Is EB the only store to push this crap?

Vinda-Lou · Post by **Vinda-Lou** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:04 pm

I go to EB/EBX/whatever because it's close to me and because they have used PC games. But lately everytime I buy a new or used game, they push some shit about a replacement plan encase the disk gets damaged or something. I asked about buying a used xbox, but they told me to get "the plan" encase the xbox doesn't work. I ask them, so if I buy a used xbox, bring it home and the next night it doesn't work, I can't bring it back w/o the plan? They tell me yes. I, in slightly politer words, tell them to stick it: I'm going to Best Buy and buying a new one where I can return the f-ing thing if it doesn't work.

So is Gamestop like this now? You buy a NEW game and if you don't have "the plan" you can't return it, even for the same exact thing? I know we've done some EB bashing here, and I never had a problem with them. In fact I prefered it to Gamestop, mostly because of location and the people were not too bad. Now? F them. And F their "plan."

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:14 pm

The EB in the mall near me is pretty cool. Last time I was there, the guy was pretty nice and he was talking about how he doesn't understand why EB only offers a 7 day warranty on new games, but a 3 month on used. He joked that I could buy a used game, wait 89 days then break it in half and come get a new copy if I wanted. He seemed pretty cool actually.

The gamestop in that mall is fairly good too. However, the EB north of me kinda sucks, and the Gamestop to the west of me BLOWS.

Isn't it odd how some places are good while others are crap?

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:28 pm

ChrisGrenard wrote:Last time I was there, the guy was pretty nice and he was talking about how he doesn't understand why EB only offers a 7 day warranty on new games, but a 3 month on used.

Sort of makes sense. If there's something wrong with a new disc, it should be pretty obvious - any kind of scratches, broken disc, etc. If you can't tell anything wrong with the disc in 7 days, chances are that if it breaks it was your fault or the fault of your game system, and not the disc. A used disc is not going to be in pristine condition, so it's hard to tell exactly how good the disc is. If the disc lasts less than 3 months, the answer is not good enough.

FFG909 · Post by **FFG909** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:29 pm

Sounds like they want to extort a few bucks more out of you.. I'd tell em to shove it. I boycotted EB last year, and will never shop there again. Basically for the following reasons.

1) They put 20 stickers on each box, ruining them. (Most of them are "Sell us your used games" crap.

2) They treat PC gamers like lepers, you ask questions, they act like they don't care. All the while they run over with the latest pokemon games to some dork standing at the Gamecube section.

3) They display PC boxes on their sides, making it hard to shop.

4) They gut most PC games, keeping the contents in the back. So when you buy a "New" game, you really are buying a open and abused piece of crap.

5) They are reducing their selection of PC games to only those that get pre-orders or significant interest at the corporate level. Which means offbeat titles, indys, and anything thats not "Sims" will be getting pretty scarce.

6) They scam people with their retarded tradein pricing and policies.

7) The employees there are idiots, by all accounts.

8 ) Most of their crap is overpriced.

So yes, I hate EB. They are the epitome of crappy, evil, greedy corporations that treat their customers like poop.

Coskesh · Post by **Coskesh** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:39 pm

Worked at EB when the PlayStation came out. About a year later, I must have replaced 30 or so Playstations that wouldn't play certain discs/skipped/had to be played upside down, but made them buy a 2 year warrenty ($28 and covered them for another year). I don't see the need for games, but I always buy the warrenty for my consoles. Keep in mind they cover the controller that comes with it as well, so worst case senario... you replace your controller before the warrenty runs out.

It's only a scam when you don't need it I guess, though I agree EB is a shell of what it once was.

Samurai · Post by **Samurai** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:39 pm

4) They gut most PC games, keeping the contents in the back. So when you buy a "New" game, you really are buying a open and abused piece of crap.

Yeah I was lucky enough to get my SHIII fresh out of the shipping box last Wednesday before they could gut it.

lokiju · Post by **lokiju** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:41 pm

Samurai wrote:
4) They gut most PC games, keeping the contents in the back. So when you buy a "New" game, you really are buying a open and abused piece of crap.
Yeah I was lucky enough to get my SHIII fresh out of the shipping box last Wednesday before they could gut it.

