Reader Jeff could not convince Circuit City to honor its “Unbeatable Price Guarantee.” Circuit City’s stated policy is to beat any competitor’s price by 10%. Jeff found the same 19″ Acer monitor retailing for $219 at Circuit City for only $129 at a nearby Best Buy, yet Circuit City: “would not price match this item because the cost was too low.” Jeff writes:
I purchased two Acer 19 inch monitors today at Best Buy in Valley Stream, NY at the really great price of $129 each out the door, no coupons, rebates or other price modifiers. Being one who loves a truly great bargain, I walked out of Best Buy and directly across the street to Circuit City where they had the exact same monitors (model numbers and all) in stock at $219 each. I was looking to utilize their 110% price guarantee, which states they will match 110% of the price difference of a local competitor within 30 days. I would then return my purchase at Best Buy, keeping the now lower priced Circuit City monitors. I spoke with Michelle in Customer Service and presented my Best Buy purchase and receipt as proof of price and availability. Because the difference was beyond Michelle’s authorization, she had to confer with the store operations manager Les S. Michelle disappeared for 20 minutes, then came out with Les. Les told me that he would not price match this item because the cost was too low. I asked him where in the policy (which was on a large sign behind him I could find out more information about this aspect of the price policy. I just repeated that he could not match a price that low and walked away. Les would not give me his last name, which I can understand. Les would not write down his first name at my request either..just kept repeating it as he walked away. Strictly on principal, I do not accept this. What is the best method of filing a complaint with officials? Bringing public attention to this specific event, informing corporate of this event?
Circuit City’s “Unbeatable Price Guarantee:”
Circuit City is proud to offer the best prices on consumer electronics. Period. Buy a product from us and if, within 30 days of your purchase, you find a local competitor offering a lower advertised price for the same in-stock item, we’ll refund 110% of the difference. If you haven’t yet purchased the product, we’ll beat the competitor’s price by 10% of the difference between our price and theirs. Either way, you win.
A quick call to corporate should clear up the local store’s obstinance. Their policy is clearly stated, so there is little room for equivocation. Call (804) 486-4000, and ask for Phil Schoonover’s office. Politely explain the situation to whomever picks up. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General. Either way, you win.
(Photo: alaspoorwho)
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@schmont:
I don’t think “the point of this blog” is saving pennies by wasting your own time and that of store employees.
This guy was borderline fraudulant when he bought the monitors at Best Buy with no intention whatsoever of keeping them.
I wonder if he got the last 2 monitors at that price and someone else who came in to actually purchase them left without them.
I wonder how much more difficult it will be to return products for a valid reason because of tools like this guy.
@bdgbill: You may have a friend in Judge Roy Pearson.
this is pretty cut and dry if you read the policy. If you buy something from CC then find it for less within 30 days somewhere else, there are 2 options:
1) you go ahead and purchase the product from the competitor and CC gives you 110% of your money back when you return the product you got from them.
2) you prove to CC that you could buy it somewhere else and they give you 10% of the difference.
You bought it from somewhere else first and the policy doesn’t apply to you. You’re not a CC customer, chief.
@DeeJayQueue: I gotta say I agree with you. Yes CC should have honored the deal but honestly…just be happy you found it cheaper. Its only $18 and you’re doing this for the express purpose of making profit. Its not like you bought it and then found a week later it was on sale somewhere else which is what the policy was made for.
Its wasnt designed for people to use it to pad their income.
@jeffj-nj: Good job, Jeff. You just scammed that ‘local electronics store’ owner out of money.
Apparently some people here don’t get the OP’s point and instead are lambasting him for the amount of money he’s trying to save. Who cares about the dollar amount, would it have been any different if we swapped the items and numbers around? It could’ve been a 6 yr old purchasing gum at BB for $0.25 and trying to get the %110 PM at CC who has the gum for $0.30. Or it could’ve been a home theater system that’s $10,000 at BB and $20,000 at CC. As a customer I would want the store to adhere to their own written policy, end of story. The OP is posting here to warn fellow Consumerists about this particular merchant and also generate bad publicity. If CC can’t stick to their own sales policies, then they are entitled any negative feedback that ensues. So stop ragging on OP’s tail and look at the bigger picture…
Does everyone keep forgetting the quote “If you haven’t bought the item … “? Seems cut-and-dry to me.
Did Best Buy actually “advertise” that great price for the monitor? Circuit City’s guarantee doesn’t really apply to any and all purchases. Just to advertised prices. That was the technicality that kept me from cashing in on a similar price guarantee a few years back.
