Finally!

Thank you for some insight in the DVD bargain forum part of this liquidation.

Please keep comments focused on the experience with the sales, such as Double Oh 7's here.

Not looking to pick over Border's bones, but I passed 2 stores in my travels today and, since I no longer have any stores near home, went in just to see. The only 40% off items were magazines and greeting cards. 30% was off Romance and True Crime. Manga and DVDs were 20% off, teen fiction (and most other stuff) was 10% off. Sad to see the stores so crowded for 10% off when there were coupons every week for 30-40% off and no one in the stores. Heard a clerk telling a customer that new merchandise would keep on arriving until the warehouses were empty (I'm sure he did not mean new merchandise coming from the publishers). One store was asking each customer at the register if they belonged to Rewards Plus so they could get their discount, the other store had signs up to please identify yourself as a Plus member to get the discount.

That e-mail about using Borders Bucks by July 31? My account says I earned $5 borders bucks that I can spend Aug 1-31. Sheesh. Tried calling Customer Care to see if I could get them moved to July, but twice I got the recording and then got disconnected.

I stopped in and picked up a few magazines at 40% off and bargain books at an additional 10% off. As others have said, the regular items are definitely not deals yet.

Are they still putting a black mark through the barcodes or is that not necessary this time around?

You used quotes around the word "paying" ... wise choice. The problem is that most of "those" customers are not paying customers. Yes, they may drop some cash in your presence, but they are not making money for your store. Either they are looking for merchandise at less than cost or are tying up your staff so long that the employee's salary just ate up any profit.

I see no issue with trying to cut those customers loose. I've done it before. (I do see issues when a store refuses to honor its own policies in an effort to do so.)

I left retail several years ago, but still see it on a routine basis. We recently had a customer contact us regarding an ongoing environmental clean-up project. The customer was upset over the amount of noise that some EPA-required equipment was making. The customer was going to call the EPA to complain, but offered not to if we paid him $2,000. We provided him with the name and number of the correct person to contact at the EPA. Should we have paid him the $2,000 just to make him happy? No. Should a retail establishment continue to lose money just to satisfy a customer that will never "pay off" for the company? No.

While we all love bargains, we forget that companies exist for one reason - to make money.

I say this cautiously - I'm not trying to offend. However, if you have NEVER had good service, I would suggest that the problem may not be with the company.

Blu rays are 40% off but I looked at all of them in my store and the one I was mildly interested in was the same price (if you add tax to local blu-ray) at amazon and no huge line snaking around the store. Hot too from all the bodies (for northern California which is cool right now).

30% off Philosophy and Biography
20% off Graphic Novels and Manga
20% off Religion and some other non-fiction

So far, of the three I have bought stuff from in the STL area, no black marks. (No returns allowed to Borders any more, so no need to try to keep people from returning them.)

Just wait a few weeks time and that should be the best time to tackle these deals.

And by then there'll be nothing left worth buying. That's how these liquidation sales always go -- they start out with high prices (with Circuit City they actually raised prices to MSRP) to trick all the suckers who see "CLOSE OUT" and assume they're getting a bargain, then lower it to clear out the crap that's left over.

Actually, during the prior round of Borders closings, the Blu-Ray selection was still quite robust at the 70% off mark. (At the 80% off mark, the local flea market vendors swooped in and bought every last remaining Blu-Ray at once.) Even at 70% off, people weren't biting on copies of The Wolfman or Jennifer's Body.

Same thing in my area, however, it's 40% off list price. Many of their list prices are more expensive than any other store I've visited. Even at 40% off, a great deal of what they had can still be found cheaper at many other places.

The rest of their products (Books, CDs, DVDs, etc..) are fairly similar - meaning even with them at their current discounted amounts, you can find the same thing cheaper at other locations that aren't having a liquidation sale. Until the prices drop more, there's not a lot of point in picking much up at this point - unless your options are limited, or you just don't care.

Actually, it does. But I don't really care if I change your mind or not, you're as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

Not necessarily true. I'm not saying for you to wait 6-8 weeks for the sale when we all know all the good stuff will be gone but looking at this through a percentage savings for you, but you do as you please. Hope you find what you need.

Guess the risk was worth it. I pre-ordered nightmare from code red and it shipped today. I'm kinda surprised, as I was thinking it surely would go on backorder first.

Question: borders.com lists they are still "open", but will they still ship previously placed pre-orders, books or DVDs? They don't answer the telephone.

Try their corporate HQ number and select option 3 @ 1-734-477-1100

Here's what I received when I inquired (the grammar errors are theirs, not mine):

Please be informed that as of now, Borders.com is still operating as normal. The website remains open, orders will be taken and fulfilled. However, we don't have any update as until when that Borders.com will be up and running or if Borders.com will be affected in the near future. Rest assured that you will be notified with all the updates regarding the Going out of Business process.

They're probably trying to sell the website- I worked at Tower.com and when the stores went under, we kept operating as usual until the web division was sold separately. (It was moved to Montreal where I heard it did horribly, someone else owns it now but I don't know who or where.)

Anyone visit locations in or around NYC? Wondering what the dilly.

Any news about when Borders discounts might increase?

I've seen SOME discounts just happen at the store over by me. It was mostly the stuff that was 10% off is now 20% off. Thee only thing I am concerned about the Blu's still remain at 40% off right now.

From having gone through the last wave: Each store is slightly different, but as long as stuff is selling (& it sure did here), markdowns are gradual/slow & 10% at a time until right near the end. The trick is somehow guessing the exact timing of the drop to 90% which I did poorly last time, but still got a ton of indie & classical cd's for next to nothing. When I got there at the 90% dvd's were gone & I grabbed the last 5 or 6 Blu's.

DVD's 25%off. Blu ray 50% off

Borders Rewards Plus extended and good through 8/7/11

Great- now their DVDs are at what their regular prices USED TO be!

It's no wonder Borders is going out of business. I just got another email proclaiming 25% off DVDs (amongst other things), placed 2 - TV seasons in my cart and the total cost (at 25% off) was still $10 higher than Barnes & Noble's regular price. That's nuts... -kd5-