Best Buy Has PC Game Sale, Forgets To Tell Stores About It
Victor got an email from Best Buy telling him "up to 100" PC games were on sale for members of the company's Gamers Club, so he took his son down to their local store to see what was available. Nothing, that's what, because the store hadn't been told about the sale, even though it's been going on for nearly a week.
I got an advertisement via email announcing that Best Buy was having a great sale on "up to 100" PC games that would be marked down for the Gamer's Club members to $9.99 in-store while supplies last. Not every store was guaranteed to have stock of every title, but that's pretty normal, so it was no big deal. The email ad even said "All of these specially priced games are marked with a GREEN sticker for easy identification in the store" which was nice for figuring out which games qualified. My son was looking for some new PC games, so we went down within an hour of getting the email.
Unfortunately, upon arriving at the store, [there were] no green stickers on the PC games. After milling about for a while trying to figure out what was going on, I asked the manager, who said he knew nothing of the promotion and did not have a list of $9.99 sale games. I think he thought I was making it up, so I asked to use the store PC and showed him the promotion on the Best Buy Reward Zone website. Even after that he said there was nothing he could do.
The crazy thing is that the "promotion" had already been in force for almost a week before the emails were sent out and there was still no store communication about it!
I took the cause up with Best Buy Customer Care who confirmed that the store has no documentation for this promotion. They're still trying to get a list so they can pass out green stickers in the PC game section. Checking around on some of the game deal message boards, it seems we're not the only store that doesn't have a clue what these games are. I must say that Best Buy Customer Care has been very responsive and seems to be trying to make this right, but it's so weird to have a sale your stores don't know about - why do they bother?
If you're a Reward Zone Gamers Club member and you don't see any green stickers at your local store, check with the manager first before leaving—you may be the first person to tell him about the promotion.
(Photo: J O I D)
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Are all Best Buy stores company owned? I thought so (that is, no franchises) so something like this is inexcusable. There are supposed to be regional supervisors who make sure each store in their district gets the word.
I'm a merchandising specialist at Best Buy, and I had no idea this was happening. I do remember seeing a small roll of green stickers with the Best Buy logo on them, but no one knew what they were for! Geez, this is a mega fail.
This happens all the time at the bookstore I work at. Customers get emails and when they bring them in, THAT'S when we hear about the sale.
Sigh.
Just pathetic. Is it possible that they're trying to do whatever they can to drive themselves into total failure and bankruptcy? Could they be on the edge and hoping for a government bailout? If so, alienating your most loyal customers is getting off to a good start.
Last two times they did this at my local BestBuy, NONE of the product was properly labeled. I picked up 4 games. 2 of them rung up correctly, and the other two I had to say "wait, those are supposed to be $10 each", and the mamager overrode them for me.
I'm a reward zone card member, but I didn't even get the email. I guess Best Buy just doesn't want my money any more.
To be honest I'm not going to be sad when Best Buy goes the way of Circuit City and CompUSA.
@Shoelace: Or it's a miscommunication within a company that is actually doing very well for itself. You know, where a sale that is likely a somewhat minor clearance doesn't get communicated properly? Seriously, shit happens.
This strikes me a bit like the left hand didn't know what the right hand is doing but at least the OP said that the customer service people are responsive and doing what they can to make it right.
Have them price match it. Or, do you still get 10% of the difference?
You know, they have this new magical thing they *just* invented a little while ago.
I think it's called "e-mail" on that superhighway internet thing. ;)
Just got to make sure that nobody calls and knocks you off while you're making that email on a dial-up modem.
(seriously, a minute to send an approved email and copy to X amount of email addresses for the store managers)
They really don't care about their loyal customers. (I'm not one)
Bye.
Did you file a bait and switch complaint with... I don't know who.. the FTC? The attorney general?
@shepd:
Price match what? There's no way to tell what games were supposed to be $9.99 because they never told the stores.
@jblack: how is it possibly a bait and switch when the customer IS getting the discounted price on the product they come in for and the store just doesnt know about it? you crackpot.
@tbax929: When panic, usually. Then we check the computer to make sure the sale is on, maybe call another local store and ask them. Usually we honor it.
But still! Warning would be nice!
@bigd7387: I sorta will be. I dunno where else to buy a computer and I'm gonna want a new laptop soon when Windows 7 comes out. :/
@Eldritch: Amazon and Newegg have both pre-built computers as well as decent customer service.
I'd just build your own, though. (But I understand you may not have the expertise - or the time - to do so.)
