On the gamestop website there is a trade-in special listed - get 25 % off when trading in any games towards the purchase of Batman Arkham Asylum. NO WHERE on the website is there an expiration date for the offer. When I went to gamestop today I was told that "The offer expired yesterday". I was on my lunch so didn't have time to argue with the guy but I told him it was false advertising on the website since there is no expiration date listed. The guy said that those offers are only valid for a certain amount of time. I said I understand that but if I would have known the expiration date I would have been in sooner! No more gamestop for me - they are shady!!

My sister, who is not tech savvy, purchased an Xbox from Gamestop yesterday 7/7/09. She walked in and basically just said she wanted an Xbox, she didn't know the difference in console models and asked for the cheapest one. When I found out about it today 7/8/09, I told her to take it back and get the upgraded model. I asked her if she bought the extended warranty for the console she did purchase and she said "I didn't know they had warranties for them". Gamestop would not return the console - even though she bought it less than 24 hours ago, told me on the phone that it was a new Microsoft policy that they do not accept returns on new consoles that have been opened - I've heard about this for games but never for the console itself. I contacted other stores (walmart, bestbuy, etc) and they told me that there was no such policy and that they would gladly accept a return provided everything was in the box and I had a receipt. I tried to talk the manager into at the very least letting us purchase the warranty for the xbox we had given the fact that she wasn't told about it at purchase, this is what he said "Your out of luck sir, she should have asked for one". I was so mad I was shaking. This company obviously takes advantage of a persons ignorance to their policies and makes no effort to inform their customers of such policies. I've contacted GameStop customer service, and the regional managers office. I've also contacted my local news and will go to the BBB if this is not taken care of.

On another note, just from personal experience with GameStop when I go shopping. Their trade in policy is ludicris, they prey on young kids who want the newest game and so they trade in their entire collection of games to scrape up a few bucks return in order to pay for it. I once witnessed a kid trade in Final Fantasy VII a while back (before they stopped taking PS1 games), they gave him like $6 for it, and they were selling it on the shelf for $50 or more. I've seen it for $80 or more online and in pawn shops. And alot of their other products are so astronomically high, I don't understand why any shops there. They have used Guitar Hero controllers for $39.99 (Toy's R Us is selling the same model - BRAND NEW for $9.99). I've seen many times where they will have a used game on the shelf for only $5 less than the new one on the next shelf over - or they will be selling a used game for more than a new copy at another store.

I know this sounds like I'm just angry about my problem, but it really isn't in general I've never been a fan of GameStop or any of their affiliate companies (Babbages, EBGames, etc) Their employees are often rude and spend most of the time chatting with their friends who are hanging out in the store playing video games.

I've only actually had 1 good experience with gamestop they had a game I wanted at another location - the current manager pulled strings and had the game shipped to that location so I wouldn't have to drive the distance - that manager no longer works there and the customer service declined.

Thanks

I would just like to note that while I've seen quite a few people who get irritated with Gamestop employees, the company itself is much worse. Until recently, my fiance was employed full time with one of the local Gamestops. When he was "terminated", the reasoning was understandable--but not strong enough for someone to lose his job. He made an honest mistake. Since when is it ethical to fire someone for making a mistake? I can guarantee that if you watch anyone close enough, he/she will make a mistake of at least the same caliber if not worse. The problem with this company is that it's stated in their handbook that they can fire someone anytime they want, with any reason. But in the paragraph just above that, there's mention that if there are any problems, the store manager should address the associate and attempt to get the issue resolved. But again, a couple lines below, the handbook reads that there is no guarantee that the associate deserves such treatment.

This was just my own personal experience. Gamestop goes out of its way to fire/screw its associates. I know a guy who used to be a Gamestop SM for years. Gamestop has this little incentive that they promise to their SMs; if they have a low turnover rate for associates, they get a bonus. Money. A check. Etc. This guy had absolutely no turnover for three straight years, and for three straight years Gamestop told him that he wasn't going to get his bonus that year and that it would be added to his bonus that he would get next year. Year four came around and he had an associate that he had to fire. Gamestop denied not only his bonus for that year, but the bonuses that he had previously earned. That money was his. But they didn't give it to him. Needless to say, he quit shortly thereafter.

