jeffbase34

Last Saturday, I drove to Rockwall, TX for some shopping and I decided to swing by the Best Buy. Their Best Buy is located in the god awful worst place. A one way in, one way out with the access road being an off ramp from the interstate. So you got literally 2 seconds to turn out of the parking lot and speed up fast.


Yet, I go through this hassle because I wanted a copy of the Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles Steel book as advertised in their flyer. I was hoping it would be there. I was expecting it to not be. Sure enough, sold out everywhere. Typical. Oh, they had plenty of House Season 4, and other new releases.

I heard reports that BB only stocked like four of these steelbooks per store. If you ask me, this is lousy bait and switch. You get the customers in there with no hope to get the dvd set, but they will go ahead and browse around and buy other stuff.

Oh yea, their reward program stinks. IT's been 7 months, and I haven't got jack from them.

Anyone else fed up with Best Buy exclusive crap?

My Other Self

Isn't bait and switch advertising something then not having it AT ALL then trying to pawn something else off on you? Say, advertising a steelbook but only having the regular edition in.

This wasn't the case. They had them. Just a limited amount of pressings, like every other limited edition set that's released.

Sounds like you should've just gotten there earlier in the week.

jeffbase34

When you only carry like 5 copies for a major populated area, I consider this the same as not having the item.

My Other Self

But it's NOT the same. They DID have them. Just because your store ordered 5 copies (do you even know that?) doesn't make it bait and switch.

DeanoBKN

They are usually pretty good at letting us how many copies you should expect in your store in their flyer as well.

Some you win, some you lose I guess.

Doc Moonlight

You also could have ordered a copy on Tuesday for in-store pick-up and picked it up on the weekend.

jeffbase34

Not true. The website only offered the regular edition of this set

shyguy1083

if I'm not mistaken, the "regular" edition and the "steelbook" edition of series carried the same SKU. so ordering it for in-store pick-up might've gotten you a copy, but it also might not have. the same was the case for The Departed steelbook. i remember having them check the SKU to see if other stores had the steelbook when it was sold out at my local stores, but because it shared the SKU there was no way of telling. it was basically first come, first serve. you came late, you got nothing.

the dvd was released on tuesday. you went in on saturday. considering it was an exclusive and assuming you know best buy's track record with exclusives since you say you're fed up, did you really expect there to be copies left FOUR DAYS after the initial release? regular editions, sure. exclusives, no.

you should probably sign up on myrewardzone.com to track your points and see why you're not getting certificates. maybe they entered your address wrong when you signed up?

speedy1961

Also as a backup plan, you could've asked in here if one of us could pick one up for you and mail it to you.

I've done that several times for forum members when I could.

Ginwen

The ad (available at http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/deal-discussion/852382) says limit of 2 per store.

Travis McClain

I agree that this is not an actual "bait & switch" operation, but it does seem that production on some of these things is too low and/or the distribution of them isn't great. I'm not a steelbook collector--I don't have any in my library--but I've been after other store-exclusive versions of things in the past and it seems like they always have a plethora of titles that don't interest me, and scant few of the ones that do. That said, I also agree with an earlier point--you can't get there on Saturday and bitch that there's nothing left from Tuesday.

OldBoy

i thought "bait and switch" was when you bait a hook for a fishy and when the fishy comes near the hook and surface of the water you yank the line out fast and then grab the little fishy with your hands...bait the hook and switch to hands.

jeffbase34

Geez, you people miss the point. Only TWO copies? I had little chance at all of getting one unless I was there camping out right before the store opens. They shouldn't advertise something that 99% of the people have ZERO chance of getting.

OldBoy

yes, but 1% do.

shyguy1083

true. but the steelbook packaging is aimed towards those who are collectors and/or die-hard fans of the show, the kind of person who is probably willing to arrive half-an-hour before the store opens to ensure they got a copy.

the ad states, minimum 2 per store. so why would you assume that there would be boatloads? knowing that it's an exclusive, and knowing that there is a scant minimum, it's reasonable to expect someone to go on tuesday morning, NOT saturday to make the purchase.

and ultimately, what they advertised was the show itself. yes, they drew attention to the fact that it was collectible packaging, but the ad advertises season 1 of terminator. when you arrived in store, they did have season 1 of terminator, not necessarily the packaging you wanted, but the content was the same.

TomBBY

If they mention limited quantities in the ad, it's not bait and switch.

Call the store at opening, and ask that they hold you a copy. They will either a) put your name on it and hold it for a couple hours; b) ask you to do an "express lane" purchase over the phone, or c) take a credit card purchase over the phone for you to pick up later!

dsa_shea

I've never heard of them completing a purchase over the phone. Through bestbuy.com customer service maybe but not through the stores themselves. And most of the time Best Buy will just tell you tough shit and good luck on getting here first.

tylergfoster

When I worked at Best Buy, "Minimum 2 per store" generally meant about 50+. We got lots of the Death Proof/Planet Terror ones, even more Die Hards and tons of Bourne Ultimatums. In fact, I was in a nearby BB and they still had Ultimatum steelbooks on the shelf. I admit that our store is the largest BB in the area, but nonetheless we had lots of the various exclusives the store sold while I was there.

In conclusion:
a) get there sooner.
b) the management/employees of one particular Best Buy is not necessarily the management/employees of every Best Buy. I understand there may only be the one, which does suck and I can sympathize but thems the breaks.
c) if methods are available, use the website to pre-order.

As for Reward Zone, indeed, you should use myrewardzone.com to check your points. Every $250 you spend you get five bucks. It's not a lot but it's free, so if you aren't getting your money, you haven't lost anything but a slot in your wallet, and if you do get your certificates, hey, it's free money.

Moopher

Still have two Steelbooks of Terminator TSCC by my house...or they did 3 days ago at least.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't one of the primary reasons that many of you collectors want these "Steelbooks" is that they're extremely limited? If I'm correct about that, then isn't BB just increasing the desirability of these collectibles by putting them out in limited runs?

Cheato

^ Sometimes the truth is so obvious that it's hard to see until someone points it out. Now if someone would just get those damn trees out of the way...

OldBoy

i could care less if it is "limited". in fact, if it was, it might just make it harder for me to get which me no likey. i just like this particular packaging above any other for my favorite movies and collect 'em.