Best Buy ad (6/11-6/17): Pink Panther cartoon collection 9.99?

[Randy Hassan]

Just got the 6/11-6/17 Best Buy ad. Next to the Steve Martin "Pink Panther" DVD, it says "2 for $20 when you buy The Pink Panther with any of the 4 titles shown below." Three of the movie reissues are shows along with the "Classic Cartoon Collection" (the five disc set), and a small tag also reads "$9.99 each."

The Collection for ten bucks? Is that a mistake?

[speedy1961]

Just got the 6/11-6/17 Best Buy ad. Next to the Steve Martin "Pink Panther" DVD, it says "2 for $20 when you buy The Pink Panther with any of the 4 titles shown below." Three of the movie reissues are shows along with the "Classic Cartoon Collection" (the five disc set), and a small tag also reads "$9.99 each."

The Collection for ten bucks? Is that a mistake?

I believe that it is. But because of the nature of the mistake, I was hesitant to post it as a bargain or potential bargain.

I've been trying to reach Tarantino to mention it to him but he has not responded to my DVDTalk e-mail.

It was my intention not to set off a buying panic on something which may be retracted in Sunday's newspaper.

[Thespian68]

I believe it is a mistake. They just started releasing 4-5 single disk versions of the PP cartoons (basically subsets of the full set)...they probably meant those ones would be 9.99 each. The collection of 5 discs is about $50-70..but Im sure some resourceful people will make use of the less than clear ad.

[justbarelymovin]

I'm sure Best Buy, even if it is in their ad, won't honor this. I mean, it would be really awesome if they did, and I guess it depends on which BB you go to, but it seems unlikely. I've had to haggle over much clearer mistakes with not even an ounce of luck.

[FangsFirst]

I can usually get them to honor the things myself...but this IS a big discrepancy of course.

[bluetoast]

If it retails for that much it will be damn hard to get them to agree. I got BB to give me Good Bad Ugly special edition for $8 due to a misprinted Target flyer, which was off by around $20, and that took some fast talking on my part.

[MovieExchange]

Maybe it'll be easier to price match at Circuit City?

[Piazza]

what happened to the best buy ad for next week that was posted several days ago? i can't seem to find the thread anymore

[speedy1961]

what happened to the best buy ad for next week that was posted several days ago? i can't seem to find the thread anymore

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=467821

[Piazza]

Speedy: Thankyou Much!

[speedy1961]

Maybe it'll be easier to price match at Circuit City?


Maybe... As I said earlier, I was hesitant about posting this.

[hiccup]

It would be great if the weekly deals could be stickied at the top of the forum. Would be much easier to find. Also, I might try this out at CC as I've gotten them to PM pretty easily with an ad. Also, Walmart is generally pretty good as long as you have an ad.

[FangsFirst]

It would be great if the weekly deals could be stickied at the top of the forum. Would be much easier to find. Also, I might try this out at CC as I've gotten them to PM pretty easily with an ad. Also, Walmart is generally pretty good as long as you have an ad.

Stickying:
But which do you sticky? This week? Next week? Both?
People are liable to get confused with both (even with Speedy's perfectly clear labelling)...

Besides that, I was thinking that PMing with another store would be the best route if indeed this misprint comes out--but W-M is unlikely to have the PP box anyway, so that's gonna be a pretty big risk. But CC perhaps.

[The Valeyard]

Maybe... As I said earlier, I was hesitant about posting this.


Prepare for the e-mail onslaught, Speedy! -wink-

[speedy1961]

Prepare for the e-mail onslaught, Speedy! -wink-

The marshmallow cannons are loaded and are at the ready, SIR!

[FangsFirst]

Prepare for the e-mail onslaught, Speedy! -wink-
I pondered mentioning the same.

Better not happen.

[hiccup]

Stickying:
But which do you sticky? This week? Next week? Both?
People are liable to get confused with both (even with Speedy's perfectly clear labelling)..

I would say to sticky just the week at hand that way as to not confuse, and then continue with whatever it currently is. It would make sense, and it would be much easier to find where they are located.

[FangsFirst]

I would say to sticky just the week at hand that way as to not confuse, and then continue with whatever it currently is. It would make sense, and it would be much easier to find where they are located.
True; I just often use speedy's to know in advance, then the web-based official ads once we reach the week they go into effect...so the current week generally ISN'T the one I look for, hence I suppose my question.

I dunno. maybe I'm the exception anyway :)

[bluetoast]

So, uh..who's gonna try this first? <_<

[speedy1961]

So, uh..who's gonna try this first? <_<


this has been proposed before

I cannot garner the favors of the moderators

[bluetoast]

My mistake, I meant the Pink Panther deal, heh.

[JediJones]

Best Buy's web site lists the Pink Panther collection as being unavailable at every store near me. It's also unavailable in a search for the Philadelphia area. Chances are being out of stock will be a good excuse for them not selling it to you for the sale price.

I don't know if Circuit City carries it.

I did see the Pink Panther cartoon set at Wal-Mart earlier this year. I'm not sure if it's survived the recent remods though. I noticed the live-action movie set was still there this week but don't recall noticing the cartoons. It's worth a look there anyway as all their racks got redone with lots of new stuff including $7.50s (From Hell, for example).

[FangsFirst]

Best Buy's web site lists the Pink Panther collection as being unavailable at every store near me. It's also unavailable in a search for the Philadelphia area. Chances are being out of stock will be a good excuse for them not selling it to you for the sale price.
I've found that the website is not always accurate at all.
Of course, there's no guarantees on that, but if you feel the trip is worth the chance, there IS a chance.
EDIT:
For North Carolinians, it IS supposedly present in Cary, Burlington and Garner.

[Randy Hassan]

If you page through or search this week's ad online, it shows the five-disc set for $9.99. If you try to buy, it throws you to the online offer, where vol. 1 (one disc) is substituted.

[JeremyM]

The Wal-Mart near me does still have the collection. But considering the price difference, they will have to get manager approval, which might not happen.

[Zodiac_Speaking]

The Wal-Mart near me does still have the collection. But considering the price difference, they will have to get manager approval, which might not happen.

That would be gutsy to try, but it would be a steal of the year!

[FangsFirst]

I just got it from best buy. Manager approved it.
I'm a bit astonished...but I had a scrape with another car in the parking lot, so I think it may have been karmic retribution....
But I got it right here...9.99...crazy.

[DVDFreaker]

I just got it from best buy. Manager approved it.
I'm a bit astonished...but I had a scrape with another car in the parking lot, so I think it may have been karmic retribution....
But I got it right here...9.99...crazy.

Damn, you got lucky! Congrats! It is a shame I already have the Pink Panther Collection..maybe some others will be lucky as you...

[DamDavila]

Pricematched at Circuit City. They said I had to buy one of those Pink Panther movies that were in the pic right next to it, so that it was 2 for $20. Didn't mind since I didn't have Curse of the Pink Panther... Was in and out with the 5 Disc set and the "Curse Of" for $20 + tax.

[FangsFirst]

Pricematched at Circuit City. They said I had to buy one of those Pink Panther movies that were in the pic right next to it, so that it was 2 for $20. Didn't mind since I didn't have Curse of the Pink Panther... Was in and out with the 5 Disc set and the "Curse Of" for $20 + tax.
They almost got me into that; I don't have any of the films yet though and would rather just get the set once I get around to them--but that seems to be a factor that will tilt the scales in this mess if anyone else feels like braving it.

EDIT:
It also helped that I mentioned that online it is referenced as 9.99.

They went to the weekly ad online instore, and went to the page with this deal, then clicked on the Classic Cartoon Collection which then showed it on a page by itself with "9.99" next to it. (http://bestbuy.shoplocal.com/bestbuy/Default.aspx?action=browsepagesingle&storeid=2413161&rapid=280697&pagenumber=15&prvid=061106ba to be specific)

[Legolas]

I feel guilty price-matching a major mistake at another store. I've only done that once, for BB's Enterprise screw-up. But that was because I only got two seasons at one BB because that was all they had, and the next closest BB already figured out the mistake and posted signs.

[The Valeyard]

Circuit City wouldn't let me do it UNLESS I bought the NEW Pink Panther movie that comes out on Tuesday and even then, the Manager said it was sketchy. I guess I'll go in Tuesday and see what happens.

[Digital Groove]

I tried to get it today, figured why not.

Went to Best Buy, it appears they already pulled it from the shelf or someone else beat me to it.

