Video Game Store Pet Peeves

[BassGuitari]

- The store is essentially a display of the proprietor's impressive collection that incidently has some common cartridges and a bunch of DVDs for sale.

 

- The clerk won't take your Xbox games because he doesn't "need" them, and for the ones he does need, he'll give you $5 tops.

 

- Clerk tries to play you and call you stupid at the same time when he tells you "someone else thought $35 for some manuals was a good deal, he was smart."

 

- Three different copies of the same game in similar condition for three different prices.

 

- "That [Atari ST] manual is rare, you should get that one."

 

- $6.00 Mario/Duck Hunt cartridges.

 

- Clerk can't be bothered to take his face out of his Playstation game to sell you anything.

 

- "Why do you still play Nintendo 64? There's so much better stuff out now."

 

- PRICE STICKERS ON THE LABELS

 

- Clerk's attitude that could be read as: "I could sell this old stuff on eBay or keep them for myself, but I'm being nice by letting you buy them." Only one guy actually said this once.

 

 

 

 

Given the way my recent experiences at certain video game shops have gone, eBay doesn't seem like such a bad deal anymore.

[8th lutz]

Shows boxes of games on display, but doesn't have the game-thats what Funcoland did

Clerk tells you to "gradurate to a system in this gernation" after see you buy atari 2600 games. happened to me at Record Head in the past.

Price stickers on cd or dvd game discs.

games that are a rarity of 4 or 5 going over $70.00 for atari 2600 games and those games are loose.

Not having the same price as the stick shows due to the prices were updated on computer, but not on the stickers for the games. An example of this is the price sticker has the game for $29.00 and when the game was scanned its for $46.99

Edited October 29, 2006 by 8th lutz

[SomeGuyWithDSL]

Not necessarily a "video game store," but the following exchange took place at my local Best Buy last week.

 

Me: *puts Gears of War preorder on the counter along with 1600 Live Points*

Clerk: "What, couldn't wait for that PS3?"

Me: "Eh, they're not gonna' be that different anyway. I've actually been using my HDTV for 720p gaming for almost a year now since I bought the 360. Pretty nice."

Clerk: "Nah, the PS3 is gonna' smoke the 360. It's the next PlayStation."

Me: "Been reading any marketing materials lately?"

Clerk: "Sh!# man, don't be like that. I can't believe you're buying this stuff."

Me: "You know what? Neither can I."

Me: *walks out*

 

I kid you not. As the other side of the coin, I also feel the need to link to the perennial Acts of Gord.

[homerwannabee]

Hmm I think saying the PS3 is the next playstation is about as stupid a comment one could say. Maybe someone should explain what the PS in PS3 stands for.

[Technosis]

 

- Clerk's attitude that could be read as: "I could sell this old stuff on eBay or keep them for myself, but I'm being nice by letting you buy them." Only one guy actually said this once.

 

 

Similar to this are the stores that sell the most desirable stuff only on eBay. Like when you ask about a game and they give you details to their eBay auction. I find this annoying because if I wanted to do that I would just save myself the trouble of visiting the store at all.

 

Fortunately in my area there are a couple of indy retailers that are very cool to deal with, because they are also collectors, and are active in the local scene and on the gaming forums as well.

[Atarifever]

I may have said this somewhere on this forum before, but I hate when the clerk somehow thinks if you're buying old games it's because somehow you didn't see the pile of new games and systems, and are, thus, unaware of there being new systems. One time I asked if they had a Dreamcast adapter (maybe it was AV cables) at EB and the guy looked really incredulus, like I just asked for an elephant. He said "Dreamcast... you know that's discontinued right?" This was something like 2004 or 2005. What do you say to that? "Really! Holy shit, I just thought it was going through a 3 year dryspell. Thanks man, can you hook me up with an Intellivision? They still make those, right?"

Edited October 30, 2006 by Atarifever

[bretthorror]

Kinda reminds me of when I phoned Cashopolis looking for video game stuff and asked them prices of individual games, specifically NES and he said "$5-20, depending on how rare it is, around what they go for on Ebay." I just said ok and good bye. What's the point of this? You price items are your store based on every geek's overbidding? It can rot at the store. If I want Ebay prices, I'll stick to Ebay where I don't gotta pay gas prices and fight traffic to get to the store.

 

I couldn't imagine people selling stuff at a flea market or something with these prices and actually selling stuff, but apparantly that's what they do. No different than the ad in the paper I responded to to buy a 64. Guy said it had 12 games and a steering wheel. His price? $450. Wackjob.

