Best Buy - Oh My! The secret is out!!!
#1
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Best Buy - Oh My! The secret is out!!!
Best Buy's secret website...
They got some 'splainin' to do....
Under pressure from state investigators, Best Buy is now confirming my reporting that its stores have a secret intranet site that has been used to block some consumers from getting cheaper prices advertised on BestBuy.com.
#2
Senior Member
Originally Posted by bwsmom
#3
DVD Talk Limited Edition
"As a company, everything we do revolves around our customers' needs and desires. It is never our intent to mislead them as their loyalty is incredibly important to us"
This BB comment is total BS. Never was "customer needs" ever stressed when I worked there....unless "customer needs" equals "that customer needs a 120 CD holder to go with that CD in their hand".
This BB comment is total BS. Never was "customer needs" ever stressed when I worked there....unless "customer needs" equals "that customer needs a 120 CD holder to go with that CD in their hand".
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I wonder if this 'secret intranet site' is what you see when you walk up to a kiosk and go to bestbuy.com from there.
If thats the case - AFAIK the prices you see do reflect in-store pricing and not the online price.
Price difference go both ways. There is a thread on dvdtalk about anime clearance dvds. You can order stuff for far cheaper in-store via one of these kiosks than if you accessed bestbuy.com from home. Reason being that the titles were clearanced a long time ago from the store.
If thats the case - AFAIK the prices you see do reflect in-store pricing and not the online price.
Price difference go both ways. There is a thread on dvdtalk about anime clearance dvds. You can order stuff for far cheaper in-store via one of these kiosks than if you accessed bestbuy.com from home. Reason being that the titles were clearanced a long time ago from the store.
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Yes, I thought that it was common knowledge that internal bestbuy.com was different from external bestbuy.com...
#9
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by dx23
Doesn't Best Buy employees give you the "Bestbuy.com is not part of the company, so we can't give the lower price shown there" crap?
Sam Goody tried to pull the same shit when they launched their webiste. We got dot bullshit.
#10
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Hmm. That happened to me once. I ended up printing it at work, and taking it in the next day to get the correct price.
#11
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I think they've been saying that "we are separate entities" shit since the website launched.
But I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
They can't track CD storage sales from the register (or so they claimed), so how could they manage to link up both their stores and website into one big orgy of DVD/CD/electronics/appliances sales?
But I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
They can't track CD storage sales from the register (or so they claimed), so how could they manage to link up both their stores and website into one big orgy of DVD/CD/electronics/appliances sales?
#12
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Yeah, you know, something else that sort of goes with this too is their practice of changing prices online when they have such and such amount off coupon link offers that you click on. The link takes you to the site & registers that you have, for instance, 15% off whatever you put in your cart. Well, there was this one time I knew I was going to be using that link, but had just typed the address into my browser to first find what I wanted. So, I found a game that with the free shipping offer they had at the time would have been free. So, I go back & click on the link & lo' & behold the game has doubled its price. So, I started comparing prices between the 2 windows. In the original window I had opened everything was cheaper than the link I clicked through which was supposed to be a discount. For instance a game might be $10 through their site regularly, but clicking on the discount link brought up that the game was $20. A movie might be $5.99 on their site, but through the discount link suddenly it was $11.99. And so on.
So, to outsmart the system I put the item I wanted in my cart in the window without the discount. Then, in the window with the supposed discount I just clicked on my cart. There was the item at the price I wanted, and so I checked out that way. The discount was applied to the original price since I put it in my cart in the original window.
Very sleezy on the part of Best Buy.
Btw, FTD.com does this too. You have to find the item you want by going through ftd.com, but don't place the order there if you're using a gift card or coupon. Call in the order, otherwise the price will be raised on you. (happens to me all the time there.)
So, to outsmart the system I put the item I wanted in my cart in the window without the discount. Then, in the window with the supposed discount I just clicked on my cart. There was the item at the price I wanted, and so I checked out that way. The discount was applied to the original price since I put it in my cart in the original window.
Very sleezy on the part of Best Buy.
Btw, FTD.com does this too. You have to find the item you want by going through ftd.com, but don't place the order there if you're using a gift card or coupon. Call in the order, otherwise the price will be raised on you. (happens to me all the time there.)
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by dx23
Doesn't Best Buy employees give you the "Bestbuy.com is not part of the company, so we can't give the lower price shown there" crap?
And I too, thought it was common knowledge that the BB kiosks were different than bestbuy.com.
