HMV set to go into administration

F1ngers

Penn wrote: »

If Gamesnash take Laser cards, I might start going with them.

They do.

Zero-Cool

Penn wrote: »

If Gamesnash take Laser cards, I might start going with them.

Just an FYI, Gamesnash do take Laser.

Whatever about the end of €45 new releases, it will be crap not having a shop to go looking at a huge range of film, music and games. If I ever went to the shops, I'd always head into HMV for a gander. Crap for anyone stuck with vouchers as well. If you have a 50 quid voucher, you should be able to go into the shop and take something of 50 euro value/

Beefy78

sheehy83 wrote: »

Whatever about the end of €45 new releases, it will be crap not having a shop to go looking at a huge range of film, music and games. If I ever went to the shops, I'd always head into HMV for a gander.

Exactly. I've got a huge amount of stuff in my collection which were just impulse buys when I was browsing. When I buy online I tend to know what I want and go straight for that.

Penn

sheehy83 wrote: »

Whatever about the end of €45 new releases, it will be crap not having a shop to go looking at a huge range of film, music and games. If I ever went to the shops, I'd always head into HMV for a gander.

On the plus side though, I might finally stop impulse buying so much. I have bought a lot of great things just on impulse from having a look around HMV, but I've also bought an awful amount of sh*te

Dravokivich

Beefy78 wrote: »

Exactly. I've got a huge amount of stuff in my collection which were just impulse buys when I was browsing. When I buy online I tend to know what I want and go straight for that.

Would be the same myself. Popping into HMV was part of me on my way to do some messages. If there was a few DVD's or Blu Rays on deals that I was interested in, I'd pick'em up.

I very rarely buy media off an online store as I'm just a casual browser kinda shopper and pick up what stands out at the time. Webstores can be a pain as it is when you know what you want, let alone when you just want to browse.

chrislad

Got a voucher and I thankfully did use it (mostly) on books in their sale. I don't think it will close up. There may be some layoffs, but the Irish stores don't seem to be over staffed, at least on the shop floor side of things. The main concern is the staff. As was said, there's no point going in like a dick about vouchers. The people who pay them are telling them not to take them. There's a chance of them losing their jobs: 100% if you decide to ignore what your bosses say!

jones

I think its bad news for us as consumers if HMV as we know it disappears (which looks likely) re the voucher issue they have been told not to accept any vouchers or returns until further notice. Feel sorry for anyone working there not a good time for them

JustAddWater

Since GAME went, in liffey valley, all thats left for games is HMV, OK, PC world have a limited stock

Sad for consumers, sad far staff, and bad for the economy

DARK-KNIGHT

JustAddWater wrote: »

Since GAME went, in liffey valley, all thats left for games is HMV, OK, PC world have a limited stock

Sad for consumers, sad far staff, and bad for the economy

Can see GameStop opening a store in Liffey valley now... Monopoly ffs

EGriff

I was in GameStop last week and they were charging €60 for far cry 3 and €55 for hitman absolution (on PS3). I really want to play far cry but no way am I paying that.

Ended up getting hitman for £12 from simply games and it runs perfect on my 2 year old dell xps15. No wonder these shops are going under. GameStop probably won't be far behind.

Although if they can survive until the other two new consoles come out business might pick up a bit. God only knows what the games for those will cost.

Mr E

The new consoles will be pretty well geared towards digital downloads and streaming. The writing is on the wall for game shops.

VinLieger

EGriff wrote: »

I was in GameStop last week and they were charging €60 for far cry 3 and €55 for hitman absolution (on PS3). I really want to play far cry but no way am I paying that.

Ended up getting hitman for £12 from simply games and it runs perfect on my 2 year old dell xps15. No wonder these shops are going under. GameStop probably won't be far behind.

Although if they can survive until the other two new consoles come out business might pick up a bit. God only knows what the games for those will cost.

Gamestop dont care about new sales though its all about 2nd hand for them which is where they make an absolute killing and how they're entire business model operates, which is also why they dont give a **** about pc games

VinLieger

Mr E wrote: »

The new consoles will be pretty well geared towards digital downloads and streaming. The writing is on the wall for game shops.

Dont be so sure, everything ive read is pointing it to the system being improved and more accessable but i doubt its gonna be like the flick of a switch, my prediction is the digital distribution services will gradually increase market share over the next gen lifetime but imo we wont see the death of physical games till the next one down the line

666irishguy

It's a pity, I'd often stop into the one in Limerick if I was down there and pick up a greatest hits for a tenner. They might survive in some form but it's really their own fault, they had their fingers in too many pies in the UK.

