Online Shoppers Call Best Buy The Grinch After Retailer Cancels Orders At Last Second
Online Shoppers Call Best Buy The Grinch After Retailer Cancels Orders At Last Second
Posted 12/23/2011 at 11:07am
| by Brad Chacos
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By all accounts, most folks should be chilling out and winding down right about now. We’re smack-dab in the midst of the holidays, it’s Friday, and even if you could care less about Christmas, the imminent vanishing of dozens of overly festive TV commercials should bring a smile to your face. Speaking of commercials, did you see Best Buy’s “Game On Santa”? As it turns out, Santa won in the end – and you lost. Best Buy recently began notifying some customers that their online orders – even ones made as far back as November – won’t be fulfilled. To quote the lady in the commercial, it’s awkward.
Best Buy declined to tell the Wall Street Journal how many people or which products were affected. Best Buy beefed up its online offerings this year to combat the low prices being offered by virtual retailers. Ironically, it now claims that an overwhelming number of purchases on BestBuy.com have led to the current out-of-stock crisis. Those affected have little time to shop for replacements elsewhere, and are basically limited to brick-and-mortar stores if they want to try to pick something up before Christmas. Customers that presumably shopped online at least partially due to the convenience factor now have to hit the streets on Christmas weekend itself.
Digging around the Web a bit, it seems that disappointed (would-be) customers aren’t being offered any sort of discounts or gift certificates for the last-second hassle, either. You have to wonder – will this blunder cost Best Buy dearly next holiday season? Is this enough to scare you out of shopping for presents online?
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cctroublemaker12
December 25, 2011 at 2:22pm
Unfortunately Best Buy as widespread as they are, is the best place to buy electronics at higher prices.
jbcava
December 23, 2011 at 10:18pm
I have to admit that best buy hasn't been far off prices from Newegg lately.. In fact i'd even go as far as to say Best buy has been cheaper more often lately. I've also bought from newegg and still do, but when i can go to a local best buy store and purchase a retail 2tb WD hard drive for $100 cheaper than Newegg or a HP Printer for $25.00 cheaper than newegg or tiger direct and thats not factoring shipping costs then i'd have to say my timing is either good or etailers are getting damn expensive.. My bottom line isn't loyalty (however my shopping preferences start with places I prefer to shop) but if a local retailer has a better deal than a etailer then guess who is going to win - the lower price.
I've built my last 5 computers from either Newegg or Tiger or both. Over the last year neweggs packing has become a joke and tiger's shipping takes forever to get to me unless i want to pay a small fortune for 2 day service so local has proven at least for me to be at times cheaper and expedient.
bling581
December 27, 2011 at 11:08am
Right...
It depends what you're shopping for, but I have a hard time believing that the majority of prices are that low. They really try to gouge you with accessories. I bought an HDMI cable from Amazon for $8 and it was on sale at Best Buy the next week for $50 hahaha.
NineteenEleven
December 23, 2011 at 8:55pm
i like to go to best buy and browse, when i see something i like it order it from my phone, though amazon.... from their store
nuff said
silverblack
December 23, 2011 at 9:59pm
I do that exact same thing. I'm still surprised how best buy survived when other better companies went out of business.
Ironically this year Amazon, or rather one of their third partty sellers, screwed us on our gift to our parents. (wrong type, missing pieces even though it was supposed to be new) We were forced to go to best buy, and because instore service still generally sucks, we had to go to the online store. Guess we lucked out on that last part.
Device Unknown
December 23, 2011 at 6:28pm
I guess I am suprised anyone who reads Maximum PC even shops at Best Buy. I have not been in that store in over a year, last time was just to get a new phone through Sprint.
leo655
December 24, 2011 at 9:50am
I agree I only go there to buy DVDs or BRs when I want them on first sale day!
levster
December 23, 2011 at 3:12pm
I guess that they are learning something... They sent me $100 gift certificate for the order cancellation.
chinomon
December 23, 2011 at 2:24pm
all you have to do is remember the New Egg commercials, enough said.
chart2006
December 23, 2011 at 1:55pm
Only people who have no idea what they're buying, or doing for that matter, go to BB. I stop in just to browse but RARELY buy anything. The last thing I bought was a TV and that's because the price wasn't much different online for the same one. Oh and I bought Gears 3 because of Baird. :-)
Anyone remember the PS3 Firmware update "deal" BB had? Buy a new PS3 and we'll update it for a low price of $30. Baha!!!
Kinetic
December 23, 2011 at 12:52pm
I don't get why people still even bother shopping there. They have good sales on movies sometimes I guess.
iron1mike
December 23, 2011 at 12:22pm
newegg.com customer for life.
lower prices
tax free (most states)
free and fast shipping
whats not to like?
Kinetic
December 23, 2011 at 12:51pm
I hate how they always offer the newest tech at unbeatable prices and then back it up with the best customer service.
Oh wait....
bpstone
December 23, 2011 at 12:10pm
I figured out a long time ago they were a bunch of ripoffs. My advice is not to buy from them.
Ridnarhtim
December 23, 2011 at 12:04pm
I could care less about Christmas. In fact, I could care a lot less, since I care about it an awful lot.
Trekker1091
December 23, 2011 at 11:48am
I'm sorry, but isn't false advertising illegal? Great way to bring in customers this and next holiday season, Best Buy! Oh, by the way, because of this lovely stunt, I am considering cancelling my rewardzone membership and never shopping there again.
rchris
December 23, 2011 at 11:34am
Nope, it's not enough to scare me out of shopping online. But it definitely reinforces my policy of always avoiding Best Buy.
Biceps
December 23, 2011 at 11:20am
One would think that a retailer/e-tailer as large as Best Buy would have a better inventory management system in place. Guess not.
To answer your question: if I shop online, I go to New Egg or Tiger Direct, as both companies make customers the central focus of their businesses. I firmly believe that Best Buy execs see their customers as suckers with little targets super-imposed over their buttholes. Sorry for the visual.
I refuse to use Best Buy unless it is unavoidable... which is pretty much never.
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