I Gave Gamestop a Second Chance - Another Refurbished PS4

[@Chiller31916]

Surprised that a GameStop manager was willing to call you and try to track down that console. That's the most dedication I've ever heard from a GameStop manager. Edit: wow, 5.2k likes is the most I've ever gotten for a comment!

[@Tronicsfix]

I was also surprised by that. I hope it was in order to improve the process and I hope they actually do that. This one was at least better than the first one. EDIT: I walked into a GS store where no one knew me so I would get a random one. I didn't buy it through their website using my address like last time.

[@blade8800]

They have to. Because the video was gaining lots of views so they have to damage control otherwise they will see drop in sales on their refurbished consoles.

[@BudMasta]

if coming out to a public figure gives you hope, you fell into the damage control.

[@lazarus792]

they just wanted to find his address so they can always special order him working consoles

[@Chiller31916]

@@Tronicsfix I hope so too. With GameStop I am predisposed to doubt any good intentions, but I hope you are right.

[@jpp4566]

“So I bought another refurbished ps4 to give GameStop a second chance” GameStop manager watching: *Sweating intensely*

[@townbig]

Most likely

[@techhead976]

Lmfao

[@townbig]

Lol

[@Mr._Sandman]

The manager was probably standing over the poor soul's shoulder who had to refurb it, making sure that you were sent this 'acceptable' one... it's common practice for reviewers, really...

[@-Gorby-]

@@Mr._Sandman Exactly. If I was him I would've told the manager that I'm going to a different store the 2nd time and I might get one from hundreds of miles away.

[@dannysullivan2731]

PR's worst nightmare having a product like that sent to a specialized public figure!

[@Tronicsfix]

True...but if you put out a quality product there's nothing to be stressed about.

[@SoulProductionsRs]

@@Tronicsfix Which is why they made sure to send you a better condition one this time. They know your details and information, there was no way in hell you were getting a bad console again.

[@Tronicsfix]

@Sean Regulator I bought it from a store where no one knows me

[@MITigatingNROBOts]

@@Tronicsfix I was going to ask...was this a random purchase again? Good to know it is.

[@jimsmart2522]

The odds of it being a one-off are so slim, it’s a joke. So the previous rubbish must actually be a fairly common occurrence for GameStop - no surprise they went into damage mitigation mode when exposed by a known KZbinr.

[@KalinMorales]

1:06 minimum wage = minimum effort!

[@Scorch428]

He means employees he can take advantage of that are fine working for 10 bucks an hour and still giving it their all

[@HiHi-jh2uz]

Scorch428 I’d gladly fix things for $10 a hour.

[@alexandrostheodorou8387]

Hi Hi So youd work 40 hours a week to make $400 a week or $1600 a month before taxes? Thats literally nothing.

[@nocturnallight2640]

@@alexandrostheodorou8387 I dont know what those types of repair people make, but I genuinely hope it's actually more than 10 a hour.

[@stale2665]

I would be surprised if it was a lot more than 10.

[@brentdefreitas]

I'm still confused as to why ppl would buy a refurbished "used" console to save $25 on a new console

[@thevlaka]

Exactly

[@PandaBearsX3]

They have to push those, so most of the time people are convinced that buying pre-owned is better. but I agree also considering that new PS4s either come with a coupon for the store or a 10 credit for the psn store.

[@earrapist3046]

B DeFreitas because its more than $25

[@goreobsessed2308]

I agree it would have to be 50% off then I would consider it

[@RukaIXR]

I've bought a refurbished PS4 from GameStop, but the reason wasn't to save money, it was to get the limited edition blue days of play one that was difficult to find at a good price otherwise

[@GS0CK6]

Customer: I hope my refurbished PS4 doesn’t have scratches! Gamestop: Yes.

[@Emmajeromeyouhoo]

It is used you can't expect them to replace the case.. If you don't want scratches buy new.. The price difference isn't worth buying refurbished anyway.. If you wan't used buy from craigslist/FB or a pawn shop..

[@henrikholmberg777]

@@Emmajeromeyouhoo I'm pretty sure they could have done something about the scratches like polish them.

[@SibaNL]

@@henrikholmberg777 Instead they sanded the whole thing down to cover the scratches 😂

[@henrikholmberg777]

@@SibaNL if that were the case to be fair we don't see the original ones anymore :P

[@magnus00125]

Hmm... If you want a ps4 for less you could wait for the ps5 but most people can't be bother to do that

[@craniusdominus8234]

That upper shiny surface looks like it's been waxed, oiled and sandpapered at the same time :/

[@xam9613]

Nope it looks like there was a sticker, and removed it with acetone.

[@harrym1862]

@@xam9613 I get what you mean

[@dianitestar1234]

it could be worse so imo i wouldn’t complain about it

[@rich1051414]

@@xam9613 I did that to a watch once. I thought the front was glass... it wasn't, and the acetone completely fogged it and ruined the watch. I was trying to get paint off it.

