EBGames - OK to send customer a used game when buying new?

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EB Games Australia

• 

  Brouw3r on 13/01/2014 - 14:51

  +2

  The case could have been out on display in a store, the manuals/disk would have been removed and put away in a drawer. This would explain all your problems, but it's not necessarily "used".

  I typically stay away from EB games just because their prices are almost never cheaper than JBHIFI in store, and there's usually somewhere else online (until ~1 year ago ozgameshop) cheaper.

  • 

    ProjectZero on 13/01/2014 - 14:58

    +1

    The case could have been out on display in a store, the manuals/disk would have been removed and put away in a drawer. This would explain all your problems, but it's not necessarily "used".

    Whilst that maybe true, wouldn't that count as "repack", "as new, never used"? I still wouldn't consider it new.

    I haven't had it happen to me, but if it did, i'd raise hell simply because i'm really anal when it comes to keeping my things in a near perfect state…

    • 

      Brouw3r on 13/01/2014 - 16:28

      +1

      I bought starfox 64 on 3DS the other day from EB games and they did exactly that. I wouldn't consider it anything other than new. I realise that coming from "online", you get used to getting sealed games but I don't think its grounds for sending it back.

      • 

        ProjectZero on 13/01/2014 - 16:42

        Lol raising hell is probably a lil too exaggerated, but to order online only to find the item you purchased, stated as new, not looking like new.

        From the description

        For what it's worth, in my case:

        totally scratched case (beyond belief really…can't be missed unless you're heavily intoxicated)
        markings and prints on booklet not consistent with new.
        markings on disc surface (and dust) not consistent with new.
        no new smell whatsoever.
        clearly used
        no seal (even though I'm told some games are not sealed, every other game I've bought from them has been factory-sealed, and even if they weren't it would be obvious to me which are used and which aren't)

        The bold points clearly shows that the product was not stored properly, whilst the item may be "new" it could have had scratches on the disc itself and that to me is not new at all.

      • 

        kwaker on 14/01/2014 - 11:11

        If it was new and just the case was on the shelf I don't think it would have markings and prints on the book either.

        However I think regardless its wrong to send an item in that condition. If that's all they had they should discount it.

• 

  cheepwun on 13/01/2014 - 20:05

  +1

  Guys, please take a look. I took photos before posting it off back to EB earlier today.

  itchy & scratchy
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20515/p1010093.jp…

  unclean disc
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20520/p1010107.jp…

  dried liquid (?) residue on back of booklet
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20524/p1010125.jp…

  dried liquid (?) residue on front of booket
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20521/p1010116.jp…

  dried liquid (?) residue under the booklet (inside of case)
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20517/p1010100.jp…

  inside case, below disc
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20523/p1010122.jp…

  back of case scratchings
  http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/56069/20525/p1010097.jp…

  Disc has all signs of use, but is not heavily scratched (minor small scratches are seen consistent with usage / handling). Dust is seen that typically shows up with a used / handled disc, both on the disc itself and inside the case.

  Case is horribly scratched, particularly the top section near the blu-ray logo, but also the back and front in general. Just to be clear again: I would be embarrassed to send a customer a game in this state when buying new (as I did). My perception of EB has changed completely.

  In several pics it looks like some liquid has dried on the paper & case. My thoughts are the discs were or are wiped with some liquid, perhaps to clean them up a bit. Or at least this one was.

  I was generally impressed with previous orders prior to this (both with Guest checkout and recent orders that show up under my account). Though postage was on the slow side, they were reliable and I got what I paid for. Until today.

  What do you think?

  • 

    Untameable on 14/01/2014 - 02:08

    +2

    Yes, that would irritate me. You're not crazy.

    I worked at EB Games while I was studying at University. The top brass are literally the dumbest, greasiest scum you could imagine. They don't give a toss about you or games.

    On the other hand the people working there often do care, but are utterly powerless, and deal with so much of the garbage of humanity (figuratively and literally as I had to do a sweep every hour or so picking up trash like burger wrappers and drink containers left inside the store) that they have lost all will to live.

    It kind of sours the shopping experience there. Wouldn't it be awesome to go back to the early 00's when it just opened and was new and amazing?

    • 

      cheepwun on 14/01/2014 - 07:28

      It kind of sours the shopping experience there.

      Thanks for responding.

      That's exactly what I said to their customer service guy that I spoke with on the phone. On the positive side, they sent me a prepaid label via email to send the game back but I would have much preferred a faster refund after finding out they could not find me a new copy of the game to begin with.

      A little thing I noticed after I made this order was that it was available both online as well as in-store before I ordered. The status changed to just available in-store (not online) some time after my order. So I think they realised they had no new stock of the game coming from their qld warehouse.

      I asked the customer service guy where the games come from and how could used games be mixed with new ones. He told me they are all sent from the warehouse but basically said that sometimes store stock can find its way there. I think I simply got some store's used stock when they found out they had no new game to send me. He didn't really assure me that this could not happen again, though there was some suggestion it wasn't common.

• 

  cheepwun on 18/01/2014 - 09:55

  Full price of the item has been refunded.

  A huge waste of time when a little honesty could have gone a long way before sending out a used game.

  Anyway, all done.

• 

  FrankMcFuzz on 22/01/2014 - 11:13

  I always buy used so I can't tell you. I have bought a few games from Big W a couple of times that were pretty disgusting in terms of box and disk. Big W doesn't put 'used' on things that come back, so you buy it without knowing.

  But, even the used ones come in a pretty good condition from time to time. I bought Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate preowned (YES I HAVE A WII U, I KNOW NINTENDO IS DOING TERRIBLE, LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOONE) and the case and disk were pretty much flawless. Pretty admirable when Big W's 'new' stuff is pretty ordinary.

  I guess it varies from store to store, branch to branch. As the guy a couple posts earlier said, the people working there often do care about these sorts of things.

  Plus, if I buy preowned, the EVIL, EVIL CORPORATIONS don't get my money :3 I am not funding Activision and EA's ambition to make the most boring first person shooting game ever.

  • 

    cheepwun on 22/01/2014 - 18:10

    I never buy in-store unless the game is factory-sealed. So far BigW has been good to me though I have only ordered games from their website. The items I ordered were listed as being sent straight from their supplier.

• 

  Andrew87 on 24/01/2014 - 13:46

  +1

  It's a gamble. I recently got a 3DS, and wanted Shinobi. I remembered seeing it for $10ish at Kmart months back, and figured it would be new permanent price to clear stock, not a sale. However, by the time I went looking for it it was long gone.

  Got the game preowned from EB for $8 and I struggle to see any signs of wear and tear on game case or manual, but sending someone second hand games as new is wrong.