FYE. Sam Goody, Sun Coast 20% Off Additional Trade-In Bag

[forumsmy]

Went into a Sam Goody today in the mall and they had bags for the "fill the bag 20% more for your trade-in."

The bags were up at the checkout and a small DVD-sized sign on a side display near the front mentioned the sale. There were no big signs or anything like that.

I asked one of the workers what this sign was about and he fumbled around, thought for a moment and then explained saying you get 20% off when you fill a bag. Then I asked him would I bring in my stuff and then get a bag or get a bag now. He maybe you should get a bag, do you want one?

Don't think that they even knew what was going on or was just out of it.

Don't know when it ends. Figured I would not ask that since who knows what answer I would get and if it would be right - he did not seem to have a clue.

[mordaane]

It just means you will get 20% more in value when you trade in your used items.

[kenbenobi]

Although the bag said 20% more, my store had a sign saying it is actually 45% more if you take store credit instead of cash... It ends August 11th...

[lectersvictim]

nice, going tomorrow, do you think that this is better then selling your dvd's to secondspin??

[Sweet Baby James]

Although the bag said 20% more, my store had a sign saying it is actually 45% more if you take store credit instead of cash... It ends August 11th...

The good old brown bag promotion is back! You'll actually get 50% more if you take store credit. For example, if the item that you're trading in is worth $10, they'll give you $12.50 if you want store credit. They will then give the extra 20% on top of that which is $2.50. Your total credit would be $15.

[steebo777]

Already dumped about $150 worth of stuff, working on getting rid of more.

[jigga6286]

Steebo, can you give us an idea of the value they're offering? Before I make a trip, I'd like to know how much I can expect in return.

[kenbenobi]

Steebo, can you give us an idea of the value they're offering? Before I make a trip, I'd like to know how much I can expect in return.
The prices at secondspin.com are almost always the same price you'll get in-store, without the 50% bonus added. I always check the prices there, and have only found discrepancies twice out of 50+ titles...

[cardsfan111]

Went to my closest FYE to inquire whether they had this special going on. Found out that I had to make a purchase in order to receive one of these bags. Turned out fine, since I found a $1.97 DVD to buy. On the bag, it says "Is your bag overflowing? Grab another bag, any bag and we will still honor the deal"

[Sweet Baby James]

Went to my closest FYE to inquire whether they had this special going on. Found out that I had to make a purchase in order to receive one of these bags
I think that they schnookered you. If that is their new policy, then I'm a shoplifter. I saw these bags at the counter and just grabbed a couple and headed out the door. I hope that there's not a warrant out for my arrest.:)

[Azraelms]

Went to my closest FYE to inquire whether they had this special going on. Found out that I had to make a purchase in order to receive one of these bags. Turned out fine, since I found a $1.97 DVD to buy. On the bag, it says "Is your bag overflowing? Grab another bag, any bag and we will still honor the deal"

Yeah, I work at an FYE and there is no policy that requires you to make a purchase to recieve one of those bags. They are put out for the taking.

[SpinalGuffman]

Yeah, I work at an FYE and there is no policy that requires you to make a purchase to recieve one of those bags. They are put out for the taking.
Can you confirm that it is store policy to stack this offer with the normal 25% more for in-store credit?

(Nothing against others in this thread, just wanting to be sure).

[bwsmom]

Thanks for the heads-up, OP (and confirmations from others)!! I gotta clear off my desk anyway, and I've been stashing oodles of DVDs away waiting for the next secondspin.com 20% add-on... this is much more immediate and efficient for me! Off to pack a bag (or two... or three!) and get them over to the store! :)

[steebo777]

Can you confirm that it is store policy to stack this offer with the normal 25% more for in-store credit?

(Nothing against others in this thread, just wanting to be sure).
It has been going on for a few weeks so it is definitely confirmed.

Here is the pic of the bag:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/xpokeofdoomx/fyebag.jpg
And here's more details (thanks to CAG for the initial post):
It's been a while but it looks like its that time again. FYE is currently running their brown bag deal where if you fill up their promotional bag, or any other bag with items, you get either a bonus 20% for cash or 45% for credit.

To break it down, If you have an item thats worth $15, you can bring it in the brown bag (or any other bag) and get either $18.00 for cash or $21.75 for credit.

If you are wondering how much your cd's/games/movies get at FYE, a good place to check is www.secondspin.com . Their game TIV's are usually spot on, DVD's & CD's can vary between 10-25% between Secondspin's TIV and the actual FYE TIV.

[SpinalGuffman]

Thanks for taking the time to reply steebo777. I'm a believer now...

[MikeDeN2K]

I'm bringing a different bag, that to add insult to injury, isn't completely full. Wish me luck.