Went to Circuit City, they had one, but when I went to pricematch the manager wasn't a moron and knew it was a error. He said something how it wasnt' the 5 disc set and must be somethign else, then to prove he was right he went to Best Buy's website and showed me how it was listed there at $60. I knew I had no chance of getting it so I walked out. Funny thing, in the parking lot some guy told me "that was the 5 disc set, he's jerking you around, I have it" Hahah

Went to Wal-Mart, they didn't have any like I expected.

OH well, I think I'll try to pricematch it at Circuit City later this week and hopefully it will be some dumb teenager doing the pricematching so they wont' care as much.

[justbarelymovin]

Well, I managed to score a copy at my local Best Buy after 30 or so minutes of haggling. Their excuses were awful; they tried to make me look really stupid. It was obvious that it was a misprint, but even still... It's there. I think it was worth the time. I know it's not the employees' fault or anything, so I feel kinda bad arguing with them (I don't personalize my attacks), but at the same time, I've NEVER had these kinds of problems at other retailers when they have misprints or the like. Anyway, like I said, it's a stretch, so good luck if you do try. Some of you may feel (and rightfully so) that it's not worth the time, but this is actually something I was looking into purchasing at some point.

[speedy1961]

I scored one of these at Best Buy this afternoon.

I pointed out that it was an error in their ad and that CT. law states that I'm entitled to 1 copy at the advertised price. Manager listened to my argument and agreed.

Before I got to the manager, the Media employee tried to tell me that it was an individual volume that was coming in on Tuesday. I replied that while another single volume is coming out on Tuesday, it's cover does not match what was in the ad.

Then I asked for the manager.

He then sent the employee to pull the other two copies from the shelf

[Ravenous]

Ehh I tried it at a WalMart, BB and CC since theyre all within 5 miles from me.

WalMart was a FUCK and tried to tell me I was stupid so I got angry and caused a stink. Theyre telling me its 1 disc, than an exlusive, than not the same thing becuase theirs has a list of the bonus features, and other excuses. I said theyre were bullshit and just giving excuses and I said "fuck you" without actually saying those words. Oh and they called some huge fat tattooed bastard to deal with me after the whole thing... thinking back, it could have been ugly. Damn this lawyer mouth of mine

BB had none in stock but were going to give me a raincheck, but couldnt find the SKU number so I knew it wasnt going to work

CC, the chick brought up BB website and said it was wrong and had to be something different. She wasnt dumb. Besided I didnt want to cause shit cause I like that CC and theyre cool

[justbarelymovin]

I scored one of these at Best Buy this afternoon.

I pointed out that it was an error in their ad and that CT. law states that I'm entitled to 1 copy at the advertised price. Managed listened to my argument and agreed.

Before I got to the manager, the Media employee tried to tell me that it was an individual volume that was coming in on Tuesday. I replied that while another single volume is coming out on Tuesday, it's cover does not match what was in the ad.

Then I asked for the manager.

He then sent the employee to pull the other two copies from the shelf

See, according to my friend, that's protocol. Sell one copy, then pull the remainders off the shelves and post a correction. Seems fair enough to me, but they kept telling me the same thing, that it was for one volume even though the item pictured in the ad looks nothing at all like any of the single volumes of the Cartoon Collection. I got the runaround from about four people at least until finally she gave it to me for taking up so much of my time. They tried to tell me that the SKU in the ad is for the single volume, and I politely pointed out that their average customer would not come into Best Buy knowing the SKU beforehand and that I would not have driven out there if I didn't think I was going to get this item for this price. Their arguments were silly, but I entertained them until finally they gave in. It seems like it would save the managers a lot more time if they'd just sell the initial copy then take care of the others. I understand that they're not personally at fault, but crikey! I never get this much grief from other retailers. Best Buy seems to have a lot of misprints/ad blunders. And I know--don't shop there if you don't like it, but a deal is a deal. I don't mind spending 30 minutes when it's that much of a price diff.

[MickeyMousePal]

I didn't try to buy the Pink Panther Cartoon Collection because I already have one and I already know how Best Buy will act by saying it's a mistake or it's not in stock...you know Best Buy they will remove it from the shelves...

I'll probably try it when the 2006 version of Pink Panther comes out...on Tuesday to get both for $20 but can I price match from Fry's Electronics on top of that?

[DamDavila]

Inside the Cartoon Collection was a slip for a free ticket to go see the new Pink Panther with Steve Martin in theaters, but it also doubles as $10 off of select Pink Panther DVDs. With them being $9.99 advertised, that's a free DVD right there! (Expires June 30, 2006)

[FangsFirst]

Inside the Cartoon Collection was a slip for a free ticket to go see the new Pink Panther with Steve Martin in theaters, but it also doubles as $10 off of select Pink Panther DVDs. With them being $9.99 advertised, that's a free DVD right there! (Expires June 30, 2006)
There wasn't one in mine! :(

Oh well.

Additionally:

See, at my local store, they said "Thaaaaat's probably a single volume"
But then he offered to go take a look and saw that they looked nothing like the 5 disc set. (IE, he checked the boxes in the 'warehouse' area dated for Tuesday when the volumes get released)

[speedy1961]

I'll probably try it when the 2006 version of Pink Panther comes out...on Tuesday to get both for $20 but can I price match from Fry's Electronics on top of that?


I'd say that this would be highly doubtful.

[MovieExchange]

Well, I tried to price match at Circuit City on Sunday morning. The girl at the counter disappeared with the ad for about 5 minutes, then came back and said she had to call Best Buy. She called, and then told me that the offer was for one of the individual volumes. I responded by pointing out that the item pictured was the complete collection, and that the individual volumes have different covers. A manager came up and tried to tell me I had to buy the Pink Panther movie, to which I pointed out that no, that was part of the 2 for $20 deal. I could buy one of the listed $9.99 selections along with the movie, thus getting the movie for about $5 cheaper. The girl then called Best Buy again, and this time told me that it was a price mistake and that Best Buy wasn't honoring the ad.

I knew this was too good to be true, but I was hoping that I could slip in right at 10am when they opened and snake it. Apparently most of you have Circuit City stores with dumber employees :)

[bluetoast]

Didn't work for me because the Employee was just like "It's misleading, but it's talking about other stuff, etc". I didn't bother pursuing it...I would have sold it to a record store. :rolleyes:

[getjazzedman]

I tried WalMart this morning, but they had none in stock. So I went into best buy after watching some World Cup Action (boo...) and tried my luck.

I found two copies on the shelf and brought them to the counter. When they rang up at 60.99 I pointed out they should be 9.99 and the girl took the ad and disappeared for a while. Then she came back out and tried to say that I had to buy the new Pink Panther with it. I pointed out that it said 9.99 each right on the Classic Collection.

All in all I waited an hour while they ran around and stalled hoping I would leave. They kept sending different employees over to give some B.S. about it being a single volume that had the same cover, but I kept showing them online that all those had different covers.

Finally the "manager" came out (his tag just said team member) and treated me like complete crap. He brought out one of the 1 disc volumes and said he'd give me that for the price. I pointed out that it was different than the one advertised. He began mocking me and repeating "you're being un-realistic."

Here are some ways he insulted me:
1 - At one point he said "What do you do for a living?" I replied that I am a student at the university and work up there. He then said "You obviously haven't worked in retail have you?" I replied that I had and worked in customer service for 2 years. He was flustered and said "Well, what would you do if a customer brought that in in this situation?" I replied that the customer is always right and I would honor it. He resorted to the "being un-realistic" thing again.
2 - I said "So are you telling me that you'd be willing to lose my business over a single DVD that you priced wrong in your ad and risk me spreading the bad customer service you gave me today because of it?" He said "If you put it in those words, then yes that's what I'm saying".
3 - I said "Alright... well you're gonna lose a heck of a lot more than $42 by me never coming back here and telling all my friends and family not to come back either." To this he responded "You better be careful or you'll get yourself in a Libel suit doing that." "WHAT?" "You can get yourself in trouble with the law if you're not careful." "Are you kidding me?, you're the one that's violating the law by having false advertising and not honoring your ad. You're required by law to give me 1 copy until there is a posted retraction in the store for all customers to see that there was an error." He replied : "That may be the case, but I'm not gonna do it for you. If you want to pursue legal action, that's up to you."

By this point I was fed up and humiliated so I said "thanks buddy, good luck with everything" and walked out.

Needless to say I called Corporate Headquarters and filed a complaint against the guy. Some people just never learn good customer service. It's not that I cared that much about the DVD deal, but a customer should not be treated that way.

