# Circuit City is Forked **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640 "2009-01-16T19:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/1 "2009-01-16T19:17:36Z")
[Circuit City’s closing all stores.](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/technology/companies/17circuit.html?ref=business) > [@](#): > > Circuit City, once a bellwether American retailer, is going out of business for good, stripping the nation of its second-largest consumer electronics chain. > > The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, said Friday that it would liquidate its stores and other assets. > > Just last week, Circuit City — which has some 30,000 employees and 567 stores — was in talks with two potential buyers, but it was unable to reach a timely agreement with its creditors and lenders. > > “We are extremely disappointed by this outcome,” said James A. Marcum, vice chairman and acting president and chief executive of Circuit City Stores Inc. He called the liquidation “the only possible path for our company.” This is really going to drive down sales at the _other_ big box electronic retailers, since folks will be buying everything they can at Circuit City. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/2 "2009-01-16T19:20:13Z")
Fuckers, I bought a TV there (I started a thread about this in GQ) and bought the service plan. I’m trying to call them to see if they’re going to honor this or if someone else is for the next 5 years and I keep getting hung up on. Seems that the call center has the same news access as we do. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/3 "2009-01-16T19:22:59Z")
I was just discussing this with a cow-orker. I think you’re right, **Tuckerfan** , about the sales. The first thought both of us had was – “Hello, cheap laptop.” ---
**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:** [January 16, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/4 "2009-01-16T19:23:17Z")
Gotta wonder how much severence James A. Marcum and others will walk away with. Wonder if the rank and file will get any. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/5 "2009-01-16T19:26:11Z")
Does liquidation necessarily mean that they will be selling their store inventories through the stores? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/6 "2009-01-16T19:28:34Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Fuckers, I bought a TV there (I started a thread about this in GQ) and bought the service plan. I’m trying to call them to see if they’re going to honor this or if someone else is for the next 5 years and I keep getting hung up on. Seems that the call center has the same news access as we do. Wanna bet that on the last day the stores are open, they’re _still_ trying to sell such things to customers? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/7 "2009-01-16T19:29:20Z")
1. There won’t be many, if any, bargains. 2. CC Advantage Protection Plans are still good. 3. All the stores will be conduction the liquidation. [Link.](http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/retail/circuit-city-liquidate-remaining-stores/) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/8 "2009-01-16T19:55:56Z")
All of the CC stores around here closed a while ago. I wandered into one about a month ago, and they were pretty much down to a couple of TVs, one-off things like one copy of Windows Vista and one external hard drive and random car stereo bits and bobs - faceplates, GPS mounting brackets and similar things. I suspect the liquidation company had already scooped up the stock, leaving pretty much nothing except the display items. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/9 "2009-01-16T20:10:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 1. There won’t be many, if any, bargains. > > 2. CC Advantage Protection Plans are still good. > > 3. All the stores will be conduction the liquidation. > > [Link.](http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/retail/circuit-city-liquidate-remaining-stores/) This. Don’t bet on many deals for the “good” stuff that can be easily sold elsewhere as the liquidators will scoop it up and re-sell it in bulk to web vendors. Bulky, oddball or slow moving, stuff may be sold on site at deal prices. The interesting thing is how relatively few killer deals there are in these liquidation scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/10 "2009-01-16T20:18:49Z")
The CC that already closed near me was taking XX% off MSRP, not retail price. So the deals weren’t very good. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/11 "2009-01-16T20:46:02Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > The CC that already closed near me was taking XX% off MSRP, not retail price. So the deals weren’t very good. My daughter’s ex-bf worked at the one that closed near us, and he told us that they had nothing good. There big discounts were off list price, and were no better than stores staying in business. They were almost out of stuff also when we dropped in just before Christmas. Mervyn’s, also liquidating, was the same deal. I’m sad that he is losing his job, but they did it to themselves by firing all the experienced people. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/12 "2009-01-16T20:47:45Z")
Maybe this is just my dad talking, but it seems to me that a location that was trying to get rid of it’s stores would be very succeptable to haggling. My dad haggles over the price of eggs at the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/13 "2009-01-16T20:51:10Z")
I’m going to stop by Circuit City anyway. I need to get some DDR memory for an older machine, so it might just be one of those things I can pick up more cheaply there. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/14 "2009-01-16T20:53:48Z")
Ha! My boycott worked! That will teach those fuckers to mess with me. I feel sorry for the employees. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/15 "2009-01-16T21:00:32Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Maybe this is just my dad talking, but it seems to me that a location that was trying to get rid of it’s stores would be very succeptable to haggling. > My dad haggles over the price of eggs at the supermarket. Obligatory [haggle scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA) from _Life of Brian_. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/16 "2009-01-17T03:54:04Z")
If it’s anything like the CC that closed in Parker (co), there were very few deals. I got SPORE for $35, and another game for $20, but their cameras, Computers, TV’s, etc weren’t very good deals. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/17 "2009-01-17T05:10:01Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Maybe this is just my dad talking, but it seems to me that a location that was trying to get rid of it’s stores would be very succeptable to haggling. I was in the US when CompUSA were being liquidated and managed to get some incredible bargains- technical manuals, latest release PC games, USB drives, so on (basically, stuff that cost obscene amounts of money here in Australia)- from one of their stores which was going to close about three days later. I filled a trolley with the stuff I wanted and found one of the sales staff who looked like he had some sort of authority, and offered him an incredibly low amount of money for it. Unsurprisingly, his first reaction was"I can’t sell you all that for that price!" And I said “Why not? What’s your boss going to do, fire you? A week from now, you’ll be at your new job and I’ll be on a plane out of the country. The company’s gone belly-up and you and your mates will have already gotten all the good shit that you wanted anyway. Everyone’s happy.” And this guy looks at me for a second, says “Fuck it, you’re right.”, and rang the sale up, using various “Shop Soiled/Damaged/Goodwill/Clearance Special” codes to drop the prices. Besides kitting me out with some neat stuff, that one trip to the store solved our Christmas and Birthday Presents For People problem for the rest of the year, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/18 "2009-01-17T10:08:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 1. There won’t be many, if any, bargains. The local Circuit City liquidated just before Christmas here and you are correct that there wasn’t much that was a “bargain”. Circuit City has always had the problem of being very slow to go below MSRP. On the other hand 70% off on DVD’s and some games was about the price that I could get them including shipping from Amazon, a friend got a good deal on some of the store’s wiring and shelving, and I did find a few things that were recently out of print and being sold at a huge mark up elsewhere (low turn over on the stock helped me there 🙂 ). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/19 "2009-01-17T11:19:59Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Maybe this is just my dad talking, but it seems to me that a location that was trying to get rid of it’s stores would be very succeptable to haggling. The problem here is, CC has already sold its merchandise. It’s the professional liquidator group that’s doing the selling now, and if you follow the link above, you can see that some of these place mark prices **up** /use MSRP as their base price. So even with haggling, you still might not get it at what would be a decent sale price for another store, and not like what you’d get from CC themselves in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640/20 "2009-01-17T14:12:31Z")
The CCity here liquidated and there were no real deals. Most stuff was more expensive than at BBuy. A few bucks off games and DVDs but that’s about it. They have the big signs UP TO 75% OFF MSRP!! but the vast majority (like 90% of the store) is only 10% off MSRP, which works out to be more than at other stores. Blu Ray discs weren’t even cheaper. It’s a shame really because I much preferred CCity stores to BBuy. I don’t care about having knowlegable staff, I just don’t want the stores to give me a headache like BBuy does. CCity didn’t feel like shopping in a warehouse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circuit-city-is-forked/481640.md?page=2)