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Best Buy Not So Best?

post #1 of 60
3/13/07 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
Best Buy has a secret intranet site that it can reference when you come in looking for your 'best' price. Their site doesn't necessarily reflect the same prices as you'll get in your web search. You can read more about it here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/03/b...-site-exposed/

FWIW, something similar happened to me last year, but at Staples. I had some discount cards from them and happened to be in the market of a larger hard drive. Doing some searching, I found a 200 gb Maxtor that met my needs of price and size and printed out the page to bring with me. While I found the same hard drive there, the price on the shelf was substantially higher. I brought it over to the cashier, and had her scan the price. Sure enough, the price was the shelf price and not what I'd printed out. I had the manager called over who pulled up a Staples web price but it wasn't the same as mine. However, after a brief verbal haggle, just barely loud enough to make people stop and listen for a bit, he said he'd honor the web price but offered no explanation for the discrepancy. He also honored the discount coupon I had. I didn't think much of it until the Best Buy thing came along and I'm curious whether this is more widespread among retailers who also maintain a store presence on the web.
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post #2 of 60
3/13/07 at 9:08pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Yep, they suckered me with this ploy.

When Norah Jones' new album came out, it had a combo edition with a DVD. The website said 9.99 but when I got to the store, it was marked at 14.99. I asked the guy to match the website and when he "looked it up" on their store computer which was mocked up to look like the website, it said 14.99.

I figured they caught some pricing error, but when I went home and logged on to the web, it was still 9.99. That was a dirty trick and I hope the class action lawsuit wins.
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post #3 of 60
3/13/07 at 9:43pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Hasn't Best Buy, and some other retailers, always maintained that their physical stores and their web store are separate businesses with separate pricing structures, and that the physical stores don't have to honor the web prices?
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post #4 of 60
3/13/07 at 10:59pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malcolm R
Hasn't Best Buy, and some other retailers, always maintained that their physical stores and their web store are separate businesses with separate pricing structures, and that the physical stores don't have to honor the web prices?
That doesn't seem to be the case at Circuit City.

This weekend I was able to pick up a Onkyo HT-S790 for $330, the advertised price in the store was $499......it was advertised on the website for $389.......Because it was open box(mint condition, no cosmetic flaws at all) they dropped another $60 off the price.

When I agreed to take the open box model, he went and spoke to his supervisor, I assume to find out if there would be any further discount. I thought they were gonna try to sell it to me for $389, take it or leave it, so while he was talking to his supervisor I was telling my gf that I was gonna see if I could get them down to $330 since it was open box..........he suprised me when he came back and said "and since it's open box, I can let you have it for $330"
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post #5 of 60
3/13/07 at 11:09pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malcolm R
Hasn't Best Buy, and some other retailers, always maintained that their physical stores and their web store are separate businesses with separate pricing structures, and that the physical stores don't have to honor the web prices?
This is a separate question than what they did to me.

I asked about the lower web price, and the employee said "Oh, let's check the web price right now and if it's lower I'll match it" and then they hoodwinked me by showing me the internal price that was mocked up to look like the online price.

That is a blatantly deceitful practice.

If they had said "we don't match the web prices" it would have been straightforward and honest and I wouldn't have had a problem with it. I would have just gone home and ordered it via the web.
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post #6 of 60
3/14/07 at 6:01am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Hasn't Best Buy, and some other retailers, always maintained that their physical stores and their web store are separate businesses with separate pricing structures, and that the physical stores don't have to honor the web prices?

I encoutered this issue a couple of years ago. I was attempting to buy the Frankenstein collection from Universal, and had received two shipments from Amazon with floater discs, so had to return each. I had a Best Buy gift certificate, so I decided to go to the store, where I could shake the packages to listen for floater discs.

I checked the price online -- it was $20. I printed a copy to take with me. When I got to the store, the price was $25. I asked for a price match with their own website, and was refused, first by the girl at the checkout, and then by the store manager, who was quite rude about it. Using logic with him did no good -- if I had ordered online for "in store pickup", I would probably be holding the exact same package in my hand and getting it at the lesser price. And actually, I would have done that, but for some reason the website was not taking my Best Buy gift card code (although it did work in the store).

