Yay for Circuit City's Price Match!!!

I am a circuit city customer for life now. I had bought a laptop from
a circuit city store for $999 on Dec 11 2006. Now I see the price
dropped to $949 both online and instore. I went to them with my
receipt and print out of the price shown on their website. They
refunded $55 with no questions asked. Awesome!!! I am really happy
with the way circuit city treats it customers and the laptops they
sell dont have as many issues as compared to the ones sold at best
buy. I had to return a laptop 3 times to Best buy during thanksgiving
coz all 3 of them would freeze when I tried using the laptop on
battery power.

Mr. George D. Clark Jr.
Exec. VP and Pres. of Retail Stores
Circuit City Stores, Inc.
9950 Maryland Drive
Richmond, VA 23233

Dear Mr. Clark:
I wish to complain about certain unfair and deceptive trade practices
recently engaged in by the Circuit City store located at 110 Federal
Road, Danbury, CT 06811.
On November 17, 2006 I purchased an Olevia Model 232V 32 inch LCD TV
from Circuit City. The price (both in-store and on web site) was at
the time $899.99. Prior to making the purchase I asked the sales
associate who was helping me whether I would be entitled to a partial
refund should Circuit City put this item on sale on "Black Friday",
November 24th. (My question was actually rather pointed. I had
learned from an Internet search earlier that day that Circuit City
reportedly planned to sell this item on Black Friday for $474.99. I
also knew that Circuit City states on its web site that it has a price
guarantee policy.) The sales associate assured me that Circuit City
has a price guarantee policy and that I would be entitled to a partial
refund should Circuit City actually advertise the item for sale at a
lower price on Black Friday. Relying upon this representation, I
purchased the TV on November 17th, rather than waiting for Black
Friday.
Note that Circuit City's price guarantee actually appears on its web
site. It reads as follows: "If you've seen a lower advertised price
from another local store with the same item in stock, we want to know
about it. Bring it to our attention, and we'll gladly beat their price
by 10% of the difference. If you see a lower advertised price
(including our own sale prices) within 30 days of your purchase, we'll
refund 110% of the difference. Our policy applies only to advertised
prices. It does not apply to special offers or promotions, including
rebates, free-with-purchase offers and special financing.
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide price matches online, so
please visit the closest Circuit City store to take advantage of our
Price Guarantee." A screen shot of Circuit City's price guarantee
policy, taken from its web site, is enclosed herewith. I see nothing
in this written policy which would exclude items advertised for sale
by Circuit City on Black Friday. The proviso that the policy "does
not apply to special offers or promotions, including rebates,
free-with-purchase offers and special financing" is, at best,
ambiguous. It would clearly invite mischief to permit Circuit City to
exclude certain advertised sales, by secretly deeming them "special".

Circuit City did in fact place the Olevia Model 232V on sale for
$474.99 on Black Friday, as a "6 Hour Special" which began at 5 AM,
and it advertised the same in a newspaper insert on November 23rd.
Indeed, the item is advertised quite prominently, at the top of the
first page of the insert! There is nothing in the advertising insert
(including the copious extremely fine print) which would appear to
exclude the advertised items from the scope of Circuit City's written
price guarantee. A photocopy of the relevant portion of the newspaper
insert is enclosed for your inspection.
I went to Circuit City today, at 9 AM, before the expiration of the "6
Hour Special" and sought the refund I had been promised by Circuit
City's sales associate the previous week. (According to the store's
written policy, which appears on its web site, I am contractually due
a refund of (899.99-474.99) x 1.1 = $467.50.) The store manager
declined to honor the sales associate's oral promise and the store's
written policy, asserting by fiat that Circuit City's price protection
guarantee is not applicable to the Black Friday sale. Note that this
is contrary to the representation made by the sales associate when I
made my purchase and also contrary to the price guarantee stated on
the store's web site. Refusal to honor this policy is dishonest and a
breach of contract.
Moreover, as if to add insult to injury, when I asked whether I could
purchase another TV at the sale price the store manager asserted that
there were actually none in stock. Given the very prominent location
in the advertising insert for this item one would tend to conclude
that that there were none of these items in stock on the eve of the
sale and that Circuit City intended to bait and then switch its
customers.
Curiously, while I was at Circuit City today I met another gentleman
from Danbury, "DM", who had a similar complaint. He told me that he
had bought a flat panel TV about 26 days ago and had asked the sales
associate what kind of accommodation Circuit City would make if the
item were later to go on sale. He informed me that the sales
associate had represented that a partial refund could be obtained if
the same item when were to be advertised by Circuit City at a lower
price within the next 30 days. Mr. "M" told me that the store manager
had also refused to honor for him Circuit City's price guarantee. You
may expect to receive a similar letter of complaint from Mr. "M".
If you wish me to remain a Circuit City customer I would urge you to
take appropriate, corrective action.