A lower price at Best Buy?! NEVER. I went to CompUSA to by 512MB of RAM for $39.99, realized I had a BestBuy gift card for $25 bucks I had been trying to get rid of. I ran down to best buy with the compusa.com print out and asked for them to honor their price match gaurentee. No hassles what soever, Walked out with a lighter wallet and more RAM for my Laptop. By the way, I wish to know which Best Buy outlet had that Acer monitor for $129 each and if a photo could be provided because I might ride down to a CompUSA or BestBuy and see which of them has it.
@Papa Midnight: Yeah its not on sale for that price anymore. BUT, it was a 19″ Acer Monitor, model x191wsd which is now back to its regular price of $219. It was in all of the weekly ads.
I just checked Best Buy online:
Acer 19″ Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor
Model: AL1916WABD
Our Price: $129.99
Shipping: Sold Out
Store Pickup: Not Available
That monitor is SOLD OUT everywhere and unavailable for pickup. Sure sounds like a clearance/closeout item to me. Also sounds like Best Buy decided to screw over any competitors that offer price matching by not advertising that tidbit of info. Clearance/closeout items are EXCLUDED from price matching at almost every store that offers it and I’m POSITIVE Best Buy is well aware of this. Really shady. Anybody that thinks this is OK or argue this would also probably find it worthwhile to dig up graves looking for jewelry.
I hate CC. I was there a few weeks ago where I bought a TV from the salesman. I then tried to pick it up, and they did not have it. The didn’t have any similar models either. They just gave my $$ back without any bonus. I should have ordered it online and then I would have gotten $24 because it hadn’t shown up in 24 min. (I doubt they would have honored that anyway; there must have been some excuse to use). Overall, I hate CC.
I am the original poster. A few notes:
1) I do shop at both Circuit City and Best Buy monthly for a variety of items.
2) When I purchased the monitors at Best Buy it was my intent to retain the two monitors I purchased at Best Buy.
3) When I noticed that the stores are literally 100 feet from each other, I decided on the spur of the moment to walk across the street to Circuit City to see if they had the same monitors and if I could purchase them for less at Circuit City buy using their 110% price match policy. I figured the whole thing would take 20 minutes round trip to both stores. For me, my personal choice was to give it a shot. What did I have to lose? There was no cost for my to try to get them to own up to their own policy. The monitors were unopened, so there would be no restocking fee at Best Buy.
4) I did not mention in my email to consumerist that I did bring the advertisement from Best Buy with me. Sorry about that omission.
5) My intent as a consumer is to get the product I want at the lowest price available to me, in a location and manner that is convenient to me. If some of you think I am a tool, because I saw what should have been an easy way to reduce the cost of my purchase, You are entitled to your opinion. Go pay list price on your next house, car or any other item.
6) There was absolutely no intent to defraud anybody on my behalf.
7)I never mentioned the word lawsuit. I did mention complaint. I feel that the representative, Les S., whom I spoke with was rude, uninformative, and displayed an “I could care less about your business” attitude that ensures the home theater receiver I purchased last week from Circuit city at regular price, will be my last purchase from that business. An explanation of the policy would have helped me understand if my request was ineligible. instead he just walked away ignoring me directly in front of the Customer Service Desk. My manner, tone and conduct was respectful to the staff at all times.
8) I read Consumerist to be a better, smarter consumer. I read Fat Wallet for the same reason. If you disagree with those decisions, do not replicate my actions.
@jollymonjeff: That’s all fine and thanks for clarifying. It sounds as if your request was ineligible (clearance/sold out item) but that particular manager was too stupid to realize this and walked off in frustration. But don’t blame the company for the actions of a few stupid employees any more than you would blame a country for the actions of terrorists or stupid politicians. Call the company’s hotline and tell them you dealt with an inept manager who was oblivious to the details regarding their price match policy. If you make it sound as though you’re helping them to identify employees unfamiliar with store policy & procedure they might be thankful and offer you a gift card (cheesy I know but be realistic – and it’s better than nothing). If you call and make it sound more as though you’re trying to help them rather than punish them you might get better results. I suggest you try the hotline first but if you don’t get satisfaction call corporate direct and leave a voice mail for Dave Mathews (SVP of stores). If you sound more helpful than hurtful you might get a response rather than be deleted.
