Best Buy Not So Best? - Page 2

Carlo Medina · 03-16-2007, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisR

Best Buy's website and stores are treated as different businesses. You can complain all you want (and it does suck) but that's the way it is. Just because people expect the web price to match the store price, it does not have to and it does not make it bait and switch. Like others have said, buy it online and choose in store pick up and you'll get the web price.

Again, missing the point of it. The point isn't whether or not they'll match the web price. The point is that they pretend to look up the web price on their own local system that is mocked up to look like the website, but the price doesn't match what is on the site. Check my first post in this thread. That's what's happened to me and that's what is the focus of the investigation.

I would be fine if they said "we don't match". But to make it look like they're checking the web price on their internal "mock up" site that doesn't reflect what Bestbuy.com's prices are, is a deceitful practice. Because they're not saying they won't match, they're saying "what are you talking about? look our web price isn't any different!" when in fact it is.

Jeremy Little · 03-16-2007, 02:12 PM

Forget it, I tried to explain how to use the site.

MarkHastings · 03-16-2007, 02:20 PM

It's a clear case of deceit if an employee checks an intranet site and acts like they are accessing an internet site.

Chris Lockwood · 03-16-2007, 03:00 PM

> It's a clear case of deceit if an employee checks an intranet site and acts like they are accessing an internet site.

But it's only one letter different!

Dave_Brown · 03-16-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy Little

There are legitimate reasons for using both and no deceit is intended by the company.

Then why are they admiting the problem and making efforts to change the apperance of the internal web site from that of the external one? Could it have something to do with a state Attorney General investigation?

"Under pressure from state investigators, Best Buy is now confirming reports that its stores have a secret intranet site that has been used to block some consumers from getting cheaper prices advertised on BestBuy.com.

Company spokesman Justin Barber, who in early February denied the existence of the internal website that could be accessed only by employees, says his company is "cooperating fully" with the state attorney general's investigation."

Rest of story here:
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc...-utility-local

MarkHastings · 03-16-2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood

> It's a clear case of deceit if an employee checks an intranet site and acts like they are accessing an internet site.

But it's only one letter different!

Hey, this isn't the Fun With Titles thread.

Michael Hein · 03-16-2007, 06:10 PM

Quote:

There are legitimate reasons for using both and no deceit is intended by the company.

Umm, no. What does it take to cheat a customer then? Blatant signs on certain items that say "This item is not as cheap as you think from looking at the website and because it is more expensive we have a dummy site to prove you wrong".

They knew about this for a long time and whether it was initially set up for legit purposes or not, once they got wind of how effective duping customers was they went with it.

And of course then deny any knowledge or wrongdoing. Cut and dry IMO.

TonyD · 03-16-2007, 07:31 PM

maybe the csr's arent even aware that they are looking at the wrong site?

Jeremy Little · 03-16-2007, 08:24 PM

Forget it, I tried to explain how to use the site.

MarkHastings · 03-16-2007, 08:47 PM

Jeremy, if an employee says that the store will match the online price, then says he is pulling up the online web site, then pulls up a different web site than the one online...isn't he lying?

Jeremy Little · 03-16-2007, 09:57 PM

Forget it, I tried to explain how to use the site.