Game Group interview: is it really that bad?

By Robert Purchese Published 23 November, 2011

Plummeting profits, 2012 and the road ahead.

There are a combined 610 Game and Gamestation shops selling video games across the UK. Do plummeting profits and share prices imply Game is collapsing?

Are we to believe that by November 2012 - a year away - things may be very different for the nation's dominant games outlet?

"No," Game's communications and investor relations director Simon Soffe told Eurogamer today.

"There might be a few less stores open - we're aiming for 550 by the end of 2013 - and I'd imagine there would be more digital cards and more digital products on display in the store, so you'll see those and you'll enjoy them.

"But in terms of the core," he added, "the backbone of the Game we all know and love - of course it's going to be there. That's what we do! And loads and loads of customers love us for doing it, so we're absolutely there."

"What we've got here, if you look back at the video game market over the last 15 years, you just see the market go up and down as new console launch and then mature. It is, in the parlance, a cyclical industry. And that's a situation we're in at the moment: we're towards the end of a particular cycle, in that we haven't had a new hardware launch for a long time.

"Plus, we're in a really deep consumer recession. So the statement last week was simply a statement on the market - it was nothing on our company. And anything you look at about our company tells you we're marching forwards and we're doing lots of exciting things for the first time ever and making sure our stores on the high street are the most connected stores there are, so that customers who are gaming in any number of channels can know that Game is behind them and Game will help them find their gaming wherever they need it."

That statement Game released revealed lowered full-year expectations for money earned. Share prices, which had been tumbling all year, plummeted.

"The key element of last week's announcement," explained Soffe, "was we were saying to the market the consumer isn't as confident, or as flush if you like, as they were last year.

"I don't think any of your readers need to be told that.

"The consumer isn't as confident, or as flush if you like, as they were last year. I don't think any of your readers need to be told that."

Simon Soffe, communications and investor relations director, Game Group

"It's just the state of the economy at the moment, but that is creating some lower expectations this Christmas for us.

Soffe reiterated that the company was "well positioned" to deal with "difficult" market conditions. "We've got banking facilities, we've got regenerating cash, we've got people in our stores, we've got some great plans for Christmas," he added.

He told Eurogamer he wasn't able to comment on stock valuation and share prices. "We never do," he said.

And while Game's shop closures - 37 this year, and a further 60 by the end of 2013 - look ominous on paper, Soffe explained that "in quite a few locations we've got two shops in the same town" - a by-product of Game's 2007 acquisition of Gamestation.

"So sometimes you shut an overlapping store," he said, "but the customers can then transfer. And we've said we're going to lower that number a bit more by the end of 2013. But still that leaves us with 550 stores in the UK, which more than covers all of consumers' needs in terms of being able to get to a local store, both in terms of buying new stuff and, of course, trading stuff in and buying pre-owned."

"When you look at if you're going to close a shop you look at how easy it is for customers to get to the next nearest one. And of course you want it to be as easy as possible."

One area Soffe singled as Game's strength was offering exclusive game 'edition' content, which is "fantastic for our customers and they clearly love that".

One area Game will improve on in 2012 is bonding Game shops with the relaunched Game website.

"All of the benefits of that new website will soon be available in our stores. Now, it takes a while to roll the technology out, but there will be that time when you can walk into a store and say, 'Have you got something from a year ago?' and it doesn't happen to have it because a couple of people bought it before you. Well the guy behind the counter can say, 'Well, I'll have it delivered to either here for you to pick up tomorrow, or we can get it posted to you or your work.'

"It's on trial at the moment," Soffe explained. "It does require quite a lot of technology, so it's on trial at the moment and is going to be rolled out through the stores next year."

In addition to that, Game will focus on offering "a lot more" digital Xbox Live and PlayStation Network content, and do "a lot more" with the Game/Gamestation reward cards.

"It's all about helping [our customers] on their journey to do all the different types of gaming they can do now," Soffe remarked, "because you know it's changing. And Game's got to be at the heart of it.

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.

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Comments (55) Latest comment 6 months ago

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

  • captain_Carl #1 6 months ago

    "We haven't had a new hardware launch for a long time" Yeah it's been what, 6 months?

