Sorry...have to bitch!
- Thread starter england
- Start date
CMiller
New member
Well...
It's what the law affectionately calls "the Bait & Switch" technique and is very shady. Basically they blowout a price on something they have very little if anything of to get you there and since you really can't obtain the item you look around to buy something else in their store. In E-Commerce it's not considered a serious problem because it's extremely simple to click into another site to get what you want. In real life, it's pretty close to being fraud although it's hardly ever enforced.
You know who does this all the time and never gets reprimanded? Best Buy. They advertise a great deal on blank CD's for example but when you get there, they don't have any in stock. But you can bet your ass that they have a million other brands that aren't on sale. They know that since you're standing there you'll probably buy them and go home grumbling but will no doubt come back when you see that next great deal advertised. Check it out for yourself if there's a Best Buy near you. It's really frustrating. That's why I don't shop there anymore.
Good luck!
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
It's what the law affectionately calls "the Bait & Switch" technique and is very shady. Basically they blowout a price on something they have very little if anything of to get you there and since you really can't obtain the item you look around to buy something else in their store. In E-Commerce it's not considered a serious problem because it's extremely simple to click into another site to get what you want. In real life, it's pretty close to being fraud although it's hardly ever enforced.
You know who does this all the time and never gets reprimanded? Best Buy. They advertise a great deal on blank CD's for example but when you get there, they don't have any in stock. But you can bet your ass that they have a million other brands that aren't on sale. They know that since you're standing there you'll probably buy them and go home grumbling but will no doubt come back when you see that next great deal advertised. Check it out for yourself if there's a Best Buy near you. It's really frustrating. That's why I don't shop there anymore.
Good luck!
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
DaveO
New member
Best Buy pissed you off too?
It's funny you mentioned CD-Rs at Best Buy because I've noticed the same thing. The only time I've gotten the ones that were on sale or had a rebate are when I got to the store as soon as they opened on Sunday morning (or whatever day the sale starts). They'd have only a few packs of them and within an hour they're gone.
If I go later in the day, they're gone. I just stopped buying them there.
It's funny you mentioned CD-Rs at Best Buy because I've noticed the same thing. The only time I've gotten the ones that were on sale or had a rebate are when I got to the store as soon as they opened on Sunday morning (or whatever day the sale starts). They'd have only a few packs of them and within an hour they're gone.
If I go later in the day, they're gone. I just stopped buying them there.
CMiller
New member
Yeah, That's Their M.O.
They do that all the time. Everyone I know has had problems with them. They advertise a product, like a car stereo, but when you get there, they're out of them. But the salesman has something similiar that isn't on sale. They're a bunch of bastards, that's why they do it.
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
They do that all the time. Everyone I know has had problems with them. They advertise a product, like a car stereo, but when you get there, they're out of them. But the salesman has something similiar that isn't on sale. They're a bunch of bastards, that's why they do it.
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
Fusioninspace
New member
CompUSA does it too.
They have these excellent deals - a lot of stuff is free after a rebate, etc. If you're not there by 10:00 Sunday morning, most of the best deals are gone already.
I went there once for a monitor they were advertising at a rediculously low price. When I got there, the salesmen gave me a long explanation on why I wouldn't want to buy one of these cheap monitors cause they're so unreliable and the back room is full of broken ones. I ended up leaving without anything and got an open box monitor at.... Best Buy.
They have these excellent deals - a lot of stuff is free after a rebate, etc. If you're not there by 10:00 Sunday morning, most of the best deals are gone already.
I went there once for a monitor they were advertising at a rediculously low price. When I got there, the salesmen gave me a long explanation on why I wouldn't want to buy one of these cheap monitors cause they're so unreliable and the back room is full of broken ones. I ended up leaving without anything and got an open box monitor at.... Best Buy.
G
Guest
Guest
The funny thing is, at one time like 50 years ago, this practice of deception was very illegal. Now in this age of accelerated technological product marketing. Where the watchdogs for this kind of activity can't keep up. This level of deceptive advertising is considered part of the game. And the buyer has full responsibility for his or her welfare with no culpability put on the industry. It SUCKS.
dragonworks
Banned
Isnt there still such a thing as a rain check? If you ask for one arent you etitlted to get it and as soon as more come in even if they are not on sale you can still get the
sail price??
sail price??
