sq240

Well add one more person from the DVD Talk world who now refuses to buy from Best Buy. Best Buy has the best selection on electronics in my area (Macon, GA) and I have bought 95% of all my electronics from them (including a washer and dryer) over the last three years. Not anymore.

So I went in yesterday to buy a HDTV. I was looking at either the Mits 55315 or 65315. When I was in the store last week the 65" was $1999 and the 55" was $1899. I figured with the 10% coupon for this weekend, I was set to buy the 65". Well, when I get there the 65" is $2183 and the 55" is $1529. I told the salesman I was wanting the 65" but I didn't understand why the price has jumped up from last week. He told me it was on sale last week and that it might go on sale starting Sunday. The 55" did not have a sale tag on it at all and he told me it was not on sale, so if I wanted to come back Sunday to check on the 65" I wouldn't have to worry about the 55" going up in price.

So I go there first thing this morning and the 65" is up to $2299 and the 55" is now $1799. The salesman I talked to yesterday was not working, so I asked for the manager. He comes back saying the 55" was on sale yesterday and that sale was over. I told him about the conversation I had with the salesman yesterday and he said that I should have looked at their circular and I would have noticed that all HDTVs were on sale last week. I pointed out to him that every other TV (and I do mean all of them) were the exact price they were yesterday afternoon. He then informs me that they are now offering two years no interest or payments. I told him that I was paying cash and I was not concerened with the financing. When I said that he asked me what else I would be buying today and he would see what he could do. I told him nothing but the TV and if he would honor yesterday's price I would buy it.

After waiting around for nearly 15 minutes he comes back and tells me he can sell it to me for $1699. I told him I could not understand why he was willing to lose a sale and a customer when they have a 30 day price match gurantee. He then told me that I should have just bought it yesterday! In hindsight I should have bought it yesterday and set the delivery date for sometime next week and then cancel the order if I bought the 65" today, but I shouldn't of had to do that when the salesman told me the 55" was not on sale.

Screw Best Buy. I know it probably doesn't matter much to them, but they just lost one of their best customers in this area.

Best Buy

SlingshotBandit

Damn. I feel your pain.

It becomes more apparent that they jack their prices up when they send these coupons out. DVDs and CDs are safe, but these coupons are really good when you want to buy a huge electronics or appliance item.

I noticed the digital camera I wanted jumped up $45 this weekend (and I wanted to use the coupon for it).

sq240

Yeah a friend of mine was planning on buying the Klipsch F3 system or at least the 12" sub that came with it. The coupon would not work on the entire system since it was a Cinema Package and the 12" was marked up exactly 10% more than what it was on Wednesday.

Even if they hadn't taken the coupon (which I did not tell them I was planning to use) I would have still bought the tv for $1529.

I normally spend about $75-100 there each week plus I was planning on a few big purchases in the next couple months (HDTV, HT, digital camera), but those purchases will now take place elsewhere.

RedMetalZombie

[quote]I told the salesman I was wanting the 65" but I didn't understand why the price has jumped up from last week.[quote/]

you do understand that sale prices end? I dont see how you can be mad that the price went up. I'm not defending best buy or anything but I dont think they are wrong in this case

tmy727

[QUOTE=E-lover]
Umm... if I read correctly, he based his decisions on what the BB employee had informed him. In my experience with BB, nothing is consistent and 90% of their employees don't know anything. They are mostly very nice..... but clueless.

Big Worms

Another thing about Best Buy prices is that every morning they react to other prices in the area. So every morning a list of new prices gets printed and the prices get put up. These are no sales of any other sort, just price changes that get put in by corporate. Well these prices can easily change the following day and there is no employee that knows this is going to happen. Not even managers. If I were you I would just call the store manager and explain it to him, maybe he can do something for you.

sq240

[QUOTE=E-lover]Yes, I do understand that sales end, but neither of them were listed as being on sale. The 65" had been $1999 for over three weeks and jumped up to $2183 on saturday (it was still $1999 on thursday evening).

Best Buy was wrong in this case because I told the salesman that I wanted the 65" but not at that price, so I was set to buy the 55". He told me I had nothing to worry about the price of the 55" going up because it was not a "sale" price so if I wanted to come in on Sunday to check and see if the 65" goes on sale. If the 65" was not on sale, then I could buy the 55" at the $1529 price. They should have honored what the salesman told me on saturday instead of being all high and mighty acting like they were giving me a great deal by dropping it down to $1699. The bottom line is if I had never talked to a salesman I would have bought the 55" at $1529 and scheduled the delivery for a week in advance and then gone back on sunday to check the price of the 65" and cancel my order if need be.

