Best Buy wages war on bargain hunters

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Looks like they're putting the bullseye on the backs of us [H]otDEALS-seeking devils in favor of picking easier pockets. I guess it could be a good business move for Best Buy, but I'm sure glad that Fry's is in town now! And long live the good electronics etailers.
 
a pity... best buy has always had the best selection of pc games... now they want to distract me with them?

ah well... there is always the gamestop at the mall...

and i always say that newegg, frozencpu, and directron have the best prices on stuff anyways.
 
Very smart business. why have customers who your going to loose money on? you have to do whats smart. They don't owe the consumer a single thing. They are there to make money.
 
The pilot stores have proven more costly to operate
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that will be the downfall to bestbuy. the only reason people go into the store is because they have good deals. if they dont have the deals anymore, no one is going to want to go in there just to pay full price to stand in line with 100 other people when they only have on checkstand open and 20 workers standing around.

to tell you the truth, good rittens.
 
apparently, yes.

rotflmao.gif
those idiots.
 
[LYL]Homer said:
So.....I am the devil for sending in a rebate and looking for a sale?
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No the ones that take advantge of a rebate and then return the product they bought the and got the rebate for. Free money for something they returned and in the end who does it hurt? The ones like you.
 
jackbauer said:
that will be the downfall to bestbuy. the only reason people go into the store is because they have good deals. if they dont have the deals anymore, no one is going to want to go in there just to pay full price to stand in line with 100 other people when they only have on checkstand open and 20 workers standing around.

to tell you the truth, good rittens.
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It's not the good deals that they are trying to get rid of. It's the 20% of the customers that abuse those good deals.

I can't believe people actually buy let's say a X800-pro, send in the rebate, return the card for full return of price, come back and buy the exact same card for 20% off since it's an open box item.....
.....wait a second, there have been lot's of posts here in the HardForums of trailer trash doing this exact thing. Nice. I few bad apples ruined it for all of us. I like Best Buy's return policy with no restocking fee. I only used it once, but it was still nice to have it just in case.
 
starhawk said:
they are still idiots.

to best buy i say:
hey_you_eff_off.gif
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quoted for emphasis. the only time i go to BB is when im doing last minute holiday shopping anyway.
 
jackbauer said:
to tell you the truth, good rittens.
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Good rittens, you evil kittens with mittens! It's riddance.

What's going to happen when stores move away from mail-in rebates and go online as reported earlier? Wouldn't make it tougher to catch people gaming the system by getting online rebates a and then returning the item? Might only work if they intentionally delay the online rebate process.
 
I thought they wouldn't take rebate items back anyway if the UPC was missing?

Seems fair enough to me, just keep sending me my coupons and $5 certs as well as don't charge me interest for 90 days on all my purchases and I'm happy.
 
I go into best buy and not buy anything, quite a bit... maybe next time, there will be a guard checking ID. He'll type my info into a machine or swipe my CC and turn me away for not making my purchasing quota.

I've always called them WorstBuy, anyway .. the CDs & DVDs are rarely 'cheaper' than anywhere else, I think the only reason the average person goes there is because they're called BestBuy and a megacorporation would never lie, would they?
 
vbrtrmn said:
I go into best buy and not buy anything, quite a bit...
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I can't tell you how many times I do this. It's great when you're bored and want to see products in real life as opposed to their pixelated brethren. ;)

Best Buy, how about not even Good Buy, but Good Bye!
 
mchammer said:
It's great when you're bored and want to see products in real life as opposed to their pixelated brethren. ;)
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Exactly. Only thing I ever actually *buy* there is the occaisonal game.
 
"They buy products, apply for rebates, return the purchases, then buy them back at returned-merchandise discounts."

How it this possible... many rebates require you to rip off the original UPC and send it in... then you can't return the item because it doesn't have a upc. At least that is my understanding...
 
Met-AL said:
It's not the good deals that they are trying to get rid of. It's the 20% of the customers that abuse those good deals.