  • superfurry #2 6 months ago

    One area Soffe singled as Game's strength was offering exclusive game 'edition' content, which is "fantastic for our customers and they clearly love that".
    Yes, I love knowing that whatever store I buy a game in, I'll be missing out on the map-pack/weapons/unlocks/levels/skins that others will have. And I really fucking love then being charged for them as DLC.

    Stick your retailer exlusives up your arse.

  • Buztafen #3 6 months ago

    "the backbone of the Game we all know and love - of course it's going to be there. That's what we do! And loads and loads of customers love us for doing it, so we're absolutely there."

    Stop putting words into my mouth 'Simon'. I do nothing of the sort young man!

  • MikeRox #4 6 months ago

    You can start by stocking games like Cave Story 3D instore. That would have been some extra coffers for you right there! Heck I'd even have paid #40 for it!

    I think their biggest problem is, the chart stuff is what brought the money in making it more viable to keep niche games as well. But supermarkets are able to undercut them as the staff in supermarkets are there whether the game is stocked or not and so they can sell at cost or even at a loss as is often the case (while people are there, they grab their milk/eggs/bread etc). GAME (and other high street retailers) don't have that luxury, their margins have to include staff and they can't count on additional sales.

    It's also impossible to compete against online retailers via a high street store as you will never come close to bringing your overheads as low as it is to run a mail order company from a bedroom/small central premise. Supermarkets again get to leverage the fact they are selling so much other stuff at the same time. It's not very often you see someone walk out of ASDA just with a video game.

    So where can they go? Surely customer service is their only real answer. Sadly it's absolutely dire in most GAME stores at the moment. They need to deliver on that if they're going to encourage people that it's worth paying a few quid more. That'll never help them with most gamers who are just out for the cheapest price though, not really much they could ever do to try and win that group over.

  • callum9999 #5 6 months ago

    @Buztafen - Since when did you become "loads" of Game customers? They have a £1bn turnover, clearly loads of people DO love what they do. No matter how much you like to pretend otherwise.

  • Buztafen #6 6 months ago

    @callum9999 - Simon...Is that you?

    True, apologies. I should've put 'our mouth's'.

  • TeaFiend #7 6 months ago

    I do not know of any Game store I love. Or mildly like.

  • Seoh #8 6 months ago

    There are 3 game stores and a gamestation within 10 minutes of each other in Newcastle highstreet, shut some of those down!

  • Grump #9 6 months ago

    "The consumer isn't as confident, or as flush if you like, as they were last year. I don't think any of your readers need to be told that."

    So to help them in these hard times pay them peanuts for their used games and re-sell them for a couple of quid less than a new version.

    I was seriously pissed off once when I bought a 2nd hand copy of De Blob 2 from game for £12. Popped into Asda the next day to find it available brand new for £9!

    Game haven't really adapted very well to the difficult market conditions have they? I understand the difficulty in competing with supermarkets and online retailers when it comes to new releases but 2nd hand is where the big margins are since they don't have to pay anything to the publishers. But they still can't seem to get this right.

  • xantiriad #10 6 months ago

    The competition commission should never have allowed the Game and Gamestation merger. With Zavvi gone and HMV in the toilet there's been little competition to keep Game Group honest or competitive. Instead they buried themselves under rapid trade-in schemes and used sales that devalued the very product they need to sell - games 1/2 in value in less than 4 weeks these days; almost certainly due to the flooding of the market of used copies. Supermarkets offer good deals on big AAA releases, but their effect on high street specialists will be the same as that of bookshops: only the bestsellers will get all the coverage, deals and availability.

    The path Game Group are taking now is to retreat to one store per town, where there was once two in competition, and operate as a high street monopoly in many cases. Who's getting the best deal now? Not the consumer, or the staff. Their stores have become little more than pawn-shops.

  • AgeOfChaos #11 6 months ago

    Game over

  • Ironic_War_Criminal #12 6 months ago

    Monopolising the market turning out bad for a retailer? Well I'll be.

    Schadenfreude is the best feeling.

  • Rufard #13 6 months ago

    Is "regenerating cash" like regenerating health?

  • PaulLFC #14 6 months ago

    "Are we to believe Game is collapsing"
    "No", said someone working for Game.

  • Po1ymorph #15 6 months ago

    "I'd imagine there would be more digital cards and more digital products on display in the store, so you'll see those and you'll enjoy them."

    I'll decide what I will enjoy Mr Game, not you.

