Attempt to Sell PS4 to GameStop Ends in Confusion

A PlayStation fan who was attempting to trade in their PS4 Pro to GameStop for a little cash was stunned to discover that they would have to pay GameStop to take the used console instead. The odd switch-up seems to have confused the gamer as well as the employee working at GameStop.

Gamers have been joking about the value of their games and consoles when attempting to trade them in to stores like GameStop for a long time. While a new game console might cost hundreds of dollars, and a new game up to $70, even the used consoles and games sold at stores are typically only a small fraction less expensive, depending on their condition, popularity, and age. However, gamers who have thought that they could sell their used devices and games to the same stores for a similar amount of profit have quickly learned that they will be paid very little, regardless of what their items could eventually sell for.

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Even getting paid a little would be preferable to being told one has to pay the store to take their used console, though. That was apparently the case for ResetEra user SolmisateSol, who explained that they took their PS4 Pro to GameStop to sell to the store, expecting they could make $70 in the process. However, after deductions were made for missing parts, namely the controller and its charger, and the HDMI cable, the store register said that instead, they would have to pay $5 to the GameStop for the privilege of it taking the PS4 Pro off their hands. As one might expect, SolmisateSol took their console home instead.

Gamers Muse About Odd GameStop Experience

While several have quickly accused GameStop of being greedy, others have shared responses to the post that are more practical or provide some reasoning. Several have pointed out that expecting to make $70 off of a used last-gen console was likely expecting too much. Others have provided some explanations, saying that even though the PlayStation 4 Pro would be traded in and resold as used, GameStop accepts trade-ins and sales like this based on a complete package that it can sell without replacing or subbing in components. When SolmisateSol tried to turn in their PS4 Pro, the system would have required that each item they didn’t turn in be deducted from the overall payout at their original full value. The missing DualShock controller on its own likely destroyed any profit the gamer would have made, and the cables may have pushed it into the negative territory.

Even so, while there’s some logic to the situation, the fact that the GameStop system is set up to actually charge someone to turn in a working console is definitely odd. SolmisateSol will likely have more luck trying to sell the system to an individual themselves, or in a worst-case scenario, they could always donate the game system to a charity or something similar.

GameStop

Date Founded

January 1, 1984

Headquarters

Grapevine, Texas, United States