Connecticut sues Best Buy for bait-and-switch
05-25-07, 02:11 PM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Connecticut sues Best Buy for bait-and-switch
The state of Connecticut is suing electronics retailer Best Buy, saying the company deceived customers by using in-store kiosks linked to an internal Web site to suggest that bargains posted on the company's public-facing site were no longer available.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal launched the investigation last month after reports surfaced in a Hartford newspaper that customers going to Best Buy stores to seek bargains advertised online were shown a different Web page on in-store Internet kiosks that had higher prices.
"Best Buy gave consumers the worst deal -- a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices," Blumenthal said. "Best Buy broke its promise to give the best price -- an Internet version of bait-and-switch."
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal launched the investigation last month after reports surfaced in a Hartford newspaper that customers going to Best Buy stores to seek bargains advertised online were shown a different Web page on in-store Internet kiosks that had higher prices.
"Best Buy gave consumers the worst deal -- a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices," Blumenthal said. "Best Buy broke its promise to give the best price -- an Internet version of bait-and-switch."
05-25-07, 04:02 PM
#2
Guest
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Saw that today too. Good news.
I just wish they would include bait-and-switch tactics like what I experienced with the Superman Returns DVD, where they put big $9.99 price tags directly in front of three rows - fullframe one disc, two disc, widescreen one disc - but would not honor the price on the two disc.
I just wish they would include bait-and-switch tactics like what I experienced with the Superman Returns DVD, where they put big $9.99 price tags directly in front of three rows - fullframe one disc, two disc, widescreen one disc - but would not honor the price on the two disc.
05-29-07, 08:20 AM
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Hail to the Redskins!
Posts: 25,295
Likes: 0
Received 49 Likes
on
38 Posts
This is a huge problem, and BBY knows about it. I've had salespersons outright admit it to me (although they justify it by saying they can give us a lower price online since we don't use store resources). This has happened to me a few times, and of course, they will always honor the web price "as a courtesy" when I whip out a printout of the web price. Totally ludicrous.
05-31-07, 01:29 AM
#7
New Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
THEY REALLY NEED TO DO THIS TO AMAZON! HOW MANY TIMES ARE THEY GONNA GET AWAY WITH IT ALREADY!?
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/scamazon/petition.html
Sign and pass along please!!!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/scamazon/petition.html
Sign and pass along please!!!
06-01-07, 12:24 PM
#9
DVD Talk Hero
I don't think the problem is that the website has different prices from the stores... I doubt there's a law that makes stores with an online site have the same prices in-store. The problem is that when you go to a kiosk in a Best Buy store and access bestbuy.com, the site (and prices) are different than when you access bestbuy.com from outside the store.
