Best Buy to Match Online Prices

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Best Buy has announced plans to price match its competitors this holiday season, including Amazon. Match Amazon's prices? Easy. Match Amazon's service? Good luck.

Best Buy Co. is planning to match the prices of Internet competitors such as Amazon.com Inc. this holiday season, even as it plays down its concerns over shoppers browsing gadgets in stores only to buy them for less online. The electronics chain also is preparing to offer free home delivery on merchandise that is out of stock in stores, according to a person familiar with the matter, in spite of recent remarks by new Chief Executive Hubert Joly that “showrooming” by consumers has been blown out of proportion.
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I agree it's been blown out of proportion. I hardly ever go to a Best Buy at all for fear of being accosted by one of their employees. And my less technologically literate friends/family? I tell them to never ever go to a Best Buy, because they will invariably walk out having bought something based on completely inaccurate information (some might say lies).
 
lies, they wouldnt even match instores prices fo diablo 3 and skyrim
 
Rizen said:
reading ftw
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...it's what plants crave.

Instead of meaning low prices, what this means to me is Best Buy has done enough research and projected that their competitors will not be offering any substantial holiday deals.
 
harmattan said:
...it's what plants crave.

Instead of meaning low prices, what this means to me is Best Buy has done enough research and projected that their competitors will not be offering any substantial holiday deals.
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That's what I got out of it.
 
I hope this applies to computer parts, would love to be able to just walk into a store and buy some components... but I'm not paying $180 or $190 or whatever it is for a 7770 that is $120 or so on newegg....
 
harmattan said:
...it's what plants crave.

Instead of meaning low prices, what this means to me is Best Buy has done enough research and projected that their competitors will not be offering any substantial holiday deals.
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Wonder how long until Amazon starts advertising a 99 dollar Xbox. :p
 
Getting Bestbuy to match their own online prices is a pain in the ass. What will it take to get them to match other's.
 
Ever since Best Buy was shown, multiple times, that it has a special in-store website with higher prices when you complain that you saw it online ON THEIR SITE for cheaper, I've lost all desire to shop there.

I imagine they'll have the engineers running double time making a script to run on computers that adds 15% to every pricy on Amazon's website when you bring it up on a computer in the store.
 
If I can get the same model for the same price as Amazon @ my local BB I would buy it there to support my local economy. Typically this can't be done and I'm not willing to talk with someone over the price if I can open a browser and have it delivered easier.
 
Its about time they figured out they need to do this. I do have two Bestbuys near me so, matching online prices might get me to go there if its a decent deal.
 
I wonder how many people will be escorted out of Best Buy with the police with management "unaware" of this corporate policy. They've done it before when it came to Best Buy and bestbuy.com price matching for crying out loud!
 
I don't like best buy because I can get the stuff I want cheaper elsewhere, their employees are dipshits (for the most part...not all are). They also have a tendency to come ask if you need help when you don't, but when you do - it's like they scatter and hide.
 
Considering each retailer has mfg's create custom skus for them i'm betting best buy will look at the sku and say "That item doesn't qualify" like circuit city use to do
 
I see the sales tax and a slightly higher price as the cost of instant gratification. If they are willing to match Amazon's pricing, I'll shop more locally for things I just "gotta have." However, I do see them not having the exact models as shown online so as not to have to price match anything. Some things I just gotta touch and feel before I buy, like mice and keyboards, and usually if I'm in the market for one....it's because I broke the one I have.
 
john doe 182 said:
Getting Bestbuy to match their own online prices is a pain in the ass. What will it take to get them to match other's.
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I'm thinking as many as possible.

Azhar said:
I wonder how many people will be escorted out of Best Buy with the police with management "unaware" of this corporate policy. They've done it before when it came to Best Buy and bestbuy.com price matching for crying out loud!
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It'll probably take an Act of God.

Scythe5 said:
I don't like best buy because I can get the stuff I want cheaper elsewhere, their employees are dipshits (for the most part...not all are). They also have a tendency to come ask if you need help when you don't, but when you do - it's like they scatter and hide.
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They must not be zombies, because if they were they'd be attracted to brains. :p
 
I tried getting a price match there once from CompUSA - a store right across the parking lot. I had the ad in hand and despite what their price match policy states, they would not give me the match because they actually called up CompUSA and found out that it was not in stock there and then I was told the price match does not apply to out of stock items.
 
stevejg61 said:
I tried getting a price match there once from CompUSA - a store right across the parking lot. I had the ad in hand and despite what their price match policy states, they would not give me the match because they actually called up CompUSA and found out that it was not in stock there and then I was told the price match does not apply to out of stock items.
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they said it had to be in stock at the closest local competitor, which is not in the policy
 
Considering each retailer has mfg's create custom skus for them i'm betting best buy will look at the sku and say "That item doesn't qualify" like circuit city use to do
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Ding, ding, ding!!! We have a winner ladies and gentlemen. This is exactly what will happen. Same thing happens at Walmart during the Holiday season. It's a joke. Same product on the shelves with exact same pacjaging and everything, but the SKUs are different so the price is regular and not the "Black Friday" price.
 
At this point I dont care if they sell stuff for half the cost Amazon does.

They've burned so many bridges at this point I'll never shop there again.

