Layaway Plans

With the start of the 2010 holiday season, GameStop is offering a new layaway program on select items, including the video game systems Kinect for XBox 360 and new Playstation 3 systems as well as Wii (including the special edition red Mario Wii), XBox or XBox 360, Nintendo DS, DSi or XL. Unfortunately, the program apparently isn’t available for games, even pricey new releases such as Call of Duty: Black Ops. Also, GameStop won’t allow layaway on used gaming systems.

A store representative I spoke with said that buyers put $50 down, which reserves their console, and have until Dec. 17 to pay off the item. “We put that system away for you so no one else can buy it,” the rep told me. Payments are typically made weekly, but the representative I spoke with said regular payments aren’t necessary as long as the console is paid off by the 17th.

Some gamers are reporting that they plan to use the layaway program not only to pay over time, but to “lock in” sales prices or use coupons during the week a system is on special.

Other stores offering layaway on gaming consoles include: Kmart, Sears and Toys R Us.

GameStop partner stores include EB Games and Software, Etc.