Author Topic: So nobody likes GameStop?  (Read 240554 times)

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Offline Mop it up

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So nobody likes GameStop?
« on: March 21, 2009, 04:07:55 PM »
I was reading some of the negative comments about GameStop in the NWR 2006 thread (and also the story which sparked them), and whilst I can understand how one could be angered by such encounters, were they really so bad as to swear off the chain altogether?

First off, the employees will vary greatly by store location. Some stores do have employees who are actually knowledgeable about games and can help out the uninitiated without sarcasm or snide remarks. It's the ones who don't really know about games who can be a problem. One time I asked the clerk for a Nunchuk attachment for Wii, and she had no idea what I was talking about. I explained to her what it was, and she said "Oh, you mean a Nunchuk controller." Really? Couldn't make that connection? Anyways, if you don't have a GameStop near you with friendly employees, then I can understand never visiting them. However, unless you've actually visited each store in your area, I think it is a bit unfair to assume the entirety of the chain has terrible employees.

That said, some of their store policies are ridiculous. First off, I'm not really sure if they have any standards as to what condition they will accept a game in, as I've gotten a few disc games which were scratched to all dirty floors and couldn't be read at all. If these games were actually tested then they would have known they didn't work. Also, each used game has a set price regardless of condition, so games missing the box and/or manual aren't any cheaper.

Once I did a little experiment to test my suspicion that they put non-working game returns back on the shelf, by marking the game I had returned. Sure enough, when I went back a week later there it was sitting on the shelf. I guess they will continue to attempt to sell it until they sell it to somebody who wouldn't be bothered to return it.

The open-box display case thing for new games is pretty dusty table as well. I never buy new games from them any more because you never know if you'll get a sealed copy or not. The last "new" game I bought was Super Mario Sunshine, which was opened and already had a couple of scratches on the disc.

EB Games was better than GameStop. Even after the buyout, they still had better prices and store setup. That's where I bought many of my Nintendo 64 games from because their used games were all out on the shelves instead of locked behind a glass case, and were generally in good condition. I don't remember ever buying a non-working game from EB.

These days I only go to GameStop when I'm looking for GameCube games, as they're used prices on Wii games are barely less than new. Their GameCube prices are hit or miss, though they definitely have some better deals than whats on eBay. What really bothers me though is that they've started putting the price sticker underneath the plastic cover and on the paper insert itself, which is going to at least wrinkle up the paper when attempting to remove it. That's just plain illogical to put stickers there, it's like when they'd put stickers on cartridge game labels even though there's plenty of non-label space available.

When I started writing this topic I had the intention to be more positive, but I guess that didn't work out...

Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2009, 04:18:29 PM »
One thing that always bothers me about Gamestop hate is that they pick on the employees, labeling them all as incompetent fanboys simply because of a couple of them in ONE store.

Many of my friends are Gamestop employees. S_B's girlfriend is a Gamestop manager. And I've met and talked with many wonderful Gamestop employees, so to me whenever someone bashes the employees I get upset.

Yes, like ANY store in the world, there are some really bad employees, ones that will test your patience. But simply because you encountered one bad employee you shouldn't convince yourself that all of them are bad. Many are just like you and me; hard working people trying to make a living. And they also get bullcrap from the store and its clients.

Hell, I've even encountered pregnant employees, handling multiple reservations when they should be resting! So because of that I've gained empathy towards employees because they are humans.

If you want to hate the store, hate on its policies, ideas and deals, but leave the employees out of it because they have it just as bad, if not worse, as we.

Regarding Gamestop hate, I think gamers hate it for the same reason many hate Wal-Mart: Its one of the biggest game stores in the US right and its contemporary. Since they have kind of a monopoly on the selling and trading of used games they get away with some dubious things, and that's why so many gamers say nothing but horror stories about them.

Now, if there were more Gamestop like stores and there was real competition then maybe the hate would ease up. Maybe.

Finally, it seems the hate comes from problems with ONE store. I've been to multiple Gamestops, and the service DOES vary. There are stores which are organized and the employees are nice and friendly. Then there are stores that are a mess and its employees are rude.

So it seems that if they have experiences with one store they label them all like that.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2009, 04:22:26 PM by pap64 »
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Offline nickmitch

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2009, 05:32:52 PM »
I go to gamestop mostly because I hate having to hunt for employees to open the glass case things.  Also, there's one lady at the one I go to that knows her **** (for the most part).  Her employees are relatively incompetent, but she runs a tight ship.