I can't believe people actually buy let's say a X800-pro, send in the rebate, return the card for full return of price, come back and buy the exact same card for 20% off since it's an open box item.....
.....wait a second, there have been lot's of posts here in the HardForums of trailer trash doing this exact thing. Nice. I few bad apples ruined it for all of us. I like Best Buy's return policy with no restocking fee. I only used it once, but it was still nice to have it just in case.
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I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one. It is cheating the company out of money, and ultimately it hurts the "regular joe" consumers. Personally, I do like BB. I get the paper every weekend and look specifically for deals that they have. I would hate to see them stop offering any deals. Ok, many times you can get computer parts and electronic gadgets online cheaper, but maiinly I'm talking new release CD's and DVD's (which are usually a couple bucks less the first week.)
 
Met-AL said:
It's not the good deals that they are trying to get rid of. It's the 20% of the customers that abuse those good deals.

I can't believe people actually buy let's say a X800-pro, send in the rebate, return the card for full return of price, come back and buy the exact same card for 20% off since it's an open box item.....
.....wait a second, there have been lot's of posts here in the HardForums of trailer trash doing this exact thing. Nice. I few bad apples ruined it for all of us. I like Best Buy's return policy with no restocking fee. I only used it once, but it was still nice to have it just in case.
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Well ... the return policy at Best Buy and most other retailers is 30 days ... I don't think I can remember a rebate that I have received back within 30 days so I would even have time to return it. Also, I used to work at Best Buy when I was in college 4-5 years ago and the only returns that we would sell as open-box would be TVs, VCRs, etc. ... computer components like video cards would get sent back to the manufacturer.
 
careful when reading best buy ads in the paper, look out for anthrax in the pages
 
It is examining sales records and demographic data and sleuthing through computer databases to identify good and bad customers. To deter the undesirables, it is cutting back on promotions and sales tactics that tend to draw them, and culling them from marketing lists.
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To deter the undesirables, it is cutting back on promotions and sales tactics that tend to draw them, and culling them from marketing lists.
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they turned me off, back when they coined us 'demon customers'
Mr. Keskey balked, thinking his boss had fallen for a business-school fad. He recalls telling Mr. Anderson, "You've lost touch with what's happening in your business."
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no crap! this is the stuff that makes people want to gouge you.
The letter said it was terminating all sites that "consistently and historically have put us in a negative business position."
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has [H] been included in the mix?
High-income men, referred to internally as Barrys, tend to be enthusiasts of action movies and cameras. Suburban moms, called Jills, are busy but usually willing to talk about helping their families. Male technology enthusiasts, nicknamed Buzzes, are early adopters, interested in buying and showing off the latest gadgets.
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WTF? THIS IS TOTAL Bull$hit they're trying to fit people into bins? LOLZ
I wonder what they call OCers.
 
oakfan52 said:
Very smart business. why have customers who your going to loose money on? you have to do whats smart. They don't owe the consumer a single thing. They are there to make money.
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Why sell something your losing money on? Seems to me the smart business would buy low, sell high. Of course they don't owe the customer anything, it's not like they just handed over $$ to them. :rolleyes:

There is a thing called customer loyalty, which they don't have. Newegg does. Gee, I wonder why people will just go to newegg instead.

BB= Owned by thier own pricing and intelligent customers. Buyer beware has bitten them in the ASS!
 
I think all the tactics of the "Devils" are wrong except the last one, having them price match ninternet deals. If they don't want to price match thoes deals then STop price matching... or just get out of business. ANyway what they are doing, Stocking more high priced itmes cutting back on deals, is fine too in the business world, we will just go to more interent shops. I don't care how much you want me to drink your soda, pushing it more and more in my face isn't going to help either. have you seen thoes best buy commericals? All they are all just HDTV this and 5.1 that DVD here DVD there with CDs on the top, not to mention ones where people buy more stuff than you would get for a giveaway! Its not like they are hurting thy are just being typical companies, greedy! If they want make even more moeny, close the Appliance section, I have never seen many people in there buying washers and dryers,etc etc and sear's (especially the warehouses) has a larger selection. Close down all appliance sections in stores that don't more a certin ammount of products a month

I don't like people buying products and replying for rebates then returning them. I'd like to see all rebates that aren't instant handled by... the Seller! Yep do it electronically and your self so all rebates become basically instant to the customer, the MFG and the store negotiate about getting the money transfered, if a person brings back something after they have gotten their rebate you can automatically deduct it from the refund ammount!

