AND selling electronic from a home with one (or several) smoker/s should be illegal. You wouldn't sell something that's smoke damaged from a fire, at least not without pointing that out.
I was going to say, why bother cleaning & replacing, even a little, if you're going to send it back? But then it dawned on me; someone else is going to buy it.
@ I have had really bad experiences with gamestop and I've only been to two! It pains me to think that they are about to go under becase their Canadian counterpart EB games has consistently been an excellent place to get new games and I dont want gamestop to take them down with them. In my experience EB games has a good selection, excellent customer service and decent refurbished consoles. I bought a refurb xbox 360 from them ago and took it apart for fun and it was clean and complete on the inside. The thermal paste might have been old though, I didnt check because I didn't want to deal with the X clamp. I
When I worked at GameStop, we had a guy that came in once to buy a system, specifically requesting one that didn't smell like smoke. The dude literally had us open up the boxes, put his head in them, and sniffed. It was incredibly hard not to laugh, but I understand why he was doing it.
now, after seeing this video, I DEFINITELY would. I always buy new consoles anyway because you never know what the previous person did with it.. also I am extremely allergic to cigarette smoke. (I even have to carry a respirator with me if I go into public.)
@@controlsixtyfour If it's anything that you're planning on having for a long time, buy new. Used cars, for example, might have low mileage and have all their oil changes done, but you don't know if the previous guy drove it with a lead foot constantly, etc.
@@MikeClowder On the contrary, buying new cars is typically a huge waste of money. They depreciate in value tremendously once purchased -- even if you were to attempt a trade-in a month later. The better deal would be to purchase a vehicle from a private owner who has kept all detailed records of the vehicle's maintenance. Then bring a mechanic friend (if you have one) when you go to test drive/purchase it. I purchased a new car one time. Don't think I'll ever feel the need to do that again.
@@MikeClowder I bought my laptop new, the keyboard broke 2 times and the charger broke, I only had it for 6 months. Just know the product you are gonna buy. If you buy blindly, doesn't matter if it's new or used, you might be buying a headache.
In the UK GameStop Is called Game but we also have another GameStop like store called Cex, 2 years back I gave them a few games I gave Rocket League Premium Edition, Call of duty World War II, Call of Duty Black Ops 3, and something else I got about £80 or $90 which isn't bad tbh.
Wow, so it’s good to know that someone else had this issue with a GameStop “certified” refurbished. My son got a PS4 pro last October 2019 from GameStop and it has sounded like a jet engine ever since he got it . So watching your tear down and cleaning videos (got tired of the ridiculous noise) What I found was missing thermal pads on one of the memory chips, partially crusty thermal compound and there was no heatsink clamp cover. The clamp was there but the plate that screws on over it was gone. Heatsink was a little dirty but not what I was expecting with the noise. Also the pads that were there were too small for the memory chips. After following your videos I’m glad to report it’s quiet, awesome! Thanks for the videos. And thanks for showing how this should be done. I’ll be officially complaining to GameStop! Also great Merch....love it
Like said in the previous reply of this being an underrated comment. I’ve also got a refurbished Ps4 Pro and it has a jet engine sound. I’ve gone ahead and ordered the paste and pads along with the t8 screwdriver and following the detailed cleaning process and application of thermal paste and pads as I’ve seen in another video of his to see if I can get an improvement on how the console operates.
No joke 50 bucks is alot to some. And usually its not a big deal to buy used so why not save? But ideal way is yes buy new. People still will pay for a phone like 800 900 even if its 1000 or so. But that is a much more expensive price ps4 is only 300 so its basically the same equivalent in reality by comparison. But yeah its alot of money to some
@@crisshardy wrong... dharma shows a way for people to live and conduct their lives with purpose. Karma = consequences of your actions , it can be positive or negative .. hence 'Good' Karma
@@lordkrythic6246 Oh sorry I hurt your feelings. All i was implying was it makes things easier to clean when using a ultrasonic cleaner which I own because It's a hobby of mine to clean boards and fixing them up.
I used to work for gamestop germany. Basically what they told us to do was "run the console for 45 minutes, see if it reads discs, game on it a little but make sure you don't play anything intense cause we don't want it to overheat in the test. and if its okay just take a toothbrush and scrub it a little. then pack it up, throw a controller from the used controller bin in there and send it off"
I observed a sale of a ps4 at a local gamestop (gs bought it) and they were like, "it's loud? no problem" and didn't even care it was screaming like hell while testing.
I know it's an old comment and video, but why are people paying prices like this lol, and they still are in 2024. Used things should be at least 20-30% cheaper than new ones, especially if it's electronics, and it's still not worth the risk most of the time.
I refurb old consoles as a hobby and sell them cheap and will list what I do with original xboxes: “Reconditioned as follows: Console stripped down Motherboard cleaned with isopropyl alcohol GPU & CPU heatsinks removed and cleaned, then replaced thermal paste Clock capacitor not removed as it is version 1.6 and not necessary DVD drive stripped and cleaned including laser lens DVD drive belt replaced All parts cleaned” If I’m working on older consoles I will usually replace capacitors also. It baffles me how people get away with this when there are those of us who take pride in their work
Damn..that is nasty..I would take it back to game stop with your took and pull it apart right there in front of them and everyone shopping there that say
The amount of smoke damage is insane. He must of had his ash tray right next to the cooling fan. He probably used the ps4 to vent the smoke away from himself.
It's hilarious that you refurbished it better than them and then got your money back. I do agree that it is joke of a refurbishment. They probably just wiped the case with a wet rag and called it refurbished.
@@roeyalish what he said is they did a fairly remarkable job cleaning what was probably an absolutely disgusting for the most part super smokers special. He said he personally doesn't like the smell that it pushes out (no matter how mild) because it will make any room it's in smell like cigarette smoke. I live with two smokers and let me tell you I don't want/let them anywhere near my consoles. I got a wii like 10 years back and though the console seemed fine you can tell smokers handled the Wiimotes alot, they stunk bad.
Actually it would be better if they just wiped the case. But they took it apart then put back together improperly. Once you separated the cooler and the die, you shouldn't put it back together with that hardened paste as it won't spread and fill the small gaps again properly. Misplaced thermal pads, swapped screws...
@@peterkiss1204 my thought exactly.... The sad part is that taking it apart and doing it properly (as you can see from the video) doesn't really take that long. I bet that someone trained really properly refurbishing one does one in 10 min. They still would make a lot of profit on it after having to spend wage for someone working like 10 mins on one knowing that the trade in value probably is like 130 dollars store value or like 100 cash... (that's about what you get if you trade in a PS4 500gb here in the Belgian equivalent of GameStop) I understand business but this is just criminal... I'd do a better job at refurbishing one with my eyes closed...
steve is the type of guy that buys a refurbished console, realizes the refurbish process is a mess, requests a refund and returns in the console in a BETTER condition than what he originally got.
Back when the PS3 was alive, I bought a “Refurbished” one....turned out the controller was broken and I took it back, only to be told I need to bring back everything. I already had a bad impression of them prior but let’s just say that was one of the last time I purchased anything from them.
@@Tronicsfix Yeah I really did. I've never been a heavy smoker, only a few a day but I've never taken apart an electronic of mine that looked that disgusting. If it sticks to smooth shiny metal and plastics, how much does it stick to the pores in my lungs? Appreciate you showing that, what an eye opener.
The void warranty stickers are illegal. The federal government told companies to stop putting them on devices. We are legally allowed to work on our electronics.
They aren't "Illegal" they just mean nothing and it won't hold up in court. A company can slap whatever labels they want on a console but they are just pointless now.
Best anti-smoking ad for gamers ever. This thing is likely a good distance away from you as you smoke and look what it still does to it. Just imagine what it's doing to your lungs.
*Smoking cigarette * nah they do just fine just sell it on marketplace and buy a refurbished one for a few bucks more every couple years boom no problems
Not to mention your family who live with you. If a PS4 is absorbing all that nicotine and tar, your family living with you is also breathing that in too.
Agreed. I repair computers for a living. If I accidentally lose one screw, nobody is very concerned. (I keep tubes of spare screws in various common sizes anyway, so replacing a screw isn't a big deal unless it's a special screw like a Torx or a tri-wing.) If I lose *ten* screws, someone would complain to HQ and I'd probably be fired.
