Re: So I'm "banned" from EB
 

They didn't say that when they got paid, they would buy a used copy? Weird.

Its not a matter of leaving their "tiny" stores, its a matter of getting people back into the store so they will buy the games they want. Case in point, River City Ransom EX. I talked up this game left and right in the store and I was able to convince at least five others into pre-ordering this title. River City isnt a HUGE title but those who know of it will buy it, so why not make sure they get a copy? Its not the customer wont EVER find it ANYWHERE its just a way of insuring that you keep your customers happy. I dont see it as pushing, I offer and advise...if they refuse..eh oh well. I pre-order titles all the time and I work in a game store. I really dont get why people have a problem leaving deposits. Anyone care to explain? And by explain I mean in a serious manner.

And on a side note, if you had a reciept I'd have gladly exchanged your game for one in better shape. If one was not available then I'd have given you a different game, but I dont know EB's policy but thats how I would have done it.

Zero, people wont pre-order since each store makes $0.01 intrest off of it, and they don't think thats 'fair'. Sadly I forgot (!!!) to pre-order River City, and my store didn't get ANY copies :(

Re: Re: So I'm "banned" from EB
 

I might as well expand on my "banned for life" quote. I have been kicked out of a few places in my life but I don't think I have been actually banned. A group of friends and I were kicked out of a local Friendly's back in high school and told to not return. But that was a few years back when I was a stupid teenager. Recently I was thrown out of a Super Walmart at 3 in the morning for moving a box that was in the middle of an aisle.I was also kicked out of a supermarket for "sampling" candy in the bulk section. I guess saying "banned" was me going for a dramatic effect.

My argued back and forth conversation pretty much when like this.

Me: I paid for a new game and this is clearly not a new game.

EBGuy: Well it works just like a new game.

Me: Yes, it works like a new game but is not in new condition.

EBGuy: So, it's still new.

Me: No, it's not. A new game is one free from flaws. This game has clearly been handled before and not taken care of. It's not new.

EBGuy: Well there isn't much that we can do for you. It's still in working condition.

Thats pretty much all that I can remember. I never yelled or aything like that, I kept my cool. Maybe the guy was pissed that I came in like 15 minutes before they closed. I was going to call today and ask to speak to a manager but would rather not have to deal with them ever again. I'll stick to Best Buy for my gaming needs.

Well, if you're talking the big name items, pushing pre-orders shouldn't be too surprising. This is a corporate thing where the number of copies given to each store in its initial shipment is dependant on the number of people who have pre-ordered (and a bit of a buffer outside of that). Oftentimes there is a good chance you won't get a big name item on the day EB/Gamestop gets it in because all the copies are covered by the pre-orders.

I don't condone pre-orders, but it is an easy way for the corporate section to know how busy a store is and how big a game will be.

While Best Buy and Circuit City will have PLENTY on shelf, and probably cheaper too.

I guess I forgot this part...Best Buy and Circuit City get things 1 to 2 days later than EB or Gamestop (and other specialty retailers). For those people that want things immediately, EB and Gamestop are the way to go.

Notice he said "on the day EB/Gamestop gets them." Gamestores usually give out preorders on the shipping/release date or the day after, BB and CC usually don't put them out until 3 or 4 days later, as they advertise them in their flyer and want to be sure they have them in and out on the shelf by the advertised date.

So his point is for people that MUST have the big name games ASAP, preordering is the way to go.

I really could careless and only preorder if there's a bonus freebie like the Zelda disc or something.

Regarding the pre-order aggresiveness...I was really only talking about the major titles (as far as I can remember, those are the titles they have always asked me about).
The chick at my local Gamestop was all over me about pre-ordering Soul Calibur II. She repeatedly tried to convince me that if I didn't pre-order it, I wouldn't get it. C'mon now....who are we fooling?
If there job depends on selling pre-orders, well that's something different. Just don't talk to me as if I'm a complete idiot.

To the store managers at Gamestop, there job depends on selling pre-orders and getting the subscriptions to the magazine. Corporate sends each store their numbers (a percentage) for pre-orders, subs, and other things that they should acheive, and it is up to the store manager to motivate the assitants and the regular employees to acheive those numbers. If those numbers are not met at the end of the week, the store manager gets written up by the district manager. Getting written up three times, usually means you have to look for a new job.

This is one of the reasons why I hate working at Gamestop. I hate pushing customers into getting pre-orders and/or subs, and I especially hate managers who are persistant in doing so. I have a store manager who is very persistant in this, and will ask a customer not once, not twice, not thrice, but four to five times. Just sitting there and listening to her do this, ****ing annoys the hell out of me and as well as the customer. I could tell the customer is thinking of something like STFU, just give me my damn game. This happens to every paying customer she assists.

I also hate it when she pushes me to get a pre-order from a little kid who barely has enough money to pay for his game. There is a line to be drawn, and I think that crosses it. It probably took that little kid months to save enough money for that game, and I am not going to badger him, just so I could fulfill a percentage that I have to meet.

