Raw_and_Vital

YMMV I'm sure.

Came across Dr. Strangelove. The single disc version was priced on sale for 4.99 in the section where they have their weekly sale. So, I was back in the comedy section and there was one of those blue tags that said Dr. Strangelove Special Edition 4.99. Totally different than the single disc version that was on sale. Holding my breath I took the dvd up to the register. Rang up full price and I said, Uh, I think that's on sale. There's a tag in the back for the special editiong being 4.99. She asked if I could go get it. I did and brought it back up to the front. She looked, had a manager adjust. They didn't even think twice. Obviously a tag mistake. The single disc version is the one supposed to be on sale.

So enjoy, the special edition for 4.99 while you can...

Best Buy can suck it, I'm going back first thing in the morning and buying the rest of the copies. Why? because I can!

RichBecker

As an employee of Best Buy, I would say your odds of pulling this one again tomorrow are pretty slim. Anything that takes a substantial hit in margin dollars is automatically forwarded to the opening manager the next morning. They review the papers for about two hours until the store opens, and then go department by department to warn people against making the same mistake. Because I think the special edition is normally 20, selling it for 5 would be almost a 15 dollar loss for the store, and if the cashier tries to adjust for more than one copy, you are automatically going to have an operations manager in your face trying to tell you that you grabbed the wrong copy.

Your best bet to continuously pull this scam would be coming into stores on Sunday and Monday each week, finding deals on any special edition dvds that you can exploit because they are in the ad, and then buying them one copy at a time. This will work 90 percent of the time, as nobody will think twice about adjusting a single DVD down about 5-15 dollars. The only person that will notice it are career employees who have been there for 5+ years and thus have no soul left.

RichBecker

One last thing, if do this continuously, you technically are breaking a law regarding contract law. Although most people are easily able to exploit a corporation on a regular basis, it is a breach of contractual duty to be aware of an obvious mistake, then repeatedly take advantage of it while you know the opposing party is oblivious to what is going on. The odds of you actually getting caught and prosecuted for this are pretty much next to nil, but it is technically illegal. If they do find out what is going on and they have some form of photo evidence, they can force you to return the items, plus pay interest for wear and tear in order to place Best Buy back in the position they were before the transaction. As a first year law student, I did some research on this one, and the only time this is ever usually applied is typically in large item sales such as automobiles, but if you have a real waste of human life as a manager at your local Best Buy, they can be fairly vindictive and horrible people.

theflicker

There's nothing wrong with the sign.

This is the "Special Edition" 1 disc on sale: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&cp=1&id=43021

Note the words "Special Edition" right across the top. These shelf tags normally have the relevant SKUs listed on them. I guarantee the tag lists the appropriate SKU and that the cashier and manager just failed to notice this.

On the off chance that the shelf tag actually has the SKU for the 40th AE, I believe standard practice would involve them removing the incorrect tag.

Yeah, that's the right attitude.

Raw_and_Vital

well, looks like Best Buy got pwned... Oh well. Technically I'm not breaking any law, so stop your whining already.

hot_locket

I pulled this scheme with Forbidden Planet when you could get the single disc for $5 if you bought any edition of Blade Runner. I even went so far as to move the one copy of the single disc edition away from the glossy new double discs so the manager wouldn't see it when she went back to check, haha.

Classic Films

There is no bargain in this thread. It is basically people bragging about cheating Best Buy. Good for you. This doesn't tell me about a bargain.

lewisb73

QFT... You could have been a little more humble about your score instead of following up your purchase with how best buy can "suck it" and how you were going to buy the rest of the copies tomorrow... didnt endear youself to alot of people

Like buying up all the rest of the SE's wouldnt raise any red flags...

movieguru

Both dvd's state "special edition" on them. If Best Buy's signage only states "special edition" and does not say "40th anniversary" or "single disc version" it's Best Buys fault to the error because they are the one that has the duty to make their signage clear. Consumers cannot be expected to check the sku numbers on the signs to see if it matches the product and should not be expected to do so.The consumer is not breaking the law due to Best buy's lack of detail in their signing and i doubt any court would back it up.

lastdiplomat

Yeah, got my hopes up about this one. Can we close this non-bargain thread or move it to a scammers section of DVD Talk instead? This isn't what I come to this forum to discuss.

melih69

I am not going to be saying this is ethical or not but I would say that BestBuy does the same thing. Last year they had sale on all 24 seasons for $16.99 and if you buy the season 1 special edition ,which comes with coupon, you get $15 off rest of the 5 season for up to $75 . It was a manufacturer coupon and it was not like they were loosing any money but they either removed all the coupons or pulled season one special edition from the shelfs. There was a big discussion about it last year about what BestBuy does was ethical or not.

dhmac

I think it's funny how the OP only mentioned that the store is Best Buy at the end of the posting, as almost an afterthought.

(YMMV... wherever the hell I got this!)

tonyc3742

Amazon's had some great deals on DVD sets recently, selling them for 33% of regular sales price. "Obvious mistake?" or really good sale? We don't have access to "insider information" such as what they pay for it or what they usually sell it for, and some retailers prosecute/sue if we do (viz CC).
Dr Strangelove 40th can be purchased right now from DD for 14 and change. 4.99 is not an "obvious mistake".
The morality of buying up multiple copies of DVDs from a retailer, meant for end users, can be debated; but buying things from a store at the price they're asking (since it was they who put the price tag on, as long as the price tag says the specific item), I see no moral, ethical or legal issue with. Admittedly, IANAL but if buying a product at the price it's priced at is illegal, there's something wrong with the system.
I plan to go to Best Buy today, I'll look for this title.

