Let's see if I can take a stab at these questions, tailoring the answers to be specific towards my dealings with Gamefly
So, for the unitiated like myself...how exactly does *buying* a game from a game-*Rental* company work?
Obviously, odds would be quite good that the game being bought could/would have *A* *LOT* of wear 'n' tear on it.
So, when you rent a game, is it really like a "you're renting the game *With An Option To Buy*" type of deal?
Gamefly works much like how Netflix does, sending only the discs or cartridges to their subscribers. So while there may be some wear 'n' tear (though nothing so bad that I've rented anything that ended up being unplayable from them), the boxes are retained at the warehouse or whatever and are pretty much mint (with all inserts and sometimes the manufacturer's adhesive sticker closures still on (sliced open)).
They offer non-subscribers the option to purchase without renting anything - just a straight used game purchase and free shipping.
Subscribers can do the same or they can have a game sent to them as a rental and choose to purchase the game. If it was a rental, Gamefly then sends the case, manual, and inserts to the subscriber and processes the next rental that was queued up.
If so, what next/else...Is whatever money that you've already spent on the rental/renewal then deducted from the final total cost of the game?
Since the subscription is not dependent on each item, they do not deduct the subscription fees. However, subscribers who have been continuous paying members for a certain amount of time receive discounts for any used purchases and can receive periodic coupons.
How does their pricing work?
(I mean...is there an allowance/consideration made reflecting & regarding the # of times the game's already been previously played/rented-out)?
I think their pricing works in a similar fashion to Gamestop... Retail pricing, demand, price drops, sales will change the price. But nothing based on condition/rental history of the game.
What is their return/warranty policy if & when you get a defective game?
From the site: All of our used and new games are 100% guaranteed and come with the original case and manuals.
Can you request a "fresh"/"unused" copy if it's a game that you're likely to buy?
They now offer digital downloads and new copies of games, also with free shipping.
Can you later redeem/"trade-in" games that you've bought from them for/towards newer/other games that you may want to buy in the future?
I guess they used to, but aren't doing it any more. I imagine it would cause too many issues considering that they're known for having mint cases and manuals, something other used game shops don't do.
Hope this clears some stuff up!
