Best Buy Confirms It Uses Secret Website - The Orange Mane

alkemical · 03-03-2007, 05:04 PM

Best Buy Confirms It Uses Secret Website

Under pressure from state investigators, Best Buy is now confirming my reporting that its stores have a secret intranet site that has been used to block some consumers from getting cheaper prices advertised on BestBuy.com.

Company spokesman Justin Barber, who in early February denied the existence of the internal website that could be accessed only by employees, says his company is "cooperating fully" with the state attorney general's investigation.

Barber insists that the company never intended to mislead customers.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal ordered the investigation into Best Buy's practices on Feb. 9 after my column disclosed the website and showed how employees at two Connecticut stores used it to deny customers a $150 discount on a computer advertised on BestBuy.com.

Blumenthal said Wednesday that Best Buy has also confirmed to his office the existence of the intranet site, but has so far failed to give clear answers about its purpose and use.

"Their responses seem to raise as many questions as they answer," Blumenthal said in a telephone interview. "Their answers are less than crystal clear."

Based on what his office has learned, Blumenthal said, it appears the consumer has the burden of informing Best Buy sales people of the cheaper price listed on its Internet site, which he said "is troubling."

What is more troubling to me, and to some Best Buy customers, is that even when one informs a salesperson of the Internet price, customers have been shown the intranet site, which looks identical to the Internet site, but does not always show the lowest price.

Blumenthal said that because of the fuzzy responses from Best Buy, he has yet to figure out the real motivation behind the intranet site and whether sales people are encouraged to use it to cheat customers.

Although Best Buy also refused to talk with me on specifics of the intranet site or its use, it insisted that its policy is to give customers the best price.

"Our intention is to provide the best price to our customers which is why we have a price-match policy in place," the company said in a written statement to me. "As prices and offers may vary between retail and online, our stores will certainly match BestBuy.com pricing as long as it qualifies under the terms and conditions of the price match policy."

"As a company, everything we do revolves around our customers' needs and desires. It is never our intent to mislead them as their loyalty is incredibly important to us," the statement said.

Then they threw in this interesting line: "Although we have an intra-store web site in place to support store operations (including products and pricing), we are reminding our employees how to access the external BestBuy.com web site to ensure customers are receiving the best possible product price."

That last sentence seems to indicate that Best Buy, which is supposed to be staffed by tech-savvy employees, is putting the blame on memory lapses: that employees have somehow forgotten how to access BestBuy.com from the store.

Having been to many Best Buy stores where some helpful employees showed me how they access the intranet and Internet, I can assure Best Buy officials that the re-education process will probably not be lengthy.

After making sure the computer is turned on, employees should click twice on the Yahoo Internet icon and then type in BestBuy.com.

This is not the first time the giant electronic retailer has gotten into trouble misleading customers. The firm, based in Minneapolis, operates more than 1,100 electronic retail stores in the U.S., Canada and China. It has more than 125,000 full-time employees.

Attorneys general in New Jersey and Ohio have accused Best Buy of deceptive sales practices, repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new, and failing to pay rebates and refunds. It paid $135,000 in New Jersey three years ago to settle that state's suit, which was based on hundreds of consumer complaints. The Ohio case is ongoing.

ludo21 · 03-03-2007, 07:54 PM

wow.

i wonder how many other companioes do this...

Goobzilla · 03-03-2007, 08:55 PM

partsamerica.com (the website for Checker, Schuck's, and Kragen Auto Parts) is notorious for this. You pull the part # off their website, then go into the store and the in store price is always higher. Unless you've been to their website and have a printout with you showing the lower price, you're getting the Joan Collins special. Store management and corporate chimps act like they have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe it's time to get the AG involved.

TailgateNut · 03-06-2007, 10:23 AM

I stopped shopping at that deceiving dump years ago. Their Warranties have more holes than a sieve!

Even if they had the product for 25% less than a competitor, I still would not give them my business.

DomCasual · 03-06-2007, 12:50 PM

I KNEW they were evil!

Dr. Broncenstein · 03-09-2007, 04:49 AM

I hate best buy. Ever buy something previously returned as non-functional which was re-packaged and sold as new? I have... guess where.

REB · 03-13-2007, 04:22 PM

I once purchased a washer and dryer from them and was told there was free delivery and set up. All I had to do was send the receipt to their headquarters (I guess it was) and I would receive a refund check. What I received was a letter telling me that that particular brand of washer and dryer was not included in the free delivery promotion. Needless to say they received a letter in return and I have not purchased anything from them again. Bastadges

OrangeShadow · 03-13-2007, 05:03 PM

i dont like best buy at all. they blew a fuse when they installed my CD changer in my car.

