best buy

Best Money Tips: What to Expect From Best Buy's Black Friday Sale

Amy Lu — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 10:00:09 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found articles on what to expect from Best Buy’s Black Friday sale, big mistakes that destroy family relationships, and the best majors for a lucrative career.

10 Stores With the Best Price Matching

Kyle James — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:30:10 +0000

In an effort to prevent showrooming, when shoppers browse products in-store only to buy them online for less, retailer price match policies have become much more prevalent in recent years. After all, once a store has you in their doors, many are willing to match the competition's price to keep you from ordering elsewhere via your mobile device. It's simply a smart business move. But like any retailer's policy, some are simply better for shoppers than others. Here are the nine best retail price match policies that you should take advantage of every chance you get.

1. Best Buy

The Best Buy price match guarantee is a strong one, because they'll match the price of both online and local brick-and-mortar competitors — a policy that many top retailers have yet to adopt. When shopping in-store, simply show evidence of the lower price to any "Blue Shirt" in the store. The best way is via your smartphone or an actual store ad. They'll then review the price and verify that the product is identical and currently available at the local competing store.

To get an online price match from Best Buy, you'll need to call them directly at 1-800-BEST-BUY. Be prepared to direct the company rep to the ad or website that is showing a lower price. They'll then verify that the item is in-stock on the competing website and 100% identical. Top websites that they'll price match include Amazon.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com, Newegg.com, and TigerDirect.com.

2. Fry's Electronics

Fry's price match promise also includes online and in-store pricing. While they don't specify which authorized stores they will price match, it's safe to assume that they'll match all the big players in your area. Just bring in evidence of the lower price on your smartphone and show it to any employee.

While their in-store price match policy is straightforward, their online policy is a little less spectacular. For example, their site says they'll match all authorized Internet competitors on their "delivered price" only. This means they might not match Amazon Prime pricing, as they'll consider Amazon shipping charges into the order total. In other words, even if you would get free shipping from Amazon, Fry's will still factor in shipping charges when giving you an Amazon price match. In many cases, you might be better off ordering the item directly from Amazon and avoid the headache of dealing with Fry's online price match policy.

3. Home Depot

Home Depot stands behind their prices by offering a low price guarantee where they will actually beat a local competitor's price by an extra 10%. All you need to do is show evidence of the lower price in the form of an ad, printout, or photo. In most cases, the easiest way to do this will be with your smartphone. I like to get my price match at the customer service desk rather than at a checkout register, as some cashiers are really busy and it tends to hold up the line.

As for an online price match, unfortunately they won't give you the extra 10% discount on top of the lower price. But they will happily match other verified websites that might have an item at a lower price. To get your online price match you'll need to call Home Depot directly at 1-800-HOME-DEPOT. The rep will independently verify the lower price and adjust your virtual shopping cart accordingly.

4. Lowe's

Similar to Home Depot, Lowe's will also beat any competitor's price by 10% as long as the item being sold is identical at both stores. While the Lowe's policy states that you must bring in the ad of the local competitor, I've had success simply showing the lower price on my smartphone. It's worth noting that Lowe's excludes competitor's closeout, special order, discontinued, clearance, and liquidation items from a price match. The rub here can be that many ads from competitors are clearance or closeout items making them ineligible for a price match. Just keep this in mind and be prepared to politely argue your case if need be. Also, as of this writing they do not offer an online price match on your Lowes.com purchase.

5. Staples

The folks at Staples have a very intriguing price match policy that will actually beat the competing price by 10% through 9/17/16. For an in-store price match, they'll match any retailer "who sells products in both retail stores and online under the same brand." This means that most small "ma and pa shops" will not be included unless they also have a website that sells merchandise. This is their way of making it easier to verify the lower price by keeping it limited to larger retailers.

In terms of an online price match, they will match prices, but it has to be from a retailer with a brick and mortar location as well as an ecommerce website. The two exceptions to this rule are Amazon.com and Wayfair.com, as Staples will price match both of these "online-only" players. To get your online price match, you'll need to call Staples directly at 1-800-333-3330.

6. and 7. Office Depot/Max

The Office Depot/Max price match policy also offers a great way to save on office supplies and technology. Similar to Staples, they'll price match any retailer as long as the item is identical and the competing store sells the item both online and in-store. They also clearly spell out the methods you can use to get your price match and they include a "printed advertisement, printed in-store signage, receipt of item purchased, picture of in-store signage, or online offer from mobile device."

As for an online price match, they don't currently offer one. But if you're shopping in-store and you find that Amazon.com is selling the item for less, they'll match the price as long as it's sold directly by Amazon and not a 3rd party seller. According to their website, Amazon is the only online merchant that they'll currently price match.

