I've heard stories about them doing that.

Here's something interesting:

Kotaku reports on a practice by GameStop which allows employees to "check out" new copies of video games, play them, then return them to be sold as new. Quoting:

 "When a shipment of video games initially arrives at a store, managers are told to 'gut' several copies of the game, removing the disc or cartridge from the packaging so it can be displayed on the shelf without concern of theft, according to our sources. The games are then placed in protective sleeves or cases under the counter. If a customer asks why the game is not sealed they are typically told the the game is a display copy. The game is still sold as new. When check-out games are returned, we were told, they are placed with the gutted display copies. If a customer asks about these, they are typically told they are display copies, not that they have been played before. Since the copies are often placed with display copies, even managers and employees typically don't know which of these games have been played and which haven't."

That's kinda shows how gamestop works.

(Slashdot)

Hopefully this puts an end to it.
(>'.')>

Another reason why I hope all the next-gen consoles (*) will have the possibility of downloading all games (at a slightly cheaper price).

I'm sick of funding inadequate retail stores which are just sucking money out without giving much back.

* By next-gen I mean the next gen, not the current one. Sad that I have to specify...

Some quick thoughts.

Gamestop puts gutted copies of games on the shelf so that people can't walk away with them (because unlike mass merchandisers like Wal-Mart and Target, they don't lock their games in a cabinet where you can't see them).

The only time they sell the gutted copy is when it is the last one.

I remember the EB policy where it would take back new games and resell them as new as being a lot worse. Of course, if you think about it, most stores do the same thing -- buy a shirt, wear it, decide you don't like it, return it, it gets resold. And there is NO PROOF in the article that the FTC cares enough about this to investigate it. My guess is that it does not considering the same charges were made two years ago.

Mike from Morgantown

^^^ Dude, on The Launch Night of GH:Metallica, they were trying to give out a "gutted copy". And he was first in line.

With clothing it's a more delicate and complicated story. before reaching retail shops those pieces of clothes are checked for durability by machines (so they are streched folded etc) and after they are returned by unhappy customers these pieces undergo chemical cleaning to get rid of any residue left by the former owner.

in practice the clothing is just as new since it's on the same level as it was after it leaves the factories but of course you can't trust every retailer to go thrpugh with this procedure.

Electronics and others of the kind need to have special sale laws since they are a completly different product with different characteristics.

@LCEC -- I agree. That is just wrong! I can only speak to what I have seen. And I have not seen anything that egregious.

@yanamaster -- I had never heard of those requirements. I wonder how many stores have as well, or follow them. If such exists, it does put clothes on a completely different level.



Mike from Morgantown

There are other solutions, other game stores have the games inside a hard shell which they remove when you go to the counter and pay for the game. Then they have those detectors which make something beep if you try to steal the game.

yea that's bs. It angers me. I like my new stuff new.