Dozen Wicked Words

Mr E wrote: »

The new consoles will be pretty well geared towards digital downloads and streaming. The writing is on the wall for game shops.

Irish internet infrastructure isn't geared for downloads and streaming yet though, not in large parts of the country anyway.

peteeeed

some good advice available here

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/shopping/2013/01/hmv-to-go-into-administration-your-rights

C14N

C14N wrote: »

Most Irish banks seem to be switching form Laser to Visa/Mastercard debit cards and have already started issuing them and Amazon will accept these.

Sad to see HMV go, not sure why Gamestop are getting all this flack. I preferred HMV, sure but I've gotten plenty of good deals in Gamestop. Both my brother and I bought our PS3s there after extensive shopping around (they had by far the best offers both times), my mother bought the whole PS Move set with that Harry Potter book game for the same price as others were selling a single Move controller and I've gotten plenty of cheap second hand Blu Rays off them over time. Never even SEEN anything going for €70 as a poster above mentioned.

Tesco are awful though, any I've been in having piss-poor selection of games dominated by casual titles and many older ones going at their original prices and my nearest one is a Tesco Extra. Xtravision are a little better but not much and I can't see them sticking around much longer either.

GameStop get flack for the simple reason that they are a crowd of thieving gits. All their console prices and deals are more expensive and inferior to other places. They are constantly the most expensive for new releases by 10 euros at least. Preowned game prices are usually only a few euro cheaper that new and more often than not you could get the same game new for cheaper elsewhere.

Their returns policy is heavily enforced, you either have the receipt or your out of luck and even with it they more often than not tell you there's nothing can do.

That Harry Potter move game box set you mentioned has been 23 euro in HMV since well before Christmas. I saw it GameStop for 70 not too long ago:

The cheap second hand Blu-Rays are decent enough if they have an offer on, buy 2 get 1 free or 2 for the price of 1 but even then you'd find the same Blu's cheaper in HMV and know if there was an issue you were fine. Bring back a secondhand gane you bought in GameStop and you'll have a hard time getting your money back. Hell I was bought two complete box sets in there, Star Trek Enterprise and A Town Called Eureka. When I was given I noticed a load if spelling mistakes on the synopsis and when I opened it I saw that the discs were all generic DVDs. Played back there was a sci-fi channel across the top of the screen and ad breaks. Went back in with the receipt and was asked "what did you expect?" This was before the 10 euro offer and it was only after I threatened to report them for selling counterfeit fit goods that I got a refund.

Clover

EGriff wrote: »

I was in GameStop last week and they were charging €60 for far cry 3 .I really want to play far cry but no way am I paying that.

Check out Smyths ,
I picked up a new copy today for €35. decided to use up the €20 in vouchers that I had after the HMV problems.

hypersquirrel

Sad to see them go. Never really went there myself because they were too our of the way but usually picked up a good bargain anytime I did head in. Would really hate to be working there now. Can't imagine what it must feel like to know you have a good chance of losing your job and then getting abuse from angry customers about something totally out of your control.

As for gamestop. I think I must have got lucky. Been into a few of them and they have been absolutely awful but my local is great. Fantastic staff and a great variety of preowned games.

Seeing as I only buy older games preowned I've never noticed them overcharging on that front and the only ones I get new are usually collector's editions so they suit me just fine.

Xtra Vision on the other hand will never see another cent off me having had to return almost every second purchase because they're in such poor condition.

C14N

Deleted User wrote: »

GameStop get flack for the simple reason that they are a crowd of thieving gits. All their console prices and deals are more expensive and inferior to other places.

Absolutely have to disagree on this one. I got my PS3 Slim about two years ago, I checked every shop in Dublin city that sells this sort of thing (HMV, Game, Smyths, Argos etc) and even the major online retailers. Gamestop had by far the best deal on the console.

Just a short while back my younger brother wanted the new PS3 for himself (since I moved out and took mine) and we went all over Sligo to all the games retailers. Again Smyths, HMV and Xtra-vision couldn't compete. We were actually considering waiting a few months for a price drop until we went into Gamestop.

Deleted User wrote: »

They are constantly the most expensive for new releases by 10 euros at least. Preowned game prices are usually only a few euro cheaper that new and more often than not you could get the same game new for cheaper elsewhere.

The most expensive games I have ever seen in there are €59.99 for a few games and I see that everywhere. Granted some of their pre-owned prices are stupid.

Deleted User wrote: »

Their returns policy is heavily enforced, you either have the receipt or your out of luck and even with it they more often than not tell you there's nothing can do.