[@D.J.283]

It's a magic eraser damn mr clean and gamestop

[@DarthRavan2012]

You won't ever catch me buying anything used that isn't at least at the bare-minimum 50% off from what it would cost buying it brand-new, regardless if it's in mint condition or not.

[@dmo848]

All about the warranty, what happens if it shits the bed 2 months out. Pre owned your beat.

[@notgray88]

@@dmo848 if it cost 50 percent less then you can still just buy another one and break even with the price if you had bought new. Did you think at all before posting that comment?

[@jefftparker]

@@dmo848 The chances if you buying two consoles at 50% off is pretty slim. Never had it happen to me. The vast majority of use things will last years upon used and you just bought it 50% off retail price! Win win for me.

[@dave3138]

Jeff, Bro, people be on FB and ebay, selling ps4s for the low, low, LOL. My boy bought one for 90, with everything

[@delrow918]

Ravanofdarkness simp

[@ayjay579]

They said “sand down a brand new ps4 and do some random stuff to make it look like a refurbished.”

[@mrferniehernandez]

They bought a new ps4 and sanded it to make it look used hahahaha! 🤣

[@shifty277]

Im convinced that is the case in this instance. Inside is too clean with the sandpaper comments too

[@supersquad6048]

Thats exactly what i thought. Laughed so hard

[@ryugo7713]

Check out his reply to the top comment... he went to a random GameStop store and purchased this one.

[@TheGamersTag1]

no, they sand the cover to get more scratches off of it. Also, sony would never ship a ps4 without all the thermal pads. They also replaced the old thermal paste with GameStop's crappy white thermal paste.

[@evelhorn]

I thought that maybe someone sanded the controller for grip, but that doesn't explain the top

[@gavinriley6145]

100% the roughness is from the previous owner having stickers on it lol

[@sswpp8908]

I would think using a combination of a solvent and a plastic scraper would be sufficient to remove stickers without damage.

[@noahmoody1640]

Spencer Williams the solvent actually usually does a bit of damage

[@matildas3177]

@@noahmoody1640 It would depend on the solvent used.

[@Nightsider-xr5lx]

Heat usually works good too.

[@caddilex8770]

@@sswpp8908 There's always using rubbing alcohol, I bought a PS3 with bunches of stickers and I dipped a towel in a bit of rubbing alcohol and that removed the stickers completely

[@njj27]

The sanded look most commonly comes from using high concentrated rubbing alcohol. I damaged the plastic on my PDP afterglow controller with that too

[@DownloadeousMaximus]

I work for a small electronics company and I can say you're probably correct. We use some strong alcohol to clean some stuff and it will really ruin some plastics.

[@totophi]

So they weren’t using Vim to clean off greasy residue?

[@jordancardenas7564]

I used alcohol to clean the gunk and blackness off my white xbox remote well it worked but my remote was literally melting🤣 so i had to stop and go back to using water and scrubber

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

IPA shouldn’t be used on console covers or anything else plastic (including acrylics and plexiglass), as it can cause them to crack, cloud over, and in the worst case scenario entirely disintegrate. (Same goes for ammonia-based kitchen cleansers like Fantastik and Formula 409, btw.) If plain liquid dish detergent (e.g. Dawn) and water doesn't get off all the dirt off a console cover I’d suggest a proprietary plastic cleaner like Brillianize and a plastic polish.

[@WeSkeem]

There is literally nothing to justify calling these “refurbished”. Refurbished should mean it was used and then made to look, feel, and operate like new. This is literally a used console that someone dusted off. GameStop needs to go out of business. Badly.

[@CamoCollie]

Agreed

[@chrism6904]

While agree with you on the "refurbished" part, I dont think they need to go out of business. Thousands of people would be out of jobs.

[@contytub]

agree ...

[@zachanikwano]

Well your wish might just come true

[@lappavideoita141]

no, they should stop re-selling consoles. Games r kinda ok

[@SuperRobertson79]

I think somebody used to clean that controller, the magic sponge.

[@doomjuan]

Yeah the magic sponge against plastic LITERALLY sands it

[@obliviousmode575]

I was going to say that too. Looks like magic eraser.

[@roberthunter5059]

Thirded. Magic Eraser is just a nanoparticle sanding sponge.

[@DraculVaDomni666]

Gamestop - PREMIUM Refurbished Opens the box Top is completely scratched.

[@franciscodavidrodriguezven4725]

They said: Premium REFURBISHED, But yes the store isn't good

[@DraculVaDomni666]

@@franciscodavidrodriguezven4725 I know what refurbished means.

[@yikes6969]

Uh yea...we watched the video

[@erikruiz1745]

That’s premium for GameStop

[@linnyunt]

I think you missed a great opportunity here. "This video is brought to you by D-Brand. Hide unsightly sanded down consoles and controllers with ease."

[@inportrace]

that shiny cover probably had a sticker on it.

