Best Buy Fail (again)

[Dawgz Rule]

I think it is pretty simple in that most people who purchase a cable at the store have an immediate need and the store knows this and prices accordingly.  Supply and demand.  If you need it right now, you can expect to pay a premium.

[shmokes]

Well, sure. The rub is the degree of gouging we're talking about. Charging $50 for something that can be purchased for $2 online is a bit more premium than one would typically expect.

[saint]

Saint-

I'm curious why you feel that way. No judgement on my part, but why does it bother you?

I'm a big privacy/civil liberties freak. I don't believe there's any harm in showing the receipt, but I firmly believe I am under no obligation to do so either. I resent a company insisting they have the right to demand to see my receipt, so I push back. If I'm walking out with an unbagged item, and they ask for a receipt, I generally comply because I understand the real problem of stop-loss and an unbagged item is question-worthy. However, when I walk 20 steps from the cashier who bagged my items to the door, all under security camera surveillance, and then am challenged to go through my bags, to examine what is now my personal property, it gets my bristles up.

If you want my business as a customer, you will treat me like a customer, not a suspected criminal. If not, I will take my business elsewhere.

I would not allow the police to search my house or my car without a proper warrant either.

[saint]

RE: Amazon vs. Best Buy.

I shopped for a new camera for my daughter for Chrismachanukwanza. I walked in to Best Buy to shop, and I shopped online. Best Buy didn't have what I wanted so I went with Amazon. I would have been willing to buy from Best Buy though if they'd had the specific model I wanted, even if it was a few dollars more, just to 1) support local economy, and 2) have it now. I would not have paid more than a few dollars more however.

Anyway, got the camera. Daughter used it for a couple of weeks (at least a month after purchase), and then the camera broke. I no longer had the packaging material or receipt. I popped up a customer support chat window with Amazon, and explained it was broken and I didn't have the box or other packaging materials. Amazon's response was: "We're so sorry you're having this issue. We will overnight you a replacement. Send the damaged camera back in the new camera's box. We'll pay all the costs." I didn't need the receipt because they had a record of it all. 5 minutes of my time, done. Painless.

Had I bought it at Best Buy, my experience would have been much different. I'd have been out of luck period without my receipt, which I don't hold against them per se, but still I would have been out of luck. With the receipt, I am 99% certain I'd still be out of luck without the original box. They probably would have sent my camera out for repair or told me to do so personally. I would not have walked out of the store with a new replacement camera.

I don't know how Best Buy can hope to compete with that kind of customer service, but I do know exactly where I'll probably buy my next major consumer electronics device.

[DaveMMR]

From what I understand, the cables is where BB (and its ilk) derives much of its profit - not any of the big ticket items.  And yeah, it's basically "I bought this TV and I want to watch it tonight, not 7 days from now."  Ergo, you pay that "convenience fee".  But the rub is that while I can understand a $20 - $40 price tag, I can't fathom where they get their balls big enough to sell HDMI cables that are more than $100 (well surpassing that as has been pointed out) with a straight face, considering there is no noticeable difference in quality.

And as an addendum in reply to Saint's story: he pretty much covered why I'm actually a huge supporter of Amazon and it's always my first stop when purchasing things.  And Buy.com is pretty good too in that respect.

[ChadTower]

Nobody has a reason to go to a store for an HDMI cable unless they absolutely need one at that moment. 

I have never seen a TV that has only HDMI inputs.  Nobody absolutely needs an HDMI cable. 

[saint]

Nobody has a reason to go to a store for an HDMI cable unless they absolutely need one at that moment. 

I have never seen a TV that has only HDMI inputs.  Nobody absolutely needs an HDMI cable. 

Meaningless - no one absolutely needs a TV either. If you have coughed up for an HD tv, and a blu-ray movie, you don't want to waste the experience on an inferior connection.

[Vigo]

Had I bought it at Best Buy, my experience would have been much different. I'd have been out of luck period without my receipt, which I don't hold against them per se, but still I would have been out of luck. With the receipt, I am 99% certain I'd still be out of luck without the original box. They probably would have sent my camera out for repair or told me to do so personally. I would not have walked out of the store with a new replacement camera.

About 10 years ago a buddy of mine got a camera from BB, with a horrid $70 service warranty as well. A couple months after use, the lens stopped zooming (motor seemed jammed) so he went in to best buy to get it replaced. BB told him that the warranty didn't cover the camera for cases where the camera is accidentally damaged. He told them he didn't damage the camera, and that it just stopped working. BB said that it didn't matter, there was any physical problem with the camera, it was classified as accidental damage, which is not covered under the warranty.