Question: is the trade in credit redeemable at any TransWorld store? Example: If I trade stuff in at FYE, can I use it at another mall's Suncoast? I want to trade in a video game or two and have a feeling Suncoast won't accept games or CDs... right?

[GizmoDVD]

Wish I had one of these by me.

[Sweet Baby James]

I'm bringing a different bag, that to add insult to injury, isn't completely full. Wish me luck.

Question: is the trade in credit redeemable at any TransWorld store? Example: If I trade stuff in at FYE, can I use it at another mall's Suncoast? I want to trade in a video game or two and have a feeling Suncoast won't accept games or CDs... right?

I know for a fact that FYE credit can be redeemed at Saturday Matinee, Coconuts, Wherehouse.com, etc. I would imagine that FYE credit can be used at any TWEC store.

[jigga6286]

Is the consensus that the better deal is to take the store credit (+45%) rather than the cash (+20%)? I usually don't shop at B&M's simply because their prices don't compete with the likes of amazon or the ddd sale, and I was thinking that ultimately I would make better use of the money from the trade-in online rather than in-store, but now I'm not so sure.

[kenbenobi]

Is the consensus that the better deal is to take the store credit (+45%) rather than the cash (+20%)? I usually don't shop at B&M's simply because their prices don't compete with the likes of amazon or the ddd sale, and I was thinking that ultimately I would make better use of the money from the trade-in online rather than in-store, but now I'm not so sure.
They have some decent sale prices for new releases, especially with rebates, but usually the best prices are at fye.com, especially when they have coupons (15% off $50 currently) + rebates... That's where I'll be spending my credit...

[vcuram]

So the credit is usable online as well? Does anyone know if they'll take older versions of titles, such as the old version on Sunset Blvd, not the new release?

[hindolio]

So the credit is usable online as well? Does anyone know if they'll take older versions of titles, such as the old version on Sunset Blvd, not the new release?

if im not mistaken, they will take almost anything. what you get for it though, thats another story -wink-

[Sweet Baby James]

They have some decent sale prices for new releases, especially with rebates, but usually the best prices are at fye.com, especially when they have coupons (15% off $50 currently) + rebates... That's where I'll be spending my credit...
I've used the last of my FYE credit recently at wherehouse.com. They had a 20% off coupon for new or used with free shipping. The coupon was also good on pre-orders. I scored some good deals and I plan on using the credit for my upcoming trade-in at wherehouse.com.

[leitmotif]

The prices at secondspin.com are almost always the same price you'll get in-store, without the 50% bonus added. I always check the prices there, and have only found discrepancies twice out of 50+ titles...

I just checked there, and while I'm not surprised at the minimal amount they're willing to give for a lot of my DVDs, I'm really surprised at how much they're willing to pay for a lot of CDs that I was probably going to just throw out in a few years anyway.

Looks like I'm going to have to make a trip to the mall this weekend :)

Also, can anybody tell me how judgmental they are when it comes to disc condition? Does it have to be absolutely spotless, or is a little standard wear exceptable?

[bigjim25]

Also, can anybody tell me how judgmental they are when it comes to disc condition? Does it have to be absolutely spotless, or is a little standard wear exceptable?
It really depends on the manager. I took in one CD to 2 different stores and they wouldn't take it but the 3rd one did. All 3 did look at the CD. Also they are picky on the old BMG music club CDs that didn't have bar codes (the later ones did). Most won't take them because they have to type the title in the computer rather than just scanning the barcode.

[bsmith]

Being curious to see how good a deal this might be, I did a comparison between the SecondSpin trade in pricing (supposedly equivalent to this) and the usual place I sell on line (NewtownVideo). For the 10 titles I tried, SecondSpin came back with a $36 trade-in, while NewtownVideo was $53. Since I would want cash, even the 20% on top wouldn't be enough.

I think I will stick with NewtownVideo. Also, at NewtownVideo they will credit you shipping if your packag contain 16 or more titles with a trade in of $2 or more each.

[leitmotif]

It really depends on the manager. I took in one CD to 2 different stores and they wouldn't take it but the 3rd one did. All 3 did look at the CD. Also they are picky on the old BMG music club CDs that didn't have bar codes (the later ones did). Most won't take them because they have to type the title in the computer rather than just scanning the barcode.

Alright, thanks.

I've got a few fairly close by so I'll make sure to hit up more than one if they don't take everything.

[kenbenobi]

Also, at NewtownVideo they will credit you shipping if your packag contain 16 or more titles with a trade in of $2 or more each.
Just an FYI, but secondspin also credits you for shipping, with no minimum requirement...

