alocispepraluger102 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Best Buy Confirms It Has Secret Website George Gombossy: Consumer Watchdog WATCH DOG March 2 2007 Under pressure from state investigators, Best Buy is now confirming my reporting that its stores have a secret intranet site that has been used to block some consumers from getting cheaper prices advertised on BestBuy.com. Company spokesman Justin Barber, who in early February denied the existence of the internal website that could be accessed only by employees, says his company is "cooperating fully" with the state attorney general's investigation. Barber insists that the company never intended to mislead customers. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal ordered the investigation into Best Buy's practices on Feb. 9 after my column disclosed the website and showed how employees at two Connecticut stores used it to deny customers a $150 discount on a computer advertised on BestBuy.com. Blumenthal said Wednesday that Best Buy has also confirmed to his office the existence of the intranet site, but has so far failed to give clear answers about its purpose and use. "Their responses seem to raise as many questions as they answer," Blumenthal said in an interview. "Their answers are less than crystal clear." Based on what his office has learned, Blumenthal said, it appears the consumer has the burden of informing Best Buy sales people of the cheaper price listed on its Internet site, which he said "is troubling." What is more troubling to me, and to some Best Buy customers, is that even when one informs a salesperson of the Internet price, customers have been shown the intranet site, which looks identical to the Internet site, but does not always show the lowest price. Blumenthal said that because of the fuzzy responses from Best Buy, he has yet to figure out the real motivation behind the intranet site and whether sales people are encouraged to use it to cheat customers. Although Best Buy also refused to talk with me on specifics of the intranet site or its use, it insisted that its policy is to give customers the best price. "Our intention is to provide the best price to our customers which is why we have a price-match policy in place," the company said in a written statement to me. "As prices and offers may vary between retail and online, our stores will certainly match BestBuy.com pricing as long as it qualifies under the terms and conditions of the price match policy." "As a company, everything we do revolves around our customers' needs and desires. It is never our intent to mislead them as their loyalty is incredibly important to us," the statement said. Then they threw in this interesting line: "Although we have an intra-store web site in place to support store operations (including products and pricing), we are reminding our employees how to access the external BestBuy.com web site to ensure customers are receiving the best possible product price." That last sentence seems to indicate that Best Buy, which is supposed to be staffed by tech-savvy employees, is putting the blame on memory lapses: that employees have somehow forgotten how to access BestBuy.com from the store. Having been to many Best Buy stores where some helpful employees showed me how they access the intranet and Internet, I can assure Best Buy officials that the re-education process will probably not be lengthy. After making sure the computer is turned on, employees should click twice on the Yahoo Internet icon and then type in BestBuy.com. This is not the first time the giant electronic retailer has gotten into trouble misleading customers. The firm, based in Minneapolis, operates more than 1,100 electronic retail stores in the U.S., Canada and China. It has more than 125,000 full-time employees. Attorneys general in New Jersey and Ohio have accused Best Buy of deceptive sales practices, repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new, and failing to pay rebates and refunds. It paid $135,000 in New Jersey three years ago to settle that state's suit, which was based on hundreds of consumer complaints. The Ohio case is ongoing. Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Lesson learned a long time ago: Don't buy anything from Best Buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Lesson learned a long time ago: Don't buy anything from Best Buy. No shit! Two years in a row someone gave me a Best Buy gift card at Christmas, the first year I searched and searched and finally found something to buy and second year, I gave it to my nephew.....can't stand the place! m~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 They have the worst music selection of anywhere I've ever seen. The dump doesn't even have a jazz section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 (edited) They have the worst music selection of anywhere I've ever seen. The dump doesn't even have a jazz section. Ours used to have a decent jazz selection, but now I agree that it's pretty poor. And what's unfortunate is that they've essentially run all the other places in my town out of business. We have one FYE left in the mall, and Circuit City. That's about it locally. Edited March 19, 2007 by Aggie87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 BB NEVER has the sale items in their weekly ads in stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 The only reason I ever shop at Best Buy...is that they've killed off all the competition so there's no local choice. Ala Wal Mart.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I hate Best Buy. Hate it. I hate the shitty music they have playing in the store, which is always at least 10x too loud than any decent person needs it to be. And I really hate that they have these "exclusives" for new releases, like bonus discs or something like that that you can only get by buying the CD there. If you like the artist and want to get these rare tunes, you have to buy it at Best Buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 (edited) I hate to say it, but it's great for new (pop, country, hip hop) releases. If you buy them the week they come out, they're usually about ten bucks. For example, I'm planning on getting the new Joss Stone CD when it comes out tomorrow. It lists for $18.99, but Best Buy will very likely have it for $9.99. That's half off, people. How the hell can you say no to that? I also like it because Best Buy sells music as a "loss leader." In other words, they sell music for REALLY cheap (at cost, practically) because they hope it will entice you to come buy some big ticket electronic item at the same time. So every time you shop at Best Buy and buy ONLY music (especially the new stuff that's on major sale), you make them sell to you at a loss. You're actually taking money away from them! That's sweet! Edited March 20, 2007 by Alexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 It lists for $18.99, but Best Buy will very likely have it for $9.99. That's half off, people. How the hell can you say no to that? I wish I had said no to them more often earlier on, when they were gaining their near-monopoly of local business. Buying there has hurt, ultimately, because they've put everyone else out of business, and now only stock the biggest sellers and brand new releases. So there's effectively no local marketplace for anything other than the biggies and the brand new stuff. I do buy from them occasionally still, since there's no other local option, especially on the exclusive deals. But otherwise it's all online buying. That's sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BB) Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Vote with your dollars. You can vote for every