In a shocking move, Best Buy is suddenly getting rid of Gamer’s Club Unlocked. The service, which allowed customers an almost all-encompassing discount on new games, was quietly removed by corporate mandate. However, reports of its elimination quickly reached social media, causing many discussions on various video game-related subreddits. Now, The Gamer can say with certainty that Gamer’s Club is gone for good.
The service cost $30 for two years of membership. During that time, members got 20% off all new video games. The deal even stacked with any sales and coupons Best Buy had going at the time of purchase, making it one of the better deals in gaming.
News of the service’s sudden discontinuation broke on the Best Buy subreddit, where one employee posted a picture showing a pile of signs and pamphlets about the service that they were ordered to remove from their store. One site, Video Game Culture Headquarters, found that Best Buy announced the service was no longer purchasable online. However, the given reason was technical issues and nothing to due with the cancellation of the service.
From there, avid consumers took action, making calls and asking questions. Another post on the Best Buy subreddit was from someone who called corporate. They learned that Gamer’s Club is no longer available to purchase. Existing members will be able to use the service until their remaining time runs out, but they cannot renew it. The poster also received a suggestion to get a My Best Buy membership instead. Instead of a flat 20% off, My Best Buy members get a $10 reward certificate but only when pre-ordering select games.
If the Reddit posts weren’t evidence enough, a Twitter user by the name of @Wario64 got hold of a memo sent to Best Buy employees announcing the cancellation.
As you can see from the memo, no specific reason is given for the cancellation. Commenters on the Reddit posts have offered a variety of theories. Perhaps the program just wasn’t as profitable as Best Buy wanted, with the company giving discounts but not bringing in the sales to justify them. Perhaps the company plans to roll it into its Total Tech Support program. Or maybe it was scalpers using the discount to their advantage, making Best Buy an unwilling partner in sketchy business.
