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How to Rip Off Best Buy, Circuit City, and even Fry's Electronics, etc.

storyevent.com — Many stores use an illegal practice that goes undetected. When you find a store that does, scheme hundreds off your next big purchase and totally stick it to the man.

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  • PLUMCRAZY, on 10/12/2007, -14/+43As they say at the Guinness plant, Brilliant ! ! !

    I'm buying a tv next month and I'm going to keep trying this everywhere until it works.
    • JDWTC, on 10/12/2007, -7/+689 times out of 10, on a big ticket item, you can just ask for a discount. If the TV costs $4300, say, "I'll give you $3900." This is how I bought my Sony TV.

      This works even better at smaller stores (I count the Sony Store in this category -- for some reason they have less of a corporate dictatorship for their stores). Figure out what the lowest price anyone will go is, then ask for $50 off that.

      Obviously don't do this, or even try, on small ticket items or they will laugh at you.
    • freakon, on 10/12/2007, -102/+18Jeez, why cant people be nice and just get along with the big corporations?

      If you started a multi-billion dollar corporation, wouldnt you want to be treated with respect?
    • thelastknowngod, on 10/12/2007, -8/+63i used to work at compusa. this does not work that way. if the price needs to be changed then the sales rep will have to walk you to the front to tell the cashier to change the price or the manager will check you out himself. when you say no then you loose the discount.

      just buy the plan and return it the next day.
    • AcePuppy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28Use: http://www.storyevent.com.nyud.net:8080/outsmart-best-buy-circuit-city-save-hundreds-on-electronics
    • SuperSnake2012, on 10/12/2007, -19/+12This would probably never work... whenever I have made a big ticket purchase at a store, the salesperson will go with you to the register to make sure that the sale is completed, so they get their commission or whatever. I'm sure they would remove the discount if you decided you didn't want the warranty then.
    • mrfreeziexp, on 10/16/2007, -4/+120"Obviously don't do this, or even try, on small ticket items or they will laugh at you."

      He's right, I once told them I'd give them $3.50 for a $5 pack of batteries... It didn't work. I think I was close though.
    • h2d2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+39"This would probably never work..."

      You do realize that the Extended Warranty has it's own item number and you can always go back and get "a REFUND ON JUST THE WARRANTY, please". And since you didn't receive a an advertised discount, i.e. "buy an extended warranty and save $300", they can't change the price of the tv / home theater / whatever.
    • nottidredd, on 10/12/2007, -195/+14burried as spam, "breaking the law is not cool"

      digg me down for being a law abiding citizen
    • TaeBoX, on 10/12/2007, -12/+75The store is the one breaking the law, you are taking advantage of them. That's not illegal. I'll digg you down for being a moron.
    • calbff, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17This is completely brilliant and I'm ashamed for not thinking of it myself. There's just the problem of getting rid of the salesperson at the till, but even if it worked once it would be worth it, plus it would be satisfying as hell to beat them at their own game.

      @nottidredd
      When did it become even slightly illegal to barter and change your mind??
    • jacobsor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+41There is nothing "illegal" about simply attempting to sell an extended warranty with a product. (Even if the retailer offers to lower the price in return.)

      What the author calls "illegal bundling" is actually called "tying" in antitrust law. Businesses do it all the time, and for the most part it is entirely legal:

      "Tying is the practice of making the sale of one good (the tying good) to the de facto or de jure customer conditional on the purchase of a second distinctive good (the tied good). A classic example of de facto tying is the selling of razors at a loss and making the profit on the blades. It is illegal when the products are not naturally related, e.g., requiring a bookstore to stock up on an unpopular title before allowing them to purchase a bestseller."

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_tying

      At the same time, there's nothing illegal about haggling with the retailer to get a better discount. If they're willing to sell it to you for a lower price, that's just good negotiating on your part.
    • Fosnez, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Product Tying can get you in trouble - especially when it comes to tax. In Australia food is not taxed (by the GST, like a VAT) so instead of selling a tv for $1100 ($100 being tax) you could sell a grape for $1000 and give the TV away... the taxman gets ***** at you real quick...
    • ImASpartan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14They often times will call this a 'package deal' if you try to buy the service and return it, meaning they will push the price of the product back up to retail price if you return the service plan. This is in fact illegal, (referred to as in boarding) they cannot change the price of a TV in order to sell other products. This little legal loophole happens because service plans are NOT TAXABLE where as the TV very much is. This means that the store is actually paying less tax by reducing the price of the TV, and keeping the service plan at full price. The government doesn't like this form of tax evasion which is why the practice is illegal. Continue to demand to talk to a manager, and if they still will not allow you to return the service while keeping the discount, contact corporate. Who would have thought that tax laws can work in your favor?!
    • UBStinky, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I won't lie. This made me laugh. When I worked at best buy my Gm of the store got fired for doing this :-p. He was dropping prices on open items so people would by the PSP/PRP's. /He is correct. It is illegal.
    • tjdoom, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2This was previously on digg, but I'm glad it showed up again, it's a great idea that isn't that well-known.
    • lbjazz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It should be pointed out that the practice of taking money off the main item in order to sell the warranty is prohibited by company policy at Best Buy. That said, in certain circumstances it still happens if the "senior" or manager in the dept isn't aware of said policy or doesn't otherwise care.
    • AeonTorpor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Kind of like how thelastknowngod said, this doesn't work that way at BB either. Most reps will personally ring you out, or tell the cashier what the deal is. Even then, most of the time the price of the TV isn't the issue at hand. I've seen, at the most, 30% off of accessories. This is specifically to curb such abuse. In addition, if the TV were to be discounted, the price of the warranty changes too (there's price brackets). But it's pretty damned doubtful that it'd be changed at all. 10 year warranty (which most don't even have (BB), or most employees don't even know about) or not, It's worth a try, but it's a long shot.

      But either way, the warranty on projo TVs is probably worth it, i've seen so many go out.
    • sevyplates, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21Sorry guys, this doesn't work. Well, at least not at my circuit city.

      I don't completely understand how it works exactly, but if you try to return the extended warranty they make you pay what you were given off. ( pretty dick, I know)

      I work at circuit city myself, and I always tell customers "IF YOU BUY the warranty I can take money off of your purchase". It makes the warranty more rewarding if you get your unit a bit cheaper, you know?

