Gameseek, a UK online store that opened its digital doors in 2002, has gone into liquidation. The retailer has never been a stranger to controversy, but this is probably their greatest, as many customers are left without the goods they were promised or the money they used to buy them.
At the time of publication, very little is known about the nature of the liquidation. The only explanation available is a letter sent to all recent Gameseek customers declaring the liquidation. This is devoid of any real detail, however, outside of the logistical elements of the company going into “Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation” as per UK law, information that serves little good to consumers.
Anger and outrage is rife throughout social media, as many customers feel cheated. Eurogamer spoke to a few, including Tom Robinson from Wales, who ordered a Japan-exclusive premium edition of Detroit: Become Human via PayPal. He said, “I’m not holding out hope of getting my money back to be honest … it’s unlikely I will get reimbursed for a relatively small sum.”
Gameseek is probably best-known for a controversial move last year when they took pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch at the price of £198.50, over £80 less than what other vendors were asking at the time. It gave them a lot of media attention, and nearly 100 people had made the purchase. Despite making considerable losses as a result, the company honoured these pre-orders. It also sparked further controversy later that year when it ran a “Cyclonic Deal” promotion that included the SNES mini, as well as games like Destiny 2 and Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle for significantly-reduced prices. These deals were advertised on Facebook allegedly when they went live, but many who clicked on links to the site were met with dodgy countdown timers.
We’re unsure as to when customers of Gameseek will have any answers whatsoever. According to the letter given to customers, a decision will be made on May 17 this year as to the nature of the liquidation, where perhaps more details will come to light. It’s uncertain, however, and remains a possibility that hundreds of people will never see their money again.