[DJariya]

Took about 20 DVD's/CD's yesterday to my closest FYE and just learned about this. Managed to make about $45 (pretty much all of it was crap) without the extra 20%.

Unfortunately I don't think I have enough stuff that I am willing to part with to make another trip there worth it. Pretty much all the stuff I have left I want to keep.

[chipmac]

My son stopped in our local FYE twice and asked about this promo and both times they didn't know what he was talking about. Is this a regional thing?

[bigjim25]

I went in today and sold over $300 worth of stuff. Most was old versions of DVDs that I had upgraded to the new versions including Back To School, Trading Spaces, Coming To America, and Ferris Bulluer's Day Off. :up:

[kenbenobi]

I went in today and sold over $300 worth of stuff. Most was old versions of DVDs that I had upgraded to the new versions including Back To School, Trading Spaces, Coming To America, and Ferris Bulluer's Day Off. :up:
How many DVD's was that? That's a lot of credit, dude! Happy spending!

[kenbenobi]

My son stopped in our local FYE twice and asked about this promo and both times they didn't know what he was talking about. Is this a regional thing?
They probably never read the memo. He should ask the manager to look it up. It isn't regional...

[bmello]

How many DVD's was that? That's a lot of credit, dude! Happy spending!

I traded in 89 dvds for $356 in store credit which is an average of $4 each.

[bigjim25]

How many DVD's was that? That's a lot of credit, dude! Happy spending!

$55.90 Bonus 25%
$55.85 Regular 20%
$335.25 Total

Here's the list, as you can see for the most part nothing really special except an OOP She Devil and I got She Devil / The War of the Roses combo in the place of it so I'm happy. I was going to have a yard sale but this now saves me time to go to yard sales. :D
$7.50 How The Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon old snapper)
$4.50 West Side Story (old version - bought for $1 at yard sale and already had it)
$4.50 Naked Gun 2 1/2 (sold it and got a 3 pack for $5.50)
$4.50 Commando (old version)
$4.50 Ferris Bulluer's Day Off (old version)
$4.50 Back To School (old version)
$4.50 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (sold it and got a 2 pack with Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey for $5.50)
$4.50 Windtalkers (old version)
$4.50 Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (sold it and got a 2 pack with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure for $5.50)
$4.50 An Officer & A Gentleman (sold it and got a 3 pack with Primal Fear / Runaway Bride for $5.50)
$4.50 Virgin Suicides (sold it and got a 2 pack with American Beauty for $5.50)
$3.00 Naked Gun 33 1/3 (sold it and got a 3 pack for $5.50)
$3.00 Summer School (old version, plan to get the SE at WalMart for $3)
$3.00 Buddy Holly Story (sold it and got a 2 pack with La Bamba for $4 at a pawn shop)
$3.00 Enough (old version)
$3.00 Trading Spaces (old version)
$3.00 Coming To America (old version)
$3.00 She Devil (sold it and got a 2 pack with The War of the Roses for $5.50)
$3.00 Monster (old version)
$3.00 Love Story (sold it and got a 3 pack with Romeo & Juliet / Falling In Love for $5.50)
$3.00 Ray (1 Disc- I upgraded to Jamie Foxx Box with 3 Disc Version)
$3.00 They Were Expendable (snapper) - I bought the keepcase version at BIGLOTS for $3
$3.00 Hard Target (Got a Van Damme 4 pack with this and the next 2 in it)
$3.00 The Quest
$3.00 Time Cop
$3.00 Runaway Bride (sold it and got a 3 pack with Primal Fear / An Officer & A Gentleman for $5.50)
$3.00 Airheads (sold it and got a 2 pack with PCU for $5.50)
$3.00 Fatal Attraction (sold it and got a 2 pack with Black Rain for $5.50)
$3.00 Ghost Game
$3.00 Sensitive New Age Killer
$3.00 (sold it and got a 2 pack with New Guy Director's Cut for $4 at a pawn shop)
$2.25 New Guy (old version - sold it and got a 2 pack with Director's Cut and Can't Hardly Wait for $4)
$2.25 XXX SE
$2.25 La Bamba (sold it and got a 2 pack with Buddy Holly Story for $4 at a pawn shop)
$1.50 8 MM2
$21.00 Highway To Heaven Season 3
$18.00 American Dreams Season 1 (bought extra when ch.com hard box sets for around $6)
$15.00 Bones Season 1 (bought 2 pack of this & Saving Grace for $20 at Walmart and already had)
$15.00 Scooby Doo Best of the Movies (bought & already had)
$15.00 Scooby Doo Best of the Movies (mom bought for me & already had)
$13.50 Pinky & The Brain Volume 1 (bought & already had)
$15.00 Thundercats Season 2 Volume 2 (didn't like)
$15.00 Daniel Boone Season 1 (couldn't get into it)
$15.00 Daniel Boone Season 2 (couldn't get into it)
$15.00 Daniel Boone Season 3 (couldn't get into it)
$15.00 Daniel Boone Season 4 (couldn't get into it)
$12.00 Daniel Boone Season 5 (couldn't get into it)
$7.50 Sugarland - Enjoy The Ride CD
$4.50 Gary Allan - Living Hard CD
$3.75 Keith Urban - Love Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing CD
$3.75 George Strait - It Just Comes Natural CDThe reason I went to some 2 and 3 packs was not only the price but the space it saves on my shelf.;)

