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Best Buy Sued for Being Scummy
It works like this: Let's say you want a new plasma HD TV. You check online and see Best Buy has one on sale for $1,299. Rather than pay insane shipping fees or trust UPS with your delicate electronics, you head down to your local Best Buy brick-and-mortar location to pick it out in person.
When you arrive at the store, however, an employee tells you the price is actually $1,599. When you tell that employee the TV was listed for $1,299 on the Web site, he or she takes you over to a kiosk, opens the Best Buy Web site and shows you that it does indeed cost $1,599. The site he has shown you, however, is not accessible to the public, only inside Best Buy retail outlets.
The practice is shady to say the least. After receiving about twenty complaints, the Connecticut Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, opened an investigation and is now suing Best Buy for deceiving and overcharging customers.
We think the most disturbing part of this story is the complicity required by Best Buy employees. Usually you don't want to make it corporate policy to hire the most dishonest people you can find.
From USA Today
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Comments
48
Subscribe to commentsDonJan 17th 2008 4:41PM
Bait and Switch is an old story for a lot of big stores. I have seen it a dozen times. Sears used to be the Master at it. Not surprised that Best Buy might do the same. What I hate about Best Buy is the stupid clerks they have. I asked where I could find an RJ-45 crossover cable once and the guy told me there was no such thing. After I found one on the rack I took it back and showed him. He said, "oh..I thought you meant something else".....yep.
DWJan 17th 2008 4:44PM
I had this sort of thing with Dell once. I ordered a computer on line and selected what I wanted it to have. When it got here it had about three items that I hadn't ordered added to it and billed to me. I called them about it and got such a run around that I finally gave up...fortunately they weren't extremely expensive items. The computer worked fine and has for a long time. But I don't trust Dell anymore.
DonJan 17th 2008 4:56PM
and this web site won't show my posts...even when they say they do.
DonJan 17th 2008 4:57PM
there they are...thanks.
JeanJan 22nd 2008 10:30AM
I was searching different web sites trying to find a stove. I decided on Sears because they had free delivery and had a percentage off sale advertised with no strings. Went to store to see the actual product. The price was higher, the % off, the rebate was mail in and all only if you used the Sears card. I used the store computer to go to their web site and got the same price that was that was in the store. I went home and printed out what I had seen on my computer. Took the print out to the same sales person and was given the web price,the rebate, plus an additional 10% off. We haggled over how the rebate was given. I insisted it would be taken off the price immediately and they wanted to give it to me in a mail in rebate. I explained that if the delivery was added to the purchase I would have to pay taxes on it. They finally wrote it up the way I wanted. I wound up saving an additional $84.00 by being persistent and demanding my rights.
LQJan 22nd 2008 12:43PM
Actually, it is true about the "web search" computers they have at best buy only being accessible at.. where else.. best buy, but.. if you search online for your general products like, iPods, Computers, TVs, stuff like that, you'll find its actually CHEAPER than if you were to walk in and buy it straight off the shelve. it'll give you the option to see the sale price online, which is generally 10-20% cheaper, then you get the option to pick it up. But there is a disclaimer on the in-store website that tells you the prices will differ from other publications, (ads, online..)
Ed HernandezJan 22nd 2008 8:22PM
About 3 years ago I purchased a Dell Dimension 5510 over the phone on a Thursday night for $1,500. The next day on Friday I saw a Sunday add for the same computer, software and 19 inch screen, everythime same for $999.00 at Best Buy. When I called Dell they said they could not do anything because they already shipped the computer. I could of denied the UPS Shipment and requested a refund from my credit card company but I didn't. WRONG MOVE! I made at least 25 calls to Dell insisting on a refund but no return. After 3 months my hard drive crashed I demanded that someone from Dell call about my refund I finally contacted a Nancy at Dell. She kept stalling after providing the promotion code on the ad and without any notice or communicaiton she finally gave me a $200.00 refund on my credit card. Rule of thumb is I should of denied the shipment and saved $500.00 and alot of personal time on the phone by shopping at a local store.
RexMar 18th 2009 8:10AM
Dell for some time has a 30 day no questions asked return policy. You should have exercised it.