[@kobrien4121]

It was trying to cut down and went on the patch 🎮🚬

[@psx2rulz2]

Surprised you found a CPU under all that thermal paste holy hell

[@BodofLegend]

No kidding !!!! My eyes got so big when I saw that huge white thermo spot lol 😂

[@Chris-yy7qc]

​@@BodofLegend That tech probably hasnt seen his girlfriend in a long time

[@PauloGriiettner]

@@Chris-yy7qc Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard...

[@maxh2755]

Reminds me of the verge

[@sheppardpat47]

Never seen that much thermal paste before holy crap.. When I do PS4 I do the "cross X" since the die is huge on these..

[@StevenvanderGraaf]

Former owner probably used a skin sticker-set and the removed it with aggressive sticker remover. Premium refurbish... mwah

[@benazzi8434]

yup

[@BRUTALSHANZ1988]

To me it's like they removed all of the scratches and stickers with a Magic Eraser. Is Gamestop mad at trying to sell a used cosmetic damaged PS4 under refurbished prices. If I was told that my PS4 was refurbished and I found out later on that it wasn't and I received a used PS4 instead then I would be so pissed off with them. The definition of Refurbished means you will be getting a "Like New" product that has been restored to full working order and there is next to no cosmetic imperfections present but this PS4's conditions says otherwise. It's no wonder Gamestop is destined to be going out of business.

[@jakegarrett8109]

BRUTALSHANZ1988 that’s not what refurb means... your made up definition is incorrect, refurbishes means repaired typically, and that’s even why they have cosmetic ratings (like I got a refurbished “B grade” laptop, it has a massive dent next to the headphone jack, but everything works). Refurbished means it WAS USED at some point, it’s just been repaired (if they fixed it new at the factory, it would be sold as new, refurbished means it had a prior owner and it has been repaired or cleaned up for resale)

[@StevenvanderGraaf]

Jake Garrett True, but if you sell something PREMIUM refurbished you should expect something more nicely looking. They could have used a nicer looking part from a unrepairable console.

[@senaya]

@@jakegarrett8109 correct, refurbished electronics are guaranteed to be in working condition but their exterior is not being replaced as long as it doesn't prevent the normal functionality of the item. Some teams might go an extra mile and work on the exterior too and I love them, but it's not mandatory.

[@bulcsu7044]

*sees thermal paste application* "what the f.. you not icing a cake! oh my god.."

[@Mazra42]

I'm guessing the GameStop refurbish manual mentions reapplying thermal paste with a scoop.

[@bulcsu7044]

@@Mazra42 more like a ketchup dispenser

[@madmax2069]

applying too much thermal paste wont hurt it, it actually might help

[@edwardgrant7708]

thermal paste doesnt matter actually, that;s a myth, there is no difference between to little or to much. In general having to much is a good thing because you know it actually covers all corners then.

[@justjosh11]

@@edwardgrant7708 I think you'll find yourself and Madmax are actually wrong - too much thermal paste can harm performance. The thermal conductivity of thermal paste is much lower than copper/aluminium - according to one website I checked it is 8W/mK for thermal paste compared to 385W/mK for copper and 205W/mK. Exact numbers may vary slightly but the point is that both metals have much better thermal conductivity than the paste. Therefore if you have an inch thick of thermal paste then heat transfer from the device to the heatsink will be reduced. This is an exaggerated example but the point is that the most optimal amount of paste is a thin layer to give the highest contact area between the two surfaces, which are very uneven without paste, but no excess paste that would reduce thermal transfer from part to heatsink.

[@pa-pyro2804]

I wouldn't blame the employee I'd rather blame gamestop horrible business practices

[@bensosnowski1128]

Seriously. Training and quality assurance shouldn’t be ignored just to throw some employee who gets minimum wage under the bus

[@hiddenguy67]

yep

[@b0red324]

Probably have his address flagged when he orders anything give him a good machine so they get good reviews

[@bryantalfonso9561]

Probably

[@EldenLord.]

That scratched one he got here definitely isnt a good machine. It works sure, but thats nowhere near "good".

[@Jordan-xx9ux]

@@EldenLord. its refurbished, I dont expect good.

[@kirin1230]

He got this one in person to prevent that exact thing

[@PJeezy710]

So never buy a gamestop refurb, got it lol. Thanks

[@yigitdemir4604]

Actually never buy refurb. There is a little price difference with brand new

[@jakegarrett8109]

Walter White depends, I paid $150 for a refurbished laptop and it was just as fast as any $600 new one at the time. To get even 5% faster for what I was doing required spending $800... it’s held up fine and only has a small dent near the headphone jack but everything works great on it (actually my $1500 MSI laptop I bought new is getting sent back a second F*ing time! Faulty RGB keyboard on both, and this second one is going to have a trashed battery within a year...). So new doesn’t mean it’s going to have less issue, and refurb or used is often a great way to go! You do need to be an informed consumer (as with any purchase, if you do no research, expect to get screwed!)

