Shops who sell new 360 games with broken seal/scratches on disc

Flaccus

Alot of places seem to do this..xtravision, gamestop, hmv. It annoys me as they keep the discs in the drawer and the boxes on the shelves. Last 3 games I bought I noticed minor scratches on the dvd, which is obviously caused by the shop assistant manhandling the discs when they put them away. Their excuse is they don't have enough stock so have to put boxes out on display and have to file the discs away. I always thought you were entitled to a nice shiny new shrinkwrapped game with the ms seal in tact. Sort of annoys me as I went back to Xtravision the other day with a so called new game and they gave me guff about it still being able to work and sure the scratches are only minor. Not good enough says I. Are these shops allowed sell games like this in the 1st place ? Do MS know they break the seal on these games and sell them as new ?

RobertFoster

It annoys me too. I always make sure to eyeball the disc before I leave the shop. I had to return DIRT to Xtravision a couple of times as both discs were scratched. Ended up having to get another game as they ran out of DIRT discs.

I don't think there's any legallity issues with removing the COA. It's just another reason for shopping online.

Lobelia Overhill

They should have an empty display box on the shelf and the sealed ones behind the counter.

Don't Xtravision usually show you the disc to prove it's not damaged when you buy it (supposedly so that if you take it home, don't like the game you scratch the disc and bring it back for a refund or somesuch rubbish they can "prove" that you saw the disc was fine when you bought it)

anyways, try asking for a discount if the disc is scratched but playable ...

Ostrom

Dont pay for them. Ever.

GAME are the worst offenders - if you are handing over 60 euros for a new game, you have every right to demand a factory sealed unsoiled copy.

I really really hate that....

nevaeh-2die-4

i hate this aswell.

i bought a game in game stop the other day with the " NEW " sticker on it, it came from the drawer and he put it in , i could see from the start the way he could barley put the disc in the pack that i was going have a scratched disc.

i asked to look at it before i left and behold there was fingerprints and scractches on it.

i asked for my money back, he looked at me like i had 10 heads.
that was the first time i shoped in a shop in ages i normally buy online looks like i will go back there to get my

OUTTER PLASTIC
SEAL
UNTOUCHED GAME.

ShiverinEskimo

A mate works in HMV and says that this is mostly done to combat theft. He says not only does he always check discs before putting them in the box but also that aside from PC games you are entitled to a full refund within 7 days of purchase with a receipt - and that applies to all retailers. If you buy a game and you don't like it you can leave it back without penalty.

String

efla wrote: »

Dont pay for them. Ever.

GAME are the worst offenders - if you are handing over 60 euros for a new game, you have every right to demand a factory sealed unsoiled copy.

I really really hate that....

GAME?

GAME always have sealed discs boxes the counter. They never just throw discs into the boxes. Gamestop really annoy me when they do this.

Sabre0001

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

this is mostly done to combat theft.

This would be the main reason. Security tagging can only do so much...Do like the idea that someone said of putting an empty case on the counter and then giving a filled box out but the thing is then a staff member has to put back out the shell case (gaps in merchandising, looks like product is out of stock, shop may be busy, etc).

mikemac

Xtravision sell unsealed games.
They show you the disk to show it's not scrathched and I've never any problems.

But realy, it's not ideal so if there was a nearby shop selling sealed games for the same price, I'd consider going there.

Mr. K

I've had one or two bad experiences, I remember getting a scratched copy of Vice City from Smyths (so long ago...). I've recently only bought sealed games, either from shops or online. The disappointment and irritation caused by scratched discs just isn't worth the hassle!

I also like the new game smell and taking off the seal...:o

CyberWaste

Zavvi used to do that too, where they would have the discs in cheap paper slips in a drawer and the boxes left on the shelf. Its annoying as I bough Condmened 2 and I guessed they would give me a brand new sealed one, but the took the disc and booklet out of the drawer and put it in the case, and the disc had a few minor marks on it and the booklet had alot of bends on the pages. Not good enough I think.

Atavan-Halen

Mr. K wrote: »

I also like the new game smell and taking off the seal...:o

That is one of the nicest smells...

jenno86

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

....entitled to a full refund within 7 days of purchase with a receipt - and that applies to all retailers. If you buy a game and you don't like it you can leave it back without penalty.

What are you on about?? Thats bullshít! Sure if that was the case I'd buy a game in Gamestop this week bring it back next week and get my full refund and bring my full refund down the road to Xtravision and buy the game again and the following week bring it back and get my full refund again and go to Game and buy it again. I would go to all of the game shops and continue to do until i have the game long enough to have completed it. Sure, you would want to have a lot of time on your hands but if this was the case I guarantee ya that loads would be doing it.

As for the whole opened boxes, the shops have no choice really but to do this. They have to have the cases on display and companies never really send out display cases, they do sometimes and when they do they never send enough. You should always look at the disk before you leave the shop, and I know I know:rolleyes: you shouldn't have to.

TerrorFirmer

Don't really have a problem with it, after all shops don't have the space to store wrapped copies of every single game as well as have display cases. If the game was damaged or scratched though I'd be the first looking for a refund/exchange. I have to say buying games this way, I've never had any problems, the discs were always grand. Maybe a finger print, but nothing actual detrimental in the slightest to the functioning of the game.