I'm done for now
 
Phoenix86 said:
Former customers.
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is that true or what.
everytime i go in theres at least 20 people sitting around doing one of 2 things, jack and s..t. then i see some manager yelling at two of the employees on the sales floor? i'm sorry man but deal with your employees in your office, cause customers dont need to hear that.
then EVERYTIME you want something, like a pricematch, return, open box item, hell just about EVERYTHING, they want your address, phone #, mothers maiden name, first born child, ect. WTF are they doing with that info. i couldn't even buy batteries without giving them my phone number.
and would they care to hirer knowledgable employees? I had to help some airhead figure out what some parts were. she didn't even know what a printer was. A PRINTER, its not some high tech multifunction computer/copier/tv/car. then shes like "i dont need these" and throws away some cables that belonged in the box.
Really i've lost all respect for the store. the ONLY reason i go there is because i'll get crap pricematched to frys, and because they have a good selection on Anime DVD's.

So really, I hope this guy shoots himself in the foot, i hope they loose millions of dollers in annual sales, and i hope they go outa business and get bought out by another chain.
 
Well what a bunch of bastards.

Haha but yeah I also just buy the occasional game. Very occasional.
 
Your all are going over board. Geez you all shop at best buy that often the way some of your are riled up? A occasion DVD are when I am looking for a new TV and thats it. In anycase, you can return practicaly anything to them knowing you will get your money back unlike some of these other places where you have to pray. I once bought a game from them and the damn box was empty with only the packinh slip. I sent it back and they refunded me with no hassle. BB is a excellent retailer for expensive home electronics such as new T.V, entertainment center or already built pc at cost or a little bit below cost. Not like many other shady electronic stores that will sell you old or refurbished shit as new. If you go there expecting to get a new A64 at the same price you will find it at newegg or some other e-tailer like them your a damn idiot plain and simple.
 
I dont' shop at BB, I don't like their prices for anything. About the only way most people shop at best buy is bargain hunters and people with more money than sense to get it cheaper elsewhere.

Targeting customer demographics is nothing new, and the whole angel demon crap is either idle publicity or a really retarded marketing ploy. All I gathered from the article is:
1) Customers are abusing the system ie. rebate then return purchase for open box. I highly doubt enough people are doing this to really cost them enough money to worry about. Seeing as they allready practically scan your retna to make a purchase then pretty much all they have to do is not sell the item back to you open box priced once you've returned it... Problem solved.

2) They're going to target stores based on local buyer demographics. Good idea, as you target one group you loose another, aparently they're prepared for these loses. Still nothing new. I wouldn't set up a death metal cd shop in the middle of a bunch of churches.

I never shop at BB anyway, I've never seen a good deal that I couldn't beat elsewhere and they usually don't stock the items I'm looking for anyway. I'll go to Fry's or online.
 
I much prefer CircuitCity anyway. I was so damned excited to get a new BestBuy open up within driving distance (about 20+ miles) but have been sorely disappointed since. Now I'll scan the BB sales flyers then go across the street and pricematch + 10% at CC. Aside from sales, CC usually has better prices than BB, at least in Chattanooga. CC might not have the quantity of merchandise BB has, but their quality is usually better (i.e. they carry less junk) and I much prefer the overall shopping experience at CC. Of course, I only shop there for sales, pricematches, big-ticket items like TV's and such, or when it need something NOW. For smaller things I shop strictly online.
 
circuit city is the direct reason that one of my computers never functioned properly.

the computer was a packard bell legend 402cd... p1 75mhz, 8mb ram, ~1gb hdd, etc., etc.
well, of course, in order to run anything in win95 that is more memory-intensive than minesweeper, you need at least 16mb ram...
i had a #@!! of a time getting circuit city to put that d*** ram stick in, and when they did, things promptly started going wrong... it was all over the map for the first year or so that i had that thing... then it settled on shutting the sound off: no matter what you did, it wasn't gonna play a tune for anything.

Let It Be Known that if circuit city will give me a computer that i design, the cost of which comes out of their pockets, that they build, properly, then i will start shopping there again... but otherwise, i. will. never. go. in. a. circuit. city.
 
If BB carries through on their implied threat to alienate bargain shoppers like you and I, all they will suceed in doing is accelerating the migration to internet shopping.