[@yigitdemir4604]

@@jakegarrett8109 in ps4 case there is a 50 dollar difference do you think that is reasonable

[@jakegarrett8109]

Walter White Yes and no. For a gamer who just wants to have fun, that’s a new game, so sure! For me no, I can build a PC for cheaper than any of these that destroy the consoles for cheaper, so in that sense no console makes sense above $100, and even then wouldn’t make sense because of the expensive games vs the money saved on Steam sales (you’d have to pay me to take a console, and even then I wouldn’t consider it good value... seriously the cost of games alone is not worth console!) At $200 I can build an RX 580 8 GB, an i5 2400 system (add a brand new 600w PSU so you can even upgrade to crossfire/SLI in the future), and give it an SSD (all the new rave for the next consoles, lol!). This will give you far better gaming, like 120 fps 1080p in some and much better 4k gaming. Plus with games going for like $20 instead of $60 after just a few months on Steam (as well as no console subscription), then you’ve got a MUCH better value with PC, making any console overpriced, even if it was free! It’s going to be about $40 cheaper per game, so that’s only going to be like 6 games before even a free console is just as expensive!! So is any console worth it? Not if your picky (last time I played a console, I puked after 20 minutes, and no that’s not a joke, frame stutters and inconsistent fps wreck my head! If only they let me tweak the settings to make it smoother frame rate... Oh well, PC lets you set it however you want like better visuals or more fluid gameplay, so problem solved!). But what do you think, is any console of good value knowing what I mentioned?

[@yigitdemir4604]

@@jakegarrett8109 you are talking about second hand products they are not broken and repaired they are just used and its making sense

[@tyraelpl]

An improvement for sure but I'd still be pissed to have bought something like that. Refurbished doesnt exactly imply sanding shiny parts for matte finish lol.

[@Tronicsfix]

I would also not be happy about that.

[@DrMegaton]

Same...that's not a premium refurbish, i don't think that a new shiny cover was hard to get and replace

[@tyraelpl]

@@DrMegaton agreed. What boggles the mind is... But why do it in the 1st place?

[@DrMegaton]

@@tyraelpl idk, Just GS things!

[@tyraelpl]

@@DrMegaton doesn't exactly satisfy my curiosity but I guess we'll never know 😅

[@Godlyzeno]

I'm an employee at gamestop and I can tell you honestly, most refurbished consoles that get shipped to us from the warehouse I've seen (personally) come back with problems. There are some lucky cases but even for just regular preowned consoles it's unfortunate we arent allowed to actually go in and check them out

[@khaledbaadarani]

You guys are a rip-off

[@Michifulz]

@@khaledbaadarani trust me, most employee's (at the store level) know. but a minimum wage job is a job.

[@pigpenstrikes9400]

So if you're not allowed to open the system, how are they refurbished? It sounds like GameStop is just throwing the word in front of used to make you pay more.

[@rachelmilligan95]

colt complain to someone who can actually do anything about that mate, they work there that’s it don’t have any influence on how anything’s done.

[@Smoke-un4jq]

@@pigpenstrikes9400 The refurbishing warehouse opens them my guy, the store that gets sent the refurbished console doesn't open it AGAIN. Reading comprehension.

[@irradiatedrock292]

I just saw this video and sounds like my experience. I bought a refurbished ps4 from GameStop and after 3 weeks the system literally blew up and destroyed the hdmi port on my tv.

[@snowmanscold9662]

WHAT!

[@irradiatedrock292]

@@snowmanscold9662 i still have the ps4. It looks like someone took a blowtorch to the inside of it.

[@irradiatedrock292]

@@danielmontero8200 I replaced the hdmi port on my tv but GameStop would not take the PS4 back or pay for my tv repair. They said it was not faulty when it left the store. I still have the PS4 and I bought another one from Walmart.

[@robertc4544]

@@irradiatedrock292 should just bought a ps5

[@irradiatedrock292]

@@robertc4544 this happened about 5 years ago. I will buy a PS5 when they become available.

[@irishengine9166]

Me: finally my console got repaired thanks! Gamestop: whispers: see you in a few days... Me: wha- Gamestop: NOTHING!

[@wbackup]

Ha!

[@nutterbutt8yearsago993]

*guitar center

[@H.EL-Othemany]

I think they don't fix stuff. ' i mean they do but I though they buy broken stuff fix it and resell it. No?

[@MichaelsExplorations]

😂😂😂

[@duran2xx]

😂😂

[@Zafor-ium]

When he turned the ps4 on, for a second I thought it was the fastest loading of a ps4 I have ever seen, like I got a pro and i still have to wait a couple seconds. Then I noticed it was sped up....

[@Daniel-lx3nh]

Just sand it with 2k grit sand paper and polish and buff it not saying you should have to do this for a refurbished one this is just a tip for any of those who do have scratches on theirs and want to get rid of them 👌

[@DirtyMikeHoncho]

Never buy used when you can thrown in an extra 30 bucks for a brand new one lol

[@Brandon_N420]

Mike honcho Very true. I’ll never buy a used console.

