GameStop Now Selling Pre-Paid Wireless Service

By Kevin Parrish
published

GameStop has gone wireless. Does that mean Android phones are finally on the way?

Did you know that GameStop carries a selection of new and pre-owned smartphones? It's not something you'd consider when walking through the game retailer's stores, and, according to its website, the company merely offers iPhones (opens in new tab). But now GameStop is offering a NET10 pre-paid wireless service, which could mean the company may expand its smartphone lineup in the near future.

"Customers now have the option to immediately activate their devices with NET10’s no-contract pre-paid wireless service plans," said Joe Gorman, vice president of mobile at GameStop. "And with GameStop’s ‘Re-Fun Your Refund’ deals, picking up a mobile device and setting it up with NET10 service at one of our stores makes even more sense."

The "Re-Fun Your Refund" promotion (opens in new tab) runs through March 2, 2013, and provides discounts on games, gaming consoles, headsets, mobile electronics and more. GameStop PowerUp Rewards members who spend $50 or more during the promotion have the chance to win $1,000 each day in the GameStop PowerUp Rewards $1,000 a Day Giveaway Sweepstakes, the company said.

According to NET10, the SIM card is only offered for GSM phones (meaning AT&T and T-Mobile). The fine print states that the card itself costs $14.99, and customers are required to pay for two months of unlimited talk, text and data cost for $99.99 to get a phone for as low as $49.99. This bundle actually expires before the "Re-Fun Your Refund" promotion ends, concluding on February 17.

"By combining GameStop’s selection of new and pre-owned smartphones with NET10’s leadership in the popular no-contract wireless space, customers will be able to enjoy flexibility when it comes to finding cost-effective, quality mobile device and service options," GameStop said on Monday.

GameStop said back in May 2012 that it would begin selling Android-based tablets (opens in new tab) including the Acer Iconia Tab A200, Asus TF300T, Toshiba Excite 10, Google's Nexus 7 and others. There were also reports last year that GameStop would begin serving up Android phones too, but currently the retailer is only listing the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

A call placed with a local GameStop shop confirmed that the iPhone has been the only smartphone offered thus far, but maybe that's about to change.

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Kevin Parrish

Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then, he’s loved all things PC-related and cool gadgets ranging from the New Nintendo 3DS to Android tablets. He is currently a contributor at Digital Trends, writing about everything from computers to how-to content on Windows and Macs to reviews of the latest laptops from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more. 

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • drapacioli
    ...Why? You know what, I can make an exception for gaming tablets, but wireless service has absolutely nothing to do with games, unless you mean the games they play with their customers in their contracts...
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    And the tracfone monopoly begins.
    Reply
  • hitman400
    I guess ripping people off for buying used games from people and reselling it wasn't enough profit :\
    Reply
  • g00fysmiley
    gamestop realised there was other markets they wcould exploit people in... what if we le tthem trade in games for credit to overpay for wireless service and we get them to buy a phone we paid next to nothing for.. brilliant... smart on their part but i can't beleive they still have customers
    Reply
  • antilycus
    As someone who worked there for 8 years (my choice) I can tell you this, GS cares about one thing. MONEY MONEY MONEY. They pay their employees sh*t, their management even shittier (store manager averages under $5 / hr w/ the time involved in running a store). The execs make bank and all of the back of the underpaid worker and over priced merchandise. do yourself a favor, stay away.
    Reply
  • dark_knight33
    Gamestop is for games, what Radioshack is for electronics. Funny how when competition started getting tough, Radioshack turned to hawking cellphones too. Although it has kept them around, they do pay their employee's crap and it shows. Long gone are the social mutants who actually knew "things" about what was being sold, replaced by kids who are texting every 5 seconds instead of trying to help.

    Gamestop lost my business long ago when they essentially abandoned the PC market. I miss EB a lot, I won't miss Gamestop much.
    Reply
  • Gundam288
    hitman400I guess ripping people off for buying used games from people and reselling it wasn't enough profit :\I think they are just worried about the PS4 given that Sony applied for (not sure if they got it yet) a patten to pretty much kill the used game market with a account/console locking a game disk.

    Reply