      But honestly doing something like this is a dick of a move. Sure, it's a way of telling the higher-ups to "get bent", but if those bastards crash, people like me crash.

      Each store is given $1000 leeway to do things like lowering prices for warranties, price-matching, and even to say "sorry" to a customer". (Just last week this customer came in wanting a hard to find laptop that was on sale, but we were out of stock and he'd have to drive miles to another store to buy it. So I asked the manager if it was okay if I could make it $60 cheaper for him because of the inconvenience.)

      However, if we lose more than that the $1000 that was given to us, then us lowly employees(i.e. me) lose hours or even get laid off. So your not only taking cash from some fat cat, your taking money from my wallet too.

      Sure I work at circuit city, and people hate the ever living hell out of me.
      But i'm also a digger and an average guy who's trying to pay my way for college because CC pays a bit more than In-N-Out does.
    • origclubsoda, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17Who's going to listen some who spells Beaucoup, "boo coos"
    • rofflcopterr, on 10/12/2007, -8/+7Actually.

      This sounded like a 'brilliant' plan right up until the part where the end is completely wrong.

      There's no way a manager or salesperson would ever have a line-level cashier ring their multi thousand dollar sale. They'll do it in the department, with their logon ID. Most of the time 'extreme' discounts like this require approval of a manager's ID.

      What's the solution? Return the warranty only?

      Almost, but not quite. Upon returning service on high-dollar items, a manager is called back over instantly. Usually a sales or services manager. Low and behold they'll not only question the return of your warranty, but mark the item back up to original cost when you attempt to return "just the warranty." Either way you're screwed because the markdown only covered the price of the extended warranty.

      I PROMISE this is how it will go. Illegal? I'm pretty sure what you're doing is just as bad, it's borderline theft.
    • WaterDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@fosnez
      "In Australia food is not taxed (by the GST, like a VAT) so instead of selling a tv for $1100 ($100 being tax) you could sell a grape for $1000 and give the TV away.."


      $1,000. for a grape? Maybe that's why Aussie Shiraz tastes so great!
    • moosebaloney, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0The one MAJOR hole in this plan is that the tactic of lowering the price of merchandise to sell protection plans is fully and udderly ILLEGAL and against many corporate policies. I've worked retail for 9 years and seen multiple managers canned for padding their numbers by price adjustments for protection plans... If you're able to find a manager dumb enough, or slimey enough to try this, why don't you just slip him some cash on the side and ask him to load it out of the fire escape??? IT WORKED FOR ME!
    • Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1My 71" Samsung started at $4900... I got Tweeter down to $3500 after normal haggling... In fact I have previously written a sonnet to describe the process.

      Our tale is west of the city of wind,
      The stage is for those that Tweet.
      As with the many O’ years lost sinned,
      ‘Tis a cold day that they meet.

      Though our hero has not brown eyes,
      Nor hooked nose as expected.
      His mother is a Saint, besides,
      His haggle is quite perfected.

      “Give unto me five thousand crowns,
      And surely you shall find glory.”
      But our hero played them all for clowns,
      thus the reason for our story.

      He said: “Nay four,
      maybe a few more.”

      To which: “Fine.
      Please stand in line.”
      But he did not align!

      This was scandalous,
      Priced stupendous!
      “Yet he walks away from us!? “

      Unto the appliance shoppe,
      Twas just a skip and a hop.
      “Here is their price, can you top?”

      The shoppe did so,
      But where doth he go…
      The Tweets cry, “He cometh again, oh no”

      This is just one verse,
      Of a swindle rehearsed.
      By the time he is done they needed a hearse.

      “Three and hay!
      What doth thou say?”
      “Include delivery for free and we’ll call it a day.”
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@sevyplates

      Laying off the blue and yellow shirts? I somehow doubt it, they still need monkeys to push their crap. The only people who usually get burned is the management. If they did their job correctly and treated people fairly they would have nothing to fear.

      If BigBox retailers want to sell their crappy warranties then they need to:
      1) make them worth the paper they are printed on
      2) lower the price to a reasonable level.

      There is no reason why the warranty for a $2000 TV should cost near what the warranty on a $25000 car does.

      I always laugh when i think back to when I bought a $15 microphone and the sales monkey tried to push an $8 warranty on me.
    • rofflcopterr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1omg I know of another company that's ripping people off by illegally discounting products!!!

      cell phones!

      when was the last time you decided to buy a phone and found out they'd only discount it if you agreed to buy their service?

      how ILLEGAL! let's all go buy cell phones and then return our service!
      • EDOG2519, on 06/30/2008, -0/+0hey just for all you that read this i work at circuit city now and we just got told by coreprite office if we mark down any sony tv's slr's or any thing sony we will get fired on the spot it's something that sony is doing to all the stores I think.
  • jake07, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9I've used this even at Best Buy. It's been about two years ago, but it does work. Sometimes you have to get the manager or supervisor involved. ie, ask the rep if their supervisor can discount the television any lower. I saved about $200 if I remember correctly.
    • adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8If you don't mind open item stuff you can get great deals on open tv's and stuff. I got a $450 dollar Phillips TV about 4 years ago, that had been returned and Best Buy was about to do it's inventory counts and the department manger was trying like hell to get rid of the ton of open items he had. After they let me plug it in to make sure it worked, he runt it up for me for 200 even. The best way to get a deal in BB or CC is to buy something that got returned (ask why, and if you can see it tested). Find something you want, keep an eye in it, after a few days or weeks they will do almost anything to get it out of the store.
    • johnmalc, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I saved about $1000 on my $1000 TV. Ever heard of McDonald's Monopoly game?
  • Thorlord, on 10/12/2007, -8/+10i worked at circuit city, if you really stick and never even make them think that you will return the warranty, or really want the longer warranty, they will sell your discount to a manager. who are the ones who have the real authority to discount products.

