Best Buy ripping off customers

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 00:04:56 -0500, "Brian The Demolition Man Little"
<x@y.z> wrote:

>Mr Fixit wrote:
>> IMO Circuit City is next in line to get hit with a similar suit.
>
>As one of the message board moderators for BestBuySux.org,
>I don't hear of cases of CC selling used items as new as
>extremely as I do with BBY. Plus CC has a strict policy in
>regards of selling open box items so they are covered pretty
>good.

CC is not a bad place to shop if you already know what you are wanting
to puchase. I've never had a bad experience with them. BB OTOH....

 

[greywolf]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Albert Alverez" <noneofyourbusiness@noway.org> wrote in message
news:%xOVc.7044$2L3.5999@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> > Wonderful. The next time I want a 20% discount on an item, I'll buy it,
> > return it, and buy it again after it's marked down. Consumers want a no
> > questions asked and no restocking fee return policy, reduced prices on
> > returned items, and the lowest possible prices. Stores that provide all
> > three will go out of business.
> >
> > As long as everything is in the box and everything works, I'm happy with
2
> > out of 3. Don't even bring up knowledgable staff. People who go to a
> higher
> > end store to get information then go to a big box store to buy at a
lower
> > price are thieves.
> >
> > Pat
>
> Spoken like a man who works at a high end shop.
>
Nope. I'm retired from managing a University Mail Service and working with
computers. I give away what I've learned now that I have the time and a
pension. I just believe in paying a fair price for goods and services I
receive from somebody who earns a living from providing them.
I save money by learning about products so I don't need a knowledgable
salesperson.
I also choose to let somebody else change my oil now.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Targa wrote:

> Im not a theif - just smarter than you.

Says it all ;-)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 12:46:51 -0500, HDTV-slingr
<NOSPAMMERS@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:19:05 GMT, "Greywolf"
><greywolfin45@*spamisbad*sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>People who go to a higher
>>end store to get information then go to a big box store to buy at a lower
>>price are thieves.
>
>I believe I'd have to agree with that.

I went to BB to purchase a Sony XBR. I was told by the salesman that I
had to purchase a contract for this TV. I said that this is not going
to happen and then was told to order this from the internet so the
store wouldn't take a "hit". I then went to a high end store and when
the service contract came up they accepted my "no" and said it is
better to purchase a contract just before the warenty expires as you
are not paying for the year tha the warenty is in effect.

Retired and enjoying it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

> Where are you going to take it when it needs service? I've seen a couple
> high end shops who outside of warranty work only service what they sell.


With the exception of one instance, so far everything I've had repaired by a
local high-end shop has been sent back to the factory. That much I could
have done myself.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"GaryH" <dontyouspamme@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:6F6Wc.10672$b%5.8473@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
> Yea, but why should I have to pay for that? I don't charge people extra
in
> my job to pay for the years of college I went to! If you guys want to pay
> 100s of extra dollars so some guy can tell you about the stretch mode on a
> TV be my guest.

So why did you go to college? What kind of job do you have? Who do you
think pays for any training? Ultimately someone does. Who do you think
pays for experience? If the consumer never pays there won't be any. You
are living in a dream world if you think you don't.

If you don't think you need experienced salespeople or experienced
technicians then buy from the whorehouses or the internet vendors. That is
your choice. There are lots of good salespeople who perform a useful
service. It is offensive that people so openly profess pleasure in taking
advantage of them. You are no better than the lousy salesman who rips
people off or lies.

Leonard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

GaryH wrote:

> ... I don't charge people extra in my job to pay for the years of college I went to! ...

I would hope not! Liberal Arts major? ;-)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

What about the last time that I spent my hour in Sears waiting for my wife.
I ended up educating their sales guy in the TV department about HDTV and the
different options, as he didn't have a clue that you could even get HD OTA
from an antenna, etc. It works both ways. You see, I already had my Sony XBR
plasma and was just killing time looking at their stuff, and ended up in a
pretty good conversation with their salesman. He actually thanked me for
"enlightening" him, as they obviously hadn't spent much time training him.