Ugh, don't even get me started on the idea of selling opened games as brand new. This is why I haven't bought a game from them in what seems like years.

WPD · Post by **WPD** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:55 pm

The Gamestop at my home mall has been closed to make way for a new, larger Claires, now all that is left is 3 EBGames within 10 miles of each other.

magic · Post by **magic** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:59 pm

WPD wrote:The Gamestop at my home mall has been closed to make way for a new, larger Claires

one down, seven billion to go.

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:39 am

Hmm, there's not a single EB in the state of Hawaii. Guess that's why I never had a problem with them.

Goldchamp · Post by **Goldchamp** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:34 am

Gamestops are now gutting the boxes also. Id rather buy a game at Wal-Mart then buy something thats been opened

lokiju · Post by **lokiju** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:38 am

I would think it'd cost them more in man hours to gut and replace box contents than the cost of theivery itself.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:36 am

I don't buy opened games. I enjoy doing the opening ritual of a fresh new game myself -- that is part of the purchase experience for me. Thus most of my B&M game purchases are at Best Buy, CompUSA, and CC.

Beer Goggles · Post by **Beer Goggles** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:51 am

FFG, you forgot to mention that they like buying stolen goods and selling back those goods to the victim.

jlu · Post by **jlu** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:39 pm

Lots of EB negativity. Another in the "I like EB" camp. Granted I am mostly a console gamer -- I buy maybe two PC games a year, and for absolutely no reason I just tend to get those at Best Buy or Target or whatever. If I were to be brought an opened box and told I had to pay the 'new' price, I'd be laughing my way out of the store.

Ridah · Post by **Ridah** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 3:52 pm

At GameStop you can exchange a new game for the same one if its defective, but you certainly cant return any new product for refund. That would be bad business.

Ridah · Post by **Ridah** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 3:53 pm

I don't buy opened games. I enjoy doing the opening ritual of a fresh new game myself -- that is part of the purchase experience for me.

Were talking about the only difference being a cut piece of tape here, you realize that right? You can ask them to put another tape dot on the box if you desperately wish to relive the excitement.

I would personally never buy a PC game at a department type store like Wal-Mart or Best Buy unless I was shopping for other things as well, I really don't mind that the games have been gutted because there's an understandable cause and it's not like the games have been used. For me, in terms of rituals, I'm more into the feeling of stepping into a game store and soaking in the allure of all the games on the shelves, the demo machines and so on, rather than cutting a piece of tape.

Jeff Jones · Post by **Jeff Jones** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 5:28 pm

Is EB the only store to push this crap?

As it turns out, no, they aren't the only ones. I was in Circuit City today. When I got up to the register, the lady before me bought two DVD's. The clerk asked if she wanted to buy the "one year disc protection plan" for those discs, and went into a spiel on scratched discs, etc. The "plan" was 99 cents per disc.

Cesare · Post by **Cesare** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:26 pm

Beer Goggles wrote:FFG, you forgot to mention that they like buying stolen goods and selling back those goods to the victim.

They're selling them back to Virgin Records, Best Buy, and CompUSA?

..anyhow Vinda-Lou, that clerk was full of crap. Years ago I bought a used Playstation from Funcoland (precursor to GameStop around these parts). They tried to push that warranty on me, I told them to fuck off, and lo and behold when I get home the thing doesn't even work. I just took it back the next day.. they asked me if I had a warranty, I said no. They said they couldn't help me. I threw a fucking nutty in the store and I got a new used system that worked fine. When they say you can't

buy a used xbox, bring it home and [if] the next night it doesn't work... bring it back w/o the plan

they are LYING. It's part of their extortion scheme.. I'm pretty positive that if you don't buy a warranty they purposely give you a broken machine and hope you don't come back. Two years ago I went to EB and bought a Playstation 2.. and went through the EXACT SAME THING. No warranty, busted machine, but kicking and screaming got me a new used system that's worked fine ever since.

