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Xbox fans accuse store of playing games with price

Mitch Sneed / Staff Writer
November 23, 2005

Some price-savvy consumers are accusing a local electronics superstore of doing a complete 180 on its offer for the Xbox 360.

Several people spent Monday night in the cold outside Best Buy in TigerTown, waiting for the chance to purchase the hot new game system at an advertised price of $399.

But they say when the doors opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday, the sales price was switched and they were pushed to buy a more expensive package that included a number of added accessories.

"People camped out there since last night thinking that they would be able to buy an Xbox at $399 just like the ad said," Al Johnston said. "But after all that they came out and said that we would have to buy a bundle, some that cost almost $900. It’s just not right."

Johnston said he complained to store management, who told him that suppliers and corporate officials insisted that the unit be sold with the accessories.

Johnston said after a heated discussion he was offered the opportunity to buy one of the products if he did it quietly and went out the back door so as not to cause confusion.

"Not after all that," Johnston said. "What they did was not right. They shouldn’t just do it for me. They should have sold it like they said they would in the first place."

Best Buy officials apologized for the confusion, and said they did offer to sell the system at the advertised price but many like Johnston refused.

"The bundle packages were to help take care of the additional equipment needs of our customers," said Amy Jones, a member of Best Buy management. "The ad did say that systems would be offered at $299 and $399 and after the initial confusion we did offer to make the system available to the customers who insisted at that price. They declined and said they were going to seek legal action."

Jones said more than 30 of the game systems were sold, many with the extra software bundled, because customers felt the items would be needed as they began using the new Xbox.

Auburn University student Jeff Jordan said he arrived at the store before 4 a.m. Tuesday in hopes of getting a deal on the system. Shortly before the store opened, he said employees came out and explained that the bundled packages were what was being offered. Even though he complained, he said he purchased a package that cost $570.

"I feel like I was deceived," Jordan said. "There was nothing in the ad or flier that said you had to buy a bundle. It said $299 or $399. I didn’t want the controllers or the games. I just wanted the unit. But I went ahead and bought it because I didn’t know if we would be able to find it later. Now I’m wishing I hadn’t.

"I may take it back."

The Xbox 360 is considered one of the hottest items going this holiday season. Calls to 11 retailers in the area revealed that all tried to stock the system, but as soon as a shipment comes in they sell out.

"The bundle packages were to help take care of the additional equipment needs of our customers," said Amy Jones, a member of Best Buy management.

(snip)

Jones said more than 30 of the game systems were sold, many with the extra software bundled, because customers felt the items would be needed as they began using the new Xbox.

My launch was pretty terrible. I will never shop at Best Buy again after the shit they pulled. What should have been a smooth event was turned into a fucking circus. Luckily things turned out OK for me, but I feel really bad for some of the other people there.

I got there at 8PM for an 8AM launch and I was #24. The store was set to get 50 premiums and 10 cores. My wife decided to wait with me and took #25. We figured she could buy the extra system if demand looked high and pass on it otherwise. Since she wanted to wait out there with me anyways, there was no point in not keeping the option open. Anyways, at around 10PM when the length of the line matched the number of systems they had, they passed out some preliminary tickets for the line spots that would then be traded for the "real" tickets the next morning. Sixty tickets were passed out, one for each system they had on hand. A few employees were in line, and the manager told everyone that employees were allowed to buy the systems but had to wait in line like everyone else.

The next morning, they handed out the "official" core and premium tickets. However, there was a discrepancy between the official and preliminary tickets because BB employees were allowed to just go in and purchase systems if they were working the launch morning. Some of the people who were supposed to get premiums got bumped down to cores, and those near the bottom of the core ticket range ended up with nothing. Keep in mind that prelim tickets were passed out the night before, and we were told that BB employees would wait in line like everyone else. The end result was that BB employees who had stayed at home the entire night ended up getting systems over people who had camped for 10+ hours in 30-40 degree weather.

Then, to add insult to injury, they actually tried to sell forced bundles. The cheapest one was $719 and came with one game. The rest of the difference between $460 and $719 was filled with the high-margin crap BB always tries to pawn off on people. The manager actually tried to intimidate the people who had been waiting in line for 10-12 hours by saying that anyone buying a bundle would have priority (IE: someone who wanted a bundle could walk up at 8AM and be ahead of the people who had been in line all night). I should also mention that the first mention of bundles came at 7:30ish (ie: after everyone had camped out for the entire night).

Luckily, their tactic failed miserably. People who showed up late just drove by the line and left, so there was nobody really hanging around to take them up on their unethical offer. I told many of the people in line to make BB pay by not buying any games/accessories/warranties ect. For its indiscretions, this BB deserved to have its system tie ratio royally fucked. Surprisingly, quite a few people listened. I saw many of the people who were in line in front of me walk out with nothing but the system. My wife and I bought two premiums and nothing else. After we had been checked out, I made sure to let the manager in on why nobody was buying accessories and warranties. By the look on his face, I could tell he was pwn3d.

Best Buy tried to pull the same exact thing at the midnight midtown NYC launch. All hell broke loose during a live CNBC telecast. 200 gamers started chanting Best Buy sucks. The guy who tried to read us the bundles couldn't get a word in. Something to the effect of Rookie, Veteran and legendary bundle. I think the guy the Manager sent out to make the announcement was a new hire who was basically thrown to the wolves.

The camera man said they had to cut the audio during the live feed.

The Manager of the store came out and changed his tune real quick for fear of an unruly NYC mob. He said the bundles were only an option but not mandatory.

Best Buy tried to pull the same exact thing at the midnight midtown NYC launch. All hell broke loose during a live CNBC telecast. 200 gamers started chanting Best Buy sucks. The guy who tried to read us the bundles couldn't get a word in. Something to the effect of Rookie, Veteran and legendary bundle. I think the guy the Manager sent out to make the announcement was a new hire who was basically thrown to the wolves.