He then shelled out another wad of cash for BB to repair the camera. A week later, best buy informed him that they were unable to fix the camera in house and needed to sent it to the manufacturer for repair, and that he would get it back directly from the manufacturer. After about two months, he got a call from the manufacturer saying that they would repair the camera for him, and would have been under warranty all along, except someone already opened the camera up and voided the warranty. He explained that it was BB that did that, and the manufacturer said sorry, but BB technicians are not certified so the warranty is void.

Being that my friend throws out cash much more than I do, he just gave up and bought a new camera. I would have fought it out to the end on that bull

[ChadTower]

Meaningless - no one absolutely needs a TV either. If you have coughed up for an HD tv, and a blu-ray movie, you don't want to waste the experience on an inferior connection.

And you absolutely need that cable today instead of waiting 3-4 days for it to arrive in the mail?  It is worth paying $50 for a $4 item to get it now?  You can't watch with the pack-in cables for a couple days?

Those people deserve to get raped over price.  They chose it willingly.

[J_K_M_A_N]

I have to tell of a good story at Best Buy. We bought an HP printer/scanner for the scanner part only. It sucked. It had small white dots on every scan. We had it about a month before we really used it and figured this out. I only tested it with a small picture and didn't really notice at first. We brought it back without the box or anything with it but we did have the receipt. They gave us full credit toward a different Epson printer/scanner. I was shocked as hell. The wife was the one that said she wanted to at least try. I would have eaten the cost myself because I figured it was a lost cause.

That being said, I just had a keyless entry/remote car start installed this weekend. They couldn't find the wires for the security system so they just installed it without hooking it up to that. Now I have to either carry both remotes (factory and the new one) in order to use the security or I go without it. So now I have to go back and have them find the wires and hook it up right.

J_K_M_A_N

[geomartin]

I believe that the reason they can get away with the high priced cables is that most people buy them when they purchase the TV and the average buyer is using credit to buy the TV anyways, so what's another $40 on the card.  Myself, I long ago started a cash and carry policy for all purchases beside housing.  If I don't have the cash, I don't need it that bad.  Makes you much more cost conscious.

[SavannahLion]

Was wondering when the lion would show up with Xatelynne in tow.

Tell any 80 year old ladies to "---fudgesicle--- off" this week?


 

---meecrobs--- are better with honey, not PBJ. 

[Howard_Casto]

You know I really shouldn't do it, but you guys know that I can be sort of a pushy person from time to time.  There have been more than on occasions where I've reluctantly went ot BB to get something I couldn't wait on.  I'll often overhear a couple who obviously don't know anything about electronics being "helped" by a BB employee. 

When they get to the part about the cables I can't take it anymore and jump in.  I explain to them that the "d" in hdmi stands for digital, and that means that ANY quality cable within reason will output a pixel-perfect picture and the that average price for a cable online is 2-10 dollars and the average price in any other store is around 30, if they don't want to order online.  Then when the BB employee gets all huffy and starts to explain why I'm "wrong" I interrupt again and say:  "Who are you going to believe?  A random guy who has NO reason to interrupt a salesman unless he genuinely wants to help or an employee that probably works on comission and/or could get fired if he doesn't follow company policy and offer the 100 dollar cable?  Oh and btw, you can get that tv for 100 bucks cheaper at Walmart."  The sad thing is, some people STILL don't take my advice. 

[elkameleon]

You know I really shouldn't do it, but you guys know that I can be sort of a pushy person from time to time.  There have been more than on occasions where I've reluctantly went ot BB to get something I couldn't wait on.  I'll often overhear a couple who obviously don't know anything about electronics being "helped" by a BB employee. 

When they get to the part about the cables I can't take it anymore and jump in.  I explain to them that the "d" in hdmi stands for digital, and that means that ANY quality cable within reason will output a pixel-perfect picture and the that average price for a cable online is 2-10 dollars and the average price in any other store is around 30, if they don't want to order online.  Then when the BB employee gets all huffy and starts to explain why I'm "wrong" I interrupt again and say:  "Who are you going to believe?  A random guy who has NO reason to interrupt a salesman unless he genuinely wants to help or an employee that probably works on comission and/or could get fired if he doesn't follow company policy and offer the 100 dollar cable?  Oh and btw, you can get that tv for 100 bucks cheaper at Walmart."  The sad thing is, some people STILL don't take my advice. 

