Best Buy price gouging on 360 accessories? (joystiq)

[diskoboy]

Fortunately, I never buy games or accessories from BB. Just movies.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/13/best-buy-gouging-on-360-accessory-prices/

[FAMOUS]

Screw best buy, i support local ebs-gamestops and mom and pop shops!

[norkusa]

Screw best buy, i support local ebs-gamestops..

GS/EB is just as bad. Do they still sell their DS games $5 over MSRP?

[Vectorman0]

GS/EB is just as bad. Do they still sell their DS games $5 over MSRP?

Yes, many. Some $20 PSP games at $30 too. Basically anything priced below the usual max price a system has is fair game for them to raise past MSRP. $40 for PSP, $35 for DS, $60 for current gen, etc.

[PapaStu]

GS/EB is just as bad. Do they still sell their DS games $5 over MSRP?

They sell many of the Nintendo licensed DS games at 34 and not 29 like everywhere else. They do drop eventually... but its a long eventually.

[Rob2600]

I don't know what the big deal is. This is nothing new. When I worked at the mall years ago, several stores sold video games and accessories. The items in my store were almost always $5 cheaper than the same items across the hall in Sam Goody. Not only that, but our prices were $5 lower than the ones in the video game store upstairs from us...and we were both part of the same chain!

I'm not saying people should pay more money for items, but different stores have different prices. It's normal. That's why people shop at certain stores and don't shop at others.

[Hep038]

I think the problem is they are OVER MSRP. When the hell was the last time you bought something in a store over MSRP?

[Rob2600]

I think the problem is they are OVER MSRP. When the hell was the last time you bought something in a store over MSRP?

MSRP is a suggestion, not a rule. However, I am all for lower prices.

It doesn't affect me much anyway though because I do much of my shopping online now, but many people still shop at malls and department stores. Six years ago, many adults would come into my store and pay $50 for PlayStation 2 games, but many adults would also go across the hall to Sam Goody and pay $55 for the same games. Sometimes they would go upstairs to our sister store and pay $55 too, or go down the hall to KB Toys and get ripped off there instead. They didn't know any better and they probably didn't care, either.

I know this concept seems weird to people who live in areas where the main stores are Wal-Mart and Target, but here in NYC, there are hundreds of different stores all over the place and prices vary from store to store.

[Hep038]

Who said it was a rule? And yes, there are stores that sell over MSRP , but they are mostly mom and pop stores. But for a large chain like best buy to do it is unusual. That is what the big deal is. If it was wally's world of video games it would not be news worthy.

[Push Upstairs]

I'm sure you guys would shit if you knew what cost was on those accessories versus what it charged.

[Oobgarm]

I'm not saying people should pay more money for items, but different stores have different prices. It's normal. That's why people shop at certain stores and don't shop at others.

Simple and to the point. This man knows what he's talking about.

[sisko]

Must have been a slow news day.

[MegaDrive20XX]

So grab our pitch forks and torches?

[kaedesdisciple]

MSRP is a suggestion, not a rule. However, I am all for lower prices.

It doesn't affect me much anyway though because I do much of my shopping online now, but many people still shop at malls and department stores. Six years ago, many adults would come into my store and pay $50 for PlayStation 2 games, but many adults would also go across the hall to Sam Goody and pay $55 for the same games. Sometimes they would go upstairs to our sister store and pay $55 too, or go down the hall to KB Toys and get ripped off there instead. They didn't know any better and they probably didn't care, either.

I know this concept seems weird to people who live in areas where the main stores are Wal-Mart and Target, but here in NYC, there are hundreds of different stores all over the place and prices vary from store to store.

Honestly, Sam Goody is a horrible price comparison to any store for anything. Coming from someone who knows how much they used to mark up their product, it's amazing they stayed in business for as long as they did in these parts. No wonder they had to pack it in on the east coast.

[diskoboy]

Honestly, Sam Goody is a horrible price comparison to any store for anything. Coming from someone who knows how much they used to mark up their product, it's amazing they stayed in business for as long as they did in these parts. No wonder they had to pack it in on the east coast.

Actually, I think Borders is worse than anybody. They mark up their prices on movies 50%. HD Movies on Blu-ray and HD-DVD are $40 at borders. Music CD's are still $20. $30 for most 2-CD sets.