[leitmotif]

Traded in 30 DVDs and 30 CDs and walked about with about $170 (I still have about 50 CDs I need to trade in, but they ran out of cash so I'll have to go back later).

[gmerreighnjr]

so i went in to pickup a bag today and was told the extra trade in credit is only if you take store credit--can anyone confirm this? i really don't shop at FYE and really need the cash to cover some bills...

[hindolio]

so i went in to pickup a bag today and was told the extra trade in credit is only if you take store credit--can anyone confirm this? i really don't shop at FYE and really need the cash to cover some bills...

confirmation confirmed! its always been like that.

[leitmotif]

so i went in to pickup a bag today and was told the extra trade in credit is only if you take store credit--can anyone confirm this? i really don't shop at FYE and really need the cash to cover some bills...

I didn't get store credit and I still received the extra 20% (if you do take store credit they bump it up to 50%).

Either the person who told you that didn't know what they were talking about, or the stipulations vary from store to store.

[gmerreighnjr]

I didn't get store credit and I still received the extra 20% (if you do take store credit they bump it up to 50%).

Either the person who told you that didn't know what they were talking about, or the stipulations vary from store to store.


thanks....took some stuff into the store today and got $121.00 cash including the extra 20%

[PhantomBill]

Thanks OP! I Traded in $50 worth of dvds i bought at Big Lots for $123 Store Credit. Heres what i bought

FYE B2G1

Best of Larry Sanders Show
Flight of Conchord S1
Eli Stone S1

Secondspin.com

LOST Season 3 and 4 Blu-Ray
Dazed and Confused HD
Jamie Kennedy Blowin up S1
Russell Brand Live in NYC

[LadyDi4476]

Question...does the bag have to be filled all the way up to the top in order to get the 20% added? Or can there be some space on top?

Also, if some of the cds/dvds in the bag are rejected (due to scratches) do they still count as being part of the bag and will I still get my 20%?

I've been selling to FYE for a while now but this is my first time selling with the promotional brown bag.

Thanks!

[DJariya]

Question...does the bag have to be filled all the way up to the top in order to get the 20% added? Or can there be some space on top?

Also, if some of the cds/dvds in the bag are rejected (due to scratches) do they still count as being part of the bag and will I still get my 20%?

I've been selling to FYE for a while now but this is my first time selling with the promotional brown bag.

Thanks!

No the bag does not have to be filled all the way.

Whatever you have in the bag that is accepted will get the extra 20%. It's not like you need a "certain" number to get that extra 20%. You could have 2 CD's and 2 DVD's in the bag and still get the extra 20%.

[LadyDi4476]

Cool, thanks for the info & reply!

[Lastdaysofrain]

Anyone know when this promotion expires?

[steebo777]

Unknown right now.

[bwsmom]

According to kenbenobi in post #3 of this thread, it ends August 11th.

[Sweet Baby James]

According to kenbenobi in post #3 of this thread, it ends August 11th.

That sounds about right. Previous brown bag promotions ran for about a month and a half.

[LadyDi4476]

Some of the dvds I have do not have the UPC number on them. Particularly all my X-Files Box sets don't have them anywhere to be found. So when I bring them in to be scanned FYE won't accept them. They are valid dvds. I think the UPC number was on the outside packaging which I threw out back when I first bought them years ago. There are a few other dvds I own with no UPC number on the packaging.

[DJariya]

They can look up the X-Files sets and anything else without a UPC in their computer system.

[LadyDi4476]

Yeah that's what I thought. But this person just wouldn't even accept it or bother looking it up. He kept saying he needed the 10 digit number. I'm going to try another FYE, I don't think all of them know what they are doing.

[leitmotif]

They can look up the X-Files sets and anything else without a UPC in their computer system.

Yep, my copies of Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier and 24 Season 1 didn't have UPC codes, and they just took a little extra time to look them up in the system.

