Update: GameStop let Chris return the game for a refund.

Chris writes in with what he says is proof of GameStop’s dirty secret — the practice of selling opened games as new to unsuspecting customers. He says he bought MLB 2K10 and found the game had not only been opened, but robbed of its voucher for a free poster.

He writes:

On Sunday, i purchased MLB 2K10 for my fathers birthday from gamestop and left it in its bag with the receipt until last night (wednesday) when i gave it to him.

Here’s how it went down

Dad: “So how is the game?”
Me: “Not sure, never played it.”
Dad: “But its already open”
Me : “WTF!”

It actually looked like i was REGIFTING……. The box had “NEW RELEASE 59.99” stickers all over the case, there was no wrapping whatsoever, the security device stickers were not present on the top or botom of the case, and the one in the middle was ripped, and had a piece of tape holding the case shut. The price stickers were directly affixed to the case, as well as the “OFFICIAL MLB” sticker, ensuring a sticky nasty case when you pull them off. The real kicker is that after doing some research online i found out that MLB 2k10 comes with a voucher in it for a free “Fathead” poster worth aprox. $40. The gamestop staff actually removed the “OFFICAL MLB” sticker from the outside wrapping, and placed it directly ontop of where the game case showed that it came with the voucher; telling me that someone most likely had taken it, and didn’t want the buyer to know.

I was so livid i neglected to take pictures of the “New” butchered game. I went to the gamestop where i purchased it, and the employee behind the counter said that the manager was on lunch (go figure), and explained that there was nothing wrong with the game. I showed him that it was taped shut, and he said that Gamestop routinely removes the artwork from new copies of the game for display purposes, and they “re-package” the game when they run out of the wrapped copies. I demanded a refund and he said that they could only refund me if the game wasn’t opened. At this point i was furious, and the cashier relented, only after inspecting the tape they carefully placed over the broken security stickers. He said “This is the one thing that saved you, if this tape wasn’t here you wouldn’t have been able to get a refund, not even through my manager” (have they ever heard of a chargeback?)

I drove miles out of my way to leave completely unsatisfied… it wasn’t a simple mistake or an accident, they admitted to this shit; and the fucker behind the counter didn’t see anything wrong with the fact that i was giving an opened item as a birthday gift.

I went to wall-mart and bought the game, and that’s when i noticed that the “Official MLB” sticker was on the outside of the packaging, and the “free fathead poster” voucher was printed directly onto the case.

I’ll never shop at gamestop ever again.

Has GameStop ever sold you a not-so-new “new” game?

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