They should have taken a page from the Amazon playbook years ago.......but now? I'd love to see the company implode and die a horrific death.
 
I never shop at best buy but if I have to pay tax either way and the prices are the same I'll certainly go there instead of buying on amazon, getting the total above $25 and then waiting 2 weeks for something to be delivered.
 
Amazon Prime FTW.

If I have to go to amazon.com anyway to find the better price, why don't I just order it while I'm there? Free 2-day shipping, $4 1-day shipping, no lines, no employees accosting me. Easy returns too.

Or maybe I'll try this. Go to best buy. Scan the item's barcode with the the Amazon app on my phone, show the resulting lower price to the sales guy, profit?
 
The catch is: This is only TEMPORARY only for this holiday season.

After that? It'll go back up again.
 
TheBuzzer said:
lies, they wouldnt even match instores prices fo diablo 3 and skyrim
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Were the games in stock at a local Toys 'R Us in your area when you tried? If not then why should they since those prices weren't available to you locally. They were also sold out online fairly quickly so no reason to price match TRU's website prices either.
 
I've said this before and I'll say it again: the only reason to go to Best Buy is to look at their TVs. They have frequent enough sales on TVs that you often will find a good price there.

I think $219 for a 32 inch HDTV is fair. Hell, they usually beat BJ's and Target around here.

Oh you want computer stuff? Stay the hell away, then.
 
Real life situations.

Shopping on amazon for the holidays. Wake up maybe around crack of noon don't shower pop online click a few clicks go back to sleep.



Shopping at early times, get stuck in traffic, Get stuck at best buy, Wait in line, Argue about price matching, wait in another line, Here reasons on why they can't price match this particular item, Talk to manager, Finally get it priced matched, Wait back in line to buy it. Have to explain the reasons you don't want a 10 year warranty on a 50 dollar items that is only going to last a few years anyways.

All while have the best buy buzzard swarming you asking you ever 3 seconds if they can help you with something.....for which in fact they can't help you because they don't shit. It is like me asking people if they'd like candy and then when they say Yes I realize I don't have candy to give.

Option 3 is my option skip the holiday season and drink scotch.
 
Watch, as Best buy changes their corporate firewall to block all major online retailer websites from the computers inside best buy, and then institutes a policy of "if we can't look it up ourselves, we can't price match".

Or they go through the effort to make fake amazon and newegg websites, to go along with their fake best-buy website
 
Lets see if they actually hold their word and price match unlike any other time I have been there. They always have an excuse why this case does not fit their price matching policy.
 
I go to bestbuy regularly, not because I especially appreciate it - but realistically, the price at best buy just about evens out if I had sprung for Overnight shipping on whatever I orderded. So if its an emergancy purchases, and I really needed it yesterday, then I make the purchase and treat it as if I wherever I wouldve bought it from online had a "3d printer option" and I get it as soon as my card was processed, lol.

If its something I am okay with waiting for, then best buy can shove it.
 
Ok, so you've matched thier prices. Great. What is suppose to tip the balance in BB's favor though? Their customer service?
 
hum last time i went to best buy when wii came out, the guy kept trying to sell me additional warranty i kept saying no and after while said ok, than at register he said it keeps giving error and called manager, the damn manager got it working with warranty added without me asking, when i saw total i said screw it and left. luckly got wii the next day (day before my sister's birthday which was why i was buying it) without hastle.
 
this should help BB sales.

now that amazon charges sales tax in CA, I have more incentive to buy at BB.

the last time i PM'd at BB, it was pretty painless.

I couldn't give a shit about customer service. They ring up my purchase, and process my returns. That is all I expect of them, and they're adequate in that regard.
 
Depending on the item and where I usually buy from -- they are still going to be behind the price curve by 8.25% (taxes in Texas)

The only thing I used best buy for recently was my PSU blew, had to have something that NIGHT. Best buy had a thermaltake 850W on the shelf for 150. Sure I can find it for lots cheaper elsewhere online but that would take a week to get there.

I did notice that Best Buy was unusually friendly/cheerful/and "happy" to help me when I took the same powersupply back and got my 150 back.

I can see Best Buy is making an effort - that's good and all, they still have a ways to go. The only time I really want to go to best buy is if I'm in the mood to browse for some hd movies, or look at TV's or games. Not to buy... but it's fun to look (and enjoy the new gadget smell)
 
ballistic90 said:
I've said this before and I'll say it again: the only reason to go to Best Buy is to look at their TVs. They have frequent enough sales on TVs that you often will find a good price there.

I think $219 for a 32 inch HDTV is fair. Hell, they usually beat BJ's and Target around here.

Oh you want computer stuff? Stay the hell away, then.
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Some appliances too like washer and dryers and stoves and microwaves. They blow Sears out of the water with their prices.
 
Azhar said:
Some appliances too like washer and dryers and stoves and microwaves. They blow Sears out of the water with their prices.
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I end up going to a Sears Outlet store for those kinds of appliances. Like I care if there's a dent or scratch in it.
 
john doe 182 said:
Getting Bestbuy to match their own online prices is a pain in the ass. What will it take to get them to match other's.
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I have never had a problem with that. They pull up their website adjust the price and im on my way.
 
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