Circuit City guarantees Super Paper Mario, puts money where mouth is

by Eric Caoili { Apr 9th 2007 at 6:45PM }

Of the many scandalous practices that game shops often subject us to without fear of reprisal, pre-order harassment is one of the worst. Not only will you be sneered at and interrogated for not reserving a new release, you'll be castigated in front of your friends and family, your manhood and the chasteness of your mother called into question. We are told that someone will also sneak under you and tie your shoelaces together so that you'll trip when you try to walk away. This is the reality of video game retailers around the country.

Buying from electronics superstores like Best Buy or Fry's cuts down on the unchecked tomfoolery that governs mall-based game shops, but Circuit City is taking an extra step to satisfy its customers. As marked in last Sunday's advertisements, if you're not able to find a copy of Super Paper Mario at Circuit City tomorrow after 2 PM, the store will compensate you with a $20 gift card.

A guarantee and good will gesture like that puts Circuit City at the top of our list of places to buy Super Paper Mario and other games from. We'll just have to make sure that we wear our velcro strap shoes when we go to cancel our pre-orders.

[Via Opposable Thumbs]

Tags: circuitycity, eb, electronicsboutique, gamestop, giftcard, mario, nintendo, nintendowii, preorder, preorders, reserve, retailer, shop, store, superpapermario, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sonic_13 @ Apr 9th 2007 8:35PM

I already have my copy pre-ordered at EBGames, but I might just stop by there tomorrow @2pm...

CreativeOnlineSurname @ Apr 9th 2007 9:45PM

You know, good luck with this. I tried to take advantage of this "guarantee" when Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories came out for PlayStation 2.

I was on my lunch break on release day. It was about 2:20 P.M. I couldn't find the game, it simply was not on the floor, i.e. not available for purchase. So the employee has to go to the back, look around for the box, then open it up and give me a copy of the game.

So I go up to customer service and explain that the game was not exactly "available" at 2:00 P.M. It was, in fact, well past that time. I told him I'd like the gift card. He basically laughed at me. I asked if there was a manager available. He followed suit, pretty much saying as long as it was somewhere in the building, no dice. It didn't matter that they still hadn't put the game up for sale. On top of this, the manager was unnecessarily rude.

After this scene, I was late getting back to work and I had accomplished nothing. I guess that this policy only applies in the instance that U.P.S. shows up late. I don't know. Anyway, good luck, but I'm personally never going to that place again. (Except for when they clearance out games at $10.00, and even then, without a smile on my face.)

3cubedminus3squared @ Apr 9th 2007 10:50PM

Cre3ativeOnlineSurname, I know exactly how you feel. The employees at my circuit city are all morons. They never hae any of the new games or cds out in time. I was going to buy a digital camera from them once but to be catious I looked it up online to make sure it'd be in the store. It said it was in stock so I drove to circuit city. I get there and ask for assistance and they look at me like a turd. They typed some crap into the computer and told me it was out of stock. I didn't say anything and just left to best buy. I will never go into circuit city again.

3cubedminus3squared @ Apr 9th 2007 10:51PM

That should be *have and *cautious.

MikeVGB @ Apr 10th 2007 3:12AM

Screw Circuit City and GameStop/EBGames and BestBuy and Walmart and all the rest of the Corporate Devil Companies that are out there. Oh yeah, StarBucks, Target, BJ's, Costcos and the rest. They are whats wrong with America and this Planet. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for supporting these evil corporations and falling into the Consume Zombie LifeStyle. You are all "Stupid Sad Human Beings". Now go drive your SUV's, losers.

Kristian @ Apr 10th 2007 4:02AM

Wow... MikeVGB, have a few issues there? take it easy buddy.

CreativeOnlineSurname @ Apr 10th 2007 8:41AM

MikeVGB, you are absolutely right. We should all just take up arms against these faceless corporations, and ESPECIALLY their evil foot soldier employees who are paid huge amounts of money to support their boardroom-dwelling masters. In fact, I think I'll go to Wal*Mart right now to discuss this important issue with the local operator of the illustrious "Register Twelve". Perhaps HE will be able to assist me if I can convince him of our cause. Revolution, my brother, revolution!

This may come as a shock to you, but imagine a moment giving up the assumption that everyone who actually bothers to earn a paycheck drives an SUV. I can't even afford an XBox 360, much less a Hummer, buddy.

P.S. Just wanted to let you know that you're currently supporting Comcast / Sprint / AOL / whothehellever by paying them to be connected to the internet. Unless, of course, you're posting from the library, which would just be hilariously ironic.