[@socommaster]

Exactly

[@andreilucian10]

And if it is at half price? :)😃

[@LeoLeo-yi5yx]

I see used ones like at 140 when new ones are 300

[@WhiteHazelnut]

@@LeoLeo-yi5yx i still woruldnt buy it cause fixing it throughout its life can be more costly and troublesome

[@MattyRedBeard.Official]

The fact that I ordered a "new" controller with 2 day shipping for a birthday $85 and it came with major stick drift and I opened it and it was refurbished on the inside

[@Luison40]

Great as always man, I’m looking forward to your follow up video on the Xbox one s’ that had partial power.

[@Tronicsfix]

I'll be working on that. It's going to take some time though

[@GreatSageSunWukong]

I and my xbox one S that doesn't bloody work am also waiting on that

[@wedgoku]

As a company you only get one chance to make a perfect first impression, if "Gamestop" is sending out faulty units & not quality checking, the customer wont put up with that they will shop somewhere else!

[@ericcenteno2719]

I don't see many people talk about how good Steve is, he is a professional at game repairs and electronics, with the perfect balance of comedy and the topic. Watching his videos, Steve has taught me how to fix my ps4 of 5 years and it worked! He really deserves more likes and subs for what he does.

[@gh5643]

when i first saw you, i thought you were like other youtubers who stick to simple fixes, but you have proved me wrong by showing your skills in fixing electronic devices. thank you very much for your time and effort.

[@wimwiddershins]

Very educational. Without reviews like this companies might be very tempted to shovel any old junk on to the customer. ;) I'm glad the unit you reviewed wasn't a "hand picked" example from the manager.

[@tlrptg]

judging by the writing on that RAM chip, it never had a thermal pad.

[@costelli1]

Poor Chinese worker got probably fired ;(

[@franciscovaldes4107]

@@costelli1 killed* lol

[@recoverthis602]

Wow! Magically after a call from GameStop, everything's all better!

[@Chiller31916]

Better than GameStop not doing anything about it, regardless of whether it is a PR stunt

[@andymouse]

I hear that.

[@Tronicsfix]

I don't see anyone saying it's all better. There's no excuse for the first one I bought. This one was definitely better but I wouldn't be happy with it if I had bought it as my main console. After seeing how good refurbished consoles are from other companies I would not buy from GameStop.

[@recoverthis602]

@@Tronicsfix fair enough, it would have been nice if you had explained the buying process so we knew it wasn't just a hand picked item sent from the man that called you. Good videos tho.

[@Tronicsfix]

Ya, I really should have. I meant to but totally forgot when it came to filming time. That's why I put it in my top pinned comment

[@LegitCharge]

One time I went to gamestop and asked if I could buy an Xbox 360 (They were about 4 years old at this point) and the employee literally said "Dude, I promise you don't want any of these. Most of them are repaired so bad that it will probably only last around a month before it breaks down again." I asked if they had any that they knew would work, and he replied, "There's not very good quality control so I can't guarantee that." Nevertheless, I left that store with no Xbox and my wallet still full. Shoutout to that employee.

[@JehmYo]

I'm actually shocked they did as much as they did. Back late 90's early 2000's I worked at Funcoland, the company that eventually became GameStop and the "refurbishing" consisted of a cleaning spray and running a cd cleaning disk in it. Thanks for doing this great video.

[@o0kaelas]

The cosmetic quality is pretty subpar for a refurbished console. And the bar is set pretty low I'd say.

[@robertt9342]

Not just refurbished but "Premium" refurbished.

[@bigmike15511]

Gamestop: "this normally doesnt happen" No what happened was you sold a refurbished console to someone that you didn't know had the know-how to take it apart and find out that it was crap. I can almost guarantee you the "300 people" that they have working on refurbished stuff is literally a 20 square foot room with one dude that just barely knows what he's doing.

[@tl3139]

I worked in a laptop repair facility in 2005. We were pushed HARD to diagnose and repair 4 laptops per hour. They actually had a scoreboard posted of each tech results.

[@MonsieurHonHon]

Your video makes me realise the thermal paste have never been changed in my ps4. Should I open it up and change it or is it not worth it to open it only to do that?

[@mwint1982]

Unless its overheating don't F with it

[@XeCuTioNR]

I've seen GameStop employees use Brilo Pads to sand down the piano finish off ps4s when they take them in used. I don't know why other than it seems to be a regular practice when taking them in.

[@Tronicsfix]

So strange

[@damionlee7658]

It would be done to stop people buying used/refurbished and then trying to return as new. It is a crappy practice, and probably not company policy (likely a store manager who thinks they're being clever).

