Best Buy Caught Faking Low Nintendo Wii Supplies
Nintendo's Wii console has been very hard to find for a long time now -- so long that some are calling shenanigans. A lot of folks think that Nintendo is artificially creating news and demand by keeping supplies of its little white console low. Those claims have never been substantiated, but now we have some proof that some other players are getting in on the game. The Consumerist has is reporting that Best Buy employees are clearing out their Wii inventories by broadcasting that they're down to a single Wii console -- over and over again.
The report was filed by a witness at the Princeton, New Jersey Best Buy. The witness saw an employee parade around holding a Wii over her head while another employee announced "Julie is now walking through the store with our last Nintendo Wii! If you're looking for a Nintendo Wii, please look for Julie!" Someone in the store grabbed the box and bought the console, of course. 30 minutes later, another employee did the same thing, with another Wii held aloft for all to see. The witness claims he overheard the store's managers discussing the scheme and planning to send Julie out a third time forty minutes later.
This isn't the first time Best Buy has been caught doing something shady: Earlier this year, some branches of the chain set up a second, secret version of the Best Buy Web site, which was accessible only from within the store and had higher prices than the public Web site, presumable to keep people from getting lower in-store prices. The discount chain has also been accused of tricking people into signing up for subscriptions to MSN, as well as selling a hard drive that contained only bathroom tiles.
From The Consumerist
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Samantha @ Nov 13th 2007 11:17AM
And Why is this store still in business? Tactics like these should be illegal and probably are.
Margot @ Jul 10th 2008 1:44AM
That's ridiculous. How can you label all stores as shady just because of what a few have done? I work at Best Buy and I haven't heard about ANY of this until now. That site isn't used to trick customers, or at least my store doesn't use it like that. There are two sites. One is In-Store, which shows what the prices are in our particular store and the other is National, which shows the prices that customers see. We are taught to use the In-Store site as a product reference. Not for price, but for actually looking up information about the product (like how much RAM it has or what kind of cords it needs) because some people don't know that off the top of their heads. If we are looking up prices, we look at the National site. You're supposed to look up that stuff everyday and change your price tags. I guess some people just aren't doing their jobs.
As for the Wii thing, that's just stupid, and I'm pissed that some stores are just that horrible. I've had my share of horrible Best Buy experiences, but NOTHING like that. It actually makes me ashamed for them.
Tom @ Nov 13th 2007 11:17AM
That doesn't surprise me at all. A few years ago, I was in a Best Buy, and had forgotten my credit card. A manager told me that wasn't a problem, then proceded to tell me how, and where to get a fake card. He said that as long as it 'swiped' they didn't care if it was real or not, they would get paid from the credit card company, and that was all they cared about.
Emmy @ Nov 13th 2007 11:54AM
I work in a video game store, and I can say that although there aren't as many Wiis on the market as there are, say, XBox 360s, the "shortage" isn't nearly as bad as some stores would have you believe. Nintendo themselves aren't trying to cover up their Wii sales, it's mostly unscrupulous managers who devise these plans in order to sell every Wii they have as quickly as they can due to the public misconception that Wiis are nearly always "out of stock." I would be willing to bet that Wal-Mart and many other stores keep their "out of stock" Wiis in the warehouse, easily accessable by all employees, but unavailable to the public in order to continue generating the hype.
Mike @ Nov 13th 2007 12:14PM
I bought a big flat screen T.V. and a nice surround sound system about 6-8 weeks ago and as I was paying, their computer conveniently shut down as the credit card was going through. I had to pay twice for the T.V. and I'm still dealing with my credit card company trying to get the other $1450.00 credited to my account!
I'm done with Best Buy! Circuit City has never given me a problem!
Chiabone @ Nov 13th 2007 12:20PM
I have a damn hard time believing that almost a full YEAR after launch that Nintendo is still not producing enough Wii's to meet the demand. Even Sony and Microsoft didn't take that long to get PS3 and 360 (respectively) in stock after initial shortages. Even with the Playstation 2, Sony was able to ramp up production and get the consoles out within 6 months, and they deal in other things besides Videogames. Nintendo is just trying to keep the hype up for their inferior system. I have no desire to get one, but I am tired of people coming into the Gamestop that I work at and asking if we have any Wii's in stock. We really don't, but that is only because Nintendo is not shipping them. There is no way any person with common sense thinks that they cannot get the untils out to the masses.
Joe @ Nov 13th 2007 12:37PM
Its articles like this that should not even be written tarnish business reputation just to get readers. First of all when Best Buy does get a good amount of Wii's they do put them out when they do not they pull off tricks like Julies' store so the same customer will not buy more then one given other customers chance to buy one.They do it to keep the customer in the store if they do not get a Wii chances are they will get another system, this is not a dirty trick just business. To Samantha up there this business is still in business because they know how to run a business sorry to tell you every business does this kind of things not only BestBuy we dont live in a fantasy world where life is squeaky clean.
kan @ Nov 13th 2007 12:44PM
No surprise when it comes to Best Buy scamming. In St. Petersburf, Fl. they pulled the old "bait & switch" on me. I went in for the advertised special (too good to be true) on a computer. When they, of course, didn't have any left, the new salesman complained, "I don't know why they always advertise specials and then don't let us bring out more than just one..." I'll never go back. Too bad they loose so many repeat customers. Now that's just bad business.
allyfallydillydally @ Nov 13th 2007 12:53PM
funkysmellin_monkey,
Wake up and smell the conspiracy. Why does gamestop only get three units in at a time? Because Nintendo controls the shortage frenzy. If Nintendo actually sent out enough units to satisfy the masses, then people would lose interest in the Wii. By keeping the hype going, they feed the public's need for "gotta have it" and thus keeps Nintendo in the minds of the weak. Also, Nintendo still airs commercials for a product they don't have enough stock of. Why is that? Again, the meek are drawn to the hype.