Not that people should have to go through that, but it's illegal for them to refuse a next-day return on something that's broken... probably even moreso since they KNOW they're selling broken stuff.

Vinda-Lou · Post by **Vinda-Lou** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:37 pm

Cesare's Divine Spark wrote:
Beer Goggles wrote:FFG, you forgot to mention that they like buying stolen goods and selling back those goods to the victim.
They're selling them back to Virgin Records, Best Buy, and CompUSA?

..anyhow Vinda-Lou, that clerk was full of crap. Years ago I bought a used Playstation from Funcoland (precursor to GameStop around these parts). They tried to push that warranty on me, I told them to fuck off, and lo and behold when I get home the thing doesn't even work. I just took it back the next day.. they asked me if I had a warranty, I said no. They said they couldn't help me. I threw a fucking nutty in the store and I got a new used system that worked fine. When they say you can't
buy a used xbox, bring it home and [if] the next night it doesn't work... bring it back w/o the plan

they are LYING. It's part of their extortion scheme.. they're counting on people either buying the warranty or keeping the broken machine they keep on the top of the pile out back.

I'm pretty positive that if you don't buy a warranty they purposely give you a broken machine and hope you don't come back. Two years ago I went to EB and bought a Playstation 2.. and went through the EXACT SAME THING. No warranty, busted machine, but kicking and screaming got me a new used system that's worked fine ever since.

Not that people should have to go through that, but it's illegal for them to refuse a next-day return on something that's broken... probably even moreso since they KNOW they're selling broken stuff.

Well said. It's a shame you need to kick and scream to get what should be right. What happened to the days of "the customer is always right?"

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:53 pm

*SIGH*

I work at an EB part-time and yes some of the wacky things they have us do is try to make the company money.

The warranty for a used system for our store is 2 weeks. You can get an additional 6 months if you buy the warranty which covers most cases except fire or theft. It's really just a one-time product replacement plan where you exchange a broken system for a working one. Outside of those time frames you go through the manufacturer.

For discs depending on the price point the cost of the disc warranty is $1-$3 for 1 year and it covers most damage. Yes you may take care of your games but the rest of the masses out there do no such thing. I still remember selling a brand new, sealed game to one customer. One week later he trades it in all scratched up to heck.

We get plenty of trade ins where people don't even have cases and trade in these games that are all scratched up I'm amazed they even work.

The corporate beancounters determine the value of trade-ins, us peons have no say in it.

PC Games being gutted - we tried like heck to fight that. Unfortunately the thieves that stole from the store muted our arguments especially when you lose $100 in a day.

lokiju · Post by **lokiju** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:58 pm

wankerjr wrote: PC Games being gutted - we tried like heck to fight that. Unfortunately the thieves that stole from the store muted our arguments especially when you lose $100 in a day.

But surely in the long run it took $100s more of employee time to gut and replace all those boxes?

lokiju · Post by **lokiju** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:01 pm

Ridah wrote:
I don't buy opened games. I enjoy doing the opening ritual of a fresh new game myself -- that is part of the purchase experience for me.
Were talking about the only difference being a cut piece of tape here, you realize that right? You can ask them to put another tape dot on the box if you desperately wish to relive the excitement.

Well, new is still new, IMHO...not touched by anyone else. It does sound silly when I think about it, but I can't rationalize why I feel scammed when the game has been opened before I pay for it as new. It really doesn't matter as I don't have to defend myself. I shop elsewhere. They lose my $1,000 a year budget on gaming.

Plus, even though they stated that this policy has stopped, I'd be surprised if those games still weren't going home to be copied by employees.

Giles Habibula · Post by **Giles Habibula** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:29 pm

If the only box left in the store is the gutted box, I apologize and tell them I have to go somewhere else. Also, those gutted boxes tend to be shopworn as hell and not fit for my collection. And I've seen several instances of fingerprints on the CDs back when I used to buy these. Definitely not the same as new. Knock $5 bucks off a gutted copy and I'll consider it. ANYTHING really, as long as they will at least acknowledge that it's NOT THE SAME AS NEW!

