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Kotaku: Game retail horror stories

M

MMarston

Was getting caught part of your plan?
Not sure if this belongs in Off-topic but oh well.
http://kotaku.com/invisible-nunchuck-man-and-other-ridiculous-retail-stor-1699035311

There's actually a pretty nice story in here regarding a Halo figurine but apart from that, here are 2 samples.

First off, you have no idea how many parents believe we are childcare. Our store was located right next to a grocery store and parents would leave their kids at our store then leave to go shopping. We had three demo machines at the time, and for the most part kids would just stay glued to them the whole time. For fun I used to put the Bible game that came out into the PS2 demo machine.

One time a mom came in with her two boys, who were around elementary age, and then she just left. After about half an hour, the kids left the store. I didn’t think anything of it. Another hour goes by and I see mom strolling outside our windows with a huge heaping cart full of groceries. She opens the door, looks around and asks me where are her kids? I say I have no idea; they left about an hour ago. She freaks out and asks how I could allow children to leave the store. I ended up asking her the same thing. The mom left the store, never to return again. I’m assuming the children were found eventually.
Click to expand...

So I’ve only been working at GAME for several months now and over the Christmas period, a family comes in looking to buy an Xbox One with Grand Theft Auto V. Their son is around 13-14 and his parents are both with him. I explained to the mother that the game was a [PEGI] 18+ but if she was okay then it was fine. She then said to me that she was concerned about purchasing it but she felt uptight not getting him the game as all of his friends were playing it. The dad seemed okay with the situation.

I went into the back to get their bundle sorted but I was worried that she wasn’t really comfortable and that her son and husband were forcing her hand. I asked my boss if it was okay to show them a video on my phone from the game so she knew what she was getting the kid. He said it was fine and I went back out. It may well have been one of the most awkward moments to date for me, but I explained that the game has prostitutes and with the new added ‘first-person’ mode it’d be a more immersive experience.

I gave her my phone and hit play... their reaction was complete shock. The dad turned to his son and the kid just instantly burst into tears. They began arguing in the middle of the store. Suffice to say I made a quick exit, saying to come to the [counter] when they’d decided what they wanted to buy. At the counter, the kid then tried to push Far Cry 4, at which point another colleague explained to the parents that the game contained nudity and violence. So that didn’t work out well for the kid either... He ended up with FIFA 15. I still think he’s going to kill me at some point.
Click to expand...

And one from the comments section:
A couple of us were working at GameStop one evening when a panicked-looking woman came into the store and asked to use the bathroom. We were in a strip mall and the only bathroom in our store was for employees only. We tried to explain this to the agitated woman who kept pleading with us to use the bathroom. My manager repeatedly told her that there were sensitive (steal-able) items back there and she would have to find a bathroom elsewhere.

Well, after a few minutes of begging to use a toilet, she disappears between the stacks of games. Curious as to where she’s waddled off to, my manager looks between the stacks to find the woman squatting by the PS2 games. Her pants are around her ankles and she was literally pooping in the middle of the store. “I TOLD YOU I NEEDED TO USE THE BATHROOM”

After she was finished she ran out of the store. My manager spent the rest of the night cleaning shit out of the carpet.
Click to expand...
 
R

Recovering_Jedi

Banned
DAMN! That second story is sickening.

Feel really bad for the guy who had to sanitize that store.

Jeez! If she had to go that bad, she should've spent more time looking for a bathroom earlier.
 
R

RE_Player

Member
All my horror stories involve the management and bosses I had. It can be soul crushing being evaluated on how many pre-orders you get people to do or how many disc warranties you sell. I couldn't genuinely have a conversation and try to help the customer without being pressured into trying to sell them something else they clearly didn't want.
 
H

-Horizon-

Member
Oh god the pooping one D:

That kid who wanted the rated M games...just lol. The worker did the right thing by explaining to the parents what the games were about and the parents, in their best judgement, deemed these games inappropriate for the kid. Too bad for the kid but I would've probably done the same thing as the worker or parents.
 
G

Gabriel_Logan

Member
Can you imagine that you've convinced your parents to get the new GTA and some gamestop employee cockblocks your purchase? Man that sucks.
 