Sorry for the rant.

[speedy1961]

I tried WalMart this morning, but they had none in stock. So I went into best buy after watching some World Cup Action (boo...) and tried my luck.

I found two copies on the shelf and brought them to the counter. When they rang up at 60.99 I pointed out they should be 9.99 and the girl took the ad and disappeared for a while. Then she came back out and tried to say that I had to buy the new Pink Panther with it. I pointed out that it said 9.99 each right on the Classic Collection.

All in all I waited an hour while they ran around and stalled hoping I would leave. They kept sending different employees over to give some B.S. about it being a single volume that had the same cover, but I kept showing them online that all those had different covers.

Finally the "manager" came out (his tag just said team member) and treated me like complete crap. He brought out one of the 1 disc volumes and said he'd give me that for the price. I pointed out that it was different than the one advertised. He began mocking me and repeating "you're being un-realistic."

Here are some ways he insulted me:
1 - At one point he said "What do you do for a living?" I replied that I am a student at the university and work up there. He then said "You obviously haven't worked in retail have you?" I replied that I had and worked in customer service for 2 years. He was flustered and said "Well, what would you do if a customer brought that in in this situation?" I replied that the customer is always right and I would honor it. He resorted to the "being un-realistic" thing again.
2 - I said "So are you telling me that you'd be willing to lose my business over a single DVD that you priced wrong in your ad and risk me spreading the bad customer service you gave me today because of it?" He said "If you put it in those words, then yes that's what I'm saying".
3 - I said "Alright... well you're gonna lose a heck of a lot more than $42 by me never coming back here and telling all my friends and family not to come back either." To this he responded "You better be careful or you'll get yourself in a Libel suit doing that." "WHAT?" "You can get yourself in trouble with the law if you're not careful." "Are you kidding me?, you're the one that's violating the law by having false advertising and not honoring your ad. You're required by law to give me 1 copy until there is a posted retraction in the store for all customers to see that there was an error." He replied : "That may be the case, but I'm not gonna do it for you. If you want to pursue legal action, that's up to you."

By this point I was fed up and humiliated so I said "thanks buddy, good luck with everything" and walked out.

Needless to say I called Corporate Headquarters and filed a complaint against the guy. Some people just never learn good customer service. It's not that I cared that much about the DVD deal, but a customer should not be treated that way.

Sorry for the rant.


Man.,... sorry to hear this.

You should alert your state's Consumer Protection Agency or the Attorney General.

I would have if I had been treated like that.

[FangsFirst]

Sorry for the rant.

That's worth ranting about.
I second the idea of filing complaints with everyone you possibly can.

[speedy1961]

That's worth ranting about.
I second the idea of filing complaints with everyone you possibly can.

Most definitely.

You've already got the hardest part done; namely documenting what transpired.

[getjazzedman]

Just out of curiosity what would happen if I filed a complaint with my state's Consumer Protection Agency? I found their website and a form I can fill out... I'm glad you guys also felt I was mistreated. I'm surprised I was able to keep my composure as much as I did.

[Sean O'Hara]

Needless to say I called Corporate Headquarters and filed a complaint against the guy.

I would've demanded the number of the district manager and made a point of calling then and there, preferably while standing at the entrance/check-out and restating the problem so other customers can hear. I can understand the store trying to get around the misprint, but the behavior described crosses the line.

[getjazzedman]

I would've demanded the number of the district manager and made a point of calling then and there, preferably while standing at the entrance/check-out and restating the problem so other customers can hear. I can understand the store trying to get around the misprint, but the behavior described crosses the line.

I probably should have done that, but I was so flustered and my patience had worn so thin by that point (after being in there for nearly an hour and a half) that I just left.

[speedy1961]

Just out of curiosity what would happen if I filed a complaint with my state's Consumer Protection Agency? I found their website and a form I can fill out... I'm glad you guys also felt I was mistreated. I'm surprised I was able to keep my composure as much as I did.

I'm sure that they would fine the store at the very least which should have a detrimental effect on that person's career arc at Best Buy.

I boned up on Connecticut's law regarding this type of misprice before I went and I firmly and clearly stated my case. I wasn't trying to buy the 3 that they had, just one. After which, they could pull the remaining two or put up a signing that the ad was in error.

Was I treatly rudely by any Best Buy employee on this occasion??? The answer would be NO.

If I had been humiliated / embarrased (as what happened in your case), I would have defintely struck back.

In my opinion, a mistake is a mistake. Own up to it and move on.

Justbarelymoving kinda said the same thing earlier.

But there is absolutely NO REASON for being treated badly for trying to buy a product with an advertised price.

[theMadness]

Well, I tried to price match at Circuit City on Sunday morning. The girl at the counter disappeared with the ad for about 5 minutes, then came back and said she had to call Best Buy. She called, and then told me that the offer was for one of the individual volumes. I responded by pointing out that the item pictured was the complete collection, and that the individual volumes have different covers. A manager came up and tried to tell me I had to buy the Pink Panther movie, to which I pointed out that no, that was part of the 2 for $20 deal. I could buy one of the listed $9.99 selections along with the movie, thus getting the movie for about $5 cheaper. The girl then called Best Buy again, and this time told me that it was a price mistake and that Best Buy wasn't honoring the ad.

I knew this was too good to be true, but I was hoping that I could slip in right at 10am when they opened and snake it. Apparently most of you have Circuit City stores with dumber employees :)



Nope sounds very much like the discussion I had with the CC CSR except he said I had to buy all 4 of the single disks to get that price. -ohbfrank-

[justbarelymovin]

You were totally mistreated. I know some feel that going into this we should know better, but I really don't feel that we're being overly exploitive or anything. Yes, I am taking advantage of a deal, but no, it's not like I'm going to go sell it--It's something I actually wanted to pick up for myself to go along with the Pink Panther Movie Collection I own.

I swear, it seems to be a Best Buy thing. When the whole Star Trek fiasco was going down, the most ridiculous thing happened. Best Buy was the only retailer with the misprinted ad (WOW, BIG SURPRISE!), but they were the only retailer I went to of which refused to sell me any of the sets (I was buying them for my father who is all about ST Enterprise... He's almost finished with the third set and we just ordered him the fourth during DDD's sale). I went to Circuit City and tried to PM--They called Best Buy and even though they were told it was a mistake, CC STILL PMed. They had absolutely zero obligation to do so, and if they had said no, I would've walked away without an argument because it wasn't even their ad, and yes, it was a mistake. Then I went to Fry's for the other two sets--Without even questioning me, they handled it with a smile! Those two experiences more than made up for my experience at Best Buy... Except that it's not just one experience I've had with them--It's several. Same thing happened when they had that little price banner going across the shelf stating a misprint for a Seinfeld set (which was actually advertised for that price a few weeks later). I go through several employees and managers all questioning my competence (obviously thinking that I have little or none) and giving me the runaround with the most ludicrous excuses.

Seriously, I don't get it. Yeah, it sucks. You may lose about $50 at your store... But isn't it better to please your customers so they'll keep coming back and spending more money? Instead I've been treated like a complete idiot. The girl at the register yesterday was utterly ridiculous. She would not reason with me at all and talked down on me like I was a child. She wasn't listening to me and kept repeating herself over and over. Even when it came down to them honoring the price in their ad (which I believe they are bound by law to do unless they have posted a correction notice of some sort), they made sure to tell me that it was not because I was in the right but because they had taken up 30+ minutes of my time.

I swear, I can't help but think there's someone really ignorant who puts these ads together (at least the DVD portions), or it's honestly some bait-and-switch scheme. People get the ads in the newspapers. They go up there for a good deal, and hey, why not buy some other stuff while you're up there? Oh, but we're not going to give it to you for that price... Do you still want the other stuff?

I did call BB HQ after the Star Trek incident, and the woman wasn't sympathetic at all. I asked her to file a complaint against the store, but somehow I doubt those even matter. I don't think customer service is a big aim for the folks at Best Buy.

Kudos to those of you who do have pleasant experiences more often than not, though. I know not EVERY BB is this way, but it seems like there are quite a few that are.

Sorry for the hella long post. Just know that I sympathize, and yes, I think you should totally file a complaint with your state's Consumer Protection Agency. The thing is, there is no other Pink Panther volume that even resembles the picture of the complete collection in the ad. I had to tell about four or five different employees/managers the same thing in as many different ways as I could, but they were unconvinced. The woman even brought out a copy of Vol. 1 of the collection--The covers are all black as far as I know. I asked them if they could look up the other ones online (for comparison) and they tried to make me feel stupid about that, too. The whole SKU thing was the icing on the cake, though. Unbelievable. I'm sorry that you were humiliated. That's really unnecessary.

