While many within the gaming industry see an all-digital future as an inevitability, there are some unquestionable advantages that physical releases have over digital ones. One of the biggest, of course, is the ability to have some degree of control over purchased games. A digital title can’t be loaned out to a friend, or traded in at the store. A number of gamers have taken issue with GameStop‘s trade practices through the years, but some have used those trade policies to their own advantage. Reddit user Steid55 was able to do just that by purchasing nine Xbox One X consoles from a GameStop location for $199 each, then trading them back to another location for $275 each. Steid55 got the initial low price from a GameStop location that was hosting a closing sale.
Steid55’s investment was certainly steep, but the Reddit user walked away with $796 in giftcards and an Xbox One X of his own. This is not the first time Reddit users have found ways to take advantage of GameStop’s trade policies. In the past, users have found some intriguing loopholes, particularly during the company’s annual trade-in events. As such, GameStop has had to make changes to prevent more customers from doing the same. Of course, anytime GameStop patrons take advantage of loopholes like these, they also run the risk of the store placing them on a list of suspicious traders, which could prevent them from trading in games in the future.
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GameStop’s financial woes have been well publicized. The company saw a significant decrease in holiday profits, which the company attributes to decreased interest in the current console era. In September, GameStop announced their intent to close hundreds of store locations in an attempt at “de-intensifying” the chain. Though focusing on fewer locations could help the company’s bottom line, it can’t help when loopholes like the one Steid55 took advantage of take money out of the company’s pockets!
Steid55’s post has since been taken down from Reddit by moderators. At this point, it seems unlikely that other GameStop shoppers will be able to receive a similar bargain. For GameStop’s sake, hopefully this loophole has since been closed!
Have you ever taken advantage of a trade-in loophole? What’s the best trade deal you’ve ever gotten? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
