So, my Guitar Hero 3 controller was giving me problems and I call up the nearest Gamestop (as that is where I bought the game and controller) to ask about an exchange. They tell me that they don't have any in stock. I ask about reserving a copy, and they tell me they can't do that. I bought the damn thing and it's defective - and now I have to compete with other people to replace my defective product?

So, I call another Gamestop and ask about their inventory. They're out, too, but just for grins and giggles I ask them about reserving a copy since mine is defective. They tell me that they can do that - indeed, any store can do it.

I say thanks and hang up. From there, I proceed to the nearest Gamestop (the one I first called), entered, and approached the counter. The conversation went as follows:

Me: "Hi, I need to exchange this for another copy; the guitar on this one doesn't work."
Clerk: "We don't have any in stock."
Me: "I called the Gamestop on 135th and State Line and they said that I can leave this with you along with my contact information, and you would reserve one for me whenever your next shipment came in."
Clerk: (to manager) "Can we do that?"
Manager: "We don't have any in-stock."
Me: "Okay. I just wanted to reserve a copy."
Manager: "But we don't have any in-stock."
Me: "I know. I just wanted to reserve a copy with your next shipment." (I question in my mind the manager's knowledge of what the word "reserve" means)
Manager: "We won't probably get any for 2 to 3 weeks." (I call BS on that now - checked this morning and all the local Best Buys magically have copies in since yesterday)
Me: "Okay..." (It's obvious that they're trying to block me on an exchange)
Me: "How about a refund, then?" (Oh, that magical word!)
Manager: "Oh! Well, you can always see about going through the maker of the guitar to get a replacement. Lots of people are doing that. It'll also be a lot faster."
Me: "Oh, really? Okay. Just to make sure - I can get a refund for up to 30 days within date of purchase correct?"
Clerk: "Yeah."

It's amazing how much power the word "refund" has - it opens up so many avenues!

Anyone else having fun dealing with management on returns/exchanges?

i don't understand why stores wont just do the right thing and honor the fact that their vendors put our crappy products its not the customers fault or theirs but they are the ones distributing the product. I work in retail and if something is defective we replace or substitute a higher qaulity product, alot of places just make you go through the manufacturer to get any warranty related issues even within their return dates, which isn't honoring their qaulity service guarantees, we sell guitar hero as well ^^.

You know, Staples has to have the best return policy ever. I bought a harddrive to see if it was the problem with my computer, it wasn't, I returned it the next day...full refund, no problem.

Well, part of the problem is that a lot of retail places are run by morons.

Costco's return policy WAS cool before (i.e. you could return a plasma screen tv three years after you bought it full refund) but too bad too many people abused the system and now it's down to a 90 day return policy.

+1

I was at a LAN party where one of the guys worked at Staples, so he bought a nice 24 port switch for the night and returned it the next morning.

I usually hate Gamestop employee's. I was up at one Gamestop to buy Orange Box once. I had my stepbrother with me who didn't have an ID. Basically they said I couldn't buy the game because he is under-aged. I said that was a retarded policy, and the clerk said it was just ESRB's rating policy. I don't know if it's true or not, but oh well.

All I did is literally walked across the street to the mall, went into that store's gamestop without my stepbrother, and bought it.

Gamestop is all kinds of retarded. At TRU we would have swapped out the guitar with another one and RTV'd it (return to vendor). If we didn't have any... well, we would check other stores for you, or offer a refund.

I like to think of Staples as more of a "library" than a "store"...

Incidentally, today I bought a GH3 package at Best Buy online and got a full refund from Gamestop without any hassle.

I was expecting a full fight of "you told me yesterday I could get a refund", "nuh-uh".

I got totally screwed by Staples, but I guess it was my fault. I bought a DVD-ROM for my aunt, didn't get around to installing it until over a month had passed. I install it and it doesn't work. I try and take it back, they tell me that because it's over a month they can't do anything (not even a store credit).

Most stores are required by law to check your ID. I had to deny many a 12 year old a copy of Grand theft auto.

It's not law. It's store policy. Unless there is some local law.

I ordered GH3 through a conga. Thing is they have had the game back ordered for me and everyone else for a month or so. I emailed them inquiring about a 100 dollar g/c to amazon and 1 week later (yesterday) I got my 100 dollar gift card to amazon. All for free. Now I don't know if I will order it or not... thinking maybe wait til price drops.

Notice that 9 out of 10 employees at Gamestop are teenagers... go figure...

Looks like a scam?

did you have the strum bar only work when you used it upwards? that happened to a friend of mine

Every GH3 I've played in-store (except Toys'R'Us, that thing was awesome) was busted enough that the only way you could hit a note was to strum upwards.

Then again, don't hit your guitar so hard. My GH2 guitar still works great.

Still not believing.

yeah. it sucks. when that happens i just restring and i'm ready to ... oh wait.

Many of those conga lines aren't scams, but in the time it takes to actually get enough points or whatever and for it to ship, you could have worked a couple hours and bought the item that way.

Wal Mart. Seriously, I return stuff there I didn't even buy from them.

and at least this one's pretty upfront about how it works. I find their attitude refreshing. http://www.yourfree360games.com/terms.php

its easy as heck, you just fill out offers, some are free (stamps.com), some cost a dollar (great fun), some 5 dollars (google seo). But I have gotten 5 games. You just need to make sure you cancel your trial before the real sub starts (some 7 day trials, some 14 days, some 30 before you get billed). Most refund your money when you cancel like bargains.com and whatnot. Gamefly and Ubidz cost me 10 bucks each. But still it was worth it for all the free games I got for Xmas. look at my tabs, see "the power of a single word". If you decide to do any open a word file, save the terms and conditions of each offer, along with your information and the cancellation number and how long you have to cancel. You can't cancel right away. If its a 7 day trial wait 4 days, if its a 14 day wait 7 and if its a 30 day wait 20. Keep it organized so you don't forget. Other then that it works. If you are smart and have the time I would order all GH3 bundles because they are worth 100 dollars and you can return them for in store cash or like me if they don't come fast enough they will convert it into a g/c for you. I am in iraq so I ordered actual games since I can't return stuff for money. But that is the smartest thing to do by far.

So how those the conga people profit? and no ??? step please

I rather just work and buy my games :/

People are jackasses like that because retail places have targets to meet. Refunds obviously take money off their total.

Back when I worked at Harry Corry we ended up last in the store intake ratings all the time because the next closest shop [10 miles away] kept on telling people either that it was no longer store policy to offer a refund or they literally told them to come to our shop.

Please explain how something that costs money to do could possibly be free.

It's a scam, they're just waiting for the moment where you screw up and forget to cancel.

That is correct - I wasn't thinking properly when I posted Sleep deprived posting = blah.

Company policy for sure, not by law.

Great Lakes Mall in mentor?

Yep, that's capitalism to ya. It's my job, but it's not like i really agree with the concept. we offer a credit note for equal value or refund at 10% off for something out of the box. but of course, it's the music business, nothing like the game industry.

well most refund you the dollar they charge, yes some do actually cost 5 bucks, and yes you must be careful to not mess up. but i mean if you really want one game do the stamps.com offer (it is free) and do great fun (it costs a dollar and it will refund it). so nothing in life is truely free but it is certainly worth it. I mean if your a gamer (the 360 type) and you got some free time its worth to do (as i previously explained). they get money for each person that signs up, trainn sites have been around for awhile. they are legit.

As legit as a scam site can get, that is.

if it has so much power why havent new york banned it?

god damned ******s

i've gotten $300+ worth of stuff... i don't feel scammed.