8. Target

In my experience, one of the easier price match policies to take advantage of is at Target. The team at your local Target customer service desk actually has an iPad dedicated to price-matching, making it a very quick and seamless experience for shoppers. Just show them evidence of the lower price on your mobile device, or via a local ad, and they'll verify the lower price and make sure the item is identical and in-stock at the competing store and get you your savings quickly. It should be noted that exclusions include clearance, closeout, liquidation sales, and refurbished products.

For an online price match, Target has a long list of 29 online competitors that they'll match. Rest assured that the list includes all the big players like BestBuy.com, Amazon.com, Costco.com, Toys R Us.com, and Walmart.com. To request your online price match, you'll need to contact Target directly at 1-800-591-3869.

9. Toys R Us

Toys R Us has an excellent in-store price match guarantee that will help you get the lowest price on your future toy purchases. Not only will they price match all local competitors, but they'll also match 21 popular websites including Walmart.com, Target.com, and Amazon.com. It should be noted that when price-matching a competitor's website, they'll factor shipping charges into the total price of the item. To get your price match, simply show evidence of the lower price on your smartphone or via a print ad and a Toys R Us associate will take care of the rest. Items must be identical and they limit the price match to a maximum of two identical items per purchase. Unfortunately, they do not offer an online price match when shopping from their website.

10. Wal-Mart

The Wal-Mart price match policy is fairly straightforward and definitely worth taking advantage of. Wal-Mart will happily match the price on identical items sold by any local competitor or a select list of online retailers. Exclusions include clearance items, specials buys, and value of the day items as well as holidays like Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. To get your in-store price match, just show the lower price on your smartphone when checking out. For an online price match, you can either visit Walmart.com customer care or call them directly at 1-800-966-6546.

Are you a price-matcher? Do you often forget to take advantage of these great policies?

This article is from Kyle James of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How a 5-Minute Email Saved Me $140

Paul Michael — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:00:32 +0000

Occasionally I like to share a customer service story with you. I’ve had run-ins with several big corporations in the past, including Comcast, Walmart, and Hobby Lobby.

This time, Best Buy and I almost came to blows. But thanks to a stellar customer service experience and some wonderful Best But employees, it became a story with a happy ending. Now, I’m sharing it with you with the hope that some of you may benefit from it. (See also: How to Get a Customer Service Phone Number, Fast!)

Let’s start at the beginning (which, unlike in a Tarantino movie, is usually a good place for these stories to start).

New Home, New Appliances

My wife and I finally bought a new home after almost a decade of living in one that was too small for us. With the move, we had budgeted for new appliances, and Best Buy was the store we chose. They had a stellar deal on LG and Samsung products, and it was all within our budget. It also didn’t hurt that the store is about four minutes from our new home.

The Deal

We opted for stainless steel and picked out a range, microwave, and dishwasher. The range and microwave were LG, the dishwasher Samsung. The dishwasher looked cool and was on sale, plus it had a stainless steel tub as well. We got free delivery, but I had to install the dishwasher/microwave myself or pay an extra $150 per appliance. I've done it several times before, so no problem. Everything was delivered in a timely fashion, and it all looked great!

The Grim Reality

The Samsung dishwasher sucked. I mean really sucked. Despite being hyped as quite the cleaning machine by the appliances associate at Best Buy, it left food gunk all over the dishes and sounded like a jet engine taking off. We needed an exchange.

The Exchange

We did our own homework this time. Kind of. We sought out stellar reviews of dishwashers and found one that was sold by Best Buy for almost the same price as the Samsung, in steel, but it was a GE. We went in to do the exchange and were informed that it wasn’t sold in stores. But the reviews were good, and we plumped for the exchange.

The “Special Order” Fee

As it turns out, some items that aren’t stocked by Best Buy stores, but sold through them, require a special delivery fee — $69.95 in this case. It was a bit much considering delivery is supposed to be free on appliances, but we wanted a better machine so we paid it. A few weeks later, we got the exchange done.

Bad Dishwasher, Horrendous Restocking Fee

The new GE was not good either. It looked about four years out of date for a start, the inside was cheap plastic, and the whole thing wobbled when the door opened thanks to a tough latch at the top. So much for trusting reviews. We didn’t even want to hook this one up; we thought it would be better to get it swapped out while it was still unsullied. But, one call to the store and we discovered that although the exchange would be no problem, there would be a 25% restocking fee. That’s about $140 to return it unused! And despite my polite protestations, the store associate’s hands were tied. The restocking fee had to be paid if we wanted a different machine.

Time to Contact Corporate

I did some digging, found out the email addresses of the CEO and several members of the executive team, and fired off an email explaining the situation. It wasn't snarky or aggressive. In fact, I did point out that my family has had good experiences with Best Buy in the past. As I have said before, no one likes to deal with an irate customer. And you get further treating someone with respect than some kind of corporate bellboy ready to do your bidding. At the end of the day, we're all people doing a job.

