GameStop is one of the leading preowned games companies in the United States. Most people are going to pick their games up from there. So, we suppose the big question is; are pre-owned games from Gamestop good? Let’s take a look!
Generally speaking, yes, pre-owned games from Gamestop are good. You may run into the odd game that doesn’t work well, but the team at Gamestop is more than happy to replace it for you. It isn’t always the cheapest place to your buy pre-owned games, though.
Since we know that many of you are not going to be 100% happy with such a short answer, we will go into a little bit of depth on whether you should be picking up pre-owned games from Gamestop.
Can You Trust Pre-owned Games From Gamestop?
Gamestop is probably one of the more reputable places to purchase your pre-owned games from. This is because the team does go to huge lengths to ensure that they only put out real games.
If you find that a game that you have purchased doesn’t work, then Gamestop will be more than happy to exchange it or give you a refund. This means that they are much safer than your average pre-owned seller. You wouldn’t get that sort of service online.
The one issue that you may have with pre-owned games from Gamestop is the fact that some of them may not be checked as well as they should be. We are not talking about disc-based games. We are talking about cartridge games from the Gameboy.
There are a lot of fakes out there. Gamestop staff are trained to check for them. However, as you can imagine, they may not always do the best job at it.
Are Pre-Owned Games at Gamestop Worth It?
We would say that buying pre-owned games from Gamestop is worth it. Yes, some of the time the price is going to be a little bit higher, but it is going to be a whole lot less hassle. You can get your hands on the game right away and, if there are any issues with the game that you have purchased, you will easily be able to get it replaced.
We always make Gamestop one of our first stops when we are looking to buy a used game, for this reason alone. We have been burned a lot buying some pre-owned games, so it is nice to know that Gamestop is there if we do run into issues.
You may also be pleased to know that Gamestop is more than happy to give you a complete exchange within a week of buying a game. They do not ask any questions. This means that it may be worth picking up a game from Gamestop if you are not 100% sure whether you are going to like it. We know that there are a lot of people out there that will use Gamestop as a quasi-rental service.
Does Gamestop Clean Pre-Owned Games?
Gamestop will carry out a small amount of cleaning on pre-owned games.
They may wipe the cases down, but if the case is too filthy, then it is unlikely that they are going to accept the product when they buy it.
They will almost always clean a disc, though. They have special machines that they can use to help buff out scratches and the like on the disc. This is why, when you buy a pre-owned game from Gamestop, it tends to look new on the back.
It is also another reason why most of the games that you can pick up from Gamestop pre-owned should work, something that you really do not get with games that you purchase from eBay and Amazon.
Is It Better to Buy Games at Gamestop?
If you are looking for good prices, then probably know. Gamestop has far higher overheads than any company that dedicates itself to selling games on eBay and Amazon. This means that the prices are almost always going to be a lot higher.
In addition to this, you may find that Gamestop doesn’t really sell older games. Unless you are looking to buy games from the current generation of consoles, or perhaps the last generation, then Gamestop probably isn’t going to cater to you.
The real strength at Gamestop lies in the fact that the company is easily accessible. If you live in the United States, then we are confident that you will have a Gamestop fairly near to where you live. This means that you can pick up some preowned games on the same day. If you order online then, well, you are stuck waiting for a few days.
Gamestop also tends to be a bit more helpful if you do run into any issues with your games too. They have a no quibble exchange policy. They tend to test the games before they sell them too, which means that you have a much greater chance of ending up with something that is going to work for you.
So, we would say that, in many cases, it is better to buy games from Gamestop. It isn’t always going to be the best choice (e.g. if you want to save money or buy some older games). However, there is a reason why Gamestop has been around in the business for a long time. They do actually sell quality games.
Final Thoughts
Pre-owned games from Gamestop are good. The company prides itself on the used game business that it has. This means that they always try to ensure that people are happy with the games that they buy there.
The major downside of purchasing pre-owned games from Gamestop is that they can be a bit expensive, and they may not always have the greatest selection of older games available.
Still, if you are looking to purchase and preowned game, then you should always check out Gamestop first. There is going to be a good selection available and you may be able to get your hands on what you want today.