"L Alpert" <alpertl@xxcomcast.net> wrote in message
newsJ1Wc.67526$TI1.53884@attbi_s52...
>
> Most of the guys shopping in Sears are waiting for the wife to get done in
> the childrens clothing section and just wander over to the TVs for
something
> to do.....
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 22:05:03 GMT, "Phil Ross" <paross@pacbell.net>
wrote:

>What about the last time that I spent my hour in Sears waiting for my wife.
>I ended up educating their sales guy in the TV department about HDTV and the
>different options, as he didn't have a clue that you could even get HD OTA
>from an antenna, etc. It works both ways. You see, I already had my Sony XBR
>plasma and was just killing time looking at their stuff, and ended up in a
>pretty good conversation with their salesman. He actually thanked me for
>"enlightening" him, as they obviously hadn't spent much time training him.

Hey man, it happens. That would have been me too in my first few
months of working there. We get two weeks initial training then we
are sent out to the floor. From there, we have ongoing training but
it's more sporadic, so those of us on commission go beyond the
training we are paid to participate in.

For a few months, I was elated to meet a customer such as yourself who
was willing to help break me in. Actually, I still do enjoy when
ANYBODY... an informed customer, a tech, etc., walks in and wants to
share what they know with me. I can talk this stuff all day long and
my ego doesn't prevent me from being a "sponge" to anybody who can
help me to better help others.

You remind me of a few great customers I've met, especially when I was
brand new. Because I will not willingly take a "stab" at a question
and because I am always willing to say "I'm sorry, I don't know.
Let's go over to our computer and Google the answer" if I don't know,
I've learned quite a bit from some of our customers. Some of the
people I said "I don't know, let's find out" to a year and a half ago
still come in and see me / purchase things from me on a regular basis.
My hat's off to ya

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Leonard Caillouet (no@no.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> > Obviously he's never dealt with high-end hourly wages, either. Even
> > though people happily pay and I far undercut the competition, sometimes
> > even I cringe when I quote my computer consulting rates.
>
> You must be ripping people off just like I do when I fix TVs at rates that
> are competitive for the market.

I think the big difference is that a TV repair at $20/hour often wouldn't
be thought of as "maybe this guy doesn't know what he is doing", while
in the computer field, you *must* charge a certain amount to get respect,
and $20/hour isn't in that realm.

It's insane, I know, but people seem to put the job of _______ repair
as less skilled. It's hard to convey to people the wizardry that is
sometimes involved in diagnosis of TV problems. I can always just backup
the data and re-format to solve some problems, but that isn't an option
with at TV.

--
Jeff Rife |
SPAM bait: | http/www.nabs.net/Cartoons/RhymesWithOrange/BigDogs.gif
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov |
spam@ftc.gov |

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jeff Rife" <wevsr@nabs.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b9340ce7809d3069897d3@news.nabs.net...
> Leonard Caillouet (no@no.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> > > Obviously he's never dealt with high-end hourly wages, either. Even
> > > though people happily pay and I far undercut the competition,
sometimes
> > > even I cringe when I quote my computer consulting rates.
> >
> > You must be ripping people off just like I do when I fix TVs at rates
that
> > are competitive for the market.
>
> I think the big difference is that a TV repair at $20/hour often wouldn't
> be thought of as "maybe this guy doesn't know what he is doing", while
> in the computer field, you *must* charge a certain amount to get respect,
> and $20/hour isn't in that realm.
>
> It's insane, I know, but people seem to put the job of _______ repair
> as less skilled. It's hard to convey to people the wizardry that is
> sometimes involved in diagnosis of TV problems. I can always just backup
> the data and re-format to solve some problems, but that isn't an option
> with at TV.

....and then they either lament the fact that the guy who did the TV repair
for $20 per hour is no longer around or they bring the set to us to fix for
real after he decided it wasn't a simple fix...

Now it is certainly true that some people really do not need more highly
skilled sales people and technicians, but it is the minority that will be
better served by the "discounted" or internet seller.