Anyway, it wasn't long at all (I think one day, in fact) before I got a reply from head office. They were very concerned about the “special order” restocking fee, and also that I had two bad experiences with dishwashers already. I was told they would look into it, and sure enough, I got a call from the local Best Buy store the following day.

The Wonderful Resolution

They say “third time's a charm” and they're not wrong. This time, the manager of my local store was a glorious example of great customer service. He instantly waived the $140 restocking fee and put me in touch with someone in the appliances department who could recommend a quality dishwasher in our price range. That person was great. Within minutes I had a new dishwasher picked out, and the old one was ready to be picked up and replaced within two days.

When the dishwasher arrived, it was everything Best Buy said it would be. The useless GE was taken away, the delivery guys were great and everything was taken care of.

The Moral of the Story

It's simple. If you have a problem, don't take the first answer as the only answer. Most of the time, the staff you are dealing with have neither the authority nor the fortitude to make the kind of decisions you're requesting. Take it to someone who can help, and then the people you were originally dealing with will have the power to help you out. Everyone wants a happy customer, and it often doesn't take a lot of effort to get one.

Do you have any similar stories? Did you go to the top and get a result, or were you turned down? Let us know.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

DeepDiscount.com's Price Match...don't hold your breath

Paul Michael — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:07:23 +0000

I'm sorry to say that my long-time lover affair with DeepDiscount.com has come to an abrupt end. I've always been a fan of their low prices and free shipping, but even better is their price match. If you find it cheaper anywhere, they'll match it. Well, that's what I thought anyway. But they took so long to respond that the DVD deal I asked them to match had finished, and with it, my price match.

I suspect the first question you have is the obvious one - "Why not just buy what you want at the place you found it cheaper?" Well, there are several good reasons for this. One, you may not have done business with this company before and either have trust issues or worry about promptness of shipping. Two, you may want to order several DVDs and would rather do it in one place than over several sites (this also helps with combined shipping costs). My reason was just as simple...I found the stellar deal at BestBuy.com and I'm no fan of Best Buy. I would rather have given DeepDiscount my business.

Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season

The DVD in question was the first season of Flight Of The Conchords, an excellent series that was on offer for less than half price at Best Buy, around $10. I contacted DeepDiscount's PRICE MATCH hotline and sent them the information they requested on November 26th. Then I waited. Two days later I got a reply. Not what I was hoping for, they wanted a hyper-link to the specific page on BestBuy.com so they could verify that I wasn't pulling a fast one.

I immediately sent back the information, urging them to please hurry because the deal was due to end (and also if they couldn't match it in time, I would bite the bullet and buy it from BB...of course, I didn't mention that part in the reply, which I probably should have done).

I played the waiting game again. I waited, and waited. On December 5th, after hearing nothing, I sent another note to DeepDiscount. And today, I finally got my reply...it was not good news. DeepDiscount had waited so long to do the price match that the offer at Best Buy was over. And thus, their price match was no longer necessary.

So, what have I learned from this? Well, I'll never bother with DeepDiscount's Price Match because the system is just way too slow and cumbersome. I will also buy a product when I see it on a super sale, because now I'm out of pocket and out of time to find a better deal. Alas, my holidays will be spent without the mighty Conchords. If you do plan to get a price match from any store on line, don't count on getting a prompt reply. You may be better off just snapping up the better deal while you can.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Deal: 50" HDTV, XBox 360, Halo 3, 1600 XBox Live points AND a $100 NFLshop certificate, all for under $1100.

Paul Michael — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:44:36 +0000

It's Friday, it's time for another deal. I must preface this by saying I'm not really a huge fan of the XBox 360, not because it's a bad console but I'm no fan of the reliability right now. However, if you are in the market for a HDTV & gaming system, Best Buy is giving you a stellar deal. You'll save over $400, which is like getting the XBox 360 for free.

The HDTV is a Samsung 50" DLP HDTV with 720p resolution. I've checked out the ratings, this is a very, very nice TV. Not quite 1080p but good enough to give you a great picture for many years to come. And as DLPs go, it's quite thin.

Here's the deal. Go to this link at Best Buy and follow the instructions below.

You'll also want to add the 1600 Xbox Live points to your cart. When you check out, you should get the $100 NFL gift shop offer. The form is here .

Like I said, I'm more of a Wii fan, but if this is your kind of gaming I haven't seen a deal this good in a long time for home entertainment. But like any good Wisebread reader, please make sure you can afford it before you jump on it.

Props go to Slickdeals for finding this one.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Buy scamming customers with Intranet - UPDATED!

Paul Michael — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:23:42 +0000

George Gombossy, consumer watchdog for The Courant , broke this story on March 2nd of this month. It's a great story, and I apologise to George for not stating him as the source in my original post, my bad entirely. Anyway, other sites like The Consumerist have also covered it, but I wanted to do a follow-up of my own on the story. But first up, what is the story, if you don't already know? Well, read on...

