If you’ve been into a Best Buy store over the last several months, you may have noticed a disclosure displayed across their Kiosks warning that what’s displayed are in-store prices which could be different from Internet prices. The addition of this banner across the screen was likely a direct result of a lawsuit that was filed back in May accusing Best Buy of deceiving their customers with a bait-and-switch scheme using their in-store Intranet. They adamantly denied the accusation, but at that point, many people didn’t trust them anymore.
Below you’ll see what the banner looks like. It simply states “This kiosk displays in-store prices- which may differ from national Internet prices. Promotions can differ between stores and Internet. See your sales associate if you have questions.” What it doesn’t say though, is if they’ll honor the prices in-store that are advertised online, or if this disclosure now prevents them from price matching?
As a side note, while I was visiting the Best Buy website, I noticed in big print that there was an error in their most recent weekly ad for a Panasonic TV. On the front cover, they showed that the 50″ Panasonic Plasma TV was on sale for $1799 before $90 savings when they really meant to advertise the smaller 42″ Panasonic TV at that price. Considering that the 50″ Panasonic TV that they advertised is regularly priced at $2,799, that would have been quite the deal! To make up for their mistake, they’re offering a $100 instant rebate on all of their plasma TV’s this week.
Source: The Consumerist
wow, i thought Best Buy went out of business a while ago because we stopped receiving their weekly flyer in our paper… just figured that they closed shop, since we get every other retailer know to man in the Sunday paper.
As a current (for now) Best Buy employee, I can say that Best Buy still DOES match prices on their own web site — if it’s cheaper online, you can get that price in store.
I definitely couldn’t see that happening. They’re one of the only chain electronics retailers left in the United States.
That’s definitely good to know. Now if only I could get that TV that was incorrectly advertised.
Thanks for letting us know!