I bought one for my nephew from the store. Soon as I brought it home controller was sticky full of gunk and the analog stick was always in down position it was that loose. The hard drive cover was barely on. I can deal with scuff marks but this looks like it was beaten badly. I look past all that turn it on. Instantly heard a grinding noise. Then not even halfway through set up and update it red light and shut off. Wouldn't power back on. Remind you I only had it for not even an hour since purchase. With 1 yr warranty they wanted to total it to 300. Console was 229. For 269 I can go to Walmart and get new 500gb console. So when I brought to different gamestop to exchange it. The manager instantly asked if purchased from a certain location after I told my story and he was correct about location. He said they are famous for bad products. So all in all he gave me a new 1tb fortnite edition at no cost. And gave deepest apologies. This was the location I usually go to but the one time I don't all that happened. I'll continue to support the good location due to the employees cause they are amazing and fair. And will gladly go above and beyond to help out.
I have been a smoker for 23 years, I have left it 5 years ago, watching this video makes me proud of myself. if tobacco does that with a "premium refurbished" PS4 imagine what it does to your lungs Great video!
I smoked for 21 years my self and it will be 1 year since I quit next month. My last 3 years smoking I started smoking outside to cut back. My DVDs and blu ray cases are still sticky from all the smoke and ive washed them down 2X.
For the company I work Refurbished means it has to look like brand new after a repair, and the customer can't even tell it was used or repaired. If the product looks like this it even wouldn't pass the end controle and comes right back to my desk as quality check failed. Don't know what refurbish means for gamestop
@@xburkez & neojack333 why do you wanna know ? It's not in America and it's none of your business either, just keep watching tronic fix video's, that's what makes you smarter, not by knowing where I work 👍
Great job man! I repair car amplifiers for a living and the way you repair is same as me, basically with ocd about it all. Mine has to be perfect like was never opened and repaired when im done. I replace any missing screws, clean everything perfectly. I just wanted to say thanks for the videos and great job.
When I turned 16, my grandfather gave me his car. He'd been driving it for 4 years. He was a cigar smoker. I spent more than a year trying to rid the tar and cigar stench from the interior. The smell was so strong that my dad would let me use his car for dates. When I left for college, I let my brother have the car and in keeping with his wild streak, he quickly totaled it. I often wondered if it did it on purpose. It still smelled of cigar 7 years after it had been exposed to cigar smoke. I wonder if smokers realize what smoking is doing to them. I can't imagine sucking that crap into my lungs. When it comes to electronics, tobacco smoke residue tends to adhere to all of the components. It can't be good for their longevity.
Johnathan - it's scary to imagine that there are that many self-destructive people out there. I used to think it was because smokers were stupid - but now I think its because they are suicidal.
Once you start, it's very difficult to stop, especially thanks to the stuff that's in them. My grandma was a heavy smoker, it later affected circulation in her foot, and she still kept trying to smoke even after we tried to make her stop and take the packs away. She ultimately died almost 13 years ago largely thanks to decades upon decades of smoking.
BigOnAnime94: I am so sorry. My grandmother was a smoker. I remember watching the nightly news when the Surgeon General's Report on the dangers of smoking was announced. I looked over at her and she was lighting a cigarette. I begged her to quit, and though she tried after suffering a heart attack, she kept going back. She eventually suffered a stroke and went into a coma. She never regained consciousness and was removed from life support after 30 days. It's obviously a very addictive habit ... some say it's more addicting than heroin. I am happy that no one in my family smokes - that includes siblings, our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
I've not finished the video yet, but let me say something as a GameStop employee. The warehouse (place where we send damaged/defective products to get cleaned up/repaired and labelled as "refurbished" for resale) completely sucks. We've had more issues with product that we've resold that came from the warehouse than we ever did with any of our pre-owned items. We joke in the store that the warehouse will repair one issue but create another. It's gotten to the point where we just won't sell anything that's come back from the warehouse unless a customer absolutely insists and then we caution them about what's going on. I don't know what those people are doing, but they should be ashamed of it. Bottom line: Don't buy refurbished stuff from GameStop. Buy pre-owned (this actually helps us the most) or new instead.
Out of respect to the costumer, they should have cleaned the insides of the console. This is unacceptable. Thank God they ran out of business in Puerto Rico.
I go in and compare their prices with reputable ebay seller items and in the playstation and xbox apps. Bought like 6 games for my girlfriend on the ps store for the price if 2 of the same games in gamestop. But also gamestop had 2 others for half the price they were on the ps store. Literally bought those 6 games from the ps app on my phone while inside gamestop. 2 of the games were downloaded when I got home. You gotta compare while you shop.
GameStop probably paid 100 for the console from some poor kid and sell it to you "refurbished" by blowing some air in it and selling for 250. What a joke
I have a friend who bought a PS4 Frankenstein with a 4 TB hard drive for $50. He said the guy looked like a junky and needed the money to buy drugs. He couldn't get it to work so he brought it to me. I could tell the PS4 was brand new. It didn't have any dust. All I had to do it is format the hard drive to the PS4. But Sony has it wrong on their instructions. While the PS4 is on, slide the hard drive out then slide it back in. The menu for format will show up and download. I charged him a pizza and it was all good. He has a PS4 with a lot of space that if you were to buy everything would cost $495. He got it for $50 and a pizza lol.
I dunno how I'd even fill up 4 terrabytes on a PS4. I'd probably take out the 1tb in my computer and put that in and just use the 4TB one to hold basically everything I own on there
Just finished fixing a coworker ps4 1215 following your tear down and reassemble tutorials . It was a GameStop premium refurb and was the second one they have had to buy and yea same as you very disappointed when I showed them video and pictures of how it looked inside but I got it all cleaned and fixed thanks to your tutorials thanks.
As an employee, this is definitely a big reason that we aren't fans of the "premium refurb" systems. We see more of them come back defective than the systems we just take in at the stores and resell there. The refurbishment center has been making some attempts to take the feedback they get to heart, and possibly getting this video into the right hands can show them some of the very obvious improvements that need made?
@@CorrectCrusader OR gamestop could just do their damn job properly and the smoke wouldn't be an issue. You keep focusing on who we need to tell to shut up, when what you really need to do is just demand an honest product from these companies who are straight up committing fraud here. Same with game devs and predatory micro transactions. Focus on the root of the problem, not who is bringing the message. #dontbetheproblem #bethesolution
We've opened several GameStop consoles labeled refurbished, and none of them have had any maintenance done. All had dry paste and dust. Their definition of refurbishment must be simply "tested and verified to work."
GameStop needs to go bankrupt and have a real company buy them for pennies on the dollar. Their employees are really good for the most part but the company only cares about how much they can leech off a person making minimum wage.
"Save $50 on your PS4! All you have to do is be able to live with an overheating, disgusting, smoke smelling PS4! Did we also forget to mention it's brand spanking used?!"
@JeRemy "Keep that in mind when the new PS5 comes out" don't have to I play on PC :P. Anyways sounds just about what i'd expect really as finding companies willing to give you brand new parts when their defective ones fail is pretty hard. Much more lucrative sending you "refurbished" units that they "fixed". My friend had to go through 4 $700 4k monitors (early adopter) from Asus before they sent him one that while dirty at least didn't have a blotch of dead pixels. They were actually spread out making it less noticeable... he boycotts them now.
@JeRemy Don't consoles come with a factory warranty for like a year? the xbox has at least a 1 year warranty and they will either fix or replace it free of charge within that period, sounds like the best buy warranty is only good for an extension on the factory warranty.
@JeRemy Say what you will about GameStop, but if you buy the in store warranty on a new system, you get a new system back if there’s a valid warranty issue.
My mom smokes more than a forest fire as soon as you said that I knew exactly what kind of smell you were referring to and I have to say, it’s absolutely terrible, there is literally nothing worse than having the smell of cigarette smoke on your clothes and things and you not even be the reason why it’s even there.
UruKaDoo Edwards no I think my complaints are justified, nobody likes smelling like cigarettes except smokers and that’s only because they can no longer smell what it smells like and are unaware they smell that way.
I must be one of those rare people that likes the smell of cigarette smoke. I have a very poor sense of smell so strong scents like diesel fuel and smoke are nice because I can actually detect them.
They have their headquarters in Grapevine, TX. I pass through it on my way to work every day. They are always hiring people from a temp agency, and they seem to go through workers pretty regularly. I can apply for a weekend spot just to see what exactly they do with the consoles.
It doesn't seem possible for that PS4 to be actually refurbished. If it makes any room smell like smoke when turned on, even faintly, how can it ethically be resold? I cant imagine someone paying for a smoker's console knowingly, unless its extremely cheap or they are a heavy smoker themselves. Really unethical business practice imo.