    then again, i got my TV shortly before i left, i got a 1,700 TV with a 5 year warranty plan for about $1,200 wold have been $1,100 without the 5 year so i thought "might as well, it IS kinda almost usefull for $100 for 5 years"

    what im saying is.. there is tons of negotiation room, $500 is a bit extreme and you should not expect to get that (the store lost about half that as the TV cost more than $1200) so a good savings is most likely going to be around $200, with $150 being average.
  • CYG101, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8For Canadian peeps, i tried this when buying a digital camera in Future Shop, and it works, you wont save $150+ on a digital camera but you can get at least $25 off to buy a case for it or more memory...
    • LilBoyLuver, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26Yeah I found an open item camera at Bestbuy and got them to take $120 off of it if I bought the 5 year warranty. I then returned the warranty brought the camera to Europe and Africa for 6 months and when I got home put it on ebay and made $5. This is the way to go when you are buying electronics.
    • EasY_TargeT, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Best Buy gives me free warranties too.
    • wstrucke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14how do you return a warranty? bring the forms back the next day? do you know how long they will take them back (e.g. up to thirty days from the date on the receipt)? do all of the major electronics stores allow you to return the warranty?
    • 8177, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Most do.
      I personally never buy them. I worked retail for a while, and the warrenty usually can be returned before a fixed date. Though, after about a month they will charge you using some formula for the amount of time you were under said warrenty.
    • adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7"how do you return a warranty? bring the forms back the next day? do you know how long they will take them back (e.g. up to thirty days from the date on the receipt)? do all of the major electronics stores allow you to return the warranty?"

      When I worked at best buy it was prorated. If you bought a $300 3yr service plan, and returned it a year later you got $200 bucks back.
    • moosebaloney, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1$25 Canadian? WOW, that has to be at least.... $0.75 American. AMAZING!
  • micahman, on 10/12/2007, -52/+2Maybe next time I shop for something at Fries I might genuinely be surprised, contrary to what their ads say.
  • speedfoot, on 10/12/2007, -12/+4good idea! i'll have to try this out sometime!
  • addrake, on 10/12/2007, -53/+3www.duggmirror.com
  • jsc315, on 10/12/2007, -12/+8yea great. page isn't available.
  • soviyet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+50Sites down. Is this the thing where you accept the extended warranty in exchange for a discount, but then change your mind at the register, but keep the discount?
  • deansfurniture5, on 10/12/2007, -4/+34http://www.storyevent.com.nyud.net:8080/outsmart-best-buy-circuit-city-save-hundreds-on-electronics
    • pbaehr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+152Thanks. Remember when duggmirror used to actually cache pages?

      Ah. Those were simpler times.
  • slapded, on 10/12/2007, -17/+11i really wanted this twix bar standing in line at circuit city. i said.. "ill give you .35 cents."

    she told me to keep it!!

    take that CC!!
  • gharding, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I didn't know about that one. I generally just pricematch.
  • friend18, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12How do they lower the price on the tv or item for you? Wouldn't they have to be at the register to tell the cashier?
  • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+35"Salespeople can and will lower the price on inventory at places like Circuit City and Best Buy as long as it pleases management. This is called illegal bundling and it happens all the time."

    I had a hard time finding out what exactly the definition of "illegal bundling" is. This is the best I could find: "Bundling — to be precise, illegal bundling, is the practice of forcing customers to buy unrelated X to get Y. In other words, forcing your customer to buy an an orange to get lettuce." (From http://www.hypernote.com/C2029149708/E1066208709/index.html )

    So assuming that definition is valid, how in the name of ***** is lowering the price of a TV to get you to buy a warranty illegal bundling? It would be illegal bundling if you MUST buy the warranty in order to get the TV, which is clearly not the case. Here, the discount is being offered as an incentive to lower the TV's price below a MSRPish/advertised value, not to give you a reasonable price for a TV.
    • lexicon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+146I work at Best Buy.

      Lowering the price to sell the Performance Service Plan/Accessories is called "inboarding" (considered very unethical by company). The reason a supervisor will do it is to raise percentage of PSP to revenue. Supervisors constantly monitor what are called "Margin Enhancement Scorecards". They monitor revenue, profit, accessory percent to budget, PSP percent to budget, etc. They get performance based incentives based on PSP percent (hence why inboarding is considered highly unethical). So basically, Best Buy employees are not on commission, but their immediate supervisor has a sizeable portion of his/her pay based on the PSP/GMP (Gross Margin Percent) he drives. And the supervisor will yell at said employee if he doesn't attach like hell and drive GMP.

      So here's my guideline for how much stuff actually costs Best Buy (to give you an idea about how much room you have):
      TV's over $1000 = About 60% of the price they are selling it at
      Speakers = About 50%
      Recievers = About 60%
      Cables = About 10-20%
      Monster Power Surge Protectors = About 33% (which makes them a bargain for use, as the $200 one is a very good deal at $60)

      Also, if you ever have issues with Best Buy purchases, ask the employee/sup/manager to look you up in Customer Contact Manager. Best Buy tracks all your purchases (through that phone number you give out at checkout, or with RewardZone), and those purchases can be looked up in there, but what is important is the market segment that the system assigns you as a result of those purchases. If you are a "Level 5 Barry", you could pretty much demand oral sex from the manager and recieve it, as you are one of BB's most profitable customers.

      And lastly, please be nice to the employee's. A lot of us are just trying to make it through college. :)
    • MrUnderbridge, on 10/12/2007, -23/+6No, man, see, it should be ILLEGAL for those fascists to make you buy the TV to get the warranty for it! Yeah! Stick it to the man!
    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Thanks for the informative response, lexicon. It's nice to see some expert replies here.
    • brandiniman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12@Lexicon

      I work at CompUSA and they do the same thing. We don't really have a name for it but generally only do it if we're having a really bad day or with open/display/returned items. The reason I see is that let's say you're getting a $1600 laptop which the 3 yr plan costs $499, we'd drop the price up to $200. Why? because we make only $200 on the laptop but nearly $350 on the service plan. So we end up making the same money, the salesperson gets a spiff (ie. a set amount added to their paycheck... ~$15) and the store looks better to corporate.

      Ditto on the treating employees nicely. I'm not afraid to send someone home with the wrong crap or to only show them the expensive model if they're assholes.
    • shark72, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"So assuming that definition is valid, how in the name of ***** is lowering the price of a TV to get you to buy a warranty illegal bundling?"

      It's not, at least in the context of the article. The guy who wrote the article is mistaken.

      But you have to acknowledge that "rip off a store because they're doing something illegal" goes down more smoothly than "rip off a store."
    • reiner15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@lexicon

      So is there a set amount you have to spend to climb the levels? In all departments or a select one? I've probably spent 3g's there in the last couple of years... so am I getting close to a Level 1?
  • apollomurga, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1i want to hear more stories of this working please!!!
  • Ngai, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39this topic has already been settled inaccurate... with over 1082 diggs

    http://www.digg.com/gadgets/How_to_rip_off_Best_Buy_and_other_Electronics_Stores
    • merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Can't you return a service contract at any point in its duration for a prorated refund?