It's like pap said, your experience may vary.
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Offline ThePerm

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2009, 07:35:31 PM »
well they usually have the games you want. If i want Madworld, im not going to find it at wal-mart. its going to be at Gamestop.

I hate Gamestop for another reason. I used to work there. They didn't fire me, but i waited for 3 weeks by the phone for them to call me in to work before i decided to quit. Passive Aggressive BS. You don't hire 30 people to work at Gamestop. I basically set the store up, and worked opening day. Many people were pissed. I don't really hold that against the company though.

it was funny when i bought my Wii, i bought it at the Gamestop I used to work at.
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Offline GoldenPhoenix

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2009, 07:52:32 PM »
Like any franchise there are good Gamestops and bad ones. The one I go to I know most of the people there, the manager is awesome, along with a woman that is about my age who is really nice along with being quite knowledgeable. It is usually a pleasant experience, though the new guys aren't that great, when I went in there later at night they were in the back room saying bad things about Scott (the manager) along with basically ignoring me while they gossiped. I've been tempted to report them.
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Offline Morari

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2009, 09:03:00 PM »
GameStop is overpriced. Gamestop employees are rude and stupid. Gamestop only stays afloat because of a lack of competition. I've been to several different stores in several different states and the story is always the same. Employees are generally too busy or self important to give you the time of day. When you do get their attention they bombard you with ridiculous sales pitches for asinine magazines and reservations for games that they'll create artificial shortages of. Their used games are usually wrecked beyond use and their "new" games have already been broken out of the package and scratched up. To say that one should hate the company and not the employee is ridiculous because the company can only survive so long as people are willing to whore themselves out for a paycheck. If nothing else, you should hate the employees for not having any personal dignity! Overall, I'd say that Gamestop is a lot like Hot Topic. People only go there and work there because of a certain "cool factor" that corporate suits sell them. No one really knows anything concerning the subject matter because they're not truly part of the niche, target audience that the store merely claims to support. People are sheep and that's good for business.
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Offline GoldenPhoenix

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2009, 09:07:13 PM »
Quote
Gamestop employees are rude and stupid.

What a ridiculous and stupid statement. Great job lumping everyone into a specific category, considering I've seen the opposite it shows how asinine your stereotypical point really is as is any statement that says "X" group is ALL a certain way. Usually it makes me wonder if it isn't the employees with the problem but the attitude of "X" customer who makes statements like that.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2009, 09:26:38 PM by GoldenPhoenix »
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Offline KnowsNothing

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2009, 11:36:26 PM »
1. I don't know about now, but at one point all new GBA or DS games were $5 more at GameStop for no reason at all.
2. They sell unsealed "new" games.
3. They sell broken used games.  I have purchased multiple broken disc based games (which in all fairness can be hard to test), and even a broken cartridge game that had blatant damage to the pins.  I also have traded in broken games, just because I am an ass hole.
4. They had such an awesome SNES collection and they got rid of them all :( bastards

On the slip side, yeah they do screw you over with their trade in values but at least they ACCEPT trade ins in the first place.  Not many other places, especially big retail chains, will let you do that.  Something is better than nothing.
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Offline Spinnzilla

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2009, 01:03:39 AM »

Quote
2. They sell unsealed "new" games.

Really? my nearest gamestops has unsealed games marked as new, but they're for display purposes only.  they keep all the sealed stuff behind the counter. 
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Offline ThePerm

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2009, 01:22:45 AM »
Quote
Gamestop employees are rude and stupid.

What a ridiculous and stupid statement. Great job lumping everyone into a specific category, considering I've seen the opposite it shows how asinine your stereotypical point really is as is any statement that says "X" group is ALL a certain way. Usually it makes me wonder if it isn't the employees with the problem but the attitude of "X" customer who makes statements like that.

looks like Golden Phoenix caiught Morari's Fallacy of Hasty generalization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasty_generalization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_fallacy

another article to read for fun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_distortion
« Last Edit: March 22, 2009, 01:26:10 AM by ThePerm »
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Offline Halbred

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2009, 01:24:34 AM »
The GameStops here in Anchorage are teh_evil, claiming to hold items for you and then, once you get there, deny memory of holding anything for you (like an hour ago--screw you guys) and hey--they're all out of (whatever they were supposed to be holding). It has happened to me many times.

More irritating are the times where they try to sell you a used game in a generic DVD case for full price, or when they give you crap for credit on fairly new games. I don't like the type of employee who thinks he's better than you, which I've encountered many times. Dude, you work at a GameStop at near-minimum wage. You don't have a college degree and no, you DON'T know more about games than me. And they can't bring themselves to get new games in on time.

