Gamestop has always had an atrocious return policy and is known for selling a new game title for $70 only to offer to buy it back the next day for $20 or so. Recently, a reader sent us a story about their child buying one of those new Xbox Elite controllers.
You know, the ones that are $189.00 new. He used Christmas money that he had saved up and made the purchase. Unhappy with the controller after buying into the hype, he tried to bring it back the next day after using it for less than an hour.
Upon taking it to the Game Stop store in Howell, New Jersey for a refund, exchange, or store credit, none was offered.
Instead, he was told he could not return the item because it had been opened. The generous clerk then tried to offer the young teenager $29 to buy back the controller he had just paid $189.00 for the day prior.
Now, if he had bought that same controller at Target, Best Buy or Walmart, he would have been able to return it with no questions asked.
And that’s why when you buy gaming hardware, you should always go to the big retailers and skip the local Gamestop because of their return policies and preying acting upon young teenagers.
Now, don’t go blaming the store clerk because he was just following company policy. So do yourself a favor. As much as you want to support the smaller guys, this one doesn’t have the consumer’s best interest in mind.
Once you unbox your game console or accessory purchased at GameStop unless it is defective. Target allows 30 days for all exchanges and returns of gaming consoles and accessories.
Returns are available for nearly everything Walmart sells. Your purchase history on Walmart.com displays the latest eligible date for a return or replacement. The company recommends keeping track of all manufacturer packaging and your receipt for a minimum of 90 days after purchase.
Best Buy offers a 15 day return policy on most items sold in its stores.