I think speedy put it best--"But there is absolutely NO REASON for being treated badly for trying to buy a product with an advertised price."

Enough said.

[dvd-fanman]

I would've demanded the number of the district manager and made a point of calling then and there, preferably while standing at the entrance/check-out and restating the problem so other customers can hear. I can understand the store trying to get around the misprint, but the behavior described crosses the line.

I always do that, work my way up, Shift Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, District Manager, Regional Vice President. I've got all day, and they have at least til the end of their shift to listen to me. :)

I even had one store say to me, "What do you expect me to call the Store Manager while he's away at vacation?" To which I replied, "Well normally I wouldn't, but since you offered so nicely, please do on the phone right here, I'll wait. :)"

[bluetoast]

Speedy, I'm interested, where can I look up Consumer Laws for different states, in order to make a case if need be?

[Manzana]

I'm so used to having trouble PM'ing at most stores that I don't waste my time fighting it any more. I'm sorry to hear about other people's bad luck too, but frankly I wasn't surprised to hear about it. Normally I would walk out after about 10 minutes because if they don't PM within 5 minutes they probably aren't going to.

More than a couple times in the past Target pictured a 2-DVD SE (such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) with a $6.99 price intended for the old 1-DVD edition. I believe Target pulled all of their copies, but some other places were willing to PM the ad (especially because the price difference was about $15). I know I went looking at Target for one of the misprices during that week, and nobody could find any.

BBY has made a similar mistake here, and I'm surprised they didn't use the Target approach which is to pull all copies of the PP Cartoon Collection during this week. I've PM'd enough times at each store to know how each will react to a PM greater than $10-$15 which is usually the limit I can safely do without manager intervention (manager intervention usually means denial).

There's so little chance my BBY would give in on a PM of this magnitude, I doubt I'd waste my time trying. I think a manager once told me they got penalized for too many PMs, so they keep them small. To get a simple $7.99 PM on Half Life 2 E1 at BBY required a manager to come over and approve it. CC has denied me more times than BBY because the same snotty lady has been working at the customer service desk for years, and she generally finds some excuse. I know in my area the only small chance is at Walmart because most employees there don't care, but since the PM is so large the register will force a manager to approve it and it's likely to get denied.

Fortunately I don't care about the PP cartoon collection that much. Technically nobody should be able to get this deal until Tuesday when the new Pink Panther movie has been released because that's what the ad says to get any of the others for $9.99. No matter what the misprice there always seem to be a few people that get it.

Those are my opinions.

[justbarelymovin]

Fortunately I don't care about the PP cartoon collection that much. Technically nobody should be able to get this deal until Tuesday when the new Pink Panther movie has been released because that's what the ad says to get any of the others for $9.99. No matter what the misprice there always seem to be a few people that get it.

Those are my opinions.

Actually, the only benefit in the 2 for $20 part of the ad is to save money on the newly released Pink Panther movie. The ad shows those titles as just being $9.99 regularly, which they are when a person rings them up (no pop-up necessary) -- So, that's not quite the case, but it is one of the arguments they tried to use.

[FangsFirst]

Actually, the only benefit in the 2 for $20 part of the ad is to save money on the newly released Pink Panther movie. The ad shows those titles as just being $9.99 regularly, which they are when a person rings them up (no pop-up necessary) -- So, that's not quite the case, but it is one of the arguments they tried to use.
It's so insane that they can't read.

I don't understand the logic behind insisting the "9.99 each" is somehow a part of "2 for 20"

I mean first of all, 2 at 9.99 would be 19.98, not 20. Second, that's not 'each' if you're required to buy two. That's 2 for 20. Hence writing "2 FOR 20." Third, why the hell should you need to write "By 2 for 20, we mean $10 apiece! Except you have to buy both to get it!"

No one in their right mind would do that!

OBVIOUSLY 9.99 is intended to imply for a single item by itself in that stack of four.

...OK I guess I said 'right mind' and we're talking about a best buy ad (some stores I go to they always groan, not at me, and say "man, corporate always does this to us...I'm sorry." And I, working in retail and understanding the frustration, apologize and they tell me it's not my fault, they just have something "every week" to fix from the ad "'cause of corporate")

[speedy1961]

Speedy, I'm interested, where can I look up Consumer Laws for different states, in order to make a case if need be?

Yes.


I simply did a google search on the following:

Department of Consumer Protection Connecticut


When I tried other states, I saw links to the Attoney General's office. (It is my assumption that some states have this office merged into the Attorney General's office.)

Here's something I found on Rainchecks in Connecticut (not all states have this law):

http://www.ct.gov/dcp/cwp/view.asp?A=1629&Q=285416

[speedy1961]

Here's the section on Mismarked items:

(Note the statement that the consumer MUST ask for the mismarked item)....

MISMARKED ITEMS

Retailers often use electronic devices at their checkout counters to “scan” the UPC bar codes on each item. This enables the cashier to total your purchase faster, and helps the store keep track of the items and quantities being sold. Consumers sometimes question whether the scanned prices charged are accurate, compared to the actual (or sale) price of the item. Consumers have certain legal rights in the event of inaccurate scanning. There are three conditions when a retailer must provide an item free of charge when it has scanned at a price higher than the posted price.
The item must be a “consumer commodity.” This means a food, drug, device, cosmetic or other item produced for sale to retail stores, that gets "used up" or depleted, and is meant to be eventually replaced, such as: toothpaste, a loaf of bread, plastic wrap, or shampoo. A broom, for example, is not a consumer commodity.
The item must be on sale for a period of at least seven days, and offered in a publicly circulated advertisement, such as a newspaper circular.
The consumer must ask that the inaccurately scanned item be provided to him or her free of charge.


(4) If a consumer commodity is offered for sale at a reduced price, in accordance with subdivision (3) of this subsection and its electronic price is higher than the reduced price on the sign which is adjacent to the consumer commodity, then one item of such consumer commodity shall be given to the consumer upon demand at no cost. A conspicuous sign shall adequately disclose to the consumer that in the event the electronic price is higher than the reduced retail price, one item of such consumer commodity shall be given to the customer upon demand at no cost.


and finally:



21a-79-2. Unmarked consumer commodities
Any consumer commodity not properly marked with the retail price shall be removed from sale until properly marked.

(Effective May 23, 1988.)



21a-79-3. Improperly marked consumer commodities
If the retail price marked on the consumer commodity is higher than that displayed by the scanner, the lower price will prevail.

(Effective May 23, 1988.)

[Tarantino]

Sorry Speedy, didn't see your email (I don't check that one too much). It's a mistake, and in stores that pay attention, a correction notice should be posted.

People might have better luck price matching somewhere else.

= J

[speedy1961]

Sorry Speedy, didn't see your email (I don't check that one too much). It's a mistake, and in stores that pay attention, a correction notice should be posted.

People might have better luck price matching somewhere else.

= J


Glad you are back.

Thought you might be PO'd at me for some unknown reason.

I started watching Running Scared last night btw. ;)

[fuzzbox]

HOW in the world do you get away with this:


Here's the section on Mismarked items:

The item must be a “consumer commodity.” This means a food, drug, device, cosmetic or other item produced for sale to retail stores, that gets "used up" or depleted, and is meant to be eventually replaced, such as: toothpaste, a loaf of bread, plastic wrap, or shampoo. A broom, for example, is not a consumer commodity.[/i]

According to this, a DVD would NOT fall within the definition. Are you just trusting people aren't reading thoroughly?

-jason

[fuzzbox]

sorry to be the dissenter against getjazzedman, but I don't think you were mistreated. I think you were being a pain in the ass, and got called on it. It's not Wal-mart's Job to make sure that BB's flyers are right, and I think they even have disclaimers about gross mispricings in their price-match policy. If I were that manager, I would have asked why you weren't at BB trying to get the price.

Consumers that constantly try to abuse the system are the reason why stores are getting stricter, but I assume you know that already- you just don't think that you're one of them. But you are.

-jason

[canaryfarmer]

Fuzzbox,

Re-read his post. He *was* at Best Buy.

[fuzzbox]

whoops. my fault for typing too early in the morning.

However, he didn't post what state he was in, and I'll bet that it's NOT a law there that they have to give you the item at the lower price, especially in the case of gross errors. Just like Speedy above- maybe you could misinterpret an existing law, but I'm sure there is no real law.