If you are smart, you would boycott Nintendo for its deceptive practices and support Sony or Microsoft.
Neuticles @ Nov 13th 2007 12:58PM
Try having your credit get smeared when they finance you. Best Buy sucks x2.
sara @ Nov 13th 2007 12:59PM
The shortage must be fake. It doesn't exist in my neck of the woods, that is for sure! My son wanted a Wii, and we promised it to him if he brought home all A's. He did, and that night went out and picked one up. Target had them, Walmart had them, Gamestop (EB) had them. All stores had 3-4 in stock, if memory serves. We didn't have to get in line at 4 am, we just walked in Walmart and bought one. All these stores still have the Wii in stock every time I go into the store. I always look to see, because I keep hearing about this "shortage", and I like to chuckle about it each time I see the big white Wii boxes on the shelf. If you need a Wii, come to St. Augustine, FL. No shortage here.
funkysmellin_monkey @ Nov 13th 2007 1:00PM
Does everything always have to be a conspiracy? Give it a rest already! OMG!! My husband works at gamestop. There really is a shortage and you want to know why? Because people love the Wii and they keep buying it!!
They got three in stock one day and I went to go get one and the three got sold out in 24 hours. That's why there's a shortage. Because every other day they get more and in hours people come in and buy them. With christmas coming, it'll be impossible to find one. That's all there is to it.
It's not a conspiracy. Think about it. If Nintendo could sell a thousand in one day, why would they opt to sell a hundred in one day just to scare people into thinking they didn't have enough? Does that make any sense? What kind of business sceme is that?
sara @ Nov 13th 2007 1:08PM
funkysmellin_monkey:
Your husband works at a Gamestop, yet you were unable to get a Wii? Couldn't he just pick one up while at work?
Oh, and also-this article is about Best Buy faking their supplies-not Nintendo.
Please, learn to read-and spell, before commenting further.
Randy @ Nov 13th 2007 1:09PM
It's not just Best Buy, I know for a fact, the Target in Wyoming, MI told customers for at least 1 week that they were out of stock, when in fact they had about 60 in the back room, being saved for the sunday flyer.
I believe that games are being played in a lot of stores. But If I ask for one and I'm being told they are out when in fact they are not, That is wrong!
Joyce @ Nov 13th 2007 1:22PM
I called the best buy store looking for a Wii and was told that they had some coming in on Sunday and the people line up 2 hours b4 th store opened... I than called Target and they had some coming too the same day and they were getting 38 and they normally have 5 people waiting on them... so guess where we went to get the WII system Target...
I will not buy another thing from Best buy.. when my charge is paid off I will cancel the card and will never apply for a new one...
L @ Nov 13th 2007 1:26PM
I bought my daughter a hand-held game at a Kmart 2 weeks ago and the gentleman who sold it to me informed me that they had alot of the Wii's in the back room and were not allowed to sell them until Black Friday and that he knew for a fact that the local Target was doing the same thing.
maryannez0318 @ Nov 13th 2007 1:27PM
Last year i bought a Wii for my son and they were sold out everywhere except for this one store in the mall that states they are privately owned. They were selling the Wii for $399.99 but the option of getting 2 games from there selected list or what was left on the list. Which pretty much wasn't anything that great. So they got me but that was the only place selling it.
bret @ Nov 13th 2007 1:29PM
I do work at a Best Buy. I know when we get 30-40 in on a typical Sunday morning for the ad, they're gone in 2-3 hours. THe reality is, it's been out for a year less than the 360 but has already sold more total units than anyone. this data is supported by any financial magazine/site/etcetera, and I encourage you guys to check it out. Now, if you're in a less metropolitan area of the country, yes, more tha likely you can get one easier, that's common sense. If you're in a major city or suburb, they will be harder to come by.As for employees buying them up and leaving none for the customers, for the first three months the system was out employees could not purchase them, period. We were seen as having an unfair advantage of knowing if we had them or not.Now if we get them in, the employee has to wait in line just like everyone else who's there for the ad, because customers have as fair a shot at getting one as we do. ANyway, I hope this helps. : )
Jonathan Williams @ Nov 13th 2007 1:32PM
why does this kind of news even make it to aol.com top news section? this article was poorly written and there is no proof in this claim except a lone witness. Referencing this "secret" website... if you go into best buy there's a big yellow banner on the top of every site that says "in store prices." there's a reason that the new york times or cnn are not reporting this, it's because this is not news this is just a blog of some bored idiot.
Spoof @ Nov 13th 2007 1:39PM
This stuff I'm reading sounds awful. Only thing (so far) I ever noticed at Best Buy was the high-pressure sales tactic trying to get me to buy an extended warranty on a refrigerator when I didn't want one. The guy kept repeating over & over & over again that they don't make a dime on those warranties. Yeah right.