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I agree with this idea and have ever since Best Buy corporate changed the purchasing rules to 3 of a title across ALL platforms forever instead of 3 per platform as it was before.
The only 'solution' the mods here have suggested is that we not give our My Best Buy number or phone number when asked for it if buying a fourth copy of a game. But then in that case we lose out on the MyBB points AND the paid Gamer's Club Unlocked discount.
It just seems like the GCU program has added some things(20% off ALL new games) while taking away others(3 limit per title per platform per year) to attempt to balance out the pros vs cons of re-upping to the program.
What should really happen though is if they want such stringent limits on everything is to actually block the sale of a fourth copy of the same game in the system so people don't accidentally go over if they decide to double or triple dip on GOTY/Complete editions.
Even with the game trade-in program, their limit is there in black and white, yet the system will allow infinite copies of any game if you trade them in. It doesn't stop you. Not all of us have spreadsheets of what we own, what we've bought and what we've traded in sitting around for our records.
Now I'm not someone who buys multiple same titles and truth be told the way the limit is now probably not going to affect me, but that's just me. 98% of what I buy is just for myself, I rarely buy video game related gifts, I am not in a family with multiple children, I and hardly trade anything away.
Regardless I do think some changes should be made to this rule. I understand that in this instance Best Buy need to protect itself with some type of policy, but as it is all thats going to happen is your going to have a consumer who doesn't know about the rule(which is a very good chance since it's not stated anywhere when you sign up and one can only learned about it by visiting these forums and finding out) or your going have some who miscaluates how many they bought(another likely scenario as real gamers, the ones who are most likely the only people who would shell out for this membership that buy tons of stuff on a monthly basis let alone a lifetime, myself included). Either way the result being the same, they loose their membership which they paid good hard money for and Best Buy permanently looses a customer.
I believe that bare minium changes should be the the following ideas already mentioned by others in this thread.
1. Change it to the 3 a year limit. Even if you own multiple consoles as I'm sure everyone who has this membership does. How many of us are actually going to buy the exact same title more than 3 times in a year period even across multiple consoles. I would have to guess not many.
2. The discount block feature. If said limit is reached for whatever reasons the discount from the membership is simply deined. The customer can still purchase the title but just won't get the discount. Granted we could already do this by not providing our rewards info durning checkout, but I reiterate the reasons I stated earlier. If you already have a system able to track how many of a specific title we purchase. How hard can it be just to put that overide in. I mean why would you want to stop someone from buying product from you? It makes no sense.
3. Certain things like counting GOTY/Complete Edition as the same title as the vanallia verison is just being petty. There not the same title, your pricing them, there not promoted as the same title, and your not selling them as the same title. Trying to pass it off as such gives the false image that your looking for a excuse to ban people from the program.
With these in place both Best Buy and the customers can be protected and benfit from this program. These requests are simple not unreasonable especially considering how much is being charged for the program. The bottom line is a change needs to be done. With this rule in place
as it is the end result is your not going to win any loyal customers only loose them.
I think the 3 titles per year is fine wouldn't argue if it was 3 per console per year and collectors editions being separate from the original title with the rule of 3(is it really this way currently?). I am a strong supporter of the discount block feature as well, because if a customer is doing holiday shopping for example, even if a customer is planning to purchase more than 3, the customer already has a relationship with best buy and would be much more willing to buy any more than the discounted 3 at best buy due to shopping there alot as it is.
Why stop them from making that purchase and make them do a work around which still denies them points for the purchase? A membership like this brings loyalty to those who join, don't push them away.
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Thanks for all the input on this idea. We have made the following changes to our Gamers Club Unlocked Memberships.
The limits for using your Unlocked membership will be three copies of a New (i.e. not pre owned) gaming software title per platform, per year. Collector’s and Limited Editions count toward that title limit. Game of the Year editions, usually released much later including additional content do not count toward that limit but would essentially start as a separate game and limit.