    I have no sympathy for Game. I used to buy all my games from them, no longer, they just tried to rip me off one too many times.

    There points scheme just glosses over the fact they are more expensive than there rivals, and there trade in offers and pre-owned price's are down right insulting.

    Bye bye Game.

  • jonbwfc #16 6 months ago

    whatever the reasons for Game's failure surely it's a damning condemnation that (as neatly illustrated here) the people who should be their best customers mostly hate their guts?

  • SheffAl #17 6 months ago

    Sounds like a PR buffoon.

  • God_Octo #18 6 months ago

    I think on of Game's biggest problems with online stores is that its online store is totally different to any of its shops. I see a game online for £38 quid, I go instore as our post is terrible, and its £45. But if I go to HMV, the price is identical instore and online. I've found recently that HMV have really stepped up their game pricing, and I haven't been to a Game for yonks because of it.

  • TheDudesRug #19 6 months ago

    "...is it really that bad?"

    The market seems to think so and, for better or worse, they tend to decide these things.

  • Lamb #20 6 months ago

    They should think about getting into rentals.

  • arcam #21 6 months ago

    @jonbwfc

    These aren't the people who should be their best customers. Commenters here know what games they want and simply want to get them for the lowest price. As a high street store, GAME will always be beaten by the internet or supermarkets.

    GAME's best customers are be people want to to try some games out, or maybe they want a recommendation on what would be suitable for a 16 year old boy. Or they're kids, who need to go shopping with parents and run around the store pointing out stuff they want or rummaging through the bargain basket.

    I know people here don't understand why anyone would pay £43.99 for a game when they can get it elsewhere for £4 cheaper, but for many people the extra confidence they get from shopping at a games specialist is well worth the extra cost. It will be a sad thing if the high street specialist disappears and these people have nowhere to turn. People like this buy a surprisingly large number of games, especially at Christmas.

  • JadedSoul #22 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 08:10:55 26-04-2012

  • cyacomini #23 6 months ago

    Really (really!!) tempted to go back into 'Indie' retail. I was in the marketplace over 10 years ago and loved it. Quite fancy opening a 'hardcore' game store again..


    *checks retail units to let in Glasgow..

  • Eighthours #24 6 months ago

    GAME is having problems because it prices new games and pre-owned games too highly compared with the competition, and is becoming ever less competitive when it comes to trade-in prices.

    This really isn't rocket-science, and would be very easy to fix. Becoming a bit less greedy would actually make GAME more money.
    Edited by Eighthours at 23/11/11 @ 17:11

  • MaybeLater #25 6 months ago

    the consumer isn't as confident, or as flush if you like, as they were last year.
    Parents aren't as flush, but your core market are likely to spend more money on games as a cheaper alternative to going out. Similarly the potential growth of that customer base.

    Once again GAME adhere to their tired old principals of not listening to their customers, failing to respect or understand their product/industry/customer-base and offering whining excuses dressed up in condescending marketing spiel instead of displaying a modicum of honesty, humility or integrity.

    They should go into British politics.

  • callum9999 #26 6 months ago

    @Buztafen - No... I buy my games wherever they are cheapest, which is invariably somewhere other than Game.

    I just have the weird ability to be able to look at the bigger picture instead of my own narrow opinion.

    And "our mouths" is no better. It's obvious that Game is hated on here, but Eurogamer is NOT the real world. I would think £1bn in sales is evidence enough that it has loyal customers and people who like shopping there - what makes you say otherwise?

  • Craven #27 6 months ago

    I could do with some of that "regenerating cash" for my bank account.

  • Madder-Max #28 6 months ago

    "The key element of last week's announcement," explained Soffe, "was we were saying to the market the consumer isn't as confident, or as flush if you like, as they were last year. "

    There might be a few less stores open - we're aiming for 550 by the end of 2013 -and I'd imagine there would be more digital cards and more digital products on display in the store, so you'll see those and you'll enjoy them.

    THIS! These comments sum up the whole problem with Game. Its view of gamers and game consumers.

    We are confident and smart in where we buy games from. We will go for the cheapest route. new flashy displays instore and hassle from staff are not worth and extra 7 quid they charge for a game compared to Tescos or even HMV (who are still licking their wounds following the whole £50 male saturday shopper profile bollocks) and they mean nothing to the mother of little Tommy naggy-shit who has been pushed into buying the game.