7 day warranty: Sure, problems will be obvious if you take the thing home straightaway and install it within 7 days. The games I finally get around to playing don't even get opened until 60 to 90 days or more after I get them home. Why not just open them to be sure right away you ask? Because, I may not end up playing it at all (my forever backlogged pile), and I harbor the thought of someday selling it. And it'll sell for more unopened. Thus far I haven't sold anything, but that's beside the point.

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 12:12 am

lokiju wrote:
wankerjr wrote: PC Games being gutted - we tried like heck to fight that. Unfortunately the thieves that stole from the store muted our arguments especially when you lose $100 in a day.
But surely in the long run it took $100s more of employee time to gut and replace all those boxes?

If it did, why would they do it? Do you think they enjoy losing both money and customer goodwill?

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 2:08 am

lokiju wrote:
wankerjr wrote: PC Games being gutted - we tried like heck to fight that. Unfortunately the thieves that stole from the store muted our arguments especially when you lose $100 in a day.
But surely in the long run it took $100s more of employee time to gut and replace all those boxes?

We gut only one box for the PC games. All the rest remain behind the counter. So no, the PC games don't take that long as our section is small to begin with.

Console games on the other hand...

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 2:17 am

Giles Habibula wrote:7 day warranty: Sure, problems will be obvious if you take the thing home straightaway and install it within 7 days. The games I finally get around to playing don't even get opened until 60 to 90 days or more after I get them home. Why not just open them to be sure right away you ask? Because, I may not end up playing it at all (my forever backlogged pile), and I harbor the thought of someday selling it. And it'll sell for more unopened. Thus far I haven't sold anything, but that's beside the point.

The warranty is geared primarily for console gamers IMO. Usually they are the ones that come back within a day or two or the same day to exchange a disk.

As a primarily PC gamer I don't have a problem with this as I have games in my backlog that I have never opened for years even though I have every intention of getting to them. If I wind up with a bad disc I can be mad but should the store take it back even if I kept the receipt? The game more than likely doesn't even exist on the shelves anymore.

Best thing you can do is establish a relationship with a store with people you like/tolerate. Happens all the time in our store that long time regulars get preferential treatment for some things. Overall if a customer has a problem with a game we have in stock we'll gladly replace the disc(s) for them within reason of course. All the disc warranty has done is formalize it and attach a reasonable cost to something that was already being done for goodwill.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:14 am

When I see a gutted box, I'm not entirely confident I'll be getting the right things inside. I can check to make sure that they didn't put Tomb Raider VII in my KOTOR II box, but unless the box shows how many disks are needed, I can't be sure they're all there. These days one game will have a manual, the next just envolopes, the next envelopes and a reference card, and so on - how do I know that I've got everything I'm supposed to have? If my reference card is lying in the back room when I leave, I doubt I'd ever find out.

Even if I did figure it out later, I live in a rather rural area - the nearest game store is a 60-mile round trip, and the next closes one is closer to a 120 mile round trip.

Finally, how do I know that my CD key hasn't been copied down for personal use by an employee, or copied and distributed? Publishers aren't exactly helpful when you tell them you need a new CD key.

It isn't about the spiritual experience of opening a box; it is about confidence in getting a complete product.

slambie · Post by **slambie** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:26 pm

I really like my local EB. But I'm a regular customer there so the manager and employees all know me by name. As a result, I don't get the "sales pitch of the day" and always get great customer service.

There's been once or twice I've returned a game and asked for a replacement months after I bought it and the manager has done it without even batting an eyelash. The key there, though, is that I don't abuse the practice, I spend thousands of dollars in there during the course of a year, and he knows my playing practices (buying a game on day one then leaving it sit for months on my backlog pile before I install it).