[LadyDi4476]

Thanks for all the help guys! Much appreciated. I'll bring in the box sets to another FYE and try again.

[Sweet Baby James]

Thanks for all the help guys! Much appreciated. I'll bring in the box sets to another FYE and try again.

They should definitely look it up. A word of advice, if I may. Go to www.wherehouse.com and add the titles that you want to trade in to your cart. Print that page out and take it with you to FYE. The quotes are fairly accurate and it's a good way to make sure that you're receiving the right amount. I also write down the UPC of a title that I want to trade in that's missing it. The cashier usually just types in that UPC and doesn't even bother looking it up for herself(the cashiers at my local FYE are girls).:)

[Drake]

I just went to a FYE to sell some stuff and they told me to go to another one or come back late tonight as they did not have any business today ...so no cash.

i don't know how these guys are staying in business?

[Manzana]

Though not specifically related to the 20% bonus bag (of which I have only 1), does anyone know if FYE will take multiple copies of the same title for trade-in at the same time? I bought some new DVDs on clearance, a handful of which are worth a lot more than I paid, and I'm wondering if I dare take several of the same shrinkwrapped titles in at the same time with the 20% off bag and if I should remove the price stickers and the shrinkwrap first. Maybe it's just Gamestop who is so fussy about such things?

I've always imagined I'd have this conversation at an FYE (though it hasn't happened yet):
Me: I'd like to trade in these DVDs.
Clerk: This one is worth $28 cash or $35 store credit, but wait... I just noticed the price sticker on it says $6, so I'm only going to give you $6 trade-in because you're obviously trying to make a profit.
Me: That's irrelevant. More often than not I get a lot less in trade-in than I paid, so why should it matter if once in a blue moon I make a little money?
Clerk: I don't know. It just does.
Me: But if it didn't have the price sticker you'd give me $28?
Clerk: That's right.
Me: Let me peel it off.
Clerk: Too late. I already saw it.
Me: I suppose you think Bill Gates or Warren Buffet should pay $1000 for a loaf of bread that costs everyone else $3 because they have more money?
Clerk: Yes. That would only be fair.

[greylocke5]

Though not specifically related to the 20% bonus bag (of which I have only 1), does anyone know if FYE will take multiple copies of the same title for trade-in at the same time?


Here's an excerpt from the Wherehouse.com Help page. Since they are a TWEC entity, like FYE, I assume they follow the same rules:

Item Acceptance:

* Prices offered on our site are for items acquired for personal enjoyment use only. “Personal enjoyment use” refers to items acquired with the intent of listening, playing, or watching by an individual. Sorry, prices are not valid for overstocked items, excess business inventory items, items acquired with the intent of resale or items acquired for any other purpose.
* Limit of two copies per title per customer. (if you'd like us to make an exception, please email us.) This does not override the Personal Enjoyment policy listed above. We understand that you may occasionally have a duplicate copy. If you have quantities of a large number of the items you are selling, we do not consider the items to be of “personal enjoyment use” and you need to contact us before sending the items to us.

[cardsfan111]

Perhaps this has been said before, but I visited a FYE today and asked about this promotion (verifying again the end of date of August 11). They indicated they were out of bags, but as long as you mentioned the "brown bag" deal when you came in they would honor it.

[cardsfan111]

I’m considering a trade-in of some DVDs to FYE during the promotion. If I take store credit, am I correct that I can use that credit at wherehouse.com? Are the their other places online that accept it?

[bigjim25]

If I take store credit, am I correct that I can use that credit at wherehouse.com? Are the their other places online that accept it?
Yes and also secondspin.com and of course fye.com.

[bwsmom]

Yes and also secondspin.com and of course fye.com.

So, for the sake of clarity, do they give you a code or something to use online, or is it somehow automatically linked to your account? Sorry, I know that's a horribly DUMB question, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. :doh:

[Sweet Baby James]

So, for the sake of clarity, do they give you a code or something to use online, or is it somehow automatically linked to your account? Sorry, I know that's a horribly DUMB question, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. :doh:

FYE will give you a physical gift card that has a 16 digit number on the back and a pin number. When you use the gift card online, you'll have to enter these two sets of numbers.

[bwsmom]

FYE will give you a physical gift card that has a 16 digit number on the back and a pin number. When you use the gift card online, you'll have to enter these two sets of numbers.

OMG... I'm SUCH a dunce sometimes. I guess I should've figured that out from previous posts about the gift cards. Sorry, folks... maternity brain....

[thedrizzle]

Perhaps this has been said before, but I visited a FYE today and asked about this promotion (verifying again the end of date of August 11). They indicated they were out of bags, but as long as you mentioned the "brown bag" deal when you came in they would honor it.