R

RoKKeR

Member
I feel like the struggle in getting your parents to let you play GTA is like a rite of passage for many kids these days. Definitely had to do my best persuasive arguing for M games when I was around 14 and 15.

Anyways, these stories are hilariously terrifying but this more just sounds like "retail horror stories" in general.
 
J

jholmes

Member
Gabriel_Logan said:
Can you imagine that you've convinced your parents to get the new GTA and some gamestop employee cockblocks your purchase? Man that sucks.
Click to expand...

Can you imagine someone might try to stop a kid from eating all the candy in a candy store? What a cockblock.

I've been in some EBs with bad management but I've never seen someone defecate in one.
 
F

Foffy

Banned
Retail people really deal with savages. I would rather be dead than trapped working there, and I am not being hyperbolic. It seems so nonoptimal.
 
U

ugh_the_boot

Banned
Wow at that last story! LOL!! Why would you not call security and get her to foot the cleaning bill? There is NO WAY I would be cleaning that shit up. What a gronk!

I'm gonna head over to Kotaku to read more of these, I really enjoyed the first one. People (customers) can be such fucking retards, I love hearing about the dumb ones.
 
Astral Dog

Astral Dog

Member
god, they really should have left her to use the bathroom...

That second story is familiar, i did the same when my parents bought me Pacman World instead of REmake, children can be annoying and mean when playing violent games.

(I did ended up with REmake, however.)
 
J

Jetku

Member
I tried to warn someone from buying his 8 year old the "Guy Game". Dude didn't care. Probably the only copy of that game we sold.

So many parents and grandparents use the reasoning (excuse?) that THEIR child is mature enough for (insert M rated game). This is the same child who was literally crying in the store 10 minutes ago. Very mature...

I now work in corporate finance and actually have this issue with a coworker. Whenever it comes to mature games or R movies, he always says his son is mature enough to handle it. Yet I also get to hear about all the temper tantrums, detentions, failed tests, etc...

I will be a parent in September. I wonder if my view will shift to see my child with the utmost maturity while ignoring their blatant age-appropriate behaviors and mindset... Currently boggles my mind. I'm excited for my baby to be a baby. Don't want them to grow up too fast!
 
T

Takao

Banned
Some day that kid will post on GAF reminiscing about how a Game employee got his parents to buy a FIFA XB1 instead of GTA.
 
S

Shinypogs

Member
I feel like M rated games can be okay for young teens if their parents actually know what is in them and can determine if their child is mature enough to handle the content. I see nothing wrong with an employee going the extra mile to make sure a parent is actually properly informed.

Game stores and pet stores seem to be the two big places for dropping off your kids so you can get shit done without the hassle. I feel bad for the employee if both and for animals in pet stores.
 
S

Storm360

Member
When I worked at a game store, I had a kid who was in single digit ages basically scream the store down to get his mother to buy him MW2, At this point, we were tired from him shouting and when they went to pay for it, me and the cashier decided to inform them about No Russian. The reaction was priceless.


Also had someone shout at me for them pirating games, and a few other stories that probably aren't appropriate for the forum, such as a guy trading in a Xbox with about 30 odd profiles on the hard drive, all named curse words.
 
A

Almighty

Member
Man I would of been so fucking pissed if a nosy clerk talked my parents out of buying me GTA. 13-14 is plenty old enough for GTA and I think the dude should of minded his own business.
 
S

Septimus Prime

Member
RoKKeR said:
I feel like the struggle in getting your parents to let you play GTA is like a rite of passage for many kids these days. Definitely had to do my best persuasive arguing for M games when I was around 14 and 15.

Anyways, these stories are hilariously terrifying but this more just sounds like "retail horror stories" in general.
Click to expand...
Imagine GAFfers' kids trying to sneak these by in the future. Good luck, kids.
 
K

Kinsei

Banned
Almighty said:
Man I would of been so fucking pissed if a nosy clerk talked my parents out of buying me GTA. 13-14 is plenty old enough for GTA and I think the dude should of minded his own business.
Click to expand...