Leonard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 06:23:47 -0400, "Leonard Caillouet" <no@no.com>
wrote:

>> Wow, that's weird! Since we don't have the XBR line so off hand, I
>> don't know if it's got a different warranty than the entry-level Sony
>> lines (1 yr parts, 90 days labor)
>
>The XBR line does have a longer warranty than the other Sony products, 2
>years P & L, IIRC.

Cool... thanks for the heads up

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"HDTV-slingr" <NOSPAMMERS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9qaki0tq36ghj5fqa16u3a4enkjh082fii@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 06:23:47 -0400, "Leonard Caillouet" <no@no.com>
> wrote:
>
> >> Wow, that's weird! Since we don't have the XBR line so off hand, I
> >> don't know if it's got a different warranty than the entry-level Sony
> >> lines (1 yr parts, 90 days labor)
> >
> >The XBR line does have a longer warranty than the other Sony products, 2
> >years P & L, IIRC.
>
> Cool... thanks for the heads up

Actually, I was incorrect, it is 1 year P & L, 2 years CRT.

Leonard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:20:33 -0400, "Leonard G. Caillouet"
<lcaillo_ns_@devoynet.com> wrote:

>> >> Wow, that's weird! Since we don't have the XBR line so off hand, I
>> >> don't know if it's got a different warranty than the entry-level Sony
>> >> lines (1 yr parts, 90 days labor)
>> >
>> >The XBR line does have a longer warranty than the other Sony products, 2
>> >years P & L, IIRC.
>>
>> Cool... thanks for the heads up
>
>Actually, I was incorrect, it is 1 year P & L, 2 years CRT.

I gotchya. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to wait for the
first year to expire before buying the extended with an XBR.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

HDTV-slingr wrote:
> As for the CC guy encouraging you to shop elsewhere because you
> weren't willing to purchase the service / protection agreement...
> well... let's just say he's OBVIOUSLY not on commission. Probably not
> still employed at CC either because I have a hard time believing
> they'd approve of such actions.

Uh, didn't he go to BBY, not CC?

--
Brian The Demolition Man Little

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Yes, but you volunteered to do so. I have done this myself. Gives one a
good feeling..!

Phil Ross wrote:
> What about the last time that I spent my hour in Sears waiting for my
> wife. I ended up educating their sales guy in the TV department about
> HDTV and the different options, as he didn't have a clue that you
> could even get HD OTA from an antenna, etc. It works both ways. You
> see, I already had my Sony XBR plasma and was just killing time
> looking at their stuff, and ended up in a pretty good conversation
> with their salesman. He actually thanked me for "enlightening" him,
> as they obviously hadn't spent much time training him.
>
> "L Alpert" <alpertl@xxcomcast.net> wrote in message
> newsJ1Wc.67526$TI1.53884@attbi_s52...
>>
>> Most of the guys shopping in Sears are waiting for the wife to get
>> done in the childrens clothing section and just wander over to the
>> TVs for something to do.....

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:42:51 -0500, "Brian The Demolition Man Little"
<x@y.z> wrote:

>HDTV-slingr wrote:
>> As for the CC guy encouraging you to shop elsewhere because you
>> weren't willing to purchase the service / protection agreement...
>> well... let's just say he's OBVIOUSLY not on commission. Probably not
>> still employed at CC either because I have a hard time believing
>> they'd approve of such actions.
>
>Uh, didn't he go to BBY, not CC?

Yup... my bad...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

HDTV-slingr wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:42:51 -0500, "Brian The Demolition Man Little"
> <x@y.z> wrote:
>
>> HDTV-slingr wrote:
>>> As for the CC guy encouraging you to shop elsewhere because you
>>> weren't willing to purchase the service / protection agreement...
>>> well... let's just say he's OBVIOUSLY not on commission. Probably
>>> not still employed at CC either because I have a hard time believing
>>> they'd approve of such actions.
>>
>> Uh, didn't he go to BBY, not CC?
>
> Yup... my bad...

Happens to all of us.

--
Brian The Demolition Man Little