-jason

[FangsFirst]

whoops. my fault for typing too early in the morning.

However, he didn't post what state he was in, and I'll bet that it's NOT a law there that they have to give you the item at the lower price, especially in the case of gross errors. Just like Speedy above- maybe you could misinterpret an existing law, but I'm sure there is no real law.

-jason
Still doesn't justify the treatment though...

[speedy1961]

HOW in the world do you get away with this:




According to this, a DVD would NOT fall within the definition. Are you just trusting people aren't reading thoroughly?

-jason

There are other sections to this law; that is just the section that I used. If one reads carefully, it says that the consumer should one free of the mismarked commodity. That portion obviously applies to the commodity portion that I used in this example. I think the store manager I dealt with at Best Buy would have had a heart attack if I told him he had to give me the set for free since it was a price mistake.

My whole point being is that there are laws on the books to prevent consumer from being taken advantage of and to prevent bait and switch tactics fronm being used against the consumer.

Each state's laws may be stated differently and that is why I urged the offended posted to contact the CPA in his / her state.

It all boiled down to the fact that one of our own tried to buy an advertised product at an advertised price and was treated rudely for doing so. No call for that it my book and I've been dealing with customers in one form or another for over 30 years.

[fuzzbox]

There are other sections to this law; that is just the section that I used. If one reads carefully, it says that the consumer should one free of the mismarked commodity. That portion obviously applies to the commodity portion that I used in this example. I think the store manager I dealt with at Best Buy would have had a heart attack if I told him he had to give me the set for free since it was a price mistake.

The manager wouldn't have had a heart attack. All he would do is point out that the item you're asking for doesn't fall within the definition of the law you're quoting, and be done with you. Quoting that law in relation to DVDs is like comparing apples and oranges. It clearly states what it applies to, and DVDs are not applicable. I'm pretty sure they fall under the definition of "luxury item", not a "consumer commodity".

In this case, you're more guilty than the store- they clearly made a mistake, they asked some lackey to grab a Pink Panther DVD for a photo shoot and they got the wrong one. No deception was involved, just a mistake. However, you're asking someone to live up to a law that wasn't intended to apply to them. YOU are being the deceptive one, not the store.


My whole point being is that there are laws on the books to prevent consumer from being taken advantage of and to prevent bait and switch tactics fronm being used against the consumer.

There are also laws to prevent the stores from being taken advantage of by unscruplous consumers. It does have to go both ways.

While the manager might have been a bit over the line in his choice of words, It doesn't cancel out the fact that the poster was trying to buy TWO of the mistaken item (clearly trying to take advantage of the mistake) and decided to make a stink out of it. It's really pretty simple. If you go in trying to buy something that is obviously mispriced (and a $61 set for $10 is OBVIOUSLY mispriced) you take the chance that it might not work for you. If it does, great, if not, you wait for the next deal to come along. Why is that unclear to some people?

I'm sure that the story from the manager's side would be quite a bit different than the posters, BTW. If you've worked with customers for so long, I assume you know that there are 2 sides to every story, and usually neither one is exactly the truth.

-jason

[speedy1961]

In this case, you're more guilty than the store- they clearly made a mistake, they asked some lackey to grab a Pink Panther DVD for a photo shoot and they got the wrong one. No deception was involved, just a mistake. However, you're asking someone to live up to a law that wasn't intended to apply to them. YOU are being the deceptive one, not the store.



Yes... you are EXACTLY right. I am one evil, greedy bastard and I show my contempt for humanity each and every day. :wave:





I'm sure that the story from the manager's side would be quite a bit different than the posters, BTW. If you've worked with customers for so long, I assume you know that there are 2 sides to every story, and usually neither one is exactly the truth.


-jason


I do agree with you on this.

[The Valeyard]

I blame you, Speedy. I'm gonna e-mail you like crazy now!

;)

[getjazzedman]

There are also laws to prevent the stores from being taken advantage of by unscruplous consumers. It does have to go both ways.

While the manager might have been a bit over the line in his choice of words, It doesn't cancel out the fact that the poster was trying to buy TWO of the mistaken item (clearly trying to take advantage of the mistake) and decided to make a stink out of it. It's really pretty simple. If you go in trying to buy something that is obviously mispriced (and a $61 set for $10 is OBVIOUSLY mispriced) you take the chance that it might not work for you. If it does, great, if not, you wait for the next deal to come along. Why is that unclear to some people?

I'm sure that the story from the manager's side would be quite a bit different than the posters, BTW. If you've worked with customers for so long, I assume you know that there are 2 sides to every story, and usually neither one is exactly the truth.

-jason

I didn't make a stink. I was more than cordial with the guy. I was just offended by about 3 or 4 things that he said to me and felt I was treated very poorly for just trying to buy something at an advertised price. That's why I posted on here. While the store manager in a store here in Utah may not represent Best Buy as a whole, I thought it important that other consumers knew how I was treated. Not because I was so upset I didn't get the item. I didn't even care that much about the DVD. It's only $42.

Oh and I did tell the truth about what happened. And, yes, I'm sure the store manager would have a slightly different story than I. If not he'd be out of the job.

P.S. You may be a "greedy bastard" speedy *tic* but I sure appreciate all your postings on here to help us all become like unto you. heheheh... ;) I hope you can sense the sarcasm.

[speedy1961]

P.S. You may be a "greedy bastard" speedy *tic* but I sure appreciate all your postings on here to help us all become like unto you. heheheh... ;) I hope you can sense the sarcasm.

I do.

I still think that you should file a complaint.

[phraseturner]

Picked up teh Steve Martin Pink Panter and the 5-disc PP cartoon set by getting Circuit City to Price match Best Buy's ad. Before I went to customer service, I went to their computer section, brought up BB's site, then clicked on teh "weeky ad" button and brought up the ad's page with the PP 2 for $20 offer on it. I ;ed the customer service employee to the comuter monitor, explained the deal, and commented how hard it is to get a BB employee on the phone that knows what's going on with sales, ect. She agreed, and did the price match.

My cartoon set had the $10 off coupon, which I plan to use to pick up a 2nd cartoon set for a net of $0 after coupon!

[getjazzedman]

My cartoon set had the $10 off coupon, which I plan to use to pick up a 2nd cartoon set for a net of $0 after coupon!
Hahahaa... now THAT's a deal! If only there were Circuit City's or Fry's where I live. :(

[darmok]

tried for the set this morning at my local BB. no luck; the cashier who rang me up was one of the more experienced ones, and took the deal to her manager, who confirmed it to be a picture error. no excuses, just an error in the circular, and i didn't bother arguing it out. would've been nice for $10, but it's not going to kill me; there's more to life than making a scene at the store over a lousy misprint. hats off to those of ya that were able to score the deal.

[sotra]

I work nightshifts and my wife was going out today. So, I had her try for this. She brought it up to the register with the flyer and they told her sure, but she had to buy it with the movie for $20. She said sure, but of course it rang up $60.99. Then they went away for 20 minutes talking to a manager and they came out with a printout (freshly printed) saying that this was a pricing error from 4 days ago. My wife argued that there was no notice by the weekly ad or by the DVD set and that they had to give it to her and pull the rest off the shelf. They pulled them off the shelf and didn't give it to her. So, she said she would contact the BBB, they said ok and she left.
Is it even worth contacting them?
I think I'm going to email Best Buy corporate about it and see what they say.

[speedy1961]

I work nightshifts and my wife was going out today. So, I had her try for this. She brought it up to the register with the flyer and they told her sure, but she had to buy it with the movie for $20. She said sure, but of course it rang up $60.99. Then they went away for 20 minutes talking to a manager and they came out with a printout (freshly printed) saying that this was a pricing error from 4 days ago. My wife argued that there was no notice by the weekly ad or by the DVD set and that they had to give it to her and pull the rest off the shelf. They pulled them off the shelf and didn't give it to her. So, she said she would contact the BBB, they said ok and she left.
Is it even worth contacting them?
I think I'm going to email Best Buy corporate about it and see what they say.

You should contact BBB and the Department of Consumer Protection / Attorney General.

If they knew about it on Sunday, they should've had a sign up acknowledging the mistake.

[Sean O'Hara]

I'm pretty sure the law in most states is something along the line of, "A store must sell an item at the advertised price unless they post a notice saying there was a misprint." If they don't have a sign up somewhere around the entrance, checkout, or next to the PP sets, what they're doing likely qualifies as false advertizing and should be reported. Even if you don't care that much about the set, zinging them for this should get them to do things right in the future.

