DO NOT PREORDER NEW GAMES FROM GAMESTOP

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

4 hours ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

Still though, as a eBay nobody, I can get your game to you on 2 days if you pay for it. Realistically, they could've started slapping prepaid labels on games a week or two ago and had them ready to go out the day before release if the customer paid extra. 

Bingo.  It doesn't come down to one place having a huge logistic infrastructure and another not, it's really all about the warehouse/shipping people being on the ball about doing what they were hired for.  In previous years, GameStop had little to no trouble in getting people their preordered games on time, in store or via shipping.  COVID could have something to do with it, but it might also simply be that with all the other struggles the company has faced, they've lost some of their better team members responsible for such things and are no longer as efficient or competent in that area.  IIRC, I think that GameStop also used to have dates semi-prominently displayed online and in stores telling you what the last day was to preorder a game if you wanted to get it day of via shipping, so the fact that they're no longer doing that indicates that yet another department is slipping or they've just adjusted their business practices once again toward the shadier side of things.

Either way, anybody who has the competence to pack a box, print a label, and call the USPS/UPS/FedEx guy can get anyone their game within 2-3 days of it going out the door, and seeing as their warehouses get games at least a week or two before the launch date 99% of the time, there's not really any obvious reason for this to no longer happen like clockwork.

[OptOut | 8,881]

Wait, you bought a second copy so you could play it without having to wait for your preorder to arrive?!

I hope you didn't get it from GameStop, lol! 

[Tulpa | 3,488]

2 hours ago, darkchylde28 said:

COVID could have something to do with it,

COVID has fucked up supply chain logistics across the board. We're probably seeing it trickle into general goods shipping right now. I only say you can't compare anyone else to Amazon because they'll send their workers into a death march if it meant keeping their shipping promise.

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,055]

13 hours ago, darkchylde28 said:

Bingo.  It doesn't come down to one place having a huge logistic infrastructure and another not, it's really all about the warehouse/shipping people being on the ball about doing what they were hired for.  In previous years, GameStop had little to no trouble in getting people their preordered games on time, in store or via shipping.  COVID could have something to do with it, but it might also simply be that with all the other struggles the company has faced, they've lost some of their better team members responsible for such things and are no longer as efficient or competent in that area.  IIRC, I think that GameStop also used to have dates semi-prominently displayed online and in stores telling you what the last day was to preorder a game if you wanted to get it day of via shipping, so the fact that they're no longer doing that indicates that yet another department is slipping or they've just adjusted their business practices once again toward the shadier side of things.

Either way, anybody who has the competence to pack a box, print a label, and call the USPS/UPS/FedEx guy can get anyone their game within 2-3 days of it going out the door, and seeing as their warehouses get games at least a week or two before the launch date 99% of the time, there's not really any obvious reason for this to no longer happen like clockwork.

Well having incompetent people working the warehouse would be an issue…with their logistical infrastructure. They don’t have enough people, and more importantly enough “good people” to get their stuff out. The Gamestop reddit has explained it a lot. The company is probably the lowest paying retail company and their hemorrhaging people and can’t get anymore people because people can make twice as much at a Mcdonalds

Edited October 11, 2021 by LeatherRebel5150
Spelling and clarity

[Estil | 1,261]

2 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Well have incompetent people working the warehouse would be an issue…with their logistical infrastructure. They don’t have enough people, and more impressed enough good people to get their stuff out. The Gamestop reddit has explained it a lot. The company is probably the lowest paying retail company and their hemorrhaging people and can’t get anymore because people can make twice as much at a Mcdonalds

I feel the same way I felt about Kmart several years ago...how the heck does Gamestop stay in business??  I mean they've been a joke for well over a decade or more...

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

3 hours ago, Estil said:

I feel the same way I felt about Kmart several years ago...how the heck does Gamestop stay in business??  I mean they've been a joke for well over a decade or more...

