Why does everyone hate GameStop? The answer to that question is a bit more complex than one might think. While many of us have a vested interest in video games, we are also aware of their infamous “push reservations” policy. In other words, GameStop employees are constantly asking if we want to make a reservation or not. And once we have made our reservations, we must pick them up in their stores.
Some of the employees at GameStop are great people who love video games. Yet, corporate forces them to push preorders and add-ons, and they are even at the forefront of the retailer-exclusive preorder bonuses. This corporate attitude has led to several complaints from former employees. But there is a silver lining. Many of these employees are not unhappy with their jobs. And the negative PR isn’t limited to customers.
The perks of working at GameStop include the cashier’s incentive to push pre-orders. GameStop employees are paid a kickback if they sell pre-orders. So, the goal is to convince you that pre-ordering is the only way to get a game. And this incentive also encourages the employees to do other things, such as helping customers with their shopping. This is the primary reason why GameStop has such a polarizing reputation.
A second reason why GameStop has so many negative reviews is its crazy markup. The retail giant has such high prices on new games that gamers are often able to make more money by selling them online. Some gamers, however, have been fooled into thinking that they can turn their old games into a profit by bringing them back to the store for the Buy 2 Get One Free sale. But this is simply not the case.
The hacking of GameStop’s website has fueled a lot of bad press for the company. The company was hacked, similar to the PlayStation Network, and GameStop did not notify its customers until months later. And after the damage was done, they sent out letters to their customers. They’ve had to take action to stop the bad press from spreading. That’s just not right, so they’re trying something different.