While your mileage may vary, I think it all comes down to how good the employees are and what the local management staff is like. I'm fortunate that my EB has always had good people that choose not to harrass their regulars with corporate push-selling practices.

RE: gutted boxes...I hate them. My local EB puts one empty box on display and keeps the rest back in the storeroom, so I'm able to get a pristine box that hasn't been opened, manhandled, or marred with a price sticker.

Jeff Jones · Post by **Jeff Jones** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:45 pm

slambie wrote:I really like my local EB. But I'm a regular customer there so the manager and employees all know me by name. As a result, I don't get the "sales pitch of the day" and always get great customer service.

I think it's pretty much been established that if you spend a lot of money at EB, they'll treat you better. Heh..

ChaoZ · Post by **ChaoZ** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:01 pm

Jeff Jones wrote:
slambie wrote:I really like my local EB. But I'm a regular customer there so the manager and employees all know me by name. As a result, I don't get the "sales pitch of the day" and always get great customer service.

I think it's pretty much been established that if you spend a lot of money at EB, they'll treat you better. Heh..

Not necessarily. The turnaround for these employees are so quick that few stick around long enough to recognize you.

The EBs I go to never seem to have the same people in 'em. A lot of part-time high school / university guys.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:13 pm

slambie wrote:RE: gutted boxes...I hate them. My local EB puts one empty box on display and keeps the rest back in the storeroom, so I'm able to get a pristine box that hasn't been opened, manhandled, or marred with a price sticker.

i don't know why more stores aren't doing it that way now. i remember walking into the local Babbages store 10-15 years ago when it was all PC games and they had a single gutted box on the shelf for each title...tell the cashier what you wanted and they either had it behind the counter or in the back. it really doesn't make any sense not to do it that way anymore...

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:30 pm

Blackhawk wrote:It isn't about the spiritual experience of opening a box; it is about confidence in getting a complete product.

Well said.. Any store that guts boxes won't get my business. But I did hear from a "Manager" at my local EB that corporate is considering just not selling PC games in most stores after this year.

Good riddance I say.

Benhur · Post by **Benhur** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:12 am

Kobra wrote:
Blackhawk wrote:It isn't about the spiritual experience of opening a box; it is about confidence in getting a complete product.
Well said.. Any store that guts boxes won't get my business. But I did hear from a "Manager" at my local EB that corporate is considering just not selling PC games in most stores after this year.

Good riddance I say.

Amen. I stopped going to EB when they started to automatically put the $2.00 "Gameplay Guarentee" in the subtotal without asking me first. I had to tell them to take it off before actually completing the purchase.

I long for the golden days of Electronic's Boutique and Babbages. Wall to wall PC games and accessories, and small section of Nintendo stuff in the back. No crap all over the place, no toys and useless junk taking up floor space. A person dressed in a suit and tie(!) would ring me up and ask me if I had any questions; he wouldn't badger me to buy a magazine, reserve 20 titles coming out for X-Box or go on and on about the "Gameplay Guarentee." I wouldn't have to wait 10 minutes behind some kid who's trading in his X-Box and 4 NES games for the princely sum of $20.00. In short, I want to go back in time and relive my teen years.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:36 am

I can't really blame them - if you have a resturaunt and aren't selling much liver and onions, it doesn't make financial sense to keep buying fresh liver.

The funny thing is, most PC gamers have computers. It's true! Not only that, most of them have internet access. I'd be interested in comparing the decline of sales at B&M game stores with the increase in sales from online retailers - Amazon, GoGamer, the EBgames.com, Gamestop.com, and so on.

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:11 am

Blackhawk wrote:When I see a gutted box, I'm not entirely confident I'll be getting the right things inside. I can check to make sure that they didn't put Tomb Raider VII in my KOTOR II box, but unless the box shows how many disks are needed, I can't be sure they're all there. These days one game will have a manual, the next just envolopes, the next envelopes and a reference card, and so on - how do I know that I've got everything I'm supposed to have? If my reference card is lying in the back room when I leave, I doubt I'd ever find out.

