Settlement results in 30% off at Kay Bee 10/8-10/14

[FlashStash]

Bascially, Kay Bee was putting 2 prices on items, a high reference price, which was crossed out and the real price. The suit said the reference price wasn't reflective of the market price of the toy, and the class action suit was won. And we actually get a good benefit! From the suit:


" Defendants will distribute the Net Settlement Fund by providing a discount at the cash registers of all KB Toys, KB Toy Works, KB Toy Outlet, Toy Liquidator and KB Toys Express stores nationwide, including Guam and Puerto Rico, equal to 30% off all qualifying purchases of $30 or more during October 8-14, 2003. This distribution (the "In-store Distribution") will be done without requiring a request of any store customer and will be separate and apart from, and in addition to, any previously planned promotional events for 2003. Defendants will not advertise or otherwise promote the distribution in advance of the In-store Distribution. Signs detailing the terms of the In-store Distribution, however, may be displayed in or around the stores during the In-store Distribution and up to 48 hours in advance of the In-store Distribution"

http://www.kbtoys.com/help/legalnotice.html?place=bfnt&ls=default

Sounds like 30% off games and systems to me!

FS

[GatorDeb]

Wow, that's new releases for $35. Kaybee Toys, here I come! :D

Thanks! :)

[PixyJunket]

Well.. might be some good deals to find, but almost all thier games are retail price, even older ones!

[joshd2012]

Gamecube price drop: $99

Kaybee Discount: 30%

Price: $70

It just keeps getting more and more tempting.

[xlpanda]

Or the GBA SP for $70! I have been waiting for an opportunity to get a SP for a bit cheaper than $99 and this would totally rock!

[Chopper]

So I can get a PS2 for 30% off retail? Not bad at all...

[jimbo504]

so everyone gets this benefit??? that's pretty cool. I think i'll be getting myself some LOTR figures, and some videogames too! If only I can find a copy of Valkyrie Profile at KB...

[joeblow69]

While it's nice that we all get 30% off, I don't really agree with the ruling. I used to work at Kay Bee years ago, and I always thought the pricing scheme was fair.

Items with 2 prices (and 1 crossed out with red ink) were generally older, "outlet" type items. The crossed out price was usually the price the item sold for before it became an outlet item. Some items came in with prices pre-redslashed, and some we had to slash ourselves (after they product sat around on the shelves for too long).

[Outlaw]

Wow, so this is for anyone right? I think I'm gonna have to wake up early on the 8th then. If it works for anyone without filling anything out I know where I'm getting Viewtiful Joe then :).

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by joeblow69
While it's nice that we all get 30% off, I don't really agree with the ruling. I used to work at Kay Bee years ago, and I always thought the pricing scheme was fair.

I'm not sure if this is the same scenario you describe. For instance, I've seen video games at my local KB Toys marked at $55, with that price crossed out and $50 (or whatever) jotted in pen underneath. I very highly doubt that KB was ever charging the above-MSRP-price originally had stickered, and I doubt much of anyone else in the country was either. I don't know how pervasive a problem it was, but I've thought that was kind of questionable for a couple of years now.

[FlashStash]

Originally posted by joeblow69
While it's nice that we all get 30% off, I don't really agree with the ruling. I used to work at Kay Bee years ago, and I always thought the pricing scheme was fair.

Items with 2 prices (and 1 crossed out with red ink) were generally older, "outlet" type items. The crossed out price was usually the price the item sold for before it became an outlet item. Some items came in with prices pre-redslashed, and some we had to slash ourselves (after they product sat around on the shelves for too long).

Joe, since you worked there...

Any idea on what would happen if you purchased games the day before and brought them in for a price adjustment?

FS

[dtcarson]

This kind of ruling, while not quite the scam of some class action suits, always bugged me.
So the company did something wrong or fraudulent, and profited off it. They got caught. Now our 'reward' is that we get a discount--to be used on their products. So they have either A. people buying stuff who wouldn't normally buy it from there, just to get/use up that discount; or B. people don't take advantage of it, so KB actually ends up paying nothing [or little.]
I'll bet the lawyers didn't get a 'discount;' they're usually the only ones who make off with cash in a class action suit.
Not to mention, of course I only know about the case what little was referred to in above posts, but what does it matter what the 'reference price' was? Depending on how it was phrased, it could have just been 'their price.' Yes, higher than MSRP or higher than the competitors, but that's the market for you. The EB nearest me has games for 5.00 more than the one three miles further, almost across the board. It's in a 'swankier' neighbourhood, so they charge what people will pay.

I'll keep an eye out; wonder what 'qualifying purchases' are?

[happyday]

Originally posted by dtcarson
I'll keep an eye out; wonder what 'qualifying purchases' are?
I was wondering the same.

[joeblow69]

Originally posted by FlashStash
Joe, since you worked there...

Any idea on what would happen if you purchased games the day before and brought them in for a price adjustment?

FS

Well, KayBee never had that many sales, but if I remember correctly, if someone bought something right before it went on sale, then brought it back for an adjustment, it was up to the manager's discresion. Generally we'd give them an adjustment, unless we thought they were pulling some kind of scam.

But my guess is that corporate would have some kind of special policy against doing that in this scenerio.

Originally posted by ctyner
I'm not sure if this is the same scenario you describe. For instance, I've seen video games at my local KB Toys marked at $55, with that price crossed out and $50 (or whatever) jotted in pen underneath. I very highly doubt that KB was ever charging the above-MSRP-price originally had stickered, and I doubt much of anyone else in the country was either. I don't know how pervasive a problem it was, but I've thought that was kind of questionable for a couple of years now.


