# Boxing week sale ranting!



## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

So, I know exactly what I'm looking for (a tv and a stand) and I decide to hit up all the nearest Best Buys and Future Shops today in the area to see what kind of deals they can give and their availability.

I checked the prices on the future shop website first to get an idea of the prices. tv being 1600 and stand being 180.

So I speak to a future shop salesman and tells me there isn't anything lower he can do except for a free HDMI cable at 2 different future shops. The tv won't be available @ future shop until later on in January so I didn't think to ask about the stand's availability as well.

Afterwards, I go to best buy @ stc and see what they can do too. At this point I've already given up on the idea that anyone will give me a big discount if I buy an entire package (tv, speakers, ps3, rogers cable box, etc.). They're selling the same tv for 1700 and stand for 200, and they're willing to do a price match for them both. Suffice to say I was happy and wanted to take what I can get but they did not have it in stock. However, it just so happens that the best buy in markville had 1 last tv and 3 stands left. So I zoom my way over there with high hopes.

So far everything is going alright, but then things start to go to hell. Let's use a happiness scale starting from 10 being the highest.

I get there and I stand around for about 30 minutes waiting for someone to be free. (Still 10, its boxing day, its expected)

I finally get to speak to someone and I ask about the tv first because its the most important thing. He replies by saying that they're sold out and that the 1 was some kind of computer glitch. (9, aww its not available, but still expected)

I then ask about the tv stand and if they can price match it. Without batting an eyelash, the dude tells me he won't because it isn't available at the ONE future shop (warden + hwy7) that he checked this morning. So I said that there was another future shop on markham road and asked if he could check with that one (I forgot to check the stock, remember). He sighs and says he will have to call future shop to check @ the customer service counter. (Still 9, cmon he's probably had a long day and his shift just ended)

I stand there while he walks off and I see him helping another customer 5 minutes later, I think to myself that the customer probably just ambushed him with questions and so I wait some more. 10 minutes later he walks by me and goes to the computer, pulls up the future shop website and shows me that the stand's price is 329! Then he just walks off and helps another customer. (8, I don't know why future shop decided to change the price on the website that afternoon)

I didn't get a chance to explain that future shop's price is still 180 because he just up and left. So I stand there for another 20 minutes or so for another person to be free. This time the person was much friendlier and was also off the clock but was willing to help. I tell him that I wanted the stand and that future shop is selling it for 180. He goes and grabs the stand right away for me and begins processing it along with the price matching. (10 again, I finally get to bring something home!)

Just then the original salesman walks by and sees me purchasing it. He looks at the price on the screen and starts YELLING at me in front of like 10 other customers! He tells me that he already told me that the price is 329 on the website, that the future shop he checked this morning had zero in stock, and that I'm a dirty dishonest person for tricking the other employee with fake prices! (1, only 1 because of what happens next) 

I'm shocked. I tell the salesperson that the site is wrong and he should call future shop to confirm the price. He tells me no he won't do that because it isn't advertised and tells me again that future shop is out of stock. On top of that he tells me if I have a problem with it I should just leave and get it from a future shop or talk to his manager.

I don't know what the hell is going on at this point but I just say, "if that's what it takes, then okay, sure, let me talk to the manger". I'm usually a mellow guy and I haven't raised my voice ever at an employee over anything but really now... (0, I think I've had enough)

So he looks and me, turns around, doesn't get the manager, and starts helping out another customer... (-50. what a slap to the face)

I storm out of the store and go straight to the future shop on markham road. Friendly salesperson again who has been off the clock for 3 hours now. I show him the website, he checks the inventory. 3 available stands and for $180. (-100!) WHAT THE HELL?! That jerk salesman didn't even bother to call the future shop at all. He was the liar! With the exception of the future shop website updating its prices early for after the boxing week sales, all that was needed for a price match was there!

I am still so steamed even so many hours after being yelled at. I purchased the stand and have the receipt. Tomorrow I am going straight to best buy and am either going to talk to the manager or end up punching that salesman right in the nose and staple the receipt to his face. This is the worst purchasing experience I have EVER had!


