describe and with Gamestation (I admit I haven't been to many Gamestations, since there aren't so many) I've always found them nice and helpful.

But I guess depending on where you are it could be different.
 

Padwolf

New member
Sep 2, 2010
2,062
0
0
I've never had a bad experience with GAME, all the stores I go to have great service. Though I tend to go to CEX when I want to trade in games.
 

Sassafrass

This is a placeholder
Legacy
Aug 24, 2009
51,250
1
3
Country
United Kingdom
I've never had a problem with GAME. Sure, their prices are a bit more expensive but they had a great selection of second hand games, good friendly staff in the two stores near me and they've always had any pre-orders I've made in and waiting or me to pick them up.

Lawnmooer said:
I really hate Game.

I've often argued with my friends (Who really love Game) that Gamestation is much much better (And it is)

In Game the people who work there never know anything about games other than what they read off the back of the box (I bought a second copy of WoW there and the guy selling it was reading off the back "This game like needs the internet because it's not really focused around the single player." Geee... Really?) I also find that their prices are really quite high which is quite annoying the only reason I shopped at that place is because if I'm not in the town I live by it's the only video game store and I had a Game card to use.

Whereas in Gamestation the people working there actually know about and play games, and will go into really awesome discussions about different games whilst awesome music plays in the background. Fortunately they brought out a Gamestation card that I can now use to get awesome deals as well as their games being sold at retail price (Rather than tacking on extra to make more personal profit) and their pre-owned deals (I know Boo! Support the developers! I have no money I have to make do with what I can afford) are simply amazing.

In short Game is really really sucky I hate everything about it and really do like the fact that across the street from my local Game store is a Gamestation.
Heh...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamestation#Sale_to_GAME
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-acquires-gamestation-in-74-million-deal

Gamestation won't exist without GAME, mate. Sorry, but when GAME goes, Gamestation is going with it.
 

That's Funny

New member
Jul 20, 2009
805
0
0
Of all the GAME stores I've been too, not one of them was like how you described. Back in my home town the staff are friendly and helpful, and are very well informed on what they are selling. When I moved to university in Salisbury (about 90 miles from my home town) I still didn't have any problems with the staff, they're all helpful and informative, and I would tend to come away happy. So no I can't say I've had a bad experience there.
 

Scarim Coral

Jumped the ship
Legacy
Oct 29, 2010
18,157
2
3
Country
UK
I never really had a bad experience with GAME. However I don't order stuff from their site so I buy their games in the store itself. Even then I tend to check the game or some info beforehand so I don't need to ask the staff for any info other than to buy the game. Other than that, the staff do seen to do their job correctly (mention special offers and repair etc).
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
5,883
1
43
Been pretty good to me, I once bought PX21's and on the site they were £10 cheaper than in store. When I asked how much they were in store and found out the price, I said "oh ok 'cos it was £10 cheaper on the site" she told me to hang on a sec while she made a call.

After the call she said she could sell them to me at the price that was on the site rather than the in store price, so I was pretty chuffed.

The people who work in there know there shit, not to mention the ladies aren't bad on the eyes. I remember having a laugh with one of the guys about gift cards and who was on them.

My brother wanted me to get a black ops one but I chose a Mario one and said I paying my respects to gaming history, which ended up with jokes about Peach not putting out but there is always rule 34 so he probably got some at some point.
 

GoaThief

Reinventing the Spiel
Feb 2, 2012
1,229
0
0
I normally use GAME for pre-orders which are priced very competitively, come with nice bonuses, and double reward points. Never had a problem going into a GAME store either, although I try to use a local independent more than both GAME and Gamestation. I don't understand the problem with calling to cancel an order? Sure, it's not the easiest method but hardly awful and established standard practice in retail.
 

