Gamestop Game insurance...is it a scam?

Mal-Adjusted

I got two 2nd-hand games in Gamestop yesterday and the cashier offered me game insurance "for any scratches or problems"

I was under the impression that when buying games, even second-hand ones, they have to be in a fit state and if there's a problem, the purchaser is still entitled to a refund/whatever under consumer rights? So what's the point of game insurance?

projectgtr

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

I got two 2nd-hand games in Gamestop yesterday and the cashier offered me game insurance "for any scratches or problems"

I was under the impression that when buying games, even second-hand ones, they have to be in a fit state and if there's a problem, the purchaser is still entitled to a refund/whatever under consumer rights? So what's the point of game insurance?

Its if you scratch them accidentally isn't it??

thenightrider

When you buy the game there will be no scratches on it but if you scratch it then or drop the disc and it cracks (it has happened to me) they will give you a new disc.

krudler

Oh dear...

CiDeRmAn

I have never banjaxed a gamedisk in 30 years of gaming, only if you've got kids or a spanner of a mate should you worry, and in that case just tell them to leave them the hell alone.
The insurance thing is a revenue making, money printing scam, of course it is.
I'd love to see the stats on the number of people that use the scheme, I'd say it's negligible.

Mickeroo

Has anyone here ever said "yes" when asked if they want to avail of it?

super_furry

Has anyone ever broken a game they care about?

deathrider

Never really saw the point myself. Take disc out of case, put it into console, play, then return it to it's case. Job done. No messing usually means no scratches. If I gave them a euro for every game I have, I'd be broke!

DARK-KNIGHT

deathrider wrote: »

Never really saw the point myself. Take disc out of case, put it into console, play, then return it to it's case. Job done. No messing usually means no scratches. If I gave them a euro for every game I have, I'd be broke!

Is it not 3 euro per game??

Mr E

I think it's targeted at parents (rather than savvy 20/30-something gamers).

It's not a scam if your little darling decides to use the shiny side of a disk as a plate for food (better to have insurance than lose up to €70!)

If you're single (or in a relationship with no kids), then you're throwing your money away by getting insurance.

dreamers75

When your xbox 360 falls over it indents the disc, my kids helped me figure out what one.

Dvds are covered in polycarbonate which covers the zinc which contains the data. If you scratch a disc placing it in the freeze topside down will cause the poly to expand making the disc readable for a time. Disc is still ****ed but it will work until it heats up in the drive.

deathrider

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Is it not 3 euro per game??

Is it? A local CEX opened recently, so it's been a while since I've been in Gamestop.

lertsnim

Mickeroo wrote: »

Has anyone here ever said "yes" when asked if they want to avail of it?

I have only ever heard a child say yes to it. Thought it was a bit dodgy to be selling such nonsense to children.

It wouldn't be too bad if they asked you once but in Galway some of them will spend a few minutes trying to convince you that you need it. I told one member of staff that I didn't need it and that the way they pressurised people to take it was wrong. He started telling me that I'd be sorry when I broke the disc and how if I had kids or younger brothers they'd end up scratching it. I ended up walking out of the store after telling him to keep the game. Curry's and PC world are equally bad with their insurance, trying to buy anything in there involves saying no to an extended warranty a hundred times

It's even worse when they call over another member of staff to tell you how you really need it and tell you some story about the time they didn't get it and then their disc broke and they wished they had been so stupid.

I wonder about the legalities of selling the insurance to children. On a number of occasions I've seen the staff in GameStop sell it to kids under 18 and on two occasions seen a staff member tell a kid that the insurance had to be purchased or else they couldn't sell the game. Also saw one mover if staff tell a kid no more than 8 that while he couldn't sell him GTAV without an adult he could make an exception if he also purchased the game protection.

CiDeRmAn

Wow,
That sounds both disgraceful and illegal.
I would ask for the manager or call head office in Swords and report them.

tomdempsey200

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Wow,
That sounds both disgraceful and illegal.
I would ask for the manager or call head office in Swords and report them.

they're prob taking orders from swords..

correct me if I'm wrong but when you buy a game you're paying for the software and you can return a damaged disc to Microsoft Nintendo etc.

