LostFan

ToysRus has a free $15 gift card on Tuesday only with Madden 11 (any platform) purchase for Rewards members (free to join, if you've been in a ToysRus since the program started and bought something they probably tried to sign you up).

What are the odds Bestbuy price matches that if I can produce my Rewards member card from ToysRus to show that I could get the gift card? If they do, do they give their own gift card or take $15 off?

I'm thinking if they will I can get Madden 11 for the PS2 for the net value of $15 after a $15 gift card match and $10 reward zone gamer bonus for buying Madden the week it comes out.

Seems too good to be true, so I'm sure there's a flaw in my logic somewhere.

glassdragon

Best buy does not typically price match Gift Cards. I believe their policy specifically says that they don't, but as always with best buy it depends on the manager and it's YMMV

nickdawgy

Wrong. Their web site says they're supposed to match it or deduct the difference. However, that doesn't mean they will, so yeah a big YMMV.

They can always deny it based on the fact it's for certain members, like the Reward Club.

adrenaline78

I'd say you have little to no chance.. but that being said, what's it going to hurt to try.

Michael Corvin

A $10 reward zone bonus is just that, a bonus off a future purchase. It's not $10 off the product you are purchasing then and there.

But yeah, like the others said, it's YMMV, but it doesn't hurt to try.

LostFan

While I'm not optimistic, the ToysRus is right across the street from Bestbuy, so will they let me walk out and go across the street rather than make the sale?

The fact that the reward zone gamer bonus isn't really advertised (surprisingly actually as their current ad doesn't even mention it) is the only chance I have anyway, otherwise Bestbuy likely' wouldn't honor it, but since they don't know who is a gamer rz member, they can't assume you're getting that discount.

I realize you get the gamer bonus later and they may give me a gift card, so while I'd spend $40, I'd still get back $25 for future purchases (which won't be a problem as I shop there a lot it seems) so its a net of $15, even with more out of pocket up front.

Definately YMMV...... I just don't have any experience price matching when the advertised price includes a gift card, so we'll see how it goes.

SDSU92

I can tell you I did this once. I showed them my rewards card from Toys R Us, they said we typically don't do it, I said "OK then I will just go pick it up from Toys R Us so no worries" and they said they will match it. As with any pricematch at BBY, YMMV.

However, the one thing I will say that is new . . . being nice, and asking in a tone that is not expecting them to give it to you has worked much better for me. Starting with "I know this is a longshot, but wanted to ask . . ." will definitely get your further since most people feel entitled to every offer.

Good luck.

LostFan

Well it was a no go, although interestingly they never really gave me an explanation (I was expecting 'b/c its for Rewards members only or something) but they cashier said they won't price match gift cards that come with an item. I told her that I thought the website said they did price match gift cards that come instantly with an item and asked if she could simply explain where I was wrong and she just replied 'sir we don't do that.' So I politely said, "I still don't understand, but I guess I can just go across the street and get it and get a gift card with it' and she replied something like 'okay.'

I really don't understand, how am I reading their price match policy wrong with regards to gift cards instantly when you purchase an item? Had she said something about its only for reward members of toysrus so we can't honor it, that I would understand. It kind of bothered me when I kept telling her I didn't understand (nicely, in a confused sort of way) that she never offered to explain it or have a manager explain it. She was more than happy to let me walk out of the store.

I knew it was a longshot, but I thought I'd get a legit reason why they wouldn't. Oh well, customer service has never been a high point for best buy (not that they should just cave to whatever I want, but expecting to understand their reason for what they choose seems reasonable).

Or maybe I'm just wrong on all this.........

fujishig

Here's the relevant part about matching gift cards:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Help-Top...at204400050013

Note that it means that you probably won't be able to combine the offers, but they do clearly say that they should match gift card offers. However, I have never gotten Best Buy to do this without a hassle, so I usually just go to TRU or whatever to do it.

also, Kmart has a $20 gift card offer... the caveat is that it says good on EA sports products, but the guy in charge of the gaming division says it should work on anything in the games dept....

LostFan

Is the $20 gift card offer good for the PS2 version also? I'd be all over that and take back the ToysRus version in a heartbeat....... plus I have a $8 off purchase for Kmart from a bunch of school supplies we bought.

Tarantino

At my store we never price matched gift card offers, only prices.

fujishig

Why not? Is the policy listed on the website (which is the retail store price guarantee and is an FAQ for retail stores, not for the online store) not applicable for some reason?

Also, the Kmart deal is only for PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, sorry!

SDSU92

The caveat to my previous experience of having it work, it was the department manager who cares about his P&L and revenue. I never wait to check price matches with BBY at the cashier if there is a chance they won't honor it since they typically say "no" first.

adrenaline78

So in other words it would still be better to go to Toysrus to get the giftcard.. however if your going to use your reward zone stuff and don't plan on shopping more than once at toysrus it would be better to go to best buy.

LostFan

Just a follow up, I had sent an email to Best Buy asking them to explain their price match policy to me with regards to this (since the cashier did not explain it to me) and the guy I talked to (who was very nice) said I was right and it should have been price matched, but acknowledged that the wording wasn't very clear. He was going to double check with his supervisor to get his opinion on it and see if they needed to change the wording, but as he read it, he said, it should have been matched. He also acknowledged that price matching can vary a lot by store......

sniper308

Did he offer to make the lack of price match at the store right?

LostFan

Yes he did, he's sending me a $15 gift card, even though I didn't buy it from Best Buy because he said it should have been matched at Best Buy. By far the best customer service experience I've ever had from Best Buy. Maybe because I wasn't angry or demand anything, I just asked if he could explain the policy to me.