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Yup, just did a Newegg order last week, selected the cheap shipping to my work address like I always do, and for the first time since I started ordering from them years ago, it shipped DHL/USPS instead of UPS, which means I won't get it, it'll get sent back.
I can only recall actually making a purchase at BestBuy once although I have been in there countless times. I have always been able to find a better price or a better product for the same price.
I agree with the incompetent sales associates and lack of useful products. I was looking at laptops a little over a year ago and the incompetent knuckle head working in the computer department started spewing some incorrect information trying to sound technical and make the sale.....we ended up getting into somewhat of a debate/argument with other customers around. I ended up telling him we could settle it real quick by googling it, which he took me up on......then his face turned red.
I recently heard that Best Buy is having a serious problem with people who go into the store to look at a particular product, then buy it from a more affordable vendor online. Now I understand that Best Buy, Frys, Microcenter and Radio Shack are good places to go for those who do not know exactly what to buy and/or how to install it (and for those that need it immediately). However, more affordable online vendors seem to really putting a dent into the businesses of those brick-and-mortar stores such as Best Buy. Does anyone know what the Best Buys of world are planning on doing about this? Also, how can they prevent from someone from browsing through their products, only to have that customer buy it from an online vendor? Or is Best Buy soon to face the same fate as Compusa and CircuitCity?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lentzr
Or is Best Buy soon to face the same fate as Compusa and CircuitCity?
I have a BB close to me and thus can see how many cars there are in their parking lot, any day of the week.
I really do not think that BB will go out of business soon, but if they do, I would not be surprised.
But ...
BB does seem to listen when you do complain, not to the store it self but to the Corp Headquarters.
I did a few years ago, and we had quite a few back and forth e-mails and even phone calls. The phone calls were started by them. In the end they promised to improve the situation.
Never have shopped there ever after, so no idea if it did improve.
The way to use BB as a window shopping venue and hands-on trial, I never thought of, but I think that is about all they are good for now.
In their defense, they do have some good buys, when I look at the discounts in the newspaper off and on. So if you really know what you want, and absolutely do not need service afterwards, not a half bad place to get stuff, if you have no other venue available to you.
I recently heard that Best Buy is having a serious problem with people who go into the store to look at a particular product, then buy it from a more affordable vendor online. Now I understand that Best Buy, Frys, Microcenter and Radio Shack are good places to go for those who do not know exactly what to buy and/or how to install it (and for those that need it immediately). However, more affordable online vendors seem to really putting a dent into the businesses of those brick-and-mortar stores such as Best Buy. Does anyone know what the Best Buys of world are planning on doing about this? Also, how can they prevent from someone from browsing through their products, only to have that customer buy it from an online vendor? Or is Best Buy soon to face the same fate as Compusa and CircuitCity?
They are definitely in trouble and have been closing stores. They are now opening smaller scale specialized stores in attempt to adjust to the market. I do exactly as you describe and now that we have the barcode scanner apps on our smart phones it is even easier. I have actually gone to stores, put my hands on the product and checked it out, scanned the bar code and standing right there ordered the product from amazon at a much better price.
IMO, stores such as Best Buy, Comp USA, Circuit City and others have failed to adjust to the market. They set up websites but did not adjust the way they do business. Instead of lowering cost and prices for online sales by doing things such as centralized shipping direct to customers, they have tried to simply put their brick and mortar store online. I don't know what they do now, as I haven't even looked into buying anything online from Best Buy in a while but they used to want to do the whole "ship to store" or "pickup at local store" sort of thing instead of cutting costs and doing a direct ship to customers. Our local Best Buy usually has a good bit of cars in the parking lot but I always notice a lot of people coming out without anything in their hands so they are probably also window shopping.
Another issue BB has is that I have heard their online prices are different than in store prices and they will not honor it. Although I see it more in other retailers now (Macy's - Im looking at you), it leads to loss of business.
I recently heard that Best Buy is having a serious problem with people who go into the store to look at a particular product, then buy it from a more affordable vendor online. Now I understand that Best Buy, Frys, Microcenter and Radio Shack are good places to go for those who do not know exactly what to buy and/or how to install it (and for those that need it immediately). However, more affordable online vendors seem to really putting a dent into the businesses of those brick-and-mortar stores such as Best Buy. Does anyone know what the Best Buys of world are planning on doing about this? Also, how can they prevent from someone from browsing through their products, only to have that customer buy it from an online vendor? Or is Best Buy soon to face the same fate as Compusa and CircuitCity?
Best Buy doesn't really compete with Frys or Microcenter. Those guys are predominately computer parts, and have a complete selection. Best Buy sells consumer electronics, and has small subset of computer parts, and a very limited selection of those that they do bother to carry.
Not sure on Frys, but Microcenter competes directly with Newegg and Tiger Direct on price. They even beat Newegg on CPU prices, but only offer them if you shop in store.
Had to return a similar computer as the OP had dealt with from BB.
Clearly a sloppily done rebox job of a used computer, with missing components and even the registration/warranty document had been filled out in somebody else's name and they'd started to customize the desktop, too ...
I try to avoid the corporations and go to the local small business.
That's hard to do sometimes especially if you're buying something expensive. I had stopped at some smaller places looking for that DVD and the one store wanted $50 for the same drive I knew I could get for $25. I know the position they are in and I don't necessarily mind shelling out some extra cash especially if going to save some time but when the difference is 100's well....... I was also looking for a 8 pin extension power cable and 24 pin extension because the ones on my power supply were a little too short. I wasn't buying anything unless they had those cable because I might as well order it all online. None of them including BB had the cables which I could kind of understand but I got a little perturbed when the one local store owner told me they don't make them and I have to buy a new PSU which he was ready to sell me....
My brother bought a flatscreen at a local appliance store and something went wrong with it, he called the company only to find they only sell that model to Wal Mart new and his was refurbished one. He'll never buy appliances from a local place again.
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