At this point, I'm pretty sure that the GameSTONKS incident is the only thing that staved off a major crash and burn for GameStop, although whatever good will that generated among people who actually liked and cared for the company seems to be quickly waning.  I ended up done with them more or less because of their sales tactics, but also because they primarily stopped carrying anything that I was particularly interested in buying.

I have a PS4, so I could still shop there, but more and more often as time went on, I'd find only one or two other people in the store, go directly to what I wanted to purchase, get in line behind the other couple of people, then end up with like a 20-30 minute wait to GTFO the door.  I mean...fuck that.  The PS4 is (sadly) on its way out because Sony wants to push the PS5 above all else (even though it can't actually produce enough of the damned things to put them in the hands of every interested buyer, let alone the PS4 install base), and I can buy that stuff anywhere, and increasingly, used, and at a discounted price more and more places as well.  GameStop ruined ThinkGeek when they bought them, so I have zero interest in the BS tchotchkes that they're hocking, I don't own any current gen systems, nor any last gen systems besides the PS4, and they've killed off their initiative to try to get back into the retro gaming market (that they abandoned and allowed to become the dumpster fire we have today, but that's a topic for another time), so I essentially am down close to zero reasons to ever set foot in the place.

I have fond memories of the place insofar as when it was still essentially Software Etc./Babbages with a different name, but as time has marched on, they've done more and more to fuck up their actual business in the name of quick, short run gains and profits.  I won't support them anymore, and I have a feeling it's gotten to that point for an increasing number of people as time goes on.

[Hammerfestus | 3,824]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:28 PM, CodysGameRoom said:

I mean, kind of yea. Newest game in your favorite series that you've been anticipating for literally years? Got the whole wide weekend to play it? But oh, it won't be here until Sunday. Then you have to work all week. 

I'd say yea, it does matter.

That’s a bunch of bunk.  Because I’m not 12.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

8 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

That’s a bunch of bunk.  Because I’m not 12.

12 or not, I can see @CodysGameRoom's point.  Highly anticipating playing a game that you've looked forward to for literal years, planning out your entire weekend and after-work-Friday schedule around the idea of playing it, then suddenly finding out it's not going to show up until it's basically time for you to go back to the "real" world?  Yeah, I can see that as being mildly soul crushing at worst, or highly disappointing (to the point of putting oneself into a funk or particularly bad mood) at best.  Not everybody has the resources to shell out for the same game multiple times as another person in this thread did, so it's not necessarily possible for someone disappointed in this such a way to effect an immediate (if annoying) solution to the problem.

I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago.  My wife was out running errands, then called to see what I and my daughter wanted her to bring home for breakfast.  On a lark, I checked the Taco Bell app for my local restaurants to see if they were again offering breakfast and, much to my amazement, they were, after months and months of runaround and doubletalk about it.  So, I told her what I wanted from there, put in my daughter's usual drive-thru breakfast order, and hung up.  Got a call back a few minutes later to let me know that it was an error, again, and that the local stores still didn't have any real idea when they would actually be getting breakfast back on the menu (word has been "end of the month" for 6-7 months or more).  Needless to say, I went from having my mouth literally starting to water to not giving a shit about eating at all that morning in a matter of moments.  No, I'm not nearly 12, and a single breakfast really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but given how much I loved Taco Bell's breakfast menu when it was still available and how excited it made me that they had seemingly finally brought it back to my local stores (well after corporate had repeatedly advertised it as being such), I was so disappointed by the turn of events that it basically ruined my morning.

If you're going to try to play the "you're not a kid anymore, be an adult" card, then I guess you shouldn't be posting here either, as none of us should be wasting any of our time worrying about and chasing after such silly, childish things as video games.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

11 hours ago, Tulpa said:

COVID has fucked up supply chain logistics across the board. We're probably seeing it trickle into general goods shipping right now. I only say you can't compare anyone else to Amazon because they'll send their workers into a death march if it meant keeping their shipping promise.

I'd say there's room for some comparison with Amazon, but you're right, they are somewhat monstrous on several fronts.  As you pointed out, they'll tell their people to march straight into Hell to deliver a package, plus they're so much more massive than most everybody else that ships things that it almost wouldn't matter how many people they'd lost, as they'd still be able to keep performing their function as well or nearly so regardless.

