Price Gouging at Best Buy

James B.-

The manager is exactly right. You pay a membership fee to go to the
warehouse, with INCREDIBLE buying power, and low overhead and
operating costs (building, shelves for pallets, nothing fancy). Best
Buy is a retail store, with lot of employees, different departments,
displays and customer service etc. They are in it to make a profit,
and pay for their expenses of running the store. And from what you
said, the manager was not rude. Additionally, hey can't match prices
unless it is an advertised special ie, with a circular in the
newspaper.

And for all of you who say it is bad to buy something from another
place and then return it- it's not bad. As long as he paid for both
sets, and took the one he ordered back with a receipt, nobody is at a
loss.

If you were so worried about getting this for your friend for his
birthday, why did you wait until 3 days before his birthday to go and
look for it?

What you did was wrong by returning it to Best Buy. You just showed
eveyone how immature you are.

This reminds me of something that happened last night at my store. A
lady wanted to return a shredder because it was broken, and apparently
she wanted a more expensive shredder for the same price. She got mad,
got a refund on the shredder she had bought, and said "well, you'll
never see me again!" I don't see why people think they are entitled to
whatever they want.

Oh for goodness' sake...and people wonder why retailers are clamping
down on giving honest people discounts and price matches...it's
because of unbelieveable people like you!

No retailer has to price match another retailer. It's just a nice
thing that they sometimes do in order to keep your business. I guess
you were aiming for the additional discount that sometimes retailers
give for price matching.

And typically, brick stores won't price match their on-line friends.
Some places only price match with proof of a lower price or they price
match only local stores. Many do NOT price match Costco or Sam's Club
because those people that shop there get deeper discounts because they
are a paid member.

I'm glad that the associate at Best Buy stood his ground and refused
to price match.

The store did nothing wrong--you were the one that was way out of
line. I hope you are proud of yourself--you really showed them, didn't
you?

With all the name calling going on in this thread, it is almost as if
PFB was sold to a new owner who doesn't care about the TOS. I guess I
missed the memo.

Wow. That's really messed up.

If you or anyone else you knew or cared about were ever a victim of
rape, you would not be throwing that term around so casually. Plus, it
does NOT belong in a business letter.

And, it sounds like you have a non-complaint. You ended up going
through costco and getting your DVD set anyway - and made an extra
trip to best buy to return the set that you technically did not buy
there.

I can't believe you did that. You have every right to make notice of a
higher price at a different store but to call the store on it isn't
cool. I bet you wanted them to price match the item. Let me tell you
that it doesnt work without some hard proof of advertising.
Your $65 dvd has tax and shipping on it, and since you were worried
about getting it late (since you left it the last minute) you bought
it where you could.
If I ever have a store, I'm gonna install or invent some kind of
system where the receipt marks the bar code and if that bar code is
not the returned then I will not take the item back.

Also at my store in BIG BOLD LETTERS no receipt, no return/exchange,
no exceptions.

You failed to mention shipping costs which is one reason items are
cheaper online. How many items are cheaper on Best Buys website
compared to Costco? This doesn't deserve a letter to the company other
than you pointing out refund fraud.

Of COURSE items at a warehouse are going to be cheaper than other
retailers. Sounds to me like you just wanted to make a big fuss.

"price gouging" and "rape" mean.

Your letter has no validity, because what you describe is not price
gouging. When I see two different prices for the same item, I
generally pay the lower price. That is how competition works.

This isn't "price gouging" - - it's called free enterprise - - and I'm
sure Best Buy could really give a hoot about your analysis of a Costco
membership. The manager was right - - it was your choice - - you
could either purchase the DVD set at Best Buy and pay their price or
from Costco online for less.

Your improper use of the word "rape" is offensive - - if you don't
like the prices Best Buy charges then shop elsewhere.

Congratulations on working the system and returning the item from
Costco to Best Buy - - karma will get you every time.

I have nothing against trying to negotiate to get a lower price. In
fact, Best Buy has a clear policy that allows you to get a lower price
if you find it elsewhere.

The reason, I presume, that Costcos price is not matching is because
it's a "club" price.

In the end, if Costco's price is better, then buy it there!

Shame on you for returning the Costco one to Best Buy. Shame on you
for using the word "rape" (or a variant of it).

And shame on you for calling this "gouging." It's not. You were free
to shop at several other stores, both B&M and online. As such, not
gouging.

But shame isn't something that I suspect you feel.

Let's only hope that you included your real name on this e-mail and
BestBuy decides to reject your return as fraudulent.

He 'bought' it at Best Buy, so he could have a gift to give to his
friend. This way the OP didn't have to give his friend a card with a
note reading "Once I saw the price on your gift, I found I could get
it cheaper through Costco online. But that would take time, so I'm
giving you this one, rather than shop early, because I know that
online stores are different from brick & mortar stores." Or something
like that...

How much is Best Buy's online price for it? The OP should have known
that if Costco carried the DVD set, it may well be cheaper.

OP aside, Best Buy does have awful prices. I remember when they were
the best prices around, now it seems that they charge list price for
everyting.

I will stay away from Best Buy I have never been raped and hopefully
never will.

Sigh. Another idiot OP who thinks using the word "rape" in such a
flippant way is acceptable.

And he doesn't even understand "price gouging." Price gouging is when
you charge way too much for something AND IT'S THE ONLY OPTION
AVAILABLE.

Get a clue.

James B.,

You preach about their alleged price "gauging" and then pull this
stunt?

It appears that in your mind integrity is a one way street
named...James Way.

What next? The Spitizer Ethics Course endorsed by you on DVD Blue Ray?


BillR.

So, not only did they charge more but they held you down and sexually
assaulted you too. Rape is a poor choice of words.

The Costco price was an online price which generally are cheaper. You
want the Costco price, order it from Costco. What you did was just
wrong in so many ways.

Different stores sell items for different prices? Really?

Dubious ethics there, too. No wonder businesses are increasingly
distrustful of their own customers and are becoming more restrictive
with their return policies.

Are you acquainted with Adam? He has the same flexible sense of
outrage and morality as you. Thanks, btw, I had read some stuff that
actually gave me some hope when it came to the general goodness of
human beings, but you firmly quashed it with your juvenile behavior.