It's called KARMA. "Best Buy profit tanks 91%, stock tumbles to 9-year low"

Quote from z2g : Maybe it's because I don't shop at BB very often. But, I don't understand why there's so much hatred for BB.

I don't like them because
A. The staff are discourteous,unresponsive,zombies.
B. Most of the people that work there don't know crap about what they're selling.
C. Most of the stuff is over-priced.
D. Promise a price-match and then try and weasel out.
E. They lie....and
My personal favorite...
E. Cancel online orders just before Christmas.


Heck,Check out their ratings. [resellerratings.com]

it's not like they are wall street bankers and will get a free ride out.....they will get to keep the broken stick up their ass permanently!!!.

Quote from the.J129 : I don't like them because A. The staff are discourteous,unresponsive,zombies. B. Most of the people that work there don't know crap about what they're selling. C. Most of the stuff is over-priced. D. Promise a price-match and then try and weasel out. E. They lie....and My personal favorite... E. Cancel online orders just before Christmas. Heck,Check out their ratings. [resellerratings.com]

A. Unfortunately, you can say that about many stores out there in America--i.e. grocery stores, small private shops, large dept stores. Good customer service is a lost art nowadays.

B. See above.

C. "Overpriced" based on internet prices which are sold by warehouse type businesses with lower overhead costs. But, at least most of the B&M stores will have sales to somewhat compete.

I will give you an example that I have a great deal of experience with....contact lenses. If I sold boxes of contact lenses for the same price as super cheap, discount overseas online sites, I will either lose money or make maybe a dollar in profit per box. First of all, because I buy in smaller quantities (I order the contacts as patient's orders come in), my wholesale is higher. Secondly, I have to pay overhead, shipping, and sales tax on those boxes of contacts. For example, a box of color contacts will cost about $35 on those cheap discount online stores. Do you know how much I get those contacts for? About $33 per box. Remember, I have to pay sales tax on that box and shipping (about $7 per order) too! Do you think I can sell them for $35 per box too? No way if I want to stay in business.

D. I do have to agree with you here. But honestly, every store I've ever been to that had a price-match policy ALWAYS do that.

E. Maybe I've become cynical with hot "slick deals", but I almost anticipate orders being canceled when there's a hot deal that I was able to get in on.

Quote from z2g : A. Unfortunately, you can say that about many stores out there in America--i.e. grocery stores, small private shops, large dept stores. Good customer service is a lost art nowadays. B. See above. C. "Overpriced" based on internet prices which are sold by warehouse type businesses with lower overhead costs. But, at least most of the B&M stores will have sales to somewhat compete. I will give you an example that I have a great deal of experience with....contact lenses. If I sold boxes of contact lenses for the same price as super cheap, discount overseas online sites, I will either lose money or make maybe a dollar in profit per box. First of all, because I buy in smaller quantities (I order the contacts as patient's orders come in), my wholesale is higher. Secondly, I have to pay overhead, shipping, and sales tax on those boxes of contacts. For example, a box of color contacts will cost about $35 on those cheap discount online stores. Do you know how much I get those contacts for? About $33 per box. Remember, I have to pay sales tax on that box and shipping (about $7 per order) too! Do you think I can sell them for $35 per box too? No way if I want to stay in business. D. I do have to agree with you here. But honestly, every store I've ever been to that had a price-match policy ALWAYS do that. E. Maybe I've become cynical with hot "slick deals", but I almost anticipate orders being canceled when there's a hot deal that I was able to get in on.

A. Which is why I stick to buy stuff online. But hell, it's almost as if the people there are given special courses on "how to be discourteous". Because this is something that people complain about no matter which BB they go to!
Heck even the cashier at my local walmart gives me a fake smile and pretends to be courteous.


B. "Good customer service is a lost art nowadays." How true!


C. I understand what you're saying but that's not what I'm talking about. I understand profit. But it's kinda ridiculous when a SDHC card costs $14 on Amazon and $37 in BestBuy.


D. I've gotten instant price-matches at Sears and Staples. It's not difficult to do. But what do you expect from a place where everyone lies...from the greeter to the manager!


E. No. I refuse to accept this. They should know better. It would be one thing if this happened once. But this happens ALWAYS with them. They sell things around Black Friday and Christmas. People buy stuff online to avoid the lines and then get their orders cancelled. Hell, if they expect to run out of inventory, then get more!

Best Buy is hated because they came into the market with a bang, and once they felt they had their loyal customers firmly in their grasp, the customer service went to $hit. They suddenly started acting like you had no choice but to shop there. In today's economy, customer service is the only way to hold on to your consumer base if you're a B&M. If they want people to continue to pay higher prices than those available on line, they need to offer something that amazon, cablesforless, and others can't offer. If they continue to let their teenage help tell customers to hold on while they finish a personal phone conversation, they'll do things like lose 91% of their profit.

Quote from z2g : I will give you an example that I have a great deal of experience with....contact lenses. If I sold boxes of contact lenses for the same price as super cheap, discount overseas online sites, I will either lose money or make maybe a dollar in profit per box. First of all, because I buy in smaller quantities (I order the contacts as patient's orders come in), my wholesale is higher. Secondly, I have to pay overhead, shipping, and sales tax on those boxes of contacts. For example, a box of color contacts will cost about $35 on those cheap discount online stores. Do you know how much I get those contacts for? About $33 per box. Remember, I have to pay sales tax on that box and shipping (about $7 per order) too! Do you think I can sell them for $35 per box too? No way if I want to stay in business..