Yeah my FYE didn't have any bags either so I just mentioned the deal and they gave it to me. I traded in like 40 DVDs today that I realized I would never have time to watch again or didn't want to watch again for $252.30 cash, which will be used to pre-order Modern Warfare 2 and buy a Blu-ray player.

[Sweet Baby James]

Yeah my FYE didn't have any bags either so I just mentioned the deal and they gave it to me. I traded in like 40 DVDs today that I released I would never have time to watch again or didn't want to watch again for $252.30 cash, which will used to pre-order Modern Warfare 2 and buy a Blu-ray player.

You won't regret it. I bought my PS3 last year by trading in useless DVDs to FYE for credit.:up:

[bmello]

How does the shipping work for DVDPlanet trade in. Are you responsible for the shipping cost or do they reimburse you any?

[tofferman]

How does the shipping work for DVDPlanet trade in. Are you responsible for the shipping cost or do they reimburse you any?

DVDPlanet doesn't reimburse, so it is best to ship dvd's to them using media mail.

[hapgilmore]

Is this deal still going on?

[steebo777]

Yup.

[Rocketdog2000]

I just went to a FYE to sell some stuff and they told me to go to another one or come back late tonight as they did not have any business today ...so no cash.

i don't know how these guys are staying in business?

When did you go, first thing or early in the morning? This is not uncommon at all. Stores only start off with a finite amount of "petty" cash to operate the registers on - say anywhere from $100 to $300 dollars, depending on the size and location of the store. If you go in and want to sell back $100 or so dollars worth of stuff, you'd be taking half or more of what they need for petty cash to operate with. This would not leave them in a very good position to deal with the rest of the "real" customers with. Keep in mind when you are selling back to them, that they in turn become the customer, and you no longer are. Also depends on if it's a slow business day, too. Those do happen, you know - and one day doesn't mean it's like that everyday.

Trust me, if I were on the other side of the counter, and I have been before, I'd likely tell you the same thing given the circumstances. It'd be almost the same as they annoying people who would come in first thing in the morning with a big bill (a $50 or $100) wanting to buy something for less than $10. Most of the time, those people would (believe it or not) get asked for a smaller bill, to come back later, or flat out be apologetically refused. They don't get that it would basically wipe out your entire petty cash fund, and also leave no way to make change for everybody else.



Oh, and by the by, my local FYE said this promotion was going on til August 17th. I went in one day last week and sold back 45 CD's for $296.00 worth of credit. A few days later I went back with my wife and she sold back another 30 or so CD's for $160.00 in cash. Went late in the afternoon both times.

[ScissorPuppy]

For everyone who bought up a bunch of Big Lots dvds to trade into FYE, only to find out your only offered 5 cents. Have no fear, I am here. I will gladly give you 25 cents for any title FYE won't accept. That it 5 times what it is worth! PM me!

[Drake]

When did you go, first thing or early in the morning? This is not uncommon at all. Stores only start off with a finite amount of "petty" cash to operate the registers on - say anywhere from $100 to $300 dollars, depending on the size and location of the store. If you go in and want to sell back $100 or so dollars worth of stuff, you'd be taking half or more of what they need for petty cash to operate with. This would not leave them in a very good position to deal with the rest of the "real" customers with. Keep in mind when you are selling back to them, that they in turn become the customer, and you no longer are. Also depends on if it's a slow business day, too. Those do happen, you know - and one day doesn't mean it's like that everyday.

Trust me, if I were on the other side of the counter, and I have been before, I'd likely tell you the same thing given the circumstances. It'd be almost the same as they annoying people who would come in first thing in the morning with a big bill (a $50 or $100) wanting to buy something for less than $10. Most of the time, those people would (believe it or not) get asked for a smaller bill, to come back later, or flat out be apologetically refused. They don't get that it would basically wipe out your entire petty cash fund, and also leave no way to make change for everybody else.



Oh, and by the by, my local FYE said this promotion was going on til August 17th. I went in one day last week and sold back 45 CD's for $296.00 worth of credit. A few days later I went back with my wife and she sold back another 30 or so CD's for $160.00 in cash. Went late in the afternoon both times.

I went in right after lunch so it was around 1 pm, it's not a very busy store in a little strip mall on the outskirts of a business park.
In these parts (MA) I don't think FYE does well because of Newbury Comics.

[Rocketdog2000]

I went in right after lunch so it was around 1 pm, it's not a very busy store in a little strip mall on the outskirts of a business park.
In these parts (MA) I don't think FYE does well because of Newbury Comics.

