Figuratively speaking that is. I went to the mall this evening and swung by EB Games. I had heard that Media Play had been doing a trade in deal the past few weeks; Every Tuesday, trade in 4 used games, get any new game for free, and today was the last day. After today it was just store credit. I'm assuming they were doing it to bulk up their stock since they just recently started selling used games. But hay, $15 in used games to get a new copy of World of Warcraft, sounds like a deal to me!
So anyway, I head over to EB and find 4 of the cheapest used games I can. A couple $3 and a couple $5. Head back to my car, running into Page Davis of Trading Spaces fame on the way, and then clean all the USED stickers off the cases.
I get to Media Play, go to the music/games counter and give the guy the games. He goes through them, turns out one is scratched and not acceptable (seemed fine to me) and the other they are not accepting, already have too many. So I zip back over to EB, snag another few games, trading back in the ones MP wouldn't take, and then head back to MP.
This time, I get 3 out of 4, as now I've still got another game they will not take due to overstock. Now I'm getting frustrated, but the nice clerk tells me to grab a $5 from their used games, buy it up front, and he'll take that as the 4th. OK! I grab a copy of Max Payne for $5, buy it, and trade it back. I get the trade certificate and I'm good to go!
So I ask the guy, "Is this valid for all systems, XB, GC, PS2 and PC?" He says, "yea." So I says, "Well how does it work, is it just essentially $50, to cover a standard new game price, or can I get say, a collectors edition of a game that costs $20 more?" He says, "It should cover the cost of any new game."
Needless to say, out of curiosity, I looked around for a gigantic box containing the $200 Steel Battalion setup, but they had none. So I asked the guy if they had any more CE WoW. He checks, says only ones left are pre-paid reserves. So I grab the last copy of the normal version instead, and happily walk up the the register with my trade voucher in hand.
The register monkey scans it, looks at the game and says, "I'm sorry, but this can't be used on a PC game."
I say, "I asked the guy who gave me the voucher if this was valid on PC, and he said yes." She calls her manager. Manager says, "Only valid on consoles."
FSCK!!!!!!
All I wanted was a god damned copy of World of Warcraft, but it appears that is not what Media Play had in mind. So I sulked back to the console games, grabbed a copy of Prince of Persia: WW, a $50 value, and left, mubmling curses upon the staff's families under my breath (except the games guy, he was cool).
So now I'm sitting here with a copy of a game I don't even want (at least not at a $50 price) after running around for a better part of the evening in an attempt to get Warcraft. I'll probably swing by the pawn shop tomorrow to sell the extra $3 used games I've got that MP would take, and then try to figure out a way to turn my copy of PoP:WW into a copy of WoW. For now though, I'm just going to go wallow in my smoldering rage.
Cliffs:
1. Media Play's last day of "Trade 4 used games, get new game free deal."
2. Really want World of Warcraft
3. Buy cheap 3 and 5 dollar used games at EB.
4. MP says "NEIN!" to 2 out of 4 games.
6. Back to EB, trade back the 2 crap games, get 3 more cheap $3 games.
7. MP says, 3 are good, 2 not, but games guy is cool and lets me trade in one of their used ones.
8. Take copy of trade voucher and WoW to register . . . get shot down as not valid for PC games.
9.
10. Grab copy of Price of Persia: Warrior Within instead.
11. Now stuck with 3 games I don't want (PoP, Madden 2003, and Splinter Cell), and none of what I did all this for in the first place (WoW).
12. NO FUCKING PROFIT!
So anyway, I head over to EB and find 4 of the cheapest used games I can. A couple $3 and a couple $5. Head back to my car, running into Page Davis of Trading Spaces fame on the way, and then clean all the USED stickers off the cases.
I get to Media Play, go to the music/games counter and give the guy the games. He goes through them, turns out one is scratched and not acceptable (seemed fine to me) and the other they are not accepting, already have too many. So I zip back over to EB, snag another few games, trading back in the ones MP wouldn't take, and then head back to MP.
This time, I get 3 out of 4, as now I've still got another game they will not take due to overstock. Now I'm getting frustrated, but the nice clerk tells me to grab a $5 from their used games, buy it up front, and he'll take that as the 4th. OK! I grab a copy of Max Payne for $5, buy it, and trade it back. I get the trade certificate and I'm good to go!
So I ask the guy, "Is this valid for all systems, XB, GC, PS2 and PC?" He says, "yea." So I says, "Well how does it work, is it just essentially $50, to cover a standard new game price, or can I get say, a collectors edition of a game that costs $20 more?" He says, "It should cover the cost of any new game."
Needless to say, out of curiosity, I looked around for a gigantic box containing the $200 Steel Battalion setup, but they had none. So I asked the guy if they had any more CE WoW. He checks, says only ones left are pre-paid reserves. So I grab the last copy of the normal version instead, and happily walk up the the register with my trade voucher in hand.
The register monkey scans it, looks at the game and says, "I'm sorry, but this can't be used on a PC game."
I say, "I asked the guy who gave me the voucher if this was valid on PC, and he said yes." She calls her manager. Manager says, "Only valid on consoles."
FSCK!!!!!!
All I wanted was a god damned copy of World of Warcraft, but it appears that is not what Media Play had in mind. So I sulked back to the console games, grabbed a copy of Prince of Persia: WW, a $50 value, and left, mubmling curses upon the staff's families under my breath (except the games guy, he was cool).
So now I'm sitting here with a copy of a game I don't even want (at least not at a $50 price) after running around for a better part of the evening in an attempt to get Warcraft. I'll probably swing by the pawn shop tomorrow to sell the extra $3 used games I've got that MP would take, and then try to figure out a way to turn my copy of PoP:WW into a copy of WoW. For now though, I'm just going to go wallow in my smoldering rage.
Cliffs:
1. Media Play's last day of "Trade 4 used games, get new game free deal."
2. Really want World of Warcraft
3. Buy cheap 3 and 5 dollar used games at EB.
4. MP says "NEIN!" to 2 out of 4 games.
6. Back to EB, trade back the 2 crap games, get 3 more cheap $3 games.
7. MP says, 3 are good, 2 not, but games guy is cool and lets me trade in one of their used ones.
8. Take copy of trade voucher and WoW to register . . . get shot down as not valid for PC games.
9.
10. Grab copy of Price of Persia: Warrior Within instead.
11. Now stuck with 3 games I don't want (PoP, Madden 2003, and Splinter Cell), and none of what I did all this for in the first place (WoW).
12. NO FUCKING PROFIT!
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