WHAT'S THE SCAM?
It works quite simply. You see a great deal online. It's cool, you want it, you go into the store to pick it up. But hey, the price is higher than the one you saw at home. No worries, you indicate to the salesperson that the instore price is wrong and direct them to the instore Best Buy website. That's when you find out that YOU made the mistake because the price on the Intranet is the same as in the store. How can this be?

Well, the Best Buy Intranet is priced higher than the Best Buy site you access at home. And as the burden of proof is on you, you're really up a creek without a paddle. Unless, of course, you remembered to print out the deal you saw at home and bring it to the store. But how often does that happen?

BEST BUY ADMITTING GUILT...KINDA.
Justin Barber, a spokesman for Best Buy, earlier denied even the exsistence of this mythical website. Now he's changed his story, but is still insisting the company never intended to mislead or deceive Best Buy customers. If that's true, one has to wonder why this Intranet with higher prices was in stores at all. Why not just have the good old Best Buy website that we all access at home? Surely the answer is simple...money! Good for Best Buy, bad for us.

BEST BUY'S BAD TRACK RECORD
In New Jersey and Ohio, Best Buy have been accused of deceptive sales practices, by repackaging used merchandise and selling it as brand spanking new. Another case of not intending to mislead customers I'm sure. Best Buy paid just $135,000 to settle that suit in New Jersey, although the Ohio case is ongoing. But it's hardly a good indicator of fair business practices. Makes you wonder how new that item is that you bought last week from your trusty Best Buy store.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Well, let's hope that this Intranet is pulled from the stores so you don't have to worry about it. But nonetheless, take a printed copy of the Bestbuy.com page with you to the store. That's the page that contains the REAL deal. Or just buy online (althought shipping charges then apply). Even better, why not just boycott the big box giant for a while and go shopping at Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics or Media Play. I know I'm wary of Best Buy and its overfriendly staff now.

UPDATE: AND HOW IS BEST BUY NOW?
As it happens, I'm on the prowl for a new laptop of my very own. My first one actually. So I visited a couple of Best Buy stores a few days ago, just to see if the prices advertised online were the same as instore. Yes, they were. However, when I asked if I could see one or two of the laptops working via the Internet (I wanted to check out a few HD movie trailers to check the 1080 resolution) I was told that they don't have Internet hookup anywhere. When I asked why, I was informed by a very helpful Best Buy clerk that they have no way to control what people download (not true) or look at (also not true) so they had to disable Internet access throughout the store. It was the same story at a different Best Buy store. So, I'd like to know if anyone else is having the same issue, or has Best Buy got the Internet working again, without it's own suspicious Intranet anywhere to be found.

And while we're on the subject of suspicious, check this video out. It was made by an ex-employee and seems to indicate that Best Buy staff screw their customers. (If it's already been featured on The Consumerist I'm very, very sorry. But it relates to the post, so there.)

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

FREE movie tickets to Peaceful Warrior

Paul Michael — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:02:18 +0000

Cinematical has just reported that Peaceful Warrior, a film by Victor Salva and starring Nick Nolte, is going to be involved in an almost $15 million ticket giveaway. It's in association with Best Buy (who's image needs some refurbishment after its recent Intranet scandal).

If the movie sounds familiar, it's because it was actually released last year by Lionsgate to very poor reviews, and even poorer grosses. So, in an effort to inject new life into the movie, those cunning marketing bods have allocated almost all of the marketing budget to free tickets. The movie got pretty awful reviews on Rotten Tomatoes , but if you fancy a free movie and have nothing else to do, you may as well bag some tickets.

To grab yours, go to the Best Buy website from this Sunday until the April 1st cut-off date. The film will hit your local theaters on March 30th. As always, that great resource Fandango will show you when and where it's playing. So, mark your calendars for March 18th and get your set of free tickets while you can.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

best buy

Best Money Tips: What to Expect From Best Buy's Black Friday Sale

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

10 Stores With the Best Price Matching

1. Best Buy

2. Fry's Electronics

3. Home Depot

4. Lowe's

5. Staples

6. and 7. Office Depot/Max

8. Target

9. Toys R Us

10. Wal-Mart

How a 5-Minute Email Saved Me $140

New Home, New Appliances

The Deal

The Grim Reality

The Exchange

The “Special Order” Fee

Bad Dishwasher, Horrendous Restocking Fee

Time to Contact Corporate

The Wonderful Resolution

The Moral of the Story

DeepDiscount.com's Price Match...don't hold your breath

Deal: 50" HDTV, XBox 360, Halo 3, 1600 XBox Live points AND a $100 NFLshop certificate, all for under $1100.

Best Buy scamming customers with Intranet - UPDATED!

FREE movie tickets to Peaceful Warrior