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Each week there seems to be crazy story involving the big GameStop retailer chain, and this week it been on the news in Philadelphia that now GameStop's are asking for their customer fingerprints when they are trading-in games and consoles, and its been confirmed to be happening because of tougher police by-laws in major U.S. cities, there is even reports that Best Buy is doing it also on trade-ins.
When GameStop buys used video games from customers, the chain says it is following a local law that allows the store to collect thumb prints, which go into a database to help law enforcement track down thieves who fence stolen goods.
City Solicitor Shelley Smith says, however, the city is not requiring GameStop to abide by the pawnbroker's ordinance:
"What GameStop does doesn't meet any of the elements of the definition in the code, so the pawnbreaker ordinance doesn't apply to GameStop."
Folks outside a GameStop in Center City tell KYW Newsradio they were not thrilled with the company policy for anyone selling used games to the store:
- "I really don't appreciate it. You fingerprinted me like I'm in a police district. No, I'm at a game store."
- "That is a little absurd, it's just a video game."
- "I think it's an overreach. It's going too far."
- "I know that it only happens to people who go to jail, they get fingerprinted."
- "When I went, I got my finger scanned when he broke it out and said ‘I need your fingerprint,' I said, ‘for what'?"
The Philadelphia Police Department says the company is being proactive by storing fingerprints in a secure database - LeadsOnline - which is the nation's largest online investigation system.