  • jonbwfc #29 6 months ago

    @Arcam,

    I agree with your point to a degree but it also seems fairly clear to me that the posters on here are the people who buy games all through the year, not just as Christmas or birthday presents. Yes, we know what things cost and we don't need advice, but we spent a crapload more money on games that your archtypical Mother or Grandmother does.

    if you're running a pub, you don't stock the drinks people who only come in for Christmas parties buy, you stock the drinks your regulars who come in every weekend buy. You keep your regulars happy because they're your steady income, your reliable profit. The games retail trade isn't so different to that.

    Jon

  • arcam #30 6 months ago

    @jonbwfc But if the only thing those people are looking for is a price as low than Asda or Play, GAME is not going to be able to keep them happy. Instead they should play to the strengths of a bricks and mortar store.

    If you're running a bar on Leicester Square, you don't try and match the prices of a small pub chain in Stockwell, because your costs are too high. Instead you take advantage of what makes you different, in this case your location, and you appeal to tourists who do not have price as their primary concern.

  • BloodofKingu #31 6 months ago

    i would go out of my way to shop at my local gamestation before game shut it down after they took over. it was staffed by real gamers that would go out of their way to guide those parents/grandparents who were about to inflict diabolical rubbish games on some poor kid, and guide them to something they might actually have wanted to play.

    my local game is staffed by people who might as well be selling you tea-bags or dog food for all they know about video games.

  • Capa26 #32 6 months ago

    All I'd like to say is good luck to all of the staff which will inevitably lose their jobs if 60 shops are being shut.

  • chaywa #33 6 months ago

    Can't help but appreciate the irony that a Steam sale launches the same day as bad profit warnings for GAME are announced.

  • MrVengeance #34 6 months ago

    The usual denial-filled PR guff.

    He's going on that its the end of the hardware cycle - is it though? I've heard nothing about the PS4 or Xbox 720 yet. Only Nintendo is talking about a new home format, which is a year away and not more powerful than what we have right now. Hardly a new era in gaming approching any time soon is it?

    Also, this hardware generation is in full swing if you ask me - look at the amount of fantastic games out at the minute - surely GAME should be racking the cash in at the minute, tough economic times or not. No matter how skint you get, you'll surely get some games for Christmas at the very least.

    The problem for GAME is they're uncompetitive and have shite customer service. They can jog on as far as I'm concerned. Everyone hates them so they may as well fuck off now and be done with it.

  • Spong #35 6 months ago

    GAME might be going belly up?

  • PaulieWaulie #36 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:23:40 06-01-2012

  • shotgun44 #37 6 months ago

    On the odd occasion that I do buy something from Game I just get hassled by the staff too much. Last time I went in I got this run down:

    Server: Do you have a reward card?
    Me: Yea
    S: Are you sure this will run on your PC?
    M: Pretty sure
    S: Want to pre-order any games today?
    M: No Thanks
    S: How about Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3?
    M: Err, no
    S: Fifa 2012 or PES?
    M: Nope
    S: Want a strategy guide to go with this game?
    M: For Crysis 2? No?
    S: How about some extra controllers?
    M: How about no
    (As I'm walking off)
    S: Don't forget you can trade in any games you don't want!

    I'm surprised they didn't try selling me those Sixaxis trigger grips they obviously ordered too many of.

    Frickin ridiculous. Imagine getting that on Amazon before they would let you check out...
    Edited by shotgun44 at 23/11/11 @ 20:57

  • DilutedDante #38 6 months ago

    @shotgun44 You do know that you can't return it if it doesn't run on your PC right? Given that the staff will have no idea what spec your PC is, how is this anything other than a reasonable question?

  • shotgun44 #39 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 09:50:59 12-12-2011

  • shotgun44 #40 6 months ago

    @DilutedDante Oh yea, of course, that was just how the whole thing went. Not an unreasonable question at all, I'd be pretty pissed if I'd had no warning and it didn't work!

  • Triggverson #41 6 months ago

    Games problems in a nutshell,

    I went into my local game store to purchase Unhcarted 3, 2 weeks ago, £42.99.

    Walk out go into HMV 37.99.