Even if I did figure it out later, I live in a rather rural area - the nearest game store is a 60-mile round trip, and the next closes one is closer to a 120 mile round trip.

Finally, how do I know that my CD key hasn't been copied down for personal use by an employee, or copied and distributed? Publishers aren't exactly helpful when you tell them you need a new CD key.

It isn't about the spiritual experience of opening a box; it is about confidence in getting a complete product.

I have that same concern so I personally don't buy gutted boxes if I buy from another EB location (which has been far & few between). Our store simply takes out the CD case(s)/envelope(s) and leave everything else inside.

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:19 am

Benhur wrote:Amen. I stopped going to EB when they started to automatically put the $2.00 "Gameplay Guarentee" in the subtotal without asking me first. I had to tell them to take it off before actually completing the purchase.

I long for the golden days of Electronic's Boutique and Babbages. Wall to wall PC games and accessories, and small section of Nintendo stuff in the back. No crap all over the place, no toys and useless junk taking up floor space. A person dressed in a suit and tie(!) would ring me up and ask me if I had any questions; he wouldn't badger me to buy a magazine, reserve 20 titles coming out for X-Box or go on and on about the "Gameplay Guarentee." I wouldn't have to wait 10 minutes behind some kid who's trading in his X-Box and 4 NES games for the princely sum of $20.00. In short, I want to go back in time and relive my teen years.

That associate was wrong to simply add on the GPG without giving you the option.

The suit and tie was done when EB was still a sole proprietorship IIRC as my manager was hired on back in those halcyon days.

We don't push the magazines (yet) but corporate does ask us to push the pre-orders, trade-ins, and GPGs. They keep track of those numbers and those numbers are used in determining performance of the store/district/regional managers. So if your job is on the line based on these numbers, guess who has to improve those numbers?

Oh and the current trade in for an X-Box system is $75 and maybe a few cents to a few bucks for NES games

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:20 am

Kobra wrote:
Blackhawk wrote:It isn't about the spiritual experience of opening a box; it is about confidence in getting a complete product.
Well said.. Any store that guts boxes won't get my business. But I did hear from a "Manager" at my local EB that corporate is considering just not selling PC games in most stores after this year.

Good riddance I say.

Hmm..I'll have to check that rumor out.

wankerjr · Post by **wankerjr** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:23 am

ChaoZ wrote:
Jeff Jones wrote:
slambie wrote:I really like my local EB. But I'm a regular customer there so the manager and employees all know me by name. As a result, I don't get the "sales pitch of the day" and always get great customer service.

I think it's pretty much been established that if you spend a lot of money at EB, they'll treat you better. Heh..
Not necessarily. The turnaround for these employees are so quick that few stick around long enough to recognize you.

The EBs I go to never seem to have the same people in 'em. A lot of part-time high school / university guys.

That's true though the turnaround in the store I work in has been relatively low they just don't have a lot of hours to give. I work maybe one day a week so I don't really know who the regulars are, though I have met a few and remember them when they come in.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:04 pm

1) A gutted box is not used, so it must be new. As long as you get everything in the box it doesn't matter if it's opened. This is similiar to saying that all new cars aren't new because they may have 5-30 miles on the odometer. (I have never seen a 0 mile odometer on a new car). Heck in this case it is actually more acurrate to say the car is used.

2) Even if the stores gutted every PC box, it would still be cost effective. The employees don't really make a lot of money and they have to be there anyway, so compared to losing $100+ dollars it works out for them.

3) I remember working at Babagges back when they had some gaming promotion. I got shopped once and got a 95. I lost 5 points because I didn't tell the shopper about the gaming thing. The shopper was an older business woman looking for accounting software and I didn't think it was relevant to the transaction. (not that she couldn't have been into games)

4) EB and Gamestop both have similiar practices so one isn't better then the other. The EB's near me do appear to cater to PC's more then GS does. I would hate to see either of them go since BB and the X-Marts take longer to get new stuff and don't carry all the new stuff.. (I avoid online transactions because of this and shipping costs.)