[@robertt9342]

You'd think if they were selling "premium" refurbished that they would replace the case on the console with another (from a broken console) that was in better shape. You'd think their repair centre would have plenty of broken PS4 for donor cases.

[@jakegarrett8109]

They would fix the broken ones to sell, refurbished usually means repaired (otherwise it’s just called used).

[@coffeemakerbottomcracked]

If they would be able to import some custom made plastic case/ parts from the China? (Unless its expensive). Or they could have just a deal with some local recycling center.

[@jakegarrett8109]

niilo22 patent infringement, I’d punch whoever stole my designs and hard work! You cannot copy someone’s design, it’s illegal to steal a design that cost millions to produce and not pay royalties. As an engineer, my entire work is paid for designing things, without me, nothing would get built in the first place, so obviously you need the initial designs. To steal without payment someone’s hard work is pretty scummy to do (China does this a lot). Sony designed the covers, and so you cant just steal their hard work to save a few dollars. Also they could sue the crap out of the company that uses those illegal counterfeit parts if they are claiming it’s genuine OEM still (you could sell it as modified probably), however, there is nothing wrong with scuff marks (just decal wrap it if it bothers you). Now, you could make your own different design, but the Chinese don’t do that, they simply straight up copy or steal the original files! If you wanted to sell “PS4 compatible” covers that say had a feature like a fan on the top, or maybe had integrated CD holder, or charging stand built in, or some LED lighting or something like that, then it’s not complete patent infringement, though it depends on the wording of the patent. A better solution would be for GameStop to include a decal cover or something (id go with carbon fiber vinyl wrap, Dbrands also sells precut sizes for the PS4 for wood grain looks and many other options). That way it hides it, and it doesn’t even cost $1, more like $0.50

[@maxh771]

Steve, I wish I could work for you - sadly I live on another continent. I really respect your conscientiousness and sense of ethics. It can be hard to find tech businesses who take their work seriously and don't cut corners. Great video too, by the way!

[@Scorch428]

When you dont cut corners, you gotta spend most of your free time making youtube vids for extra income :P

[@rubenavilapro]

We got a refurbished PS4 from Gamestop a year ago. Still working. We did go in an swap the remote control a few days later, no biggy. Was like 220.

[@Tronicsfix]

Nice! Good to know. Thanks for commenting

[@Derjeniche1510]

They probably used isopropyl alcohol or aceton to remove something on the casing. This looks exactly like the effect that takes place if you clean glasses frame that aren't supposed to be cleaned with them. (Saw that a couple of times as an optometrist).

[@AltoAtik]

My mans got a tear drop on his left eyes hes been handling his bizzness

[@Cunhamixx]

How can a company like Gamestop send another refurbished console like that.?? after what happen last time.. ... sanding some ps4 parts ?? no thanks..

[@Tronicsfix]

A lot better than the first but I do prefer no sanding!

[@joelbappii5981]

Time traveling??

[@deathseekeruk]

@@joelbappii5981 lol wth, how can his comment be from 1 week ago

[@Tronicsfix]

@Brad Bushell He's a member of my channel so he gets early previews of most of my vidoes. Usually not a week early but it was in this case.

[@deathseekeruk]

@@Tronicsfix Ah okay, thanks for the response.

[@skymonkey30]

GameStop frustrates me.... while I never expected them to be a quality company for refurbished stuff, but it pisses me off that they way overprice their used games. Also their trade-in credit is a scam as they give absolute low end trade in value.

[@madmaxgrey]

i've seen this before where the top cover is missed up with sand paper. when you see this they were having an extremely hard time removing non vinyl stickers

[@XeonProductions]

That was enough thermal paste for like 3 PS4's.

[@sheenaporgan1852]

I usually get salty about thermal paste comments... But I'd say that was enough for 5 PS4's

[@tomrohlfs5538]

I do alot of car detailing I just wanna buff that cover so bad lol

[@lowflyingpigeon7956]

I was thinking this 😂

[@christianroubideaux8203]

Exactly my thoights5

[@jonathanr2830]

I enjoyed this video and your other videos very much. Very well done, thorough, informative, fair, and entertaining. My personal two cents regarding GameStop managers is very positive, based on my limited experience with multiple stores in Texas several months ago (February, 2019). Three store managers went well above and beyond to coordinate and help me acquire a scarce discontinued item still on a store shelf hundreds of miles from where I live. They all were 11 on a scale of 10 in customer service. Very sincere, patient, courteous, and impressive customer service. With three random managers involved, that reflects to me an excellent company-wide focus on their customer service for all customers. I hope that you enjoy similar success with them.

[@MrLion1]

Steve, I just wanted to pop back in again to say that I'm loving the channel, loving your work and your personality. Looking forward to seeing the channel grow!

[@Ozz72420]

See GameStop let me tell you they did not think that someone like you would take it apart now that they know they got caught that's the only reason why they changed what they changed they think we can fix what needs to be fixed to make the game console when the bare minimum but I thank you as a consumer up there products I thank you for what you do

[@Tronicsfix]

I hope they make positive changes.

