Best Buy No Longer The "Best" Buy - Bay Pkwy Bklyn Store

Looks like Best Buy is tightening up their price matching policy- over the
past few weeks I've seen the posted policy statements change to exclude
matching all Internet prices, including those of local retailers. Best Buy
on Bay Parkway in Brooklyn would not match a J&R price printed out from the
Internet, even through the J&R retail store is selling it at the same price!
(Get this- the "Team Leader" in Brooklyn said she never even heard of J&R
!!!), and the manager, Chris Damm, indicated that no way they are going to
match the J&R price, unless you bring in a printed store flyer. Looks like
Best Buy is taking a beating from some of the local merchants. I can
understand not matching those fly-by-night Internet merchants, but not to
match a -major- New York area retailer like J&R is a major debacle for Best
Buy. Staples and Circuit City -WILL- match Internet prices of local
retailers- I hope this Best Buy boondoogle doesn't start a trend.
Incidentally, for those doing comparison shopping, J&R prices seem to be
very good compared to Best Buy. So just a word of warning to anyone heading
over to a Best Buy with an Internet ad- even from another major local
retailer- they probably will not honor it. Looks like Best Buy is no longer
the "Best Buy", at least here in the New York area. Save yourself the trip
and check out Circuit City or Staples.

 

They're probably tightening their belt in order to pay for the monstrous new
corporate office near Minneapolis. What an eyesore!

 

They have definately become more strict over the past several months, which
is why those long lines at the cash registers has been dwindling, at least
here in the New Jersey area. Don't believe me? Look at their shelves.
More and more they are out of stock on popular items- word around the stores
from the sales personnel is that they are hurting financially. How bad and
crazy have they gotten with their price match policy (or lack thereof)----
they will not even match THEIR OWN online prices. Looks like they have been
taken over by aliens from another planet. I certainly agree- "BEST" BUY
??? --- absolutely not!

 

Part Of A Grand Experiment-

Can Best Buy Survive Without Price Matching And By Charging Retail Prices
???

Well, I can't give them credit for brains, but I will give them credit for
brawn. It appears that nationwide they are going out on a limb and
tightening up their price matching policies until the day comes that signs
are changed in all stores that "WE DO NOT PRICE MATCH".

I think they are betting consumers are willing to pay list price rather than
go through the endless hassles of "shopping around" for the best prices.
Will it pay off in the long run? Maybe their analysts say yes, but time
will tell what the consumers say.

I have noticed that all of their prices are creeping up on all items in
their stores to list price and any bargains are far and few between. One
good thing- those long lines they once enjoyed at the checkout counters are
dwindling- that's for sure, so if you do make a purchase, you'll be in and
out in a jiffy.

 

Best Buy appears to be so embarrased by it's crummy price match policy, I
can't even find it on their web site. No, they don't match Internet ads,
even from local retailers. No, they don't even match their own Internet
prices (what a joke). Kudos to Circuit City- their price matching policy is
clear and upfront, including this excerpt:

Advertised price - Any printed or electronically broadcast price that is
verifiable and made available to the general public.

Circuit City, you've won me back. Best Buy, take a hike.

 

There is a relatively new BestBuy store in my area (about a year now),
and whenever I go there, I usually do not find what I am looking for,
and I always notice empty checkout lines.

Circuit City is farther from my home, so I go there less often but I
would purchase something of significance from either Fry's or Circuit
City. I don't care about Best Buy's crummy price matching, but I do
care about Best Buy's crummy return policy.

If they are not willing to stand behind the product they sell, I am
not going to stand in their checkout line.

Zafar

 

I went to buy a Samsung Syncmaster 213T LCD monitor (~$1300) at BestBuy
last Friday. I had seen it on display in the store only 6 days earlier,
but it wasn't on display Friday nor were any boxes visible on the shelves.

I asked a salesperson if they had any more, and she said, "if it's not
out, then we *probably* don't have any", but didn't volunteer to check,
and went back to socializing with her coworker, so I just walked out.

I don't think it's very good to blow-off potential customers with 1300
bucks to spend.

PS: It's Murphy's Law of discount stores - when you want to browse, the
salespeople are all over you, and when you want to buy, you can't find
anyone to take your money <g>.

 

Before leaving, I would have let a/the manager know that I
wasn't going to spend my $1300 at BB and, of course, the name
of the employee he/she had to thank.

Larry

 

The result of not paying sales commisions, though if they did you
would be complaining that they were all over you. Should the employee
have checked on their own, of course, but you're not looking for a
salesperson, just an order taker. Why not take action and avoid the
drama, just tell the employee to check if it's in stock, done, if not
available put their lazy ass to work checking other stores in the
area. It is after all a discount store, if you want somebody to care
about your desires it's best to fly first class, but don't expect to
pay an economy fare.