Best Buy IdeaX

[#1]

I love my gamers club unlocked account but I do not agree with the purchase limit of 3 copies of each title. I think that there should be a annual purchase limit of 3 per title per year and not not a permanent limit. Let's say you bought a multiplatform game such as Tomb Raider or Boarderlands. You may buy a copy for your xbox and ps3 then the inevitable Game of the year edition or &quot;definitive edition&quot; comes out for the next gen consoles or they release a handheld version of the game (Boardlands 2 is being released for the vita almost 2 years after it was released on the other systems. There are several more example Rayman Legends and Batman Arkham Origins are perfect examples. Batman still has a Wii U version that is supposed to be coming out but some people may have already played the game on three other systems so they won't get to enjoy the game on the wii u.<br>I am not saying that you are going to buy all these titles on day one but when the game goes on sale or a year or two down the road you pick it up during a Black Friday sale and then best buy closes your account? I think the limit should either be 3 per console per year (same as the video game trade in limit) or the limit should reset annually.

[#2]

Seems like a very sound suggestion. At the very least maybe an "appeal" process to allow an exception. Where you would state your reason ( as you have here i.e. ) 

[#3]

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.

[#4]

I agree with this proposal. Sometimes we have lots of relatives and friends who like a discounted Pokemon game here and there.

[#5]

I agree the limits can be adjusted to protect BB & fulfill the expectations of the customer as well. Either auto-block the discount on the 4th copy or charged a $2-$3 overage fee per title. If a person goes crazy buying a 100 overages BB would get $200-$300 extra in fees at that point a customer could just buy a new sub & stay w/i the limits. But a nominal $2-$3 allows a regular customer to not have to spend anotherct $120 & still protect BB too. Bottom line there`s middle ground time to find it.

[#6]

Would anyone else like to see this changed and how? Remember to vote for an idea if you like it.

[#7]

@Allan, since these aren`t supposed to be shared memerships but alot of families have multiple children or games in 1 household is there a way to offer another version of GCU specifically designed for "households"? I guess the sub cost rises but BB could offer a 1 yr $80-$100 option that allow full access since it`s supposed to be "shared" you would be fair to assume the total sub cost is being split too. Two or three $10 pre-order subs would also be available to these subs too. The only other simple option is the a la carte fee above $3.

[#8]

@enuf, That sounds possible to me. You should post this as it's own idea.

[#9]

Will do

[#10]

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.

[#11]

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.