CiDeRmAn

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Wow,
That sounds both disgraceful and illegal.
I would ask for the manager or call head office in Swords and report them.

It's GameStop and as many people will state, they're not above lying in order to sell some products.

nesf

Deleted User wrote: »

Also saw one mover if staff tell a kid no more than 8 that while he couldn't sell him GTAV without an adult he could make an exception if he also purchased the game protection.

There was a kid as young as 8 on their own in a Gamestop???

nesf

nesf wrote: »

There was a kid as young as 8 on their own in a Gamestop???

Parent could easily have been outside the store or in the cafe beside it keeping an eye out for him. Often see kids in there while parents wait outside the shop, especially if they have a buggy given how narrow the stores are.

nesf

Deleted User wrote: »

Parent could easily have been outside the store or in the cafe beside it keeping an eye out for him. Often see kids in there while parents wait outside the shop, especially if they have a buggy given how narrow the stores are.

True enough, still too young to be in a cafe beside it though in my opinion. My lad is near that age but while he's mostly sensible you couldn't trust him that much yet by a long way.

ShadowHearth

Mr E wrote: »

I think it's targeted at parents (rather than savvy 20/30-something gamers).

It's not a scam if your little darling decides to use the shiny side of a disk as a plate for food (better to have insurance than lose up to €70!)

If you're single (or in a relationship with no kids), then you're throwing your money away by getting insurance.

Exactly, so many people jump the gun and blame gamestop for everything these days. Soon gamestop will be the one who planed holocaust :pac:

It's a great idea, but it does not mean it applies to everyone. It's optional service, which is very handy if you buy games for your kids. I know parents who buy games for their darlings and now learned the hard way to buy that insurance thing.

cloud493

G'way./ Used to be 2 euro did it not? Probably something in the TC's about accidental scratching or something meaning you'd get nowt.

No Pants

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I know parents who buy games for their darlings and now learned the hard way to buy that insurance thing.

Potential for an important lesson lost there.

SterlingArcher

deathrider wrote: »

Is it? A local CEX opened recently, so it's been a while since I've been in Gamestop.

Ah Cex? Is that the second hand shop that charges 80 % mark up on second hand graphics cards. Or charges 50 euro more for a laptop second hand than brand new.

I have always found when a game or DVD in Cex is cheap and you think.you're getting a good deal go to hmv and gulp.

Their game trade in valuations are as bad as gamestop. Assassins cread black flag and latest call of duty ps3 traded in hmv got me a brand new ps4 battlefield. 67 euro

Cex offered 27 , gamestop 25 for both.

As for ign and reviews look behind the curtains. they are now instead of dissing a new game that released broke. Giving game developers a pass for this new trend of rushing out broken games to meet an annual release. Ah sure we will write a new review when you patch it up so no worries mate.

F,uck that noise. Release a game broke and get what you deserve ,a **** review and see their profit margin slide.... Learn a lesson. It's the only way we will get back value for money.

It's happening too much now.its being allowed be the norm. Look at watchdogs. Games not good enough you hold it off . Simple as.

SterlingArcher

deathrider wrote: »

Is it? A local CEX opened recently, so it's been a while since I've been in Gamestop.

Ah Cex? Is that the second hand shop that charges 80 % mark up on second hand graphics cards. Or charges 50 euro more for a laptop second hand than brand new.

I have always found when a game or DVD in Cex is cheap and you think.you're getting a good deal go to hmv and gulp.

Their game trade in valuations are as bad as gamestop. Assassins cread black flag and latest call of duty ps3 traded in hmv got me a brand new ps4 battlefield. 67 euro

Cex offered 27 , gamestop 25 for both.

As for ign and reviews look behind the curtains. they are now instead of dissing a new game that released broke. Giving game developers a pass for this new trend of rushing out broken games to meet an annual release. Ah sure we will write a new review when you patch it up so no worries mate.