If I happened to see a scene like this at my local Best Buy, I'd slow clap your ass right out the door!

[dre-w]

So I went into BB today, wasn't really looking for anything in particular..  just kinda browsin through the used games section they now have.  I don't know if I looked suspicious today or what but the same employee asked me three times if I needed help looking for anything.  Twice in the same exact spot, then again in the dvd area.  I was already getting annoyed that I couldn't just browse in peace but then I found a cd that I was unaware had just come out, on sale for 9.99 so I decided to buy it.

But then I started getting annoyed again. "Did you find what you were looking for"  yes  "Do you have a BB rewards card?"  no  "Would you like"  no  "to sign up for one?"  no  "Would you like to apply for a BB"  no just want to buy this cd thanks.  "Would you like a bag for this or are you going to listen to this in your car?"  ... I'll just take it without a bag.  I almost thought she was going to ask me if I wanted my receipt..

And I was just waiting for the LP guy to stop me at the door but he was too busy chattin up some other younger female employee so I ghosted right by him.

sigh..

[lilshawn]

I don't know if I looked suspicious today or what but the same employee asked me three times if I needed help looking for anything.

if anyone give me the line "can I help you find anything" or "is there anything I can help you with"

the answer is always "probably not."

bazinga!

[SavannahLion]

Oh and btw, you can get that tv for 100 bucks cheaper at Walmart."  The sad thing is, some people STILL don't take my advice. 

It's a decent suggestion but one should take care with that kind of advice. Those "Wal-Mart SKU" products are not always a good deal.

[Vigo]

So I went into BB today, wasn't really looking for anything in particular..  just kinda browsin through the used games section they now have.  I don't know if I looked suspicious today or what but the same employee asked me three times if I needed help looking for anything.  Twice in the same exact spot, then again in the dvd area.  I was already getting annoyed that I couldn't just browse in peace but then I found a cd that I was unaware had just come out, on sale for 9.99 so I decided to buy it.

But then I started getting annoyed again. "Did you find what you were looking for"  yes  "Do you have a BB rewards card?"  no  "Would you like"  no  "to sign up for one?"  no  "Would you like to apply for a BB"  no just want to buy this cd thanks.  "Would you like a bag for this or are you going to listen to this in your car?"  ... I'll just take it without a bag.  I almost thought she was going to ask me if I wanted my receipt..

And I was just waiting for the LP guy to stop me at the door but he was too busy chattin up some other younger female employee so I ghosted right by him.

sigh..

 

This is the number one reason why i don't frequent best buy much anymore. Not the prices, not the receipt hassle, not the ludicrous warranties. This.

[dre-w]

 

[Malenko]

But then I started getting annoyed again. "Did you find what you were looking for"  yes  "Do you have a BB rewards card?"  no  "Would you like"  no  "to sign up for one?"  no  "Would you like to apply for a BB"  no just want to buy this cd thanks.  "Would you like a bag for this or are you going to listen to this in your car?"  ... I'll just take it without a bag.  I almost thought she was going to ask me if I wanted my receipt..

So have you been to a gamestop/ebgames lately?

[wp34]

There aren't too many retail outlets that don't bug you like that.  Shopping for furniture has to be the absolute worst.

Best Buy was far worse in the 80's-90's when the sales people were under commission. 

So I went into BB today, wasn't really looking for anything in particular..  just kinda browsin through the used games section they now have.  I don't know if I looked suspicious today or what but the same employee asked me three times if I needed help looking for anything.  Twice in the same exact spot, then again in the dvd area.  I was already getting annoyed that I couldn't just browse in peace but then I found a cd that I was unaware had just come out, on sale for 9.99 so I decided to buy it.

But then I started getting annoyed again. "Did you find what you were looking for"  yes  "Do you have a BB rewards card?"  no  "Would you like"  no  "to sign up for one?"  no  "Would you like to apply for a BB"  no just want to buy this cd thanks.  "Would you like a bag for this or are you going to listen to this in your car?"  ... I'll just take it without a bag.  I almost thought she was going to ask me if I wanted my receipt..

And I was just waiting for the LP guy to stop me at the door but he was too busy chattin up some other younger female employee so I ghosted right by him.

sigh..