Go around dinner time (4 to 5 pm) or later. Some stores have barely had customers by 1 pm. And since I see you're in the North East, like me, by any chance was it a sunny day? Given all the crap rainy weather we've had this summer, a nice sunny day usually equals dead business around these parts. The only time indoor business starts to get hopping during the summer is when it's raining, or too hot (and humid) for too many days. And that certainly has not been the case this summer.

As for Newburry Comics, you may be right. Since the FYE you're talking about is in a strip mall, they must have been a Strawberries at one time - which generally, don't do as well as the mall FYE counterparts do. The freestanding stores are more "destination" stores (meaning people plan to go to them for a specific reason), whereas the mall stores have more readily built in traffic. Most people go to the "mall" for the convenience of shopping many stores, not generally just one. As such, they're usually more inclined to pay whatever for something, rather than be bothered traipsing around town to see who's got it cheaper. (And mall stores rent is usually more expensive, which is another thing that get's passed onto the customer in the form of higher prices.) Places like Newburry Comics, on the other hand, have to be more competitive price wise (among other things) to give you a reason to go out of your way to shop there. When FYE re-branded (and homogenized) all their many store names, they basically turned their freestanding stores into exact replicas of their mall stores - with the only difference being sometimes (depending on how much competition there is per area) cheaper prices. As such, they usually do tend to get bettered by their local indie chain counter parts.

[kenbenobi]

You won't regret it. I bought my PS3 last year by trading in useless DVDs to FYE for credit.:up:
That's how I got my PS3 as well!!! My local stores don't carry it, so I had to wait for fye.com to get it in stock. They eventually did... I probably wouldn't have bought a PS3 otherwise...

[b2net]

is there any confirmation that this ends on Aug 11 and not Aug 1?

[Kocheese99]

I was in 2 days ago and they had a sign up sayin aug 11th.

I got my PS3 from fye about a year ago as well.

I'm planning on doing one more trip in the next week in order to stock up on credit. now if only wherehouse.com has one of their free shipping and 25%-30% off on everything including preorders again, i'll be a happy camper.

[sumdeus]

Anyone know if you're a Backstage (AKA FYE rewards) member if you'd get more value for trade-ins?

[sumdeus]

Anyone know if you're a Backstage (AKA FYE rewards) member if you'd get more value for trade-ins?

FYI on FYE Backstage: I was told today at Newington, NH, store there's no bonus trade-in with Backstage membership only discounted purchases.

On another note, the Newington, NH, FYE is out of the trade-in bags and was told I could "purchase something and use that bag to fill up and trade-in." That really sucked. I have about 175 DVDs to trade in and was hoping to get in on this deal. Super Bitch Boss was on duty today and she told me at first the promotion was over. I questioned the pamphelts located right next to her head that said "Get an extra 20% in trade-in credit..." at which point she grabbed them and said, "I'll be right back. I was out last week." She then came back with the shit response of buy something yada yada yada...anyone have an idea if more bags are coming?

[cardsfan111]

^ sumdeus - early on in this thread I reported that one store told me I needed to make a purchase to receive one of the brown paper bags. An associate at that same store 2 weeks later said to bring in any bag and ask for the promotion and they'd give it to me. Truly a YMMV situation it appears.

[Servo]

The bag says on it they'll honor any bag you bring them in on...though I dunno if that means you HAVE to have the one bag already full or not.

[sumdeus]

^ sumdeus - early on in this thread I reported that one store told me I needed to make a purchase to receive one of the brown paper bags. An associate at that same store 2 weeks later said to bring in any bag and ask for the promotion and they'd give it to me. Truly a YMMV situation it appears.

I think as long as I go when the Super Bitch Boss is not on duty I'll do alright, but she has been HORRIBLE to deal with as long as I can remember! I wish I went last week when she was on vacation :)

[bwsmom]

Well, it's a good thing I'm planning on going in next Friday (a weekday)... if any manager or associate tries to pull the "you must buy something" and/or "you must have one of our bags" crap on me, I'm going to declare serious :horsepoo: and put them on the phone with corporate on the spot. I'm growing increasingly tired of dealing with managers and associates who think they can make up rules on the fly and get away with it. :mad2:

[ktg]

Just FYI, here was my first-time experience with this promo today.

Took about 100 DVDs in. Called first to confirm the promo was running. Initially the junior-manager-type person told me that I would first have to trade in something at the usual non-promo rate to get the "special" 20% off bag. Then she asked if I was thinking cash or store credit. Once I said store credit, she said she would just give me the bag/discount outright, without a "primer" trade-in.

About half of my disks were stuff I bought off the pre-viewed tables at Blockbuster; the rest were all things bought new.