@Shoelace:
Oh no. Gloom despair and agony on me. Surely this is the straw that broke the camel's back and drove them into bankruptcy.
\overreact much?
@ludwigk:
They don't. Sorry to have you find out this way but they've met someone new. They are in love, sorry but the heart wants what the heart wants. They don't want to hurt you, they only want you to be happy.
Just file a chargeback!
Why is everyone posting useless advice?
Why the hell would Victor even shop at best buy if he reads this site? Come on man, wise up ;)
I know the solution, STOP GOING TO BEST BUY! If you continue to let them rip you off and treat you horribly you DESERVE IT.
I wish Consumerist would stop posting stories from people too dumb to read them.
Remember guys. It's Worst Buy, because it obviously isn't a best buy.
@ludwigk: There is a "gamers club" within the rewards zone system; if you aren't already a member, I'd recommend it; it builds up rewards certificates a lot faster when you make game-related purchases.
I just had a similar incident at BB with an HD radio.
Incredibly, their house brand Insignia has just developed the world's first HD portable radio.
I found it on the BB website, which also claimed it was available (and in-stock) at my local store on 23rd St. and 6th Avenue here in Manhattan.
When I went in the store to get one (and save on shipping) -- none of the sales dweebs I talked to had ANY idea what I was talking about.
They further insisted that if such a product existed, it was NOT something they would carry in the store! They even suggested I go to Radio Shack if I was looking for an HD radio!
I finally managed to get them to admit that if the item WERE in the store, it would be in the mp3 section. Sure enough, I found one unit, tucked away in a locked cabinet.
After flagging down a sales guy -- at BB they swarm all over you when you don't need them and disappear when you do -- I succeeded in buying the radio.
The good news -- the little Insignia is a GREAT radio and comes with its own armband. You'll want to provide your own earbuds, however, as the ones that are included are of the cheapo cheapo variety.
Still it's a great way to get into HD radio for only $50...
Target.com had a game on sale for a great price, but the offer was "only available in stores", not online. I went to a store, and they didn't have the sale price. When I asked about the online listing, they said "we don't match internet prices, even from our own website".
After 45 minutes of repeatedly pointing out that it was their website that said the price was only available in their retail stores, waiting while they tried to call corporate, and generally getting stonewalled, finally somebody called a senior store manager at home and he or she authorized a price override. In the end they blamed it on a sale which was supposed to start the next day, that the website was advertising early.
@jpdanzig:
I don't get it...how is radio HD?
I do have an Insignia desktop 'puter (it was the best I could afford at the time) and it's pretty darn good. So I might buy this radio, trusting the brand.
@kylere: Where else can people go to see a large selection of electronics that is sometimes staffed with people who may know a little bit of useful information and aren't working for commission? Circuit City is gone, CompUSA is gone. Best Buy may be the only place some people have. You can't find the same selection at stores like Target or Wal-Mart, and the people working there rarely know what they're talking about. Other people don't want to buy things on the Internet, for fear of identity theft or lack of knowledge or whatever.
Do you have a better alternative?
@Eldritch:
I haven't bought a computer in a bricks & mortar store since 2001, and the only reason I bought one then was because my lap top died unexpectedly while I was working on the road. You really need to expand your horizons.
@gumby101: The email was probably in the store manager's email "in box" waiting for him to read it...
@pgh9fan1: I had the same problem when I worked at a bookstore (wonder if it is the same chain?) and I did subscribe to the e-mail blasts, but if you don't check your e-mail before going to work at 6am or if the e-mail goes out at 2pm and work blocks your e-mail on the computers sometimes you have no idea. People get those coupons, print them out right away and come right in.
@HogwartsAlum: Yeah, my Insignia TV has been going strong for 6 years. I think it is clearer than the Sony we have.
@jpdanzig: Wow, Manhattan has a Best Buy? I thought all electronic stores in NYC were scamalistic places with names like "Top Photo Electronics" that sold overpriced junk through Ebay and didn't issue refunds.
Kudos to BB for pushing the rental of high priced square footage...
Best Buy reward zone customer? Oh boy...
You just see where this starts going wrong right off the bat. If only I had a dollar for everytime I said "Best Buy sucks". *sigh*
@masterying01: Where in the original post do you see that the customer is getting the discounted price?
@Sudonum: That is a point, but if you were looking for, say, a monitor it is nice to be able to go a store and LOOK at them so you can decide which looks best to you. I love Newegg but there are times it's nice to be able to touch and try out a product before buying.
Your first problem was walking into Best Buy...
Best Buy -right, waste you time is a better name for the store :)