After my last post on the Gameboy micro, some of you might be wondering why I avoid EB like the plague. Well, it’s due to a little something I like to call “The Zelda Collector’s Edition Scandal” (aka. “EB blantantly milks money from its customers”).
When Zelda: The Wind Waker first came out in Australia it was bundled with an exclusive bonus disc containing both Zelda: The Ocarina of Time and Zelda: Majora’s Mask and sold for $99.95 (RRP). On launch day at EB games across Australia, there were amazingly none in stock! However, there were plenty of “second hand” versions selling for $99.95 without the bonus disc, and the bonus disc was being sold for $49.95 “second hand”.
All this on launch day! Did they seriously expect us to believe that there were people who bought the game before the store opened and immediately returned it at the less-than-25%-of-the-price that EB will give them just so that EB could sell the game for 150% of the RRP. Bastards! Absolute Bastards! I remember other people complaining about it at the time and a quick google reveals a couple more reports.
Do yourself a favour and buy online or from local franchises like Game Traders (they even get import games in!). If EB does have something at a good price, you can make use of the “lowest price guarantee” offered by many other stores (eg. Big-W, Target, Kmart).
Does anyone seriously buy games from shops now? I buy virtually everything (from electronics to dog-toys) online.
I still go get games at EB, but only for the reason that they usually have things in stock…
However, I *never* buy anything from there at the price they have displayed. I always arm myself with a catalogue from Big-W, K-mart etc. with the lowest prices and force them to give it to me that price – ‘Lowest price guarantee’ indeed.
I actually saved about $40 on Paper Mario alone! I think that everytime I walk in there with a catalogue from elsewhere, I can almost hear them sigh…
Steve:
Yeah, I usually buy my games online. But if it’s cheaper at a physical store…
I’ve also had a few problems buying larger items online; the most recent being this freaking air-conditioner we’ve been waiting on for over three weeks!
Jason:
Man, I thought you’d be annoyed by the returns policy (return anything within 7 days no questions asked) because it means that you could be buying a second-hand game (bought and returned by many people) as a “new” game.
I would be annoyed at that… but given the alternative of NOT getting the game…. 😛 I only go to EB if I can’t get something elsewhere anyway. 🙂
I agree with you though. EB sucks!