    I have a points card in game and I really dont mind shopping there but I dont see why consumers should get ripped off. Why add an extra 2.99 to the standard £39.99 price point.

    Who in there right mind is going to spend that extra money when they can get it £5 cheaper literally next door.

    Heres an idea game, break the mould instead of ripping consumers off why not do something really srange, reward customers by driving prices down.

  • Nephirion #42 6 months ago

    Game, ripping of the public since 1992

  • Moz #43 6 months ago

    @Seoh And they probably will, in Reading when the Wii came out there where 3 GAME stores and one Gamestation. Now 1 GAME store has closed and the Gamestation has been moved to where another of the GAME stores was leaving 1 GAME and 1 Gamestation. They can't do all the closures at once as there are costs involved so they have to manage the cash flow at the same time, hence the target of going down to 550 stores by 2013.

    @Xantiriad: thats a really bad example more then half of Waterstones stock is either buy 3 for 2 or 50% off and that includes new and recent releases. Books don't hold their RRP well at all. Which isn't helped by Amazon selling most new paperbacks at half RRP

    Highstreet retail is struggling all over thanx to supermarkets and online sellers. And retail both brick&morta and online has backed itself into corner with the near constant sales and promotions, shop's perceptions of value are completely out of whack with reality. Back to Games as an example and £40 is seen as expensive despite that being the lowest average price for new games since before the N64 (Remember those £60 - £70 carts?) let alone inflation making £40 the cheapest (capartively) that games have been for the last 15 years. - Now of course the arrival of DLC add new revenue streams for developers which pushes the final cost of the game for the consumer up a fair way, but still on average your getting a better money to content ratio then you did 10 to 15 years ago.

    EDIT: There was another couple paragraphs to this but then what sanity remained in my sleep deprived brain told me to stop!
    Edited by Moz at 24/11/11 @ 00:56

  • plastickitty #44 6 months ago

    I use to work at Gamestation back when they were owned by Blockbuster and it was a good place to work. But as with most good things, it has to end. Blockbuster had serious financial problems and sold them off to Game and that's when Game not only screwed Gamestation but themselves as well.

    They took the fun out of working there and all we were was Game with a Gamestation face. The sad fact is the no one really benefited from the merger. Customers were either confused, unaware or simply didn't care.

    Game shot themselves in the foot trying to eliminate the competition by being greedy but biting off more than even they could chew but the people who have it worse of all are the retail staff of both companies.

    They took a monopoly alright but the only problem is these store co-exist in the same towns and cities. We all knew what was going to happen (perhaps some staff were naive and honestly believed Game when they said their jobs were safe) It was inevitable Game would evaluate the crowded store locations, assess which stores are excelling over others, and close the under performing stores?

    A lot of people will be loosing their jobs and it was all done to Game's greed. They have no more idea about treating their staff properly as they do over treating their customers fairly.

    They took away, initially, a lot of Gamestation's pre-owned offers that they later saw as a big mistake and as such reinstated them. They also eliminated retro stock. They were literally destroying stuff to get rid of it much to some collectors dismay. Again Gamestation has made some effort to stock retro stock once more but their efforts have been somewhat feeble compared to it's previous backcatalogue they boasted.

    But hey! Don't worry Game and Gamestation staff, what do you bosses say to keep your minds at ease?

    "in quite a few locations we've got two shops in the same town"

    "So sometimes you shut an overlapping store,"

    "but the customers can then transfer. And we've said we're going to lower that number a bit more by the end of 2013. But still that leaves us with 550 stores in the UK"

    So it's OK you can rest for you lucky 550 (For now) Sorry to the 37 stores that have gone and 60 that will soon snuff it. Better start upselling and adding on pointless warranties. you fob off on to customers that aren't wise enough to read the small print, to save your asses.

    And remember. Have fun, after all, it's only a Game!

  • MrLovePump #45 6 months ago

    It doesnt help that the new site is a pile of shite. It looks like it was created by a student intern or something.

  • sjmlondon #46 6 months ago

    Game - the 'Dixons' of high street gaming retalers.

    High prices, poor product range, lousy customer service, sounds familiar.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Game were just an internet site in a few years.

  • mattius30 #47 6 months ago

    The problem I have with Game is just how robotic and soulless the whole experience of buying a game or console is in there. And I always seem to be judged for whatever game I am trading in, eg: 'You're trading in this???? What's wrong with you man?!' I am sometimes judged for the game I am choosing to buy.