What turned me away from GameStop for good was the time I had to go in and renew my GameInformer subscription. I stood in like for like fifteen minutes behind some idiot fat guy who kept asking about release dates and whether they had this game or that. I noticed that the whole store was crawling with people who looked homeless or, at the very least, hadn't showered in weeks. When I finally got up to the counter and asked to renew my GI subscription, they asked if I wanted to reserve any games. The person behind me belched loudly and chuckled with his idiot friend.

I renewed my subscription and haven't been back since.
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Offline GoldenPhoenix

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2009, 01:54:42 AM »
Gamestop is similar to Best Buy, and I think the nature of the store depends heavily on what kind of manager they have. The local Best Buy is GREAT with friendly people that are willing to help you out all the time, while there is another around where I work where they blatantly ignore you.

Gamestop is the same way, there are some that have terrible managers who hire whoever while there are some, like the one I go to all the time who don't pressure you much and are more then willing to help along with being pretty knowledgeable. In regards to used games, at least you can trade them back if they have problems, but seriously that is a problem with any company that accepts used games back. It should be interesting to see how their prices change if the new trade in programs at other stores catch on. Oh yeah the one I go to also gets new games in a very timely manor, so no complaint there

In regards to game prices, at one time I recall them inflating the price but lately I haven't seen any examples of it. It is odd that people complain so much about their trade-in value, it isn't like they are the only option for selling your game. It is a matter of opportunity cost, how much is it worth to you to sell a game back a store for instant cash vs selling it on eBay where you will more then likely get a better deal.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2009, 02:00:44 AM by GoldenPhoenix »
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Offline Kairon

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2009, 03:06:06 AM »
During college, I pretty much ensured that my GameStop treated me well because I walked in one day with a list of 15 games to pre-order. Ilike to tell myself that the guy who helped me out that day became manager in a large part because of my extravagant college Wii and DS buying habits.
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Offline Adrock

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2009, 03:12:51 AM »
There are roughly 15-20 Gamestop locations within reasonable driving distance from me. They range from ehh to terrible. I have my share of Gamestop horror stories. I know at least a few of the Gamestop stores I've been to will absolutely not give pre-order bonuses to customers. I mean, the employees use the bonuses to score pre-orders, but come launch day, no pre-order bonus. They'll give some BS excuse, but really, they took the gifts themselves and either sell them on ebay or keep them (and possibly sell them on ebay some time down the road).

I don't really shop at Gamestop anymore and haven't for years. I mainly go to Gamecrazy because I work 1 shift at Hollywood Video so I can keep renting movies and games for free on top of discounts at both Hollywood Video and Gamecrazy. Honestly, Gamecrazy as a company used to be much, much better than Gamestop until slowly, but surely they started adopting some of Gamestop's trademark lameness. Prices used to be lower and trade in value higher. Not anymore... On top of that, corporate is trying to institute that oh-so irritating selling-unsealed-games-as-new thing that everyone hates Gamestop for, which I know at least 2 stores have flat out refused to do though we'll see how long that lasts though Gamecrazy does have a policy that allows customers to try new games before buying them which is great unless that person passes and there's an unsealed new game sitting on the shelf.

Offline ShyGuy

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2009, 04:08:27 AM »
Not really, but there are not many alternatives.

Offline Stratos

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2009, 05:36:17 AM »
There was a GameStop South of Portland in Clackamas that had a set of great employees who knew their stuff and were very personable. I prefer that store over any other GameStop.
I also thought this one girl at a close by GameCrazy was really nice but that was more because we swapped customer service nightmare stories from our jobs than anything else.

I don't recall any employees that have given me issues at GameStop other than one who flat out lied to me about a games shipping status. That guy was one of those obvious fanboys who hated Nintendo and thought XBox was the Second Coming. I know this because I had to deal with him a number of times and saw how he presented games to other customers.

I won't buy new games there anymore if I can help it because of the chance you can get an opened new copy. I especially hate that when I'm buying it for someone else. If I'm paying full price for a game for a friend I want it properly wrapped.

I also get frustrated with having them try and sell me pre-orders for all sorts of random games that turn out to have mediocre reviews. I rarely preorder games anyway.

Those are the policies that bug me the most about GameStop but that is more my issue with them, not the employees.