[Novasonic]

just fyi, i forever hate all the people that got this to work :(

[bluetoast]

I attempted it again just for the hell of it. The dude said that I would have to do the "2 for $20" with the Steve Martin movie. I agreed. It rung up as $81.99 or so, and the dude called over the manager. The manager did not say it was a misprint, rather, he said that the picture in the flyer was a totally different DVD, then proceeded to go to get what was presumably the one volume sets. Knowing that this wouldn't work, I just left with my original purchase.

[FangsFirst]

I attempted it again just for the hell of it. The dude said that I would have to do the "2 for $20" with the Steve Martin movie. I agreed. It rung up as $81.99 or so, and the dude called over the manager. The manager did not say it was a misprint, rather, he said that the picture in the flyer was a totally different DVD, then proceeded to go to get what was presumably the one volume sets. Knowing that this wouldn't work, I just left with my original purchase.
It's really depressing how many of them flat-out lie.

If you 100% insist on refusing to give it to a customer, at least have the decency to tell the truth and say it's an error...

Oh well. I guess I expect too much from humanity.

[whotony]

I attempted it again just for the hell of it. The dude said that I would have to do the "2 for $20" with the Steve Martin movie. I agreed. It rung up as $81.99 or so, and the dude called over the manager. The manager did not say it was a misprint, rather, he said that the picture in the flyer was a totally different DVD, then proceeded to go to get what was presumably the one volume sets. Knowing that this wouldn't work, I just left with my original purchase.

this is what happened to me today.

the register guy rang it up as 60.99.
so i showed him the add and he called the manager over.
he came prepared with the 3 cartoon volumes that were in stock.
he said this is what the add was for.
i pointed out the photo is the collection.
he insisted the sale was the individual vols.

then he said the one with the picture is one of the new volumes ,
either 4 or 5
of which he said both were out of stock.
i pointed out that only 4 vols are out and 4 should be available today.

of course he was confused by that.

he still insisted that the picture was one of the vols so i asked him if
he could show me on the web site.

he couldnt find vol 5, but did all 4 other vols.
none of them had the collection pic.
he looked at the collect pic and it said 5 disc collection.
"see, this says 5 disc collection." he says.

then he somehow managed to find something that had the same picture that only siad "collection" without the "5 disc" words on the pic.

i couldnt argue with that and said thanks bye.

[Tarantino]

Never, speedy. You're the man in the bargains forum...how could I ever be upset w/ ya?

= J

[mnementh]

I managed to get a set at the East Palo Alto store. The manager said I'd be "the only person to make off like a bandit" and printed up a correction notice after ringing up my sale.

[wildcatlh]

suing BB rotfl
bringing it up with the attorney general rotfl

It's the same thing every time a store doesn't honor an advertised misprice. It's been going on since I first started on this board. If you have actual knowledge that the price is a mistake (and actual knowledge is defined as you actually know, or that from the difference in price versus the normal price, a reasonable person would know), then they're not going to have to honor the misprice.

[excom101]

suing BB rotfl


Yeah. Nice. Um... I'm pretty sure you're the first one to bring that up in this thread.

[FangsFirst]

Yeah. Nice. Um... I'm pretty sure you're the first one to bring that up in this thread.
Or the bringing it up with the attorney general...

[MickeyMousePal]

I tried to get my Pink Panther Cartoon Collection but the manager never let me saying it wasn't the same one on the ad and it was a error.
Then they didn't let me price match 15 Blocks or The Pink Panther (2006) movie for $12.99 because the price wasn't on top of the actual DVD that I wanted to price match. I told the manager but it has the asterisks (*) but then she said that doesn't mean it's $12.99. I'm never going to this Best Buy again in Fullerton. I usually go to City of Industry.

Last week I went to the City of Industry Best Buy and price match Underworld: Evoultion and Firewall for both $13.99 and the ad didn't have the price on top of the actual DVD. Guess the Best Buy at Fullerton are big fat jerks.

[The Valeyard]

Last week I went to the City of Industry Best Buy and price match Underworld: Evoultion and Firewall for both $13.99 and the ad didn't have the price on top of the actual DVD. Guess the Best Buy at Fullerton are big fat jerks.


They are indeed! Both the City of Industry & West Covina Best Buys are pretty decent. Never had an issue with either when Price Matching.

[bigkid43]

I just picked one up at Circuit City in Bridgewater NJ and asked if they would price match the set. The nice girl behind the counter punched a few keys and gave it to me for <$8 with tax after price match + % off the difference.
They still had a couple of sets left. Good luck.

[Novasonic]

grrrr....... it's not fair. I spend at least $1000 a year in that place and all i got was bitched out. I hate you all that got this to work.

[Spez]

tried for the set this morning at my local BB. no luck; the cashier who rang me up was one of the more experienced ones, and took the deal to her manager, who confirmed it to be a picture error. no excuses, just an error in the circular, and i didn't bother arguing it out. would've been nice for $10, but it's not going to kill me; there's more to life than making a scene at the store over a lousy misprint. hats off to those of ya that were able to score the deal.

I feel the same way. I stopped by Wal-Mart on my way home from work today to see if they had the set. They didn't have it, so I just left. I had the ad and everything. Now that I think of it, I could have tried Target too, but I threw out the ad on my way out. No worries. I have to cut back on spending anyway after the DDD sale.

[The Bus]

I'm thinking if I want to get this to work but BB is so far away and I don't have an ad that it's not worth it for me to go through the trouble of an hour's worth of work to save $$ on something I'd be OK waiting for anyway.

This cartoon collection will probably be $20-$30 next time there's a DDD sale. I can live with that.

(If $10 wasn't a misprint, I'd totally get it!)

[JoN8282]

this post is annoying me - i work retail... in fact i work for one of the stores mentioned in this thread... bottom line... if you know it's a misprint - and you are going to argue and cause a problem in the store... you are an asshole, bottom line. now if you are browsing and you find something mistagged, that's another thing... but you guys went in knowing it was a mis-print, trying to take advantage of that, and in some cases, taking all the copies on the shelf for yourself... shame shame shame... i know especially on a forum like this it's "wrong" to defend big business, but you people really do fail to remember the fact, that these stores making money is what feeds mine, and many many many others family. and for the record... if you cursed at me in my store over a mis-print... you'd have about 2 minutes to get out before you were arrested for tresspassing.

[paulringodaman]

this post is annoying me - i work retail... in fact i work for one of the stores mentioned in this thread... bottom line... if you know it's a misprint - and you are going to argue and cause a problem in the store... you are an asshole, bottom line. now if you are browsing and you find something mistagged, that's another thing... but you guys went in knowing it was a mis-print, trying to take advantage of that, and in some cases, taking all the copies on the shelf for yourself... shame shame shame... i know especially on a forum like this it's "wrong" to defend big business, but you people really do fail to remember the fact, that these stores making money is what feeds mine, and many many many others family. and for the record... if you cursed at me in my store over a mis-print... you'd have about 2 minutes to get out before you were arrested for tresspassing.

Saving $6 isn't going to ruin your livelihood or Best Buy. While I don't think people should bitch about obvious price mistakes, you have to try. It's not every day you see these...You gotta try!

[smackattack]

Originally Posted by MickeyMousePal
Last week I went to the City of Industry Best Buy and price match Underworld: Evoultion and Firewall for both $13.99 and the ad didn't have the price on top of the actual DVD. Guess the Best Buy at Fullerton are big fat jerks.

They are indeed! Both the City of Industry & West Covina Best Buys are pretty decent. Never had an issue with either when Price Matching.


TESTIFY! PREACH IT BROTHERS.
I loathe the fullerton best buy. In fact, their attitude has cost best buy a customer. I have maybe been in their stores 2 or 3 times in the last 3 years or so, and thats only because of work or somehow i ended up with a best buy gift card.

The fullerton best buy will not try to make you a happy customer, they dont care. Ive been denied on so many silly semantics, lied to etc, the list is long. Im talking legitimate stuff here, not trying to get over on a missprint. Ive had legit coupons coupons denied because the item was in their weekly ad (even though the coupon did not have words in regards to sale items). Ive been denied because PC video games are considered "software" and console games are considered "video games". I had a manger tell me that he wouldnt sell me a cordless phone battery they had marked at 1 penny, heck, they even had the price sticker of 1 penny on the hanger tag along with the sticker on the product.

