ufcrusher

Lets see if this makes sense to anyone else here. I bought the ET: Limited edition box set at the Mission valley Best Buy store the other day. It was listed as being $54.99 on Bestbuy.com, but since I was going to be right by a store, I figured I would just pick it up there. So they had it in stock but my fiance wanted to pick me up some gifts, so she told me to disappear into the computer section while she paid for everything. So she came back, grabbed me, and dragged me out of the store. I asked her about the price of the set, and she said that it was $59.99. I told her that it should be $54.99, but since there was such a long line, we figured we would go back to price match it later. I mean, hell, its the same store, so there shouldnt be any problem, right?

THe next day, we head back to Best buy to price match the set, but rather than go to the Mission Valley store, we went to the Mira Mesa store, which is closer to where we live. We walk into the CSR, show her the print out from the Bestbuy.com website along with an Amazon price of $52.99 and ask for the price match. The CSR tells me that she cant price match the Amazon, which I was like ok, but you can give me the correct price from Bestbuy.com, figuring that its the same store, they cant argue with me. The CSR proceeds to tell me that Bestbuy.com and Best buy arent officially the same, but they should be able to price match it, but she needs manager approval. I say fine, she gets the manager who tells me that she wont price match it, that the stores arent linked and they can offer lower prices since they dont have stores.

At this point I looked at her and i said, they are the same freaking stores, you can order anything at bestbuy.com and pick it up at your local stores, you can return items purchased online at the stores, and you can pricematch the prices at the store. I have done this plenty of times and never had any problems. "Well sir, this store isnt set up so that you can pick things up. We arent on the same system." I looked at her, and said..so why does that sign right there say online instore pick up. "Well, its the sign they sent, but we arent set up that way yet." So its a misnomer then? The woman looks confused and then says, yes I guess its a mistake.

So I am more than a bit pissed, what is the point of having an online store that is affiliated with a B&M if they have different prices and you dont match your own prices. The manager then cant even find our receipt in the system, so has to manually enter in all the infomration. It took over 20 minutes for her to do this.

The obvious question is, has anyone else ever had this problem, where they wont honor their own obviously correct price!? This isnt a pricing error, just the regular price. Its a bunch of crap. I have never seen it where a store that is by its own words linked to its website, nor honoring their own website.

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kain9i6

I think that Best Buy will be the next K-mart heh..

Hoser

I've had the same thing happen with Best Buy. I purchased a D-Link four port switch and found out the price was cheaper on 'their' website. I went back and asked if they'd pricematch and was told that they don't pricematch with the website. I said that the website shouldn't have their name if they won't honor the prices. I took the switch back and bought it somewhere else.

I'll buy things from Best Buy if they're cheaper than other places, but I will check everywhere else first. I'm more likely to buy over the internet and save on sales tax. Since shipping is usually free, I'll save money. Rarely will I need something now, so waiting is not a problem.

Jeffbx

After hearing countless horror stories like these, I have decided that I will never buy anything from that store... I mean, there's nothing there that you can't get somewhere else for less $ anyway. Save yourself the headaches & buy your stuff on-line.

Hoser

Yesterday I went to CompUSA and Best Buy looking at LCD monitors. When I was at Best Buy looking at the monitors, two employees were having a conversation. They never once acknowledged my presence, or asked if they could help me. I don't think they work on commission, but that's no reason to ignore customers.

ufcrusher

When I worked selling electronics, I noticed that after a period of time most sales associates develop certain stereotypes about the different races that come in to buy things at the stores. Because of these stereotypes, certain sales associates would intentionally ignore the presence of certain people...to the point where the customers would get offended and complain to management. At one point, it became so bad that they cleaned house of alot of sales associates.

I always tried to help everyone regardless of their race, but to be honest, there were certain groups that I was adverse to, just because in many years of working in the industry their actions were always the same. But as I said, I did help them, I just wasnt going to spend forever with them.

Generally, people are categorized into "strokers," "looky loos", or active shoppers.

A stroker is, as it implies, someone who will sit there milking you for time and information with NO intention of buying something.