I do not think anyone is saying they expect a price match of the cheap online warehouse, if they do, they have no leg to stand on for that argument.

However, you are saying they charge $35 online...would you charge someone $300 if they came into your store? No... And people would think you were an ass because if someone was in a pinch and needed contacts today, you were either price gouging them or forcing them to use glasses for 2 weeks while the shipment came in. But no one would bat an eye (ha!) at $50

If I want a cable and I need it today to print something, I have no problem saying a 10% or $5 fee or whatever to be able to walk into a store and walk out with a solution. Now, to say I have to pay 5000% extra or a $30 fee, that is just price gouging.

I'd have no problem buying a $6-$8 HDMI from them chalking up the extra $ to having it that day. Even that is a 300% markup.

If there were a flood and I needed gas and the gas station tried to charge me $30 a gallon, that is illegal. Sure, I have other options, walk 5 miles to the next station or steal it from a neighbor or wait for the water to go down. It is illegal to do it with Gas but not illegal to do that with Cables? Someone not being able to print their daughters homework because the dog chewed through the cable is just as traumatic as being in a flood...to some, I'm sure.

Quote from Curtieson : I do not think anyone is saying they expect a price match of the cheap online warehouse, if they do, they have no leg to stand on for that argument. However, you are saying they charge $35 online...would you charge someone $300 if they came into your store? No... And people would think you were an ass because if someone was in a pinch and needed contacts today, you were either price gouging them or forcing them to use glasses for 2 weeks while the shipment came in. But no one would bat an eye (ha!) at $50 If I want a cable and I need it today to print something, I have no problem saying a 10% or $5 fee or whatever to be able to walk into a store and walk out with a solution. Now, to say I have to pay 5000% extra or a $30 fee, that is just price gouging. I'd have no problem buying a $6-$8 HDMI from them chalking up the extra $ to having it that day. Even that is a 300% markup. If there were a flood and I needed gas and the gas station tried to charge me $30 a gallon, that is illegal. Sure, I have other options, walk 5 miles to the next station or steal it from a neighbor or wait for the water to go down. It is illegal to do it with Gas but not illegal to do that with Cables? Someone not being able to print their daughters homework because the dog chewed through the cable is just as traumatic as being in a flood...to some, I'm sure.

Well, I think the a/v cables scenario doesnt quite apply since BB tends to sell "high end" cables. So, you can always buy regular cables elsewhere.

Also, most ppl are aware of the high end cable scam. So, theyre not going to buy those cables, which technically are nicer but dont improve pq or sound quality.

Quote from z2g : Well, I think the a/v cables scenario doesnt quite apply since BB tends to sell "high end" cables. So, you can always buy regular cables elsewhere. Also, most ppl are aware of the high end cable scam. So, theyre not going to buy those cables, which technically are nicer but dont improve pq or sound quality.

I haven't heard one mention of the $75 Monster cable, that is a different scam entirely. Most people use their least expensive $25 Dynex as an example of their butt raping. Pretty sure the words High End and Dynex have never been uttered in the same sentence by anyone, ever, before now.

Quote from z2g : Well, I think the a/v cables scenario doesnt quite apply since BB tends to sell "high end" cables. So, you can always buy regular cables elsewhere. Also, most ppl are aware of the high end cable scam. So, theyre not going to buy those cables, which technically are nicer but dont improve pq or sound quality.

The exact same Dynex 6' HDMI cable (not high end) that Best Buy has on sale for $19.99 can be had for less than $4 from sellers on Amazon. Shipped. You can get it cheaper if you don't need ethernet over HDMI (which most people don't, currently).

Best Buy is fine, 3DTV's flopped so now everyone's waiting for 21:9 CinemaScope TV's to become the next big thing to upgrade TVs [youtube.com].

At Best Buy a few years ago, I was looking at some console games while my dad went to buy a laptop for himself so an employee came by asking if I needed help with anything, I said no and so a couple minutes later I realized I'm just looking at cover arts so I go to see dad and I also see the "helpful" employee whispering to a manager, who came back and said they were all out of laptops. We got another store to price-match their laptop price. Moral of the story: don't shop with jackets at Best Buy.

Quote from Nikzilla90 : At Best Buy a few years ago, I was looking at some console games while my dad went to buy a laptop for himself so an employee came by asking if I needed help with anything, I said no and so a couple minutes later I realized I'm just looking at cover arts so I go to see dad and I also see the "helpful" employee whispering to a manager, who came back and said they were all out of laptops. We got another store to price-match their laptop price. Moral of the story: don't shop with jackets at Best Buy.

Quote from emelvee :

Spoiler: The helpful employee thought I stole a game so they denied my dad a laptop.

Quote from Nikzilla90 : Spoiler: The helpful employee thought I stole a game so they denied my dad a laptop.

That wasn't really clear in your first post.

Anyways, when is there a law that's going to force Amazon and the-like to start charging tax in all states? That's every retailer's biggest competitor.