E.B. is The Devil.
Back when I was younger, I used to go to places like Electronics Boutique and trade in some of my older, played through games for ones I hadn't owned yet. Looking back on it, it was such a bad idea to trade in anything with them to try and get money. I remember trading in Max Payne 2 (gritty 3rd person shooter) which was a great game and they gave me a whole thirty cents for it. I couldn't even buy the junkiest Snes game for that (When they were selling them, but they stopped *tear*) I think combined with four other games I traded in, I made a whopping eleven dollars, Yee-Haw.They don't give back money based on how good the game is, but rather how long it has been out and the demand for it. 2 weeks later when I went back to look around the store, MY game, the EXACT one I traded in, was priced for $17.99. Are you kidding me? E.B. is making quite a killing when they give me back such a dismal amount and sell it to some sucker for so much more. From then on, i've decided not to even step foot in there unless to check around for what is in demand. If you're sick of getting jack for your trade-ins, I suggest Ebay. For that same game, I could get from five to twenty dollars for it, and the buyer pays shipping too. Even if I sold it for .99 cents and the shipping was five dollars, I'm not coming out as bad as if I went to E.B. Plus I don't have to drive to Putnam or the mall, but just down the road to the post office to make the sale. Even more, I have competitive prices from sellers and the ability to look at anything, not just what the store has at that time. So if you are cleaning out the attic and find some games, put them on Ebay and make some cash, or better yet, just mail them to me, that would be cool too.
posted by Brian at 4:16 PM
1 Comments:
I used to work at EB for quite some time, so let me give you a quick explanation-
New video games and game systems have such a tiny markup that neither EB or the manufacturer/publisher make much on the sale of the product. I think new games retail for $50 actually costs the store like $45. In fact, most new systems are sold for a LOSS at launch (Sony was losing $20 on every PS2 sold in their first year, and EB was making a TINY profit; around $10, I believe). So because of this, EB makes as much profit as they can on accessories and used products...why do you think they always ask you if you want a strategy guide, memory card, or another controller when you go to purchase something?
The thing is, they ARE giving less for a trade-in now. When I was there, which was only about 5 years ago, they'd give you exactly half of what they'd sell it for. In other words, if they were going to sell a used game for $44.99 ($5 less than new was the customary going rate), they'd give you $20 or $25 - depending on demand - for that game. Now, it's more like 1/3 of what they'll ultimately sell the game for, which is indeed a rip-off, IMO.
However, you have to understand one thing- back when it was 50% of the sale price, they were NOT giving cash. It was ONLY store credit. Now, you can actually get cash for trade-ins, which changes their profit structure significantly, and therefore means they can't afford to give as much back because there's no guarantee the cash will be spent in the store...which is in stark contrast to store credit, yes?
And remember, is there some other store ANYWHERE that allows you to trade in their products, not only for store credit but also for cash, like a pawn shop? Does Sears do that? Can you go buy a shirt at The Gap and try to "trade it in" for credit? Can you go buy a CD and trade it in at FYE? More stores (like Strawberries) are doing trade-ins on games now, but for the most part, the idea is pretty unique. In many ways, you should just be lucky you can trade them in for anything at ALL.
But yes, in the end, I do believe they're taking the customer for a ride on the trade-ins, and while lesser money back MIGHT be necessary, it doesn't need to be this drastic. They're just abusing the power, now.
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