A Looky loo is someone who is just looking around with no intention of buying, they dont want to be bothered and generally get in the way. ON a side note - I would probably end up being placed in this category because I never ask questions about things, because I am already familiar with them (more than most sales associates) and send them away if they come up. Then if I am going to buy anything I always go up to the people who I either know at the store or someone who didnt pester me. I hate those type of sales people. As such, I never minded these people and always just introduced myself and told them that if they needed me to flag me down.

Active shoppers are the ones who come in, plied me for my knowledge, and would actually buy things or if they got the information they wanted and wanted to decide would actually tell you that.

Now those are the general groups. On top of that you get the additional racial stereotypes that come into play.

Indians - would always sit there and argue with sales associates, then try to haggle, then disregard any help you gave them and buy the cheapest unit...then come back within a month to return it, claiming that it didnt do what you told them it wouldnt do. ALWAYS RETURNED EVERYTHING -

Mexicans - no real problem - never returned things

Anglos - no real problem -

African Americans - generally ok, would ask for help and would listen, then would disbelieve you till you showed them the specs, would return things about 1/2 the time. Occassionally you would get an outlier

Asians - I never had a problem in this regard, but alot of the other sales associates used to complain that Asians would never believe anything they told them. What I did notice, and most asian people I know even admit this, is that they prefer to buy from other asians, which I am not. In my experience, you had the best of both worlds here. Half the time, they would come in and only want to buy the best things, then haggle on the price, but generally I was able to take care of them. The rest of the time, they dont believe you, no matter how many specs, reviews, or demonstrations you give them. Kind of aggrevating, but its part of the job. Also a lot of asians were more internet saavy then the average person and knew where they could get it for cheaper. (Once again something that I do, so i dont have a problem with it) I used to just ask them if they had done any research on the net and then dealt with it that way. The returns were higher than other groups but whatever.

Arabs - never believed anything they were told and then if they bought something, would return it.

I think that is about as far as I want to go. THose were the general impressions that was shared among the sales associates at places where I worked. And just for clarification there was a mixed bag of races represented by the sales associates. I think its bad to have these conceptions, but this is part of the problems people run into at B&M stores. Please note that these were the general conceptions not my personal belief

sbp

It would be interesting to see how much being Americanized or not {or even partially} plays in things like preferring to buy from a person's own race, haggling and being a general pita.

Cantacuzene

In my years of retail experience I had more problem with old people (over 60) than any other group. They were remarkably selfish, ignorant and cranky. They were frequently shoplifting abd trying to rip off the employees with low quality con artistry. They would buy stuff from other stores, open and use it and try to return it to our store with no receipt and then they would get extremely angry if we refused them.

trinitron

I hate the BB store, so much smaller than their others. BB is crap, i wonder how long consumers will put up with all their bullsh*t

ken

When I bought black hawk down from circuit city, I told them that it was $1 cheaper at circuitcity.com. They just discounted it for me at the register (a manager was behind the cashier and okay'ed it).

I think that retail store managers probably have some bonus or goal, etc. that makes them hate the .com, so they don't like to match the .com. Pure speculation, but I remember reading something about toysrus.com and the B&M and some massive conflicts there on these lines.

I bet the .com and the B&M are not on the same team as far as local management is concerned. So the nationwide posters, policies, etc. can be thrown out the window because you have to deal with a local manager to get to the policies.

Jihforce

I think BB generally doesn't like it when you pricematch with online stores. Staples doesn't either.
Its kind of strange that they won't do pricematching on their own online stores though. Doesn't make much sense there. Probably might be worth writing to BB Corporate offices in regards to this.

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Cubsfan

Personally, I actually like the Best Buy sales associates. Like you said, they don't work on commission, so they don't really care. And to be honest, 99% of the time I know far more than they do.

