Topic: Never order from Game Stop's website.

I haven't bought anything from Game Stop in years, but given how hard it is to find Pokemon cards in stock right now, I decided to take a chance, here are the results. This is how the package arrived, and arrived 2 days later than the latest day in the estimate email they sent me.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/e7552c8707e13f5d549d17eaba2f6be7/...

https://64.media.tumblr.com/1d7c8556e64d5ceeddda9297aa50fa1c/...

https://64.media.tumblr.com/c718717054ed7cd6f2b0b20ab5a230ff/...

https://64.media.tumblr.com/c3811e702ed8c23592794ba578b6fd0a/...

Damaged on arrival. Imagine if this had been electronics. If that had been a Nintendo Switch in that box? It would be ruined.

I know we like to joke on this site about GS all the time for how little they give you for trade ins and stuff, but for me, this is the final nail in the coffin. Unless they respond to my request for a replacement product, I will never give them another dime.

Maybe you think I'm over reacting, it's just Pokemon cards. So change it up. If it had been a Switch, or a PS5 that arrived in that condition, with the box smashed and the corners ruined, would you be okay with that?

@Heavyarms55
Ow, sorry to hear your situation about ordering from Gamestop.
Have you tried to order from other game shop in USA ? (Currently you are still in USA, right ?)

I'm really sorry to hear that man.

A lot of the people are here order from there and I have never heard them complain about it.

Maybe you just got unlucky, Again I'm sorry to hear that.

@Anti-Matter There's a lot of issues with ordering Pokemon cards from smaller retailers or Amazon right now. You either end up buying from scalpers who flip them for far higher prices than they should be, or you run into people who actually re-seal product. They'll go through, take out all the valuable cards, put in commons and reseal and resell the packs as new. I was looking on Amazon the other day and a ton of sellers I looked at had a bunch of reviews calling them out.

Right now, if I can't find product in person, the only source I trust anymore is Pokemon itself. But they're the main source. So everyone buys from them and they're almost always sold out.

@Snatcher Bad luck or not, it's terrible service from so-called professionals.

@Heavyarms55 To me, a crushed package is the fault of the carrier. Granted, if GameStop sent it as a lower class shipment, that could be the cause.

For a few years, several issues of my magazine subscription would come with the cover damaged/torn, but I saw that as an issue with the carrier.

This is mostly the fault of the delivery, rather than on the part of gamestop themselves. Gamestop's still a pretty crappy place to buy electronics all things considered, given that they have "Deals" that actively take advantage of the consumer. However, if a package is damaged, it's generally on the hands of those delivering the package, or making sure the package gets in your hands.

There have been cases of postmen, at least in America, opening other's stuff and stealing the contents inside, generally not caring if the contents are breakable or not, and in my experience, I've had a few Christmas cards that were delivered ripped open, as if someone in the post-office was trying to get money from them.

@VoidofLight Ya wasn't people buying stocks from gamestop and you know, They kinda cheated?

And if some won really did rip open those Xmas cards that pretty damn low.

@Snatcher Yeah, someone did open up the cards, since they were open at the very top, kind of like if you took a letter opener and opened it up.

Also, I don't know about the stocks thing, but I remember a lot of people on reddit got together to buy them, and gamestop couldn't really pay them back.

All I know is that Gamestop has exploitable practices, especially with consoles, given that they refuse to sell consoles outside of bundles usually, and with the ps5, they refuse to sell them unless you're a pro member, who waits for a certain release window to get one.

GameStop is a good place to buy used games. You can examine them before you buy. Always buy from a store, never online. Today, if you get bad service, they have a website for you to put your complaint on.

@PSVR_lover Eh, even then you're better off with another used game store, seeing as gamestop generally rips you off, putting the used games a little below brand new prices. Not to mention the cases where they accept bootleg versions of those games, not knowing the difference.

@PSVR_lover Buying online is safe as long as you know what you're doing. GameStop's website and Amazon are horrible places to buy used games, but websites like eBay or Mercari let you see a seller's reputation, past reviews, and return policy, and good sellers will include plenty of pictures you can use to verify the item's condition. If the item doesn't match the pictures/description, you can get a free return/refund. I've bought plenty of used games on eBay, especially since the pandemic started, and I've only ever had one negative experience out of the many orders I've made.

@Heavyarms55 A damged package like that is more the fault of the mail carriers or shipment company they used, not Gamestop themselves. You might want to contact whatever shipment company they used (US Mail, UPS, Fed Ex etc.) and file a complaint with them not Gamestop themselves.

For the brick and mortar stores, it really comes down to the individual employees, I think. Where I live now, they are fantastic. A few years ago? I would never consider going to that local store for help.

This box definitely seems more related to the carrier, but try and call GameStop and let them know what happens. See if they will replace or accept return (and pay for that shipping).

@Tasuki It's not only Game Stop's fault, but it is there's. They are the one who made the contract with the shipping company. I didn't pay the shipping company, I paid Game Stop. They arranged the shipping, it's their mistake. Responsibility as far as I'm concerned, flows up, not down. Game Stop doesn't just get to blame the shipping company. That would be like General Motors blaming the tire company when brand new tires are defective. GM picked those tires so it's their fault. Or it's like a supervisor who assigns an untrained new team member to do a job they aren't qualified for. Sure, the person wasn't qualified, but it was his boss that picked him in the first place, the boss is in the wrong.

@Isashihtzu Their business practices suck. Openly. But the thing is, they're all we've really got. It's Game Stop or like, department stores like Target or Wal-Mart, or online businesses. So they've managed to hang on because there just isn't a good alternative around.

And just to preempt some replies, no, small, local businesses do not count as an alternative. Because they're not consistent, there's very few around and only a minority of people have reasonable access to them. They're only useful for that small minority that happens to have one and it's got good service/prices and carries the products you're interested in. And with most of these stores, the very fact that they're small and locally owned, means you can't rely on any of that. Some are amazing places with great staff and selections. Others make you wonder how they stay in business at all...

@Heavyarms55 I just think what he was trying to say Is that it might not totally be Gamestops fault, Wile I don't buy from them for the fear of something like this, I do think that all he meant, As I have seem many people order from them just fine, some people on here buy from them alot, I just think you got unlucky, But That still doesn't give them a pass for how the package came.

@Snatcher Oh I agree that it's not entirely GS's fault. All but certainly the damage came from the shipping company.

But I was raised that one can pass down authority, not responsibility. I look at it this way, I paid for not just the product but the shipping. I paid Game Stop for the product and getting it to me. They delegated the authority of sending it to me to the shipping company they contracted with. But that's on them, not me. I upheld my end of the bargain, I paid. Their end was to provide the product to me, which they failed to do so intact or on time.

All I want is an apology and a replacement. I shared this story to warn people off of simply trusting GS. If they can't be relied on to ship trading cards, I can't trust them to ship electronics either.

@Heavyarms55 I completely understand, And If I were you I would be just as upset.