Game's return policy

corblimey

I bought a 360 game in Game last week, and it's not to my liking, so last Friday, I finally got the chance to get into town to return it, only to be told that because it had been opened, my own chance was to trade it in (and get half the price I paid for it on trade-in). Of course it was opened, how am I supposed to know if I like it without playing it?

I could understand if it was a PC game or a classic XBox game, something that could be copied, but a 360 game? Is this just the way things are? Is it not affecting my statutory rights? I'm pretty p*ssed off about it, and probably won't buy from Game in future, but would like to know if there's anything I can do about it.

Creamy Goodness

you can only get a refund if something is faulty or defective.

Guy:Incognito

It's entirely up to them whether they want to take it back or not. The law doesnt allow you to change your mind and decide you dont want something anymore.

You can see their point tho. If they had given you a game in the first place that had been returend by someone else opened, would you be happy?

Rnger

i dont understand why people think they are entitled to get a refund on a game that they dont like

Tar.Aldarion

^^^ What he said.


You bought it. Why should they have to take it back?

corblimey

What about that old chestnut, "buyer's remorse"? It's not as if I cleared the game or something and then tried to return it for my full money back. If I buy a jumper and it doesn't suit, I can return it. The same with almost anything these days, why should a game be any different?

I know there's an issue with having to sell on a game that's already been opened, and that did occur to me before I went in, as I did wonder if they'd have to send it back to their distributor for it to be repackaged or something.

User45701

They dont have to but they do normelly take games back if you return within a certain amount of time

Stompbox

corblimey wrote:

What about that old chestnut, "buyer's remorse"? It's not as if I cleared the game or something and then tried to return it for my full money back. If I buy a jumper and it doesn't suit, I can return it. The same with almost anything these days, why should a game be any different?

I know there's an issue with having to sell on a game that's already been opened, and that did occur to me before I went in, as I did wonder if they'd have to send it back to their distributor for it to be repackaged or something.

You do realise how ridiculous you sound?I'm 15 and even I can see the logic in not being allowed to return a game simply 'cos you 'don't like it'. It's no-ones fault but you're own.

Zhane

Maybe next time read a handful of reviews before buying to get the idea to see if you will like it or not?

Dont be at yourself

GameStop have a seven-day money back guarantee, dont Game have the same?

evad_lhorg

game had a ten day returns policy but it was being raped by people who just used the shop as a rental store.

its 28 days now but the item must be sealed.

Guy:Incognito

corblimey wrote:

If I buy a jumper and it doesn't suit, I can return it. The same with almost anything these days, why should a game be any different?
.

Not if the sop dont want to take it back you cant. It's up to them, most are just obliging for the sake of good customer serviice.

corblimey

evad_lhorg wrote:

game had a ten day returns policy but it was being raped by people who just used the shop as a rental store.

its 28 days now but the item must be sealed.

Ah, that might be it. I have a vague recollection of being told I could bring back a DS game I bought some time ago. I didn't, because I enjoyed the game, but I figured the policy would be the same. If they've changed it because people were abusing it, then fair enough. It sucks for me, but there you go.

Sweet wrote:

You do realise how ridiculous you sound?I'm 15 and even I can see the logic in not being allowed to return a game simply 'cos you 'don't like it'. It's no-ones fault but you're own.

Not sure what being 15 has to do with anything, but it must be nice to be Sweet and never make a mistake. You da man.

melekalikimaka

you could claim the game doesn't work

flogen

corblimey wrote:

Not sure what being 15 has to do with anything, but it must be nice to be Sweet and never make a mistake. You da man.

No need to get petty with him/her; shops are only legally obliged to exchange a faulty item (assuming the item was faulty when sold)... money back guarantees are additional extras some shops throw on to be extra nice, but in some cases it's abused.
That's why clothes shops generally don't give refunds (because some people buy a top, wear it out and bring it back), and now game shops don't either (because there are few games that can't be finished within 10 days by someone who puts any effort into it).

It's a shame that some people can't be trusted in their honesty and they ruin things for people who genuinely didn't like the game, but it's not the shop's fault and it's not their problem that you now have "buyers remorse".

melekalikimaka wrote:

you could claim the game doesn't work

The amount of times people tried that when I worked there (as you couldn't get refunds on just PC games at the time)
They'd basically say the game didn't work, but rather than have to try another copy of the game (that may also be "faulty") they'd much rather try a different game altogether...

Needless to say, if it's faulty, you get another copy of it, if it's not, you get told "sorry, no can do"

melekalikimaka

flogen wrote:

Needless to say, if it's faulty, you get another copy of it, if it's not, you get told "sorry, no can do"

don't you then have a sealed copy???:D

1huge1

strange i remember i bought pikmin for the gamecube a few years back played it completed it in like 5days returened it and got a full refund

Tar.Aldarion

melekalikimaka wrote:

don't you then have a sealed copy???:D

Yup, then you bring it back to a different store person.