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

gotta love ebay bro 

Just kidding, had to say something.. HD tv, stand, and ps3 are on my list for this year so went to eglington locations to check them out. Future shop and best buy didn't drop their prices below normal for anything this year yet the lineups were madness. Did you notice there were no 'sale price' stickers on the tv's ? Thousands of people were gulled into fighting for parking spaces (one got followed out by a cop) and blowing their cash. 20 min in each store for a visual comparison of the models and I walked out. The prices are a couple hundred dollars cheaper from many online sources. You can't haggle much from a commercial outlet, unless it's Lucky's. The 40 inch samsung lcd with ps3 package for 999. was 3 weeks ago on a now expired flyer. 500 series already outdated, and only 60 hertz at that.

Edit: I feel your pain though, this guy.... "He looks at the price on the screen and starts YELLING at me in front of like 10 other customers! He tells me that he already told me that the price is 329 on the website, that the future shop he checked this morning had zero in stock, and that I'm a dirty dishonest person for tricking the other employee with fake prices!"

... needs a drop kick in the head.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I always use the price matching guarantee with the sales staff at Future Shop and Best Buy. As a customer I usually get my way, i.e. returning opened software for full credit due to information being missing on the packaging. Takes a bit of an argument but I usually win in the end. The staff there have some discression about pricing. I know because I have been the reicipient and have seen them also offer it to other customers. Reducing prices at the register on the floor. That is predominantly why I get the sales staff to deal with the sale rather than the cashiers. As for the guarantee, I have never had an issue. The go onto the website, check what I am talking about and beat the price. No questions, no hassel. I would talk to the manager of the store and make sure you lodge a complaint. His actions are unexcuseable.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

WiyRay,

Oh man. I am really peeved over reading that. I -know- the feeling. Been there before once in th same position. I found out a while ago that IIRC Best Buy owns FutureShop now. Also CHECK THE WEBSITE THE CSR IS LOOKING AT, AT BEST BUY. Make sure it's not on the INTRANET (meaning internal network website). I've been listening to a lot of tech radio over the years and know of Best Buy (USA tho but not too much of a leap to Canada given the same company) screwing with their customers and when a customer says a price is this and that and they pull up their screen on their 'rigged' page it shows the page is not that but sometimes they will play with you by saying they can help you out by throwing some small item which probably costs them pennies to try and sweeten the deal for you.

I'll have to find the news report on that again.

Found it. http://gizmodo.com/241220/best-buy-admits-they-scam-in+store-customers-with-secret-website POWER TO THE PISSED OFF CONSUMER! 'admitted to an investigator'. LOL...

Best Buy admits to keeping fake rip-off site


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

DaFishMan, 
lol ebay probably won't be any better knowing my luck. I noticed a long time ago that the prices weren't really down for boxing day. I kept my eye on that TV for months (granted that it has lowered a bit gradually). Its just that I've been staring at an empty space on the wall of my basement for almost a year now waiting for boxing day. I just didn't want to wait longer. 

KnaveTO,
I've been hearing more and more stories about the more veteran employees cracking down on the policy which makes this price matching business a hoax. Flyers that say limited quantities will usually void price matching (which all flyers usually seem to say now), if either stores don't have it in stock it voids price matching, if its a sale price it voids price matching, so on and so forth... Which just seems to me that employees can pick and choose any excuse if they don't want to do it.

AquaNeko,
Yeah, I still don't understand it but the website still says 329. That much I can't change unless I go all out and call FutureShop to tell them to change it back. I could also go all paranoid and say that the employee purposely changed the price with FutureShop while he was supposedly going away to call from the customer service counter... but no... can't lose my marbles yet.

Either way, I'm going back this afternoon. Still deciding on how I should approach this... Have the biggest fake smile while explaining everything to the manager... Walk in there and just start yelling at the top of my lungs that this BestBuy is horrible and I want to speak to the manager... go straight to that employee and "drop kick him in the head"... dunno. Just seems funny in theory trying to be dramatic but of course, it probably won't happen since I'm more quiet and reserved with a better chance of having the manager yell at me instead.


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

Wow that sucks dude! Let me know how everything fares out! Should I bring my security team from the bar to back you up?? LOL. I'm sure that would be funny, 20 guys walking in front, beside and behind you. You're own entourage! hahaha


I know when I went out boxing day, the guys that came through the lines before they opened at Futureshop were great! Once I got inside and it was chaos, the reps, weren't as friendly. Just that time of year with lots of B.S. and ignorant customers. They ruin it for the majority of nice customers and friendly people. 

Just like at the bar! Let's of people say, that I have attitude and am rude. Sometimes just a build up of the idiots you deal with before. NEVER an excuse though! 

Seriously though, good luck with it all. I think the calm approach to start is the best bet. Then escalate from there depending on how the manager reacts. Keep us posted!


