slop101

Thought this comic was worth the bump:

fujishig

I saw that comic, and I understand why they made it, but with something like amiibos, I think that's reasonable (if they keep it behind the counter for reservations).

Supermallet

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a reservation system. It's not like it's a secret. Hell, they won't shut up about it!

The alternative is trying to track shipments and showing up at stores that don't take reservations early enough that you can get in first and buy what you need.

Michael Corvin

Reservations are fine, it's the "oh you didn't reserve? Good luck finding GTAV anywhere today*" attitude knowing full well I can walk next door to Target, WM or BB and be pretty damn sure they'll all have 50+ copies to sell.

*it wasn't GTAV but I had that exact thing said to me for some major release. I remember laughing at the guy and had no problem getting a copy at Target.

PerryD

We had the exact experience at a Toys R Us on that Friday when getting the new 3DS there over lunch. They had a bunch of the rare Amiibos in a glass case at the register, and when we asked about them , they were all "reserved". Then some kid came in later while we were checking out and picked them all up at once, 4 or 5 of each Amiibo.

fujishig

Right, that's ridiculous if they have extra copies; otherwise if they're truly sold out except for reservations, then they shouldn't sell it to you regardless of whether the store next door has copies.

The problem is when they don't follow that system, and give away (or take home) the reserved goodies and give you an open case copy for your reservation.

The shouldn't flaunt the reserved merchandise though.

Supermallet

But that's not at all what the comic is about. Amiibos are actually hard to find, depending on the one you want, and for items like that, a reservation system makes sense.

Michael Corvin

I was speaking in general. One of the reasons I stopped going.

Supermallet

I think we can all make a laundry list of why people shouldn't shop at Gamestop, but them holding reservations for people who reserved them wouldn't be on that list.

And now I have one more reason to loathe Penny Arcade: They made me defend Gamestop. Fuck you Penny Arcade!

Music

Penny Arcade didn't make you defend Gamestop; slop and Corvin did.

Obi-Wanma

The Penny Arcade strip does give off the impression that it's impossible to get anything new at retail unless it's reserved though, and has always been this way. I've never had an issue finding a new game on release day, despite Gamestop employees threats to the contrary.

The Bus

I think that was the last time I went into one of those stores.

Plus, they all smell like sadness. Every single one.

zero

I still shop there, and I hardly trade so I guess I'm a part of the problem

Keith6601

I get my psn cards there because the only places besides walmart around here that has them are rite-aid and walgreens and they've both tried charging tax on them so I won't get them there.

Jeraden

Figured I'd chime in with my latest Gamestop rant. Gamestop had Toad Amiibo preorders a couple months ago online, so I ordered one for in-store pickup at my local gamestop. I got a call Friday night at 6:30 telling me that my Toad Amiibo was in the store and I can come pick it up. The girl cautioned me that I had 48 hours to pick it up and then they'll release it to the store for someone else to purchase.

I go to the store at 5pm on Sunday to pick it up. The girl at the counter said that they released it for sale on Saturday night since I didn't come to pick it up in time. She actually happened to be the person that called me on the phone also. I said you called me at 6:30 on Friday and told me I had 48 hours to pick it up. She says the 48 hours expired on Saturday night. That when she called me, 24 hours had already elapsed. I'm like what??? What use is telling me I have 48 hours to pick it up, when I really had 24 hours?? That doesn't even make sense. Tell me I have until Saturday night to pick it up, not "48 hours" with no reference as to when the 48 hour clock started ticking. I really believe an employee just wanted to buy it so they just made up that bs as an excuse.
I also noticed the actual release date of it was on Friday, so technically I couldn't have picked it up before Friday anyways. Though that shouldn't have mattered anyways since if you call me and tell me 48 hours, it should be 48 hours, not some other number. Still kind of pissed about it. Not even so much that I didn't get it, as no big deal, but the wasted time to go pick it up along with the total idiocy of that girl and the bs 48 hours.

Michael Corvin

That's more bullshit anyway. The figure is sold (pre-order to you). You should have a few weeks(a week at the minimum) to claim it.

"Anybody can take a reservation. It's the holding that's the most important part."

Bob_Bobbson

I have an interesting situation with my Mortal Kombat X pre-order.

I pre-ordered their "GameStop Exclusive Limited Edition" a few months ago. I didn't have it paid in full, but I was pretty close. I had been sorting my game collection and every once and a while I'd trade some games in and apply the credit to this pre-order.

Anyway, yesterday I went in to pick up my pre-order. I had a stack of games with me, so I traded those in and got enough credit to cover the rest of what I owed on the game. At that point, the cashier said he was going to grab my game, and he went back behind the counter somewhere and emerged with a standard version of the game.

I told him that I actually pre-ordered the Limited Edition and he looked at my receipt and his face just went blank and he said "oh..." and he went behind the counter and started rummaging around frantically. He whispered to his co-worker, and the co-worker turned to me and said "Yeah...we don't have any of those."

My cashier came back over and told me he was sorry but they "Didn't get enough copies to cover their pre-orders." I remarked that it was weird that GameStop didn't send enough copies of their exclusive version to cover the pre-orders and he said "Well, we got a whole bunch of late orders on this version. We were actually hoping that not everyone with a pre-order came in to pick up their game today."

Then, strangely, he started to hand the regular copy to me and said "Here, take this home with you, and when we get more of the one you ordered in, you can bring it back in." I declined and just said I'd wait for them to get more copies. He told me they had no idea when they are getting more in, but he thinks they might sometime between today and next Tuesday.

I'm not really mad about the whole thing, just a little annoyed.

dsa_shea

I would be a little more than annoyed. You pre-ordered that item with the expectation to receive it and now they want to finagle their way out of following through with their end of the deal. They should have prioritized who would receive it based on the pre-order date, but they didn't. I would hope that if they can't get what you ordered that you will take your games and money and at least buy this game elsewhere.

Bob_Bobbson

I'm not one to really get worked up over things, for the most part. They said they are getting more in, (and the thing is paid off now, and it's a version of the game I can't get elsewhere) so I'm just being patient for the time being. If they don't get it within the next couple days, I'll start getting mad.

...But yeah, I said "But pre-ordering guarantees you get a copy on release day" basically repeating what they tell me whenever they try to talk me into extra pre-orders. The cashier just said "I know, I'm sorry."

There is another GameStop across town who is also out of stock. Does anyone here know if I can get my pre-order there if they get any in? Or are pre-orders locked to the location where it was placed?

Supermallet

The location where you got yours can request that a copy be shipped to their store if another store has it in stock, but you can't go to the other location and pick it up, as the pre-order isn't in their local computers.

fujishig

"We got a whole lot of late orders on this one"? How the heck can they not even handle an ordered list.

DaveyJoe

They knew what they were doing. They're not going to turn away money, they just kept taking orders and hoped that people wouldn't actually redeem them.

stingermck

I honestly dont know why anyone still gives this company money.

spainlinx0

For a company that makes pre-ordering such a huge fucking deal, you would think they could at least do it competently.

fujishig

That's the thing. It's the perfect opportunity to cut off preorders and do their favorite spiel: hey, you know what, preorders are sold out right now because of demand, but you can preorder these other things early. Instead it just ticks off another customer.