Gamestop sinks even lower
#1
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Gamestop sinks even lower
Gamestop's new automated calling system
It is annoying enough to walk in the store and be constantly hassled by the employees to trade something in or to pre-order something. Now they are starting to call people in the privacy of their homes to harass them with this shit??
GameStop's new automated calling system zooms past "doorbell going off while you're in the shower" and into "fingernails screeching on chalkboard" territory.
Has GameStop crossed the line?
Reports from several sources have indicated that Aeris, GameStop's "lovable" auto-dialing machine, has started to make unsolicited phone calls to people whose only crime was being gracious enough to buy their games. A blogger from Ars Technica writes:
"I preordered Zelda: Twilight Princess a while back when I was waiting for the Wii. I picked it up and never thought about it again. Then, at dinnertime last night, my phone rang."
We hope you're enjoying your copy of Twiliight Princess, but if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in?"
--GameStop automated message
"'We hope you're enjoying your copy of Twiliight Princess, but if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in? We're willing to give you $35 in trade for your copy of Twilight Princess....' I hung up at this point, and try[sic] not to curse. I really don't like this sort of phone call, but I'm almost willing to tolerate it when they're telling me a game I want to buy is coming in."
A similar story appeared recently on The Consumerist, with the customer going as far as calling the customer service line to remove his name from the list:
"[I] waited on hold for a few minutes, got a CSR and asked that my name be removed from the solicitation list. I said that I don't mind the calls telling me my reserved games are in, but that the solicitations needed to stop. He said that the two systems are linked, and that I couldn't be removed from one without being removed from the other."
The customer then complied to be removed, but the operator did not confirm his deletion from the list, merely telling him that he had "put in a request" to the system. And as far as the customer knows (or any customer, for that matter), not once was he notified by a GameStop employee that his presence on the pre-order list would lead to possible sales calls.
A call to a local GameStop store revealed that this is, in fact, company policy. Not punishing gamers for pre-ordering their games, of course, but using the same phone number database for two separate purposes: one moderately helpful, the other completely irresponsible. One doesn't need a degree in brain surgeon school to figure out that GameStop needs to change this system, and fast.
Has GameStop crossed the line?
Reports from several sources have indicated that Aeris, GameStop's "lovable" auto-dialing machine, has started to make unsolicited phone calls to people whose only crime was being gracious enough to buy their games. A blogger from Ars Technica writes:
"I preordered Zelda: Twilight Princess a while back when I was waiting for the Wii. I picked it up and never thought about it again. Then, at dinnertime last night, my phone rang."
We hope you're enjoying your copy of Twiliight Princess, but if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in?"
--GameStop automated message
"'We hope you're enjoying your copy of Twiliight Princess, but if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in? We're willing to give you $35 in trade for your copy of Twilight Princess....' I hung up at this point, and try[sic] not to curse. I really don't like this sort of phone call, but I'm almost willing to tolerate it when they're telling me a game I want to buy is coming in."
A similar story appeared recently on The Consumerist, with the customer going as far as calling the customer service line to remove his name from the list:
"[I] waited on hold for a few minutes, got a CSR and asked that my name be removed from the solicitation list. I said that I don't mind the calls telling me my reserved games are in, but that the solicitations needed to stop. He said that the two systems are linked, and that I couldn't be removed from one without being removed from the other."
The customer then complied to be removed, but the operator did not confirm his deletion from the list, merely telling him that he had "put in a request" to the system. And as far as the customer knows (or any customer, for that matter), not once was he notified by a GameStop employee that his presence on the pre-order list would lead to possible sales calls.
A call to a local GameStop store revealed that this is, in fact, company policy. Not punishing gamers for pre-ordering their games, of course, but using the same phone number database for two separate purposes: one moderately helpful, the other completely irresponsible. One doesn't need a degree in brain surgeon school to figure out that GameStop needs to change this system, and fast.
#4
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Originally Posted by Goldberg74
Paging Suprmallet to thread #492761.
Usually the company sends out those kind of calls when we have some kind of promotion. If I recall, the price quoted on Twilight Princess is actually higher than our normal trade in value on it.
But yeah, as a private individual (i.e. not a representative of Gamestop, as I never represent Gamestop on these boards), I think this is pretty lame.
#8
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Lucky me... i never buy new games from GS, their prices are insane and i don't understand why people buy from them in the first place. Maybe store credits? I only buy used games from them, even then, i have to wait for promotions, like B2G1 free, heehee...
#11
Retired
Pretty lame, luckily I haven't got one yet. Haven't bought anything there since I picked up my preordered Wii, Zelda and extra controller in November.
Other than the occasional used game during a sell, I rarely set foot in those stores, and this practice gives me yet another reason to steer clear.
Other than the occasional used game during a sell, I rarely set foot in those stores, and this practice gives me yet another reason to steer clear.
#16
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Suprmallet

I feel for EB/Gamestop employees. They are under tremendous pressure to meet weekly goals for sales, preorders, used games and they get very little in compensation in return. Many only work there simply because they love gaming. I don't think its right to dump on all the employees just because the corporation is frequently clueless and cheap.
#17
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Originally Posted by darkside
Many only work there simply because they love gaming. I don't think its right to dump on all the employees just because the corporation is frequently clueless and cheap.
Even the isolated 'good' Gamestops are still part of the larger problem.
#18
Moderator
MY experience with GS/EB is fine. I only buy used games from them and maybe an occassional new game when they have a good promotion.
The folks that work at the EB I frequent are weiros, but they are nice guys, and haven't tried to push anything on me... prolly 'cause I'm bigger than them and would knock their teeth in (
) if they tried.
The folks that work at the EB I frequent are weiros, but they are nice guys, and haven't tried to push anything on me... prolly 'cause I'm bigger than them and would knock their teeth in (

#19
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by Ralph Wiggum
and by selling used games as new.
The few times I've been in a Gamestop, I don't think I've ever seen a used game there that looked like it was in halfway decent condition. They're either missing the manual, the case art, or look like they've been chewed up by a dog.
Since they open up their "new" games and take the disc out, I've always sort of suspected that they sell used games that are in halfway decent condition as "new."
#20
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Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Since they open up their "new" games and take the disc out, I've always sort of suspected that they sell used games that are in halfway decent condition as "new."
Huh? What do you mean?
#22
DVD Talk Hero
I have never pre-ordered anything from a physical GS/EB Games, so I don't have to worry about this. I stopped giving either of them any of my business years ago. Now that Best Buy gets games the same day as GS/EB, they have lost any advantage they may have had in the past. I honestly don't see the company lasting another 10 years.
#23
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Originally Posted by Arpeggi
I only go to Gamestop when I feel like a loser and then I see one of the douchebags working there and I feel better about myself.
Thanks Gamestop!
Thanks Gamestop!

With my local GS, I can see how this could work.
#24
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Well look at the kind of people that trade their games into Gamestop. That's pretty much why the discs are in shitty condition. But then again why would you treat anything you own nicely if you are dumb enough to trade them in at Gamestop?
#25
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Originally Posted by Arpeggi
I only go to Gamestop when I feel like a loser and then I see one of the douchebags working there and I feel better about myself.
Thanks Gamestop!
Thanks Gamestop!
