Reader B. is a Best Buy employee, and has a moral problem with a new policy. This policy may just be at B.’s store or in that district, but it’s still annoying. Employees have been told that they can no longer price-match BestBuy.com. They can, however, help the customer place an order online for in-store pickup from inside the store, then wait around for up to half an hour. This seems inefficient at best to B, but sounds familiar to us.

I am a full time Best Buy employee of almost a year, and it was brought to my attention today during a shift that we (Best Buy as a company) are being strongly encouraged to not price match our own website anymore. I double checked BestBuy.com to make sure that it was still written there, and as of 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday May 24th, it still clearly states that stores have the ability to price match the website.

When I questioned my manager as to why we no longer would be price matching Best Buy’s website, she rationed it with the overhead cost of stores vs. shipping directly from the warehouse, which I understand, but given Best Buy’s less than stellar reputation, I feel as though this only hurts the company more.

However, my manager did instruct me that if the customer points out the price is cheaper online, we as employees are to assist the customer in ordering the item from BestBuy.com IN THE STORE, choosing in store pick-up, and forcing them to wait 15-30 minutes until the order comes through and is placed at customer service. As a Best Buy employee who still clings to his morals, I find this entirely unacceptable. Why should I force a customer I’ve been working with to wait 30 minutes for a product they literally can hold in their hands right now?

Anyways, I figured as defenders of all things good for consumers, you all would find this bit of information interesting. While I’m not entirely sure if this is indeed a company wide policy, it’s definitely happening in my store. Best wishes, and keep up the amazing work!

RELATED:
Best Buy Employee: Pressure To Cram Credit Cards Down Customers’ Throats Now Intensifying
Best Buy Will Price Match Washer Only If You Buy It Elsewhere
Best Buy Accused Of Paying Bonuses To Managers Who Don’t Price Match
Best Buy Confirms The Existence Of Its Secret Website
Price Match Fraud Lawsuit Filed Against Best Buy

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.