[Hoopz]

I didn't go into my first Best Buy until 93 or 94.  It's sure changed since then.

I don't mind them pestering me in the store as much as I hate waiting in the "customer service" line and seeing 10 employees screwing around behind the counter while 4 people wait 20 minutes for help.  That's why I try not to buy anything there unless absolutely necessary.

[wp34]

I didn't go into my first Best Buy until 93 or 94.  It's sure changed since then.

Then you missed the era of "digital ready" speakers.   Being told your existing speakers might not be compatible with a CD player was classic.

[Well Fed Games]

I didn't go into my first Best Buy until 93 or 94.  It's sure changed since then.

I don't mind them pestering me in the store as much as I hate waiting in the "customer service" line and seeing 10 employees screwing around behind the counter while 4 people wait 20 minutes for help.  That's why I try not to buy anything there unless absolutely necessary.

Once I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a job at Best Buy, and seeing this kind of thing at my local store only made it worse. I have some sort of mental block where I hate "sellling" people on things (as opposed to just customer service), so it never would have worked anyway.

[knave]

Sorry to go against the flow of Besy Buy Hate...

Best Buy stores must vary greatly from store to store. I don't go often but when visit my local store don't I feel pestered at all. I usually get asked if I need assistance once. Granted I only buy something 30% of the time I go so it's not big deal to decline the rewards offer and be on my way. Recipt checking has never been an issue either, if they even bother.

Really the reason I don't shop their more is that their prices are high unless the item is on sale or occasionally I've found a good deal on an open box item. The sales staff usually know way less than I do so I don't even bother unless I have them to lead me directly to the item I know I want.

I would welcome a redesign of Best buy's services and policies but it would be a sad day if they followed Circuit City and Compusa.

[ChadTower]

If I happened to see a scene like this at my local Best Buy, I'd slow clap your ass right out the door!

If you think about this that might be the most disgusting threat we've ever seen on BYOAC.  Or maybe just the most unfortunately ambiguous quote.

[SNAAKE]

So have you been to a gamestop/ebgames lately?

pre order some games and sign for egm or DIE!!!!!!!

[hypernova]

If I happened to see a scene like this at my local Best Buy, I'd slow clap your ass right out the door!

If you think about this that might be the most disgusting threat we've ever seen on BYOAC.  Or maybe just the most unfortunately ambiguous quote.

Somebody's mind is in the gutter...And we all thank you for it!   

You know I really shouldn't do it, but you guys know that I can be sort of a pushy person from time to time.

You?  Nooooo...I refuse to believe it!  Surely you jest!!  

[Turvey]

But surely THIS CABLE is going to be better than the $5 one because it's got "a Dielectric-Bias System that reduces distortion and 100% Perfect-Surface Silver conductors for improved signal clarity"   

[Donkey_Kong]

So I went into BB today, wasn't really looking for anything in particular..  just kinda browsin through the used games section they now have.  I don't know if I looked suspicious today or what but the same employee asked me three times if I needed help looking for anything.  Twice in the same exact spot, then again in the dvd area.  I was already getting annoyed that I couldn't just browse in peace but then I found a cd that I was unaware had just come out, on sale for 9.99 so I decided to buy it.

But then I started getting annoyed again. "Did you find what you were looking for"  yes  "Do you have a BB rewards card?"  no  "Would you like"  no  "to sign up for one?"  no  "Would you like to apply for a BB"  no just want to buy this cd thanks.  "Would you like a bag for this or are you going to listen to this in your car?"  ... I'll just take it without a bag.  I almost thought she was going to ask me if I wanted my receipt..

And I was just waiting for the LP guy to stop me at the door but he was too busy chattin up some other younger female employee so I ghosted right by him.

sigh..

 

This is the number one reason why i don't frequent best buy much anymore. Not the prices, not the receipt hassle, not the ludicrous warranties. This.

+1. I do purchase things at BB when I have to because of our lack of options, but if it's something I can get at Walmart (usually the only alternative withing like 75 miles) I will always go choose walmart so that I don't have to listen to all that dooshy "are you finding what you need tonight" crap mo stank that they make those kids repeat like got-damn robots. Wait, that's it! They should replace the employee's with robots!! I would not mind it as much coming from a robot, I would just tell it to STFU, and not even have to feel guilty about it later.

[dre-w]

So have you been to a gamestop/ebgames lately?

Haha. I'll never set foot in either of those places..  Matter of fact, probably not ANY used vg store ever again after the recent finds I've been getting from the swapmeets, pawn shops, goodwills, etc.