      In the thread you site, the inaccuracy most frequently sited is that if you "change your mind" about the contract at the register, they charge you full price. However, returning the contract later circumvents that issue.
    • bongo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12You're looking for 'cite' there, not 'site'. I figured that you might want to know, since you used it twice.
  • insideyourhalo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+29Careful on how much you think you can shave off.. many of the box stores make very little money on "big ticket items." Most of the money is on accessories.. $35 for a $2 xbox cable etc. The expensive items are generally not sold for much above cost.
    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7No idea why you're getting dugg down for stating that, as it's the truth. People think they're getting a fantastic deal when they bundle a 3-year warranty with the TV and get the store to throw in an HDMI Monster cable for free, and you are getting a better deal to some extent. But it's far easier for them to do that than to discount a TV you buy on its own with no extended warranty or high-margin cabling.
    • kgilkerson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12He's getting dugg down because if users digg him down, it makes what he said untrue, of course. "Reality is a commodity"- Stephen Colbert
    • jacobsor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't know how true that is. If you compare prices for a big ticket item like a 50" plasma TV, Best Buy will usually be several hundred dollars more than most online stores.

      Granted, Best Buy probably has higher operating expenses, what with keeping all of those big box stores open and paying salaries. But it will still be making a considerable gross profit on the big ticket items.
  • wingus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3it doesn't work at Fry's the exit people there have known about this tactic for years the sales person will get fired for ***** like this and if you don't buy the warranty the sales person will have to edit the quote and will be called back to the register and remove the discount that they gave you
    • jpease, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Perhaps you could just go ahead and buy the discounted item with the warranty, and then come back within 30 days and get a refund on the extended warranty.
    • dhonn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1At Fry's red flags come up when a discount is over 5% especially on non-open box items. Policies have changed where nothing can be discounted unless it's clearance (10% off) or open box (5% off). Any discount over that needs approval from the SM or ASM. All discounts are also printed out on a quote. When a customer ready to pay and wants to delete something off the quote the cashier unable to do it. The cashier has to call the computer department and ask the sales person or supervisor to delete the item. You always have 30day to return it though. This kind of scam doesn't really work well at Fry's.
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2If you already purchased the item, how can they then "edit" the price. The moment money changes hands, the item is yours. They can not block your exit of the building, they can't stop you from leaving. If they try, raise a BIG stink. Scream, yell, call the cops, call the local news room, make a scene. They'll let you go. If they don't, get a lawyer and prepare to become the next owner of a Fry's.
    • dubloe7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@drmangrum

      i think you read something wrong somewhere.
      if you tell them to remove the warranty before the purchase they will have to call to the floor and have them edit the quote (the piece of paper you are given) and the sales associate will have to change it. when they do they will either come down to talk to you about it or have the cashier inform you that without the PSC (warranty) the item will be full price.
      if you say you changed your mind after you purchase it they will either void the transaction and then do the above, or have you return it (see below).
      if you try and return it later, the returns associate will bring the return to the attention of the PIC (person in charge) at that time, they have to do this with any warranty return, they will then either not return it, or do a virtual return and repurchase it at full price.
  • ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20"Many stores use an illegal practice that goes undetected. When you find a store that does, scheme hundreds off your next big purchase and totally stick it to the man."

    why do diggers seem to think two wrongs makes a right?
    • PiratePanties, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11I can't help but wonder the same thing. If you don't like a place, why not, you know, just NOT shop there? There are tons of ways to get things cheaper (welcome to the internet age) that don't involve scamming a low-wage employee that has no control over how the system works.

      You can kid yourself and say you're "sticking it to the man" all you want. But all it does is get someone you don't even know in trouble and raise prices for everyone else when the stores can't figure out why their losing money.
    • DisposableRob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"There are tons of ways to get things cheaper (welcome to the internet age)"

      Exactly, you know how I get hundred of dollars off items from Circuit City and Best Buy? It's called PriceGrabber. I got a $1,100 HDTV for $500 and I didn't have to even talk to anyone.
    • erictheninja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The example here is not illegal bundling. You have the option to not buy the warranty. For it to be illegal bundling, they must require you to purchase the warranty and the TV.
    • jsballardx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9***** the store!

      Get any deal, discount, evil trade-in or ***** deal you can. I don't care if the whole store goes bankrupt as long as I get me a cheap TV.
    • Vlatro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12"why do diggers seem to think two wrongs makes a right?"

      I've often wondered that myself. From my experience, it usually takes no fewer than 5 wrongs to make things right again.
    • MaxPayne3476, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Because stores like Best Buy and Circuit City use ***** tactics to pull you into the store and then ***** you over - I have no problem throwing it right back to them.
    • jcims, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Diggers are more into what feels good...
    • 8177, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Scrwe this scamming crap. Baseball bat and two in the morning works extremely well. Especially in those small family run businesses. Thats how you stick it to the man.
    • sleze, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Two wrongs don't make a right but three lefts do...
  • MrBlack08, on 10/12/2007, -27/+9Good Ol' Return Schemes...

    Basically since the site is down here is how it goes...

    Step 1. Go looking for a good TV/Big Ticket Item
    Step 2. Ask about the warranty (lowly employees will do anything to get a warranty on a big ticket item)
    Step 3. Ask for a discount on the item since you are buying a warranty.
    Step 4. Make purchase with discount on item
    Step 5. Go back to the store in a few days and return just the warranty
    Step 6. Profit.
    -----There you just saved anywhere from $50-$500 on a big ticket item.

    Another one of my favorites... The Swap n' Return

    So you have a broken item (camera, headphones, memory, dvd players) basically anything where they DONT input the serial number into the system. Sometimes you can go under the radar with items where serial numbers are taken but its risky. I used this on a pair of headphones. I usually treat my electronics with good care so there isnt physical damage just internal.

    Step 1. Go buy new same model item
    Step 2. Bring home
    Step 3. Swap the old with the new (leave manuals/accessories/and such that you don't need)
    Step 4. Take back to store
    Step 5. Return as if it doesn't work and forget about it.