Though, Mop it up, a problem is that employees do make the store. If there are poor employees then it reflects badly on the company. It shows a lack of pride and good leadership skills. It is very important to have and maintain a quality team that has a healthy balance of positive energy, knowledge, work ethic and good customer service. If people have bad experiences at stores then who is to say that this is not a corporate policy issue? Should there not be standards imposed on who you employ in your company? There should be tests made to survey how good your team is doing and how satisfied your customers are. Especially in this type of market, you need to jealously guard your customers and give them a reason and a desire to choose your store to frequent versus one of the plethora of options available to them.

When I was a manager of a Pizza Hut I learned the importance of fielding a good team. One bad apple can ruin the whole cart in a number of ways; chase away returning and new customers, chase away potential good crew members and also turn better crew members into poorer workers. Managers need to set good examples and create an environment where excellence in service is a standard, not an exception. I don't care if you are serving burgers, tacos, videogames, movies or wiener dogs in the park, treating customers with respect is essential.

Now if only we could do something about the bad customers... :rolleyes:
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Offline Flames_of_chaos

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2009, 07:50:28 AM »
Actually gamestop still does that to Nintendo games or some DS games, if the MSRP is 29.99 gamestop will charge 34.99. I do agree with the majority that I dislike gamestop's infamous policy of "gutted games equals to new games" and there can be awesome employees. However there are bad experiences like I had where I essentially was  treated like garbage and I can understand people never coming back to a specific store if they were burned by the actions of specific employees.

In reality I can empathize with good employees getting slugged with bad corporate policy, because I was one of those in Blockbuster where I had to sell blockbuster online or else I would get tagged as an under performer(I was tagged that a couple of times and I didn't care) especially if I didn't offer the service to the mystery shopper or if the mystery shopper caught me not offering the service to another customer, it was annoying.
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Offline Nick DiMola

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2009, 10:25:22 AM »
First off, I just want to mention that I don't really think Gamestop hate can be compared to Walmart hate. In most cases, Walmart hate is totally unjustified whereas Gamestop hate nearly always has a horror story attached to it.

I'll start down the list of why I hate Gamestop:

1. Most importantly, they do not value games at all. What I mean by this is that they will take garbage trashed up games for trade-in, and then put them out on the shelves in whatever condition they came in. Boxes, manuals, and disc art are of the least concern to them, and they make absolutely no distinction with the price sticker when selling you crap vs. selling you pristine goods.

2. They do not value their customers (the business, not the employees). They offer barely anything for trade-in, they force preorders upon customers just so they can more accurately gauge demand, and they often will steer gamers into buying things (like extended warranties on discs) even though they will never get use out of them once.

3. Gutted games. When I buy a new game, I want that fucker sealed in plastic wrap. "New" does not mean not played. Their corporate policy even dictates the truth of this statement. Try and return an opened "New" game and tell them, "Well, I never played it!" They'll tell you "Sorry, but you can trade it in for (a measly) 20 bucks." Yet they will sell it back to the public for $5 off of MSRP pricing.

4. They are a monopoly. As such they set the standard prices (and policies) of used game sales. Nothing is more frustrating when Gamestop arbitrarily prices games and as a result even eBay and Half.com prices mimic Gamestop prices. Look at the majority of stocked Gamecube games, they all sell for $20+ even though there are 20 copies of each game on the shelf.

5. The employees. I will not say every employee at every store is a worthless waste of life, but I have been to many, many Gamestops and have been met with nothing but problems. Arrogant (ignorant) sales associates are probably my biggest gripe. They are so cocky about their preferences that when anybody buys something they deem unworthy they see fit to rattle off a list of "better" games you should purchase. Also, they are often too lazy to help you look for a damn game when you can't find the box anywhere on the shelf.

All that being said, I will still occasionally shop there when a coupon comes around for last-gen games. I'll raid their super cheap games and grab a bunch of stuff at prices I could never get on eBay and Half.com. Other than that, I refuse to buy anything from them or sell anything to them.

Ugh..
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Offline ThePerm

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2009, 02:27:08 PM »
The GameStops here in Anchorage are teh_evil, claiming to hold items for you and then, once you get there, deny memory of holding anything for you (like an hour ago--screw you guys) and hey--they're all out of (whatever they were supposed to be holding). It has happened to me many times.

More irritating are the times where they try to sell you a used game in a generic DVD case for full price, or when they give you crap for credit on fairly new games. I don't like the type of employee who thinks he's better than you, which I've encountered many times. Dude, you work at a GameStop at near-minimum wage. You don't have a college degree and no, you DON'T know more about games than me. And they can't bring themselves to get new games in on time.