progressive, liberal, pinko, greenie you want, but if you spend your money with the big box retailers and gi-normous national chains it really doesn't matter. Shop Local - Shop at Owner Operator Businesses - Pay Cash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Vote with your dollars. You can vote for every progressive, liberal, pinko, greenie you want, but if you spend your money with the big box retailers and gi-normous national chains it really doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter.....to Best Buy , since : a) there is no necessary connection between being a progressive , liberal or pinko and being opposed to Best Buy , and b) even if there were such a nexus , Progressive , liberal , pinko dollars aren't exactly the lifeblood of an electronics retailer selling music as a loss-leader , and c) Best Buy has already voted their own dollars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 IIRC, board member vibes works (worked?) for Best Buy at the headquarters in MN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alocispepraluger102 Posted March 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 i am certain that all mass market electronics dealers are 'above' reproach. my dealings with abc warehouse and circuitous city have been frequently less than stellar events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I hate to say it, but it's great for new (pop, country, hip hop) releases. If you buy them the week they come out, they're usually about ten bucks. For example, I'm planning on getting the new Joss Stone CD when it comes out tomorrow. It lists for $18.99, but Best Buy will very likely have it for $9.99. That's half off, people. How the hell can you say no to that? or for .02 less you can go with the organissimo linkee @ amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BB) Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Vote with your dollars. You can vote for every progressive, liberal, pinko, greenie you want, but if you spend your money with the big box retailers and gi-normous national chains it really doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter.....to Best Buy , since : a) there is no necessary connection between being a progressive , liberal or pinko and being opposed to Best Buy , and b) even if there were such a nexus , Progressive , liberal , pinko dollars aren't exactly the lifeblood of an electronics retailer selling music as a loss-leader , and c) Best Buy has already voted their own dollars a) I was speaking to big-box stores in general. My condensed line of thought goes like this: The bigger the buying power a company has the more pressure they can apply to their vendors to reach the never attainable lowest price. The vendors in-turn have to lower their costs often by lower the wages, cutting benefits or simply moving the jobs oversees to countries that have, shall we say, less stringent oversights on such matters. I have always considered issues of wages and working conditions to be issues of concern for left leaning people. This is to say nothing of the top down pressures these corporations are able to put on governments to adopt laws and regulations that are friendly to their business models. Nor does it take into consideration the negative effects on local economies and the limited diversity of products available for consumers. b) Probably not, and the unending drive to get the most crap for the lowest price will leave me shaking my head till I too old to care. c) not sure what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I'm closing in on 1 1/2 years now with outstanding rebate refunds. Obviously, I'll never get them. I never fall fall for the "rebate trick" any more. Hate Best Buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I'm not a big fan of Best Buy either, but there's one down the street from me and the last few years I've gotten $500 gift certificates for them from work... so I shop there fairly often. But i usually buy only deeply discounted new items the first week they go on sale and/or their weekly sale items. Rarely have a problem with things being out of stock and I've never had a problem receiving rebates (when, that is, I remember to mail them in). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzypaul Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 They have the worst music selection of anywhere I've ever seen. The dump doesn't even have a jazz section. Ours used to have a decent jazz selection, but now I agree that it's pretty poor. And what's unfortunate is that they've essentially run all the other places in my town out of business. We have one FYE left in the mall, and Circuit City. That's about it locally. What seemed funny to me was that the local one to me at one time had a jazz (and pop, for that matter) selection that rivaled Tower's (at its peak). Hell, there were a few times where I went to Tower for something, THEY didn't have it, and Best Buy did. I found the Black Lion Thelonious Monk box there! But, as soon as all of the local places started shutting down, Best Buy's selection got smaller and smaller, and smaller. Now it's nothing but the stuff you'd expect K-Mart to carry. If that's the way they're going to be with their music, who says they won't be the same way with electronics if Circuit City ever shut down? I'd rather spend the extra $$ and go somewhere that I'm not afraid of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Clugston Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 You've hit upon a classic big box store ploy. I've seen it with book stores as well: start up with a deep selection, including quirky titles the specialty stores stock. Watch the competition die. Stick with the popular titles and don't replace the interesting stock and instead sell candles and gift wrapping paper. What seemed funny to me was that the local one to me at one time had a jazz (and pop, for that matter) selection that rivaled Tower's (at its peak). Hell, there were a few times where I went to Tower for something, THEY didn't have it, and Best Buy did. I found the Black Lion Thelonious Monk box there! But, as soon as all of the local places started shutting down, Best Buy's selection got smaller and smaller, and smaller. Now it's nothing but the stuff you'd expect K-Mart to carry. If that's the way they're going to be with their music, who says they won't be the same way with electronics if Circuit City ever shut down? I'd rather spend the extra $$ and go somewhere that I'm not afraid of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 I'm closing in on 1 1/2 years now with outstanding rebate refunds. Obviously, I'll never get them. I never fall fall for the "rebate trick" any more. Hate Best Buy. That mail in rebate shit is the worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etherbored Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Stick with the popular titles and don't replace the interesting stock and instead sell candles and gift wrapping paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 (edited) Lesson learned a long time ago: Don't buy anything from Best Buy. No shit! Two years in a row someone gave me a Best Buy gift card at Christmas, the first year I searched and searched and finally found something to buy and second year, I gave it to my nephew.....can't stand the place! m~ For starters you could (should?) be buying up the rapidly vanishing Stones SACDs (digipaks), particularly 'Let it Bleed' and 'Beggar's Banquet' if you can find 'em. Don't have an SACD player? Well, okay. Don't like the Stones? Well piss off then!!!! Edited March 21, 2007 by Son-of-a-Weizen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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