Still, I do think a lot of it comes down to competence in execution, as we're talking about shipping packages, something that literally any of us can do in our living rooms without any corporate backing or departmental structure.  Amazon has many more layers of people, so they can afford to have some low level performers on the staff, but GameStop doesn't, and really can't.  If they're not shipping stuff out as they should to get it delivered on time, and aren't including some sort of warning/apology in every email and advertisement about staffing issues, I feel the blame rests on the company and isn't lessened by the fact that another, larger company who does more volume does a much better job.  As the popular saying goes, "[They] had ONE job!!"

[phart010 | 1,705]

1 hour ago, darkchylde28 said:

Still, I do think a lot of it comes down to competence in execution, as we're talking about shipping packages, something that literally any of us can do in our living rooms without any corporate backing or departmental structure.  Amazon has many more layers of people, so they can afford to have some low level performers on the staff, but GameStop doesn't, and really can't.  If they're not shipping stuff out as they should to get it delivered on time, and aren't including some sort of warning/apology in every email and advertisement about staffing issues, I feel the blame rests on the company and isn't lessened by the fact that another, larger company who does more volume does a much better job.  As the popular saying goes, "[They] had ONE job!!"

Yea they really screwed up. I contacted them on Oct 7th to find out why it hadn’t shipped yet. I got an email back basically saying that they were going to resolve this right away, see below:

Well it is now Monday October 11 and I still have not heard anything back from Guest Care yet. Also game is still not yet here.
 

I did get a shipping confirmation on the night of Oct 8 (launch date). However, for some reason I just got another shipping confirmation yesterday and now it says that the estimated arrival is October 13.

I have already bought a second copy on launch day from Walmart which I am playing and have already finished maybe 75% of the game. So I’m good.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

8 hours ago, Hammerfestus said:

That’s a bunch of bunk.  Because I’m not 12.

So being an adult means you’re not allowed to be disappointed in things?

I bet you think men shouldn’t cry either.

it’s ok to feel things.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

7 hours ago, phart010 said:

Yea they really screwed up. I contacted them on Oct 7th to find out why it hadn’t shipped yet. I got an email back basically saying that they were going to resolve this right away, see below:

Well it is now Monday October 11 and I still have not heard anything back from Guest Care yet. Also game is still not yet here.

I did get a shipping confirmation on the night of Oct 8 (launch date). However, for some reason I just got another shipping confirmation yesterday and now it says that the estimated arrival is October 13.

I have already bought a second copy on launch day from Walmart which I am playing and have already finished maybe 75% of the game. So I’m good.

Did the shipment notices have tracking attached to them?  I wonder if it's possible that you end up with two copies of the game from GameStop.  Given their track record, I, for one, wouldn't blame you if you ended up returning both copies (one to Walmart, and the other to GameStop), resulting in a freebie for you due to their incompetence in this.

[phart010 | 1,705]

On 10/11/2021 at 9:37 PM, darkchylde28 said:

Did the shipment notices have tracking attached to them?  I wonder if it's possible that you end up with two copies of the game from GameStop.  Given their track record, I, for one, wouldn't blame you if you ended up returning both copies (one to Walmart, and the other to GameStop), resulting in a freebie for you due to their incompetence in this.

Ok here is an update and this will be my final commentary.

I just received my GameStop preorder today, October 13. The games release date was October 8. The game is 5 days late.

Gamestop advertised FREE RUSH SHIPPING. They shipped it using FedEx Home delivery, which is essentially FedEx Ground shipping. They did not pay for a rush shipping service.

Also, they created the shipping label on release date October 8, but they did not release the package to FedEx until October 11. So they obviously were not in a rush to process my order either.

So basically the statement FREE RUSH DELIVERY is a lie. For reference, my brother preordered his game from Walmart and his was delivered on release date. 

