Derek Miner
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Feb 22, 1999
- Messages
- 1,662
I always use my Visa check card when making purchases at BB, as well. But can they go and get our information from the credit card company and make a database of customers?
I always use my Visa check card when making purchases at BB, as well. But can they go and get our information from the credit card company and make a database of customers?
No, they shouldn't be able to do this without violating some privacy laws. I am sure it has nothing to do with that.
I've said it before elsewhere, but it bears repeating here: When my wife and I bought this house, we started getting the coupons from BB - addressed to her. But with a funny mispelling in a particular area. One document out of the jillions we signed to buy the house had THAT particular mispelling on it...we recall it vividly because we asked the lawyers "does that one need to be redone", etc., and were told not to worry about it. I don't recall the exact form, but it makes sense to me that we got entered onto a list of new homeowners in the area and that BB bought that list and sent us the coupons to lure us into the store, since we're almost right around the corner from them. They just happened to use the form with the mispelling on it. My wife was first listed on the mortgage on all paperwork, so her name got the hit.
If BB did indeed buy such a marketing list, they probably bought others as well. Including a list of credit card owners from your banks, perhaps?
Dear Mike Frezon,
Thank you for writing back to Best Buy. I will need your mailing address
before I can submit a request to have your name added to our Preferred
Customer Mailing List.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Craig Fornell
CR Contact Center Representative
Best Buy Enterprise Customer Care
So, off goes my response and I will report back any future correspondence and/or success.
Dear Mike Frezon,
Thank you for writing back to Best Buy and providing me with your current
mailing address. I have submitted a request on your behalf to have your
name added to our Preferred Customer Mailing List. Please allow one to two
mailings before the name addition takes effect. Thank you in advance for
your patience.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Craig Fornell
CR Contact Center Representative
Best Buy Enterprise Customer Care
Since I have never gotten the coupons or their mailings, its hard for me to say how long it might take to get past "one or two mailings".
I will certainly post here when I receive any further correspondence from BestBuy--either by cyber-post or snail mail.
The coupons we get are NOT the same. The past promo she got the 10% of one, 15% off 2, 20% off 3 deal. Mine were for a straight 10% off up to 3.
Well, I don't have their credit card but I'm on the list 3 times at 2 different addresses. Old home(parents) and my current home.
Here's what I received this time:
A)Envelope with separated coupons and a brochure of some sort:
1 coupon for 10% off music and movies(limit 5),
1 coupon for 25% off computer peripheral installation(limit 1), and
1 coupon telling me to get the credit card and receive January 2003 financing on purchases $299 and up
B)Fold over "thingie" with a seal and strip of coupons:
1 coupon for $5 off video game software and accessories(limit 3),
1 coupon for $2 off music and movies(limit 3),
1 coupon for 10% off big items
C)Fold over "thingie" with seal and strip of coupons:
1 coupon for 15% off digital media (limit 2),
1 coupon for 10% off music and movie titles(limit 5, and
1 coupon for 10% off big items
I have ordered from their website and shopped fairly regularly at 4 stores in 3 different states over the past 5 years. I'm not sure how to get on the list or why my selection varies so much. Essentially only the 10% off coupons on box sets or $2 off on under $20 titles are what will draw me in.(as if I needed the nudge to pick up the weekly DVD crack stash ) I would like more of those 20% off offers from last summer if a Best Buy rep is listening.
The other thing I don't understand is the proper use of these coupons. Some stores ring up a disc and it says not valid(new release on sale), while others have no such system and you get 10% off anything.
Well, I don't have their credit card but I'm on the list 3 times at 2 different addresses. Old home(parents) and my current home.
If only we could figure this darn thing out! :rolleyes
If only we could figure this darn thing out! :rolleyes
Facts:
- We cannot find a pattern
- BB isn't real forthcoming with info on how to get on a list
- They state that to get the coupons you should get a BB Credit Card
- Folks without BB Credit Cards get coupons
- Folks *with* BB Credit Cards *don't* get coupons
- People who complain about not getting coupons may or may not get them
- There are multiple TYPES of coupons, all good on the same weekend
- Some folks who used to get coupons don't anymore
- Those that were "dropped" may have been using them every time like clockwork
- Some folks, however, got them for a looong time while never using them, and kept getting them anyway[/list=1]
Conclusion: BB farms this out to at least 2, maybe 3 marketing firms to handle for them, and tells them when a "coupon weekend" will be (based on when it fits their corporate marketing plan and revenue needs), and then lets the subcontracters administer it any way they see fit. The subcontracters are probably indifferent to communication outside the "normal channels" and that is why special requests to get onto lists can fall through the cracks. At least one of the subcontracters uses some form of computer tracking of responsiveness, and at least one of them does not. At least one of the firms is using multiple methods of collecting names. One or more of the firms bases their style of processing on geographic sectioning. None of the subcontracter firms will cooperate with the others. BB corporate is not interested in using an iron hand to make things uniform, as long as they generate the revenue they expect.
Quite a few of us in New York's capital district.
Jeff, do you know if anyone has ever broached the subject of a Capital District HTF get-together? I've seen quite a few local addresses here myself.
Dear Craig Fornell:
It has come to my attention that BestBuy has declared August 9 - 11 as a
Preferred Customer Weekend and has sent through the mail coupons to
"preferred customers".
I have not received any such coupons despite your earlier e-mails (see
below) saying I would be placed on your list.
Can you please respond with an explanation?
Thank you.
Mike Frezon
I'll report back any further communiques.