Best Buy Price Match program

[slipperybidness]

What are you going to do when BB goes under. It's coming.

Well....unless they can figure out how to remain current and competitive.

I really hope and suspect that Fry's won't suffer the same fate. They at least also cater to the hobbyist (but we see what happened to RadioShack )

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

That's kind of the way I look at it: if all they are giving me is the exact same price, why not just have it show up at my house?

Because not all orders turn out the may hope. Some you just don't like, and some arrive DOA. It's easier to take it to a local store.

And some items break after the 30 day is over and you are responsible for shipping the items to the factory repair shop, sometimes more than once. If you bought them from Best Buy, you just have to take them to Best Buy and they will handle the repair for you (ship items for you, etc.).

Imagine paying the same price for a Denon X4000. If it malfunctions in 12 months and still under the 3 YR warranty, all you have to do is take it back to Best Buy and they will take care of it for you. If you buy from Amazon, you have to contact Denon and pay shipping $60 w/ insurance to ship to Denon. Then let's say you get the X4000 back. Then something else breaks in another 6 months.

Well, okay, maybe I should use Onkyo as an example. In which case, you better buy the extra extended warranty.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

What are you going to do when BB goes under. It's coming.

I would cry and then hope Walmart or Sam's Club would start competing with Amazon and every other electronic shop.

That would be awesome - Walmart majorly expanding and competing with Amazon.

Can you guys picture me bringing a pair of KEF towers to Walmart for a refund?

I'm dreaming.

 

[j_garcia]

Because not all orders turn out the may hope. Some you just don't like, and some arrive DOA. It's easier to take it to a local store.

And some items break after the 30 day is over and you are responsible for shipping the items to the factory repair shop, sometimes more than once. If you bought them from Best Buy, you just have to take them to Best Buy and they will handle the repair for you (ship items for you, etc.).

Imagine paying the same price for a Denon X4000. If it malfunctions in 12 months and still under the 3 YR warranty, all you have to do is take it back to Best Buy and they will take care of it for you. If you buy from Amazon, you have to contact Denon and pay shipping $60 w/ insurance to ship to Denon. Then let's say you get the X4000 back. Then something else breaks in another 6 months.

Well, okay, maybe I should use Onkyo as an example.

Sorry, if that happened I would just buy another one, and it would have been the Denon because I wouldn't have bought an Onkyo I don't really like to wait around for stuff like that, not even if I had to take it back to a local store. I've had to do both and neither is convenient because I am without it for the same amount of time.

I did sell one of my AVRs and the one I ordered from a local shop was delayed so the shop lent me their floor model to use until mine came in. THAT was good service.

 

[Jimz711]

I should add I've had mostly great experiences buying from BB. Once when TV shopping when the salesman saw I was about to leave, he asked me what price would it take for you to take the TV home. I quoted him what I thought was a fairly ridiculous price, he went back to the manager came out and said done. Safe to say that will never happen from an online retailer.

In January, I purchased the Pioneer FS52 towers from BB, not only did they match the Tiger Direct price, but when the salesman went to grab the boxes he saw one was damaged so gave me an extra $25 off that tower. Two different BB's two very satisfactory experiences. On the bad side, I remember when their online prices were lower than their in store prices.

 

[little wing]

I discovered the Best Buy price match last fall when I purchased my Sony HX850 for $1300, because BB matched an offer from a web-site (forgot which one) I never saw the HX850 for a lower price then that, so I felt good about my purchase!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I should add I've had mostly great experiences buying from BB. Once when TV shopping when the salesman saw I was about to leave, he asked me what price would it take for you to take the TV home. I quoted him what I thought was a fairly ridiculous price, he went back to the manager came out and said done. Safe to say that will never happen from an online retailer.

In January, I purchased the Pioneer FS52 towers from BB, not only did they match the Tiger Direct price, but when the salesman went to grab the boxes he saw one was damaged so gave me an extra $25 off that tower. Two different BB's two very satisfactory experiences. On the bad side, I remember when their online prices were lower than their in store prices.

I discovered the Best Buy price match last fall when I purchased my Sony HX850 for $1300, because BB matched an offer from a web-site (forgot which one) I never saw the HX850 for a lower price then that, so I felt good about my purchase!

And why did you guys buy from your local Best Buy, instead of having it shipped right to your door from Amazon?

 

[slipperybidness]

Because not all orders turn out the may hope. Some you just don't like, and some arrive DOA. It's easier to take it to a local store.

And some items break after the 30 day is over and you are responsible for shipping the items to the factory repair shop, sometimes more than once. If you bought them from Best Buy, you just have to take them to Best Buy and they will handle the repair for you (ship items for you, etc.).

Imagine paying the same price for a Denon X4000. If it malfunctions in 12 months and still under the 3 YR warranty, all you have to do is take it back to Best Buy and they will take care of it for you. If you buy from Amazon, you have to contact Denon and pay shipping $60 w/ insurance to ship to Denon. Then let's say you get the X4000 back. Then something else breaks in another 6 months.

Well, okay, maybe I should use Onkyo as an example. In which case, you better buy the extra extended warranty.

Let me punch a hole in your theory...If you live in a large city, then you just drive the bricked unit to the authorized service center.

 

[slipperybidness]

On the bad side, I remember when their online prices were lower than their in store prices.

Haha, yup, I forgot about that one. Then, to add insult to injury, IIRC there was some thing that if you searched online from the store then it would route you to a bogus site with the same higher prices as in-store.