I contacted GameStop the day before release by phone to point out the problem, they blew me off. I contacted by email, they said they will put me in touch with someone ASAP, but I never heard any follow up. 

The ONLY reason I preordered the game from GameStop was for the preorder bonus pin set. Well, after opening the package, it is game only. There are no pins included.

Normally I ignore things like this, but since this was Metroid, I took this very personally. Also have to call them out because aside from me taking personal offense, this is objectively poor service and false advertising.

 

 

[TDIRunner | 2,727]

If it were me, I would return it and buy it somewhere else, even if it meant waiting another two days to get it.  As a person who probably defends GameStop more than most, I would definitely not pre-order from them anymore.  But then, I also don't buy anything from them anymore.  

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

2 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

If it were me, I would return it and buy it somewhere else, even if it meant waiting another two days to get it.  As a person who probably defends GameStop more than most, I would definitely not pre-order from them anymore.  But then, I also don't buy anything from them anymore.  

Im with you. I would return it out of spite at this point. I think you can take it right to the store with your packing slip and get your money back even if you bought it online.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

6 hours ago, phart010 said:

The ONLY reason I preordered the game from GameStop was for the preorder bonus pin set. Well, after opening the package, it is game only. There are no pins included.

Normally I ignore things like this, but since this was Metroid, I took this very personally. Also have to call them out because aside from me taking personal offense, this is objectively poor service and false advertising.

You said you got two shipment notices, but didn't indicate if both had (different) tracking numbers.  It's possible they did send the pins, but separately.  Had stuff like that happen before, which isn't optimal, but in my case, the stuff at least all arrived.

5 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

If it were me, I would return it and buy it somewhere else, even if it meant waiting another two days to get it.  As a person who probably defends GameStop more than most, I would definitely not pre-order from them anymore.  But then, I also don't buy anything from them anymore.  

 

3 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

Im with you. I would return it out of spite at this point. I think you can take it right to the store with your packing slip and get your money back even if you bought it online.

Guys, the only "big" problem with this is that GameStop doesn't return shipping charges, at least not when you return something to the store.  I agree that this is likely the best course to take, but folks should be aware that when ordering from GameStop (whether it's in the store or online) and having them ship it, the store will refund everything to you except shipping, even/especially when it's their fault.  Another reason not to (pre)order anything from them.

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

29 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

You said you got two shipment notices, but didn't indicate if both had (different) tracking numbers.  It's possible they did send the pins, but separately.  Had stuff like that happen before, which isn't optimal, but in my case, the stuff at least all arrived.

 

Guys, the only "big" problem with this is that GameStop doesn't return shipping charges, at least not when you return something to the store.  I agree that this is likely the best course to take, but folks should be aware that when ordering from GameStop (whether it's in the store or online) and having them ship it, the store will refund everything to you except shipping, even/especially when it's their fault.  Another reason not to (pre)order anything from them.

Shipping is free on orders of $35 or more. Should be a non-issue for this game.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

1 hour ago, Kguillemette said:

Shipping is free on orders of $35 or more. Should be a non-issue for this game.

Wow, that's a change, I remember ordering something like a $150 bundle off of them several years ago, they sent the wrong stuff, I went to return it only to discover the fact that they wouldn't refund my $10-15 shipping charge (whether I returned it in store or via their online process).  Hopefully that's universal now (in store, online for every shipping location. etc.).

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

8 hours ago, phart010 said:

The ONLY reason I preordered the game from GameStop was for the preorder bonus pin set. Well, after opening the package, it is game only. There are no pins included.

Any time there's a preorder bonus, I make sure to preorder in a store so I can make sure they hand me said bonus (thanks for the Lost Judgment steelbook!)

Had that issue with Saints Row the Third on Switch; they offered some pretty cool preorder stuff (while supplies last ya know!), and my order didn't come with any of it, so I just returned it to the store.