@EvanG. I am a Smoker - OK I smoke Tobbaco and Rollups, So the smell is not so bad to be honest... But as a Smoker I now how that Smell lingers... But What really annoys me is that YOU CAN get rid of that smell - Or at least lessen it and GameStop simply DID NOT EVEN TRY!!!! Even as a Smoker, If I had bought this console, I would have been throwing it right back at them!!!! NOW THAT'S BAD!!!!
EvanG. Yep.. it would have been better to take the usable parts out that won’t make everything smell like smoke.. that way fixing another console will be cheaper because you will already have some of the parts.. that is the way i see it at least
I worked there for 5 years... saw ur second video and I can assure you that a GameStop retail employee does not have anything to do with a refurbished system.... They only take in trades and then they are sent to get fixed
They aren't doing well. A far cry from what they once were. Idk about everywhere, but in my state, they won't give cash for anything anymore. Only trade for store credit. They can't afford cash anymore.
Bit that annoys me with refurbs is as you know if the store suspects you have opened the unit you void warranty, yet if you don’t open it you can not tell how gunked up the inside is. Unfortunately this is not isolated most refurbs that have come to me for repair outside of warranty have failed due to gunk build up resulting in overheating, as you know this causes catastrophic failure in the most expensive components on the mainboard, which could have been avoided with due diligence in cleaning during original refurb.
I am from the UK, so I don’t know with GameStop, though have found that it is quite common with refurbs from Game and from other stores offering refurbished units. I suspect it comes down to luck of the draw, if the person tasked with the refurb does not care or if the company has unrealistic targets on turn around time, then first thing you will notice is increased units with gunk inside and things like missing screws. Some companies outsource the refurbishment to 3rd party companies that effectively operate sweat shops, I can not comment on GameStop as I don’t know, issue with 3rd party companies they will normally have unrealistic turnaround targets, and unskilled staff often on high turnover. It might be interesting to try to source refurbs from a variety of vendors, I am pretty sure you will find much more evidence of due diligence from “independent” stores, also get another from GameStop, though is your channel.
TronicsFix Also dust is quick and easy to blast out, as you know tar is quite time consuming and fiddly to completely or satisfactorily remove, from a buyers perspective for flipping a product I make less money on a unit from a smoker because of time taken to clean it, instead of taking maybe 10 minutes for just dust it can take an extra hour + to deep clean a tar filled unit...
Yes, I'm thinking of getting "refurbished" consoles from some other stores too just to compare. I agree though...it is probably just the luck of the draw. I'm hoping someone that works in the GameStop refurb factory will see this and comment. We'll see.
I got a PS4 refurbished for christmas last year and I've always had issues with it. The controller came broken (the left joycon glitches and doesnt work) and the PS4 has always had power issues where it doesn't turn on. I'm not sure where it was bought from since it was a gift. After seeing this, I'm going to open mine up and see if it's that bad. Thanks for the insight and tutorial!
Ordered a Ps4 pro fron Gamestop. Cover was partially on and only the fan was cleaned. I ran a flashlight thru the fan to see a dirty heat sink. Its currently at a repair shop because Gamestop says that can't help.
Items from smoker homes shouldn't be able to be traded in ..just the way it is that stuff can never fully come out ..i bought a head set for the ps4 used and as soon as it came in and i opened it it smelled like an ashtray
ive never fixed a damn thing in my life but im getting one of your shirts anyway just to teach you that you cant tell me who the shirts are for, in your face Tronics.
I smoked around my old ps4 for 5 years and I tore it down to fix the hdmi port and it look nothing like this. I mean from cigarettes, weed, vaped, and plus some of my friends smoke too. Like how does it even yellow like this? Granted I had it in my living room but this guy must of been dirty like that meme with the cigarettes overflowing and trash all over the place.
I like this merch, it's not a super cringe logo that would be embarrassing to wear or see in public. It looks nice, may consider a purchase if I follow your channel more.
For the smoking issue - take isopropyl alcohol (preferably 91% or higher), a cotton ball or q tip, don’t soak it but get it wet and rub a small area, it will help to loosen up the tar. Personally I would only use this on the case/shields but I am not a tech. Honestly I don’t know if you could ever get the smell out 100% but it will help tremendously! Love your videos keep it up!!
Return ASAP! You can’t get rid of smoke smell. $249 lol... they were selling new ones with spiderman for $199! Used stuff should be min 30-40% off if like new, just like a car. A smokey car would be even less.
I use to work at a computer repair shop. Smokers machines were the absolute worse sometimes it would be so full of tar that fans wouldn't spin. There would be dust and tar mixture that was impossible to remove. I would gag just opening them.
I learned my lesson back in 2001 when I bought a refurb Dreamcast from them. I went through three units before I told them to just give me a used one. I lost ten bucks that they refused to refund since ‘it was past the 30 days limit’. So I vowed NEVER AGAIN would I buy a console from GameStop, period.
Just invest in a gaming pc, and use emulators. I have a $2800 gaming pc. Havent bought a console in about 12-13 years. The only reason I would buy a console is if my son wanted one, and he is turning 4 soon. I personally consider using a console to be a symptom of severe immaturity. If you take the time to build your own gaming pc , you will see what I mean.
@@lordkrythic6246 Chosen platform doesn't indicate immaturity at all, on its own. I know more than one person that enjoys gaming, but don't know the first thing about the hardware side of it and don't want to get into stuff like PC specs, and how well certain games would run on it. I personally prefer PC over the others, but still have a PS4 and Switch because of the exclusives.
Hey there Steve, love your videos. Just to let you know that you ca clean any electronics, especially from a smoker. I am a electronic restoration tech by trade and I clean and test electronics and appliances from water and fire claims. There are really good degreasers and deodorizers that can get rid of any smells or most stains.
At the computer place I used to work at, we had a foaming cleaner that would take that tar and smoke residue (as well as some screen printed logos) off the plastic. I wish I could remember what it was called. Had a couple of the old beige CRT monitors come in that were orange on the inside from all the gunk. That stuff cleaned it right off. Turns out that they weren't beige - they were white.
Thank you for posting your videos... really insightful. So much so you have helped us to identify our sons overheating issue with his PS4... his cooling fan would be working at full speed sounding more like a 747 turbine. Upon opening we found ALL of the Ram heat pads were missing and the thermal paste on the Processor was completely degraded. Have ordered new pads and compound, so fingers crossed this solves the problem! To add some context, his PS4 was purchased as an officially "re-boxed" product from Sony... As in it was purchased and returned for some reason, but under our laws they cannot be resold as new. (UK) So they are "Refurbished" and checked and the repackaged in appropriate boxes and sold at a huge discount.
@@Tronicsfix I have to say normally Sony refurbs here are good too... and to be fair we never suspected something was wrong until I got my own PS4 and was almost silent in comparison. The fan issue definitely becomes more of a problem once the machine is under stress from serious gaming sessions! LOL! GTA5 certainly makes his PS4 ready to take off! I shall keep you posted on how the repair goes...
1:10 I was expecting a dollar shave club ad 😅 When ever I see a video about gamestop refurbished items, it seems like they did nothing. How can you sell a yellow piece of crap like that as refurbished!?
Another thing aswell don’t vape neither , inside the console it will get really oily and sticky and sometimes that won’t let games play, I learned that the hard way
I vaped for a while and yeah - I quickly found this out!!! My Wife (God rest her) noticed how our Celing was getting stains from my smoking, but when I switched to Vapes, she spotted oily stains on our surfaces and we quickly worked out it was byproduct form the Vape... Harmless... It seemed to be something like Vegetable Oil... but if you don't get rid of it on a regular basis and it build up - JESUS IT HARD TO REMOVE!!!! And Yeah - I was a bit of a Lazy scrote - My PC desk was my little zone so was often cluttered and didnt get cleaned as regular as it should... LOL! So yeah - It was noticeable quite quickly!
It helps when you have something such as a fan venting the room you're in. 3+ years vaping next to my PC and 4 months directly next to the H500M and zero issues with proper ventilation.
I don't know if you've done a video like this yet (or if you even want to do one. Lol), but I'd love to see a video of you completely cleaning a PS4 smoker edition. You do amazing work and I'd very much like to see you destroy one of those units with your amazing attention to detail! Keep up your great work my man!
I bought a refurbished PS4 from GameStop and if had to be replaced 3 times , finally I just bought a brand new one and traded the not working one towards the price of the new one. Only perk\ bonus was that some reason I didn't have to buy a play pass maybe it was jailbroken
It's the Gamestop special! I bought my mom one of these "certified" PS4's to play Crash Bandicoot on and the first one that I bought for her was absolutely trashed. Controllers wouldn't connect, and many other issues. I tool it back and they had me stand around there for 3 hours while they tested it. Eventually they were like "oh yeah its broken", and i was like " isn't this supposed to be certified refurbished by gamestop? It should have worked out of the box..."