Edit: Here you go. Shady BB:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/27/best-buys-secret-intranet-site-to-get-a-disclaimer-customers-t/

 

[little wing]

And why did you guys buy from your local Best Buy, instead of having it shipped right to your door from Amazon?

The HX850 was the third and final TV I tried. I wanted the option of going to the store and trying a few TVs before I made my decision. Shipping a TV back to Amazon would've been a big pain in the butt, as opposed to simply putting the TV back in my car and driving to BB and coming home with another TV. I love amazon, but for this purchase BB was great for me because I took FULL advantage of their return program

 

[slipperybidness]

The HX850 was the third and final TV I tried. I wanted the option of going to the store and trying a few TVs before I made my decision. Shipping a TV back to Amazon would've been a big pain in the butt, as opposed to simply putting the TV back in my car and driving to BB and coming home with another TV. I love amazon, but for this purchase BB was great for me because I took FULL advantage of their return program

The other side of the coin, I didn't want to deal with hauling a big TV. If it got damaged in transit, let it be their fault and not mine!

Ask ADTG about his B&W speakers (too soon? )

 

[little wing]

The other side of the coin, I didn't want to deal with hauling a big TV. If it got damaged in transit, let it be their fault and not mine!

Ask ADTG about his B&W speakers (too soon? )

True, but I made it a point to be very very careful. I treated each TV I returned with kid gloves. It just made more sense for me. Especially since I travel for work and might have missed a delivery. THAT would've been a big pain in the a@#!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The other side of the coin, I didn't want to deal with hauling a big TV. If it got damaged in transit, let it be their fault and not mine!

Ask ADTG about his B&W speakers (too soon? )

Twice in the past I have returned items to Amazon and gotten full refunds. Then about 2 months afterwards, I would get an email saying they have NOT received the return and so they charged me for those items AGAIN.

Of course, I called them both times and gotten credits, but it still pissed me off.

Just last week, the same damn thing happened. I had returned an item to Amazon and gotten a refund. Now they charged me because they said they have not received the item.

Here is how it works. I return the item via UPS tracking. Amazon RECEIVES the item. They refund my money. In that exact order.

So how the hell can they say they did not receive the item?

So, yes, I just talked to Amazon again 3 days ago. Bastards!

As much crap as I buy from Amazon, something was bound to go wrong sometime. I even bought soap, tissues, toothpaste, floss, and just about everything from Amazon. But I have stopped doing that. Back to simple local stores for me.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Especially since I travel for work and might have missed a delivery. THAT would've been a big pain in the a@#!

Yeah, don't get me started with that.

You would not believe how many times FedEx, UPS, & USPS have screwed up delivery to my house.

The biggest example was when FedEx shipped my Denon AVR-5308 to the wrong address!

Thank goodness I tracked that baby every second. When I noticed they had tracked as "DELIVERED" and "SIGNED FOR", I asked my dad to verify. He said nothing was at my house and that he did not sign for anything!

So I immediately called FedEx and they backtracked and got my AVR-5308 back for me. Bastards!

Of course, shipping isn't the stores' fault, but it's part of the process.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would also caution people buying from Amazon Warehouse. It only takes one bad experience to spoil the fun.

Last year, I decided to buy a Denon AVR-4311 "LIKE NEW". I usually get good luck with them. Until this incident.

I opened the box and it was a Denon 3311!!!!!

I kid you not!

I was really pissed. Called them up and had to explain. But waiting for the return shipping and for them to give me credit for their screw up...

Things like this only happens to me.

I still cannot believe my Denon DOA experiences from eCost.com. What a fiasco. ONLY ME. Things like this never happens to other people. Just me. I am an idiot.

I just need STOP buying EVERYTHING.

Stop spending money. Go on a break for a year.

But just beware is all I am saying.

 

[its phillip]

I just checked my order history on amazon - 1012 orders for 1665 items over the last several years. I haven't had any issues yet

 

[j_garcia]

I've had a few issues, but none that were actually Amazon. I've always gotten my refunds on items I returned that were sold/shipped/fulfilled by Amazon. The few issues I had were outside vendors. I accidentally ordered the wrong part (wrong year) for my car and paid expedited shipping on them. When I asked them to just exchange them for the correct one they said I would have to return them at my cost (not a problem but...), pay the restocking fee and order the correct ones which were exactly the same price. Yes, it was my fault, but that was pretty crappy customer service.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just checked my order history on amazon - 1012 orders for 1665 items over the last several years. I haven't had any issues yet

Bastard!

 

[Jimz711]

And why did you guys buy from your local Best Buy, instead of having it shipped right to your door from Amazon?

Where I was living when I got my TV, BB was really the place to go to demo the most brands. I had planned on demoing, and then looking up prices at Amazon or some other online retailer. I didn't think I would get the car salesman pitch of how much do you want to pay.

Since then, when I need to make a bigger purchase and BB has the item, I always go there to check it out hoping I'll get another salesman or manager that interested in moving product. Plus they sometimes have open box items that you can purchase an extended warranty on and have the total price still be much less than the new item.

 

[Jimz711]

I've also never had any issues with Amazon, I once ordered some dvd's as Christmas gifts and on the 22nd I still had not received them. I sent an email and 9 o'clock the next night UPS was there with a big box containing each dvd. The originals came shortly after Christmas, I offered to send the originals back unopened but was told to keep them as their gift for my troubles.

Have only done 2 or 3 returns and all went seamlessly, but they were either from Amazon or shipped by Amazon.