    Only downside is if the store as a return fee (circuit city is %15) You can also do this with scratched video games, rent it at blockbuster and swap out and then tell the store it came like that.

    True none of this is moral... but come on. its corporate.

    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15"True none of this is moral... but come on. its corporate."

      Just because a company is corporate doesn't necessarily mean it's making disgustingly huge profit margins off of its customers. Take Wal-Mart for example. Now, I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart's products, labor practices, etc. But bear with me a moment.

      Let's say you spent $100 at Wal-Mart. How much would you think was profit once all is said and done (ie: once you factor in salaries, property bills, etc)? $10? $20? $30?

      http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/research/wizards/srwfund.asp?Symbol=WMT

      Scroll down to the "net profit" section. It's 3.6%. That means for every $100 you spend at Wal-Mart, they're getting $3.60 net profit when all is said and done.

      If someone here is an economist, please feel free to correct me because if I'm wrong then I'd love to know for the future.
    • merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14The second scheme you list is return fraud, and is unquestionably illegal.

      It also ***** over the next guy, who comes into the store, and ends up buying your scratched/broken/defective item.

      The scheme in TFA isn't as blatantly illegal. Still not something I'd try anyway.
    • samdu, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18"True none of this is moral... but come on. its corporate."

      Yes. Because corporations are soulless, nameless, faceless entities. It certainly doesn't hurt real people when you screw corporations over.

      /sarcasm
    • thedingman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm a retail store manager, and that second one ther is funny to me, as I have my loss pervention manager going after a guy for that exact tatic.
    • positr0n, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1A store manager for Albertson's told me that his store needs to turn over a million dollars a DAY in goods just to break even with the cost of just running the store, electricity, etc. I imagine it's the same for walmart.
    • hermes369, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I guess 3.6% of what is the big question. I'll take 3.6% of 83.543 Billion!
    • ModernGeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It says BestBuy has 3.3% Avg. Profit, and 3.7% net profit last year. I somehow think that this isn't what their margin is though. This must include labor, theft, etc. BestBuy margins on some things like laptops are like (like 2%), but on cables and accessories are high (think 90%).
    • phairphair, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2JavertHolmes:

      They make 3.6% NET profit after all operating expenses. That is a small percentage of incredible volume. But not uncommon for retail.

      The 40-80% margins cited by self-proclaimed Best Buy employees are simpoly GROSS margin: they retail minus the price paid by the retailer for the product. It does not take into account any operating expenses.

      What most Best Buy,etc. store level employees don't understand is that the "cost" they see in their system is not the actual product cost. No retailer releases this info to store level employees. This is highly confidential information negotiated at the corporate level.

      What the store employee sees is the manufacturers "list" cost i.e. what they offer to any retailer; whether they are buying 10 or 10,000 units.

      I'm not aware of any store employee, management or not, who is authorized to sell a product for less than 85% its posted retail price. if faced with an irate customer, some managers may be authorized to simply "make sure the customer leaves happy", but they will have to give detailed documentation later as to what discount was given and why.

      What normally will work is if you just say "I'll buy this right now if you knock off 10%". They'll get the manager and the manager will authorize the discount.

      Enough "sweethearting" (giving product away to friends) occurs in retail that any employee found offering excessive discounts would be fired immediately.
    • MaxPayne3476, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"The second scheme you list is return fraud, and is unquestionably illegal"

      Absolutely. The Bait 'n Switch scheme is illegal, unmoral, and ***** only the next person - not the store. I have no problem with getting a product for cheaper, but what you're talking about is getting a free product for something you broke or that the company who produced the product should be responsible in fixing.

      And if your headphones broke, then you just use ***** headphones.
    • NeoScyther, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"You can also do this with scratched video games, rent it at blockbuster and swap out and then tell the store it came like that."

      Um, no you can't. Most places have a return policy that states they will NOT take back ANY open media, including CDs, DVDs, software, and video games, regardless of the reason. This prevents piracy. Once it's open, it's yours. Any issues must be dealt with the manufacturer.
  • aaronadms, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4i've worked several years at best buy and circuit city. the practice of lowering the items price to sell the warranty is referred to as "inboarding". you get fired immediately if you get caught doing it or encouraging your employees to do it. that said, it still happens all the time (and people got for it fired all the time). i would say changing your mind at the register probably wouldn't work because the person offering you the deal would insist on ringing you out to get credit for the sale (and to avoid getting fired), and of course wouldn't give you the discount if you changed you mind.
  • Slipdisc, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11Well this is just ***** stupid. The sales person will always escort you to the register. Besides its punkass people like you that help drive up prices anyway.
    • wstrucke, on 10/12/2007, -18/+7pssh... and I thought it was greedy corporate executives making multi-million dollars a year (not to mention bonuses and stock incentives) that were driving up prices to make an extra buck that they can't spend.

      my bad.
    • Vlatro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18@wstrucke

      You ***** communist scum. Sales executives work their asses off. The basic principals of a free market: Set your price point low enough that many people will buy your product, and high enough to maintain the largest possible profit margin on those sales. This is a constant balancing act which needs frequent adjusting (without even considering competition and price wars). If they falter even a little bit; price too high; price too low, their business crumbles and they're out of a job. Not because their fired, because there's no money left for them to write a paycheck against. Some people are naturally better at setting price points than others. Oddly enough, the people who create sales promotions that please the most customers, ultimately make the most money. As a consumer, these "greedy corporate executives" are the best friends you have. So they pull down a few million a year. That factors out to about 1/100th of a cent from your average $45.00 purchase. In return they arrange deals to offer manufacturer discounts and rebates through the store rather than mailing it in. They negotiate lower prices from their vendors to keep their prices competitive with other stores you may not geographically have access to. They publish and circulate advertisements in newspapers to inform you of a discount without having you actually come into their store every week. They save you money.

      If you don't like a store, it's policies or it's prices, don't shop there. That is your way of fighting back, and ultimately the most effective way. But don't rip into executives for making money by doing their job well. That's what you should be aspiring towards in your chosen field. If you think I'm wrong, please stand up for your principals and decline your next pay raise. After all, you wouldn't want to be a greedy bastard like them. Until then, please, get your sorry ***** ass back to Cuba you worthless communist piece of *****.

