We’ve all been there.
You’ve gathered up several games that have been collecting dust and plan a trip to GameStop to trade them in. That hot new game is out and you’re hoping your trade-ins will cover a huge portion of the bill. Shockingly, when the cashier tallies up your total for ten PS4 games in near-perfect condition, he says you have $15 trade-in credit. How can this be!? You paid $60 for all ten of these games and they’re offering you that for all of them?!
It’s a sad scenario we’ve all been through at least once in our lives as gamers. Luckily a lot of us are now able to purchase games at full price without having to trade anything in. But what about the younger ones? The kids without jobs who rely on trade-in credit to lower the cost of that next game? Sadly, they are the ones GameStop targets and it sort of makes sense. Video game trade-ins are a convenient, fast and hassle-free way to earn cash. There are no age restrictions or special accounts needed.
Why Rip-Off the Customer?
Here’s the thing. GameStop is a video game store and a video game store only. Other than accessories and a small selection of toys, they have nothing else to offer consumers. GameStop is one of the last major video game retailers out there and the market is not booming. They need to earn profit, and with the fees paid to game publishers, they don’t make much off each sale. It’s why most video game stores died out with the dinosaurs.
However, did you know that retailers don’t have to pay publishers when selling used games? This is why GameStop puts so much emphasis on their used stock. Think about it. Whenever you go into a the store and ask for a game, they try to talk you into purchasing the used version. They’re not trying to save you money- they’re trying to earn more profit from their sales.
This means whenever they buy that game off you for $15 and turnaround to sell it for $45, they’re making $30 in pure profit. The less they offer you for your used games, the more money they make. It’s the old bait-and-switch tactic. A new game attracts you to the store, and they go in for the kill by offering a used version. And there are always used versions of brand new games for some reason.
You can’t really blame them, in all fairness. It’s a business and businesses are meant to make money. Unlike Target and Best Buy, GameStop can’t rely on other products to make money. Their only option is figuring out how to earn more money without turning their back on what they are- a video game store.
Our advice? You’re better off selling your games on an app like Offer Up or eBay. You can sell your games for what they’re actually worth, but get all the profit. You just gotta have the patience and salesmanship. We’re willing to bet no matter how you sell your game, it’ll be for more than what GameStop offers. Just give it a try!