Apparently the kids parents didn't think so. He didn't talk them out of buying the game, the footage did.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
Kids being left in our store happens all the time. The kids will just wander in while I'm doing something and just start putting their hands on everything. I ask where their parents are and they say a store down the way or something. So now I have to watch these kids until the parents come later like everything is fine. Fortunately no one has pooped in the store yet lol.
 
D

djplaeskool

Member
Did someone say Outback!?

qoSi4yu.gif
 
S

Storm360

Member
Almighty said:
Still a busy body in my book since they didn't ask his opinion he just volunteered it.
Click to expand...

I don't see a problem, it's better to make sure parents fully understand what they're buying and the content the child would be exposed too, and lets face it, not every parent fully researches that game their child wants, if the parents are fine with the content after being made aware of it, go for it.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
Can't say I really feel any sympathy for that 2nd clerk story. He got himself in that mess. His job is to tell them the rating and the contents on the back of the box. If the family didn't already see a red flag with the contents in the rating that's their problem. Let them deal with the repercussions when they get home. It must have been a slow day at the store if he felt the need to go that far. If it was the holidays there's no way he would have wasted that much time.
 
C

CountAntonius

Member
Worked videogame retail for about 6 months. Never again. Parent's response when I told them about mature content in GTA "they see worse shit on TV." Alright..
 
F

Foffy

Banned
Almighty said:
Man I would of been so fucking pissed if a nosy clerk talked my parents out of buying me GTA. 13-14 is plenty old enough for GTA and I think the dude should of minded his own business.
Click to expand...

I think I played GTA III when I was 12. Granted, one of the reasons my parents were cool with this was I knew the difference between fiction and reality really well. I thank Nintendo for that. I do acknowledge that people are heavily influenced by media to the point they think so much of the illusion it presents is reality, especially today so I can get those trying to inform parents in a more informed manner. I know I'm quite an outlier to most people in general, so yeah. :p

I played GTA III before I had internet, for example. People raised on the internet since they were lil' childens may have a totally different reality tunnel they see the world in.
 
S

Scientificreason

Banned
She must have thought the games were all shit.......

Leaving your kids unsupervised that long, then have the nerve to ask why you let them leave. Moron parents.
 
S

Storm360

Member
Foffy said:
I think I played GTA III when I was 12. Granted, one of the reasons my parents were cool with this was I knew the difference between fiction and reality really well. I thank Nintendo for that. I do acknowledge that people are heavily influence by media to the point they think so much of the illusion it presents is reality, so I can get those trying to inform parents in a more informed manner. I know I'm quite an outlier to most people in general, so yeah. :p
Click to expand...


There is a huge content gap between GTA 3 and GTA V though, I'd be happy letting a 13 year old play 3 as long as they understood it was only a game etc, but wouldn't let them play V.
 
A

Almighty

Member
Storm360 said:
I don't see a problem, it's better to make sure parents fully understand what they're buying and the content the child would be exposed too, and lets face it, not every parent fully researches that game their child wants, if the parents are fine with the content after being made aware of it, go for it.
Click to expand...

I just don't feel it is the clerks job to be the nanny for parents. If he was asked that is one thing, but otherwise it just seems sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Maybe it is just me though, but when I worked retail I never felt the need to tell the parent(unless asked) that game X might not be appropriate for their little Timmy.
 
M

Mulgrok

Member
Glad to see the 2nd example. Always better to educate the parent now and miss a sale, instead of having them become enraged and never buy anything again.

I never felt the need for 'mature' games growing up, but that was probably because my parents didn't care what I played or saw. I guess that says something about 'forbidden fruit'.
 
B

Bubbavelli

Banned
Gabriel_Logan said:
Can you imagine that you've convinced your parents to get the new GTA and some gamestop employee cockblocks your purchase? Man that sucks.
Click to expand...

When I was a youngin (probably around 12 or 13), my uncle and I went to gamestop so he could buy me Manhunt on PC. The cashier saw me in the cut and wouldn't sell him the game because he figured it was for me. Suffice it to say I was kinda pissed but to this day I still can't figure out if the dude was being a dickhead or actually did a good thing
 
B

BlackBuzzard

Banned
When a woman has to go poop she gotta poop.