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

Yes, hello, I am calm and I want to file a complaint... 
Actually, I am calm with 20 calm bar security guards around me... Being calm.  

lol.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I've had the pleasure of meeting TBird... he could definately be imposing LOL

Talk to the Manager. The fact that the employee didn't do his job is unexcuseable. They have a price guarantee. Not following through with it is false advertising and may be subject to fines and the like from the Ontario Government. I have friend that work in Best Buy corporate (one of their intranet programmers) as well as in retail stores down in the US and have never heard of such frauds as were stated in the reports linked to above. 

Like I said before, the floor computers have access to the web so searching for an item from a competitor is easy enough. Perpetual inventory systems can and will have errors due to shoplifting and the like. It is an unfortunate aspect of business. However I have never been denied a price match and I use it pretty much all the time. I investigate what I am looking for and look around as to who has the guarantee and then go to the store with the highest price and get them to match as the discount is the greatest. Most will meet and then exceed the amount by a percentage of the difference, therefore using the price match at the store with the highest price nets you the greatest discount. 

I don't know what Best Buy you went into, but I have to say the one at the Eaton Centre is great and very accomodating.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Tbird said:


> Wow that sucks dude! Let me know how everything fares out! Should I bring my security team from the bar to back you up?? LOL. I'm sure that would be funny, 20 guys walking in front, beside and behind you. You're own entourage! hahaha


Am I the only one that started having that Visa commercial start running through their head with that comment LOL


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> I've had the pleasure of meeting TBird... he could definately be imposing LOL
> 
> Talk to the Manager. The fact that the employee didn't do his job is unexcuseable. They have a price guarantee. Not following through with it is false advertising and may be subject to fines and the like from the Ontario Government. I have friend that work in Best Buy corporate (one of their intranet programmers) as well as in retail stores down in the US and have never heard of such frauds as were stated in the reports linked to above.
> 
> ...


Lol. Thanks knave!! If think I'm imposing the two guys that would be beside him would be 6'2 340 and 6'1 270. Lol

but seriously I would go to the store file a complaint and then send one online if nothing Is done. If you are looking for stuff at future shop pm me with what it is and I'll ask my buddy to see who has in stock.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

AquaNeko said:


> WiyRay,
> 
> Oh man. I am really peeved over reading that. I -know- the feeling. Been there before once in th same position. I found out a while ago that IIRC Best Buy owns FutureShop now. Also CHECK THE WEBSITE THE CSR IS LOOKING AT, AT BEST BUY. Make sure it's not on the INTRANET (meaning internal network website). I've been listening to a lot of tech radio over the years and know of Best Buy (USA tho but not too much of a leap to Canada given the same company) screwing with their customers and when a customer says a price is this and that and they pull up their screen on their 'rigged' page it shows the page is not that but sometimes they will play with you by saying they can help you out by throwing some small item which probably costs them pennies to try and sweeten the deal for you. ...


You know, they do that here as well. I've tried to price match at Best Buy and they pull this shit on me before (the BB at Marksville Mall). I didn't believe the asshole and pull up the furtureshop website because their link was a favourite link showing some funny shit. I manually type in futureshop.ca and from there I managed to ge the correct one and he asshole was pretending to be confused. Anyway, I bought the peice of shit and end up returning it later. Got into more shit about the reselving fees.

Next time, go to the Future shop at Warden and 7. That one is way better than most of the other places. And they price match with a smile. Good sale manager there, who knows how to do business. Some times they do call the other store, but most of the time, they don't even bother. Why waste time on your employee and risk pissing off the customer when you can still make some money and sell the item? Making the customer jump loops and hurdles completely defeat the purpose of price matching.

Anyway, good luck to you. But chances are, you won't get what you want if you go back to complain to the manager. Do something better like writing to head office and tell them how the other Futureshop are so much better than that shitty Best Buy. That will do some major damage hire up in the chain. Hope you manage to get all the names. Complainning to the manager just get your complain burried under a few sorry words and file closed. And if you are piss and yelling, that will give them ground to legally throw you out and simply file that under "angry customer". No fault to them.

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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

That really sucks. I've notice over the years boxing day sales are not the same anymore. I took my daughter to get some photos developed last night at walmart and was looking at two particular items over the last month. Shuffleboard and an entertainment unit. To my surprise both were more expensive now then before Christmas even with a huge sign on the front of them saying boxing day blow out. I have heard of this when I took marketing in school but I didn't really think anyone followed this practice.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

This years boxing day I've found from what I've seen and heard myself didn't seem like the others of many years ago. Stores seemed to be prepared more and stocked up on goods.