My immediate reaction to this article is a want to boycot BB. Instead, I will continue to shop there until their prices make somewhere else cheaper and/or more convenient.

If they want to bury themselves by catering to rich little boys and girls, let them. People who have more money than I do often come to me for direction on what/where to buy. BB will apparently be coming off of the short list of places that I refer people to buy stuff at. I think that is the dynamic that BB is overlooking; the may make their money from rich customers, but they make their rich customers from normal enthusiasts like me.

Edit: And this makes me wonder if they are going to have anything worth fighting for on Black Friday... I have been anxious to see what they have, but now I doubt it will live up to deals in years past.
 
People don't seem to understand how business works. You spend more time working on the aspects of the company that make the most money, and less time, or no time at all, on those that lose money. By targeting the people who spend a lot of money on non-sale items, Best Buy is hoping to increase their profits. At the same time, if they do not offer incentive for bargain-based shoppers to come into the store, then they'll be able to slash the money losers...

Now, it makes sense that the initial operating costs are rather high. All research is expensive, but once you get the system down, and you are able to re-use the information collected as secondary data, you can cut the cost down substantially.

The thing is, Best Buy really never cared about most of you. The majority of people here, if I remember correctly, are in their 20s. This market segment tens to be in considerable debt, and not have that high of an income, but still wants most of the products in the store. It stands to reason that these people will try to get the best deals possible on what they want to get. And when they do buy something, they will prolly only come in the store for that, and will not purchase anything else.

Now, take the 30+ male, market segment. They tend to have a higher income, most of their college debt has been paid off, and they can afford the items that they want, or they can purchase on credit quite easily. These are the people that Best Buy wants to have in its store. They'll buy a high ticket item, and then they'll also buy the accessories that the sales representative tells them they need.

What Best Buy is doing, is smart. Don't bash them because they don't consider you to be highly profitable. The fact is, you're not. Most people here have prolly cost them quite a bit of money.
 
Rules for shopping at best buy:

1: dvd new release movies are normaly goning to be the cheapest there, when you buy them the first week.

2: Dont waste your money on something pricey, expect what ever you buy to break on day 31 so you cant take it back. Value it that much.

3: Buy an extended service contract on anything mobile. cameras, mp3 players, camcoders.

4: BIGGIE: dont buy a extended service contract on anything bigger then a bread box.

If you buy something bigger then a bread box, the manufacture will have you send it out ( eh $20 shipping, epson just sends you a new printer, and you ship the old one back in the same box) for repair. You cant do that with best buy. Always keep the box if you have an extended warranty.

There is no best buy repair service. If you buy a extended service contract its not good twards certified repair centers of your product.

So lets say you have something you cant ship, say a huge speaker or tv set. Its outa manufacture warranty. You are now screwed.

The only way it can be fixed now is if best buy is nice enough to front the money to pay for the repair at a autherised service center out of warranty.

Its not a best buy extended warranty. Its a 3rd party beleave it or not. This goes for hhgreg and cc and any other place that does extended warranty.



I work for a toshiba autherised(sp) service center for tvs. Heres how the story normaly goes.

"my tvs broke"
" is it under warranty?"
"I have an extended warranty from bestbuy/hhgreg"
"Sorry that is not a manufacuture warranty"
" you will have to take it to best buy/hhgreg"
" But, but i have a warranty"
"From bestbuy/hhgreg, not from the manufacture"
"The told me to call you"
"its out of manufacture warranty"
" have best buy/hhgreg fix it, or you can pay the repair bill and we will fix it"
" but, but bestbuy/hhgreg doesnt have a repair center"


This goes on for a few days. Then either the 3rd party extended warranty place calls up and beggs us to fix the set, or the customer raises hell and gets a new set, or the customer relises they have been conned out of $250 and pays for the bill.

BESTBUY?HHGREG DO NOT HAVE SERVICE CENTERS!!!
IF YOU CANNOT DRAG IT TO THE STORE (some times that doesnt even work) THEN YOU JUST PAID $250 FOR A PEICE OF TP!!!

Oh and my buddy got this one. Theres a loop hole in the print of the extended warranty on big screens. If best buy doesnt deliver the tv, the service contract is voided and your out your $250 if they choose to enforce the fine print.
 
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