Future shop scam

[Lightning Steve]

Yes I know, what do you expect from Future Shop eh! They were advertising for Boxing day the Toshiba HD-DVD for $99 with two movies, $300 off! Great deal right? Well my brother went there are 6AM and was one of the first 10 people in the door, went straight to the DVD section and grabbed the sales drone, "sorry all sold out!". He didn't see anyone leave with one, they pull this scam all the time. So he left and went to 2001 and got a LG up convert for $79 (same one I have from the same place I got mine for $110).
But I do have to say that when I got my son a car CD player from Future shop, the sales kid I had was the most helpful, knowledgeable and nice guy I have ever run across in any electronics store.

 

[Davemcc]

Yeah, I was there just after 6 this morning and they were sold out of the Toshiba before I got there. I'm just about done with both FS and BB.

 

[Sheep]

I was contemplating that too. Didn't see any, but I wasn't that early.

SheepStar

 

[Seth=L]

I hate companies that do that, surprising they are still in business doing things like that.

 

[Alamar]

If the store actually had 0 of the items in stock for a big sale I'd either demand a rain check or file a report with the better business bureau.

I would esp. do this if the ad didn't specifically mention that some stores may have 0 stock of the item ....

 

[Davemcc]

If the store actually had 0 of the items in stock for a big sale I'd either demand a rain check or file a report with the better business bureau.

I would esp. do this if the ad didn't specifically mention that some stores may have 0 stock of the item ....

We saw two people in the store with the players. A couple days before, we went to BB for a camcorder on the first day of the sale and they were sold out of the five least expensive camcorders including the sale items...on the first day!!! We went in for a $300 camcorder, but could only buy a $700 camcorder. I just got pissed and left.

 

[Alamar]

It's too bad that many stores have these great sales to get people in the door and know good and well the five 100$ HD players that are in stock will be sold out within one minute after they open their doors.

I honestly think that stores should be punished by those activities by most people simply not going there and letting the store know exactly why you're not visiting them ....

NOTE: I'm basically a libertarian so I don't want too many more laws. However part of me thinks that it's too bad that there isn't a law that would force the store to either:

1. Give you a rain check that the store must make good within 1 month.
OR
2. Give you an upgraded item with the same discount [in $ or % .. whichever results in the larger discount] that the original item had.

Obviously if an item is going on sale to clear stock and it will never be restocked there should be some reasonable exception for that. However much of the behaviour that we're talking about has nothing to do with resonable behaviour by the sellers.

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Clarification: I'm not saying that there should be a law. It's just too bad that I can't see stores being punished for this behaviour.

 

[billy p]

Lol

Yes I know, what do you expect from Future Shop eh! They were advertising for Boxing day the Toshiba HD-DVD for $99 with two movies, $300 off! Great deal right? Well my brother went there are 6AM and was one of the first 10 people in the door, went straight to the DVD section and grabbed the sales drone, "sorry all sold out!". He didn't see anyone leave with one, they pull this scam all the time. So he left and went to 2001 and got a LG up convert for $79 (same one I have from the same place I got mine for $110).
But I do have to say that when I got my son a car CD player from Future shop, the sales kid I had was the most helpful, knowledgeable and nice guy I have ever run across in any electronics store.

I was at the store at 3am. I thought to myself, great the line up is not huge and I am about 50th in line? The doors opened early before 6am. I made my way inside and you guessed it. I cursed that I would never shop there again! After a quick stop at the local Tims drive thru, I picked up my coffee and proceeded with my drive to work. Unfortunately, for us Canucks we don't have limitless options like our members stateside.

 

[sparky77]

Actually the better business bureau does have a classification for stores that do things like that, its called bait and switch. Stores will have an item on sale with a limited stock if it's in stock at all, when you come in looking for the item, they direct you to a more expensive item.

 

[masak_aer]

What good does it do to report it to BBB? Please enlighten me.

 

[rnatalli]

There's nothing worth doing in situations like these except never shop there again. That's the only real power you have as a consumer.

 

[masak_aer]

That's what i thought. Thanks.

 

[Autofac]

I try and avoid buying anything from them that I might have to go back to them to get help with.

So far I bought my receiver two years ago (lower-end JVC, fits me well), ipod and a few other things, haven't had problems.

My father bought a laptop from there a number of years ago as well as one of their extended service plans.

They totally F***ed him, it was unbelievable. Nothing but grief, they changed their service plan and wouldn't honour the old one, despite the fact that he paid for it, they were a month late on the laptop repair etc etc.

This sort of thing does not surprise me.