kayak99

Well the title tells the story but I'll elaborate.

For some time I have actually enjoyed (for the most part) shopping at FYE. I patiently wait for rebates and I was using the 10% off deal at retail stores so my net on new releases was usually about 10.99 plus tax (m/l).

Now I note they have raised many of their prices to compensate for the "bargains" they bestow us. For example, fye.com sells KK SD for $22.99 (plus $7 rebate). Can't use the 10% off online though.

At the FYE retail store this very same KK SD is $24.99 plus rebate. No sale here!

Just wanted to vent!

grunter

You're just now figuring this out?

ernestrp

Just wait until your rebate disappears or never shows up after you send it in!!!

ericn101

People still shop there?

Billyspunk

There is a mall in Swansea MA that has a FYE and a Walmart at the other end of the mall. Anyone in their right mind knows that Walmart's prices absolutely blow FYE away. I feel bad for FYE sometimes because no ones seems to buy anything there. Just a matter of time before they go bye bye. Hey I tried to support them, I ask if they price match with Walmart and they told me no, not without a sales flyer, which Walmart rarely has. So I say thanks and off to Walmart I go!

kayak99

Up til now I actually got some decent deals at FYE. Rarely had a rebate issue and when I did they resolved it immediately. Problem occured when I (foolishly) bought into their discount program.

Oh well, just ranting. My money goes where it spends best.

BKenn01

They will not be around much longer. They play the rebate gimmick hoping that people will not send them in, or complain when they get "lost".

You cannot survive in a high rent mall (or most other places for that matter) selling low or no margin products.

TheMovieman

The one near me closed a few weeks ago... I found a couple things there in their previously viewed stockpile but other than that I never bought anything else really (especially with Best Buy and Circuit City close by).

EdTheRipper

I shop FYE very rarely. Pretty much the only time I buy there is when I'm hard-pressed to find something and don't feel like searching anymore.

rdf8585

FYE does suck, mostly because of their outrageous prices. Whenever I buy, it's almost always BB, Amazon or DVD Emp.

hermes10

I go to the local FYE store, on occassion, hoping to find something that is OOP. Their prices are so outrageous it's very hard to believe that this is a legitimate business. Why would anyone buy anything at this store (locally) when they could walk 100 feet down the mall to "Best Buy" and buy the same thing for, very often, at least 50% less? Why would anyone buy anything from FYE if they could go to Walmart or Target? Really, is this some kind of front, or money laundering operation? Who the hell is buying anything at these stores?

jaschiero

I work at an FYE store and feel the same way most of you do. prices too high, problems with rebates sometimes, bad promotions, etc. On one hand, prices are usually higher than anywhere else, and new releases are go up shortly after released. from 20 up to 22, 25, and up to full msrp 27.99, then a few months after release, down to 15 when by then you can catch them on sale for less elsewhere. you have new releases on $7 MIR making them 12.99 if you do indeed get the rebate, making the cost lowest usually for new release. but you pay the full 20 up front and have to go through the trouble with rebates and have to wait, and by 2 months later you can find the title for the same or less cost. recently, prices for cd's have been more competitive, making many of them 9.99 for big name new releases which used to be priced higher and have MIR. that's one step in the right direction.

also, FYE does have some good sales. right now all law & order and monk seasons are $26.99, which isn't the best deal as you can find some for $19.99 occasionally, but not bad. Also about 2 dozen titles that are on sale and buy 1 get 1 free TV shows discussed in the bargains forum. Few months ago there was a 4 page flyer printed and sent in boxes that we never gave out or was in a newspaper or anything, with some great deals. DVDs that were 5.99, 9.99, and 14.99 and some good prices advertised on box sets and TV. no one knew about it and no flyers were anywhere. For a company as large as Transworld, I have never seen an advertisement. In a newspaper, commercial, on the radio, anywhere. The company is too busy right now making changes with the sam goody/suncoast closings, and speculation that many of the smaller stores like coconuts, stawberry's spec's, second spin, etc will be converted to FYEs to increase brand name and recognition.

People buy items from different stores for a reason. You can buy all your clothes from walmart if you want, or department stores. there's a quality difference, but they draw different consumers. people who want the best prices go to walmart or BB or online. FYE probably gets most of its sales from mall shoppers, who don't go to the mall or the stores specifically go to FYE. more people are more likely to buy something for a few extra dollars because they are already there. in my area, i hate going to the walmart because it's always packed, horrible traffic, ghetto as hell, etc.

the company did long surveys of customers about what type of discount card people wanted. regular consumers voted they liked the $25 discount card w/ 10% off the best. maybe they were all crackheads, but regular shoppers in the study chose it as the best option. personally, consumers would spend more and stores would sell more if it was $10 or $15. hell, you can raise it later like books a million and barnes and noble did.

Working there I can say that I find items that are cheaper, same price, and more expensive than other stores. the problem is that when they are more expensive, it's too much more than other stores. someone bought fantastic 4 on sunday for 27.99 because its at the point where it was a new release a few months ago, went up in price, and is not on sale but probably will be down to 15 next month. regular prices, when not on sale, are too much. stuff on sale is usually at least somewhat competitive.

there are definitely deals to be had. i picked up back to the future trilogy for 17.99, used my backstage pass to get 10% off, and had the 8 MIR. definitely a good deal.
anyway, just my thoughts. some stuff the company does makes some hard selling because of the high prices, but many items are average or nicely priced. just depends on what you're looking for and whether its on sale or not.

C_Fletch

I picked up a limited edition Bad Taste from them the other day so they do have a use. Buying new there is a waste as I've tried there rebate program twice. The second one has not been received so they have lost all of my money as it goes elsewhere.

ltrain

I was just curious what KK SD was? I could not for the life of me figure it out.

ernestrp

King Kong single disc?

ltrain

Doh! Yup, that'd probably be it. Thanks.

Argentoholic

After the Die Hard Trilogy debacle I'm pretty much done doing business with them.

(10 dollars after rebate btw)

Billyspunk

The only thing FYE is good for is to find that tough to locate dvd that most stores do not carry. Pricewise they are the pits, but they have a large selection and they do have the best selection of PSP UMD movies, but again their prices are all at retail price...