- Report: #659336
Complaint Review: Barnes & Noble Booksellers - St. Augustine Florida
Reported By:
tad -
Flagler Beach, Florida, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
1930 U.S. 1 South St. Augustine, 32086 Florida, United States of America
Phone:
904 826 0722
Web:
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Barnes & Noble Booksellers Barnes & not so Noble Booksellers St. Augustine, Florida
Checking out at B & N the clerk asked me if i were interested in buying a book, $3.95, as a present for a "poor kid" at Xmas and i did. i then asked the clerk if B & N was making a profit on these books and he replied "they're making their normal profit." I was shocked!! These scum are using people's natural sympathy for poor kids to sell their books! They ask you to donate your hard earned cash AND THEY KEEP THEIRS and slither to the bank with their profits. They don't tell you that this is a "for profit" operation. What kind of weasel is this William Lynch (CEO) that he allows this kind of ripoff on his watch? Is there anything lower than using the plight of the poor to make a profit?
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Flynrider
Phoenix,Arizona,
USA
This never occurred to me.
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, November 10, 2010
My grocery store has big barrels for donating food to needy families near the exit. While I often toss in a few non perishables on my way out, it never occured to me that I should be getting a discount for donating. Those greedy supermarket bastards!! How dare they get me to donate to the needy without giving me something in return. All this time I've been getting ripped off and didn't even realize it. Thank you OP. You are a wise man. I will demand that the supermarket remove the donation barrels if they are going to make a profit on items that are donated. That'll teach 'em!
Ronny g
North hollywood,California,
USA
didn't you know???
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, November 09, 2010
..that businesses are not supposed to profit? And then when they don't profit they go out of business. Then THOUSANDS of people end up unemployed...and may need charity to survive..and all the money these businesses raise for charity will be no more.
See how it goes full circle? I guess it is not about the kid who will get a present for X- mas...but God forbid a struggling company like Barnes and Nobles should make a little profit off $3.95 by simply asking their customers if they would like to buy a present for a poor kid??
Ehh..can you believe it???..I am at a loss for words which is rare...
Edgeman
Chico,California,
U.S.A.
What is the rip off?
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, November 08, 2010
Talk about your non-issues! How exactly were you ripped off?
Every Christmas season the area Dollar Tree stores participate in the Toys For Tots program. Customers can choose to spend an extra dollar and Dollar Tree will reserve a toy for the US Marine Corps Reserve to distribute to needy children. Dollar Tree still makes a profit on those toys just as the supermarket makes a profit when you see those bins of food items for the Salvation Army that customers can contribute to.
By the same token, Barnes & Noble is offering you an opportunity to do something for a needy child. Perhaps you are really busy and don't have time to do this on your own or perhaps you wouldn't think to do it. The cashier offered while you were there and you were free to say no. For $4 you could have given a needy kid a present and not have to worry about taking the extra time to shop for one or having to take time out to donate it. That's a bargain!
I am going to guess that at a $3.95 price point, Barnes & Noble is either taking a loss on the book or making such a small profit margin that it is practically negligible. You probably could have made more money in the time it took you to post your report.
FYI- Barnes & Noble allows non-profit groups to set up gift wrapping fundraisers and even donates money (profits). They also hold book fairs, storytime sessions, poetry readings, presentations and lectures and Nook workshops. All for free. They even let people spend all day reading books and magazines at no charge.
Be offended all you like. As corporations go, Barnes & Noble isn't that bad.