What turned me away from GameStop for good was the time I had to go in and renew my GameInformer subscription. I stood in like for like fifteen minutes behind some idiot fat guy who kept asking about release dates and whether they had this game or that. I noticed that the whole store was crawling with people who looked homeless or, at the very least, hadn't showered in weeks. When I finally got up to the counter and asked to renew my GI subscription, they asked if I wanted to reserve any games. The person behind me belched loudly and chuckled with his idiot friend.

I renewed my subscription and haven't been back since.

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lol, and the homeless looking people, sure they weren't just dedicated gamers..lol
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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2009, 07:22:36 PM »
I think GoldenPhoenix is onto something, the GameStop I go to used to be great with every employee being knowledgeable and competent when it was under its old manager. He was a great guy, I often ended up spending more time in the store than I intended because I got into a conversation with the person behind the counter. Recently, though, it hasn't been as good, though it's  still way better than either of the other local GameStops.
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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2009, 07:23:10 PM »
Most of the GameStop stores I've dealt with have been good. The employees usually let me be, but if I need help they'll give it to me. One of the employees even gave me tips on finding a wii when I didn't have one.

Unfortunately, my wife and I just moved, and the GameStop that I've tried so far fits in with the 'bad GameStop' stereotype.
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Offline Morari

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2009, 10:03:30 PM »
Quote
Gamestop employees are rude and stupid.

What a ridiculous and stupid statement. Great job lumping everyone into a specific category, considering I've seen the opposite it shows how asinine your stereotypical point really is as is any statement that says "X" group is ALL a certain way. Usually it makes me wonder if it isn't the employees with the problem but the attitude of "X" customer who makes statements like that.

Sounds to me like someone works at GameStop. Besides, generalizations are a great way of not wasting one's time. For example, more than a few of your traits stick right out as quick ways to cut you from a list of my personal concerns. ;)

First off, I just want to mention that I don't really think Gamestop hate can be compared to Walmart hate. In most cases, Walmart hate is totally unjustified whereas Gamestop hate nearly always has a horror story attached to it.

Have you ever been to a Wal-Mart? I'd hardly call that unjustified hate.
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Offline Nick DiMola

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #22 on: March 23, 2009, 06:53:57 AM »
First off, I just want to mention that I don't really think Gamestop hate can be compared to Walmart hate. In most cases, Walmart hate is totally unjustified whereas Gamestop hate nearly always has a horror story attached to it.

Have you ever been to a Wal-Mart? I'd hardly call that unjustified hate.

Yes, as a matter of fact I have, plenty of times. Last time I checked I wasn't a millionaire and I could buy some groceries and house items cheaper there than anywhere else, so I gladly shop there for what I need. I've never been treated poorly by any of the store's associates and I always save myself a few bucks in the process.

But this is off-topic anyhow, so back to Gamestop.
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Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2009, 01:50:44 PM »
First off, I just want to mention that I don't really think Gamestop hate can be compared to Walmart hate. In most cases, Walmart hate is totally unjustified whereas Gamestop hate nearly always has a horror story attached to it.

The reason I compare Gamestop hate to Wal-Mart hate is because both stores are extremely popular, they are everywhere in the US and Canada and they seem to have a monopoly of their respective area of businesses. People also hate their policies on prices and merchandise and both stories are part of contemporary America, and people just love to bash the contemporary.

And once more, just because one store has bad employees it doesn't mean that ALL of them are like that. Like any store it all depends on what type of people they hire. Hell, even stores with good managers get stuck with mediocre employees who refuse to follow the rules. For example, one time S_B's girlfriend ordered an employee to save a Guitar Hero II bundle for a mother who was looking for one. The employee then sold the bundle, no questions asked. She was mad when she found out, so as quickly as possible she called the other stores to see if they had Guitar Hero II and once a store had one she told them to save it and directed the mother towards that store.

In another story, she was instructing a new employee about selling games to minor (something she takes very seriously). The employee assumed it was a joke because it seems they didn't care about this at his other store. But then she assured him that she was serious and the employee was quickly straightened out.

So as you can see, even the employees have to deal with other employees.
Pedro Hernandez
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Re: So nobody likes GameStop?
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2009, 02:14:39 PM »
While it may be true that some gamestop managers and employees are great people and run a great store, they would be doing it in spite of company policy.

The policies that force their employees to sell used games, game guides, force preorders, etc. are why most people hate the store.

We shouldn't have to count on employees breaking the corporate rules in order to have a good shopping experience.
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