Sorry about my long rant, I'm just so sick of how this ****ing company is run, I'm sick of pushing for pre-orders and subs, and ****ing sick of my manager. Plus the fact, that they are opening up Gamestops at every block in southern ca., the numbers for each store in the area are going to be watered down. I only work one day a week, so I guess I can't complain that much.

Why preorder a game when BB or CC will probably have a deal on it when it comes out? This has to be killing EB's preorders, since the huge stores usually have new, popular games discounted 5-15 bucks at launch. I remember when Vice City came out, and that one guy posted here that his EB refused to pricematch BB because they would've lost money.

Everyone on this board, however, is a relatively knowledeable gamer. Most of us prefer a BB where they generally have cheaper prices, and you can go in, get what you want, and leave (unless you're buying an appliance, since that's when they start hocking the replacement plans, etc.) We know what we want. This is not true for most people, especially those buying gifts for others. Try getting someone to help you pick out a game at BB... it's getting better, but good luck. CC, forget about it, I'm not even sure my local ones put the games out in any kind of order, much less alphabetical.

I mean, there are people who still preorder big DVD releases at Suncoast...

What Master Killer said was true. Although I work at EB and not Gamestop, we pretty much work the same way. Every month we get sales goals (Pre-played sales, trades, pre-orders, discount cards, etc) that we have to meet. If a store doesn't meet their goals, the manager takes most of the heat for it. From some of these stories I've been hearing, it sounds like some of these managers are getting desperate ;)

Personally, out of all our goals, I think pre-orders are the most ludicrous. I know from personal experience they can be pretty hard to get. But what you don't have to do is tell the customer "You won't find it anywhere else on release date" Come on, who are you kidding? It's just making yourself look stupid and at the same time insulting the customer's intelligence.

Hearing these horror stories make me embarrassed to admit I work at EB sometimes. These stores sound like they have complete *******s working there. If you run into a problem with an employee, you should speak to their District Manager. It'll do a lot more then just complaining here. You might even get a gift card out of it. :)

I highly doubt thats the reason seeing as how we at GameCrazy can give the customer their deposit back or let them use it any way they see fit. As far as River City goes Im sorry, this is an example of how pre-ordering titles can get you the games you want, but I do see the logic in not pre-ordering however it still makes no sense.

Funny you mention the pre-order thing. I asked someone at EB when Hitman 3 was coming out, and he told me, but told me I should pre-order it, because they wouldn't be getting many copies. I declined.

When the game did come out, I decided to buy it there, as they were very helpful the last time I was in. I got in, asked about it, and they said for some reason they didn't get any copies in, and no where else did either.

I went upstairs and bought it at another store.

Glad I didn't preorder.

are you a district manager? i would like to complain... please send me many gift cards. thank you.

I don't shop EB because I always heard their prices were to high even on Preplayed games. Being "banned" from one is not a loss and I think even if you were to go in there again they would love your money.

Each year I preorder NCAA, Madden, ESPN College Hoops, ESPN NHL Hockey, MVP Baseball,and now I will preorder Tiger and Fight Night. Why do I preorder? So I can walk into EB at 10am and pick up my game, walk out and not have to hunt for it. To me, to have my sports games the day they come out is better than waiting till the weekend and getting a deal on them at best buy. I have not preordered on Madden before, and had to wait a week before I found it anywhere.

OT: Why? Do they introduce that many new features that would warrant paying full price? I was under the impression that most of them offer very little innovation from year to year.

I walk in the day the game comes out and buy it also, except I never preorder.

quietsoul, just for the new rosters at the very least. I am just a sports gamer on my console. I even bought an action replay so I could download rosters off the internet. I don't play anything or buy anything but sports games. For games like Tiger, I check out the features list, and there is enough new stuff I will pick them up, if not, I don't. Luckily, this year they've added course creation plus live play for XBOX, so I will pick it up too.

Why not just order online and forgo this store nonsense? ebgames.com 2-day FedEx's and I've always gotten my game the day of release. Hassle free and I don't have to step out my door.

Is the shipping free? If not that's the reason many probably don't do it. It would be a matter of paying a little more for the convenience of not going to the store.

I personally just wait a couple of days and pick it up at best buy with the $5 gamers gift card coupons.

One Day Air ... $9.99
Two Day Air ... $6.99
Three Day Air ... $5.99
EB Saver (5-10 business days) ... $1.99

If time truly does = money, then any one of those options would be comparable to driving to the mall, finding parking, walking through the entire mall, dealing with kids in the store who's parents use the place to babysit, dealing with the idiotic or smug employees, dealing with the title not being there, dealing with whether the game was played or not as the original poster is complaining about, etc. etc. and so forth.

But there's other online places that have free shipping (Amazon.com), YMMV on how long it takes to get to you.

Personally, I've had it with most B&M stores, so I'm biased.
:)

Amazon.com doesn't offer free shipping on video games, but a lot of times, EBgames.com will have a free 1-2 day air shipping code.

Sometimes they do, and most of the time they have those "buy more than $25-$50 and shipping is free" deals, etc.