Here's an interesting story from HDGuru. Apparently many companies are not honoring their own pricing policies in an attempt to increase profits in the recession. Has anybody here run into this?

Hasn't happened to me during the recession, but I recall something being on sale at Magnolia one time and the sale guy tried to charge us the full price before the discount before I pointed it out. He then downplayed it by saying "I'll take your word for it." So maybe this is something that existed even pre-recession.

"After reading a recent report by laptopmag.com that cited Office Depot stores for ordering its sales clerks to tell customers that “sale” laptop computers were out of stock—unless the customers first agree to purchase software as well as extra cost, extended warranties and in-store set-ups (see link here)—the HD Guru went undercover to investigate sales and price matching policy performance at local Best Buy outlets."

When I used to work at Best Buy (Christmas season) I have had managers tell me directly not to sell cheap PCs to customers unless they were buying accessories like cables, anti virus software, etc. And this was almost ten years ago

It was a hot time and most of the low to medium priced computers stayed in stock less than a couple of days. Asking employees to lie to people to improve sales = lose

Edited March 17, 200917 yr by deepak

Yet another reason to buy things from Amazon or NewEgg whenever possible....

I usually buy most things online except if I thinks it's something I might break (camera, laptop, iphone...). Sucks to hear Best Buy is going this route because they are usually the ones I go to with a Pricegrabber printout. I think they are only hurting themselves be loosing sales to internet savvy shoppers.

Yet another reason to buy things from Amazon or NewEgg whenever possible....

x10,000!!!

Now with CompUSA, Circuit City, and PC Club out of business, Best Buy is the only place in my area to buy a lot of computer hardware. Sure the office stores, and even Target, carry a few things, but finding something specific is a total crapshoot. The only reason I'd go to Best Buy for that sort of stuff is if it was absolutely necessary to have, the same day.

I guess you guys don't have Fry's Electronics like us Californians. Though their business practices aren't the best either...

fry's is great if you know the prices before you show up. They have some very good deals. And some VERY terrible deals.

I think I was murphed in my childhood. I don't have a clear recollection of it, but my memory regression therapist assures me that it happened.

fry's is great if you know the prices before you show up. They have some very good deals. And some VERY terrible deals.

True that. Fry's gave me a very hard time price matching (i.e., refunding difference) a Best Buy Sunday advertisement. I prevailed.

They've --never-- given me a hard time with exchanges or refunds of gear purchased there. Of course I never trashed the gear and always repacked everything properly.

Edited March 18, 200917 yr by ingwe
OCD

They've --never-- given me a hard time with exchanges or refunds of gear purchased there. Of course I never trashed the gear and always repacked everything properly.

That's nice of you to repack. It allows Fry's to immediately put it back on the shelf for sale rather than having to repack it themselves.

They need to put in a Frys somewhere between San Jose and LA!

That's nice of you to repack. It allows Fry's to immediately put it back on the shelf for sale rather than having to repack it themselves.

Maybe at your Fry's, but not in my experience. Each time I've returned something there, unless it was an obviously sealed package, they took everything out and examined each nook and cranny.

Also, depending upon the merchandise, properly repacking something helps prevent damage while taking the item back to the store.

Also, in certain cases, presenting them with something that looks returnable stacks the odds in my favor that they'll accept the return/exchange.

Fry's does restock returns--they're notorious for that. But I fail to see how that's my problem.

So there.

They need to put in a Frys somewhere between San Jose and LA!

There's a Frys in Oxnard now just off the 101. Maybe that's LA to you?

Fry's does restock returns--they're notorious for that. But I fail to see how that's my problem.

So there.

They restock returns, even it the product was returned due to a problem. Now when you later buy that restock, it is your problem.

They restock returns, even it the product was returned due to a problem. Now when you later buy that restock, it is your problem.

This has absolutely no relevance to your comment indicating that the condition in which I return something has any bearing on what Fry's does after it leaves my possession.

This has absolutely no relevance to your comment indicating that the condition in which I return something has any bearing on what Fry's does after it leaves my possession.

Oops, did I forget that the universe revolves around you and it only matters when something leaves your possession. What happens with others is meaningless? And the fact that you may be bitten by it is also meaningless.

My original comment was taking a shot at Frys, not at you.

Edited March 19, 200917 yr by guzziguy

Have read somewhere that 80% of Dutch people are shopping online, scary stuff...Me, still buy my food and clothing/shoes in the regular stores. I don't see me buying some furniture or things like that online yet either, however if you know for sure what you may need, why the hell not. I think, eventually, it will cause the huge change in the sell policy/habits, that a lot of stores will be closed and going to invest in online shops. Internet and mobile communication are the living way of the next generation and the biggest impact still yet to come.

of topic

yesterday was watching CNN and there was a man, Japanese engineer I believe, who ware presenting some robot, which looks like female, so , I was wondering if this guy was real or the robot himself. Just imagine, when human male screwing some robot female, without knowing it, cheezzz...

Just imagine, when human male screwing some robot female, without knowing it, cheezzz...

I think I also saw that on a B movie once where a robot was seducing a guy to escape from a facility designing androids as weapons. I don't remember if that android ended up getting murfed or not.

I think I would rather not know myself. There are worse things not to know about the person your intimate with I imagine.

Oops, did I forget that the universe revolves around you and it only matters when something leaves your possession. What happens with others is meaningless? And the fact that you may be bitten by it is also meaningless.

My original comment was taking a shot at Frys, not at you.

:palm:

That's right. I don't give a fuck about anything other than myself.

Stop being an asshat.

... My original comment was taking a shot at Frys, not at you.

That's the way I read it.

:palm:

That's right. I don't give a fuck about anything other than myself.

Stop being an asshat.

Ooops. Looks like somebody woke up with a weasel up their bum!

Oh! and before you say it, I'm proud of my

Edit: Just noticed the new, err... custom title. Blue once but never green.

That's the way I read it.

Ooops. Looks like somebody woke up with a weasel up their bum!

Oh! and before you say it, I'm proud of my

Edit: Just noticed the new, err... custom title. Blue once but never green.

No weasel up my bum.

BTW, your comment is very similar (kind of) to the line in Office Space where the lady says, "Ohhh... Someone has a case of the Mondays!!!"

I do believe you can get your ass kicked for saying that. ;p

Mike, I really have no idea what I wrote that bothers you. Was my attacking Frys? I don't see anything that I've written in our little subthread that's asshatish. From my point of view, the second to last post you made was just the weasel being pedantic. Would you like to discuss this more offline?

I do believe you can get your ass kicked for saying that. ;p

Always a possibility, but the liklihood seems rather low.

Mike, I really have no idea what I wrote that bothers you. Was my attacking Frys? I don't see anything that I've written in our little subthread that's asshatish. From my point of view, the second to last post you made was just the weasel being pedantic. Would you like to discuss this more offline?

Naa... but you can buy me a beer at can-jam.

Always a possibility, but the liklihood seems rather low.

That's a line from Office Space.

Peter Gibbons: Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday, and you're not feelin' real well, does anyone ever say to you, 'Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays'?

Lawrence: No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' something like that, man