  • gage006, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8You could also just be a nice customer and likely receive a decent savings. If a nice and entertaining customer comes in after I've just dealt with a bunch of jerks all day, I'm very likely to "remember" about a special sale going on, returned merchandise in perfect condition but half off and other things that will save you money.
  • u2wedge, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1why you guys digg this as some earthshattering news event or some unknown technique is ***** lame.

  • Pareidoliatic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2The margin in televisions these days is about 7-9 %, Anyone who knows anything about business knows that this "profit" doesn't cover operating expenses. Without the revenue from accessories and extended warranties these companies would all go out of business. Then where would consumers buy their electronics?

    As to the conceit that extended warranties are just a waste of money, tell that to someone who thought so, and then had the light-engine fail in their $3000 DLP or LCOS display; or had he panel die in their $5000 plasma. Amazing how those customers suddenly want to buy extended warranties post fact, after they discover that repairing their fancy gadget cost more than buying a new one.
    • u2wedge, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1margin for the retailers may be 7-9%, but the margin for the manufacturer is much higher. It used to be the 'rule of 12' when dealing with electronics... take the retail cost of the item, divide by 12 and that's how much it cost to manufacture.
    • wstrucke, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1somehow I doubt best buy or circuit city would go out of business if we all stopped buying their over priced accessories. if they did, then they don't deserve to be in business anyway.

      adding to that - i would tell that person that they made a judgement call when they bought their television to save money and while it sucks that their $3000 tv broke, that's part of life. how about the guy that bought the warranty but had a friend knock the tv off the wall (or insert something that isn't covered in a standard extended warranty here)? I certainly would not justify paying an extra hundred dollars or significantly more on every single electronic device I buy just for that peace of mind.
    • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Actually, they literally would. Margin on TVs and computers is so low that there really isn't any net operating profit (after all the costs- salaries, buildings, etc.) in most cases. Don't deserve to stay in business? Would you rather the products cost 25% more? That's basically the alternative. Buildings aren't cheap. Utilities aren't cheap. And even near-minimum-wage salaries add up when there's 100+ per store.
    • mtheoryx83, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Actually, I still feel that the extended warranties are a waste of money. What really SHOULD happen is the retailer and manufacturer should stand behind their products and repair/replace them when crap like that happens.

      That being said, I understand that bad stuff does happen; however, only to a small percentage of the people buying these plans...that's how they make a profit off of it. So really, every time you buy a plan and dont end up using it, you get the pleasure of paying for someone else who received an inferior product from a retailer selling overpriced crap and a manufacturer who doesnt care about quality...or you as a customer.

      Additionally, am I the only one that is tired of being asked if I want the plan? Do they think the high-pressure sales tactics work on everyone? There must really be some lame customers out there that just want to toss money around if they think I'm going to buy a plan that costs 30% of the purchase price of the product. I used to work for circuit city, and hated being forced into doing it. Now when I buy things there, I hate having it pushed on me even more.

      Looking at it very broadly, doesnt it seem strange to have a company that bases its entire business model off either charging you huge prices on low-cost junk (cables and connectors) or selling you very profitable plans based on the fear that you are going to receive a high-priced piece of junk that will fail? Seems odd to me; sort of a complete reversal from the older sales tactics of great merchandise at a great price. Now you get crap merchandise that will probably fail, so "you better get the service plan..you know...just in case, wink, wink?"
  • spjmm0, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6$450 - 22 wide monitor - told him wife would not allow purchase, reduced price to $350 and threw in $50 gift card.
    $300 - home theatre system for in-laws - one I wanted not in stock, told him to give me $400 for $300, balked, got manager, got better unit for $300 and a monster power strip.
    Why go through the hassle of dealing with the warranty talk?
    • wstrucke, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3your story sounds awesome. i'm sorry that it doesn't make any sense whatsoever... care to elaborate a little?
    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18"your story sounds awesome. i'm sorry that it doesn't make any sense whatsoever... care to elaborate a little?"

      I think the point of the story is that if you walk into Best Buy and avoid using pronouns, you will get a discount.
    • dangerousnerd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2You can haggle over almost anything. It's a lost art in our culture.
    • deuces, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I just helped my Dad buy a new LCD tv for $3400 when it was priced at $3800 regular. All I had to do was shop around between the Sony Store and Future Shop asking for a discount then quoting what the other guy said. Two extra trips saved him $400. No cables/extended warranty purchased (although they tried hard to convince us that we needed it.)
  • flarn2006, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3If only there was a Fry's Electronics in Northern Virginia...
  • Pareidoliatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25By the way, in Western Canada, the regional independent chain VISIONS Electronics refunds their customer's money at the end of the extended-service term as in-store credit. So the customer is insured if something does go wrong with their purchase; but if, as in most cases, nothing does fail, they get to use the money again to buy something else. Very smart customer loyalty program.
    • teamparadox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I have no idea why you got dugg down but if your telling the truth that would get me to buy ESA's on almost all my electronics. Why not refund the money if you never needed the extra coverage?
    • MaxPayne3476, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reason is because that's how many companies make there money, why doesn't car insurance get refunded if you don't ever get into an accident? They need some way to cover the people who do ***** it up. Or as Chris Rock puts it Insurance = *****

    • SYSDmg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1really? i wouldnt suppose there is a chain in eastern canada as well? cause that is ***** awseome and really good of them
  • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I work at Best Buy, and I'm really getting a kick out of some of these replies.

    But really, I do, and I am. Best Buy calls this "inboarding". Not only is it illegal, it's definitely against policy. It's something anyone from line-level to management can get terminated for pretty much instantly. But either way, you're not taking advantage of the company, per se, but of specific employees who either ignore the rule or simply don't care. Every large company is going to have employees like that.

    But in reality, you'd be surprised. I honestly can't say I like working for Best Buy, but things like this they really are very strict on. The people that do this are usually older employees or people that have been in retail for a long period of time. Best Buy, as a company, does not condone or support this. You can take my word for that.

