Pawn shop law delays used game purchases
Reader Jeff sent us the sad news that his home EB in Toledo, Ohio had been unable to sell him a used game because the city has put the store into the same category as pawn shops, meaning it has to hold on to games it purchases from customers for 30 days before they can be resold. As any Halo 3 fan who waited 14 hours for the beta yesterday can tell you, that might as well be 300 years.
We were all set to scoff at Jeff's misfortune, until we discovered that this is becoming a fairly common issue in states such as Florida and Utah, though waiting periods in different areas vary. Though EB's probably not crazy about the arrangement (what with the more than 50% profit they make on most used games), if it leads to more new games sold, it could be good news for publishers, which don't make any cash on "pre-played" title sales. Of course, this debate hides the more pressing issue: You could have to wait for something. Have you suffered the indignity of having to buy a yucky, 31-day-old game yet?