[@danielm.595]

Most of the big industries don't care about the consumer, that's, until they give a bad product to a person of big renown.

[@TheSwatstar]

Dude let me thank you i learned everytime so much from ur Videos and i bet you help so many people out there and i just wanted to let you know that i am really impressed and thankful for your work and i hope u will keep going with this

[@bradbeyers9028]

These videos are awesome. I know my PS4 is super dirty and I know that white roller came off and is loose inside console. Still takes discs fine but with ur videos I can fix it and clean the console.

[@imnotthatskilled3868]

At least the cover didn’t smell of smoke this time 😉

[@Tronicsfix]

Agreed!

[@vauldur3385]

I am curious. Did you get a "random" PS4 or was one potentially "pre-selected" for your re-review?

[@o1dragone]

if it was pre-selected just for him it wouldn't have had all those scratches

[@vauldur3385]

@@o1dragone I used to be a GS manager. I've seen all sorts of what's in the backroom. I'm just wondering if he got the best of the bunch. Scratches are expected.

[@c4libr3srooney70]

@@vauldur3385 why are u lying😂😂😂 u have made 2 videos. You were never a gamestop manager please

[@c4libr3srooney70]

@Smkingisfun i accidentally wrote gamestop video instead of manager

[@Taetaer]

C4LIBR3S Dylan how does that relate with being a game stop manager

[@AUTOxMATIK]

I don't blame gamestop sanding. Ppl are discusting it prolly had crazy stains

[@PrimyFritzellz]

I understand the sanding part, but what I don't understand is not polishing the sanding afterwards. Seems kinda lazy

[@faiyaz1184]

Got a refurbished ps4 from amazon for 240 in 2016 and it was in amazing condition no scratches and still going good

[@earlyculyer4103]

Instead of sanding You think they would invest in a plastic polishing device of some sort You could make those things look brand new If you do the right method And use the rightPolishing materials Those things will be sanitized As well as As well as looking brand new.

[@adamclark9997]

It’s what most of the GameStop’s do. I sold them a wii fit way back and they charged me a cleaning fee. When my parents inevitably found out what I did they made me get it back. It was on their shelf for sale. Still was dirty and even had the dog pee on it I sold it to them with. 😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Lunathean]

who sands there console? BRUH! If gamestop pulled that on me I would return that same hour I'd drive down and return it instantly

[@dustinmoore2589]

Their

[@AlchemicSoul]

Seen enough of these to know it's not uncommon for them to ship broken and dirty systems. Just trying to look concerned for the PR.

[@valentinautei]

One thing many people did't noticed. The thrermal paste is not ok. It's the white cheap thermal paste used in power amplifiers,inverters,etc. That thermal paste is used only for power transistors,not apu,cpu or gpu. Means that apu will suffer overheat.

[@theunseen8054]

I wanted you to know how much I enjoy watching your videos- I learn a lot and Videos like this force companies that refurbish items to actually do what they claim. You do an outstanding job and I have subscribed.

[@clashingwithtmax6672]

Need help. Recently took apart my Standard PS4 and it’s been fine for the past few days. Now every once in awhile it’ll make the sound like its starting twice should I be worried?

[@Tronicsfix]

I don't know for sure but if it's working normally other than that then you should be fine

[@MrRewdtv]

Did you determine if the controller was a genuine Sony product or a cheap Chinese knock off? Love your videos man, keep it up!

[@Tronicsfix]

I should have looked at that more. It felt original but I hadn't considered at the time that it could have been a knockoff. I'll be checking that more with future videos.

[@ells5656]

@@TronicsfixTo be honest Sony genuine controllers are trash and Chinese knock offs can sometime be better from the thumbstick durability on the earlier models. However I think Sony made changes since then and that looks like a newer controller not one of the early release versions.

[@laserfloyd]

I know it's been a while since this was posted but as for the sanding, it almost looks like they used something like Scotch-Brite which is one step down from sanding. It's like a very abrasive sponge. What they could do is use some polish and shine it back up. It'd add a few more minutes to the whole process at most. I wonder if this process has been altered since the video was posted.

[@thebatsshadow6059]

Depending on price , I have never thought refurbished was the way to go unless you were saving 25-30% or greater.

[@senorsnipey1595]

Hey can I ask if you went to school to learn these skills. I've always been good with tech but I'd like to be able to fix my own stuff in the future like this! Great video!

[@Tronicsfix]

No schooling for electronics repair. I do have an automotive technology degree

[@keithpoley3432]

Grab some small tools and Google man.

[@senorsnipey1595]

@@keithpoley3432 I have the tools..I'm about to correct the voltage on the potentiometer in my GameCube to see if that fixes the lens reading issues

[@keithpoley3432]

@@senorsnipey1595 i assume you wiped the lense with rubbing alcohol?