I’m not only impressed by your content but also the finesse of your video editing skills. Fast forward at just the right moments and at the right pace. Very nice close-ups. Q-tips to ‘show’ the smell: just genius. You are a man with many talents. Thanks!🙏
I never even considered the harm cigarette smoke could cause to electronics. I once refurbished a PC for a friend who kept it in a room which connected to their kitchen. Over several years. the oil in the air from their cooking had mixed with the dust inside their PC to form a sticky grease that had completely seized every cooling fan in their case. Very nasty.
What is your experience with GameStop? Also, what do you think of the merch?
OMG so good ya not sarcasm
Merch looks cool and u have more colors ?
@Tillx YES, lots more colors on my Teespring store: teespring.com/stores/tronicsfix
@@Tronicsfix you even have my size!! Too bad the shipping cost are so high (25% of the cost) - I will mull it over
It's shocking dat cigarette or probably weed smoke can effect a PS4 or an Xbox. it looks revolting.
Selling things like that and calling it refurbished should be illegal.
The problem is that there is no "official" definition of refurbished. You can literally call anything refurbished.
Does he not realize what refurbished means? I find that unacceptable.
Fluffery is permitted as long as it’s not totally misleading
AND selling electronic from a home with one (or several) smoker/s should be illegal. You wouldn't sell something that's smoke damaged from a fire, at least not without pointing that out.
@@pyeltd.5457 literally not the case. As mentioned many times in the video
I love how he sent it back more refurbished than he got it.
Tylor Cornwell dude is a real OG.
yesssssss
Sad
That's what I was thinking.
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As someone who worked at GameStop I can tell you... refurbished means „put it in a new box“. In Germany that is.
Thanks for the comment! Love getting comments from employees or ex employees!
Echt jetzt? Mist, ich hab erst vor gut zwei Wochen eine PS4 slim von Gamestop gekauft...
@@stargazerOF Gamestop zieht die Leute übern Tisch. Ich würde dir raten Gamestop in Zukunft nicht mit deinem Geld zu unterstützen
Basti bruh wer geht noch zu Gamestop?
So what is the difference between "pre-owned" and "refurbished"??
This video works better than many anti-smoke campaigns
if you smoke, your lungs will look like this console
Jesse Raphael Worse.
@@jesseraphael2423 much much worse.
"If more information was the answer, we'd all be billionaires with perfect abs" - Derek Sivers
@@jesseraphael2423 yep but like color on external ps4..black !
I was going to say, why bother cleaning & replacing, even a little, if you're going to send it back? But then it dawned on me; someone else is going to buy it.
What an epiphany.
When your common sense is so low that normal train of thought must be a huge breakthrough
😂😂😂 sorry not sorry but I'm a mom. Mommy brain is a real thing.
@@11393 Ironic coming from a dude with a soutpark avatar
@@kenners1993 lol
"Premium refurbished".
Smells like smoke, not cleaned inside, screws missing, original dry paste, filthy fan, thermal pads misplaced or missing.
premium refurbished is an oxymoron...
@ I have had really bad experiences with gamestop and I've only been to two! It pains me to think that they are about to go under becase their Canadian counterpart EB games has consistently been an excellent place to get new games and I dont want gamestop to take them down with them. In my experience EB games has a good selection, excellent customer service and decent refurbished consoles. I bought a refurb xbox 360 from them ago and took it apart for fun and it was clean and complete on the inside. The thermal paste might have been old though, I didnt check because I didn't want to deal with the X clamp. I
That is quality
Is that what Premium means? Lmfao
@@Omegapork I'm so jealous. I don't know where an EB is anymore where I live.
When I worked at GameStop, we had a guy that came in once to buy a system, specifically requesting one that didn't smell like smoke. The dude literally had us open up the boxes, put his head in them, and sniffed. It was incredibly hard not to laugh, but I understand why he was doing it.
That wasn't _actually_ me, but it could have been!
now, after seeing this video, I DEFINITELY would. I always buy new consoles anyway because you never know what the previous person did with it.. also I am extremely allergic to cigarette smoke. (I even have to carry a respirator with me if I go into public.)
@@controlsixtyfour If it's anything that you're planning on having for a long time, buy new. Used cars, for example, might have low mileage and have all their oil changes done, but you don't know if the previous guy drove it with a lead foot constantly, etc.
@@MikeClowder On the contrary, buying new cars is typically a huge waste of money. They depreciate in value tremendously once purchased -- even if you were to attempt a trade-in a month later. The better deal would be to purchase a vehicle from a private owner who has kept all detailed records of the vehicle's maintenance. Then bring a mechanic friend (if you have one) when you go to test drive/purchase it.
I purchased a new car one time. Don't think I'll ever feel the need to do that again.
@@MikeClowder I bought my laptop new, the keyboard broke 2 times and the charger broke, I only had it for 6 months.
Just know the product you are gonna buy. If you buy blindly, doesn't matter if it's new or used, you might be buying a headache.
They probably gave the previous owner $3 too
with smoke residue? more like $1.75
store credit. 50 cents cash
In the UK GameStop Is called Game but we also have another GameStop like store called Cex, 2 years back I gave them a few games I gave Rocket League Premium Edition, Call of duty World War II, Call of Duty Black Ops 3, and something else I got about £80 or $90 which isn't bad tbh.
That's half way to their next pack of smokes!
That's what he deserved
Wow, so it’s good to know that someone else had this issue with a GameStop “certified” refurbished. My son got a PS4 pro last October 2019 from GameStop and it has sounded like a jet engine ever since he got it . So watching your tear down and cleaning videos (got tired of the ridiculous noise) What I found was missing thermal pads on one of the memory chips, partially crusty thermal compound and there was no heatsink clamp cover. The clamp was there but the plate that screws on over it was gone. Heatsink was a little dirty but not what I was expecting with the noise. Also the pads that were there were too small for the memory chips. After following your videos I’m glad to report it’s quiet, awesome!
Thanks for the videos. And thanks for showing how this should be done. I’ll be officially complaining to GameStop!
Also great Merch....love it
This comment is underrated. This stuff is the reason he makes videos on TH-cam.
Like said in the previous reply of this being an underrated comment. I’ve also got a refurbished Ps4 Pro and it has a jet engine sound. I’ve gone ahead and ordered the paste and pads along with the t8 screwdriver and following the detailed cleaning process and application of thermal paste and pads as I’ve seen in another video of his to see if I can get an improvement on how the console operates.
@@Jo_Rom can you tell me how it went? I was mulling over getting a refurbished from gamestop too..
Johan Pacheco How did it go?
Every ps4 has a jet engine sound, it's a feature.
Lol $250 for a used ps4... They are. $300 new.. That's absolutely ridiculous
I totally agree. I would never buy one of these if I was looking for one for myself.
No joke 50 bucks is alot to some. And usually its not a big deal to buy used so why not save? But ideal way is yes buy new. People still will pay for a phone like 800 900 even if its 1000 or so. But that is a much more expensive price ps4 is only 300 so its basically the same equivalent in reality by comparison. But yeah its alot of money to some
You can buy a ps4 pro on CL for $250.
My new PS4 Slim was 200 with a game
Black friday was like ps4 slim with red dead for 250£
You get good karma points for applying thermal grease and fixing the cushions. If you returned the unit it was in better shape then you received it!
That's what I thought. LOL!
lol
Its called Dharma, Karma only counts negative points, Dharma counts positive points.
Thermal "grease" xD
@@crisshardy wrong... dharma shows a way for people to live and conduct their lives with purpose. Karma = consequences of your actions , it can be positive or negative .. hence 'Good' Karma
I'm quitting smoking ATM, 3 weeks since last smoke. Was starting to struggle and feeling like a pack wouldn't hurt....til I saw this video
respect brah, u can do it
you can do it !
You got this man! I hope all is still going well!
Fight the power!!
Hey bro, hope u are hanging on it! All the best!
I work on computers for a living. And there is NOTHING worse than a computer from a heavy smoker. It stinks, it's sticky. Just ick
This dude, or family, must have smoked like 2-3 packs a day. If the Playstation looks like this, imagine what the inside of his body would look like.
Lord Krythic no wonder he sold the ps4 it was dieing hint stop smoking 😂😂😂
Cleaning it by hand takes a lot of work, that's why i have a ultrasonic cleaner
@@OhSoTiredMan
No one cares what you have. You're not special, and you're not important.
@@lordkrythic6246 Oh sorry I hurt your feelings. All i was implying was it makes things easier to clean when using a ultrasonic cleaner which I own because It's a hobby of mine to clean boards and fixing them up.