Took them a long time to wade through my collection---more than a half-hour I'd say. Unfortunately, their system rejected maybe 40% of the DVDs as having essentially no trade-in value (shows up as one penny in their system). Those they would not buy from me. Interestingly the rejected the one and only HD-DVD in the pile, the two-disk Mission Impossible III set. I'm guessing they don't want any HD-DVDs at all. The disks they kept netted anywhere from $1.50 to $5 apiece, except for a beat-up box set of Buffy, Season 1, which got $7.50. The two promo discounts (20% bag promo, 25% store credit) were listed as extra, single totals at the end of the receipt.

I asked if it was common for people to bring in this many disks at once. The manager told me about one customer who shows up almost every week with a similar amount, apparently mostly from various Big Lots stores. Interesting since the nearest Big Lots is nearly an hour away.

The manager was completely uncertain when the promo would end, but they did have little placards boasting of the 20%/bag promo throughout the store.

[kenbenobi]

The sign at my store says it ends August 11 as well...

[b2net]

just called today and was told that the promo end date is Aug 11 (today) therefore YESTERDAY was the last day to take anything in...-ohbfrank-

[ScissorPuppy]

just called today and was told that the promo end date is Aug 11 (today) therefore YESTERDAY was the last day to take anything in...-ohbfrank-

Did you talk to a manager?
Because they were wrong. I just took in some stuff this afternoon for around $100 bucks in credit with the extra 20%.

[sumdeus]

Did you talk to a manager?
Because they were wrong. I just took in some stuff this afternoon for around $100 bucks in credit with the extra 20%.

Second that...I left with $367 in store credit after 20% bonus today.

[kintnerboy]

Really divergent policies from the various FYE's in New Jersey.

Some require the bag, some don't. Some made me turn the bag in, some didn't. Some stores rejected certain titles (.01 cent) some gave me 2.00 for the same dvd. Some told me the promo ended Aug 8th, some the 11th. Some welcome the trade ins, some act like you're annoying them.

There are a couple of FYE's (Clifton and Rt 4 in Paramus) who would NEVER give cash. If you went early in the day, they claimed they didn't have any money, if you went late they claimed they gave too much out already.

Seems like they should all get on the same page.

[bmello]

Seems like they should all get on the same page.

Unfortunately, alot of stores are like that. You can go into one Best Buy and that manager refuses to pricematch something and another store 5 miles away will. Sometimes it's a good thing though.

[b2net]

Turns out I did talk to a manager... go figure... I had some credit to burn so I went in on the 12th... I told the employees (1 an asst Manager) and they said that the person I spoke with was mistaken... I spent some time looking through the used section so I could get b3g1free and I saw a sign they forgot to remove about the extra 20%.. I asked and they said they had to honor it... I called the wife and she brought up our haul... Got the 20% extra... Bought 6 got 2 Free & 10% off to boot... but I still think the people we spoke with on the 11th were full of crap....

[Randy Hassan]

I asked in the Ann Arbor, MI, store today, and somebody there told me the promotion was extended. He said the signs were no longer up because they had so few bags, but he gave me one of the bags.

I asked if it was that store only or all stores, and he said all.

[shrug]

[Horrorcjmm]

I went in tuesday to trade in some stuff and was told the promotion is until the end of the month, I'm glad they gave me my 2 bags back because I have some more dvds to trade in.

[b2net]

I asked in the Ann Arbor, MI, store today, and somebody there told me the promotion was extended. He said the signs were no longer up because they had so few bags, but he gave me one of the bags.

I asked if it was that store only or all stores, and he said all.

[shrug]

Well... I am about 50 miles north... and my local said... NOPE... same as stated... ended on 11th so 10th was last day... By the time I drove to yours, it would eat much of my extra from trading... :(

[Randy Hassan]

The Adrian, MI store told me the opposite of Ann Arbor...that the promotion ended.

I called FYE customer service and left a msg (surprised to find that's all they have...no live staff on phone) asking what was up.

[Tenacious D]

I went yesterday to my local FYE and traded some more. I was initially told by the guy behind the cash register that the promotion had just ended. He said that it came down from corporate headquarters. After much discussion, he went back in the back to ask the manager if he could honor the extra 20% since I brought my stuff in one of their special brown bags and I was told by the same guy last time I was in the store that it should be running for a long time. He came back a few minutes later and said that the manager would give me the extra 20% this time, but they couldn't do it again. At least I got in on it once more, but I wish they'd just continue to run this promotion for a while.

[davethomasowns]

So does anybody know if this is over or if it was extended again?

Thanks
Shane

[cardsfan111]

^ I think from what's been described above, it's very much YMMV. You better call the store ahead of time, and even then you may receive a different answer once you get there.