    Nothing depresses me more than standing in an ever growing queue at Game, knowing that I will be served by a slow, disinterested, robotic assistant. The expectation of the raised eyebrow, the passive aggressive aside and the stating the bleeding obvious is utterly at odds with the excitement, happiness and expectations I have for the game I am wanting to buy.

    Then there is the robotic script of extended warranties because the console I am buying can break down at any moment or my clumsy adult hands could literally make a controller crumble in my fingers - sucking away any joy of the purchase. And so very often, having traded in games for another purchase I am then told that I shouldn't forget that I can trade my games in. Erm, like what I just did?!

    And we shouldn't forget that whilst we browse the shelves of Game, we are always approached by stalking assistants asking if we need any help, in the most disinterested tone imaginable.

    Game needs to remember what it is - a video games retailer. They are not selling life insurance or Faberge eggs. They are selling little bundles of fun and joy. By ignoring what its core business is and who they are selling too, Game has become an off-putting, slightly scary place for non-gamers and a soulless, cold gameless place for game players.

  • xRiska #48 6 months ago

    @mattius30 and @shotgun44 As someone who works for GAME, I feel I need to explain why these things happen. I was going to keep quiet because I know a lot of what has been said in these comments has a lot of truth to it.

    However, I can explain the reasoning behind your respective experiences. The problem is mostly mystery shoppers. When they are out and about (which is often) we have a certain set of criteria we have to mention in order for our store to pass. I'm not saying that I agree with it, simply that if we don't mention certain things, we get marked down for it as a store. There's an investigation, and consequences for the staff and management of the store. This is why trade ins are mentioned at the end of every sale. Same reason goes for why you are approached.

    As with every retail or sales related job, there are people who are good at what they do and those who are not. I check this site and many others every day. Not because it's my job, not because I want to gain some advantage for selling a certain attachment. I check them because I genuinely love gaming. So when someone questions why you are trading something in (depending on the way it is handled), for me personally it is genuine banter with someone who clearly enjoys the same things I do.

    I don't mean to have a go at either of you, or belittle your opinion of GAME. I just wanted to share the reasons behind why the staff do what they do.
    Edited by xRiska at 24/11/11 @ 13:43

  • Rack #49 6 months ago

    Does anyone really believe retailer exclusive content is content added to some games rather than removed from the rest?

  • Aradiel #50 6 months ago

    Soffe explained that "in quite a few locations we've got two shops in the same town" - a by-product of Game's 2007 acquisition of Gamestation.
    They actually have 4 in Newcastle (3 in the Eldon Square, one of which used to be Electronics boutique, and one of which is in Fenwicks; and a Gamestation)

  • digitalash #51 6 months ago

    "Game is behind them and Game will help them find their gaming wherever they need it"

    Thanks Game! You're the greatest!

  • levitate #52 6 months ago

    As a retailer I feel no sympathy for GAME's decline. Most staff I've had the misfortune to have met were rude and obnoxious to the point where I had to pinch myself in the arm to see if it was really happening.

    Obviously there are good people working there caught in between. Sod's law dictates they will be the ones who leave the company first when they cut their workforce.

  • Labatyd #53 6 months ago

    Just die already Game, my experiences with your "support" rate as one of my worst customer experiences to date. I have no idea if you have shareholders, but if you do I hope they're dumping your stock like crazy (wisely!) after getting wind of the comments here.

  • Rens11 #54 6 months ago

    In Southampton there's 4 in town if the one in debenhams is still open plus a gamestation all within 5mins walking distance of each other and only one of em is ever busy been that way for years

  • shotgun44 #55 6 months ago

    @xRiska Bit late reply but I just want to say I'm not having a go at the staff. Having worked for a bank previously I know the amount of crap that gets rolled out by middle/senior management (usually some dubious product to force onto peoples mortgages, etc) is downright ridiculous. And then they expect you to try and sell it to everyone, regardless of the context. I won't have a go at someone just doing their job, we've all got to eat. It's more aimed at the practices employed by the company.

    If I kicked off every time I got offered a store card with a £6 purchase, I might as well end it now because I'd probably end up a bitter sack of nerves!
    Edited by shotgun44 at 25/11/11 @ 20:23