03-03-2007, 05:04 PM	#1
alkemical Guerrilla Ontologist rorrim\|mirror Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Future Posts: 42,696 Adopt-a-Bronco: Prima Materia	Best Buy Confirms It Uses Secret Website Best Buy Confirms It Uses Secret Website Under pressure from state investigators, Best Buy is now confirming my reporting that its stores have a secret intranet site that has been used to block some consumers from getting cheaper prices advertised on BestBuy.com. Company spokesman Justin Barber, who in early February denied the existence of the internal website that could be accessed only by employees, says his company is "cooperating fully" with the state attorney general's investigation. Barber insists that the company never intended to mislead customers. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal ordered the investigation into Best Buy's practices on Feb. 9 after my column disclosed the website and showed how employees at two Connecticut stores used it to deny customers a $150 discount on a computer advertised on BestBuy.com. Blumenthal said Wednesday that Best Buy has also confirmed to his office the existence of the intranet site, but has so far failed to give clear answers about its purpose and use. "Their responses seem to raise as many questions as they answer," Blumenthal said in a telephone interview. "Their answers are less than crystal clear." Based on what his office has learned, Blumenthal said, it appears the consumer has the burden of informing Best Buy sales people of the cheaper price listed on its Internet site, which he said "is troubling." What is more troubling to me, and to some Best Buy customers, is that even when one informs a salesperson of the Internet price, customers have been shown the intranet site, which looks identical to the Internet site, but does not always show the lowest price. Blumenthal said that because of the fuzzy responses from Best Buy, he has yet to figure out the real motivation behind the intranet site and whether sales people are encouraged to use it to cheat customers. Although Best Buy also refused to talk with me on specifics of the intranet site or its use, it insisted that its policy is to give customers the best price. "Our intention is to provide the best price to our customers which is why we have a price-match policy in place," the company said in a written statement to me. "As prices and offers may vary between retail and online, our stores will certainly match BestBuy.com pricing as long as it qualifies under the terms and conditions of the price match policy." "As a company, everything we do revolves around our customers' needs and desires. It is never our intent to mislead them as their loyalty is incredibly important to us," the statement said. Then they threw in this interesting line: "Although we have an intra-store web site in place to support store operations (including products and pricing), we are reminding our employees how to access the external BestBuy.com web site to ensure customers are receiving the best possible product price." That last sentence seems to indicate that Best Buy, which is supposed to be staffed by tech-savvy employees, is putting the blame on memory lapses: that employees have somehow forgotten how to access BestBuy.com from the store. Having been to many Best Buy stores where some helpful employees showed me how they access the intranet and Internet, I can assure Best Buy officials that the re-education process will probably not be lengthy. After making sure the computer is turned on, employees should click twice on the Yahoo Internet icon and then type in BestBuy.com. This is not the first time the giant electronic retailer has gotten into trouble misleading customers. The firm, based in Minneapolis, operates more than 1,100 electronic retail stores in the U.S., Canada and China. It has more than 125,000 full-time employees. Attorneys general in New Jersey and Ohio have accused Best Buy of deceptive sales practices, repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new, and failing to pay rebates and refunds. It paid $135,000 in New Jersey three years ago to settle that state's suit, which was based on hundreds of consumer complaints. The Ohio case is ongoing.

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03-03-2007, 07:54 PM	#2
ludo21 RIP Darrent Williams Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 17,915 Adopt-a-Bronco: Paul Ernster	wow. i wonder how many other companioes do this...

03-03-2007, 08:55 PM	#3
Goobzilla Lights Out B*h! BA-ZING!!** Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wellington Posts: 6,526 Adopt-a-Bronco: Mitch Erickson	partsamerica.com (the website for Checker, Schuck's, and Kragen Auto Parts) is notorious for this. You pull the part # off their website, then go into the store and the in store price is always higher. Unless you've been to their website and have a printout with you showing the lower price, you're getting the Joan Collins special. Store management and corporate chimps act like they have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe it's time to get the AG involved.

03-06-2007, 10:23 AM	#4
TailgateNut Bleedin' orange! .......as much as tebonites Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mile High Posts: 20,018 Adopt-a-Bronco: Howard Griffith	I stopped shopping at that deceiving dump years ago. Their Warranties have more holes than a sieve! Even if they had the product for 25% less than a competitor, I still would not give them my business.

03-06-2007, 12:50 PM	#5
DomCasual The Dude abides. Shameless Homer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Cocytus Posts: 13,173 Adopt-a-Bronco: Gus Frerotte	I KNEW they were evil!

03-09-2007, 04:49 AM	#6
Dr. Broncenstein Overdriven Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Sterile Fields Posts: 11,622 Adopt-a-Bronco: Wesley Woodyard	I hate best buy. Ever buy something previously returned as non-functional which was re-packaged and sold as new? I have... guess where.

03-13-2007, 04:22 PM	#7
REB LP.org/L4L.org "This one's for John!" 3:16 Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: 'I guess he'd rather be in Colorado' Posts: 8,723	I once purchased a washer and dryer from them and was told there was free delivery and set up. All I had to do was send the receipt to their headquarters (I guess it was) and I would receive a refund check. What I received was a letter telling me that that particular brand of washer and dryer was not included in the free delivery promotion. Needless to say they received a letter in return and I have not purchased anything from them again. Bastadges

03-13-2007, 05:03 PM	#8
OrangeShadow armed and dangerous Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 6,771	i dont like best buy at all. they blew a fuse when they installed my CD changer in my car.