[esquire]

I hope those of you complaining about mall stores and EB/GS markups from the MSRP realize 1) stores in indoor shopping malls usually charge more than their competitors due to the higher overhead in rent that they have to pay, and 2) smaller stores like EB/GS may charge more because the ratio per item with respect to regaining the overhead and maximizing profits is easier for larger stores (Best Buy, CC, etc) due to higher customer traffic, increased overall sales volume, larger stock, and distribution of over head to higher mark up items like cables (Computer, Video and HDMI) and HDTVs for example. EB/GS has to recoup most of this from their used items and new game sales as their little to no mark up on new consoles and new software at the MSRP.

[Push Upstairs]

I thought it was common knowledge that mall electronics stores charge more to offset the rent.


I guess not.

[MrSmiley381]

They were charging $54.99 for Wii Component Cables at my Best Buy.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Seriously, I about shat a brick laughing at them.

[-hellvin-]

Wow...the most informative and ground breaking news articles I've ever read.

I think the average shopper is at least somewhat savvy enough to know the general msrp on what he/she is buying and simply not buy from somewhere that wants to charge a premium on their products.

I'll tell you where BB makes their REAL killings though:

Insignia
Dynex
Geek Squad Accessories
Rocketfish
React

All their homebrewed accessories. Most of those cables and ect. they will charge for 30 dollars or more and maybe cost them a dollar or two to order in off their truck.

And that's the cheaper alternative from other companies such as Monster.

[Push Upstairs]

BB makes all their $$ off of accessories, why do you think they push those things so goddamn much.

I remember looking up a USB cable only to be amazed that the $30 USB cable cost a measly $8. A 200%+ markup on that shit.

But I'm sure this info doesn't surprise some of you the least bit.

[FantasiaWHT]

The ONLY positive about working at Best Buy was that their employee discount is a certange percentage above cost... So instead of saving 10% off the PRICE of an item, you'd pay 10% more than it's COST. Savings on a brand new video game? $3-4. Savings on Monster Cables? $30-$40, hehe.

[smork]

The ONLY positive about working at Best Buy was that their employee discount is a certange percentage above cost... So instead of saving 10% off the PRICE of an item, you'd pay 10% more than it's COST. Savings on a brand new video game? $3-4. Savings on Monster Cables? $30-$40, hehe.

Shit, I bought some new speakers for my car when I worked there -- selling for $149, got 'em for $40.

They were selling radar detectors at $399 at the time, employee cost was just north of $100.

Of course, on a TV/home stereo/computer -- forget it. You'd pay alot more at cost + 10%. Hot computer items were sold below costs, which is why my manager orchestrated a Circuit City raid on some HP printers. Circuit was selling less han us, and below cost, so the manager sent employees to buy up their stock (for us to resell). Unethical? Sure. But funny.

(Best Buys still sucks, though, and I avoid shopping there when I can.)

[Promophile]

I've had 3 extremely awful customer experiences in my life, and 2 of them took place at BB (the other was at Walmart). BB has to be the most anti-customer big box store I've ever been to. Customer service is absolutely abysmal. Most of the associates aren't too bad, but I don't know where they find the upper level store management. I had to argue for over 30 minutes with 3 levels of managers for a 5 dollar off price match. 5 dollars! At the time I was spending hundreds of dollars a month at BB, and I had to argue with the store manager to have them honor their own damn policies. I've never had a store work so hard to screw me.

[FantasiaWHT]

I've had 3 extremely awful customer experiences in my life, and 2 of them took place at BB (the other was at Walmart). BB has to be the most anti-customer big box store I've ever been to. Customer service is absolutely abysmal. Most of the associates aren't too bad, but I don't know where they find the upper level store management. I had to argue for over 30 minutes with 3 levels of managers for a 5 dollar off price match. 5 dollars! At the time I was spending hundreds of dollars a month at BB, and I had to argue with the store manager to have them honor their own damn policies. I've never had a store work so hard to screw me.

I used to feel that way about BB. Seems that in the past few years they've gotten much less pushy (used to not be able to go into one without having credit cards/netflix/broadband/satellite/cable/reward zone etc. shoved down your throat every time you turned around. I've actually stopped completely avoiding BB now that that sort of crap has calmed down.