[Trade-N-Games]

I get both side of the coin people come in and say they got stuff I have for sale at my store for a little less and some poeple are pissed when they come in and my price was way lower than ebay. At this rate I wont be in business long at a retail store and have to sell everything on Ebay. Also its easy to sell on ebay and ship it off then stores dont have to deal with the asshole public. I like my retail front and my customers but many are going to ebay for reasons unknown to me and one day they will make the trip to the store and I will be gone and gamestop will be the only place in town then watch how much you get for your games.

[Gabriel]

I'll relate my old Funco story again.

 

Back during the 90s, Funco used to run these big 2 page text advertisements in the popular videogame magazines. Now, I had a Genesis and a SNES and a Sega CD at the time, but I had also just purchased a top loading NES. I wanted some games for it, but not the typical platforming shit that represents about 85% of the library. I wanted some of the arcade adaptations and RPGs. The Funco ads caught my eye because they promised Galaga, Ultima IV, Dragon Warrior II, and others.

 

Anyway, I called the number up and waited for a while before I was connected with some guy. He sounded early 20s, or maybe very late teens. I told him I was interested in some games and started on my list. While I'm in the process of this, he can barely contain his condescending laughter. One after the other, he tells me that they don't actually have any of the games on my list. After that, he makes a snide remark about my taste in games, and then suggests, "Perhaps you should consider upgrading your console."

 

So much time has passed, I'm not sure what I did next. In all likelihood, I just said "thank you" and hung up the phone. But, I like to believe my response was something like, "I already have all the goddamn current generation consoles, you twit! I'm looking for old NES games because the old arcade games aren't on the new machines, and there's a dearth of RPGs. If no one wanted those old games, then your stupid goddamn company wouldn't advertise that you were selling them in this bait & switch operation you're running!"

 

Anyway, the call definitely made an impression on me. I never attempted to deal with them again.

[superjudge3]

1. Super high prices on games that should be cheap

2. Rude employees that don't know anything about older games

3. The stupid looks people give you when you buy an old game while they are buying the newest game out

[MetalSlime23]

1. cartridge fames with most or all of the label peeled off going for $15-20 bucks by title

2. CD games that come in jewell cases without the original manuals

3. scratched games that obviously won't play.

4. Warranties to rip you off when you buy a scratched game that obviously won't play.

 

I have several EB games horror stories.

 

At an EB games one day. I bought a used copy of Legend of Dragoon only to take it home and find that two of the dics were the original color labels and the other two were the Greatest Hits series. Not only that, but I didn't even have all four discs! I had 2 copies of disc 1 and two copies of disc 4. I took it back only to find that they had one copy with the correct discs, all from different sets.

 

One day I took home a PS1 game that was so scratched it looked like it had been used for a hockey puck. I said "this is not going to play", and the lady asked me what game me that impression. I flipped the damn thing over and showed her. She laughed and said "that will play just fine. If it doesn't I suggest you have your system cleaned." Needless to say I tossed the game back at her and walked out.

 

Another time I bought a brand new copy of a The Suffering 2. The guy gave me one that had already been opened, telling me he was sorry but it was his last copy in stock and was being used as a store demo. I didn't care about this, but when I got home the instruction book was missing. I went back and he told me the store didn't have it, and he wouldn't let me return the game.

 

Even though EB Games and Gamestop have merged, I still to this day only have had problems with the EB games locations where I live.

Edited October 30, 2006 by MetalSlime23

[Gabriel]

 

One day I took home a PS1 game that was so scratched it looked like it had been used for a hockey puck. I said "this is not going to play", and the lady asked me what game me that impression. I flipped the damn thing over and showed her. She laughed and said "that will play just fine. If it doesn't I suggest you have your system cleaned." Needless to say I tossed the game back at her and walked out.

 

 

Yep. I've experienced the same thing. I've been told by someone I trust on this matter that EB and Gamestop people are instructed to sell defective discs and hope the customer doesn't feel it worth the effort to return to the store to get a refund.

[grimbasement]

 

 

Great thread. I've really wondered how these places stay in business. Do they just prey on the young and the new stuff? And who exactly pays $5 for a loose common 2600 game? Granted I think owning a game shop would be a pretty good gig. But I can't see where people can actually make a living at it but I guess people do as new franchise game shop has opened up 6 brand new locations near me. My bro in law works at a card shop doing the magic the gathering stuff and it's amazing how people can actually make money from this niche market stuff.