[@senorsnipey1595]

@@keithpoley3432 I've done everything under the sun up until this point

[@richardvazquez7249]

I bought a used refurbished ps4 from GameStop, and I’ve been having it for 5 years without a problem.

[@eclinvo4910]

Imagine trying to save money on a console with potential errors when you could buy an actual new console with zero errors.

[@totophi]

eclinvo : But the controller would probably still die eventually…

[@heyitspanos8004]

i was waiting for this! finally!

[@MrHotjag]

Ok

[@mixmixi100]

GameStop: what’s the dumbest thing we can do to a console? GameStop manager: yes!

[@creatorediillusioni]

Just comment your previous videos they should had call you, indeed they did in this video. And make a better console. This is the power of a great youtuber! Good job man!

[@mongoose0307]

Probably the sanding is due to a magic eraser cleaner. They are abrasive and dull shiny surfaces. Probably a super dirty console and someone got an idea to use one to clean it.

[@UltimatePwnageNL]

That's enough thermal paste for 10 PS4's...

[@TheJumpMan98]

Next up: I gave my cheating girlfriend a second chance by leaving her around a bunch of guys unattended.

[@natehaskey9300]

You good, bro?

[@creased4life]

Instead of sanding, they might have used a cleaner that was far too abrasive. Like Cif cream back in the day used to strip the coating off plastic-ruined a good bath! It looks similar to this.

[@brucecampbellforpresident1393]

GameStop sounds like the used car salesmen that says the motor fell out because I drove it.

[@raphaelr2452]

Teach me the trade and I'll be the best employee you'll ever have

[@Chris-yy7qc]

I dont think applications work like that

[@raphaelr2452]

@@Chris-yy7qc They really don't. I was just showing enthusiasm in order to do something I've studied for but have never done professionally. I have a stable job, and I have passions, and this is one of the latter. What I don't have tho is the experience in the area, that's why I'm happy to learn the trade.

[@shapsugh1864]

The game stop in my country takes the original dualshock from the box and charges you extra if you want it instead of the copy

[@Tronicsfix]

Really? Wow, that's crazy!

[@shapsugh1864]

@@Tronicsfix yup this is how it is in Jordan they even sell modified PS3s (multiman, package) and some more shady stuff

[@jumper55ful]

i worked for Gamestop for over 6 years and the "we are working to make changes for the better" has been the auto response all the time i have seen these issues since the ps2 days and 360 red ring of death days it will never change for gamestop as they do not want to put any real money into their repair warehouse.

[@doozeschanyt9554]

Still dont understand why the ps4 is still 300$ should be 200$ its 6 years old now

[@rsantos12]

Lol damn. Gamestop really can’t spend the $3 and buy a new controller shell? Sure it’s not genuine sony but wtf a sanded down controller?

[@jakegarrett8109]

I would be more upset with non OEM controller housing... (tolerances and fit may be inferior as well as quality an consistency of plastic chemical blend, as an engineer it’s a pain in the @$$ when using other companies parts, you cannot control their manufacturing process). Also that would be like $10 to $20 in labor for moving the guys over. You could likewise just buy a cheap silicon grip cover of your favorite design (if they included one, well your lying the price indirectly anyways without as much choice on color or design and probably get a boring generic color instead of something cool).

[@rsantos12]

Jake Garrett true, but i still think the really poor condition controllers could benefit. I wouldn’t really want someone elses crap all over it... some shells are good, others are bad just a thought I guess

[@lil_sushie8411]

You returned a smokers old ps4 back to GameStop, and now you got a construction workers sanded down PS4. Lol, GameStop funny calling you to send you this. Lol

[@carloscanchola5655]

There's the possibility that the console and the controller had decals and the sanding was probably to get off the dried adhesives

[@ev08u]

The refurbished systems get shipped to the stores from the refurb center, the employees in the stores have no idea what condition they are in, however, the pre-owned systems are at a store level and not always from that particular store, they get transferred to balance stock levels. The pre-owned consoles are plugged in and to see if they work, wiped, and boxed for resale. Depending on how busy the store is and the time of year alot of the time they aren't checked or even cleaned and just boxed and resold.

[@ATARI800XLfan]

easier to find good quality employees if wages where actually livable in the service industry.

[@Eddie2813]

Save maybe 50$ for a scratched up PS4 and controller. Love refurbs

[@JoseMartinez-gf2tu]

Eddie2813 open box returns from Best Buy is where it’s at 😜

[@WayStedYou]

White controller black ps4. FIRED

[@gorjvn]

Exacc

[@airspoon6]

I bought a refurbished PS4 slim back in 2017 and I’ve never had an issue with it. It’s still super quiet and doesn’t make a noise and it runs smoothly

[@serisak]

you can easily remove sanding marks from plastic and bring back a perfect shine with a cloth and a little metal polish.

[@yannlaliberte8407]

I prefer buy from second hand, check by myself before I pay..

[@jakej9039]

my cover ended up looking like that when i had to take the stickers off