Best Buy has confirmed that it does, in fact, have a second website "for what one could assume is for the purpose of defrauding its customers," according to Slashdot. The nearly-identical intranet site has been used to show customers a higher price than listed on the internet.
This isn't the first time the consumer electronics retailer has gotten into trouble for defrauding customers:
They paid $135,000 in New Jersey three years ago to settle that state's suit accusing them of deceptive sales practices, repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new, and failing to pay rebates and refunds. A similar case in Ohio is on-going.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota company operates 1,100 stores in the US, Canada and China.
Graphic from Gizmodo
- kate
Copyright © 2007 Apartment Therapy
Is there any store left that will treat both their employees and their costumers as human beings?
I love typos!
About a year and a half ago I purchased a plasma TV from Best Buy. I had done some research on the internet to find the model I wanted, and Best Buy was cheapest/most convinient for me. I go in there and they tell me its a couple hundred dollars mroe than I saw it on their site for.
I tell them they made a mistake and they show me this Intranet version of their site, but not in a browser - It was housed in their own little custom browser app. I accused them of that and left. As I was walking out of the store they miraculously found the correct price on their website.
I go back in and they have the website up in IE this time with the correct price. I love my plasma TV but I'm really wishing I woudln't have purchased it from them. Next time I'll be willing to pay more just to not support BB.
Just thought I'd further post that this happened at the Best Buy near North/Clybourne in Chicago.
I had a similar experience with Circuit City. Saw something on the website for one price(sale), saw it in the store not on sale. When I got to the register and questioned it, the cashier very kindly looked it up on the "Internet" site and adjusted my price with no problem. I don't know whether this is typical or not for CC, but I was happy with my experience. Best Buy on the other hand has problems not only with their advertising and in store pricing, but their management in my experience is not customer focused at all.
wow. i was about to buy a washer/dryer set for 600 with 24 months no interest. guess i'll go elsewhere and pay interest....
I just went through this with best buy. I purchased an HDTV from them last week. The floor price was more expensive than the "in-store only" promotional price listed online. When I told them of the on-line price, they pulled up the higher-priced intranet link. They adjusted the price after a few forceful words.
Lesson learned: always be an educated buyer... bringing a print out helps too.