    Plus, at Best Buy, 90% of the time when you're dealing with a big-ticket purchase the salesperson is going to ring you out as well. That's a pretty big rule there too. I realize Circuit City is different. But at Best Buy, the only time they might not ring you out is if you are literally only buying the product itself, or if they're new and don't have login credentials for the registers (also rare). And they can easily just say "Oh, well, I can't give you the discount unless you're getting the package." Taking 100 bucks off a TV when a customer's also buying an installation is a automatic package discount that comes up a lot, and it's the same thing as that, just manual.
    • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Updater cut me off :

      Bottom line is that it depends on the people. Some employees and managers will do anything to make a sale. Managers do earn bonuses based on performance. But the majority of employees probably won't let this fly. So if you go into a store expecting a huge discount, don't. It could go either way based on the employees you get, and there's no way around that. I would also honestly say you'll have more luck with older employees/managers that have worked in the largely commissioned retail world of the past. And if you can do this at a commissioned retailer, I'd assume you'll have a lot more luck. Best Buy isn't one of those, nor is Circuit. I don't know about Fry's, etc.
  • teamparadox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I see where they are going with this but if I could get them to drop the price to match the price of the extended warrenty or at least come really close so i almost break even I might as well just keep it so I can get a better TV in a couple years when it accidently breaks.
  • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Dig this down...
  • yunus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I worked at Circuit City years ago our management called service plans cheese because they said buying something without a service plan was like buying a pizza without the cheese.

    Something else to consider is that if they have a product that is open box they will slash prices to get rid of it. Were talking half off or better. Just ask for a price reduction the worst they can say is no. But as a sales person they want you to buy that open box item and they will work for you to lower the price because the lower the price the more likely you as the customer are to buy the service plan, and there are sometimes commissions on selling service plans.
  • growlzor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I used to work at Circuit City and only management can change the price of an item if its more than a couple bucks. Also when you sign up for the warranty we did it right on the computer screen and added it to your total price before sending you off to retrieve your item
  • Ryosen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"boo coos"?

    Hopefully the author will take all that newly gained money and invest in a French phrase book.

    Oh Gawd...I just became a grammar nazi. In French, no less.
  • jayskulls, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I worked for Circuit City for about a year, and I can say that that kind of thing has never happened on anything sold in the store. I worked in computers and cameras, and I got a similar haggling argument from time to time, but it's impossible for the managers let alone normal associate to alter the retail prices at all. The only items that can be altered are "open box" (returned), or old display products, and even these are out of the control of normal associates.
    • dhbanes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You worked at CC for a year and think it's impossible for managers, CSA leads, or product specialists with permission in DPS or Magellan to alter the price of ANY product? I used to do it all the time to sell more CityAdvantage. When Magellan would flag me, I'd just page my manager and he'd walk over and swipe his card without asking any questions. Oh, and how about a price match or mistag? Why are you talking out of your ass?
  • mezzanine224, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This worked for me at Best Buy (mostly by accident because the guy misheard me, but that's not the point...). Around the Superbowl, they had Samsung LCD's at about $150 off the regular price. They also included a $100 NFL Store card.

    I asked about the extended warranty, asked how much he could lower the price on the TV, and I was able to get another $100 knocked off the price. When he rung me up, I said I changed my mind about the extended warranty and I paid $1600 for an $1850 TV. Not a HUGE savings, but it was enough to make me happy.
  • chrisforthewin, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3I work for FutureShop. (commissioned BestBuy)
    Dare you to come and ask me for any deal. Since when are we a culture of barters. We aren't, you pay the tag. Explain to me why I should give a discount, and if it's good enuogh you might get it.

    "Want to outsmart an illegal sales tactic and save boo coos of money on your next big screen television?"
    I fail to see what is illegal here . . . that's right nothing. It may be against that store policy to discount the product to get the service plan (which is a fireable offense with FS)

    Why do people follow the stupid masses who think they are bigger and better than "the man".
    lol. keep trying.
    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The bartering works both ways. Customers see a price $X, they try to see if they can pay $X-Y. Employees see the customer buy a TV for $X, they see if they can make them spend $X+Y for cabling, warranties, or other high margin items. I think both are acceptable as long as *both* parties aren't pushy/assholes about it, don't you?
    • chrisforthewin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@javertholmes

      see, how do you think we are trying to make you spend more? as a quality sales person i like to make sure my customers have what is going to make them truely enjoy their product. if people don't what to pay for the cables that are good, they can buy the cheap ones and see the difference for themselves.
      fact is that most products DON'T come with everything in the box that you NEED to enjoy the product to its fullest. think high-def TV without high-def cables.

      i would prefer to have a customer who paid a little more, enjoys their product, and comes back to tell me how much they enjoyed it, than a customer coming back telling me how they don't like the product because it sucks, and doesn't work for them.
      you get what you pay for.
      and plus, not all products have huge markup to work with. i sell notebook computers . . . which have an average of about 4% markup. do the math, its not as much profit as you think, especially after they pay my sales commission.
    • JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"see, how do you think we are trying to make you spend more? as a quality sales person i like to make sure my customers have what is going to make them truely enjoy their product. if people don't what to pay for the cables that are good, they can buy the cheap ones and see the difference for themselves."

      There's been countless articles on Digg about the premium being spent on high-end HDMI (digital) cables when a cheaper one will look just as good assuming all the bits get from A to B correctly. If you're pushing the high-end HDMI cables, knowing some cheaper ones will work just as well, aren't you "bartering" to make the customer spend more money via flowery language about picture quality, etc?

      "and plus, not all products have huge markup to work with."

      Correct, which is why I mentioned extended warranties and cabling as the high margin items as opposed to laptops and 20" CRT TVs.

      I have no problems paying more than Future Shop's costs to make Future Shop and others profit, this is the way the world operates. They have to pay you, the electrical bills, someone has to pay for all that fluorescent lighting to be replaced over time, property taxes, cleaning up, restocking, shipping, inventory, etc, etc.

      The only problem I had with your original post was that you saw the customer bartering as low/base while the company bartering as something great. I see them as being both all right as long as both sides are honest about it and aren't pushy about it. That's literally all I was trying to say.
  • Pareidoliatic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3here's a link to their extended warranty policy, temparadox ...

    http://www.visions.ca/full_coverage.asp
  • Strongbrau, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3When I went to buy my Bravia, they said the lowest they would go was $2700AUD because $2500 was the cost price. When I told them that a rival store had offered it to me for $2500 (Not true :) ), the price magically dropped to $2400!
  • TinFoil209, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1At OfficeMax any mention of this equals termination. The only time we do price overrides is when were out of a product and the person has been at the store for the same item out of stock. Will sub a better printer for example at the advertised price of a lower model (usually from our substitution list). This kind of "will lower the price just for you if you buy this warranty" opens you up to racism/ favoritism /etc. If you were talking like this around other customers and a guy goes "Hey I just bought that TV a week ago with a warranty and didn't get one penny off! F! This!!!" Turns into a corporate complaint, go through those exit doors one last time...
  • ahmerhussain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Didn't work for me at CompUSA when i tried to get a macbook pro on student descount. Had to get AppleCare for full-price which was not given at the student discount.

