What I'm going to write here is not illegal, but it is probably unethical. I don't do these tricks a lot (they will get noticed eventually if they happen too often) but with my recent gamerscore race I did have to come up with creative ways to get my hands on more games with a reduced budget.
Ways to game GameStop
•1. The most famous way is the 'extended free rental'. Merely buy a used game, then return it within a week, saying you didn't like it. Voila, free 7 day rental!
•2. My favorite is the 'rollover rental'. The same as above, except instead of returning it, you exchange it for a different game after 7 days. Continue this until you find a game that you truly love. I've done this about 4 times in a row before I finally felt guilty enough (and found a game good enough) and let GameStop keep the money.
•3. This one is the most questionable- the 'buy none get one free' scam. Every 3 months or so, GameStop has a buy 2 get 1 free sale on used games. Pick up 3 games and get the cheapest one free. You cannot return the games for a refund, but you can trade them in for a different game, ala way #2. Once you have done that, the new game you have is on a different receipt and can now be returned for store credit, leaving you minus the money but with the same amount of credit and a free game to boot. Now wait three months and instead of using money to buy your buy 2, get 1 free games use the credit from last time...
•4. The 'stackables'. This one is not unethical, it's just good common sense. The GameStop website has a signup where you get a weekly email that sends you a coupon. This is stackable with your 10% off GameStop Edge card and better yet stackable with a buy 2 get one free. This is especially important for trade in games that generally give you next to nothing- up to 2 promos will stack, so my favorite time is when I get a 'trade in 2 Xbox 360 games get an extra $10 credit' along with a 25% extra trade in credit coupon. At this point you are getting something close to the value of the game you are trading in.
By the way, buy.com is doing a buy 2 get 1 free video game sale right now.
Comments
I'm more likely to buy and try a game with a safety-valve return policy than I am if I know I'd be stuck with it. This is why they're so successful. Even your tricks are good for them, because then folks are more likely to go into the store, which is more chance to make a sale than if nobody goes in. Plus, every time you go to buy a game, even if you intend to return it, you are a body in the store and a car in the parking lot, which is free advertising for them. Let's not also forget that even if Gamestop only has your money for a few days, the company gains interest on that money, so they still win. Like we say here in Nevada, the house always wins!
Personally, I recommend not buying games from Gamestop. It's a solid money saver. Borrow them from friends, get them used from Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, go to yard sales and bargain bins and major electronics outlets, and similar strategies.
Doesn't work for the latest and greatest titles, but hey, if you're like me you're still working on Command & Conquer Generals.
I don't consider it unethical because it is up to the company to protect itself from exploitation of their offers, not the individual consumer.
I remember that Circuit City had an offer going that I took full advantage of. Basically, buy anything you wanted and then pay some extra for the extented product protection plan. How it worked is that if you bought it, anytime within two years you could return the product, claiming you were having problems with it, and with NO QUESTIONS ASKED they'd give you store credit for the value of your purchase.
So, with computer parts, this was a godsend. Buy one video card at $250, and then every two years upgrade to a new one for free.
I guess there is a reason that the chain went out of business.
The assumption built in is, as Boz said, that the majority of people wouldn't find this exploit and wouldn't exercise their option. Yes, some folks would game the system, but enough wouldn't that it would be profitable.
Dreski83
The way I see it, these people are public enemy #1 to the publishers and developers. Way worse than the actual rental establishments like Blockbuster and GameFly. They are turning mad profits on games created by said groups, and in no way what so ever obligated by law to share their riches that basically take advantage of hungry gamers.
Its a decent service no doubt, but trading games is a fickle business that will likely phase out in the coming years. So GameStop has no problem taking full advantage of the situation. And I also have NO problem taking full advantage of their loop-hole system as long as it lasts... enjoy yourself fellow gamer, were committing no crimes here