Basically, Best Buy lost a customer for life over a refusal to match a $5 price difference with their own website.
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post #7 of 60
3/14/07 at 6:20am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

I've noticed that when you check the prices on the BB instore computer terminals, they are sometimes higher than what you would find on their normal website.
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post #8 of 60
3/14/07 at 7:41am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

with best buy this isnt new news.

has been that way forever.
simple solution is to buy it online and use in store pick up.
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post #9 of 60
3/14/07 at 11:56am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

I also know of a real low tactic Best Buy tried with the release of Battlefield 2 PC game. When the game was nearing release day I started checking out some big box stores via the web and noticed that the minimum PC specs needed to play the game were wrong - way wrong. They were the specs from a game released 1 1/2 years before, Battlefield Vietnam. According to the website, a Geforce 2 Video Card or better would be needed for BF2 but the game didn't even support Geforce 2, Geforce 3 or Geforce 4 Ti series cards for that matter. It said a min of 256 mb of ram ...lol BF2 wouldn't even be playable with that little ram I'm sure.

So, I call their 1 800 line and they put me through to the right person to talk to. I told them of their error and he thanked me saying they would get on it. I think I also emailed them a few days later reminding them of this error.

A month later the same understated specs were up. It was at that point I realized this had to be intentional deceptive advertizing. Sure, they'll sell more copies of the game by lowballing the specs and thats what their betting on. Anyone who's Video Card won't run it - perhaps they will come back and buy one. All just a ploy.

Now, 2 years later, I'm convinced their nothing but snakes as it still hasn't been changed to the right requirements.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...60&catid=21136
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post #10 of 60
3/14/07 at 2:47pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Being in CT, I will definitely be on guard from now on. I am so glad my brother didn't buy his TV from Best buy.


In fact, I recall him going to Best Buy and running into some sort of online vs. in-store pricing issue, but I foget exactly what it was. But thank god he didn't buy it there. This trickery is so annoying. This will definitely keep me out of the B&M's more so than ever.

I'm with Carlo, if you don't want to honor web prices, just say it, don't try to trick us, because not honoring web prices isn't ILLEGAL!!!
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post #11 of 60
3/14/07 at 3:37pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Went to Wal-Mart to get some groceries. I wanted to pick up a dvd that I found on their website. Assuming I'd be able to get it at that price off I went without any proof. Found the dvd and it was five bucks more in-store. The reason the blue vest told me was they lower the price online to offset shipping and handling charges. Sounded reasonable to me so I ordered it from Amazon with free shipping.
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post #12 of 60
3/14/07 at 4:07pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

> Basically, Best Buy lost a customer for life over a refusal to match a $5 price difference with their own website.

You say that now, but you'll be back, and they know it. Start boycotting stores over little things like that, and soon there will be none left to shop at.

I had a similar situation with Circuit City when I bought my laptop there last year. To get the best deal, I had to pay online, then pick up at the store. If I had walked in off the street and bought it, it would have cost $100 more. The special on the website said I could only get the discount if I picked up in-store, couldn't have it shipped. But then, for a laptop I'd rather pick up locally anyway.
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post #13 of 60
3/14/07 at 8:24pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
I've noticed that when you check the prices on the BB instore computer terminals, they are sometimes higher than what you would find on their normal website.
that's exactly what this is all about.

CJ
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post #14 of 60
3/15/07 at 5:16am
Thread Starter 

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

What'll happen is the same thing that always happens. It'll eventually go to court where Best Buy will agree to pay a fine and court costs in exchange for not having to plead guilty. They'll issue a statement that apologizes for any confusion caused to the consumer and reconcile the intranet and internet because after all, they're just the Best.
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post #15 of 60
3/15/07 at 5:31am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
You say that now, but you'll be back, and they know it. Start boycotting stores over little things like that, and soon there will be none left to shop at.

Actually, it's probably been two years, and I have not been back. I do check their weekend flyers, and their BB's prices are not that good anymore, either. Between that and the lousy customer service, I see no reason to shop there.
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post #16 of 60
3/15/07 at 5:48am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Here's an idea, bring a laptop to the store, and if the price is wrong, show them the website on your laptop. That way, you don't have to be ripped off.
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post #17 of 60
3/15/07 at 7:05am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

As mentioned earlier, there are differences in some stores that can't or won't match web based pricing, versus a store that intentionally runs two web sites with the purpose of 'bait and switch' pricing.

MC Sporting Goods has nothing to do with the web site MC Sports. I've gone in a few times looking for an item I saw on the web and when I ask about it, the first thing the sales person says is "we can't match web pricing as we are actually two seperate business units, but let's go take a look at the product" and a few times in store was actually cheaper than what was on the web. But the important thing is that while I didn't like to hear that, at least they were honest and explained why it was presented that way.

