On every hot deal there is complaining that when a member goes into BB the item has not yet been reduced to it's lowest clearance price or at Staples that the hot bargains sell out right after the store opens.

At BB once a item is tagged as clearance (discontinued) price reductions in increments are set. They usually go into effect at all stores nationally within 30 days but individual stores start marking them down through the series of increments. A few just go straight to the bottom price immediately. The important thing is to know this is coming, not that it's already happened. Once a store's price hits the final clearance price, which is about 90% off, the store employees buy them- (wouldn't you- most of these folks make about $7 per hour.)
BUT BB has a 30 day BB Price Guarantee policy which is very easy to get honored (price matches to other stores are not so easy at some stores). The return period for computers themselves (not accessories like hard drives) and camcorders is 14 days so this may factor in. Laptops, desktops, and tv's can be returned by Best Buy to the vendor so these never get discounted as much.

Once you know a BB item is clearanced from FW or SD you usually also know what the final clearance price will be. Many stores will pricematch to other BB's in their district or region that already have the 90% off- many will not. It usually depends on the distance to the other BB, how many they have in stock, and mostly what mood the manager's in. For example- Right now the My Book Premium 500 ( a network storage drive) has been clearanced. It's original BB price is around $350 or so. Ebay price is $150. Most BB's have it for about $175 now. In the Maryland didtrict one store- Salisbury has it already down to $49. Stores around DC won't honor the price because Salisbury is 100 miles away, even tho they have several in stock for that price. But every BB nationally will be at the bottom price ($49 or lower) within the 30 days. The day the item hits that bottom price they will be bought by employees. Thus it is a blessing in disguise when you find a BB with stock at a higher price. Get the item, don't unwrap it so you can return it if neccessary, and certainly by the 29th day check back with them and get a very pleasant surprise- a refund of the difference to the final clearance price (you don't have to have the item with you- just the receipt). 30- Day BB Price Guarantee is much more important than price match at every store. You must have the SKU# with you. Get used to carrying a list of BB clearanced sku's with you when you go there.

When BB does inventory, as it did in October, they raise all prices back to original so that their inventory is valued higher. This starts the clearance process all over again. Many BB csr's will let you return and repurchase so that your 30 day price match starts all over again. (If you need a reason tell them you need to change the item from one account to another- that sounds very business-like and impresses them.) If you get hold of a mean csr just try again at another location or time.

Staples doesn't have the same incremental clearance but often they have price leaders in ads that sell out fast. Through FW and SD you see these often a week before. They technically don't have price guarantee but have 14 day return. Get what you want and after the ad is out return to a Staples and get a refund/repurchase- it's the same as a Price Guarantee. Must have the item with you unopened.

I've used this dozens of times- it's worked 100% but here's two recent examples:

At BB we've had a thread on for some 10 weeks about a $365 Bush tv stand clearanced out. Originally the lowest clearance price was $65 and most BB's didn't have it for that but most districts had at least one store where it was that and many people could get pricematches to that price. Many that couldn't complained a bunch on the threads but the smart ones bought and waited the 29 days. By day 29 the national BB clearance price had not only dropped to $65 but to $19.99 at every single BB! We all went in and got our refunds of the difference in 5 minutes. But members post 10 times a day that they can't find any instock for the $19.99. Previously they cried that their store wouldn't honor the clearance price while they were in stock. Guess what- a $365 stand for $19.99 lasts on the floor for maybe a minute IF the salesperson doesn't buy it which is the case 99% of the time.

Staples recently advertised the Western Digital external 400 GB drive for $50 after a $45 Staples Easy Rebate (they are). The rebate had a limit of 10, as most Staples rebates do. The ad was on sd and fw over a week ahead of time. I got the number I wanted on Tuesday and after Sunday went in with the unopened items and got return/repurchase refunds for the difference. Staples all sold out within 1 hour of opening on Sunday.

At Staples you can check inventory of items at each store online, but at BB you cannot on clearance items as they are discontinued. At BB you must go into a store and go to the department or customer service where they can easily check on their store computer for availability and price at every BB by the SKU- it's still on their computers even though it's no longer on the website.

Sorry if I've given the eBay resellers secret out to the common folk but I hate to see all these disappointed members who drive all around tracking down deals, usually to be disappointed and waste a lot of gas.

BB, Staples and most retailers will not sell to resellers but some stores seem to ignore this and let ebayers buy/return/rebuy dozens at a time. Why common folk can't get them.