Amazon buying second-hand games

By Robert Purchese Published 10 December, 2010

Send yours off, get money back.

Gigantic online shop Amazon will pay for your old games.

Box-up Medal of Honor, print out a special pre-paid delivery label and send your item off and in return you'll get an £23 Amazon Gift Card credited to your account. Do the same for Just Dance 2 and get £15. Repeat for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and get £28.

Once your old game has been received, Amazon will email you to say yes, you can have the money or no, your game was broken we're sending it back. The latter can take up to two weeks. And in some cases, faulty goods may be thrown away.

If you get a yes, the money will be credited immediately.

Note that Amazon will only accept up to three game trade-ins from you in three months - a limit that seems very low.

There's a FAQ to allay your fears on the Amazon website.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (41) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CosmicFuzz #1 1 year ago

    Interesting.

  • TheBoyChris #2 1 year ago

    One hopes that the industry accepts that this kind of thing is going to happen and acts accordingly, otherwise we've got a few pointless years of lawsuits ahead of us...

  • nickthegun #3 1 year ago

    If they can provide me with a place to loiter while the mrs is in Next, Amazon will have removed any reason for going into Game..

  • Armoured_Gideon #4 1 year ago

    I like this idea.

    I imagine the publishers will take a dimmer view and use it to further bolster the case for 'Project Ten Dollar' type initiatives.

    Unless the three in three months limit is a concession with them in mind?

  • JohnnyWashnGo #5 1 year ago

    Does nobody keep games any more?

    Surely I am not the only one who only buys games that review well or are known to be good and keeps them so that I can play them some years down the line?

  • Ryboy #6 1 year ago

    Are they buying Steam games too?

  • munki83 #7 1 year ago

    @Johnny

    I horde games as well I should of traded most in when I finsih them as I rarely go back to them but I like to have the option to do so. Plus it allows me lend a game to a friend if they want to try it or to give them to my mates wee brother.

  • captain_Carl #8 1 year ago

    I never sell games, but even if i did i wouldn't use this.

    May as well just go to Game. To post something to Amazon i would have to go to town anyway. And at least if i go to Game i get my measly shitty amount of money instantly instead of having to wait.

  • Dolly #9 1 year ago

    Article doesn't mention whether you get more or less trade-in, depending on the volume of pubes in each parcel?

  • Der_tolle_Emil #10 1 year ago

    I never sell any of my games but I do buy second-hand games every now and then. The Amazon marketplace is usually a trustworthy place but I really wouldn't mind if Amazon would sell used games after their quality checks directly as well.

  • spekkeh #11 1 year ago

    I thought this would be a way to get rid of my gargantuan Gamecube library, but the trade-in worth is oftentimes lower than the postal cost.

  • Paperghost #12 1 year ago

    "I never sell games, but even if i did i wouldn't use this."

    Not even if you had a game they listed for a good price? £25 quid is excellent for MoH, especially if you already picked it up cheap. Definitely wouldn't get anywhere near that in game...

    edit to add:

    "Note that Amazon will only accept up to three game trade-ins from you in three months - a limit that seems very low."

    I don't think that's correct - the FAQs say its three copies of the *same* game.
    Edited by Paperghost at 10/12/10 @ 15:39

  • bad09 #13 1 year ago

    I think even the biggest supporter of the 2nd hand market has to admit things are getting silly now. Supermarkets, Argos stores and now websites like Amazon. Give it a few years, maybe the next round of consoles and 2nd hand will be gone with DRM and locking to accounts just like on PC. Ultimately big business will screw over the consumers with it's own greed...again.

  • sonicyoda #14 1 year ago

    @JohnnyWashnGo

    I trade but only rubbish or 'meh' games. I keep the good games because I like to have a nice collection to revisit. But it is like a bloody gaming museum in here now!

  • kestral #15 1 year ago

    You're better off selling it on playtrade

  • lew15ewad #16 1 year ago

    I always use GameXchange.co.uk they give upto £31 for trades.

  • CaptainQuint #17 1 year ago

    Argos does this and give you more credit in return.

  • tachometer #18 1 year ago

    They will pay £2.44 for your Front Mission Evolved

  • geeza2020 #19 1 year ago

    there goes another nail in the coffin of high street retail...

  • sheldipez #20 1 year ago

    Some of the prices are weird at the mo for e.g. Halo ODST trade for £1 (I know it only sells for around a fiver but?!) and some el cheapo DS games I've seen on sale for £2.99 going for £8 etc..