Circuit City, on the other hand, bothers me the most. To get to the computer stuff, which is at the back of the store, I have to have at least 6 people see if I need help. I feel like I'm running the gauntlet trying to get back there. It doesn't bother me if I get asked a couple of times at a store, but there it's almost every sales associate asks me!

trinitron

i apologize cubs, we are required to great every freakin person that enters the store and ask them if they need help, i dont work on commission, but i still have to ask everyone....if i dont, i get in trouble, honstly. so when you have 20-30 people working at one time and they get in trouble if a manager sees them not acknowledging a customer, you are going to encounter a lot of "can i help you"s, once again, i am sorry, but i dont make the rules...the thing about best buy, they are the #1 electronics store in the nation, why? cuz they run their business on efficincy. a customer can go in, and get out relativly easy. the problem lies in when you get a product that doesnt work or find it for cheaper. bb is horrible at PMs(personal experience), restocking fees? "bestbuy.com is technically a different store, and since they dont have any actual stores, then can offer things for cheaper"-been told that a few times, they wont even talk to you at the customer service desk unless you have your credit card or a reciept, and thats the first thing they ask for.......all bullsh*t, just like staples.....

staples will get theirs this black friday when i give out 10/40 & 30/150 to every staples customer i see at my local B&M. $50 PM? "no can do"-staples manager
me on black firday...."whats 50 x 30?" ~$1500 in staples printable coupons!

rajatQ2

if you dont try the PM before you actually hand the cash over the counter, you're probably SOL
iF i had a store and people came by the next day for a PM i'd say tough **** and send them on their way

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TofuNinja

From time to time there is a good deal at Best Buy but Man there Costa Mesa, CA store is the crappiest.

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fanofui

I don't like the local champaign circuit city, (the best buy is really nice though.) we went in for a pricematch once, not a single person helped us, and not a single person working regester knew how to do pricematching. it went on 45 minutes for a 30 dollar game, and finally left.

the second time I went in there, they ran out of a game that they had cheaply advertised, I was going to give it to my husband for his birthday. however, they refused to give me a raincheck, stating that they "do not make it a practice" of giving out rainchecks. no where did it say they do not give them, and what does "make it a practice" mean anyway?

I highly believe in customer service. If you can't give me a smile, or tell me something in a nice way, then you will be reported. I do my best at both of my 6 dollar an hour jobs to keep the customer happy. if you are not a people person, don't work for circuit city. you have to interact there.

*stepping off soapbox*

CheapArse

as long as there wasnt a sign in the ad about while supplies last. you should be able to get it for the sale price. though its not a rain check, we dont give out rain checks. if you want something and CC is out, and there is nothing that says while supplies last. just come in with the old ad in a week or 2 and you can get it for the sale price explaining that when you came in to get it, there were none left.

Hoser

I was at Best Buy today looking at TVs and monitors. Not one person offered to help me. That's OK, I can take my money somewhere else. There's a local computer store that'll probably get my business in the next few days (for the monitor).

While I was there I overheard a customer asking about whether they had a certain DVD in stock. The saleman looked around and said he couldn't find it. I found it while looking for something else and found the salesman and gave him the DVD. Then another customer was asking about a device to hook up a DVD player to a TV that didn't have a video input. He was telling the (same) salesman that he needed something that would hook up the DVD player to the coax cable connection. The salesman said they didn't have anything like that. He didn't even try to look or ask someone from the TV department. I told the customer that he neded a RF modulator and they were over by the TVs. Then I saw that there were some on the shelf right behind him and the salesman. I showed him those. All the time the salesman had a clueless look on his face.

I understand that the salesmen (or saleswomen) may not know the other departments as well as their own. They should at least know a little something about what is sold within their store, regardless of what department the product is in. The very least they could do is find a salesperson in the appropriate department to help the customer.

rajatQ2

I dont like anything in champaign. This place sucks ;-P

Wow a fellow central illinoisian. DO you like this place?

fanofui

It is better than where I came from. (Kankakee). I miss being able to get to chiccago in 45 minutes, now it takes over 2 hours. and I know a lot of people in the community here, so it ain't so bad. and it is cheaper than living in either kankakee or chicago.

but the cow smell gets to me sometimes.....

ok never mind. I realized you were a student. I looked on your home weibsight. is that drew hylbert in one of your pictures?!?!!? Tell him "sara from the neighborhood" said hi.

rajatQ2

Wow, its a small world. I will tell drew (yes thats him, he's been a good buddy since freshman year). He is a crazy bastard.

fanofui

have you met his dad? he is pretty crazy too. and yeah, totally small world......