Harlock415

I usually don't have to call a corporate number to lodge a complaint. I usually don't have to make a complaint, unless there is a mixup with an internet order which can be fixed at the store level. But I found myself digging for the 800 main number for Toys R Us to complain about how the stores in the San Francisco Bay area were just acting like plain idiots with their Attack of the Clones fiasco. I got to the store at about 4 PM on release date, there were no DVDs left in stock but they offerered me a VHS instead, heh.

I asked if the sale was just for that day, they replied that it was supposed to last until the 20th. But they also said that they did not know if they were getting any more in not when they were getting any more in. Plus they said no rainchecks.

So I shuffled off home and called them the next day and then the next for both the San Francisco and Colma stores and was told the same thing, "We don't know if we are getting any more in. We have the VHS, though." Well, that's just plain old bait and switch to me, and for someone who has worked retail for many years including a stint at The Good Guys, I know that if you advertise a price for a product that is not limited and meant to last a week, you better have enough to go around for a little while. I know Ep II is a lost leader, but lost leaders are meant to draw traffic into the store. And when you don't have stock on a lost leader, it's unlikely a customer is gonna stick around to buy anything else. At least in my case I left the store in disgust -- after taking a couple dozen free LOTR posters .

Best prices would not match and that's cool. It's no longer a matter of price for me now, but a matter of princible. It's not as if the Episode II disc was limited run like action figures, there are millions in print and the retailer can't stock enough to last the first day?

So I called their main 800 number and made a reasonable complaint about how the people in the store had no idea of what was going on and refused to take a rain check or my name down. So I was told that somebody from the corporate office would be in contact with me in a couple of days.

It's only $6 more at BB and I can probably get a PM at Blockbuster anyway, but it just irritates me when a store is that inept that they don't even know if they are ever getting more of these discs in stock. I know stores can run out but this was inexcusable for a big retailer to do expecially when you have a big print ad and run out on the very first day, then turn around and push the inferior VHS for the same price.

Ugh, I just had to vent, sorry.

MikeA

Uhhh...so they sold out. What do you expect them to do? Maybe you should have been there before 4pm on release day knowing that it was going to be a HUGE day. Read the fine print, while supplies last, no rainchecks. Most stores sold out. Even though there were millions pressed, NO toys r us store is going to get millions of copies or even enough copies for everyone for that day.

Harlock415

It wasn't so much the price as it was the fact that nobody knew anything. No body could answer if they were EVER getting any more in which is pretty lame. One CSR told me he did not even know about the sale until that day. It wasn't so much the price as it was what seemed like a deceptive practice. I didn't see a physical ad, but I'm sure it did not say limited quantities. One of the stores told me they didn't get that many in in the first place. If it was a one day sale and they ran out, I could deal with, but it was supposed to last a week. It's not as if this was a limited action figure or something, at least offer a raincheck instead of a VHS.

D-Ball

There wasn't anything deceptive about it. The ad said "while supplies last" and "no rainchecks".

Matt

Wasn't "bait and switch", either. . .

Zodo

Yeah, I think I'd read the ad before I was "sure" about something...

Phil L.

I don't think you have all that much to complain about.
The ad did say "until supplies last"

If the store opened at 10am and you were to show up at 10:30am to find them all sold out I'd say you had a case.

Arriving at 4pm I would figure gets me about a 10% chance of still seeing these available.

And as fas as the employees not providing more info, well, they probably really don't know.
Would you feel better if they made something up just placate you?

Groucho

This is not "bait and switch." Every Toys 'R Us had a ton of copies, but there was also a lot of demand as well. They offered a hot DVD at a great price. I see no reason to complain to corporate. It's not their fault that you couldn't get there until late in the day.

Movie_Man

I got to my TRU at 12 noon, and they were sold out and would not offer a rain check. Would I have a case? Based on the size of the display, I'm guessing they didn't have more than 50 copies. Assuming that they were trying to lure people into the store, they certainly could have done a better job of trying to keep their customers happy. At the very least the ad should have said something that I've seen other stores do for promotional items "Minimum xxx per store" If it had said minimum 50 per store, I wouldn't have even bothered to show up at noon. Minimum 1000 per store would be reasonable for soemthing like this.

Groucho

As in a legal case? As in you're planning to sue over this?

BigPete

Did you ask them how many they sold? I think you'll find they had that display full and several hundred more copies behind the desk. It'd be ridiculous to set up 5 or 6 of the same display just to hold the stock. If it's not gonna be a long-term fixture, why bother? I'm sure they kept refilling what they had and handing them out from under the counter for quite a while.

indianajdp

I sold software into major Mass Market accounts for three years. My buyers usually had enough foresight to understand that having enough inventory on hand for a huge promotion was essential. If you can bring a customer in that ordinarily would NOT have made that purchase at your store then you better damn well have what they came in for.

To run this type of promotion you would think that TRU had to know the demand would be astronomical. New Release pricing for a "hot" movie like AOTC never approaches the $10 range, so I cannot imagine a knowledgeable buyer at TRU Corporate not forseeing the rush.

However....