Anyway, congrats to those who succeeded. I dont have a problem with trying to take advantage of a misprice. If you are civil and put up a good case, its all good. Nothing wrong with being a saavy consumer. Heaven knows there are enought sheep out there.

Putting up a big production or creating a stink on a known misprice is a bit extreme though, and just as wrong as employees and managers being rude, lieing or condescending.

[MickeyMousePal]

Hey, The Valeyard

Did you go to that Reward Zone Special Event at Best Buy at West Covina on May 21, 2006.

I went and had a great time spend up to $400.00...:p

[MickeyMousePal]

Amen to that smackattack.

Probably try to get the Pink Pather Cartoon Collection at City of Industry tomorrow...for $9.99 if I don't get it I won't get that mad...anyways I already have it. and got it for $30ish...:p

[MScottM]

Got mine price matched at CC yesterday in Waldorf MD. The girl at the counter knew it was a price mistake but her manager looked it up in the BB web and it still stated the same thing about the buy 2 for $20. I had to get the movie also, but $75 worth of merchandise for $20 is a deal in my book.

I don't feel bad about getting in on these deals when they happen along. I am not getting over on anyone and I am paying the prices that the stores ask for the product. You would think that they could hire people that knew enough about the products they sell that these kind of thing didn't happen. But if they want to hire people that don't know what they are doing, then they are going to have to pay the price of having people that are incompetent working for them. The worst that should happen with this kind of mistake is that one copy of this is sold at the wrong price in every store that they own. After that, there should be notices up in all of the stores.

By the way, why is there only "cavet emptor" why isn't there a "let the seller beware" phrase?

[theMadness]

By the way, why is there only "cavet emptor" why isn't there a "let the seller beware" phrase?

Now that's an appropriate quote -smile-

[Sean O'Hara]

this post is annoying me - i work retail... in fact i work for one of the stores mentioned in this thread... bottom line... if you know it's a misprint - and you are going to argue and cause a problem in the store... you are an asshole, bottom line.

No, the bottom line is if it's a misprint, the store needs to post a correction. I've worked retail too, and the first thing we did when we found a misprint is post a sign on the door and next to the product. But anyone who got in before the signs went up got the published price. A store doesn't get to decide that they aren't going to honor somehting in their ad when a customer gets to the register.

[Lunatikk]

if you cursed at me in my store over a mis-print... you'd have about 2 minutes to get out before you were arrested for tresspassing.

:lol:

[speedy1961]

No, the bottom line is if it's a misprint, the store needs to post a correction. I've worked retail too, and the first thing we did when we found a misprint is post a sign on the door and next to the product. But anyone who got in before the signs went up got the published price. A store doesn't get to decide that they aren't going to honor somehting in their ad when a customer gets to the register.

Nice rebuttal and true.
Well said. :up:

[FangsFirst]

Has anyone here BEEN cursing employees over a mis-print?
I know I was totally and completely polite and civil...

and I went in fully intending to get one and only one copy for myself to watch and enjoy (which I've been doing)...

And I've worked nothing *but* retail--and still work retail. And in my experience, chains as large as that do not affect changes in employee pay over $50 losses--or even companywide losses of $15,000 (if something like every store in the country sold one).

And as loony as this may sound, I thought that perhaps a number of people had done what I'd done--seen the package earlier and thought the price was exorbitant and skipped it, and maybe, just maybe, they'd decided to skim off a chunk of product real quick. Flimsy, sure, but when I went through and actually clicked into the ad and found it still showing me the item, I thought that was fairly well definitive.

[reverie]

So, she said she would contact the BBB, they said ok and she left.
Is it even worth contacting them?
I think I'm going to email Best Buy corporate about it and see what they say.

I did these exact things during the Enterprise fun (BB didn't have signs posted, and would not sell them to me). BB's corporate said it was a misprint, etc. (despite me mentioning their store had no postings of the sort). The BBB letter I sent just seemed to go into some sort of limbo, never heard a thing about it.

[justbarelymovin]

Just for the record, I really don't think any of us (at least those of us who have posted within this thread) cursed at any of the employees at Best Buy or elsewhere. And like I said before, my friend who has been working in retail for years (Suncoast, EB Games, Fry's Electronics, TX Art, etc.) wholeheartedly agrees that misprices should be honored until a correction notice has been put up (in fact, it's pretty much protocol). As long as one isn't buying multiple copies, I don't see what's wrong of taking advantage of a misprice. I hardly think that's overly exploiting anyone/anything. Unless someone is being out of line about trying to get the deal, then I also don't think that warrants mistreatment by an employee.

[speedy1961]

Just for the record, I really don't think any of us (at least those of us who have posted within this thread) cursed at any of the employees at Best Buy or elsewhere. And like I said before, my friend who has been working in retail for years (Suncoast, EB Games, TX Art, etc.) wholeheartedly agrees that misprices should be honored until a correction notice has been put up (in fact, it's pretty much protocol). As long as one isn't buying multiple copies, I don't see what's wrong of taking advantage of a misprice. I hardly think that's overly exploiting anyone/anything. Unless someone is being out of line about trying to get the deal, then I also don't think that warrants mistreatment by an employee.

:up: :up:

[FangsFirst]

Just for the record, I really don't think any of us (at least those of us who have posted within this thread) cursed at any of the employees at Best Buy or elsewhere. And like I said before, my friend who has been working in retail for years (Suncoast, EB Games, Fry's Electronics, TX Art, etc.) wholeheartedly agrees that misprices should be honored until a correction notice has been put up (in fact, it's pretty much protocol). As long as one isn't buying multiple copies, I don't see what's wrong of taking advantage of a misprice. I hardly think that's overly exploiting anyone/anything. Unless someone is being out of line about trying to get the deal, then I also don't think that warrants mistreatment by an employee.
Suuuuuuure...just restate what I was trying to say coherently, politely and eloquently! See if I care!

(....but really, cheers, the above adjectives are appropriate and my post was likely garbled nonsense anyway ;))

[thejester]

Protocol, (sm)otocol. BB stores & corporate (Customer Care) don't care about protocol. I learned that today with an hour of my time @ the Baytown, Tx store.

Up until I walked out the door, I was very civil & polite. I kept pointing out the ad price/picture & the lack of ANY correction signs - anywhere in a meaningful place (DVD section, front door, etc). I went from clerk to "media manager"(?) to store manager (Kevin). Even tho' there were no signs - and they knew that - the SM wouldn't give in.

Of course, when I was checking out & pointed out $10 price, the clerk referred it off to the media manager. After 15 minutes or so, she came back from the back with a freshly printed correction notice - saying that there was a "correction" in the price & that I couldn't have it for the $10 ad price. When I held my ground & said that no correction signs were present in the store before I started to check out, she referred it to the Store Manager.

Ten min. later, the SM comes up & very politely said that he couldn't give it to me either. He kept referring to the signs & as I kept re-interating, no signs were out when I came in, picked up product & started to checkout. He wouldn't budge. Said if I wanted to I could call "Customer Care"(CC) - which I did.

Now I know CC is nothing but a toothless lion. In a span of 3 cell calls, I spoke with 2 front line care reps & 1 supervisor (Matthew). My 1st call got dropped when I was talking to the supervisor. On the call-back, I left a message for the Supv - which he never returned. And, on the third, the front line rep. did admit that the manager/store should give it to me @ the ad price - since no signs were up - but couldn't make any of that happen (hence toothless).

I actually had the supervisor caught in his own "reasoning logic". He pointed out that the ad referred to "titles" when talking about the $9.99 DVDs available. He said the Cartoon Collection pictured wasn't a "title" but a "set". I turned that on him with the wording on the next page for the BOGO sets - it refers to the selections as "titles" also. Somewhere after that is when my call with him got "disconnected".

I'l give the Baytown store credit for one thing, the personnel were civil & polite. And, they didn't try to pass off "lies" as fact (picture is of another Pink Panther cartoon, etc). Course, I squashed that one early with the clerk by saying that the set is the ONLY one with a white background & a BIG Pink Panther on the cover.

I myself was polite up until the end, when I decided to just give up, & told the clerk to tell the SM 1) to "stick it(DVD) where the sun don't shine" & 2) that he's breaking the law by not selling it for ad price when no corrections are present.

Doesn't really matter, in a few months the set will be in the $20-30 range on a normal scale anyways. Heck, it's $35 @ Circuit City this week & $38+ @ CostCo.

[JediJones]

The closest Best Buy had printed out price correction notices up on the Pink Panther display and by the registers yesterday when I went. The 5-disc set wasn't even in the display, but I found a couple of them back in the boxed set section. So the person was right who said Best Buy's web site search is not always accurate as to what DVDs are in-stock in the stores. The web site still says none of the stores in my area have it.