No sweat off my sack.
= J
#14
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Originally Posted by Tarantino
We used to be told that, but not anymore. At least at my store. We price match the website all the time.
And I too, thought it was common knowledge that the BB kiosks were different than bestbuy.com.
And I too, thought it was common knowledge that the BB kiosks were different than bestbuy.com.
And, while I have used the Kiosks to order Anime at lower prices, it is a little strange that you have to click on "bestbuy.com" to shop through the Kiosk. I didn't know they were separate websites, I just thought, due to the fact you are accessing bestbuy.com from in-store, it would apply some sort of local discount that was set by the local store. After all, I can log into my bestbuy account from anywhere, including the store Kiosk.
As another note, I have also noticed that not all local pricing is the same. For example at my kiosk the Excel Saga Imperfect collection comes up $34.99 (the same price as bb.com internet) but at most (if not all) other kiosks it is coming up $17.99.
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Originally Posted by mmconhea
My goal is to make sure everyone I know knows about this BS that BB pulls. I say Boycott! Who's with?
#17
DVD Talk Hero
I ran into the "Bestbuy.com is a different company" line when I was buying my HDTV about 4 years ago.
I could buy the TV from BB.com for a lower price with free delivery. To buy it instore would have cost me more and they charged a $65 delivery fee. I asked the guy why wouldn't I just get it online then, to which he replied "you probably should."
What a strange way to run a business.
I could buy the TV from BB.com for a lower price with free delivery. To buy it instore would have cost me more and they charged a $65 delivery fee. I asked the guy why wouldn't I just get it online then, to which he replied "you probably should."
What a strange way to run a business.
#18
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
I'm a "Demon Customer"- the only things I buy there are DVDs, and only when they're priced lower than anyone else. I'd never buy a big-ticket item from them.
#19
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I'm probably not on their good list either. The last time I bought a big item (which was a below $100 TV set) I didn't get a service plan.
Most of the time I just buy DVD's or CD's.
Most of the time I just buy DVD's or CD's.
#20
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally Posted by Alan Smithee
I'm a "Demon Customer"- the only things I buy there are DVDs, and only when they're priced lower than anyone else. I'd never buy a big-ticket item from them.
#21
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I KNEW there was some shit going on!
I went to Best Buy a few weeks ago to get an iPod because I got a BB gift card. The site had said they were on sale for 237.99 (down from 249.99). The tags in the store had the regular price and when I asked the blue shirt, he took me to a kiosk and said "look, it's not on sale" and I could see the exact same website that I had looked at, but without the sale price. I just figured it must have ended in the couple of hours since I had been online!!!
Motherfucker.
I went to Best Buy a few weeks ago to get an iPod because I got a BB gift card. The site had said they were on sale for 237.99 (down from 249.99). The tags in the store had the regular price and when I asked the blue shirt, he took me to a kiosk and said "look, it's not on sale" and I could see the exact same website that I had looked at, but without the sale price. I just figured it must have ended in the couple of hours since I had been online!!!
Motherfucker.
#22
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sell the gift card on ebay or something...do NOT go to Best Buy!!!!! Well only go if 9.99 DVD's are incorrectly B1G1!!!!
#23
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by lamphorn
I KNEW there was some shit going on!
I went to Best Buy a few weeks ago to get an iPod because I got a BB gift card. The site had said they were on sale for 237.99 (down from 249.99). The tags in the store had the regular price and when I asked the blue shirt, he took me to a kiosk and said "look, it's not on sale" and I could see the exact same website that I had looked at, but without the sale price. I just figured it must have ended in the couple of hours since I had been online!!!
Motherfucker.
I went to Best Buy a few weeks ago to get an iPod because I got a BB gift card. The site had said they were on sale for 237.99 (down from 249.99). The tags in the store had the regular price and when I asked the blue shirt, he took me to a kiosk and said "look, it's not on sale" and I could see the exact same website that I had looked at, but without the sale price. I just figured it must have ended in the couple of hours since I had been online!!!
Motherfucker.
#24
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can someone explain what that means - "secret intranet site" and how they can use it to block some consumers from getting bestbuy.com prices? how do they know who they want to block it from? whats to stop these people from going home and buying them normally on bestbuy.com?
#25
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Originally Posted by Alan Smithee
I'm a "Demon Customer"- the only things I buy there are DVDs, and only when they're priced lower than anyone else. I'd never buy a big-ticket item from them.