[Lauren Tyler]

I remember one time at a Funco Land I used to work at, I was chatting with the manager, when someone asked to be shown Project Horned Owl for the PlayStation. The manager put it in and during the game attempted to hook up the GunCon without even setting it up the proper way, let alone the fact it's not even supported by that game.

 

I don't know what he was trying to do, maybe get the customers out of the store or something? But I rarely see anything like that at my stores.

[ls650]

I think part of the problem is that the profit margins at small stores aren't as high as some of you seem to think. After paying rent (have you ever checked out the prices for retail space in a commerical district?), utilities, etc, I'm surprised stores can even stay in business.

 

I believe that most stores don't have the money to hire anyone with experience and knowledge about the industry, and hire staff for minimum wage, just the same as a McDonald's.

 

Now if you walked into a burger joint and started asking a lot of questions about your food, the guy behind the counter is going to get frustrated, cop an attitude and say "Hey, it's just a burger. Do you want it ot not?"

 

Why would a video game store be any different?

[shadow460]

But, Justaburger is from Whataburger, not Burger King.

 

I hate it when employees scalp the incoming trades. It's cool sometimes, though. If they do it once in a while, I can understand that, and I'm behind it 100% if it starts a new 2600 collection.

There are some, however, that will routinely scalp rare titles, then brag to regular customers about it. Only reason I got StarCraft 64 was that the scalping employee ran out of money after buying Ogre Battle 64. A day later and I'd have missed it.

I also hate it when a rare game's box is on the shelf and it's either 1) not clear that you can't buy the box, too, or 2) they don't have the game. I've actually been hooked up by a couple of places that don't sell their boxes. I got hooked up with some Pokemon Red/Blue boxes, and a Legend of Zelda manual to go with my cart and box.

 

Overpriced games are another bother. I don't care how hard it is for you to come by a 2600 ET game, it is not worth $15 even if it does have the box. The only reason common 2600 games are "hard to come by" is that the seller either lives under a rock, or they have their head shoved up their butt.

I see this more commonly with some of the newer "classic" systems. I asked a dude once how much he wanted for a Mickey's Speedway USA box. I told him I had the game already. He said I had to buy the game and the not so minty box together from him, and they were $25 plus tax. I walked off.

 

I hate it when an employee starts railing about how good the PlayStation 3 is gonna be. Dude, I came in looking for Atari VCS and Nintendo 64 games. Are you blind, or do I look like I need a PlayStation 3? It might be good, it might be horrible, and I simply do not care. If I wanted a PS3, I wouldn't be buying "old Atari games", now would I? Someone once had the gall to inform me that "all those old games" were on this one PS2 disc, but he couldn't remember which one. Nice try, dude, but I'm gonna comb your store for the rare games you didn't scalp, ok?

 

Mismarked prices. If it scans in my favor, I point out the marked price. I usually get the lower price. If I don't, I pay the marked price and have a nice day.

If it scans higher, I ask for the marked price, and I walk out if I don't get it.

 

But perhaps the biggest pet peeve I have--oh, my, this makes my blood boil--is when some numbskull is at the counter with a whole box of games to trade and somehow, some way, he cannot seem to read the sign outside or hear the store clerk when they say, "We're sorry, but we cannot take these games because (insert reason here)." It just so happens that the store is swamped and I gotta wait for their dumb selves to finally get the message that either their games have too many scratches, they need the jewel case, they can't sell PC games, etc.

Next to that is the customer who thinks the store is trying to lowball him. He's probably right, but he needs to move aside until the rush dies down.

 

On the other side of that, though, I've seen several customers who will bring in a box of trades and accept any offers. I've even dug through some customers' trade boxes (with their permission) looking for rare titles I could make them a better offer on, yet still pay less than what the store would charge. The store might not be able to take a loose Saturn manual, but if it's for a game I've got, I'll offer the dude five bucks or so for it.

These kinds of customers will usually drop the trades at the counter and go looking for something new, leaving the staff to help customers and total up an offer on the trades. I also usually wind up talking to such customers for a few minutes.

 

Bottom line: If you're going to offer trades, be prepared to be rejected. Don't argue with the staff--it's a waste of your time and there's some sucker who will find your games on ebay and bid several times what they're worth.

 

Speaking of ebay, I hate people who wait for each of your bids, then bid slightly over until either they win the item or you wind up paying twice its value. Just place your maximum bid and leave it alone--even if you gotta snipe.

