EB (Canada) + Trade-in Business model [UPDATED.. it's ON!]

[Purge]

EB Games is piloting a new trade-in policy in Winnipeg, MB and one city in Quebec (dunno which one).

The new trade-in policy is this: on a new release game, you can trade it back to EB within a month of purchase for $10(CAD, or ~$8 US) less the purchase price (trade value towards another game).

eg: you buy Ultimate Spiderman for 59.99 on Oct 1.
 --- Before Nov 1, you take it back for a 49.99 instore credit.
 --- you go buy Tony Hawks American Wasteland (SE) for 69.99
 --- before Dec. 1 you take it back for 59.99 instore credit.
 --- you buy X360 Oblivion for 69.99, and end up keeping it.
 --- start over. (or have more than one game in the cycle.

This means you can basically rent new release games for 10 for one month. Not a day later, and no wierdo combos with other promo's (except I think the whole trade 3, get 1 free will still work on a PURCHASE of the initial game). If you love the game, just keep it. They stipulate that the game HAS TO BE purchased from EB Games, you need the sales reciept, and the game case will have a sticker on the back of it.

I got this info from my buddy who runs one of the EB Games in Winnipeg, and it will be starting in the next couple of weeks (this was rolled out in their big meeting that they all fly out for). It's a pilot, and they're trying to prove/disprove the model as they want all new-title purchases through them, and that their used titles are all newer games.

I can't wait!! Gonna buy me 3 games, and then just cycle through them. If I get one I want to keep for more than a month (rare) I'll buy another game.  This also means I don't have to deal with shipping times or worrying about not being able to get a new release game from "gamefly-like" services.

Can I get an amen? That's right. Booyah!

[Dimmona]

Alternately, you can buy a $15/month subscription from gamerang.  I'm guessing the $$ spent on gas to drive to EB would cover the extra 5 bones ;-)

Still, that sounds like an interesting return policy specifically aimed at getting people to do what you described above.  Does it apply to any purchases or just specific new releases?

[depward]

That's a pretty good deal!

I wouldn't ever consider a rental service such as Gamerang or Gamefly.  I'm just not a "renter."  I'm a purchaser.  I usually (if the game isn't to my liking) like to sell it on Ebay for about a general loss of around $10 or so.  If not that, then I'll just trade it in for the $25 credit or whatever at a local gamestore here.

I would benefit from that deal!  Wish they could implement it here in the States!

[Devil]

I'd be VERY IN!

As far as renting goes, the turnaround for Gamefly was almost a month anyway!

[Calvin]

Not a bad deal at all, especially sine Gamefly was so incredibly slow it was like pulling teeth to me.

[Purge]

Also, a lot of those services (like gamerang / gamefly) are US only.

It pertains to new releases only. It probably has a 1 month from release date  requirement (so you're looking at new games only).

[shrug] I'm soo in!!

[Dafones]

Regarding the "sticker" that you put on the back of the case ... do you have to tell the store that you intend on returning it within a month when you purchase it?

[Purge]

As I understand it, all new games sold will have this sticker. I dunno. It may just be a reciept thing, or the sticker may be on the inside of the case. As soon as it's on, I'll let you know.

[TheMissingLink]

Can I get an amen?

Amen!  Nice deal you got going there.

[-Lord Ebonstone-]

Very cool.  I am envious!

[Misguided]

Interesting since, unless I'm confused, all EB stores will become Gamestops in a few weeks. FYI Gamestop (at least locally) has a deal going right now where the more you trade in at once, the more you get on each (i.e. 2 games= +20%, 3=+30%, 4=+40%). You could probably approach the EB deal on some newer games.

[Purge]

I dunno man, EB's best result for trading in is ~ $38. You'd have to be trading in 4 games to get the 40%, and not all new games end up with that value. (depends on stock, game popularity, etc).

In Canada there is no Gamestop; they've decided to just leave it as Electronics Boutique.

[Dafones]

Canada sucks for video game deals. Future Shop never drops their prices, and I hate EB with a passion. I wish we had one more competitive shop that could press the other two a little more.