What I don't understand is why there isn't a bigger public out cry, as I always thought Bait and Switch was a pretty serious crime. Best Buy tried to pull a bait and switch on me once a year or so ago. I knew the price I saw online that morning was cheaper than the web site I was looking at while standing next to the sales drone. My cell phone is web enabled and when he said "you must have read the ad wrong, here is the price" I pulled out my phone and started surfing. He started to get a little nervous and before I got to the item he "suddenly remembered that his store hadn't downloaded the corporate web site refresh, so hang just a sec...." and all of a sudden, the new cheaper web page came up. I asked him how dumb did he think I was, the web is the web, you don't download a corporate refresh, asked for his manager, and told them why I would be buying my high def TV from an online retailer.
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post #18 of 60
3/15/07 at 7:27am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

I agree with you Dave. I am perfectly fine with a store telling me that they won't honor their web price in the store. A store really shouldn't be expected to match a web price. The web price is cheaper because they don't have to deal with the overhead costs that a B&M store does.

So yes, if a store is pulling the "bait & switch" then they need to be charged with a serious crime because there is absolutely no need to fool the public when they have a perfectly good excuse NOT to honor a web price.
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post #19 of 60
3/15/07 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

To see some of the interesting price swings, which are certainly befuddling, check out this link.

http://www.webmetricsguru.com/2007/0..._for_secr.html
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post #20 of 60
3/15/07 at 7:38am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

The lesson in all of this is, print out the web price....if the salesperson shows you that the price is not the same (on their computer) than you leave and don't buy it.

That's why I always do. There are other places to buy stuff.
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post #21 of 60
3/15/07 at 7:53am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Forget it, I tried to explain how to use the site.
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post #22 of 60
3/15/07 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Well doesn't BB price match? If so, what good is having 2 links on the employee's computers if they pull up the higher priced one routinely?
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post #23 of 60
3/15/07 at 9:44am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Forget it, I tried to explain how to use the site.
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post #24 of 60
3/15/07 at 9:59am

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkHastings
I am perfectly fine with a store telling me that they won't honor their web price in the store. A store really shouldn't be expected to match a web price. The web price is cheaper because they don't have to deal with the overhead costs that a B&M store does.
Normally, I do not have a problem with stores not matching online prices due to your "overhead" argument, Mark. However, the one exception is when a website offers "in store pickup" as an option, such as at Best Buy and Circuit City. That means they are pulling the mechandise from the exact same stock when I order online and pickup as that being sold at the checkout counter. Also, the same in store staff has to pull the item off the shelf and bring it to the pick-up counter, where another in store staff person has to check me out.

In this case, even if Best Buy wants to claim otherwise, the website and store front are not separate businesses. The only difference is (1) when I give them my credit card, and (2) which line I stand in at the store.
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post #25 of 60
3/15/07 at 1:44pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield
In this case, even if Best Buy wants to claim otherwise, the website and store front are not separate businesses.
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.
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post #26 of 60
3/15/07 at 2:07pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield
Normally, I do not have a problem with stores not matching online prices due to your "overhead" argument, Mark. However, the one exception is when a website offers "in store pickup" as an option, such as at Best Buy and Circuit City. That means they are pulling the mechandise from the exact same stock when I order online and pickup as that being sold at the checkout counter.
But in that respect, you are still bypassing the transaction at the store...but I do know what you mean. It doesn't seem fair that they won't price match in the store when you can order on the web and pick it up at the store.

But I'm still fine with that. Don't most of these places give their employees commission? One could argue that 'in store pickup' is bypassing the ability for the clerk to get a commission.
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post #27 of 60
3/15/07 at 2:35pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Don't most of these places give their employees commission?

No, they do not work on commission at either Best Buy or Circuit City.

Quote:
Like others have said, buy it online and choose in store pick up and you'll get the web price.

Actually, I've decided on a different option for almost all of my purchases -- order it online and have someone deliver it to my door. The lack of customer service at these big box stores, along with the convenience of not having to waste time going to the store, makes this the most attractive option for me. And since Best Buy charges both sales tax and shipping, their online site loses on price every time and my business goes elsewhere.
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post #28 of 60
3/15/07 at 2:37pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield
No, they do not work on commission at either Best Buy or Circuit City.
Then why do they push the exntended warranties? I thought that was where they got their money from?
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post #29 of 60
3/15/07 at 3:00pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
Then why do they push the exntended warranties? I thought that was where they got their money from?

The stores, not the employees. make money on them. The managers may get an incentive bonus for selling so many extended warranties, but I do not think the employees get anything for pushing that snake oil.
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post #30 of 60
3/15/07 at 10:09pm

Re: Best Buy Not So Best?

Quote:
The stores, not the employees. make money on them. The managers may get an incentive bonus for selling so many extended warranties, but I do not think the employees get anything for pushing that snake oil.
correct. i'm a former employee (thankfully), but i never had to sell anything, i was in car audio installation. but scott is right, managers get incentive bonuses, and normal employees receive nothing for selling service plans.

CJ
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