[Daniel Hawl]

Today I went to sears to get a price on the 55" Philips that I've been eyeing. It is model 55PP9352 and is available online from many sources from $1750 to $2000. I knew ahead of time that Sears has this set for $2299, and from reading posts on this forum, I was anticipating them to pricematch + 10% of the difference. Really anything in the $1800 range that would allow me to walk out for $2000 with tax included was what I was hoping for. Note that I am not buying today, but in a month when my tax return arrives (whee).

I arrived at Sears with my girlfriend and baby, and walked to the TV section. I got a good 3 seconds in front of the philips when the salesperson started his sell. I informed him of my desire to purchase the set, and inquired about their price matching policies. I asked if they price matched online stores, and he replied with a 'no we do not.' I informed him of the many people that have informed me of otherwise and he responded by asking me very harshly "who told you that? who?" I was almost getting the feeling he wanted to break some legs. I informed him of hometheaterforum and asked him what kind of deal I could get without a pricematch online.

The salesman informed me that they could take $100 off the price of the tv, and that would be an excelent deal. I told him that I had no intention of buying the set for $2199 if I could easily buy it online for hundreds of dollars less. He agreed that that would be smart of me and continued to try to get me to budge on the $100 offer (whoopdie doo!). He told me that they wouldnt price match anything with that much of a difference in price, and couldnt believe it was that cheap online. He said "one hundred, maybe two hundred difference, but four to five hundred dollars? We cant do that." My girlfriend then proposed a scenerio in which Best Buy had the tv for five hundred dollars less, and inquired to if they would price match that. He reponded "yes." Are we sensing a bit of bullshit on his part? I was. I asked to see his printed policy on price matching online.

He informed me that he indeed had a manual that listed no online pricematches.

Mr. Employee brought out his manual, and things got heated. He opened up to the pricematch section, and told me it said something about nothing online. I read over his shoulder, and found the section before he did. It read as follows:

"Stores in Peurto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii do not accept price matches from online vendors."

He soon found the same section and said "see here, we can't do it."

Now, I'm a nice guy. I'm very nice. I also hate stupid people, and people that try to bullshit me. Keep in mind, I'm a 20 year old, and dressed in casual work attire, so maybe he thought I was a complete moron. I responded by asking him how he perseeves a line quoting three areas that are thousands of miles away as pertaining to this orange county, California store. He responded that Orange County has the same regulations. Bullshit. I informed him that common sense clearly implies that if they mention three territories, the comment only applies to those territories. He blew it off and walked over to his manager.

"Do we take online price matches?" asked the employee
"Nope, well, depends, but no" responds the manager

Im fuming.

The manager informs me that they can only accept price matches from local brick and mortor stores websites. I ask him to show me proof of this and he pulls out a binder. He finally comes to a page dates OCT 1, 2002 that quotes "Price matching from online stores will be allowed from local stores websites." Thats all it said and I told him I'd find a local online store and bring in the printout.


In short, they changed their stories repeatedly. It went from "no price matches" to "local price matches." And the salesperson went from not being able to justify a $500 difference in any case to agreeing it was fine as long as it was a brick and mortor. I think I was given a complete run around, and simply because I hate to be force fed bullshit from employees, I am eagerly anticipating screwing them for the difference in cost. Anyone work for Sears or know the ins and outs of their policies? What should I do at this point?

My main theory is that showing up with $2000 in cash, a stack of online printouts and phone numbers, and an altimatum are my best, and most fun bets. "Give me the tv for $2000 with tax included, and its sold." I would end up paying more that way than a real pricematch at $1750, but thats fine.

[Scott Tucker]

I feel sorry for the Salesperson that had to put up with your "Bull***." Instead of you telling Sears what their policies and proceedures were, why didn't you just tell them what you would pay? If they met your price great. If they didn't fine.

[Jack Briggs]

Upon reflection and input, I think I overreacted last night to this thread. Please continue. Sorry for the inconvenience!