KnaveTO,

Well normally small blog sites I'm so-so on the info on them but when it hits a large site like biong-biong or Gizmodo I take it with more meaning. Then again it has been on slashdot.org on that news. I can't remember now but normally when it hits slashdot they have serious power there and people can dig out almost anything on the researching of the links. I'll have to check the link on /. and see what the comments say there as it has been a long time since I read that there.

Wiyray,

Contact this man. http://toronto.ctv.ca/consumer/ Pat Foran. Make sure you have all your time/date and names of people you spoke with. I have no personal experience with Pat but have watched a lot of his coverage on CTV @ 6pm and how he has helped many people out there with bad deals and such helping the customer out. A news crew by CTV can help get things moving.


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

WiyRay said:


> So he looks and me, turns around, doesn't get the manager, and starts helping out another customer... (-50. what a slap to the face)


He probably didn't get the manager because the manager probably knows what a jerk he is and was just relying on this guy for extra holiday help. If the manager was any good he would have been in serious trouble, and he knew it!

Sorry you went through all this. Get your discount. If you can remember the employee's name, report him. (Customers deserve respect -- good service should be rewarded, bad service should be reported).


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

The manager said thanks for letting him know and he'll deal with the employee accordingly... 

But then manager also did say something along the lines of, if its a web-only offer/offer by employee/or in-store only offer, then BestBuy won't price match it. Stupid...

Boy I'm just fighting a losing war if I keep going. Since the FutureShop website changed its price, I have nothing to show that it was actually that price except the receipt and that won't say what kind of offer it was. And I seriously doubt that FutureShop would give me a record of its price changes, but I sent an e-mail asking for it anyways.

If I do get it, then I will continue pursuing this. Otherwise I just look like a kid insisting non-valid prices.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

If you have the link/address of the item, do a google search for that URL, and look at the Cached pages - you might be able to find an old page with that existing price to show them that it was at thta price before. But you might not be able to get a price match as it's not a current price.

Either way, that employee was asking for a yelling at. I'm a quiet person usually, but he would have got a good one from me.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Tbird said:


> Wow that sucks dude! Let me know how everything fares out! Should I bring my security team from the bar to back you up?? LOL. I'm sure that would be funny, 20 guys walking in front, beside and behind you. You're own entourage! hahaha
> 
> I know when I went out boxing day, the guys that came through the lines before they opened at Futureshop were great! Once I got inside and it was chaos, the reps, weren't as friendly. Just that time of year with lots of B.S. and ignorant customers. They ruin it for the majority of nice customers and friendly people.
> 
> ...


Dude! Pocket pihranas man! POCKET PIHRANAS!!! Tho a S.O team would be nice to have.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

WiyRay said:


> The manager said thanks for letting him know and he'll deal with the employee accordingly...
> 
> But then manager also did say something along the lines of, if its a web-only offer/offer by employee/or in-store only offer, then BestBuy won't price match it. Stupid...
> 
> ...


Bring me with you next time!

and he will have a taste of HELL!


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## AnnaZ (Dec 1, 2009)

lol everytime my boyfriend is steamed about something, he sends me because he knows I'm a sweet talker


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

One way to make sure that the employee is actually talked to is to ask for an appology from the offending employee, written preferably as it would probably become part of their permanent employment file.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

you are much nicer than i am. i don't put up with crap. if someone talked to me like that i would have freaked right out, gotten the manager myself or kicked him in the nuts. hard. it's not weither you are right or wrong. the guy was rude. his attitude was not appropriate for a work place.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

lol that bugs the hell out of me with these employees who feel like they own the company. I've had mixed results with pricematching things. Such a hassel! Like seriously, why do they care so much? I'm not even trying to scam them. Is there some sort of demerit point system? lol

That doesn't go to say that I've had some PMs with no trouble, which is the way it should be!


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I've found Wallys does good price matching. Tho their higher end stuff is more ~entry to mid-range quality in other electronic stores like BB/FS.

Like I got my long zoom digi-camera a while ago and price matched at Wallys. The other place (can't remember) had a kit and memory sticks with it. Wallys matched ( Bayview & Elgin Mills location) after about spending ~5 mins with me and then 5 mins calling up the store. The store just closed for the day but they honored it.


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