    But i think that the sales rep got a promotion, and it was a young kid so what the heck.
    • RoyalPineapple, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0applecare does not need to be purchased alongside the computer, you should have waited untill you got home and bought it online with your student discount
  • M0b1u5, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4poster says: "stick it to the man."

    But in fact, it's "stick it to the Mom and Pop investors who put their life savings into the company."
    • mikelieman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4 There are Mom and Pop investors who are all in on Circuit City and Best Buy? They really should diversify.

    • Xert, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0The vast majority of investors are already millionaires. Sorry to destroy your Mom and Pop fairy tale.
  • Phr3aker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2this will never work...i work at best buy no commission...we have registers at the back in Home Theater and there is no longer warranty from what they offer you...on big screen tvs theres only a 4 year and the price on that goes by the price of the tv. the only way you will get a discount on the tv is if you buy accessories with it a lot not just a HDMI cable. For example if you buy a 42" plasma get the wall mount get the installation and the cables then im pretty sure the sales person could work out a discount on the tv...another thing when you decide to get the extended warranty there is nothing that you have to fill out its just a paper thats ran through the little printer with a 2 or 4 on it, you dont take it up to the front desk and fill anything out
  • DAC1138, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Yep, this all works. At least at Best Buy it does. As a former emplyee, I've done this all the time. Eventually we had to stop because the store wasn't making any money at all. All the employees were going overboard with it. Seems that every customer that came in asked for a discount on things like laptops and ipods. First off, bestbuy/circuit city/compUSA dont make any money on their computers to start off with. They make money via accessories and service plans. So discounting would actually lose us money. But hey, if it improves customer loyalty, it's worth it.

    It got to the point where we just had to put our foot down and only give discounts on certain items. Say if you bought a camera full price, we'd give you some discount on camera bags and memory cards.
    • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Teehee, inboarding went overboard.

      But yeah, that's basically why they're clamping down so much. Doesn't make enough money.
  • mobilehavoc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7A LEGIT way to get stuff for less is to buy stuff Open Box. It's usually things that were used as display items on the floor, are in perfect working condition and may/maynot have a few things missing that usually are irrelevant. They also carry the same warranty/return policy as a new item and you can purchase protection plans on them as well.

    Some stuff I've bought recently...

    Samsung 32" LCD - New price: $1700, OB price: $900, Missing: Nothing.
    Onkyo TXSR803 Receiver - New price: $999, OB price:$670, Missing: Remote (I have a Harmomy so no issue), Manual (Online)
    Bose Acoustimas 10 Series IV speakers - New Price:$1000, OB price: $700, Missing: Manual (Online)

    Openbox FTW!
    • Phr3aker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2open items you get good discounts...especially if its at the end of the month
    • falcyn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Little secret: Time of month has nothing to do with it :

      It has to do with how long the item's been out, simple as that.
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wouldn't openbox a TV. Those things are left on for 12+ hours a day everyday. Discount or not, I dont want a TV that might already have a thousand or more hours use on it.
    • mobilehavoc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@drmangrum: Why do i care? I pay an extra $100 for 4 years of extended warranty. Something happens to the TV because it was left on a lot (I knew about this too) and I get it fixed or a new one.

      Even with extended warranties, openbox items work out way cheaper than new ones. I've been very happy with my OB purchases thus far, yes they're not the latest models but in some cases that can actually be GOOD!!
  • bbardlbradd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6TYPO: "It's not full proof".

    If this person can make that kind of typo, just think about what else he could be mistaking about...

    OFF WITH HIS HEAD@!
    • IceColdFever, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1i lol'd at the "full proof" phrase...
  • joser916, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this is so easy anyone can do this,
    I've done this before at a good guys electronics store long time ago around 1997 on a 32inch TV. the TV was $800 at the time walk out the door $550 and yes i told them i didn't want warranty right now wile i was paying they said OK you got 30 days....
    i still try to do this when i go to a store to get stuff (DVD players, digital camera, car stereo) what makes them mad when i do it is i tell them what u hate money and mine is not good enough here and ill start to walk toward the door and then i get stop by the sales person wait don't go please.... then i get what i want. it all depends on how you speak your words.

    (hey if MR K. Rose can get away with free pizza for life anyone can do this as well trust me)
  • Pareidoliatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Once again people, the full regular retail markup on Televisions ( in Canada at least) is approximately 25%. But NO ONE ever pays regular retail any longer. Those days are over. Even in a department store, not known for their price flexibility. a 10-15 % price discount is standard operating procedure, and aggressive big box retailers typically run sale prices at 5 % above cost. This is not to mention the loss leaders that retailers run on an almost weekly basis, and the sudden obsolescence of their inventory on hand when technology breakthroughs and production ramp-ups suddenly lower costs.

    This just recently occurred with the opening of Sharp's new 8Th-generation panel plant in Japan. Prior to this plant coming on-stream, Korean electronics behemoths Samsung ( who make Sony's LCD panels, by the way) and LG both enjoyed 19% advantages of efficiency in the yield of the glass when cutting from the larger mother panels. Both were basically eating Sharp's lunch in the TFT LCD consumer market. Sharp's new panel plant is 40% more efficient than their 6Th generation plant, and they now enjoy a 20% advantage over their competitors . Thus the price of a state of the art 32 inch LCD ( with 6 ms response time and 6000/1 contrast ration) panel has fallen from $1500 to $1100 over the lass 60 days.

    This has created price drops with the video display category that almost are on an equal with falling computer memory prices. Here in Canada, the price of a the Hitachi 1080I 42-inch panel with the Fujitsu ALIS glass has dropped from $8000 to $2200 over the last 5 quarters.
  • DAC1138, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3aaaaaaaaand.....I get dugg down. I guess I'm making people feel guilty for being so cheap. Sorry, but some of us need paid to get through college, and that isn't happening when the budget isn't met because of all the discounts.

    Sorry guys. Is 10 cents per banana too much to ask? Or will you require a discount on that too?
  • joser916, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0its true on open items more discounts
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