I used to work for gamestop germany.
Basically what they told us to do was "run the console for 45 minutes, see if it reads discs, game on it a little but make sure you don't play anything intense cause we don't want it to overheat in the test. and if its okay just take a toothbrush and scrub it a little. then pack it up, throw a controller from the used controller bin in there and send it off"
Interesting. Thanks for commenting!
Das kann ich nur bestätigen.... Leider.
Thank you brother
@@MadelineTTY Gibt nicht mehr so viele, vor 10+ Jahren gab es noch echt an vielen Ecken einige, mittlerweile kaum noch.
I observed a sale of a ps4 at a local gamestop (gs bought it) and they were like, "it's loud? no problem" and didn't even care it was screaming like hell while testing.
As of 12/24/19 on GameStop
Refurbished: $229
New: $249
RIPOFF
It's worth it. With the refurbished version, you get 4 pounds of dust inside your console for *FREE*!
@@therealmistermemer and a whole pack of cigarettes
I know it's an old comment and video, but why are people paying prices like this lol, and they still are in 2024. Used things should be at least 20-30% cheaper than new ones, especially if it's electronics, and it's still not worth the risk most of the time.
I refurb old consoles as a hobby and sell them cheap and will list what I do with original xboxes:
“Reconditioned as follows:
Console stripped down
Motherboard cleaned with isopropyl alcohol
GPU & CPU heatsinks removed and cleaned, then replaced thermal paste
Clock capacitor not removed as it is version 1.6 and not necessary
DVD drive stripped and cleaned including laser lens
DVD drive belt replaced
All parts cleaned”
If I’m working on older consoles I will usually replace capacitors also.
It baffles me how people get away with this when there are those of us who take pride in their work
where can i buy em? :D
Yeah I get you. You're an artisan, each one of your repairs are done with care and sweat. These guys view things as products. As an industry.
Well, I followed your channel.
You should add "All parts put back including screws" I'm not saying you don't, but that quote is pretty important and shows integrity
Yeah can I get one please
"I'm impressed how well they cleaned it", but that thing was absolutely filthy as soon as you opened it lmao
Ha, ha...ya I know! As they say "don't judge a book by its cover!"
They're betting that the normal person never opens it.
Damn..that is nasty..I would take it back to game stop with your took and pull it apart right there in front of them and everyone shopping there that say
....and then lose $249
I guess all they did were to spray it with some compressed air what I whould think off as normal maintainanse...
The amount of smoke damage is insane. He must of had his ash tray right next to the cooling fan. He probably used the ps4 to vent the smoke away from himself.
It's hilarious that you refurbished it better than them and then got your money back. I do agree that it is joke of a refurbishment. They probably just wiped the case with a wet rag and called it refurbished.
Ha, ha...other than the smell it's in GREAT condition now!
@@roeyalish
what he said is they did a fairly remarkable job cleaning what was probably an absolutely disgusting for the most part super smokers special.
He said he personally doesn't like the smell that it pushes out (no matter how mild) because it will make any room it's in smell like cigarette smoke.
I live with two smokers and let me tell you I don't want/let them anywhere near my consoles. I got a wii like 10 years back and though the console seemed fine you can tell smokers handled the Wiimotes alot, they stunk bad.
Actually it would be better if they just wiped the case. But they took it apart then put back together improperly. Once you separated the cooler and the die, you shouldn't put it back together with that hardened paste as it won't spread and fill the small gaps again properly. Misplaced thermal pads, swapped screws...
@@peterkiss1204 my thought exactly.... The sad part is that taking it apart and doing it properly (as you can see from the video) doesn't really take that long. I bet that someone trained really properly refurbishing one does one in 10 min. They still would make a lot of profit on it after having to spend wage for someone working like 10 mins on one knowing that the trade in value probably is like 130 dollars store value or like 100 cash... (that's about what you get if you trade in a PS4 500gb here in the Belgian equivalent of GameStop)
I understand business but this is just criminal... I'd do a better job at refurbishing one with my eyes closed...
he didn't say he got his money back, he said he's thinking about it. he also refurbished it for the content, not for gamestop
steve is the type of guy that buys a refurbished console, realizes the refurbish process is a mess, requests a refund and returns in the console in a BETTER condition than what he originally got.
LOL :D
😂 LOL
Good guy Steve
Back when the PS3 was alive, I bought a “Refurbished” one....turned out the controller was broken and I took it back, only to be told I need to bring back everything. I already had a bad impression of them prior but let’s just say that was one of the last time I purchased anything from them.
Well, I quit smoking today. Thanks for that I guess.
I hope you really did! That would be awesome!
@@Tronicsfix Yeah I really did. I've never been a heavy smoker, only a few a day but I've never taken apart an electronic of mine that looked that disgusting. If it sticks to smooth shiny metal and plastics, how much does it stick to the pores in my lungs? Appreciate you showing that, what an eye opener.
Jeremy Owens Congratulations! :D
@@TheShadowPhoenix Thank you! There was a couple rough days so far, but I think I'm through the worst of it. Just gotta keep myself busy!
@@jeremyowen1 thats the spirit! Keep distracting yourself from smoking and you'll be better off
The void warranty stickers are illegal. The federal government told companies to stop putting them on devices. We are legally allowed to work on our electronics.
They aren't "Illegal" they just mean nothing and it won't hold up in court. A company can slap whatever labels they want on a console but they are just pointless now.
Really? That’s cool. I wish that were true in Europe!
@@faramund9865 I think it is valid in europe as well but not sure, I remember hearing something about this a while back.
Dib It is in Germany.
I should have said in the US lol.
That’s just gross, I can’t believe Game Stop sold that.
Pro Tip: STOP BUYING FROM GAME STOP.
Best anti-smoking ad for gamers ever. This thing is likely a good distance away from you as you smoke and look what it still does to it. Just imagine what it's doing to your lungs.
*Smoking cigarette * nah they do just fine just sell it on marketplace and buy a refurbished one for a few bucks more every couple years boom no problems
Yeah that made me want to quit cigarettes lol
I’m glad I kicked that filthy habit years ago.
Not to mention your family who live with you. If a PS4 is absorbing all that nicotine and tar, your family living with you is also breathing that in too.
Cryssa Rose if you have family in the same house and smoke inside you deserve every type of cancer
I love how even when he is going to refund the console he can't help himself and still cleans it a bit and changes the thermal paste, lol.
Dude how did I know you were going to replace the thermal paste. Good on you bro, a true guy.
AND it was the perfect amount of paste!
Second hand smoke kills (your gaming system)
Stop Whining!!
No surprise folks, smoking is a dirty habit. If this guy's console looked like this, just image what his lungs looked like.
fair but... lungs are self cleaning. ps4, not so much.
Crypto Happy mmm, lungs not so much either.
@@chumerranion778 just keep coughing lol
And his home....ik some smokers who will step outside to smoke cuz they know what it does to the inside and everything on the inside of the home
@@loveashlyn320 200 IQ
Are you sure it wasn't the console that was smoking lol
greenham intensifs
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Like actually though xD
@@chadonkey24 😂😂😂😂 How can you be that stupid. Honestly.
Del Halley he’s prob like 4’11
Missing 10 screws!? When I've repaired stuff I've maybe lost a couple screws, but 10 is just careless.
Agreed. I repair computers for a living. If I accidentally lose one screw, nobody is very concerned. (I keep tubes of spare screws in various common sizes anyway, so replacing a screw isn't a big deal unless it's a special screw like a Torx or a tri-wing.) If I lose *ten* screws, someone would complain to HQ and I'd probably be fired.
Pure negligence....
@@MilesProwerTailsFox I only ever lost 2 screws in last 8 years. Ridicilous.
I sometimes lose at least one screw. Otherwise, basically NONE.
I bought one for my nephew from the store. Soon as I brought it home controller was sticky full of gunk and the analog stick was always in down position it was that loose. The hard drive cover was barely on. I can deal with scuff marks but this looks like it was beaten badly. I look past all that turn it on. Instantly heard a grinding noise. Then not even halfway through set up and update it red light and shut off. Wouldn't power back on. Remind you I only had it for not even an hour since purchase. With 1 yr warranty they wanted to total it to 300. Console was 229. For 269 I can go to Walmart and get new 500gb console. So when I brought to different gamestop to exchange it. The manager instantly asked if purchased from a certain location after I told my story and he was correct about location. He said they are famous for bad products. So all in all he gave me a new 1tb fortnite edition at no cost. And gave deepest apologies. This was the location I usually go to but the one time I don't all that happened. I'll continue to support the good location due to the employees cause they are amazing and fair. And will gladly go above and beyond to help out.