[madhatter667]

Last time I went to Game Crazy, I picked up a couple games (PSX) only to find that the manuals were purposely tirn down to the front and back covers, and the page with the instructions. This didn't bother me so much, as I didn't pay much for what I did get. But if I had laid down more than a couple bucks per title I would have been put off.

 

I get very pissed over discs being sold with nothing else.

 

I walk out when the employees get all uppity. Not often, but it does happen, and then they don't get my money. Since places have stopped taking PSX discs... and I have combed over the local chain stores' supply of PSX and Dreamcast, and what little NES, SNES, Genesis, Saturn etc. so I don't have much reason to go in there anymore. It's just a waste of my time to pick through over priced sports games.

[Red 5]

Me : Can I get Halo 2?

 

Clerk: Did you pre-order it?

 

Me: No, but can I just get one of those 58,000 copies you have that are stacked to the ceiling behind you?

 

Clerk: (All pissed) Yeah, but you should really pre-order it.

[PressureCooker2600]

1. Super high prices on games that should be cheap

2. Rude employees that don't know anything about older games

3. The stupid looks people give you when you buy an old game while they are buying the newest game out

 

exactly what happens at my VG stores everytime....they dont know shit about older stuff...."Duh whats an Atari...." fuckin dumbasses...and when they have someone like me who applies there and actually knows my shit and can do repairs on old systems and everything...what do they do, hire some dumbass punk off the street that keeps talkin about gangsta rap and the xbox 360...looks like he needs a damn haircut with a good shampoo too you can probably tell that i'm a very angry little man

[PressureCooker2600]

this one dude was at the VG store and i would have bought his shit if i had more money...but he went to the clerk and was like "do yall still buy ataris and games"...the clerk was like "no...too old...and we have nothing to test the games on"

i was thinking "THEN BUY A FUCKING ATARI TO TEST THE GAMES ON...PLEASE...ILL GIVE YA ONE OF MY EXTRAS...it aint too old to me."

and the testing thing.....their nes games always are cruddy and look like someone shit on the inside of em so you cant tell me they tested those games and they actually WORKED

[MCHufnagel]

and the testing thing.....their nes games always are cruddy and look like someone shit on the inside of em so you cant tell me they tested those games and they actually WORKED

I was at a Game Crazy one time and someone was trading in a SNES. The clerk was trying to get one game to run on it and it just wasn't working. The dude trading the system in was sort of worried. He kept saying that it worked at home and didn't know why it wasn't working at the store. The clerk cleaned both the game and the console, but still nothing. Well then he tried another game and poof it worked fine. The clerk then stuck the non-working game back in the display case like nothing was wrong with it!

[Ghost Soldier]

This topic makes my blood boil and I'm glad I'm chummy with my local thrifts.

[Gabriel]

 

I was at a Game Crazy one time and someone was trading in a SNES. The clerk was trying to get one game to run on it and it just wasn't working. The dude trading the system in was sort of worried. He kept saying that it worked at home and didn't know why it wasn't working at the store. The clerk cleaned both the game and the console, but still nothing. Well then he tried another game and poof it worked fine. The clerk then stuck the non-working game back in the display case like nothing was wrong with it!

 

I imagine they're under the same kind of pressure as Gamestop and EB to sell even defective games. They just have to wait for a sucker to come along who won't find it worth the effort of returning.

 

I know my local Gamestop had a copy of the first Monster Rancher that was deeply scratched they kept on cycling through customers trying to sell off. $20 for a non-working game. Despite numerous times having the thing returned, as well as me getting hold of the disc twice and telling them it was dead, they kept on trying to sell it.

[SteveW]

There's one GameStop that has a kid behind the counter that loves to tell patrons that he owns every single game ever made. "Let's see, you're under 20 and work for minimum wage: how exactly do you afford to buy all those games on your salary?"

 

I was really suprised one time when I went to an EBX store in Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine, TX, and struck up a conversation with the sales guy. He knew all about classic gaming. He proudly told me about how he finally tracked down a GTE model Intellivision to finish off his INTV collection. It was nice to have a store employee who knew the hobby's past instead of only it's present like pretty much all the kids you find working in game stores. And unfortunately, I never saw the guy there again.

Edited November 1, 2006 by SteveW

[PressureCooker2600]

yea ive taken back a few defective games like Mission:Impossible and Super Pitfall for NES only to find the EXACT same copies back on the shelves a few days later