She was probably related to this guy.

guy-poops-in-mall-o.gif


I think we need to call Tina Belcher we got a mad pooper.
 
N

npa189

Member
Having worked retail myself, none of this is really all that shocking. Had a guy use a dressing room as a urinal once on black friday, that was awesome. Why would that clerk actively try to sabotage the kid getting GTAV? seems like more work than just letting them buy the bundle and get out.
 
S

Storm360

Member
Almighty said:
I just don't feel it is the clerks job to be the nanny for parents. If he was asked that is one thing, but otherwise it just seems sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Maybe it is just me though, but when I worked retail I never felt the need to tell the parent(unless asked) that game X might not be appropriate for their little Timmy.
Click to expand...

Eh, we were encouraged to make them aware of the content. It builds trust with the customer that you're not gonna sell them something that's inappropriate, and it saves them returning angry that you've given their son a game where you sleep with hookers.
 
A

antitrop

Member
Gabriel_Logan said:
Can you imagine that you've convinced your parents to get the new GTA and some gamestop employee cockblocks your purchase? Man that sucks.
Click to expand...
This almost happened to me with GTA III, and then I reminded the cashier that I was 17. I was buying the game with my own money, I just happened to be with my parents in the shopping mall.
 
B

bomblord1

Banned
npa189 said:
Having worked retail myself, none of this is really all that shocking. Had a guy use a dressing room as a urinal once on black friday, that was awesome. Why would that clerk actively try to sabotage the kid getting GTAV? seems like more work than just letting them buy the bundle and get out.
Click to expand...

Because there was a more important matter there than getting a troublesome group out as fast as possible. The parents obviously agreed with the clerk once they found out what was actually in the game.
 
P

PMS341

Member
I worked at Gamestop for over 7 years and saw a lot of awful, awful things occur. Lots of corruption, especially with HR. It's terrifying and depressing.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
Storm360 said:
Eh, we were encouraged to make them aware of the content. It builds trust with the customer that you're not gonna sell them something that's inappropriate, and it saves them returning angry that you've given their son a game where you sleep with hookers.
Click to expand...

Isn't explaining what the stuff pertains to on the games rating enough? Showing a video seems like a unneeded extra step.

Rated M for Mature
Blood and Gore,
Intense Violence,
Mature Humor,
Nudity,
Strong Language,
Strong Sexual Content,
Use of Drugs and Alcohol

That all gets the point across fairly well. Then if they question any of them you tell them what it can fully pertain to. It's not like there's a video he could pull up that quickly just shows what each one has.

SO more or less i'm more confused about how the parents thought all of this stuff was ok in written form. But in video you know what little jimmy will be doing it became a whole new picture.
 
H

Head.spawn

Junior Member
Gentleman Jack said:
The pooping one transcends all retail. The fluids one must have to randomly clean off a shop floor anywhere in the world...
Click to expand...

When I worked in a movie theater, my boss at the time tried to get me to clean the ladies bathroom one time. Totally random, not my job (I worked the concession stand and was an usher), so it was a bit weird. I go in there not knowing what to expect and the last stall is wide open with a mop next to it... the smell tells the story before I even get close. At that point, I'm expecting maybe someone clogged up the toilet... whatever, I've got gloves on, no problem. Anyways, I get to the stall, holy shit. On the side of the stall, written in feces is the word "SHIT !". Almost poetic, wtf. On the toilet, smeared across the seat is more shit. I pull a 180 and get the fuck out of there, because "no, no fucking way. fire me.", Long story short, they convinced another worker to clean it up with the promise of a paid Saturday off; I worked that night and found ~$50 and a half of a pack of cigarettes in one of the theaters. Win for me.

I had a similar, but much worse story when I was working as a in-home aide/assistant for brain injury patients. I didn't escape that clean up job unfortunately and I'm scarred for life. :-|
 
E

Exterminieren

Banned
I don't know a single 13 year old who's mature enough that I'd feel comfortable with them playing GTA. If you're bursting into tears in the shop, you certainly aren't.

Good on that employee for helping the parents make an informed purchasing decision, and good on the parents for listening.
 
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