I have brought this matter to the attention of Richard Blumenthal,
Attorney General of the State of Connecticut. I reserve the right to
pursue independent legal action against Circuit City.

On November 17, 2006 I purchased an Olevia Model 232V 32 inch LCD TV
from Circuit City (110 Federal Rd., Danbury, CT), for $899.99. Prior
to making the purchase I asked the sales associate whether I would be
entitled to a partial refund should Circuit City put this item on sale
on "Black Friday", November 24th. (I had learned from an Internet
search earlier that day that Circuit City reportedly planned to sell
this item on Black Friday for $474.99.) The sales associate assured me
that Circuit City has a price guarantee policy and that I would be
entitled to a partial refund should Circuit City actually advertise
the item for sale at a lower price on Black Friday. Relying upon this
representation, I purchased the TV on November 17th, rather than
waiting for Black Friday. Note that Circuit City has a written price
guarantee which appears on its web site. As of 11/24 it read as
follows: "If you see a lower advertised price (including our own sale
prices) within 30 days of your purchase, we'll refund 110% of the
difference. Circuit City did in fact place the Olevia Model 232V on
sale for $474.99 on Black Friday. I went to Circuit City on Black
Friday, before the expiration of the "6 Hour Special", and sought the
refund I had been promised by Circuit City's sales associate the
previous week. (The refund I requested was (899.99-474.99) x 1.1 =
$467.50.) The store manager declined to honor the sales associate's
oral promise and the store's written policy, asserting by fiat that
Circuit City's price protection guarantee is not applicable to the
Black Friday sale. Moreover, when I asked whether I could purchase
another TV at the sale price the store manager asserted that there
were actually none in stock. One would tend to conclude that that
there were none or very few of these items in stock on the eve of the
sale and that Circuit City intended to bait and then switch its
customers. While I was at Circuit City I met another gentleman from
Danbury who had a nearly identical complaint. I have filed a small
claims suit against Circuit City alleging breach of contract,
detrimental reliance and violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade
Practices Act.

I went with a local store ad in my hand to buy a big screen TV
thinking I will get a 110% price guarantee. Was I wrong. The manager
at the Independence, MO (Todd) told me that it was not the policy but
it is at his discretion. He refused to do the 110% but instead told
me he will give me an open box model for the same price as the local
competitor, but the new in box TV will be $100 more. I refused. I
called a different Circuit City nearby and they said they will price
match but once they learned that the Independence manager has
declined, then they declined too. What a crock of bull? The
competitor is Nebraska Furniture Mart. A local store that is a huge
seller of everything. Their price was advertised in their sale paper
and a pdf of it is available on their website too. I called and
confirmed they had them in stock. But Circuit City managers claim the
110% price guarantee is at the discretion of the manager.

Man, I am pissed.

I called Circuit City to inquire about the difference in price
protection costs, and they creditted me the difference!!!!

I LOVE CIRCUIT CITY!!!

Congratulations to you! I'm glad that you are a bargain hunter. I
recently tried to get Best Buy to price match a camera for me, but
they refused and I had a poor customer service experience that I will
be sure to let them know about. I think I will be going to Circuit
City from now on.

I agree that this is a really good letter. It's always nice when
someone takes time to write about a good experience, and you actually
made me laugh with the part abou "we need to have 142 in stock and it
must be 80 degrees and sunny". It will probably make the person from
Circuit City responsible for answering laugh too, and make their day.


Anyone remember The Wiz? They were a Circuit City/Best Buy type store
that went out of business a few years ago. They too had a price match
plus 10% difference gaurantee, but the one time I did purchase
something there and then find it cheaper, I basically had to go
through what Stacy was expecting. Nice to know that Circuit City means
what they say!

Great Letter Stacy! A lot of companies count on the fact that most
people don't check prices or price match policies. They want people to
come in and buy products and peripherals and impulse purchases. When I
shop for a big ticket item, I do exactly what you did, and eight times
out of ten the transaction goes without any ripples whatsoever.
Sometimes, even if they don't have a policy posted, the store WILL
match an advertized item just to keep the customer and make up for it
on marked up peripheral items etc...
Anyway It's always nice to see a happy customer respond to a store
this way!! Good Job!

WOW! How nice! Your letter is wonderful and you did a great job
writing it. Its very nice of you to let them know you appreciate their
price matching policy and I am sure that the people who read this and
choose them for that reason will be happy about it as well.


Its also really great that they back their policy with simplicity and
a smile. Good for them!

Stacy, very nice letter. As for your question, it could be as simple
as the $279 price was due to the TV now being cheaper with your sales
price match?