I have been a smoker for 23 years, I have left it 5 years ago, watching this video makes me proud of myself. if tobacco does that with a "premium refurbished" PS4 imagine what it does to your lungs
Great video!
I don't know you but I'm proud of you too! That must have been hard to stop.
I smoked for 21 years my self and it will be 1 year since I quit next month. My last 3 years smoking I started smoking outside to cut back. My DVDs and blu ray cases are still sticky from all the smoke and ive washed them down 2X.
David O. A
consoles tend not to cough...
imo this video is a good way to get peeps to stop smoking. lol
For the company I work Refurbished means it has to look like brand new after a repair, and the customer can't even tell it was used or repaired. If the product looks like this it even wouldn't pass the end controle and comes right back to my desk as quality check failed. Don't know what refurbish means for gamestop
Ya, that's what I would think refurbished means. It means different things to everyone though.
I bought a refurbished litter robot, a literal cat box, that was better than this. It was indistinguishable from a new unit.
Roy Kroesen what company
what is your company
@@xburkez & neojack333 why do you wanna know ? It's not in America and it's none of your business either, just keep watching tronic fix video's, that's what makes you smarter, not by knowing where I work 👍
Great job man! I repair car amplifiers for a living and the way you repair is same as me, basically with ocd about it all. Mine has to be perfect like was never opened and repaired when im done. I replace any missing screws, clean everything perfectly. I just wanted to say thanks for the videos and great job.
When I turned 16, my grandfather gave me his car. He'd been driving it for 4 years. He was a cigar smoker. I spent more than a year trying to rid the tar and cigar stench from the interior. The smell was so strong that my dad would let me use his car for dates.
When I left for college, I let my brother have the car and in keeping with his wild streak, he quickly totaled it. I often wondered if it did it on purpose. It still smelled of cigar 7 years after it had been exposed to cigar smoke.
I wonder if smokers realize what smoking is doing to them. I can't imagine sucking that crap into my lungs.
When it comes to electronics, tobacco smoke residue tends to adhere to all of the components. It can't be good for their longevity.
Wow...crazy. Yes, I agree...I don't think you could ever get that smell totally out. It gets everywhere in those things.
I’m pretty sure 70% of smokers know it bad for them the entire time. Something like that
Johnathan - it's scary to imagine that there are that many self-destructive people out there. I used to think it was because smokers were stupid - but now I think its because they are suicidal.
Once you start, it's very difficult to stop, especially thanks to the stuff that's in them. My grandma was a heavy smoker, it later affected circulation in her foot, and she still kept trying to smoke even after we tried to make her stop and take the packs away. She ultimately died almost 13 years ago largely thanks to decades upon decades of smoking.
BigOnAnime94: I am so sorry. My grandmother was a smoker. I remember watching the nightly news when the Surgeon General's Report on the dangers of smoking was announced. I looked over at her and she was lighting a cigarette. I begged her to quit, and though she tried after suffering a heart attack, she kept going back. She eventually suffered a stroke and went into a coma. She never regained consciousness and was removed from life support after 30 days.
It's obviously a very addictive habit ... some say it's more addicting than heroin. I am happy that no one in my family smokes - that includes siblings, our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
I've not finished the video yet, but let me say something as a GameStop employee. The warehouse (place where we send damaged/defective products to get cleaned up/repaired and labelled as "refurbished" for resale) completely sucks. We've had more issues with product that we've resold that came from the warehouse than we ever did with any of our pre-owned items. We joke in the store that the warehouse will repair one issue but create another. It's gotten to the point where we just won't sell anything that's come back from the warehouse unless a customer absolutely insists and then we caution them about what's going on. I don't know what those people are doing, but they should be ashamed of it. Bottom line: Don't buy refurbished stuff from GameStop. Buy pre-owned (this actually helps us the most) or new instead.
Thanks so much for commenting! That's interesting...good to know. Glad you shared this so people reading the comments are aware.
Yeah that is interesting i gotta remember that.
I purchased a used 1st gen white xbox one from my local gamestop and have had zero problem's I stay away from refurb's.
I've never had a problem with gamestop pre-owned consoles ... but every single refurbished consoles I've bought was either messed or just didn't work
Or just don't give GameStop your business at all because it's a garbage company, and there is no benefit to buying anything there.
Does “premium refurbished” just mean testing that it works? Lol it should be like new condition
Out of respect to the costumer, they should have cleaned the insides of the console. This is unacceptable. Thank God they ran out of business in Puerto Rico.
Haven’t been in a GameStop for years. They charge too much, poor customer service, and just a terrible experience imo. Will never shop there.
Justin Matherly you serious
Arturo Camargo it depends
I go in and compare their prices with reputable ebay seller items and in the playstation and xbox apps. Bought like 6 games for my girlfriend on the ps store for the price if 2 of the same games in gamestop. But also gamestop had 2 others for half the price they were on the ps store. Literally bought those 6 games from the ps app on my phone while inside gamestop. 2 of the games were downloaded when I got home. You gotta compare while you shop.
Where do you shop then ?
GameStop probably paid 100 for the console from some poor kid and sell it to you "refurbished" by blowing some air in it and selling for 250. What a joke
You mean they paid $25 with $10 credit, right?
Jeremy Wiseman should this be a joke? Because it sounds like a legit game stop price
OMG, all that browning to the internals. Imagine what the smoke is doing to your lungs 😦
I have a friend who bought a PS4 Frankenstein with a 4 TB hard drive for $50. He said the guy looked like a junky and needed the money to buy drugs. He couldn't get it to work so he brought it to me. I could tell the PS4 was brand new. It didn't have any dust.
All I had to do it is format the hard drive to the PS4. But Sony has it wrong on their instructions. While the PS4 is on, slide the hard drive out then slide it back in. The menu for format will show up and download. I charged him a pizza and it was all good.
He has a PS4 with a lot of space that if you were to buy everything would cost $495. He got it for $50 and a pizza lol.
That's a great deal!
I dunno how I'd even fill up 4 terrabytes on a PS4. I'd probably take out the 1tb in my computer and put that in and just use the 4TB one to hold basically everything I own on there
@@fionathegayesttiefling9867My friend down loaded every PS4 game. He filled 1.5 tb of space already.
May have been stolen if he bought it off an addict. lol!
Wow what a steal! No, like that was actually stolen from someone.
Just finished fixing a coworker ps4 1215 following your tear down and reassemble tutorials . It was a GameStop premium refurb and was the second one they have had to buy and yea same as you very disappointed when I showed them video and pictures of how it looked inside but I got it all cleaned and fixed thanks to your tutorials thanks.
As an employee, this is definitely a big reason that we aren't fans of the "premium refurb" systems. We see more of them come back defective than the systems we just take in at the stores and resell there. The refurbishment center has been making some attempts to take the feedback they get to heart, and possibly getting this video into the right hands can show them some of the very obvious improvements that need made?
Thanks for commenting! That's interesting. I'll probably buy another at some point to see how that one is. I don't want to judge on just 1 console.
They just shouldn’t accept Systems from smokers.
NovaLegion Yea, that would be great but... it’s 2019
@@king_david_._26 So what? Maybe people should stop being so entitled and get told No for once.
@@CorrectCrusader OR gamestop could just do their damn job properly and the smoke wouldn't be an issue. You keep focusing on who we need to tell to shut up, when what you really need to do is just demand an honest product from these companies who are straight up committing fraud here. Same with game devs and predatory micro transactions. Focus on the root of the problem, not who is bringing the message. #dontbetheproblem #bethesolution
We've opened several GameStop consoles labeled refurbished, and none of them have had any maintenance done. All had dry paste and dust. Their definition of refurbishment must be simply "tested and verified to work."
Yes, I think that definition is what they go by.
GameStop needs to go bankrupt and have a real company buy them for pennies on the dollar. Their employees are really good for the most part but the company only cares about how much they can leech off a person making minimum wage.
The only reason GameStop employees push you to get their membership is because they're forced to.
This aged like milk
@@porkywharf.388 Eh, sorta, gamestop isn't gonna stay that way forever. But i get what you mean.
"Save $50 on your PS4! All you have to do is be able to live with an overheating, disgusting, smoke smelling PS4! Did we also forget to mention it's brand spanking used?!"
@JeRemy "Keep that in mind when the new PS5 comes out" don't have to I play on PC :P.
Anyways sounds just about what i'd expect really as finding companies willing to give you brand new parts when their defective ones fail is pretty hard. Much more lucrative sending you "refurbished" units that they "fixed".
