It’s been years since I shopped in a Best Buy. After getting crappy treatment from them over ten years ago, I set foot in there only one time over the years (when I had a coupon deal that I couldn’t pass up back in the early days of online coupons). But I got a gift card from Best Buy from a co-worker recently, so I figured I’d go in and pick up a cable I needed. The price online showed it was only $10. When I got to the store, though, it was listed at $15. Of course, Best Buy is infamous for using a special version of their web site in their store if you ever try to confirm a price using one of their computers. (How shady is that?!) I didn’t feel like having a throwdown in the store over a $10 cable, so instead, I went home, ordered it online for $10 with the “in store pick-up” option. And, I paid with my gift card. Done and done.
Almost.
For in-store pickup, you wait for another e-mail after your initial receipt telling you the item is ready for pick-up. “On average, it arrives within 45 minutes.” I waited over two hours. And they sent it 20 minutes before they closed. When I finally read it, I had 30 seconds to get to the store. I decided not to bother.
I’ll be picking up my cable today. I sincerely hope I don’t have to add to this entry after my visit.
But, Best Buy, two requests: 1. stop being shady with your online vs. in-store pricing and 2. get your in-store pickup situation squared away; if Circuit City can do it in 24 minutes, you can do it in under an hour.
Posted in Consumer Commentary
Paul January 3, 2009, 6:56 pm
It’s coming up on 10 years (!!) since I last bought anything at Best Buy. This is one reason why.
Ryan January 13, 2009, 8:51 pm
Looks like I’m not the only one doing this. Here’s the story of someone that bought an item on their web site for in-store pick-up via her phone *while she was in the store*. They picked up four seasons of a TV show on DVD for less than the price of one season at the in-store price! (BestBuy.com price was $20, Best Buy price was $45.)
http://www.longlivegeeks.com/2009/01/getting-best-of-best-buy.html
Again, I say: this is absurd people are forced to do this.