It is entirely possible that limits were placed on TRU by the film company. Since they were also selling into so many other channels they may have simply set a limit for TRU and turned off replenishment for the duration of the promotion. I'm inclined to believe the latter, as the Best Buy's and Wal-Mart's would probably be raising quite a fuss if TRU was sitting on tens of thousands of units in replenishment to keep offering that price all week.

Nitin4

The ad specifically stated while supplies last. Now get over it and spend the $5 extra at some other store if you want it so bad. You've got absolutely nothing to complain about with this sale, everything was written out in plain English in the ad.

rich-y

Actually, I don't feel you have a case then either!

"While Supplies Last" means "While Supplies Last". If the supply runs out then you are out of luck.

TheBang

Just in case you don't believe what everyone else has already said, here is the ad. "While supplies last" "no rain checks"

davidave

i've worked in retail also and having that experience i can tell you that nobody on the floor knows when things are going to come in. that's for the managers to take care of. if the who work part time at registers had to familiarize themselves with all the inventory moving in and out, then they'd get paid a lot more than 8.15 an hour

jandaman

I had to laugh at this one.
Most employees could care less about what's going on with promotions and whatnot. So when you asked if they'll have more and the employees answered "they didn't know" I'm not surprised. This is something to ask management about, not employees.

Gizmo

This is YOUR fault, not theirs. If you were there when they opened, you would have had one. You chose to wait till 4PM to go, and they were sold-out. Its not there problem if they sell out. And to say they didn't know when they would get anymore in is true, they usually don't. Employee's dont place orders, managers do. There computers don't show when the next shipment date is.

SmackDaddy

I've gotta agree with those that say you have no cause to complain.

Should've grabbed an add and price-matched at Wal-Mart. My bud went to TRU at 9:15 (they open at 9:30 here) and there was a line of about 40 people already. When they actually opened the doors he saw at least that many more hop out of their cars to get in line. So, i would imagine that at this ridiculously low price there was a similar demand nationwide.

You snooze you lose.

Jobronie

Gee, ya think maybe there was a reason that there was so much talk here BEFORE the release date about either PMing elsewhere with the TRU ad or getting to TRU as soon as the store opened that day.....?

I kinda felt the mention in the ad about limited quantities and no rainchecks would have been a dead giveaway.

When it comes to bargains in the internet age, you gotta do your homework and you can't be asleep at the switch if you wanna cash in......

BAKE

Hate to be the voice of dissention here, but I'll do it anyway.

I went to my local TRU on the day this offer started. Got there before the store opened and got on line. The store opened at 9:30AM -- I'll guestimate that by 10AM (at the very latest) all the copies were gone.

If I had walked in at 10AM and found them to be all out I might be making a phone call to corporate too. Voicing displeasure with a promotion that ran less than stellarly is the only way to let corporate know how the shoppers feel.

Corporate might not do anything to correct the situation, but at least they will hear from a customer.

Just my $.02.

MikeA

No rainchecks. While supplies last.

What part of those 2 phrases do you not understand? TRU sold it at a major loss. The majority of people that took advantage of this special deal would probably have never have stepped foot in a TRU anyways. Do you really think they care one bit what some people think when they can't save their 5 whole dollars? Why do some people act as if these stores "owe" them something. It could be worse, what if deals like this NEVER happened? Sometimes you get to take advantage of the deal, sometimes you don't. Its called life.

BAKE

Hi Mike!

Personally I understood every part of no rain checks and limited quantities. I was there early and got my copy. I could be snippy and say "Which part of 'Got there before the store opened and got on line.' didn't you understand," but I won't.

Quite frankly I felt a little bad that the OP didn't get a copy of the DVD at the great price that the rest of us did. I'm new to these boards and have been very nicely welcomed here. I thought I would offer a little support to the OP in his vent about not getting in on the good deal.

To the moderators of this board -- I'm new here and not familiar with all the rules so I'm sorry if I broke any being rude in my posts.

El Talon Del Monstruo

well sir, like everybody else said, you knew better than to show up at 4:00pm to get a loss leader, and expect to get it.

and by offering you VHS, they are just doing THIER JOB, how are they to know that you are a DVD elitest, they are just casher clerks that get paid 6.50 an hour, trust me I worked for TRU for a Christmas, they are not paid enough to hunt out the DVD elitests, they just cater to the common person who would take the VHS if so offered to them if they had no DVD copies

and if you plan on getting legal action, I bet no laywer in the free world would take this case on because simply put, if you neglected to read the ad and the fine print in said ad, then it's your own loss.

Tazwolff

The TRU here in Santa Rosa opened at 9 AM and I got there at 9:15 AM. They had no displays, or any of the SW: AOTC DVDs anywhere in the store except behind the CS counter. I walked up and asked for a copy and she produced a Fullscreen version to me. I asked for WS and she said they didn't get any. She then pulled the box out and it had 50 copys of FS and she told me that was all they got in the shipment.

So I asked for the manager whom I know and he also said that 1 box was all they had. And that once those sold out the deal was over. Hence the "While Supplys Last" only for that day. So, he then gave me the ad to go PM at Best Buy.

Later that night he came over to watch the movie with me. He also told me he was handing out the 800 number to everyone that wanted WS and he begged them all to call and complain.