At this point I really doubted I would succeed at Circuit City with a price match but I had to try. It took me a while to even find the Panther set at CC. It wasn't in the TV boxed sets, it wasn't in the front with new releases, it wasn't in children's, it wasn't in comedy... Finally I found it after almost giving up, on one side of a standing aisle shelf where they used to have Pretty in Pink (coincidentally enough) and other cheap DVDs sitting for months.

I was still trying to work out how to respond if they questioned the ad or brought a manager over. I got some renewed confidence when I noticed the set was also on sale in CC's ad for $34.99 and the exact same picture (also without the 5-disc sticker) is in their ad. That would be a good piece of evidence to help bolster my case. And a $25 reduction in price isn't quite as extreme as a $50 one if this set hadn't been on sale.

I then simply went up to the register with the Panther pack and the 2 for $10 Cape Fear and Wise Guys and asked the girl to price match Best Buy's ad which I laid on the counter. She without hesitation punched some keys and not only matched it but proudly stated I would also get an additional 10% off. The price actually went down to $7.49 which would be 25% off. She seemed to give the screen a puzzled look for a second but said nothing and just went with it. I now looked it up and realize they lower the final price by 10% of the DIFFERENCE in price between them and the other store. I didn't even know they did this discount so I might have to watch in the future if doing that would beat Best Buy's Reward Zone benefit. I just kept being very polite and told her thanks, but not boasting too brazenly about getting a great price. She said at one point she might go over to Best Buy herself and get it because she loves these cartoons. I just told her their store still had one on the shelf, in the hopes she won't go over there and find me less trustworthy during any future visits.

I usually have good luck with the cashiers at Circuit City. Most of them are young females who look like they're desperate for a date. Not the best looking bunch and they get kind of flirty with me at times. Whenever I need customer service in a store I try to hit that demographic...young, female, average-to-below-average looks. They seem to be the most eager to please...not bitter, jaded, combative, or stuck-up. It's also helped to get price matches on new release bonus packs at Wal-Mart with the regular edition price in another store's ad. Anyway after getting that price on the Panther set I am almost inclined to ask her out. Getting this deal made me feel pretty in pink...panther, that is.

As to whether it is legitimate or moral to do this, I wouldn't have put up an aggressive fight over it. If CC said they couldn't honor it for some reason I wouldn't have forced the issue, except to correct them if they put forth any factual errors. I have no idea with the specific terms of their price match policy are, if they even make exceptions for misprinted ads. But it's not my responsibility to know that as a customer. All I need to do is ask them if they'll do something...it's up to their employees to know whether or not they're allowed to do it or not.

[Yellowbeard]

Ive been denied because PC video games are considered "software" and console games are considered "video games".
This has happened to me at several BB stores and is pure horse$h1t. Their endless stupidity and excuses annoys me to no end.

[sotra]

This is the reply I got from Best Buy corporate:

---------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Best Buy about our Hadley store. I'm Cevin
with
Customer Care.

We are sorry to hear that you may not have received the level of
service
that you have come to expect. Our stores will post disclaimers for any
discrepancies or corrections to our advertisements. Best Buy strives to
provide our customers with the highest level of service, convenience
and
selection. We value receiving your comments so we may use this feedback
to improve the shopping and service experience for all our customers.

Thank you for sharing your comments with Best Buy. Please do not
hesitate to contact us with additional questions or concerns.


Best Wishes from Best Buy,
Cevin and the Customer Care Team

---------------------------------------

I wonder if it is worth it to contact BBB and/or the Attorney General since it wasn't a big deal for me if I got this or not in the first place.

[Sean O'Hara]

See, this is why you go up the chan of command, not sideways -- demand the number of the district manager, not customer service. The DM would very likely know that the ad was a misprint and the stores were supposed to post corrections, and the people at the store would get in trouble for not doing so.

[hiccup]

I first went to BB merely for the ad so I could PM at CC, but then I decided to try it out there and get it from them. Went to one cashier who was totally willing to ring it up for that price, but wasn't sure and said I should go to Customer Service. Fine. I went there and showed them the ad, but they kept insisting that it must have been a single disc version and that I had to go and find it. To this I replied that I had searched, and that this set was the only one that matched the one pictured. Still, after some arguing (no insults or anything like that) she still wouldn't go with it, though she conceded that i was right. Fine.

Off to CC. At CC I looked around a bit, found the set and brought it up. Anyway, long story short CC was much more willing to PM it and didn't even care. They did call, but the BB's employees were brainless and had know clue as to what deals they had in their ad, so the guy just let me PM the deal, which got me the extra 10% off in addition. All I have to say is Woohoo!

[Tarantino]

I actually had a guy swear and scream at me because of the XBox Live misprint a few months ago (misprinted for $19.99, regularly $69.99). We had the signs posted at the front of the store as we always do, but he went nuts anyway, and yes, we had to escort him out. Good times.

= J

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

By the way, why is there only "cavet emptor" why isn't there a "let the seller beware" phrase?

I've been saying "caveat vendor" for the last decade or so - despite it being incorrect Latin.

(The correct Latin, "caveat venditor" has a specific legal meaning that is non-obvious (big surprise!) - instead of "seller beware" - its meaning is more like the seller has a duty to protect the buyer from stupid purchasing decisions).

[JoN8282]

I myself was polite up until the end, when I decided to just give up, & told the clerk to tell the SM 1) to "stick it(DVD) where the sun don't shine"



I would've demanded the number of the district manager and made a point of calling then and there, preferably while standing at the entrance/check-out and restating the problem so other customers can hear. I can understand the store trying to get around the misprint, but the behavior described crosses the line.



actually... there were a few in this thread who stated that they cursed at the employee's or otherwise acted innapropriatly... also, some stores may have posted the correction notice on the door, near the ad, or near the product... it's a big store.


Saving $6 isn't going to ruin your livelihood or Best Buy. While I don't think people should bitch about obvious price mistakes, you have to try. It's not every day you see these...You gotta try!


actually... its 50$ we are discussing here, not 6, and while im quite aware that a few people getting in on this deal, doesnt ruin my livelihood... at this point where i am at, the better the company does, the better i do, so yes, it does matter to me. and it does trickle down... things like labor budgets are directly affected by the individual stores P&L - preventing your store from getting ripped off, either via misprint, theft, etc... will directly leave more hours for part time employee's, which in my experience at best buy, there are plenty of that need more hours.


No, the bottom line is if it's a misprint, the store needs to post a correction. I've worked retail too, and the first thing we did when we found a misprint is post a sign on the door and next to the product. But anyone who got in before the signs went up got the published price. A store doesn't get to decide that they aren't going to honor somehting in their ad when a customer gets to the register.


actually that depends on what state you are in... in my particular state, the store does get to do exactly that if it wishes. in addition, as the poster i have quoted below also stated, if you are trying to take advantage of an obvious misprice, you are indeed are going to need to realize that you may or may not get it, and deal with that accordingly... however, making a scene in a store, or cursing at employees is never the answer, and like i said before... if you tried that in my store, you would have a very short amount of time before being arrested for tresspassing... it's happend before, it shall happen again...


While the manager might have been a bit over the line in his choice of words, It doesn't cancel out the fact that the poster was trying to buy TWO of the mistaken item (clearly trying to take advantage of the mistake) and decided to make a stink out of it. It's really pretty simple. If you go in trying to buy something that is obviously mispriced (and a $61 set for $10 is OBVIOUSLY mispriced) you take the chance that it might not work for you. If it does, great, if not, you wait for the next deal to come along. Why is that unclear to some people?


thank you for the words of reason... and also to whoever said they got yelled at over that xbox live misprint a few months ago - welcome to the club, it seems like a ton of us did...

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

After the xbox360 "bundling" fiasco - BBY doesn't really have a leg to stand on when it comes to xbox 'errors.'

[hiccup]

I was at a different BB yesterday (just picking up some cheapo movie for a birthday I forgot about) and it was the first time I had seen the correction notice.

Jah-Wren Ryel, what was the xbox360 fiasco? The one where it said an Xbox 360 + LCD Monitor?

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

See these articles - the first contains links to 3 earlier ones with most of the details:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29638
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30393

[speedy1961]

See these articles - the first contains links to 3 earlier ones with most of the details:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29638
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30393


VERY Enlightening Jah-Wren Ryel!

Thanks :up: