Carefull when using Goozex

I just thought I would give those folks here who havent used Goozex before a warning. I have been using this website now for a few months (trading games for points, purchasing games for points) and I want to share some things.

First Goozex is a great site I find I can get rid of some of my PC games that frankly I would have thought no one would have wanted and actually get something out of it. I find that the best part of Goozex is there is enough traffic that eventually you get rid of most things. Overall I have managed to get some good bargins and manged to get rid of some unwanted games.

Now as you probably guessed here comes the bad part......

For those of you who actually expect others to do what they say you might find trading on this site to be tricky. First the way the system workes is that you spend your points on a game you want and sometimes the other person never sends. When they dont all you have to do is wait the time alloted and get your points back but the wait can be a bother (roughly about a month). Second most PC item requests are marked full package only which means the requester wants the box, manual and disk. Since most folks usually only keep the disk they have a hard time trading their game and getting the points they want. So they Lie and say they have the full package and when you get your item its a disk only. For some folks this isnt a big deal, to me I think its wrong and frankly a turn off from trading on the site. Check out this response from one guy (the 3rd trader in a row to do so) who stiffed me on a box and a manual.

"i have 23 people that i have done right by, so your 1 and only neutral rating won't phase anybody even though i did do the right thing for you too. i gave you the original jewel case and everything inside it. i also got your points and i'm very happy to say, now, that you don't have your precious box.
as for you, you're feedback left page looks more marked up than any other user i've seen and personally i try not give trade games to people with that kind of track record but your were the first person in 3 months that took any interest in the game."

The sad part he is right, I have in the short time been on the site had to leave 3 neutrals for not sending the boxes, and 3 negative feedbacks for never sending at all. I will say on the bright side I have received about 3 times that number in good trades. So a 25% failure rate is bad in my book and worth a warning to others who havent yet tried goozex.

On the other hand, I started with Goozex earlier this summer. I've sent 11 games (including some really old PC and Dreamcast stuff that I wouldn't have been able to get rid of otherwise) and received 7. I've had one problem receiving a scratched disk, and the sender was mortified and has gone out of his way to solve the problem. I've been very happy.

I've been using it for some time myself, and haven't had any issues. I don't trade very often, so perhaps I haven't run into the worst of the litter yet. Otherwise, I always receive my requests on time and pretty much always get my ratings for the games I send quite promptly. Sorry you've had so many issues.

I rate my issues as bad but not so bad to say its horrible. Its just something to keep in mind when you request stuff. Which is why I am putting up this warning

I have had several deals go very well and some I have been thrilled with. Its just that the overall comunity (generalization) has really no concience when it comes to issues like missing boxes or manuals, or bad disks. Partly this is because their is no punishment for neutral feedback. Thus members really dont care about it.

My main beef is that when it comes to getting full packages you just cant trust folks on their to actually do it. So many of em just want the points and dont care that you get only a disk.

a very bad trader wrote:

i have 23 people that i have done right by, so your 1 and only neutral rating won't phase anybody even though i did do the right thing for you too. i gave you the original jewel case and everything inside it. i also got your points and i'm very happy to say, now, that you don't have your precious box.
as for you, you're feedback left page looks more marked up than any other user i've seen and personally i try not give trade games to people with that kind of track record but your were the first person in 3 months that took any interest in the game.

What a jackass!

I've had the same problem, mcdonis. Three times now, to be exact. Missing manual, missing box, etc., and the sender couldn't care less. As you said, why should they? They got the points and a meaningless neutral rating on a transaction. Whoopity-doo.

I complained about this in the forums, asking why they don't get negative feedback for lying about what they were sending. While most posters were just as irritated about he problem, one was puzzled why we would consider it a problem.

In his odd little world, he just goes with the default of 'Full Package', so why should he be punished for just accepting the default? He just didn't seem to grasp that he's more culpable than the person who didn't do anything wrong, particularly since he had to confirm multiple times that he was listing/sending a game as Full Package.

Other than a few times when someone just lets the request for their game expire without reply (why did they list it in the first place?!), those are the only problems I've had with the service. The vast majority of traders are really nice people. Too bad there's some rotten apples in the barrel that aren't getting tossed.

I have to agree like I said I have gotten a lot of nice stuff from there so I continue to use the site, although frankly I am reconsidering it.

I do think its getting worse because most folks who want the older PC games want the box too, so the creeps realize this and on purpose mark theirs as complete just so they can get the points. If goozex doesnt do something about it soon I might just walk. Why they even have a catagory for neutral is beyond me anyway. Now if the neutral system meant that you got instant banned after 2 of them perhaps, but it doesnt.

mcdonis wrote:

I do think its getting worse because most folks who want the older PC games want the box too, so the creeps realize this and on purpose mark theirs as complete just so they can get the points. If goozex doesnt do something about it soon I might just walk. Why they even have a catagory for neutral is beyond me anyway. Now if the neutral system meant that you got instant banned after 2 of them perhaps, but it doesnt.

I'm not 100% sure they're doing it on purpose. I think clicking the "have it" button just defaults to full packaging and people may not be thinking about packaging condition.

Me, I intentionally mark the stuff I have in box as being manual & disc only, just so I can pay less to ship it. I actually took the contents out of a sealed box, threw out the box, and shipped the discs and paper. But I hadn't marked that offer as full box.

A small update on this.......

On the Goozex board I was encouraged to bring this to the attention of Goozex directly. So I sent them a copy of the guys email plus a friendly but detailed reason why I saw this as an issue.

Goozex's answer was simply that "I should email the sender to make sure they will send the box".

Or in other words, they dont plan on doing squat so either accept it or go somewhere else.

So If you want the box or manual dont bother going to Goozex folks.