And another lost sale goes to…

EBGames!

People who know me are familiar with my distaste for EBGames and their onerous preordering policy. The notion (yes, notion) of giving them a bit of money for the privilege of having a game a day before the rest of the world is a dubious business model at-best. It certainly doesn’t seem like a good enough idea to make me want to buy a franchise of theirs when I can get the same thing at another store that also sells electronics and other media. It begs the question: What is keeping them in business? What gives them revenues of 2 BILLION DOLLARS?

Tonight, after work, I decided to try my luck at an old favorite store of mine: the EBGames in the Carlingwood Mall. In the past, they’ve been reasonable and have provided me with games (admittedly only when I’d preordered them). The object of my desire: Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. This time, I had a devilish plan to assist me in my quest.

After a reasonably nice drive there in after-work traffic, I made my way to the store and prepared myself for the conflict that was sure to ensue. I dutifully waited in line behind one man in a hat who successfully purchased a pre-ordered copy of GRAW and another man who got nervous and backed-out.

My turn: “I would like a copy of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter,” I blurted at the clerk.

“Do you have a… pre-order?” he asked, oozing smarm.

“No,” I replied with a grin. I had been told this afternoon that prod had done this exact thing and was rewarded with a copy at an EB in Mississaugamptonthorpe.

“Well, I don’t have any,” the clerk replied with a smugness so palpable it required every ounce of self-control I had for me to not punch him in the nose. I ran through the possible scenarios, considered pointing at the guy with the hat who was already hastily exiting the store with his ill-gotten game. He sensed what was coming but didn’t want to stick around for the outcome.

“I would like to change my answer,” I began tentatively. “I do have a pre-order.”

The clerk, now amused says, “no, that won’t work.”

“But I really do,” I persisted. “I totally have a pre-order. Hahaha. I was just testing you.”

“O.K.” he answered, no doubt curious to see where this was going. “What’s your phone number?”

“Um… ahhh….” I considered. Then spat out the 7 digits that would garner me praise, hatred and possibly jail-time. You see, I gave him GAC’s number — a man renowned for his pre-ordering acumen.

The clerk punched in the number and studied the screen. “No Ghost Recon… I do have a copy of ‘Stubbs the Zombie’ for you,” the increasingly puzzled store clerk informed me.

“Ah, I see,” I answered him. Frustration mounting. “Did I… already pick it up? I had a busy day,” I volunteered.

The clerk performs more checking on his computer. “No, doesn’t look like you’ve ordered that.”

“I see. Well good day then,” I said while waving on my way out of the store.

I only thought afterwards that I should have persisted in my ruse and asked for a copy anyway on account of me being such a good customer.

So, in the end, I do not have a copy of GRAW and will have to purchase it tomorrow at a Future Shop or Best Buy as I always do anyway. You hear that EBGames? Those extra copies you have in your back room can rot there for all I care! Screw you! EBGames sucks!

har.

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