F,uck that noise. Release a game broke and get what you deserve ,a **** review and see their profit margin slide.... Learn a lesson.

It's happening too much now.its being allowed be the norm. Look at watchdogs. Games not good enough you hold it off . Simple as.

deathrider

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Ah Cex? Is that the second hand shop that charges 80 % mark up on second hand graphics cards. Or charges 50 euro more for a laptop second hand than brand new.

I have always found when a game or DVD in Cex is cheap and you think.you're getting a good deal go to hmv and gulp.

Their game trade in valuations are as bad as gamestop. Assassins cread black flag and latest call of duty ps3 traded in hmv got me a brand new ps4 battlefield. 67 euro

Cex offered 27 , gamestop 25 for both.

Can't say that trade in values bother me anywhere. I'm big into collecting, so I don't trade back in. As far as their prices and three likes go, they could be just as bad, if not worse, than Gamestop. But I'm just buying PS2 games from them (usually at about 2/3 quid a pop) which I can't get in GS shops these days. For me, as a customer, CEX are doing exactly what I want them too, so I really can't complain.

Ape Lincoln

@OP, yeah you're covered by the sale of goods act which includes 2nd hand stuff but the protection isn't as strong as it is for new stuff. Most workers in these shops either don't know consumer law or are told to ignore it. I reurned a cracked bluray to a shop recently as faulty and was told I could only have shop credit rather than a refund. I could have argued the toss for the money but didn't bother.

When buying 2nd hand games I always ask to check the disc first. Cue the worker telling me that PS3 discs are indistructable, that they check them all and that there's a 30 day guarantee - not much use unless you play the game throuh fully in 30days! Anyway, they still try to sell me insurance after the "PS3 discs will survive a nuclear war" spiel. :rolleyes:

gubbie

I'm at that age now where everyone thinks that if I'm buying games, I'm buying them for my kids (which I don't have)

For example, in Game yesterday

Me: I'll have the PS Vita bundle with the game pack so
Seller: Can I interest you in...
Me: No thanks
Seller: ... game insur...
Me: No
Seller: ...ance
Me: No
Seller: It's a must to stop your games getting destroyed when your kids are playing with it.

What's wrong with a 27 year old female buying a PS Vita?!

SterlingArcher

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Ah Cex? Is that the second hand shop that charges 80 % mark up on second hand graphics cards. Or charges 50 euro more for a laptop second hand than brand new.

I have always found when a game or DVD in Cex is cheap and you think.you're getting a good deal go to hmv and gulp.

Their game trade in valuations are as bad as gamestop. Assassins cread black flag and latest call of duty ps3 traded in hmv got me a brand new ps4 battlefield. 67 euro

Cex offered 27 , gamestop 25 for both.

As for ign and reviews look behind the curtains. they are now instead of dissing a new game that released broke. Giving game developers a pass for this new trend of rushing out broken games to meet an annual release. Ah sure we will write a new review when you patch it up so no worries mate.

F,uck that noise. Release a game broke and get what you deserve ,a **** review and see their profit margin slide.... Learn a lesson.

It's happening too much now.its being allowed be the norm. Look at watchdogs. Games not good enough you hold it off . Simple as.

I've found CEX to be the best value for both trade in and second hand games. While some of their stock can be expensive they are selling PS4 games for €25 and you'll find good pricing on games and films. Certainly far more competitive pricing than GameStop who are selling second hand copies of BF4 on PS4 for only €5 less than a new one. GameStop offered someone I know €13 for a PS4 title that they were then selling for €60. He got €35 for it in CEX.

Dravokivich

This is hilarious. I remember hmv offering me insurance once for headphones worth 30euro.

tomdempsey200

Dravokivich wrote: »

This is hilarious. I remember hmv offering me insurance once for headphones worth 30euro.

argos are at it too

they offered me insurance on a 40 euro item yesterday

currys used to be the worst for it