[Qui-Gon John]

Did Best Buy have it and how much? Right now they are also offering 24 months no interest. So if you got it for $2000, tax included, it would only cost you $83.33 per month. The hot deal would have been to have gotten it at Best Buy last weekend, (Preferred Customers 10% discount). With a sales price of $1886.50 (this comes to $1999.69 at 6% tax), then they would have taken 10% off the sales price, thus, $1697.50 plus tax (est. 6%) = $1799.72.

[Page]

I pricematched an online store with Sears a little over a year ago, but if I recall, Sears stopped this practice beginning in January of 2002. (The high overhead of operating a B&M store versus an Online store cuts into profits.) So...you may be out of luck.

(Your writing of your "adventure" sounds like you're a little on the antagonistic side. (Maybe you weren't, but it "sounds" like it from your writing style.) Perhaps, being a little more patient and condescending with the salespeople will get you a better deal. (It seems like they were moving in the right direction to get you a lower price.)

Maybe you could find a friend who works at Sears and they could get you a discount. Or tell you how online pricematching now works. Maybe you could try another Sears store with a "gentler" approach?

[Patrick Sun]

I've read accounts of people buying RPTV's at Sears as of the fall of 2002 where Sears would price-match online prices, but they'd factor in the delivery charge into the final price for the price-match.

[Neeraj]

In April 2002, I bought a Yamaha receiver from Sears and got them to pricematch with an online vendor. Things had gotten a little more complex in my case as the local Sears had run out of the model (it was on clearance) and it was only available at sears.com.

Ironically, it was a lot more difficult to get sears.com to figure out how they would match an online retailer than my local Sears. But after a few phone calls, I was able to get someone in that department and he went on the website I was talking about while I was phone, confirmed the price and just asked me to order the receiver from sears.com and that he would refund me the difference immediately after the order was placed - which he did. The only issue that later came up was that the price of the other vendor had included shipping but he had not factored that in. After an email they refunded me the exta $12 Sears had charged me for shipping as well.

FWIW, I found an even lower price on the same receiver about a week after (at another online vendor), and I took the printout to my local Sears and they refunded me the extra difference (since they have a 30-day price-matching policy).

At no time was I told that Sears would not pricematch. However, I was not given an extra 10% over the difference.

I am not sure if sears.com sells big-screen TVs but if the local Sears does not work, this might be worth a try. Note that there are some sites that Sears has blacklisted and won't pricematch with. Hope this helps.

[KevinFC]

Right after Christmas I bought my 32" Sony Wega TV from Sears. They had the TV on sale for 699.00. When confronted by a salesmen I asked him was that there best price, because I am buying a TV today whether it be from you or someone else. By the time it was all said and done about 15-20 min later. I had a 32" Sony Wega with a free stand(had a sign up saying free stand with 32" or bigger TV's)for 579.00 . But I most say this, he thought I needed delivery which I did not. That cost him 95.00 bucks. So he told me that what delivery charge would be. But I was very nice about screwing him over :b never got mad or anything, I think he did. So next time walk in there with cash or let him or her know that you are buying it today and what is the best they can and let them know you can always go elsewhere...they same to hate that.

[Shana]

I went into a Sears in Fort Worth yesterday and they couldn't tell me enough times that they would price match. I don't know if the salesman was just really hungry for some sales (I did notice there were several sales persons there for such a small electronics area) but then again it is a holiday weekend.

[Eric Stuckey]

Here in Indiana, We have a store called ,H.H Gregg & they are the biggiest bullshit feeders you have ever SEEN.
I hate even getting change for the pay phone from them.So I know what you mean about salesman like that.

[jim lupi]

sears policys can vary from store to store. You must feel them our. Im in NY and the closest sears (newberg) would only pricematch my toshiba 50h82if i included shipping. Anouther sears (nanuet) price matched + 10% of difference no questions asked. saved a good 400+ dollers.

officially their policy is they will pricematch internet prices from local stores.