BigDan

Unfortunately, it's quite common that sales people in stores like Best Buy aren't fully on-the-ball with information, especially when prices will be changing (and it happens that sales people mistakenly say something is or isn't on sale. I've gone into the store, asked about a product that was advertised as on-sale, had the salesperson tell me said item was not on sale and have to physically show him the sales bulletin before he realized it was. That sort of thing happens).

shadowhawk2020

I know it might be a little drive but go to the atlanta Brans smart and get the 55" for $1298! It is a great price! THe 65" is $1798 which isn't bad...


http://www.brandsmartusa.com/ads_ga/p12.htm


Shadow

sq240

That is another store that is on my list. I actually went to Brands Mart before I went to Best Buy. I called Brands Mart and asked if they would ship to Macon (~100 miles one way) and they said they would so I made the drive up there to buy the TV. I get there and tell them I want the 65" but they inform me that they only ship within a 40 mile radius. I asked for the manager and told him that I called the number on the circular printed off their website that I had and they told me they would deliver. They asked for my zip code and city after which they informed me they ship statewide it is just that they are limited on which days they deliver. The manager told me that was incorrect and they do not deliver that far.

That was the start of my wonderful day. I then went to Best Buy and everyone knows that story.

One note for those who might be in the Atlanta area considering the Mits from Brands Mart, it is the 313 models for those prices, so they are an older model. I would recommend at least the 315 or 515 for the Mits.

fumanstan

While i agree that it was unfair and wrong that you were misinformed, i don't really see anything particularly "high and mighty" about the manager giving you a small discount versus the 1529 price. Chopping off 300 bucks at a retail store is a pretty big deal, unlike some discount stores where bargaining is expected.

Josh H

Yeah, that sucks.

I never bother even talking to employees at stores like best buy. If I'm going to buy a big ticket item, I usually just watch the prices for a month or two, and see how it's going up and down, and jump on it at what I think will be the low price for a while.

But still, it sucks that misinformations screwed you over.

hoyalawya

I now buy big items at Sears. I found that it is a lot easier to "work" the salesperson over there since they are on commission. Plus, Sears coupon could be easily purchased on eBay.

sq240

>>Chopping off 300 bucks at a retail store is a pretty big deal

He knocked $100 off. It went up to $1799 and he offered it to me for $1699 and told me that if I had a 10% off coupon I could not use it.

BigDan

So, if you had the coupon, it would've been roughly $1620?

sq240

Basically. $1620 if I paid full price and used the coupon. $1699 if I took the managers "deal". It would have run me $1377 if I had bought it on saturday at $1529 plus the coupon.

fumanstan

I know. Doesn't change my statement. As mentioned above with Sears, Best Buy simply doesn't work the way other stores do, where sales people will do their best do give you a bargain. $100 is one thing, 300 is another.

Pistol Pete

Dude, you live in Macon GA and don't know anyone who will lend you a pickup truck for a day? Take part of the $300 you save to pay for gas and buy the guy a steak dinner. You'll still come out ahead.

ben12

Yeah, or couldn't you rent a pick-up truck or minivan for $50 for the day and do it yourself? You'd still be saving hundreds.

sq240

Yes, I know people who have a truck and I could have rented a truck, but I am not about to carry that TV up three flights of stairs. I would gladly pay $300 more to buy locally and have it delievered then having to drive 200 miles round trip and still carry that TV up three flights of stairs.


For the record the one at Brands Mart USA was not the same model. It was the 313, not the 315, so I wasn't interested in it even at $1298.

Rex Fenestrarum

Well, I agree with *you* when you say that BB sucks. I also agree with the other posters that said that you shouldn't trust BB salespeople.

I'm the kind of guy that'll research something to death online before I even step foot in a store. I know exactly what I want when I walk into a store.

So I just bought a 42" Sony last Saturday - $2899(ish) with the matching stand. I went to Circuit City 'cos of their sale, but also because I too hate Best Buy with a passion. And I was glad to do it. No hassling about extended warranties, no hassling about buying Monster Cables with it... Just "gimme one of those... with the matching stand!" and five minutes later it was done.

Must've been the easiest sale that guy had all day. Too bad BB didn't get any of it. heh.

sq240

I am the same way. I finally bought the Mits 65515 last week and I probably spent 20 hours or so over a span of four days over at the Spot reading up on things until I eyes couldn't take it anymore.

I went up to Best Buy the morning I bought my TV from Ken's (a local electronics store here) with a friend of my who was wanting to look at digital cameras. I cruised through the TVs just for the hell of it and they had the Mits 65315 for $1899. The best Ken's could do on it was $2183, so after swallowing my pride a bit I told the salesman I would take it. He says okay, but he is in the middle of something and he will be right back after he drops off some paperwork at customer service. Three other salesman are in the TV section restocking shelves and reorganizing equipment and they all heard me say I wanted to buy it. I stood there for 25 minutes and guy never came back (I saw him wondering around in the car audio section talking to a few people) and none of the other salesmen came over to complete the sale. Gotta love Best Buy. Great service I tell you. I then immediately left and just bought the 515 since there was only about a $300 difference.

Osiris

I have also good luck with Good Guys.