Offering a deal with purchase of one item, then pulling that item, that, however, is unethical. Pretty close to a bait and switch, I would think.
I'll look for this

Travis McClain

OP:
When your client confesses, it's time to stop defending him.

tonyc3742

He knows what's "supposed" to be on sale? Isn't that the store's job?
"blue tags that said Dr. Strangelove Special Edition 4.99"
If I pick up Dr Strangelove Special Edition (which may or may not be the 40th anniversary, I know this title has had a few releases) I expect to pay 4.99 for it, since that's what the store has tagged it. If that's the wrong tag and they realize it, I expect them to correct the tag and sell me the one I picked up for the price it was advertised/tagged at.
If the tag says "SE" and is incorrectly placed in front of the "Deluxe Edition" (for example), that's a different situation.
Maybe I'm missing something, I'm open to clarification, but based on the facts as I know them, I see nothing wrong.

Raw_and_Vital

I've never met so many people on a message board whine like you people do.

My intention was to buy some Cult Classic DVDs...

I went through the rest of the dvd section just to browse, came across DR. Strangelove 40th SE and on the big blue tag is said DR. STRANGELOVE SE 4.99...

The little paper tag that sticks out horizontally said DR. STRANGELOVE. 4.99. Blue Tag said SE...Horizontal Paper Tag just said DR. STRANGELOVE.

I grabbed it knowing and not caring if this did or didn't make sense. If I see special Edition and 4.99 I don't care if it's a 200 dollar error knowing it's an obvious mistake. I'm buying it regardless. So quick crying about that choice.....

Took it to the counter, Lady rang it up and it dinged in at 14.99. I stated the FACT that there was a blue tag back there that said the special edition was 4.99. She said grab it, I did, she rang it up, manager came to approve and I went walking out that door.

It's not like I scammed Best Buy with my own Blue Tag. They put it there, I don't care if it's a coal diggers fault because he was having a bad day... it was somebody's fault and I know it wasn't mine. I just picked up on the benefits.

As for going back today to buy up the rest of the copies. i was kidding around because I was tired of hearing so called employees on here say, what you did is illegal.... PROVE IT. I'll give you my address, arrest me, idiot. Those comments are seriously worthless, but they are at least worth a laugh... But now I just may go buy them up!!!

So please, I urge you to go and try and pick up this 20 dollar 40th SE for 4.99. Please all, feel free.

Good Day.

The Valeyard

Hmmmm. I like the idea of a DVD Talk Scamming Section.

Are you in?

movieguru

He said when he went to the main DVd section the tag for the "special edition" was in fron of the 40Th anniversary special edition. Not his fault that Best Buy put the sign in the wrong place. It would be easier to prove that Best Buy was attempting a bait and swith on this title than it would be that a customer was committing fraud because the store put the tag in the wrong place.

theflicker

This is pretty much the case. The tag reads "Special Edition", which the 1 disc clearly is, and there are a couple copies of the "40th Anniversary Special Edition" on the shelf next to it.

I would think that indicating the SKU on the shelf tag is the store doing its job to inform the consumer as to what item is on sale. If the tag read "40th Anniversary Special Edition", which it did not, then yes, I would expect them to sell me the 40th ASE at that price. They are then, of course, allowed to remove the incorrect signage and not sell any further copies at that price.

Since your comment is in the OP, it's sort of hard to see how their replies provoked your initial comment.

RichBecker

If you actually paid attention to what I was writing, I was ENCOURAGING you to go ahead and try to do it. You brought up a deal, I told you why it may/may not work, and now you are getting all defensive for no real reason.

As far as proving that it is actually illegal, if you have access to some form of Lexisnexis account either through some form of education institution, research and read "Callmann on Unfair Competition, Trademarks and Monopolies (4th Edition)". There is a specific section in that Treatise which explains that what you described is techinically illegal.

I would also recommend Second Restatement of Contracts Section 208, which also describes how Best Buy could claim relief on a unilateral mistake of price even if it was 100 percent their fault. However, like I previously stated YOU HAVE BASICALLY NO CHANCE OF BEING CAUGHT.

RichBecker

This clearly isn't a bait and switch for one obvious reason. On the little blue price tag that showed the sale price, there is going to be a seven-digit SKU which clearly lines up with the seven-digit SKU found on the Best Buy price tag on the DVD. It's not a bait and switch if one party gives you free ability to go over to the shelf, look at the sale price, then grab the DVD on your own terms and purchase it without any pressure to encourage a pricier alternative.

MindElec

i wish i had a dollar for everytime that best buy faces out the more expensive release over the sale tag, with the actual sale release being either gone or spine out. this seems to be a marketing tactic with them, obviously hoping that the customer won't notice the price difference at checkout. IMO expecting the customer to check SKU numbers is a bit much.

moviewizguy

That's called exploiting, my friend.

movieguru

A "Sku" number is a stock keeping unit number. It is for the retailer's use and not the customers. If they placed a sign next to the higher priced "special edition" of Dr. Strangelove (there are 2 different versions of the special edition from looking at the cover of both) it is the retailers fault. The customer should not be expected to check the sku or upc code to see if it matches. Also most consumers won't know that the number on a sale sign will correspond with a sku number on the product. Only those that had worked in retail are like to pay any attention to it at all.

Suppose a customer went into a grocery store and saw a sign on the front of a shelf, with 24 oz. Honeynut Cheerios on it, that said "Honeynut Cheerios $1.99". When they went to the register it rings up $4.99 and the customers mentions the sign. Would it be right for the employee to say "no the sku number matches the 10 oz. box Of Honeynut Cheerios not the 24 oz. box so we cant sell you that one even though we put the sign in the wrong place"?
Same difference with the DVD.

hindolio

die thread! die!