My friend had to go through 4 $700 4k monitors (early adopter) from Asus before they sent him one that while dirty at least didn't have a blotch of dead pixels. They were actually spread out making it less noticeable... he boycotts them now.
JeRemy weird because I’ve never had any issue with Best Buy at all! They have the absolute best insurance on their electronics!
@JeRemy Don't consoles come with a factory warranty for like a year? the xbox has at least a 1 year warranty and they will either fix or replace it free of charge within that period, sounds like the best buy warranty is only good for an extension on the factory warranty.
@JeRemy Say what you will about GameStop, but if you buy the in store warranty on a new system, you get a new system back if there’s a valid warranty issue.
@JeRemy odd... every item I have ever returned to Best Buy they grabbed me a brand new one off the shelf...
Now imagine that brown stuff in the owner's lungs.
Amir Bright they probably sold it to help pay the chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer 🤗
If you go to a private hospital it is expensive compared to the public one it is free if you have cancer in my country.
Only rich people can afford these private stuf.
Tina Chen that’s why there’s public and private ones.
In the UK like everyone gets the same treatment, but VERY FEW private hospitals exist
My mom smokes more than a forest fire as soon as you said that I knew exactly what kind of smell you were referring to and I have to say, it’s absolutely terrible, there is literally nothing worse than having the smell of cigarette smoke on your clothes and things and you not even be the reason why it’s even there.
Stop Whining!!
UruKaDoo Edwards no I think my complaints are justified, nobody likes smelling like cigarettes except smokers and that’s only because they can no longer smell what it smells like and are unaware they smell that way.
I must be one of those rare people that likes the smell of cigarette smoke. I have a very poor sense of smell so strong scents like diesel fuel and smoke are nice because I can actually detect them.
Hahahhaha
Centorea 88, bruh lol😂
They have their headquarters in Grapevine, TX. I pass through it on my way to work every day. They are always hiring people from a temp agency, and they seem to go through workers pretty regularly. I can apply for a weekend spot just to see what exactly they do with the consoles.
You should! That would be a cool story!
Omg I live in Irving and drive by there all the time too lol
Did you?
Arlington 👋🏽
Mesquite ⛽🔥💨
It doesn't seem possible for that PS4 to be actually refurbished. If it makes any room smell like smoke when turned on, even faintly, how can it ethically be resold? I cant imagine someone paying for a smoker's console knowingly, unless its extremely cheap or they are a heavy smoker themselves. Really unethical business practice imo.
I couldn't agree more.
I agree even though I probably wouldn't ever open the console I would return it thinking there is something wrong with it due to the smoke smell
@EvanG. I am a Smoker - OK I smoke Tobbaco and Rollups, So the smell is not so bad to be honest... But as a Smoker I now how that Smell lingers... But What really annoys me is that YOU CAN get rid of that smell - Or at least lessen it and GameStop simply DID NOT EVEN TRY!!!!
Even as a Smoker, If I had bought this console, I would have been throwing it right back at them!!!! NOW THAT'S BAD!!!!
EvanG. Yep.. it would have been better to take the usable parts out that won’t make everything smell like smoke.. that way fixing another console will be cheaper because you will already have some of the parts.. that is the way i see it at least
250$ for a used ps4 is not cheap ... i mean 100$ will be ok but 250 rly ? i saw any brand new ps4 slim for 250$ in any stores but ok...
They shouldn't have even accepted that as a trade in.
Ive dealt with smoker electronics and they go straight to the recycler.
Every Gamestop "refurbished" console i've torn apart has never really been properly fixed.... They're such a joke
Interesting. I might have to buy another and tear it down.
Usually they just huck a loogie on a rag and wipe it down along with the controller.
@@8BitGamer4life 😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
"Wait, there are components INSIDE the console that need cleaning too?! Doesn't blowing compressed air fix all that?" - Gamestop
Like, i can smell the smoke coming through the screen.... DISGUSTANG!
like from Roadkill.. Disgustang!
Nei nå tøyser du
I worked there for 5 years... saw ur second video and I can assure you that a GameStop retail employee does not have anything to do with a refurbished system.... They only take in trades and then they are sent to get fixed
Avoid buying from gamestop, overpriced garbage and shady business practices. I hope they go out of business.
Trust me there slowly doing so
Yep, won't be long
its only a matter of a couple years
Ya
They aren't doing well. A far cry from what they once were. Idk about everywhere, but in my state, they won't give cash for anything anymore. Only trade for store credit. They can't afford cash anymore.
Bit that annoys me with refurbs is as you know if the store suspects you have opened the unit you void warranty, yet if you don’t open it you can not tell how gunked up the inside is.
Unfortunately this is not isolated most refurbs that have come to me for repair outside of warranty have failed due to gunk build up resulting in overheating, as you know this causes catastrophic failure in the most expensive components on the mainboard, which could have been avoided with due diligence in cleaning during original refurb.
So you've seen some of the same stuff? I'm thinking of doing a follow up video and buying another refurb from GameStop to give them another chance.
I am from the UK, so I don’t know with GameStop, though have found that it is quite common with refurbs from Game and from other stores offering refurbished units.
I suspect it comes down to luck of the draw, if the person tasked with the refurb does not care or if the company has unrealistic targets on turn around time, then first thing you will notice is increased units with gunk inside and things like missing screws.
Some companies outsource the refurbishment to 3rd party companies that effectively operate sweat shops, I can not comment on GameStop as I don’t know, issue with 3rd party companies they will normally have unrealistic turnaround targets, and unskilled staff often on high turnover.
It might be interesting to try to source refurbs from a variety of vendors, I am pretty sure you will find much more evidence of due diligence from “independent” stores, also get another from GameStop, though is your channel.
TronicsFix
Also dust is quick and easy to blast out, as you know tar is quite time consuming and fiddly to completely or satisfactorily remove, from a buyers perspective for flipping a product I make less money on a unit from a smoker because of time taken to clean it, instead of taking maybe 10 minutes for just dust it can take an extra hour + to deep clean a tar filled unit...
TronicsFix
Guaranteeing getting a second refurb from GameStop that was owned by a heavy smoker really will be down to luck...
Yes, I'm thinking of getting "refurbished" consoles from some other stores too just to compare. I agree though...it is probably just the luck of the draw. I'm hoping someone that works in the GameStop refurb factory will see this and comment. We'll see.
I got a PS4 refurbished for christmas last year and I've always had issues with it. The controller came broken (the left joycon glitches and doesnt work) and the PS4 has always had power issues where it doesn't turn on. I'm not sure where it was bought from since it was a gift. After seeing this, I'm going to open mine up and see if it's that bad. Thanks for the insight and tutorial!
Just watching this makes me fee like I need to wash my hands.
I lit a cigarette for full immersion
Ordered a Ps4 pro fron Gamestop. Cover was partially on and only the fan was cleaned. I ran a flashlight thru the fan to see a dirty heat sink. Its currently at a repair shop because Gamestop says that can't help.
Buys a premium refurbished ps4, and actually refurbishes it even better and returns lmao
If you ever hear anyone ask why there are a lot of GameStop locations closing, just link them to this video. This is completely not acceptable!
Ha, ha...ya this type of thing can't help them.
They will completely implode on themselves within 5 years if they don't find a way to change their business model. Haha
salty prices, bad customer service and the money what they give on your games are just too bad
Items from smoker homes shouldn't be able to be traded in ..just the way it is that stuff can never fully come out ..i bought a head set for the ps4 used and as soon as it came in and i opened it it smelled like an ashtray
Windex removes 98% of cigarette smoke goo and 95% of the smell, store brand window cleaner, not so much. need real windex
Lil'Windex approves this
ive never fixed a damn thing in my life but im getting one of your shirts anyway just to teach you that you cant tell me who the shirts are for, in your face Tronics.
Ha, ha...you really showed me!
Man am I glad I didn't take up smoking. So gross. I spent so much time in cars with smokers and I wish I didn't even inhale this gunk secondhand.
So what does the non-premium refurb look like then?
Ha, ha...yes, interesting question!
A brick
Not cleaned with a Lysol wipe...
The same. When it doesn't work it's labelled untested 🤣
249?!?! BestBuy in Black Friday sells them for 199 NEW
I mean...its black friday what do u expect?
It’s Black Friday so it’s obviously low-prıced
You Wut That’s exactly what he means
What kind, and where can I find those thermal pads you use to replace the old ones?
I want to know as well
Good lord this must have been a HEAVY smoker. Wild.
Nope! That was not really that bad, I worked on a neighbor's PC and wow! It was freaking nasty! ..