CMiller
New member
Damn straight Chris!
Yeah, it was a real serious thing, but then so was anti-trust law. I think that in the cyber world it isn't that big of a deal because it's pretty easy to say, "You don't have what I want, then you suck!" and punch in some other company's url. But it sucks in the real world because you do waste a significant amount of time going to these places in person, not to mention that it costs you money to drive around town. This country really needs to start getting serious once again about busting trusts and looking out for the consumer. I understand that you can't make everything illegal, and you shouldn't, but governmaent does a great job of watching out for corporate interests, it's time they start watching out for the interests of their citizenry. That's why if you vote for me...oops, we've seen so many campaign commercials in this battleground state this year that I've begun to think like them!
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
Yeah, it was a real serious thing, but then so was anti-trust law. I think that in the cyber world it isn't that big of a deal because it's pretty easy to say, "You don't have what I want, then you suck!" and punch in some other company's url. But it sucks in the real world because you do waste a significant amount of time going to these places in person, not to mention that it costs you money to drive around town. This country really needs to start getting serious once again about busting trusts and looking out for the consumer. I understand that you can't make everything illegal, and you shouldn't, but governmaent does a great job of watching out for corporate interests, it's time they start watching out for the interests of their citizenry. That's why if you vote for me...oops, we've seen so many campaign commercials in this battleground state this year that I've begun to think like them!
Mark
Alpha Dog
http://www.mp3.com/alphadog
http://alphadog.iuma.com
http://www.musicbuilder.com/Alpha_Dog/
DaveO
New member
Sometimes the raincheck idea works, but not always. Other times you have to read the fine print in the ad. It might say something like "Quantities limited" (yeah, no sh*t!), "In Stock items only", "Limited to quantities in stock", or some other nonsense like that.
In other words, blatant bait-and-switch.
In other words, blatant bait-and-switch.
Stan Williams
New member
Cheaper prices
Years ago music stores were the mom and pop kind, maybe not the best prices in the world but at least you were treated like a living being. Everybody wanted cheaper prices some here come the big boys, cheaper prices and no service at all. You can feel your change hit you in the ass on the way out the door. X has LES PAULS for $999, but wait, Y has them for $ 989. Buying a musical instrument use to be a big deal, now its like buying hamburgers, move em in, move em out. I hope the real music stores stay around, I d on't care if they are a little higher priced, at least you know what you're getting.
Years ago music stores were the mom and pop kind, maybe not the best prices in the world but at least you were treated like a living being. Everybody wanted cheaper prices some here come the big boys, cheaper prices and no service at all. You can feel your change hit you in the ass on the way out the door. X has LES PAULS for $999, but wait, Y has them for $ 989. Buying a musical instrument use to be a big deal, now its like buying hamburgers, move em in, move em out. I hope the real music stores stay around, I d on't care if they are a little higher priced, at least you know what you're getting.
John Weigel
New member
Amen, Stan. I hate going into a "we sell everything at a fantastic price" store and trying to get even rudimentary help. It's not that they're assholes -- service is not the business they're in. Deal with a place that offers service, even at a higher price, and they'll be around to give you service the next time you need it. I'm in a small town, and I have fairly specialized needs, what with dobros and tube amps and computer recording, but I always go to my local store first. Sometimes they don't have it, but they know me, and they'll give me a price on what they have or can order because they know I'll come back with money in my jeans.
I can only speak to this from selling computers point of view, but I'm sure it is the same for music equipment.
If you frequent the small shops with the better service, knowledgable sales people and higher prices, if you get the advice and find what you want - and then walk out and buy it at the big shop with slightly lower prices but clueless sales people, you are not being a "smart consumer" - you're being a fucking asshole and you'll drive that mom and pop with such good service right out of business. And then you're stuck with the crap service and pushy salesdroids of the place you didn't want to shop at in the first place.
If you frequent the small shops with the better service, knowledgable sales people and higher prices, if you get the advice and find what you want - and then walk out and buy it at the big shop with slightly lower prices but clueless sales people, you are not being a "smart consumer" - you're being a fucking asshole and you'll drive that mom and pop with such good service right out of business. And then you're stuck with the crap service and pushy salesdroids of the place you didn't want to shop at in the first place.
John Weigel
New member
Amen once again: expressed a little more strongly than mine, but just as true.
John
John