Game Retailers' Return Policies Criticized

Thanks to GamersWithJobs for their opinion piece discussing the allegedly harsh return policies for videogame retailers. According to the author, "There is no reasonable reason... why a [non-defective, but unwanted] product in such condition should not be returnable, and any retailer who refuses such should not be burdened with customers or money." However, as a forum reply points out: "...if the policy on returns is too liberal, game stores will turn into free game rental outlets for people who don't want to pay for software." Have retailers been changing policies, and where does the balance lie on this subject?

Comments

Re:Reminded me of when I was a kid...

[MrResistor]

You have to consider the other side of it though.

I have a friend who is a Mac guy. Several years ago he wanted to go to a big LAN party, but at the time pretty much every game anybody was playing wasn't available for MAC. His solution? He went to Fry's on Friday and put a nice gaming system on his credit card, loaded it up with pirated games he got from his brother, went to the LAN party, and on Monday took it back for a full refund.

People really do that kind of stuff.

I know plenty of people who would happily buy a PC game, install it, run the no-cd crack, and take it back for a refund. In that context, it doesn't seem that unreasonable to me that many stores won't take back software in an opened box. It sucks for those of us that are honest, but unfortunately that's the world we live in.