I smoked around my old ps4 for 5 years and I tore it down to fix the hdmi port and it look nothing like this. I mean from cigarettes, weed, vaped, and plus some of my friends smoke too. Like how does it even yellow like this? Granted I had it in my living room but this guy must of been dirty like that meme with the cigarettes overflowing and trash all over the place.
I like this merch, it's not a super cringe logo that would be embarrassing to wear or see in public. It looks nice, may consider a purchase if I follow your channel more.
Cool! Glad you like it.
It's been 8 months, you buy that merch, homie?
For the smoking issue - take isopropyl alcohol (preferably 91% or higher), a cotton ball or q tip, don’t soak it but get it wet and rub a small area, it will help to loosen up the tar. Personally I would only use this on the case/shields but I am not a tech. Honestly I don’t know if you could ever get the smell out 100% but it will help tremendously! Love your videos keep it up!!
I’m literally so glad I stopped smoking
Return ASAP! You can’t get rid of smoke smell. $249 lol... they were selling new ones with spiderman for $199! Used stuff should be min 30-40% off if like new, just like a car. A smokey car would be even less.
I returned it to my local store. To their credit they gave me a full refund.
JR0752 Gamer sure you can rid of it just takes work
I would be afraid to purchase anything “refurbished” since I don’t know how to “furbish .” You have a fun and informative channel.
Your console worked. That makes it better than most GameStop "Premium Refurbished" consoles.
he never actually turned it on. good thing too, if it did turn on it would stink up the room.
becomes addicted to nicotine after disassembly.
haha!
I use to work at a computer repair shop. Smokers machines were the absolute worse sometimes it would be so full of tar that fans wouldn't spin. There would be dust and tar mixture that was impossible to remove. I would gag just opening them.
I learned my lesson back in 2001 when I bought a refurb Dreamcast from them. I went through three units before I told them to just give me a used one. I lost ten bucks that they refused to refund since ‘it was past the 30 days limit’. So I vowed NEVER AGAIN would I buy a console from GameStop, period.
Just invest in a gaming pc, and use emulators. I have a $2800 gaming pc. Havent bought a console in about 12-13 years. The only reason I would buy a console is if my son wanted one, and he is turning 4 soon. I personally consider using a console to be a symptom of severe immaturity. If you take the time to build your own gaming pc , you will see what I mean.
@@lordkrythic6246 Chosen platform doesn't indicate immaturity at all, on its own. I know more than one person that enjoys gaming, but don't know the first thing about the hardware side of it and don't want to get into stuff like PC specs, and how well certain games would run on it. I personally prefer PC over the others, but still have a PS4 and Switch because of the exclusives.
Hey there Steve, love your videos. Just to let you know that you ca clean any electronics, especially from a smoker. I am a electronic restoration tech by trade and I clean and test electronics and appliances from water and fire claims. There are really good degreasers and deodorizers that can get rid of any smells or most stains.
At the computer place I used to work at, we had a foaming cleaner that would take that tar and smoke residue (as well as some screen printed logos) off the plastic. I wish I could remember what it was called. Had a couple of the old beige CRT monitors come in that were orange on the inside from all the gunk. That stuff cleaned it right off. Turns out that they weren't beige - they were white.
@@TheCoffeehound There is a product called Zagg Foam. Its for all electronics.
Thank you for posting your videos... really insightful. So much so you have helped us to identify our sons overheating issue with his PS4... his cooling fan would be working at full speed sounding more like a 747 turbine. Upon opening we found ALL of the Ram heat pads were missing and the thermal paste on the Processor was completely degraded. Have ordered new pads and compound, so fingers crossed this solves the problem!
To add some context, his PS4 was purchased as an officially "re-boxed" product from Sony... As in it was purchased and returned for some reason, but under our laws they cannot be resold as new. (UK) So they are "Refurbished" and checked and the repackaged in appropriate boxes and sold at a huge discount.
That's interesting. Usually the ones from Sony are pretty good...at least here in the states
@@Tronicsfix I have to say normally Sony refurbs here are good too... and to be fair we never suspected something was wrong until I got my own PS4 and was almost silent in comparison. The fan issue definitely becomes more of a problem once the machine is under stress from serious gaming sessions! LOL! GTA5 certainly makes his PS4 ready to take off!
I shall keep you posted on how the repair goes...
1:10 I was expecting a dollar shave club ad 😅
When ever I see a video about gamestop refurbished items, it seems like they did nothing. How can you sell a yellow piece of crap like that as refurbished!?
Ha, ha...I should have gotten sponsored by them!
Another thing aswell don’t vape neither , inside the console it will get really oily and sticky and sometimes that won’t let games play, I learned that the hard way
I vaped for a while and yeah - I quickly found this out!!! My Wife (God rest her) noticed how our Celing was getting stains from my smoking, but when I switched to Vapes, she spotted oily stains on our surfaces and we quickly worked out it was byproduct form the Vape... Harmless... It seemed to be something like Vegetable Oil... but if you don't get rid of it on a regular basis and it build up - JESUS IT HARD TO REMOVE!!!!
And Yeah - I was a bit of a Lazy scrote - My PC desk was my little zone so was often cluttered and didnt get cleaned as regular as it should... LOL! So yeah - It was noticeable quite quickly!
Video about ps4 refurbishment and you guys are talking about oily ceilings 😂
Tony Eff nah he brought up the smoke , so I wanted to give another tip, but lol true
@@maikerukazukii I don't know why but I found this funny 👍
It helps when you have something such as a fan venting the room you're in. 3+ years vaping next to my PC and 4 months directly next to the H500M and zero issues with proper ventilation.
I don't know if you've done a video like this yet (or if you even want to do one. Lol), but I'd love to see a video of you completely cleaning a PS4 smoker edition. You do amazing work and I'd very much like to see you destroy one of those units with your amazing attention to detail! Keep up your great work my man!
I bought a refurbished PS4 from GameStop and if had to be replaced 3 times , finally I just bought a brand new one and traded the not working one towards the price of the new one. Only perk\ bonus was that some reason I didn't have to buy a play pass maybe it was jailbroken
When you said to skip ahead if we don't follow you before showing your merch I instantly subbed. Seeing class on this platform is always welcome
Welcome to the channel! Ya, I don't want to waste anyone's time who might not be interested.
Yikes! Throughout this video I could only imagine what smoking does to a smoker's lungs and other internal organs!
I have a modded original xbox and it doesn't look like that and I live with 3 smokers but it's also not in the same room as them
Just like we say here in Russia - We'll fix everything which is fixable and break everything which is breakable :)
This quote is wrong on so many levels
@@fervinlopez8560 that's joke.
Is it bad that I read this with Nikolai's voice? (Zombies fans anyone?)
I think I got eye cancer just watching you take that gross thing apart.
Ha, ha...hilarious. I might need to get my eyes...and skin checked.
It's the Gamestop special! I bought my mom one of these "certified" PS4's to play Crash Bandicoot on and the first one that I bought for her was absolutely trashed. Controllers wouldn't connect, and many other issues. I tool it back and they had me stand around there for 3 hours while they tested it. Eventually they were like "oh yeah its broken", and i was like " isn't this supposed to be certified refurbished by gamestop? It should have worked out of the box..."
I’m not only impressed by your content but also the finesse of your video editing skills. Fast forward at just the right moments and at the right pace. Very nice close-ups. Q-tips to ‘show’ the smell: just genius. You are a man with many talents. Thanks!🙏
Hey thanks! Really appreciate the positive comment!
that was nice of you to put new thermal paste in it.. ya obviously know they are gonna send that ps4 to someone else
Ya. I figured I should since I took the motherboard out.
whats the best way to get into fixing consoles? I kinda would like to but not sure where to start.
From my experience GameStop sometimes doesn't put a sticker on it to say you ripped it off and they don't have to except it back
ship it back instead of return to store.
Go to a different store....
Andrew Christiansen that won’t work cause they still won’t accept
@@idklike3210 So make a sticker.. Or make friends with someone who works there. Then go to a completely different store and return.
They should put a sticker on it saying they ripped YOU off!
Premium package, what a rip off.
Do gamestop actually refurbish the machines or is it a 3rd party that does it for them ?
I never even considered the harm cigarette smoke could cause to electronics. I once refurbished a PC for a friend who kept it in a room which connected to their kitchen. Over several years. the oil in the air from their cooking had mixed with the dust inside their PC to form a sticky grease that had completely seized every cooling fan in their case. Very nasty.
That's why I only buy brand new electronic. Never buy used or "refurbished"
Refurbs are usually fine.... More, Gamestop has a reputation for this kind of crap.