    Sure they'll iron prices out but the trade cap seems bit stingy.. maybe it'll be increased in future DLC

  • the_sas_man #21 1 year ago

    Another nail in the coffin to GAME

  • StonecoldMC #22 1 year ago

    Why dont Publishers give us the opportunity to sell the Game back to them?

    We then get a voucher or rebate on future purchases and it cuts out these money grabbing middlemen!

  • Whitster #23 1 year ago

    @StoneColdMC

    Because theres nothing they can do with them. They cant recycle them into new games, and shops aren't going to buy the stock again.

  • alimokrane #24 1 year ago

    Die GAME die!!!

  • JetSetWilly #25 1 year ago

    Nice!

    /sends them ACB

  • cw- #26 1 year ago

    @Spekkeh
    I thought this would be a way to get rid of my gargantuan Gamecube library, but the trade-in worth is oftentimes lower than the postal cost.

    Pre-paid label == free postage, so ...

  • alimokrane #27 1 year ago

    Some of the deals they have in there are pretty good but the majority are down right stealing to be honest. I mean Assasin's Creed 2 Game of the year ediion for £1?? seriously?
    Edited by alimokrane at 10/12/10 @ 16:31

  • sheldipez #28 1 year ago

    RE: GameCube games .. Just had a quick look and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Trade-in Value: £8.00 - it goes for £30-40 on fleabay (and worth every penny IMO) so deffo a case of do your homework.

    Impressed that Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2) has Trade-in Valu of £27.85 - much more close to what it's worth.

  • SG #29 1 year ago

    Checked out the offered prices, look a bit shit to me.

  • chrisjm #30 1 year ago

    or just list it on amazon marketplace for more and still go to the post office to send it but to a different address.
    Edited by chrisjm at 10/12/10 @ 16:39

  • SG #31 1 year ago

    JohnnyWashnGo
    10/12/10 @ 15:19

    Does nobody keep games any more?

    Surely I am not the only one who only buys games that review well or are known to be good and keeps them so that I can play them some years down the line?

    I'm 100% with you on that. EVERY SINGLE GAME I buy is a potential keeper. Only ones that don't hold my interest get sold/traded/given away.

  • SG #32 1 year ago

    I buy every game I get with the intention of keeping it, I only sell games that just don't hold my interest.

  • alimokrane #33 1 year ago

    @SG

    Well Good For you. Others, like myself, want the extra cash so they can afford the next game! so I am not really sure what the point of your post is?

  • solidSnake04 #34 1 year ago

    @Armoured_Gideon
    most likely is

  • Phishfood #35 1 year ago

    If their prices are better than GAME I may just do it.

    edit: Looking at some of the prices I think I'll stick to ebay.
    Edited by Phishfood at 11/12/10 @ 10:01

  • canIdoyabombsforya #36 1 year ago

    If all new games were 9.99, not only would they sell more, they would kill the 2nd hand games market. apple have virtually proved this.
    I fear the greedy ####s would rather kill the industry. Buying used is the only way many people can enjoy what is marketed at us.
    Not everyone can enjoy a new example of those flashy cars, that appear on glossy perfect world TV and magazine ads.

  • Marsun #37 1 year ago

    I took a list at Amazon's trade-in value price list it seems they've already jumped the gun I saw deus ex:human revolution for £16 trade in value and its not even out till next year lol.

  • Paperghost #38 1 year ago

    well, that's one way EA & others can stop used game sales: amazon confirmed they will not accept medal of honor tier 1 edition, ONLY the one called "limited edition" - despite the only difference between the two being the "x edition" printed on the front of the box. as far as i'm aware, the content of both is identical (and as they're going to be used copies, its extremely unlikely any of the bonus DLC codes would still work which makes it even sillier).

    I guess we can expect hundreds of identical "editions" coming down the pipeline for titles in the future, then.

  • moriss #39 1 year ago

    EG, correct your article! from amazons website:

    "Is there a maximum number of items I can trade in?

    No, you can trade in as many different eligible items as you would like. However, each individual trade-in delivery is limited to a total value of up to £150. If you want to trade in items with a total value greater than £150, you'll need to make multiple trade-in deliveries. Also, please note that you can trade in up to a quantity of 3 identical items within any 3-month period. For example, if you submitted one copy of a video game on January 1 and you submitted two more copies of the same video game before March 31, then you can trade-in the fourth copy on April 1."

  • MrSpew #40 1 year ago

    "Note that Amazon will only accept up to three game trade-ins from you in three months - a limit that seems very low."

    Three of the same item, not three games.

    Nice idea, instant credit and better prices than GAME - good!

  • goodiesnoodie #41 1 year ago

    good idea!