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Best Buy Rip-off Advertised a sale and gave flyers to the first twenty five customers only Melbourne Florida
I went to one of the Best Buy Stores in Melbourne Florida on 11-29-2002 for the 6-hour special sales. The store opened at 6:00 am and I arrived at 5:30 am in 40-degree weather and waited until opening of store. When the store opened and I finally entered the store and was directed to the line I needed to wait in for the computer products I wanted to purchase. After waiting an additional 30 to 40 minutes in the line where I was to receive the products I wanted to purchase, I was told by the associate that I needed a flyer that was handed out to the first 25 people, that I did not know about.
I became irritated and did not understand why after waiting 30 minutes in 40-degree weather and 30 or more minutes in line, why I could not purchase a product that was not yet sold out and why did I need a flyer, when this information was not in the BEST BUY NEWSPAPER FLYER FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
I found a store manager and explained what happened. The manager said something along the line like; we decided to hand out the flyers to the first 25 people in line outside the store, who wanted these computer products, before opening. I pointed out that this information was not included in the BEST BUY FLYER FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER and that I would have gotten to the store earlier if I would have known ABOUT THIS CONDITION FOR THE SALE.
The manager remarked something like that is the way it is. I told the manager that I would contact the Main office of Best Buy and tell them what happened.
I called Customer service and was told that there was only 25 of these units available. I pointed out that the add said minimum 25 bundles per store. I was also told that their logic is, I should have known that there was only going to be 25 units on sale. I guess I was suppose to check with everone in front of me to see if there was 25 people going to buy this product and I should have known there was only going to be 25 units when the add reads 25 minimum per store.
I do not understand how being a first time shopper on this day and sale, I was supposed to know this information.
John
Palm Bay, Florida
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Bret
Bradford,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Unfair Advertising
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, January 10, 2003
In response to the gentlemans report, you should really read ads more carefully. Best Buy put as little info in the ad as they could to bring people into their stores hoping that they would buy something else instead, its called bait & switch most companies do it.
My suggestion to you is to shop somewhere that has an in stock gurantee, such as sears or hhgregg, that way if they run out you still get what you want or maybe something better.
I would also reccomend visiting a retailer that has commission salespeople you always have a better chance of getting what you want.
You should also use sites like this one and see how many bad reports there are on a company, there will almost always be some unsatisfied customers, however the less there are the better off you are.
As for the rebuttal from the best buy employee, you should probably quit your job now because with that attitude you won't last long in retail. I have been in retail for 5 years and have been in retail management, if you were my employee i would fire you. It is people like you who give retail establishments a bad name and make once loyal customers turn to never again buyers.
Lia
Hartford,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Get Real
#3UPDATE Employee
Fri, January 03, 2003
Honestly, If you come into the largest electronics retailer on the busiest shopping day of the year to get the cheapest computer on earth(by that i mean an e-machine) you should have a little bit of an idea of whats waiting for you. Its first come first serve. 25 were promised and you were not one of the first 25 in line, hey it happens. Its life. I guess those who have never worked retail really has no idea how much reality figures into this. If all 500+ Best Buys have the same crappy emachine on sale it gives each store at least 25 and maybe one or two more to the most high volume stores. Read the ad, the small print is there for a reason - so we don't have to waste an entire day talking to an "first time shopper" that has no idea about how life works. It may not be fair but its life. How would you like Best Buy to have handled it? They complied with their promise. Maybe next year you should show up at 4:45am now that you are no longer a first time black friday shopper.