Best Buy Hates You

[thecreeper]

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109986994931767086,00.html

In short...

"Best Buy's angels are customers who boost profits at the consumer-electronics giant by snapping up high-definition televisions, portable electronics, and newly released DVDs without waiting for markdowns or rebates.

The devils are its worst customers. They buy products, apply for rebates, return the purchases, then buy them back at returned-merchandise discounts. They load up on "loss leaders," severely discounted merchandise designed to boost store traffic, then flip the goods at a profit on eBay. They slap down rock-bottom price quotes from Web sites and demand that Best Buy make good on its lowest-price pledge. "They can wreak enormous economic havoc," says Mr. Anderson."

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I'm sure some of you have seen this, but aren't they pretty much saying that customers should not actively seek deals? What a bunch of shit. It's basically saying that if you take advantage of a deal they have, you are not welcome. i'm glad there's no Best Buys near me at home, because they have pushed a nice Circuit City all but out of business up here at college.

so what do you think, is this shitty company politics, or a smart move to reward high paying customers?

[johnny]

god forbid that best buy would try to make more money. i know i'd rather be selling to people who scoop things up right away, without waiting for prices to fall. of course, money's just money, and who cares because the difference doesn't really mean anything.. but whatever, best buy can do what it wants to its business.

[thecreeper]

i have no problem with them wanting to make more money, but doing so by saying their customers are wrong and/or they dont like 20% of their business seems a little rash to me.

the initial urge of everyone is to want a deal, and Best Buy assumes we can all afford monster electronics and expensive dvd's and games. The reality is a lot of people wait for bargains at stores like BB, and that's a reason why they like stores like that, because they occasionally take a hit for customer satisfaction.

[raublekick]

well, they also explain the shady activities that some of these devils do, like buying something, returning it, and then buying it back for a lower price.

either way, i think the worst thing any company can do is talk smack on their customers.

[Plain Old Jane]

if they dont like the way customers are taking advantage of their deals, then change the business ethic. Its a problem of store policy, not the customers. But dont bash the poor just cuz they cant afford the high end electronics.

[thecreeper]

well, they also explain the shady activities that some of these devils do, like buying something, returning it, and then buying it back for a lower price.

either way, i think the worst thing any company can do is talk smack on their customers.

i dont necessarily agree with what the "devils" are doing, but like Jep said, its a policy problem, not a customer problem.

and saying that they don't want business from certain people is a bizarre stance in my opinion.

[johnny]

and saying that they don't want business from certain people is a bizarre stance in my opinion.

well, providing service to someone who's going to buy something, cash in on the rebate, return it, then buy it back at a discount price again, is more trouble than it's worth.

and it's difficult to just change their business policy, since you can't really assume that someone's returning something just so they can buy it back for cheap.. so they have to try to discourage it somehow. ::shrug::

though i don't necessarily agree with them complaining about people who simply take advantage of sales, because a sale is a sale.. but eh, best buy can do what they want, right. :P

[Mike]

I think it's legit that they don't like the people who buy stuff and then return it for profit, when a deal runs out (such is the case with me and my PS2, inadvertently)... But a great portion of their business comes from browsers who are looking to locate a deal.

I hate Best Buy, for the most part.

[heX]

-new best buy employee as of 11/20/04

With that said... I hate all of you fucks. next subject.

[Mike]

-new best buy employee as of 11/20/04

With that said... I hate all of you fucks. next subject.

Within a month, you'll be spewing more hatred for Best Buy than any of us could come up with. It's one of the reasons why they have one of the highest turnover rates of like businesses.
Mike