Im Boycott Against - Best Buy,Circuitcity,Compusa

I've never had a problem at any of those retailers, but I always walk into the store as an educated consumer and I have already made up my mind exactly what I want. I do not throw myself upon the mercy of their sales force.

-Jay

 

I agree with you Jay. I too have not had any problems at the stores. In fact, the stores have gone above and beyond their duty.

My family and I recently bought a Velocity Micro PC at Best Buy and a HP printer. We did all of the research ahead of time, tested the units out at the store, and came back in to purchase them when the printer was $80 off. We then found an ad with the same printer at Office Max that was $120 cheaper nine days later.

We took the ad for Office Max into the Best Buy and our original receipt with the PC and printer on it. Fifteen minutes later, and Best Buy matched their price plus 10% as their policy states. Needless to say, we were quite happy.

 

What is it they did? You don't really explain. If you know what you want, then go get it. Don't just go in and let the sales people do what you want.

 

I've been lied to at Best Buy stores a couple of times, but just as Jay I do my homework before I go there, so I know when they're lying. However I can't say that I was lied to at Best Buy any more than when interacting with the rest of the population, so I don't feel the boycott is in order

 

Right. Of course this means that they don't need to hire any sales people at all. Basically, if you have done your homework, the store is just a showroom where you can confirm that you like what you have already chosen, before paying for it. Now if they had staff who knew what they were talking about and who were not paid on commission, that would be a different matter.


SW

 

Are you sure Best Buy staff is paid on comission? Everytime I have gone and looked at something with a salesperson's help and told them, that I would get them when I have decided, they have always said that they are not paid on comission and I could get anybody to help me and not that particular person. I have usually done so and flagged down the first available person.

I have never had a problem with Best Buy, for doing my homework before hand as has been stated by Jay and all the other posters.

 

I have a few friends who work at Best Buy and they are not paid on commission. My best friend works at Circuit City and he is not paid on commission either, but if he and his staff don't sell a certain percentage of warranty compared to their overall sales, they have to take a class one Sunday per month about how to talk the customer into buying warranty. I have never worked for either company but this is what I hear.
I also try to go to the store educated, and I have had sales people lie to me or give me misinformation, but as an informed consumer, this did not impact me other than to send the sales rep on his way.

 

That's exactly what I do. Go to the store to "touch" and confirm that I've made my best choice, then complete the purchase.

-Jay

 

Perhaps I assumed this incorrectly, from the observation that they always try to sell me the most expensive thing they have (that is, if I ask their opinion, which I usually don't ). And they always try to sell you the warranty (and other stuff you may not need), as Andy said. Also, I had just come back from MicroCenter, a computer department store that some of you may have encountered. It's an OK place, but if you talk to a sales person, and he/she thinks you are going to buy what you have in your hand, he/she will always put their little personal sticker on it. What's with that?

Sorry if I jumped to conclusions.


SW

 

I have to say that the extended warranty is well worth it on certain items, like digital cameras. I remember my first digital camera. I bought a display model at BB for $200, which was a little more than 50% off. I bought the 4 year extended warranty for $29 I think (It wasn't more than $40, I remember that for sure). A little over 2 years after I purchased the camera the flash stopped working. I took it in for repair, and was told that they no longer did repairs on that model as it was discontinued and they lo longer carried cameras from that manufacturer. I went back to the camera section and picked out a new camera. They then applied the remainder of the 4 year extended warranty to the new camera. I thought that was a great deal.

-Jay