Board 8 > Man, Gamestop really sucks these days.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I don't order much from them but thinking back on the last two years of 4-5 online orders I've had orders:
-completely missing items
-come with broken items that have corroded batteries in them
-gotten used games without a case when buying a new game
-gotten the completely wrong items/games
-and sometimes multiple of the above!

And their customer support is impressively bad, like send a dozen emails over a month and hey maybe you'll get a response. Probably a side effect of being buried in requests from people that actually want the things they bought.

I guess I really only have myself to blame for thinking they'll get the next one right. This time I learned my lesson.
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"Impressively bad" really is the best way to put it because tbh they were always awful, they're just somehow way worse now. Genuinely hard to believe they're still in business.

Even their brick-and-mortar stores look more like a Hot Topic-esque place that also sells games. There seems to be more non-game merchandise than there are actual games. Which makes it all the more tragic that they've completely stopped selling anything other than Switch/PS5/PS4/Series X/maybe Xbone games. Not even 3DS, and 0 retro games. It used to be a great place to go for used games for systems that were a generation or two outdated but now you may as well just go to Target.

I'm def very confused whenever I come across one and remember that they're still in business. They were never good but they've devolved so much at this point that I honestly don't know why anyone would want to go to one.

When's the last time you went to a brick-and-mortar store to buy a game? Is that less frequent or more than you did 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

Now you know why GameStop stores have had to pivot away from actual game sales.

The old farts who bought games in person don't anymore. But if they see some gaming merch that tickles their nostalgia, they just might walk in and take a look.

Honestly if it wasnt for the stock meme they probably could be very close to gone by now

Seanchan posted...

When's the last time you went to a brick-and-mortar store to buy a game? Is that less frequent or more than you did 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

Now you know why GameStop stores have had to pivot away from actual game sales.

A month ago, more frequent, more frequent.

(Obviously your general point is correct though.)

the place was rock bottom when I left some years ago

I still have contacts at the place and they tell me about the new policies and practices and I seriously cannot believe they keep sinking lower

for at least 3 years, if you preorder anything other than a game (a funko pop, figures, statues, etc) , you are NOT getting it on time and that hasn't changed. They do NOT know what they are doing outside of games but yet they are trying to make merch their main draw for years

I know people who used to work at Gamestop up until this year. The policy changes and absurd mismanagement by corporate caused at least two stores to have their entire staff walk out. It's such a terribly handled business. Anyone who still works there is probably either super overworked and stretched out, or incredibly inexperienced or not very good at what they do because all the good people left.

As someone who doesn't replay or keep games I go to Gamestop pretty regularly to trade my old games for new games. Sure I could get more by going through Facebook marketplace or whatever but the convenience of trading 3 games I'm never going to touch again for a new game is pretty hard to beat for me personally.

Gamestop is basically a pawn shop of games

yes you can get money in better ways, lord knows I do it

but for a QUICK buck, some people don't mind that at all

I still buy the new AAA big sellers there (Elden Ring, ToTK, FFVI)

but yeah it's kind of embarassing walking in there

The one good thing they've done for me in the last couple years is buy my PS4 when my local gaming store wouldn't. But yeah I pretty much always go to a local shop when I can, I usually want retro stuff that GameStop doesn't sell anyway.

The stock market troll was fun though