I have never had to return anything there but I don't really see why you would expect to get a return without so much as a receipt. I have never returned anything anywhere without a receipt.

Deleted User wrote: »

That Harry Potter move game box set you mentioned has been 23 euro in HMV since well before Christmas. I saw it GameStop for 70 not too long ago

On Christmas Eve, HMV in town were selling the book and the game together for €30, they didn't stock the Eye at all (which you need to actually play it). The assistant recommended going to Gamestop instead which we did. We went up to the counter with the Eye and Move controller set for €60 and the staff told us that we could get it for €55 if we threw in the book and Harry Potter game so we did.

Deleted User wrote: »

The cheap second hand Blu-Rays are decent enough if they have an offer on, buy 2 get 1 free or 2 for the price of 1 but even then you'd find the same Blu's cheaper in HMV and know if there was an issue you were fine.

HMV might have them for the same price if they're on special offer but they are almost never cheaper and I'm saying that as someone who has bought dozens of Blu-rays from HMV (mainly because their selection is far better). Maybe you're more likely to have problems with second hand but that's sort of just the risk you take when you buy second hand, it's why they're cheaper.

Penn

Gamestop for the most part are alright. If they're charging a lot for something, don't buy it.

I pre-ordered the special edition of Assassin's Creed 3 in one store. Due to a change in work, it turned out I'd get the game sooner if I ordered it in another store closer to work. I rang the closer store and they said they had one left I could book, but I'd need to put a deposit on it (as they couldn't transfer my pre-order between stores). When I explained I probably wouldn't be able to, the guy said he'd put a fiver of his own money on it for me in order to book it, and I'd pay him back when I bought it.

For every bad story about them, there's probably a good one. Yes, their prices can be too high and splitting up boxsets to sell as individual dvds annoys me greatly, but they don't deserve a lot of the hate they get.

Sephiroth_dude

Its sad to see them go,I always enjoyed going in there and browsing through there metal selection,will they have reductions on consoles do ye think?

abbir

People saying only Gamestop and Xtravision left, don't forget about Smyths. Gamestop is the one I never buy anything in. Smyths, Xtravision or HMV were the places I'd look (for console games) as I've never liked the layout of the Gamestop here.

Penn

abbir wrote: »

People saying only Gamestop and Xtravision left, don't forget about Smyths. Gamestop is the one I never buy anything in. Smyths, Xtravision or HMV were the places I'd look (for console games) as I've never liked the layout of the Gamestop here.

Yeah, I'd been forgetting about Smyths too.

And I agree, most Gamestops have horrible layouts and feel extremely cramped.

DARK-KNIGHT

No matter what happens I'm 200 euro out its very hard to not get pissed off

20 or 30 euro I could hack but 200?? **** you HMV...

Rang Liffey valley and was told don't hold out too much hope.. The ****ing neck on the manager brushing me off like that

Rev Hellfire

Well hopefully they'll have a good fire sale, could be a chance for some bargains.

ispini1984

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Well hopefully they'll have a good fire sale, could be a chance for some bargains.

has there been any word of that anywhere?

marco_polo

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Well hopefully they'll have a good fire sale, could be a chance for some bargains.

Would expect much, it appears that much of HMVs stock was supplied on on a sale or return basis so a clearance sale seems highly unlikely.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2262390/HMV-adminstration-Collapse-leave-4-000-staff-cold.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

But despite the efforts, dismal Christmas sales were the final straw for the firm’s banks. HMV is understood to have asked them for a £300million lifeline, but was turned down on the evidence of its recent performance.

Last night it was reported that HMV’s suppliers, who had already taken equity in the firm in a bid to prop it up and supplied stock on a sale-or-return basis, had also refused a further plea to lend £300million to pay off debts and help restructure the business.

Rev Hellfire

marco_polo wrote: »

Would expect much, it appears that much of HMVs stock was supplied on on a sale or return basis so a clearance sale seems highly unlikely.

That's a shame.

Dozen Wicked Words

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

No matter what happens I'm 200 euro out its very hard to not get pissed off

20 or 30 euro I could hack but 200?? **** you HMV...

Rang Liffey valley and was told don't hold out too much hope.. The ****ing neck on the manager brushing me off like that

It is total shít you are going to lose your money. I would say though, and its the same when most companies goes into administration, the staff in the shop have zero say in redeeming gift vouchers, credit notes or any other non cash transaction, the administrators decide all of those things. Also the manager who may well have been crap on the phone is probably looking at losing his job, not excusing bad manners but I don't think my disposition would be the sunniest with that news.