Another situation of ignorance: there's another SM who walks up to his store one day, just a normal day. He sees an eviction notice on the door and immediately calls his DM. What did his DM say? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this. We're closing your store; you should receive your severance package shortly. If you have to close a store, you have to close a store. But at least have the decency to let your associates know. He could have been out at least looking for another job while they dilly-dallied.

These are three examples of how Gamestop runs a business. I don't know about other people, but if this is what it means to be one of the Fortune 500, then America is a lot worse off than anyone thought.

I saw a commercial for Guitar Hero: Metallica air that concluded with "Pre-Order from Gamestop and receive a free double bass drum pedal with your order. So I went down to Gamestop and pre-ordered it. When I did so, the clerk did not inform that there was a cut-off date to which the people who pre-ordered before March 16th would receive their pedal the day it came out while everyone else would receive it in early April. Nobody told me that...until I went to pick it up. The day it came out, the store was open 2 hours early. So I went in during this time period and the store was completely empty. I was the only customer in the store. I went to get my item and low and behold they inform me that I have to wait for the pedal. So I walk away feeling disappointed but at least I got the game and at least I know I'll get the pedal. So I called up the store to ask when the shipment was coming in. I also called up Gamestop Customer Service to complain about how I was not informed of this. I was told by both the store and the Customer Service rep. That on April 7th the store would receive the pedals for the pre-orders. I was told to call ahead of time to make sure they got them. I called today, they got a shipment in, but not to my surprise they didn't get the double kick pedals for the pre-orders. So I checked my email from a complaint I filed online also, and they told me they couldn't promise the item. It's funny. They have commercials, the store never tells me there's a cutoff date for day of pickup and now they're changing their tune again because they can't make good on their offer. For the record, I would have NEVER pre-ordered this title if the offer wasn't there. I even told the clerk that when I pre-ordered it. I've read online now that other customers have pre-ordered things from Gamestop only to have them not make good on the offer. Please, I want justice for this. I want either my money back or I want the pedal. The fact that they can never make good on their offers should be enough to STOP them from offering these things. If you can't make good, you can't offer. It's not the first time and it won't be the last unless they are stopped.

On 3/25/09, I went to GameStop to pick up my copy of Sacred Fallen Angel for the Xbox 360. The company the day before contacted me by phone and stated the game would be in stores availble to those who had reserved the game. Upon entering the store I spoke with the Asst. Manager to retrieve my copy of the game. The Asst. Manager informed me that the release date had changed to the month of May 2009. To make things right the Asst. Manager gave me a 15% dicount on my next reserved game, Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena due on 4/01/09. On 4//01/09, I arrived at GameStop to pickup my copy of Chronicles of Riddick I was informed by the same Asst. Manager that due to weather conditions the shipment would be delayed to 4/2/09. I returned to my home and at 7:00 pm. I received a phone call from GameStop stating that Chronicles of Riddick would be availble at 12 noon for all customers who reserved the game. On 4/02/09 at 12 noon I returned to GameStop to collect my games Chronicles Of Riddick. This time I spoke with a store associate who informed me that the game date hade been move to 4/07/09. I explained to the store associate the situation about being contacted by the GameStop Company and notified of arrival dates of games, only to collect the games on the due date to then be notified that the dates have changed at the last minute. I asked the store associate how to rectify this problem. The store associate could not answer the question or give any suggetions as to what to do. I attempted to make contact with the Corprate Office only to find that the do not take messages. I was refunded my money but it is the lack of intergrity and customer sevice that bothers me about this company.
I suggest that you avoid conducting business with GameStop due to it's questionable business practices with customers.