GAME hard up or something?

[Spatial]

It isn't against the law if they're selling promo items second hand. The tag line isn't legally binding, unless the person who put it there decided to enforce it in civil law under breach of contract.

The only time this sort of thing would be a criminal law issue is if it a retailer was doing it on food items - say, taking a multipack of food and by splitting it. Some of the items wouldn't have the relevant nutritional, weight etc information on them which is covered by separate criminal legislation.

Likewise with games, they would only be breaking an actual criminal law if it didn't have the appropriate classification on them, but that's fallen on it's arse lately due to the problem that was uncovered a few months ago with the BBFC's not being enforceable.

That said the official suppliers / providers of the promo copies might be interested to know that they're engaging in this sort of activity. Then again, given the second hand market that exists with games, they may not be that interested at all.

If the shops are passing something off as new and it isn't though, that's a different story as it's a trade descriptions offence and a criminal law matter (depending on how they've worded things at point of retail).

[teddymeow]

Yeah, my store wouldn't sell promos either. Same as we can't trade them in to profit on freebies.

The bundle stuff is realy cheap and great for kiddies who want to buy a cheap game with their pocket money.

[robrymond]

try the pre-owned version of every recent release being only ?2 cheaper than new, i'm almost embarassed to ask customers if they want the preowned version sometimes, and as for the title question, yea, they're doing the best they can [to maintain margins], given there's a recession on.

Tell me about it, used to be a fiver off, but it seems the company have been hit now. ?2 off, no one wants it, unless its still sealed. Knock a fiver off and its a bit sweeter.

Sometimes I don't understand the pricing, ?44.99 for Dirt 2 is a joke even if its on offer this week and theres a fair few other games at ?44.99 now.

Maybe its to do with the cracking bundles on lately but if the games are dear, no one will bother. We used to do 20% off preowned with consoles but they stopped that.

As for bundle/promo copies, only dodgy managers will do that, we certainly don't in Hanley.

[nick_the_judge]

As for bundle/promo copies, only dodgy managers will do that, we certainly don't in Hanley.

523 are dodgy as they come lol. Fancy you being a member on here mate, its Nick from 181 btw.

Back on topic what worries me about this is that those games we given to all store managers recently at a confrence and under no cuircumstances should they have been traded in let alone being resold as preowned.

[robrymond]

523 are dodgy as they come lol. Fancy you being a member on here mate, its Nick from 181 btw.

Back on topic what worries me about this is that those games we given to all store managers recently at a confrence and under no cuircumstances should they have been traded in let alone being resold as preowned.

Haha, small world! We are indeed the corrupt store

I've had promo copies in the past sent for review, but I've never gone and traded them in, if they've been sold it was on Ebay and clearly marked they are Promo copies.

Nothing worse than going to Forbidden Planet, CEX or Chips and seeing these copies sitting on shelves. Worse still promos don't have manuals and they charge a silly price.

[ChrisF]

523 are dodgy as they come lol. Fancy you being a member on here mate, its Nick from 181 btw.

Back on topic what worries me about this is that those games we given to all store managers recently at a confrence and under no cuircumstances should they have been traded in let alone being resold as preowned.

They weren't advertised as pre-owned. They were advertised as promo copies, and even had a sticker on them saying "our full price, £45, promo £25" (or words to that effect).

I will say that in the past they have sold off those things in aid of charity, but I didn't see any such signs this time...