New game get!
Resident Evil: Revelaitons + 3DS Case + $16.50 refund (!)
So when GameStop called to inform me that the pre-order had arrived, I asked about the bonus cases. The clerk on the phone had no idea what I was talking about, which left me slightly worried, but after getting an explanation promised to look around for them. No problem. When I went to pick up the game the bonus case was sitting ready to go at the same time.
When I picked up the game I also made a point to ask about the price drop and if that had any effect on my preorder. The games I had traded only cost me $10 each, so it didn't matter much to me if there was any change. Worst case scenario, the now-$40 Resident Evil wouldn't qualify for that trade-in deal and I'd switch my preorder to Xenoblade and pay for Resident Evil out of pocket. Best case scenario, I walk out with some store credit or whatever to cover the difference. Can't hurt to ask either way.
Well, the clerk had a funny look for a second and then admitted that his computer said they owed me cash back and I could get a $16.50 refund. (Slightly odd that he wouldn't have said anything if I didn't ask about it, but this is GameStop so it's not really surprising.) I explained that I hadn't actually paid for the game but used one of the trade-in deals available. Was he sure that cash back is correct? He looked at the receipt again, then at the computer, and finally nodded: "It says 'cash' on the receipt so my only choice is to give it back to you in cash."
Ka-ching. When preordering, I did drop $6.50 in pocket change to cover the expected taxes. That must be why the payment type was listed as cash. Since the price had dropped well below the $50 trade value I had received, there were apparently no taxes being charged this time and I'd get that money plus the $10 price drop back into my pocket.
Still doesn't make sense to me - feels like someone or something was screwed up on their end - but I certainly can't complain about the end result. Trading a $10 copy of Pilotwings Resort for Resident Evil is one of the best gaming deals I've gotten this year.