Never buying from Game again...

[learnedrobb]

I have finally bought the last gaming item from Game I ever will.

Went to my local store this morning wanting to pick up a PS Vita... Now, they were £149 on the website, and I know Game always add a few quid (£5-£10) on to the price in store, so I was prepared for this, even though I was told they were £149 in store yesterday

Got to the store... £179 was the displayed price. Asked at the counter, and that indeed was the new 'reduced' selling price. Apparently, a 20% mark up is now 'acceptable' to Game in store against web pricing. Told the guy that adding 205 was more than a bit cheeky, and he just said, 'well, it's still cheaper than it was last month'.

So, online it is (which is actually less convenient for me, given how many problems we have at my apartments with parcel deliveries continually being returned to depots as the couriers can not work out that the numbers next to the gate correspond to the flat number they wish to contact), and not from Game either.

[ALK]

Figures, my local one is selling the special Gamecube controller for Smash Bros for £40 currently when they had it for £25 for launch day.

[Roo]

They're a bit cheeky at GAME. My local GAME quoted me £34.99 for Captain Toad over the phone yesterday. Offered it in-store for £44.99 today. They're at it.

[rossi46]

I always request the name of the person I'm talking to on the phone. And a reference number if possible.

[pratty]

I haven't bought anything from game in literally 10 years. I worked there over a Christmas, and was instructed in no uncertain terms to lie to customers, was done with the company ever since, not even the fire sale a couple of years ago tempted me to go back.

The manager there was a souless sales obscessed corporate drone, he would shamelessly push the game guidebooks and own brand controllers so hard the customers would have to say no 3 times, because spending £50 on a game isn't enough. No wonder they're struggling, it's like the Princess says in Starwars, the more they tighten their fist the more customers slip through their fingers, they would rather annoyingly up-sell to a customer today and run them off forever, than keep a loyal customer tomorrow and thereafter.

I recently went in with a friend I was flollowing around town, and saw they were selling scratch insurance with games, knowing full well their business model is to tempt people to trade in their games before they even have time to get them scratched up.

[c0nfu53d]

You can buy it from game online and have it sent your local game store.

[Martits]

They say that there retail department is completely seperate from their online department. Maybe they should merge the two like every other company has. You don't see other shops having different prices.

My issue with Game is that they often get an exclusive pre-order limited edition game box or item but you don't always get them. This has happened to me twice and it was a nightmare contacting them as they didn't have a phone number. Just those awful web chat things. Resolving the matter took weeks and they didn't resolve it properly.

The other thing I hate is that their new games aren't sealed. The people behind the counter haven't even been trained how to put the disc in properly as they put their finger prints on the disc and then 'guess' where the disc hole is by sliding (and scratching) it over the case centre. To me you are paying full price for a used game when you buy from Game.

[Megamixer]

I've had no problems with recent purchases but Game certainly isn't somewhere I enjoy shopping. I only have a look around in there if I need to make a trip to town more worthwhile. If I've got enough other stuff to do/places to go then I don't bother.

The type of games I'm after are very rarely stocked so that's more of a personal preference thing but prices of accessories and the like are ridiculous.

[the1980gamer]

My experience has been a little different.
Before Xmas I bought two xbox ones (for me and my eldest) one of them stopped working after being out the box for about half an hour, so I took it back and they tested it straight away and saw it wasn't working and gave me a new one.
I even said to the manager (who was serving me) that if another one broke I would be bringing them both back and exchange for two ps4's instead and he said that would be fine and even wrote on the recipt to that effect.
Also I bough a few games and they where also sealed however, this is in kingston in the new branch which has only got good since they re opened the store, the one that used to be there years ago was terrible and the manager was a d1ck.

[retrojc]

I don't buy from them much to be honest but when I do they're normally okay.

I have never had a good experience with Game online though...

[Megamixer]

I have never had a good experience with Game online though...

See, I'm the opposite and everything has always been fine! My only issue with them is that stuff tends to be dumped in just a grey bag which is crap when they do so many exclusive Ltd Editions in cardboard boxes . Luckily my collector's editions of Soul Calibur V and Tekken Tag 2 were undamaged but I can see how easy it would be for the opposite to be true...

Funny how we all seem to have completely polar experiences. Some people hate the place, others have never had a problem.

[davyK]

Has been some time since I ventured in there. Back in the Wii days I asked if they had Metal Slug Anthology in stock - they had no idea what I was talking about - seemed never to have even heard of Metal Slug. Dear oh dear.

[resident paul]

Haven't Game learned why they went into administration before yet they doing the same things as they did before!

[rocky1980]

Haven't Game learned why they went into administration before yet they doing the same things as they did before!

Nope they have not. My local one is now right next door to a CEX. All the time CEX is rammed with people and GAME is empty. This might have somthing to do with the fact they fill the store with skylanders and voucher cards no real games

[the_hawk]

Went in today to pick up some Skylanders for my kid, all the ones that are £14.99 rrp, were marked with £19.99 stickers reduced to £14.99 as if it was some kind of special deal...nowhere else have I seen them dearer than £14.99, in fact elsewhere they're 3 for 2 or a couple of quid off.

Having said that I did pick up a Kaos trap, which are apparently as rare as hen's teeth.