You also completely neglect to notice another policy that any retailer will have. They all reserve the right to refuse any sale to any customer for any reason. Regardless of the price-match guarantee, they state plainly that they don’t have to sell you anything at all. So all bickering aside, what you were trying to do was undercut a store. They refused the sale. It had little to nothing to do with the price match, and more to do with the refusal of the sale to you.
Granted, they would have GLADLY sold you the monitors at their advertised price I’m sure, but when it comes to policy you can’t pick and choose which ones you want to read.
@DeeJayQueue:
well said.
also, the policy does state, quite clearly, “IF YOU HAVEN’T YET PURCHASED THE PRODUCT,” which is their way to avoid such cheap-o’s.
This “Les” person at the store sounds like an ubertwit, but I do understand an employee not giving out their last name, especially to a furious customer.
I used to work for a Kroger grocery store. One of our cashiers was the most friendly, bend-over-backwards-to-help people you would ever meet.
One day, I witnessed he was unable to cash a handwritten two-party check made out for hundreds of $$$ (and no ID to boot) and politely explained to the customer that it was against the policy clearly printed in plain view on the register.
After a half hour argument and several layers of management backing him up, the customer demanded and got the full names of all involved. Later, that night, he showed up at the home of the cashier after looking his name up in the phone book, getting his home address, and put him in the hospital for weeks.
After that, NO ONE in my store who wasn’t a manager was EVER required to give out their full name to a customer for any reason. It was silly for a manager to refuse, since their full names were clearly printed on huge signs at Cutomer Service, not to mention in the store ads.
I refused on several occasions to give mine out to unreasonable people and was backed up every time by management. There is a reason last names aren’t printed on nametags in a lot of chain stores. First names and a basic description are quite sufficient for any need to ID an employee to their superiors.
Let me say first, I work for Circuit City as a regular ol sales associate. Not a manager or anyone who has some loyalty to the company.
I remember this Best Buy sale well. A great bargain. However, it was clearly shown as “While supplies last.” It clearly shows in Circuit City’s price guarantee that the item is for in-stock non-promotion items. This is to prevent Office Depot from having a 32″ LCD TV for $299, but each store has two in-stock and no rainchecks. Now everyone walks over to Circuit City and wants THE EXACT SAME MODEL TV for the same (or less) price. And we have 15 in stock. If the product is in the competitors ad, we are suppose to call them to make sure they still have it instock before we honor the 110% price match. Let it be known that my store rarely even calls. If it’s in the ad or on the retailers website, we’ll do it. Just to make the customer happy. We could give them a hard time and go strictly by the book, but we don’t. It’s about making the customer happy. Also, let it be known that it’s totally up to the manager. He/She has every right to refuse the price match in the case mentioned above. “The price is too low” was the completely wrong thing to say and the manager should be coached for giving the writer this answer, but whats done is done. It was a promotion item that sold out very quickly. The small clip from the policy posted in this article is out-of-text.
I think that most of us are fairly astute shoppers and do our due diligence. I have just emailed a long complaint to CC regarding their Price Match Policy and the arbitrary decisions of Associates at the stores. I attempted to purchase a 61″ Samsung TV which was on Internet special at CC for $1999, as I was going to be in the area of one of the stores that had it in stock I decided to go for it. It was then brough to my attention that Fry’s Electronics (a local competitor in my market) had the same TV for $1699. I go there with the ad in hand after calling 3 different Fry’s to make sure of the Model #, the Price, and Availability (all confirmed). The world is all good (Associate #1) process the purchase with price match and calls for the monitor to be brought to the front, then Associate #2 comes over sees the Fry’s add and says, we don’t match Fry’s. I don’t recall seeing in the Policy, we match everyone EXCEPT Fry’s. So he feeds me a line of bull about Fry’s not being a local competitor even though there are many locations where they are within a 5-10 minute drive. So I have him call a CC that is “right next door” to a Fry’s (granted that location was 100 miles away) he claimed they also told him that they don’t Price Match Fry’s, but not reason. He then claims that that is a clearance item (I didn’t know he worked at Fry’s, too maybe CC should look in to that), but as I said, I called the almost every Fry’s in the newspaper circular and they verified the price and the in-stock status. Long story short, I wanted to buy at CC because it just happened to be near where I was that day, but based on this poor interaction I am taking my $$$$ elsewhere and as I am the tech adviser for most of my friends and family, I will be taking all of their $$$$ elsewhere too. Congrats to CC for loosing 40-50 customers forever.