What I do hate though is that they do store some of the pre-owned games behind the counter in boxes. I brought up Perfect Dark Zero Collectors Tin Edition to the counter from the pre-owned section, was given a tattered, damp-marked regular edition straight from the drawer with the disc looking like it'd been used to eat steak on. No thanks. :rolleyes:

Swizz

Flaccus wrote: »

Alot of places seem to do this..xtravision, gamestop, hmv. It annoys me as they keep the discs in the drawer and the boxes on the shelves. Last 3 games I bought I noticed minor scratches on the dvd, which is obviously caused by the shop assistant manhandling the discs when they put them away. Their excuse is they don't have enough stock so have to put boxes out on display and have to file the discs away. I always thought you were entitled to a nice shiny new shrinkwrapped game with the ms seal in tact. Sort of annoys me as I went back to Xtravision the other day with a so called new game and they gave me guff about it still being able to work and sure the scratches are only minor. Not good enough says I. Are these shops allowed sell games like this in the 1st place ? Do MS know they break the seal on these games and sell them as new ?

buy online brand new and sealed games, not even a scratch on the box as theyre in plastic plus its alot cheaper.

quinnd6

Yep gamestop do this a lot.


I bought brothers in arms hells highway.
The box hadn't been sealed and the game was taken off a drawer when I bought it.
So I tried it on my 360 a couple of months later(as I had been playing other games before playing it)
First couple of levels were ok but then I started getting the "please clean disk with a soft cloth" message.

No matter how much I cleaned the disk I kept getting the same message.

So I ring gamestop about it and tell them what happened and they won't give me a replacement because I have the game longer than 30 days and apparently that's their rule.

So bye bye gamestop.

Swizz

I bought RES5 in Gamestop and was BNIN and sealed. All the major releases you buy in shops are normally sealed as theyve loads of them and you should go up to the counter and ask do they have any if they go to the backroom and you can see if its sealed or if they go onto the shop floor just walk out

Michael-O'Neill

DrMorphine wrote: »

GAME?

GAME always have sealed discs boxes the counter. They never just throw discs into the boxes. Gamestop really annoy me when they do this.

they do in the one i go to

fitz0

It all depends on the shop really. I always make a thing about checking the disc at the counter if its unsealed. I don't care if theres a queue behind me or if the shop assistant gives me the evil eye, if it's not perfect Im getting my money back. We give these shops enough money without having to put up with dogeared manuals and scuffed discs.

Plus the new game smell is the most satisfying thing about opening a game.

duploelabs

If the book is dog eared and the disc scratched then you can ask at the point of sale, but until you have run a game shop or games section in a store then don't gripe about how a shop merchandises their stock.
No store in their right mind would put out live stock on the shelves, there is no effective security method to stop the stock going walkies out the door (I have seen some hilarious footage of lifters trying to nick nearly anything that isn't nailed down).
Conversely unless you put the packaging out for the customer to hold and look over, you are never going to sell anything.

I'm not being smart but if you are a store manager, what are you going to do? It is one of the necessary evils of buying from a retail store and if you like the ‘new game smell’ or the sealed box then buy online

niallon

Exactly as duploelabs says. In Smyths we get inlays sent down for huge releases i.e GTA IV, Gears, Halo, MGS etc. but others, even Resi 5 we didn't get anything and so had to put out opened cases. It annoys me as much as anyone having to buy them as I know it is better to be getting a sealed box for your buck but I can say that in our store anyway we're all gamers that take care of discs.

ShiverinEskimo

jenno86 wrote: »

What are you on about?? Thats bullshít!

I can assure you it is not bullshít. It's called the cooling-off period and all the large retailers operate it - except on certain items (such as PC games which can be easily copied and come with a unique CD key which can be easily written down.)

Haven't you ever returned a shirt or something that was the wrong size? There's nothing wrong with the item but they are still obliged to swap it or issue a credit note (or even a full refund if the store decides to). Have you ever seen your girlfriend change her mind on a dress she's bought? It happens all the time and just because it is a game doesn't change the rules on the cooling-off period.

Absolam

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

I can assure you it is not bullshít. It's called the cooling-off period and all the large retailers operate it - except on certain items (such as PC games which can be easily copied and come with a unique CD key which can be easily written down.)

Haven't you ever returned a shirt or something that was the wrong size? There's nothing wrong with the item but they are still obliged to swap it or issue a credit note (or even a full refund if the store decides to). Have you ever seen your girlfriend change her mind on a dress she's bought? It happens all the time and just because it is a game doesn't change the rules on the cooling-off period.

Cooling off periods only apply under distance selling regulations ie the internet; there is no cooling off period for regular retail. A shop is not obliged to accept the return of a product that is not faulty; including shirts that are the wrong size or dresses your girlfriend doesn't like.

ShiverinEskimo

Absolam wrote: »

Cooling off periods only apply under distance selling regulations ie the internet; there is no cooling off period for regular retail. A shop is not obliged to accept the return of a product that is not faulty; including shirts that are the wrong size or dresses your girlfriend doesn't like.

Fair enough - not obliged - but they do. HMV, my example, included.