[AgtFox]

I like this idea, hope they test it out in the US as well.  I really miss the days where you could return a game within 14 days if you didn't like it to switch with one other game (then the deal ended).  People took advantage of this making EB a virtual Blockbuster (people always take advantage of things like this and eliminate them in the end).

This idea sounds kind of cool.  Return the game for just $8 less than you bought (in US money) within the first month.  I like it.  Certainly more bang for your buck than the simple trade-in.

The only minus I can see for EB would be that they'd only make $5 profit over trade-in price on the now used game versus the $20+ they make (roughly) on a new release now after someone trades it in.

[Sarkus]

Interesting since, unless I'm confused, all EB stores will become Gamestops in a few weeks.

The merger will become official in a few weeks, but the changes won't happen until next February, after the holiday period.  Until then each chain will do things the same way.

That said, the test deal this thread started with is pretty interesting and presumably will be considered for the whole combined company if they like the way it works out.  Seems like win-win to me - it promotes reservations and promotes trading the game back in right away.

[Purge]

Yeah, well the pilot has been postponed due to Gamestop.

This new pilot was announced at the management meeting a couple weeks ago; Gamestop kaiboshed it as they're going in the hole to buy EB. They don't want any other financial risks.

Dammit. (I just talked to my buddy today).

[Calvin]

Yeah, well the pilot has been postponed due to Gamestop.

This new pilot was announced at the management meeting a couple weeks ago; Gamestop kaiboshed it as they're going in the hole to buy EB. They don't want any other financial risks.

Dammit. (I just talked to my buddy today).

Well, that was quick dissapointment.

[Purge]

Yeah. He's not hopeful that this will change this quarter. If it happens, it will be next year now, and since Gamestop is now involved, who knows where or how it will work.

(up until this week, Electronics Boutique was to be left as is; Gamestop was leaving the Canuck market unchanged. Clearly this is no longer the case.)

[Purge]

WOOT!!!

Guess what?!!! It's back ON. And it's on ALREADY!

I picked up Ult. Spiderman for 59.99 (CAD) and if I trade it back before 11/07/2005 I get 49.99 of in-store credit.

Cyclical purchasing and trading to get away from renting, here i COME!!!
(new release rentals cost ~$8 every 3 days)

[Dafones]

Holy shit ...... I may just have to grab a game from 'em. That's the best "rental" setup I've ever heard of. Just not looking forward to the obnoxious sticker.

[Purge]

Holy shit ...... I may just have to grab a game from 'em. That's the best "rental" setup I've ever heard of. Just not looking forward to the obnoxious sticker.

The sticker is on the game box on the shelf (to show eligibility) and when you buy the game they put it on the back of the reciept.

I don't know if this is happening in BC yet.

[Dafones]

Dope. Now, this only works with select new games, right? You can, however, use your redeemed credit however which way you choose, right?? I wonder how much the used copies of these games will go for ... i.e., there's no way they'd sell for less than ten buck difference, riiiight??? You know, that's kind of brilliant. I rarely buy new new games, but this may be enough to get me going.

[Purge]

Well, all *new* games (as in, released that week) will be eligible. The amount they sell, and the resale value are factored as to when they're pulled from the elegibility list. For instance Burnout Revenge is still on the 10/mo plan.

Also, games under 40CAD aren't valid (they originally were; they decided against it).

As I understand it, they buy back the games (giving you instore credit, a percent of that goes to their profit margin as  both the original purchase and the next purchase have markup). The games will lose some value at first, and then float at what is a good price overall. Since they'd have a LOT of these games (and they don't put the traded ones out until this market value is there), they'll have all the "good" used games for sale. They can sell them for 10bux less than they gave you credit for, still realize profit, and since they're getting a larger market share (and buy more games than any other company in canada so bulk discounts apply) they make their money. I'll get my buddy to re-explain it to me next weekend; there's some advanced finance math involved that's too wierd for me. I may even convince him to sign up to the CG forums and he can explain it himself.

Also note : you can use your trade-in value for ANYTHING; to keep the cycle going you'd buy another new release title with the 10/mo. Keep the credit on your account if nothing new is in that you want, or move it to a preorder. It's up to you; it still acts as store credit.