GameStop Selling Games Played By Employees As New

[wraggster]

Kotaku reports on a practice by GameStop which allows employees to "check out" new copies of video games, play them, then return them to be sold as new. Quoting:
"When a shipment of video games initially arrives at a store, managers are told to 'gut' several copies of the game, removing the disc or cartridge from the packaging so it can be displayed on the shelf without concern of theft, according to our sources. The games are then placed in protective sleeves or cases under the counter. If a customer asks why the game is not sealed they are typically told the the game is a display copy. The game is still sold as new. When check-out games are returned, we were told, they are placed with the gutted display copies. If a customer asks about these, they are typically told they are display copies, not that they have been played before. Since the copies are often placed with display copies, even managers and employees typically don't know which of these games have been played and which haven't."

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl.../04/10/0531204

[apex05]

I used to know someone who worked in electronics boutique and i regularly borrowed Ps2 games he took out, and even the mid 90's when i worked in Dixons, the computer 'expert' working there was taking home Megadrive games and the boss really couldn't care less.

[irishwhip]

my local asda does this, and the serving monkey gets all pissy when you ask for a sealed copy.

[havoc_012]

I used to work at Gamestop and this sort of thing happened all the time. Never buy a display copy.

[jrsmaster411]

I used to love that gamestop would take new games even after you opened them, I would buy games and return them all the time, it's like renting for free

[kaferenza]

This is some severely old news. Seriously Moses probably knew about this.

[Magimog]

Worked for Gamestop for 4 years and EB for one (before merger) and informed customers of this all the time.

The only thing we did differently is we told them that the gutted copy gets the same warranty as a used game (7 days like it or return it, 30 days disc itself) so the customers would be more than willing to get the gutted copy as it pretty much was a rental. Some though still like tearing through shrink-wrap though. No biggie. Most never returned the game because they wanted it anyway and liked the extra coverage we gave them. Got MANY repeat customers that way

Being honest to customers is not a thing practiced by all Gamestops, but if you see that its not a sealed copy, you SHOULD be able to get either a used warranty or 10% off (shopworn) the title.

[fpcreator2000]

All the Gamestop stores in my town (4 of them because two were formerly EB) do this. I really don't like buying new games that have been opened by the store, but I buy it anyway if I really want the game.