What really did it for me was when I went to the swapmeet and ran into the store manager from one of the vg stores by my house..  he was like "ooohh hey, yeh I haven't been here in a long time and just decided to go this morning." stack of games in hand..  and I was like ehh, so this is where you guys are getting all your games from.. then sellin them for more in your store....  which I guess is ok for the people that are too lazy to get out of bed in the morning and would rather just go the vg store and pay a lil more for their "swapmeet services"... but after that I haven't been in one since and don't plan on it anytime soon.

Although it does seem to be getting more difficult to find good deals on vgs in the wild, it's like everyone has become "aware" of vg's now.  Most pawn shops and goodwills around the OC have them behind glass.  I blame those stupid pawn shop shows and storage hunting shows.  Now everyone thinks their stuff is rare L@@K valuable..  and now I'm even seeing notes on the price tags reading "AS SEEN ON EBAY" ..since when did Ebay become a legitimate price guide??!

[Well Fed Games]

  Now everyone thinks their stuff is rare L@@K valuable..  and now I'm even seeing notes on the price tags reading "AS SEEN ON EBAY" ..since when did Ebay become a legitimate price guide??!

Yeah, this cracks me up. Craigslist ads... "no lowballs I saw one of these sell on ebay for $xxxx"

[SavannahLion]

The whole "eBay as a price guide" thing is kind of annoying. I think InQuest used to do that for their price guide.

Followed the scent of VG's into a pawnshop one time and was shocked by the asking prices. All the prices were really skewed, $5 for pack-in Nintendo carts? $2 extra if I wanted the sleeves??? A ton of stuff didn't even have price tags. WTF?

After a short talk, I come to find she was basing her prices off of eBay. If I wanted anything in the store (tagged or not) she checks the prices on eBay and decides right then and there what to stiff you for.

I looked in on the store a year later and it was shuttered. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

[Richard_Nixon]

But surely THIS CABLE is going to be better than the $5 one because it's got "a Dielectric-Bias System that reduces distortion and 100% Perfect-Surface Silver conductors for improved signal clarity"  

Read the reviews for that cable. They are hilarious!

I bought this cord to replace my unborn son's umbilical cord. It seemed the one he was supllied with from his monther had less throughput, more distortion and certainly no perfect-surface silver conductors.

[Howard_Casto]

The whole "eBay as a price guide" thing is kind of annoying. I think InQuest used to do that for their price guide.

Followed the scent of VG's into a pawnshop one time and was shocked by the asking prices. All the prices were really skewed, $5 for pack-in Nintendo carts? $2 extra if I wanted the sleeves??? A ton of stuff didn't even have price tags. WTF?

After a short talk, I come to find she was basing her prices off of eBay. If I wanted anything in the store (tagged or not) she checks the prices on eBay and decides right then and there what to stiff you for.

I looked in on the store a year later and it was shuttered. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

The problem about ebay is you are looking at the ASKING price, not the price the product sold for.   It's a big flaw in regards to ebay actually.... you can't easily search ended auctions.  In general eBay can be a good guide though, you just have to use common sense.

[Dawgz Rule]

Kind of pointless to get the HDMI cable if you don't get the matching speaker cable......Dual-Star Quad Geometry all the way!

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-K2-terminated-speaker-cable/dp/tech-data/B000J36XR2/ref=de_a_smtd

[Malenko]

It's a big flaw in regards to ebay actually.... you can't easily search ended auctions.

Its MEGA easy to search ended auctions, have you ever used eBay?

advanced search, completed listings.

[Howard_Casto]

It's a big flaw in regards to ebay actually.... you can't easily search ended auctions.

Its MEGA easy to search ended auctions, have you ever used eBay?

advanced search, completed listings.

Yup and unless they have changed things in the past year or so completed listings only stay up for a month or so. 

[Malenko]

Yup and unless they have changed things in the past year or so completed listings only stay up for a month or so.  

Ahhhhh so you admit you dont actually know how to use ebay/actually use it/at least try it before posting? Or do you think a month is 180 days long?

[Howard_Casto]

Not at all..... I admit that I haven't messed with ebay as much as you have, but that isn't suprising.  You have WAAAAY too much time on your hands.

Afterall, instead of correcting someone's simple mistake you went to the trouble of making up a whole graphic and making a federal case out of it. 

You need a new hobby.