Circuit City...WTF????????

[stauburn]

I usually don"t buy much from CC unless it is a good deal.

I needed to buy an XD card before my trip this weekend. I was at work and saw that CC online had a 2G for 28$ I went to the store on my way home to buy it . At the store it was listed for 40$ so I told the cashier that I saw it online for 28$ He tells me that they don't match there online prices and I have to buy it online to get that price. I told him that you want me to go home, buy it and come back here to pick it up??? He says " No sir you can buy it online it the store and return to me and pick it up..

So when I counted to 10 and asked for the manager and voiced my opinion on how stupid that was he rang me up for the 28$.

When did they start doing this? They wonder why their sales are dropping...

[DC_Street]

Frys does the same thing

[bhampton]

Honestly,

I don't see the problem.

The online stores have different prices... there's nothing unusual about that.

The fact they will let you go online in the store and make an order then pick it up on the spot is very cool.

=Brian

[BStecke]

Best Buy used to do this too.

Then they realized how utterly stupid it was and started matching their own prices. Sometimes corporations CAN get good ideas implemented

[LynxFX]

Edit, wtf I posted a reply to another thread and it ended up here...

[DOPEY]

there is nothing wrong with CC alot of stores have different prices than online.

[mgonzo2u]

Price matching your own in stock item that can be found on your own website should be a no brainer. Apparently, CC has no brains.

How are you supposed to be able to complain as a consumer, "Damn it! That's just stupid. I'm leaving to go buy this item from your competitor called Circuit City on-line!".

See how stoopid that is.

[rebfandan]

You might be surprised at how many stores do not match their online prices. Usually it has something to do with inventory/availability.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by rebfandan

You might be surprised at how many stores do not match their online prices. Usually it has something to do with inventory/availability.

Right. And I could see if the STORE was out of stock, them not honoring an online price for a special order/raincheck. That's common in retail.

But if their web site lists it for $28, and they've got it IN STOCK at the store, it should be $28 in-store. Requiring the customer to order it online, even if you can do it right there at the Fire Dog station or whatever, is lame. Retailers should know by now that consumers do NOT like hoop-jumping.

[Marquoz]

Bah, I quit going to CC after they tried to charge me for a remote on a product I bought open box when they never gave me the remote. Took two hours of fighting with the manager until they refunded my money. Never stepped foot in there since. Don't care how good their sales are after that.

[blu-ray fan002]

I don't really like Circuit City because they don't stand behind what they say. I was going to buy a TV season on DVD there and knew Best Buy had it cheaper. So I picked up the item, went over to the cashier and told them that Best Buy had it cheaper for (I forgot what the price was). That associate looked me in the eye and told me that they don't price match, and yet they had a billboard size sign behind him discussing the rules for Price Matching. I told him that the advertisement was right behind him but he still refused to price match it. I simply told him to get a manager, who by the way was over having a conversation with other associates (nothing business related). I told the manager the situation and once I finished he kind of sighed a little and so I told him that because he was too lazy to check out a customer I was going to there competitor. As I walked out I simply said to the manager that what they just did was false advertisment and they didn't care about the customers all that much. That was the last time I have ever shopped there. Of course, not all Circuit City stores are bad but the associates at that store were awful.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by rebfandan

You might be surprised at how many stores do not match their online prices. Usually it has something to do with inventory/availability.

I have no problem with stores that don't match web prices. And nobody has a problem with stores that do, of course.

The problem here is that they match the web price but make you jump through hoops to get the match. That's just silly.

[raginranger]

You do save alot online at CC though. My dad ordered a 46" Sony 1080p online for $2000, and picked it up in store. But if you actually go the store and look around, that same tv will cost you like $2500. (this was back in november) It seems kind of unethical but you definitely do save alot using their site.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

Bah, I quit going to CC after they tried to charge me for a remote on a product I bought open box when they never gave me the remote. Took two hours of fighting with the manager until they refunded my money. Never stepped foot in there since. Don't care how good their sales are after that.

Don't they usually say "missing parts" or "missing remote" or "missing manual" on the price-tag on open box items? usually that's why they are heavily discounted.

[sonyfreak123]

definitely order them online, nice choice on the sony

[Clark Kent]

The online versions of most B&M stores are priced to compete against other online merchants which are cheaper due to the nature of the business. B&M store pricing is only about beating the other B&M store down the street. I think the major corporate chains are worried about matching all internet pricing as more consumers become aware of online prices. B&M stores simply can't sell things at online pricing or they would go out of business very quickly.

[ManUtd]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

The online versions of most B&M stores are priced to compete against other online merchants which are cheaper due to the nature of the business. B&M store pricing is only about beating the other B&M store down the street. I think the major corporate chains are worried about matching all internet pricing as more consumers become aware of online prices. B&M stores simply can't sell things at online pricing or they would go out of business very quickly.

Where I live CC's main competition is BB. I just don't see how BB can match their online prices without asking the customer to do something silly like ordering online in-store and choosing in-store pickup and CC can't do the same. No wonder CC's B&M here look like they're dying slowly.

[broganreynik]

I refuse to shop at Circuit City after I spent literally 6 hours in there buying one TV. It was ridiculous.

[denrock]

Originally Posted by raginranger

You do save alot online at CC though. My dad ordered a 46" Sony 1080p online for $2000, and picked it up in store. But if you actually go the store and look around, that same tv will cost you like $2500. (this was back in november) It seems kind of unethical but you definitely do save alot using their site.

I bought my sony 40" xbr4 at CC and I knew it had a lower price on their website because I had looked on their site earlier that day. I didn't think I was going to get it so I didn't order it online for in-store pickup. But later on in the day I was at the store and saw it on display and decided to buy it. I told the salesman who was helping me about the online price and he said let me check the computer and saw it was for sale for $1999.99 online instead of $2399.99 in-store price. He didn't give me any problem at all and I paid the online price without having to order it from their website.

So I think it all just depends on each individual store and the managers they have there as opposed to it being a general CC issue.

[reiella]

Originally Posted by stauburn

I usually don"t buy much from CC unless it is a good deal.

I needed to buy an XD card before my trip this weekend. I was at work and saw that CC online had a 2G for 28$ I went to the store on my way home to buy it . At the store it was listed for 40$ so I told the cashier that I saw it online for 28$ He tells me that they don't match there online prices and I have to buy it online to get that price. I told him that you want me to go home, buy it and come back here to pick it up??? He says " No sir you can buy it online it the store and return to me and pick it up..

So when I counted to 10 and asked for the manager and voiced my opinion on how stupid that was he rang me up for the 28$.

When did they start doing this? They wonder why their sales are dropping...

They need to track the sales numbers... It's annoying, I agree, but I also understand it.

Sales through the online portal have different margins. The theory, is that there's not a store associate helping you find what you want, and they can get some juicy advertising information from you that way.

Why they can't price match their online prices, well, again they like to track progression for the different things [from the sound of things, the clerk prolly felt it was stupid too, but "dems the corporate rules"].

Annoying all the same.