Well, I remember when I worked there, that even with my discount, it was rarely worth it for me to buy anything there that wasn't red-slashed, since all their "regular" priced merchandise was so overpriced. It wouldn't surprise me to hear they tried to sell some games at over MSRP. My guess is that the particular instance you are referring to is just a screw up by the poor sap working there. When price changes come down from corporate, some are supposed to be red-slashed, and some are just supposed to be changed (which a cheaper price tag slapped on top of the old one). At least when I was working there, video games generally didn't get red-slashed unless they were being marked down by at least $10.

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by dtcarson
but what does it matter what the 'reference price' was? Depending on how it was phrased, it could have just been 'their price.' Yes, higher than MSRP or higher than the competitors, but that's the market for you.

That's kind of it, though -- the market doesn't factor in at all with the way they were pricing. KB was apparently listing prices that no one was charging, then claiming that their "sales" are a massive discount off that non-existent price. That's the impression I get from the article, anyway.

It's one thing to charge more in areas where you can get away with it -- I know that a Burger King in an airport is going to charge more than the one down the road. It's another to basically lie to customers and tell them they're getting a deal that doesn't exist.

Originally posted by joeblow69
My guess is that the particular instance you are referring to is just a screw up by the poor sap working there.

I've seen it regularly over the course of the past couple of years at the local KB.

[Josh H]

FWI I remember seeing a lot of N64 games at KB that for $60 that were $50 every where else, so they did indeed sell at above MSRP in the past on new releases.

[FlashStash]

Originally posted by dtcarson
This kind of ruling, while not quite the scam of some class action suits, always bugged me.
So the company did something wrong or fraudulent, and profited off it. They got caught. Now our 'reward' is that we get a discount--to be used on their products. So they have either A. people buying stuff who wouldn't normally buy it from there, just to get/use up that discount; or B. people don't take advantage of it, so KB actually ends up paying nothing [or little.]
I'll bet the lawyers didn't get a 'discount;' they're usually the only ones who make off with cash in a class action suit.
Not to mention, of course I only know about the case what little was referred to in above posts, but what does it matter what the 'reference price' was? Depending on how it was phrased, it could have just been 'their price.' Yes, higher than MSRP or higher than the competitors, but that's the market for you. The EB nearest me has games for 5.00 more than the one three miles further, almost across the board. It's in a 'swankier' neighbourhood, so they charge what people will pay.

I'll keep an eye out; wonder what 'qualifying purchases' are?

I think at 30% they're going to take a hit...with negative GM's on video games.

And as for the reference price, you cannot advertise an "originally" price if you've never sold the item for that price (Kohl's recently got into trouble for this, and now gets around it by selling the item for one week at the retail price). It would be even worse if, not only did you ever sell the item at that price, but you put on an "originally" price that NO ONE was selling that item at.

FS

FS

[dtcarson]

Okay, that makes sense--I thought their 'original' [pre-markdown] price was just ridiculous, and they marked down from that. If that's the case, then I don't have a problem with that practice, I just won't buy there.
But if they said 'originally 60.00, now XX.xx' and _noone_, including themselves, had it for that much, I can see an issue with that.

[Goldberg74]

Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
FWI I remember seeing a lot of N64 games at KB that for $60 that were $50 every where else, so they did indeed sell at above MSRP in the past on new releases.
$60! I remember buying some of them at $70 (albeit it was Final Fantasy III for the SNES about 15 years ago). Everytime I walk through the store I feel like I'm getting ripped off... it's gotta be those dancing monkeys at the front of the store...

... anyway, this sounds like Christmas in October!

[GizmoDVD]

Phantasy Star II....$70!

[MasterofDVD]

The only thing I but at KB are toys that have been out for some time. They are usually impulse buys since these older toys are some of the few things they sell at a fair price.

I realize that mall stores have high rent but the prices a screw job and not just a way to pay rent.

But as much as I dislike their store I think I'm going there for this "sale".

[the_dude8]

i hope video game consoles is not exclude from the 30% off discount.

[Shuki]

somehow I think their game consoles and good gaming stock will suddenly, mysteriously be all out of stock during this week...

[PixyJunket]

Well since it seems my other plan to get a good deal on a black GBA-sp failed, guess I could try again here.

[edstein]

I don't think the consoles will be available at this discount. Every other time they have a 10 or 20% online discount going on it never applys to consoles. However, I have been eyeing that sweet new Unicron transformer.

http://images.kbtoys.com/g/toys/big/120796.jpg

[mmconhea]

I doubt it will apply to consoles or games for that matter.

[rfduncan]

Originally posted by mmconhea
I doubt it will apply to consoles or games for that matter.
Just got an email from them this morning. All GCN consoles are $99 BEFORE this 30% off (and they have Platinum too!):

http://www.kbtoys.com/Results.html?_e=3f730&promocode=&_v=3F73093AAG4Ea8864F979E2E&N=3059+3400

[Face/Off]

So in a nutshell, everything from 10-8 to 10-14 that's $30 or more gets a 30% discount?

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by Face/Off
So in a nutshell, everything from 10-8 to 10-14 that's $30 or more gets a 30% discount?

It's a proposed settlement, so it's possible that none of this will take place. The proposed settlement mentions "qualifying purchases", and what qualifies has yet to be expressly noted. It's possible that video games and consoles may be excluded.

[Adam Tyner]

Cheapassgamer.com is saying that it does not apply to video games or consoles.

[Jtnguyen12]

with 30% off everything....... hopefully, Kbtoys not going to fill out chapter 7 :)

[PixyJunket]

Ah well.. nice to dream though!@

[Outlaw]

Noooo!! :(

Nuts...oh well, I guess I should have expected something like that, back to the drawing board. :)

[Chopper]

Darn... I thought it was perfect timing... I was about to buy a PS2. Time to look for a different deal...

[ClarkKentKY]

I'm going to need another confirmation before i lose hope.