Sara Fontaine

New member
Sep 20, 2010
147
0
0
I've never had an issue with GAME, personally. It's the closest videogame outlet to me so I go there for pretty much everything. I haven't used the website to shop so I can't comment on that service. The staff in my local store however are very friendly, helpful and are willing to have a quick chat about what you're playing currently, future releases, gaming related news etc; one staff member in particular always speaks to me when I'm in there after taking the time to discover that I enjoy RPGs as much as he does, and even had a playful argument with me about World of Warcraft vs Guild Wars in the middle of the shop floor, with other people joining in; I support Guild Wars so I was hideously outnumbered, but oh well. I will concede that I find the prices are painful at times though, but that's true of most other places as well. These days I feel like crying everytime I have to spend more than £10 at a time.
 

Doc Theta Sigma

New member
Jan 5, 2009
1,451
0
0
I've never had a problem with GAME. In fact I walk past a Gamestation on the way to my GAME store because more often than not, Gamestation are more expensive and generally prickish with their customer service. Me and my best friend got shouted at by the manager in Gamestation because we said we weren't interested in pre-ordering a PSP Slim. Apparently we're casual gamers because we preferred the DS over the "vastly superior" PSP Slim. He was a hooting dickhole. I'm sure a lot of people will be familiar with the trade-in chart in the windows of Gamestation.

It works like this: You trade-in a game listed on said chart and they'll give you say £30 for it. Or £60+ if it's a console. Well the first time I tried to do this, apparently the chart was "out of date" and they hadn't gotten around to redoing it. The manager rushed off to take it down, I told them I'd already taken a photo of it and I'd go to Trading Standards if they didn't make good on their deal. So they did.

Anyway. That turned into a bit of a rant. My GAME store is generally fairly priced with good customer service and staff that actually know things about games. Last time I was in there I had a ten minute conversation with one of them about WoW.
 

Loop Stricken

Covered in bees!
Jun 17, 2009
4,723
0
0
Pebblig said:
Has anyone else had a poor experience of GAME?

I figured it'd be nice and fast, but it's still waiting to "dispatch", so I figured I'd be better just cancelling and going through Microsoft instead. But NO, apparently I can't cancel the aforementioned order and apparently many people have had problems, they go to cancel (preorders etc.) yet there is no option to. I go to my orders, I amend it and all I can do is edit details like address and payment.
All of this, and they decided my money wasn't good enough for them and just cancel any orders I make with them. it's ridiculous.
 

EscapeGoat_v1legacy

New member
Aug 20, 2008
2,788
0
0
I can't say about the site, but I have had pretty crappy response from GAME and their employees in the past which caused me to switch to Gamestation and CEX. At my local GAME, the prices are high, especially on used games, and the employees don't usually know a great deal about the product they sell, as well as often being rude to customers. In comparison, the guys at Gamestation know their stuff and are polite and chatty to you, while CEX has fantastic prices on their games, so there's no choice for me.
 

TimeLord

For the Emperor!
Legacy
Aug 15, 2008
7,508
3
43
I don't pre-order my games through GAME, nor do I buy anything online from them either (do all my online purchasing and pre-ordering through Play.co.uk) but in terms of general purchasing, returning and trading in the odd game. I've never had any problems with them.
 

Gammayun

New member
Aug 23, 2011
234
0
0
I have never really had a problem with game they have always been polite and nice, the deliveries when i order online have never given me any fuss. I think there is only one time i can fault them is that one of the employees asked if i wanted any help I felt kinda insulted, though i am just a massive nerd and they where only being polite.
 

Kungfu_Teddybear

Member
Legacy
Jan 17, 2010
2,714
0
1
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
I stopped using GAME a few months ago after having problems with their site. I hated their new site layout when it first changed but I kept using it for a while then a few months ago I had problems.

I was away to order a game from their site (can't remember which one) so I tried to log in and it said my password was wrong, I knew it wasn't because after trying it twice I checked the file I have saved in my notepad that has all my passwords written down in case I forget any in future. It wouldn't let me log in so I went through the process of changing my password, after changing my password and logging on I tried to order my game. During the check out process it started saying my delivery address was invalid, the address I've had saved on their site for 3 years, the address I've lived at all my life, it clearly wasn't wrong so I tried again, still didn't work. I went onto my account management and deleted my already correct delivery address and put it in again and tried to order the game again, again it said my delivery address was invalid.

After trying and trying I gave up and since then I've ordered all my games from ShopTo.