# A bargain...or was it? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 31, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624 "2002-07-31T02:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/1 "2002-07-31T02:01:50Z")
Today, after work, I stopped off at my local Best Buy to see what new releases were on the shelves. I was browsing through the shelves when what to my eyes appeared byut **The Simpsons:Season 2**!! But what they hey, it’s not supposed to be out until next week. The price was steep–$59.99, more than twice the cost of Season 1, and with 22 episodes compared to 13 episodes in Season 1, the price per episode had certainly. But still, a week ahead … So I bought it. I came home and checked the online price at Best Buy.com–#34.99!! Damn!!! I love me some Simpsons, but I’m not going to pay $25 unecessarily. So I’m going to take it back to the store tomorrow and get my money back. But Simpsons: Season 2 is sitting in its wrapper on my entertainment center shelf right now…and I can’t open it!! ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/2 "2002-07-31T03:00:41Z")
Think of money as being goodwill. If you keep the box you’ve bought, someone who works in the store you bought it from will be staying in a job and you’ll be sharing some good will towards them… That’s how I would look at it… AND you get to open the wrapper! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/3 "2002-07-31T03:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > But Simpsons: Season 2 is sitting in its wrapper on my entertainment center shelf right now…and I can’t open it!! [Nelson] Ha, ha! [/Nelson] ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/4 "2002-07-31T03:52:37Z")
Maybe they have some sort of ‘price match’ policy? It seems stupid of them to offer the same product for $25 less online, with free shipping to boot. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/5 "2002-07-31T04:03:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boo Boo Foo \* > \*\*Think of money as being goodwill. If you keep the box you’ve bought, someone who works in the store you bought it from will be staying in a job and you’ll be sharing some good will towards them… > > \*\* Speaking as someone who works on of those stores- I get no cut at all on the insane mark-up on allready expensive merchendice. And if I didn’t like books and music so much, I could stay in a better job at the gas station. Watch it and take it back and tell them it’s defective. The wage slave there will have no problem with that. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/6 "2002-07-31T04:09:23Z")
But thanks for the thought, Boo 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/7 "2002-07-31T06:32:36Z")
Thanks for the reminder. I just ordered from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). But they won’t ship it till Aug 6 at the earliest. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/8 "2002-07-31T10:46:09Z")
Best Buy broke a street date? I’m gonna tell on them! ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/9 "2002-07-31T14:36:20Z")
How about this: Open it, watch it. Buy another copy from the website. When it arrives, bring the new copy back to the store with the original reciept. Viola, best of both worlds, no? I don’t think there’s anyhting illegal about it… although IANAL ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/10 "2002-07-31T16:16:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Open it, watch it. Buy another copy from the website. > > When it arrives, bring the new copy back to the store with the original reciept. Viola, best of both worlds, no? Oh, I already thought of that, but somehow it seemed dishonest. Moreover, it occurred to me that the barcode from an online purchase might not match the barcode from a store purchase. Best Buy is highly skeptical when it comes to anything involving refunds or replacements. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/11 "2002-07-31T17:07:01Z")
Woo hoo, **Miller**! Great show, that was very well placed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/12 "2002-07-31T17:13:33Z")
Most places will NOT do a price match from an internet service. It is usually done at managment’s discretion, should be local, a competitor (they won’t compete with their own prices at other locations), etc. Oh, and please don’t try to return the new copy. That’s extremely dishonest and you’ll just look like a jackass. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/13 "2002-07-31T17:49:18Z")
My local Best Buy will price match from an internet service. I would expect the policy to be national, but have no proof. Additionally, when getting my price match on some computer memory I bought, they matched the price after rebate (instead of $10 cheaper than before, it was now $25). I don’t know if this was policy or cashier error, however. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/14 "2002-07-31T18:03:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Most places will NOT do a price match from an internet service. The betterprice wasn’t from any old Internet store; it was from Best [Buy.com](http://Buy.com), THEIR Internet store. It’s the same freakin’ company! > [@](#): > > Oh, and please don’t try to return the new copy. That’s extremely dishonest and you’ll just look like a jackass. Did you not read my response where I wrote, "Oh, I already thought of that, but somehow it seemed dishonest "? Please do not impugn my ethics. I may have no morals, but I do have standards, and screwing over a company is simply Not Done. I do, however, have the right to return my purchase and buy it elsewhere for a better price. You rich K-Mart employees may have money to burn, but some of us don’t want to piss away $25 if we can avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/15 "2002-07-31T18:10:28Z")
If best [buy.com](http://buy.com) is charging less than best buy B&M the B&M should do a price match ---
**Author:** ![cercaria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@cercaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cercaria)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/16 "2002-07-31T18:18:03Z")
Okay… confession… I work at Best Buy. I don’t know how nice the managers working at the store you shop at are, but if you brought a printout of the [BestBuy.com](http://BestBuy.com) page that has that price, as well as your purchase to _my_ store, I’m 95% sure that the managers would match the price for you or, at the very least, find out why the prices are different. Might be worth a shot, if you’re going back to return it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/17 "2002-07-31T19:11:39Z")
Thanks, **Cercaria**. I printed out the relevant page from Best [Buy.com](http://Buy.com) last night to bolster my case. I thought I would make my case more persuasive through these steps: !. Be friendly and nonthreatening. To many customers act like they own the joint, and putting a manager’s back up is not the way to start a negotiation. 1. Lay out the facts in the case: A. I bought this last night for $59.99. B. Best [Buy.com](http://Buy.com) has this for $25 dollars less. 2. Appeal to the manager’s self-interest: A. If B&M store can match the price, I can apply that credit to buying Season 1, therefore letting the store (and the mana- ger) retain the first sale and get the credit for an add-on sale) All said sweetly and calmly with a smile. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/18 "2002-07-31T22:22:23Z")
I wasn’t talking to you, specifically, **gobear**. But anyone in general who would try such a shitty stunt. Jesus, knee-jerk much? I’m only speaking from my experience-I know Kmart and Walmart generally will NOT match their internet prices. At least, I’m pretty sure Kmart will not. Mostly because of the differences-shipping, local economy, tax, etc. If they’ll match it-that’s GREAT! I’m just saying that they might NOT, if it would cause them to LOSE MONEY. Losing a sale and losing money are different- Lose a sale-means they broke even. They still have the item and can sell it to someone else Lose money-they give it to you at a LOSS of profit. Yeesh! It doesn’t hurt to ask, I’m just saying that price match isn’t always as simple as people think. I didn’t say you were an ass for wanting to save 25 bucks-I’d do the same! Jesus-so, just take the original one back, and get the other one. In case you haven’t noticed, I recently graduated college and my hours have been reduced (partly by request). I’m not going to castigate someone for wanting to save money! Bitter retail clerk here. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Wabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/19 "2002-07-31T23:22:59Z")
Don’t stress it **Guin** , Gobear’s just off his meds and being a cantankerous old bastige again. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624/20 "2002-07-31T23:54:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\* > Oh, and please don’t try to return the new copy. That’s extremely dishonest and you’ll just look like a jackass. \*\* Sorry! I’m a real Dickhead and can’t see _ANYTHING_ wrong with this. These things are mass-produced and nothing is special about the copy he got at BB and they will get a **new, sealed one** back for refund. Product out, Product in. No harm, no foul. And yes, I _did_ work retail for many years. People may have done this all the time, and it just doesn’t matter. Tear that sucker open and enjoy the show! * * * Damn! I have forgotten to not become drunken again! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bargain-or-was-it/121624.md?page=2)