I hate that they do this. You opened it, you touched the disc, the disc was run in a system. That’s not new, that’s not unused. GameStop should have never done this in the first place, and I can’t believe they still do it.
Chozo@kbin.social 9 months ago
So, here's what probably happened.
Physical GameStop stores will usually open a handful of new games that they receive, so that they can put the boxes on the shelves. But the boxes are empty. You take the box from the shelf for the game you want to buy, bring it to the counter, and they go into a locked drawer that has their stock of games, and they put the game into the box, and then sell it to you. This is assuming that they don't have any unopened copies available; usually they will, but if you're unlucky and happen to catch them at the end of their stock for a particular title, you might get one that's been opened so that the box can be used on display.
Unfortunately, a lot of would-be thieves don't realize that the boxes on the shelves are empty, and steal them. So if you're really unlucky, you'll get a generic box that they print out like this if they don't have any originals left. Usually these boxes are only used for used games (where they bought the game without the box), but sometimes they use them with new copies if they absolutely have to. Depending on the store and the cashier, you can sometimes get them to give you a small discount for the missing box, but I'm not sure if that's a corporate policy or not.
I believe that they can technically still sell these as "new" product, as opposed to "unused", because the product never left the store's possession during this opening/storing process. So what likely went down here is that when OP ordered this game, due to availability or logistics or whatever, they sent a copy that was being held at a physical GameStop store, instead of from some warehouse.
If you're really worried about it, OP, you can probably contact GameStop and request a return or replacement for an unopened copy. In my experience, they're usually pretty understanding about that. It's an annoying extra hoop to jump through, but unfortunately that's just always been a risk one takes when buying from GameStop.
ShustOne@lemmy.one 9 months ago
Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
What system? The system is put in plastic sleeve in a glorified filing cabinet. The game is never played, the box is just used for display. What’s asinine is that the video game manufacturers never realized they could sell cover boxes to gamestop and the like and probably male extra profit… which would stop the entire need for them to do this at all.
phillaholic@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Try returning an open game to GameStop under the same rationale and see if they agree.
Twenty Years ago they let employees “check out” brand new games that were opened like this so it was all bullshit.
ShustOne@lemmy.one 9 months ago
My mistake about your post. But they will sometimes use a disc in the in store kiosk and then sell that as used if it’s the last disc available. At least they used to.
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
No you were right. Employees can take games home to sample, and they’re still sold as new
kmkz_ninja@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Why do you assume the game was ran?
ShustOne@lemmy.one 9 months ago
My mistake I thought they had used it in the kiosk. My point still stands though that someone else opened it, touched it, and I have no way of verifying it’s integrity until I get home. That’s used.
Stumblinbear@pawb.social 9 months ago
We have very different definitions of used
Fades@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Because this thread is just a circlejerk
beefcat@lemmy.world 9 months ago
This is so unbelievably shitty, and they’ve been doing it for decades now. The number of times I went in, asked for a new copy of a game, and was told to pay full price for something that came in a grubby open box covered in stickers was infuriating. It’s a big reason I stopped shopping there over 10 years ago.
Other stores figured out how to put games on their shelves without opening the boxes and taking the discs out. In fact, it’s actually less work to not be shitty. Just put the fucking game on the shelf.
Fuck GameStop.
Astroturfed@lemmy.world 9 months ago
That’s a fuckload of words to explain why they sent OP an open box product as new. Like a super shitty company.
phx@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Sounds like what should be called an “open box” product to me
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
Employees can also take “new” games home and play them for a few days, the being back and sell as new for full price.
Absolute shit business, hilarious that they were chosen for stock shenanigans.
Astroturfed@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Quiet, buy GME best company. The shirts are controlling them. The low stock price has nothing to do with them being a bad business pissing away millions of dollars. Their NFT wallet that was a huge waste of money is the wave of the future.
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Yeah, once they break that shrink wrap, regardless of the reason, its open box and used.