[TDIRunner | 2,727]

5 hours ago, darkchylde28 said:

Guys, the only "big" problem with this is that GameStop doesn't return shipping charges, at least not when you return something to the store.  I agree that this is likely the best course to take, but folks should be aware that when ordering from GameStop (whether it's in the store or online) and having them ship it, the store will refund everything to you except shipping, even/especially when it's their fault.  Another reason not to (pre)order anything from them.

I haven't ordered anything from GS in years, but when I did I never paid shipping.  I honestly didn't even know you could pay shipping charges for GS orders.  I would assume it's only on low dollar orders.  

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

11 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

I haven't ordered anything from GS in years, but when I did I never paid shipping.  I honestly didn't even know you could pay shipping charges for GS orders.  I would assume it's only on low dollar orders.  

As I said before, above, the last time I ordered something from GameStop that had to be shipped, it was like a $150 bundle, came with the wrong stuff, and when I went to return it only then found out that the shipping that I'd had to pay ($10-15) wasn't going to be refunded, whether I did the return in the store or via the online process.  That taught me right then and there not to order anything from them that had to be shipped, and thus I haven't again and am not up to date on their current policies.  Back when I last had something shipped, though, they absolutely charged shipping on all shipped online orders.  The only way around it then, per an associate at the store, was for them to order it in-store for you to ship to your home, which basically only happened as a "courtesy" due to them not having what you wanted on-hand at the time.

[TDIRunner | 2,727]

34 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

Back when I last had something shipped, though, they absolutely charged shipping on all shipped online orders.  

That's what I was referring to.  I've never seen them charge shipping.  I didn't even know they could since it's always been free for me in the past.  Back when they were selling "retro" video games, you had to get them shipped since they didn't sell them in the stores.  But I returned about 50% of my purchases since they arrived disc only.  I kind of game up on those orders since you never knew whether the game would be complete or not.  But I definitely never paid shipping.  I would never have taken the chance on those orders if I was paying for shipping.  

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

On 10/13/2021 at 12:08 PM, phart010 said:

The ONLY reason I preordered the game from GameStop was for the preorder bonus pin set. Well, after opening the package, it is game only. There are no pins included.

Fuck Gamestop.

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,055]

2 hours ago, darkchylde28 said:

As I said before, above, the last time I ordered something from GameStop that had to be shipped, it was like a $150 bundle, came with the wrong stuff, and when I went to return it only then found out that the shipping that I'd had to pay ($10-15) wasn't going to be refunded, whether I did the return in the store or via the online process.  That taught me right then and there not to order anything from them that had to be shipped, and thus I haven't again and am not up to date on their current policies.  Back when I last had something shipped, though, they absolutely charged shipping on all shipped online orders.  The only way around it then, per an associate at the store, was for them to order it in-store for you to ship to your home, which basically only happened as a "courtesy" due to them not having what you wanted on-hand at the time.

This sounds like you were getting a run around of some sort. They have always had some sort of free shipping tier since Ive been buying games for over a decade

1 hour ago, TDIRunner said:

That's what I was referring to.  I've never seen them charge shipping.  I didn't even know they could since it's always been free for me in the past.  Back when they were selling "retro" video games, you had to get them shipped since they didn't sell them in the stores.  But I returned about 50% of my purchases since they arrived disc only.  I kind of game up on those orders since you never knew whether the game would be complete or not.  But I definitely never paid shipping.  I would never have taken the chance on those orders if I was paying for shipping.  

This is my experience as well

[Pavs | 0]

I totally agree I was supposed to get Pokémon brilliant diamond and shining pearl on November 19th but now it has been 3 days already and nothing and a few minutes ago they updated the date to the 23rd which means it’s delayed again so I will never ever do this again if I preorder a game it will be from another store or ship directly to GameStop so I can just go pick it up because between GameStop and fedex the amount of brain power here is less than a blade of grass!!!! Ok I know I just posted this but I decided to call and the guy said due to covid there’s huge shipping delays so he said worst case scenario it’ll be here by December 1st but he says because I’ve already gotten an update he thinks it should finally come tomorrow so this one’s not on them but I’m still pissed off at fedex.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Pavs