Guy:Incognito

1huge1 wrote:

strange i remember i bought pikmin for the gamecube a few years back played it completed it in like 5days returened it and got a full refund

Which is exactly why the policy was changed.

flogen

melekalikimaka wrote:

don't you then have a sealed copy???:D

If you're very lucky, yes... but in order to do a refund, they'll need your receipt anyway... and the receipt will show "Refund: Faulty" on Game XYZ and an exchange for the same game again

There are fewer ways to screw the system now... when I worked there, there were two kids who would get PS2 games, play them within 10 days and exchange them for something else. They'd do this game after game until one day the manager told them they couldn't exchange the games anymore as they were abusing the system. Their father, in front of the manager, told them in future to get a refund and then buy a game separately with the money, thus ensuring they had a "clean" receipt each time... so it was pretty hard to track and they got away with it.
They're the kind of people that led to this change of policy, and for the record they weren't scumbags or anything like that, they were actually quite posh, seemingly well-off people (and their father claimed to be a solicitor too, and tried to say it was illegal for the shop to refuse to exchange a game)

Tar.Aldarion

Why not bring in the original receipt? Tell them you want to keep it for 'tax' reasons. :P
Hey, presto, refund city!

Stompbox

corblimey wrote:

Not sure what being 15 has to do with anything,

Contrary to popular belief,many boardsies confuse teenagers like myself with intellectually challenged retards.

corblimey wrote:

but it must be nice to be Sweet and never make a mistake. You da man.

It really is. I really am....Just yankin' ya!

flogen

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

Why not bring in the original receipt? Tell them you want to keep it for 'tax' reasons. :P
Hey, presto, refund city!

They take the original receipt when they exchange the game... there's no reason why you'd need to hold onto it (as the exchange receipt also shows any purchase you've made).

Trust me, a company like Game does everything it can to stop a loss of income and that's sometimes a policy change that's not in the best interest of the customer... but that's business for you.

Tar.Aldarion

Ah, yeah, I know they do, but you can try to confuse the guy into letting you keep the receipt.

monument

Stekelly wrote:

Not if the sop dont want to take it back you cant. It's up to them, most are just obliging for the sake of good customer serviice.

END OF STORY...

You have no grounds for redress if…

• You made a mistake when buying the item (for example, if you bought an item of clothing thinking it was black when it is actually navy)
• You change your mind

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/consumer_affairs/consumer_rights_and_protection/consumers_and_the_law_in_ireland.html

DarthWraak

lol at this thread, but this was my favourite moment...

corblimey wrote:

how am I supposed to know if I like it without playing it?

Erm, heard of demos? Heard of the rental system? Heard of reviews in magazines and across the interweb? :rolleyes:

super_furry

How can GAME say that the game must still be sealed though? The vast majority of their games are never sealed when you buy them new.

rainbow kirby

If a game isn't sold in the original sealed packaging we put a seal on the side, which must be intact for refund/exchange.

DarthWraak

super_furry wrote:

How can GAME say that the game must still be sealed though? The vast majority of their games are never sealed when you buy them new.

Erm, just no. Unless you mean second hand. And if you read the first post, it is concerning the XBox 360, which are sealed with the Microsoft security thingus.

humanji

Well, where there's a will there's a way. It's like piracy. Someone will find a loophole sooner or later. I myself have the perfect method that is completely untraceable. I won't give it away, but I will say it involves some petrol, some matches and a small monkey! And the games are as good as mine.

super_furry

DarthWraak wrote:

Erm, just no. Unless you mean second hand. And if you read the first post, it is concerning the XBox 360, which are sealed with the Microsoft security thingus.

I don't mean second hand. The vast majority of Game's 'new' games never reach the consumer sealed. You take the empty box to the country, they take a disc and manual out of a drawer and that's your lot.

Zillah

I find it a delicious irony that they would give me a full refund if I took a screwdriver to the disc, but were I to offer them the fully functioning, undamaged product they would refuse me.

corblimey

DarthWraak wrote:

Erm, heard of demos? Heard of the rental system? Heard of reviews in magazines and across the interweb? :rolleyes:

Heard of nowhere doing rentals for 360 yet? Heard of making up your own mind? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

projectmayhem

returns policy works on the basis that a title is faulty after it left the shop. trying games out is not the responsibility of the game retailer, and if nothing's wrong with the title they've no legal obligation to take it back, but usually they should have some heart and let you swap for a new title.

corblimey wrote:

Heard of nowhere doing rentals for 360 yet?

xtra-vision + january = teh win.

DarthWraak

super_furry wrote:

I don't mean second hand. The vast majority of Game's 'new' games never reach the consumer sealed. You take the empty box to the country, they take a disc and manual out of a drawer and that's your lot.

Mhh, well the PC games I've bought from Game seemed to be all plasticated and sealed up nicely.

And Im 99% sure 360 games have that seal of authenticity where you open the box.

[If I'm wrong, correctivly slag me, I'm getting used to it in this thread :S]

CiDeRmAn

Strange, didn't all Game receipts have that whole returns thingy on the back, if you don't like something bring it back with the receipt and change it?
So a change in shop policy, hmmm...
Seems to me that the least they can do is exchange it for another title, certainly in Gamestop you can, but then they don't put "live" games on the shelves, that is game boxes with the disks in, so the seals are already broken.
Ho Hum, I guess it pays to make sure that the customer policy is to your liking before you make a purchase.
I remember in the olden days when a stinker like F198 for the playstation came out, after Christmas you'd have all these kids coming in saying that their "grannies" had bought them it and they already had it and would we mind changing it, which we did!