BestBuy: Check sales circulars first!

[michaels39]

Just had an experience at my local BestBuy that not all stores in a chain like this can be trusted to follow pricing in their own weekly ads.I bought a 46" Insignia HDTV,I didn't check the weekly ad at the time because I had my eye on it for some time and the price was the same.By chance,I also purchased a HDTV receiver there for my satellite service at the same time,they didn't have the model I wanted in stock but another BestBuy in my area did,so I payed for everything at once and went to the other store the next day to pick it up.To my surprise,I saw the same TV I had bought - but it was prominently displayed with a free Blu-ray player that was included at the same price,something that was never mentioned by the salesman or any in-store advertising at the other store.I immediately checked the weekly ad online specifiably marked for both stores,and in both the free Blu-ray deal was listed.I went back to the original store,and after showing them their own sales circular,managed to get the free player I was entitled to.They blamed everything on the salesman,but to be fair,even that day the display model of the TV there was listed at the advertised price with no mention anywhere of the free player,which led me to believe that it was store management that was pulling a fast one,since they knew of the advertised price as well as an identical deal on a larger,more expensive model that was prominently displayed with the offer.I know several people were there that day to buy the same set I did,I wonder how many never knew they were being ripped off?

[Steve R Jones]

Just because some sixteen year old kid doesn’t place a two dollar cardboard sign on a TV doesn’t mean it’s a global conspiracy.

Guess you’d have to have worked in Retail around this time of year to understand

[saturnotaku]

Originally Posted by michaels39

I know several people were there that day to buy the same set I did,I wonder how many never knew they were being ripped off?

It doesn't sound like the store gave you a hard time in getting them to honor what was printed in the ad. Given the time of year, as mentioned by the poster above me, it could very well have been an honest mistake. You're making much ado about nothing.

By the way, when you post, the lack of a space after each sentence makes it virtually impossible to read.

[michaels39]

Believe me,this is not an over reaction on my part,it is not an isolated incident at this particular store. If it were simply a case of one salesman making a mistake,I wouldn't complain. But four days into the sale,well past the holiday rush,and after I had informed them of the mistake,there is still no mention in the in-store display of the free player,and no salesmen I questioned were aware of it. I also found at least two other combo offers,one set that also was to include the free blu-ray player,and another with a free home theater system that customers were not being told about. Guys,there's a reason BestBuy's rating here is a whopping 1.96.

[frostbitetwice]

Originally Posted by saturnotaku

It doesn't sound like the store gave you a hard time in getting them to honor what was printed in the ad. Given the time of year, as mentioned by the poster above me, it could very well have been an honest mistake. You're making much ado about nothing.

By the way, when you post, the lack of a space after each sentence makes it virtually impossible to read.

Michaels,I love your posts,but,saturnotaku is right,spacing would be helful...

I am taking, Michaels' side on this issue, because he raises a very serious point with their ratings...The BBC's ratings is one of the worst on this board....This is a Fortune 500 company and thus completely unacceptable..

In fact, it is so bad that one can blame management for not paying any attention to details...This results in these type of all to many errors... I would buy only for their retail stores and never on the net...And having said that, I would never purchase any computer related items at all...

[Steve R Jones]

I have purchased all of my home electronics from BB and will continue to do so.

I worked almost ten years in retail….I know that sales in stores are planned MONTHS in advance. HQ will do all the ad work/have signs made up etc bla bla bla…They at a certain point send out Sale Packages to the local stores.

There is a huge list of possible reasons why ONE store doesn’t have ONE $2.00 piece of card board sign on ONE piece of sale merchandise.

I don’t have a sale flyer in front of me…I wonder if they carry the typical banner-> “Sale Items subject to change – per location.” Or the even more popular “We reserve the right to make mistakes cause we’re human.”