Best Buy busted - with bait and switch policy ~

[renovation]

March 3, 2007 4:15 p.m. EST

Linda Young - All Headline News Staff Writer


Hartford, CT (AHN) - Best Buy has engaged in an elaborate online switch and bait scheme to deprive customers of advertised sales prices on store merchandise, according to the Gizmodo Gadget Guide.

Sale prices advertised on the Internet at BestBuy.com were used to lure customers into stores, according to Gizmodo. Once at the store customers were unable to buy the merchandise they had seen advertised online. When they tried to locate it, store personnel allegedly used a dummy internal website, or intranet, that had different merchandise at a higher price.

The elaborate scheme was uncovered by a journalist at the Hartford Courant newspaper. The columnist showed how the local Best Buy had denied customer's use of $150 online coupons to purchase store merchandise.

Best Buy officials initially denied that their intranet web site was used for customers. They finally admitted the existence of the intranet site but have not given any clear answers on its use and denied they intended to deceive customers, Hartford Courant consumer columnist George Gombossy reported Friday.

Connecticut State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's office is investigating, according to Hartford Courant reports. The newspaper also reported that the Internet and intranet web sites looked identical, except for the differences in prices and some merchandise.

"Their responses seem to raise as many questions as they answer," Blumenthal told Gombossy in an interview. "Their answers are less than crystal clear."

In his Hartford Courant newspaper column, Gombossy also reported that the Best Buy Internet and intranet web sites looked identical, except for the differences in prices and some merchandise.


http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/b...ite-241220.php


Gee surprise surprise -- they always out of stock of sale items on day one.

[clutchy]

ugh, badwill on their part. Added to the list of boycotted stores...

[DarkFury]

Honestly, I kinda abhor shopping at BestBuy.... and this doesn't help with those feelings.

[Houdini]

Honestly, I kinda abhor shopping at BestBuy.... and this doesn't help with those feelings.

Same here. At least they finally started spraying ceiling foam on their ceilings. Before that, you couldn't hear yourself think, as the bare steel ceilings just echoed EVERY FREAKIN' STEREO, TV, COMPUTER, ETC!!

It's still ridiculously distracting and loud, and their sales associates aren't typically that well-versed in their products, but occasionally there's just nowhere else to shop for an item.

[bachviet]

Another reason for not shopping at BB. Its CS is one of the worst.

[TofuNinja]

yup, I only hit up Best Buy when I have a gift card or know something will be on sale or have no where else to go to look for it.

[mcs328]

I still like Best Buy but I haven't bought any major purchases there. The website thing is a big deal however and I hope they get fined heavily for it.