$30 BestBuy coupon for Geforce mistake

[Gilby]

Speaking as someone who saw the deal too late to order...

Are you all freaking nuts? Rolling over so easily?

This is it. This is the test case to actually hold online sellers to their offers. This is the US case to match the Kodak case. This is something that could benefit everyone that buys and sells online, not just Best Buy.

Lets hope that some people with a bit of vim and vigor actually carry this one forward, for the good of everyone.

Sheesh.

 

[DavemanUT]

There is NO way that BB is paying $100 for those cards. NO WAY. Guys, I'm sorry, but it's not true.



<< Once you figure in tax and shipping, the amazing $30 coupon is worth $20 or less. Then, once you consider that you are buying things retail from an overpriced vendor, you'll realize that you've sold yourself for the cost of a DVD. w00t. I hope Harry Potter is worth it. >>



If you select instore pickup, you either pick it up (no s/h) or they offer to mail it to you for free (if OOS, I've done this many times). That makes it worth about $27, and you have to pay tax anyways. But I agree that BB is overpriced. They have to be, just like any other B&M. More overhead. The only time I buy anything anymore is when I get them to take additional $$ off an open box item.

D.C.

 

[aldamon]

<< Proof of the $99 cost for the GF4 has been posted here:

Click Here to see the scan

Go take a peek. Cost to BB is $99 while price is $399. >>



I'll quote myself for the benefit of DavemanUT.

 

[DavemanUT]

You notice the guy that scanned it? 17 posts? Photoshop? You see that other one that had been posted? It looked liked a price sticker from the store, but said $129.99.

From the other thread, posted by me....

Guys, there is NO way that this card is a $99 card. If it was, BB would be selling it for ~ $150. No B&M could mark something up that much, and expect to sell any. All the online guys would be selling em at a bit over cost, and try to make money by volume. If you want to know what is being paid for a card, just take about 5% off of the online vendors prices.

If everyone was making $300 on em, SURELY, one of the stores would drop it down to $350, thus only making a $250 profit, but selling a TON more, as people would buy it there. I REPEAT, THEY ARE NOT MAKING $300 on a $100 card. It doesn't work that way. I'd be amazed if they were making $100 on a $300 card.

D.C.

 

[aldamon]

It's funny how everything Best Buy says is gold while every piece of proof we offer is "Photochopped." Remember to take a shower when your head comes out for air....

 

[Abem3]

The best price my cousin that works at BB can get me on a Radeon 8500 is $248. Just FYI

 

[csiro]

It can't be $100, that scan must be a mistake or it has been photoshopped.

If cost $99, NewEgg would probably be selling them for $149.

Plus a Bestbuy employee with their discount, which IIRC was cost + 5% would get it for $105.

 

[Rainguy]

Yeah, I'd say it said $299, add a couple of white rectangles over the "2", merge all, and you got $99

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

<< Plus a Bestbuy employee with their discount, which IIRC was cost + 5% would get it for $105. >>



I have no doubt a company like BestBuy would pad their books in a way to keep exactly that from happening on big ticket, high profit items. Their employees might have cause to look into this matter further as well for their own sake. Some of you just don't realize, corporate America will do anything they can get away with to turn a buck. I'm not really faulting them for it, it's the nature of business, but it's the consumer's responsiblility to dictate just what they can get away with.

 

[wesbc]

I go to sleep and wake up to find the generic BB bashing and name calling. Guess I should have made my title a little cleared to make a hot deal with it. Mostly I'm just hunting around. Those that want to use their $30, I say great. Those that want to hold off, great as well. But you would still want to know what to buy when you do.

As pointed out, there are other threads that are more appropriate such as the hardforum.

 

[DaveNCheez]

its not $100. thats granted.
either the pic was edited, or that is still leftover because from the whole "systems error" from before.

but in either case, they are liable. Doesnt really matter what it costs them, still they are responsible for their pricing being correct and the verification of the price

 

[krakken]

If you think about it it's cheaper than them losing over $150 for each order when they promised to ship them in March. I was just looking for the original forum to post about this, but of course Anand is always on the top of the news.
Cheers (because everyone else does)

 

[DavemanUT]

Holy geez!! Look what I found?!?!?!

Look!?!?!

D.C.


EDIT : I'm going to have to edit this right now, becuase people think it is real, and I DON'T WANT THAT. I created it to show how easily something can be changed. This took me 30 seconds. I know it isn't perfect.

AGAIN, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT REAL. IT WAS CREATED JUST TO SHOW HOW EASY IT IS TO EDIT THIS STUFF!!!!

 

[descent]

<< It's funny how everything Best Buy says is gold while every piece of proof we offer is "Photochopped." Remember to take a shower when your head comes out for air.... >>


What's funny, no sad really, is that people like you cannot see the simple facts that are in front of you. Look at DavemanUT's post and mchammer187's as well and re-read what are the most accurate posts about why this card doesn't cost BB $99. It's called the "invisible hand." Ever hear of economics? The free market would not allow this sort of inequality. Even figuring in economies of scale and other partnership benefits, the cost of manufacturing, distribution, marketing, etc. would prevent BB from getting this card for $99.

Here are a couple of truths:

- Don't believe everything you read on the internet, its not all true.

- For the most part, no one is "out to get you." Stores only make money if you buy things. Screwing you over time and time again is not the way to get repeat customers, so it really isn't their goal.

- Remember the Golden Rule, its a good rule. If you made a mistake, an obvious mistake, how would you like it to be handled?

Try and take a look at the facts, take a look at how the real world works, and then try to reason out your own conclusion. This is just getting silly. I may be banned for my bluntness but I sure hope these threads get locked too.

descent

 

[DavemanUT]

Wanna know what that took?!?! 30 seconds in MGI Photosuite.



<< It's funny how everything Best Buy says is gold while every piece of proof we offer is "Photochopped." Remember to take a shower when your head comes out for air.... >>



I just got out of the shower, you're up next.

D.C.

 

[hoihtah]

haha... nice daveman.
but i think you need to space out the 2 a bit more.
it'll make it look more realistic.


in any case, i expected to get nothing when i placed my order.
i've been shafted before.

and when it was cancelled, it wasn't much of a deal for me.

so needless to say... this morning has turned out to be a pleasant one.

 

[aldamon]

DavemanUT, the next time you want to be an ass, try to get your fonts right. The original copy was printed from a Best Buy kiosk. Was yours?

You guys are impossible. Nothing short of a Best Buy executive giving you lap dance and spilling his guts will convince you. I've had enough. Enjoy spending your "$30."

 

[Scootin159]

<< Holy geez!! Look what I found?!?!?!

Look!?!?!

D.C. >>



Having a printout of this as evidence won't take you very far unless you are 100% certain it is accurate. If you try to use it the manager will go and get a new copy of it, and compare it to yours....better match up.

 

[gametalent]

Sorry guy. I don't understand, can u buy the card now and recieve the 30 GC? Thanks

 

[DavemanUT]

<< DavemanUT, the next time you want to be an ass, try to get your fonts right. The original copy was printed from a Best Buy kiosk. Was yours? >>



Nope. Mine was made in 30 seconds using MGI Photosuite. Although, I'm not sure about the font thing, as I just cut and pasted from another 2. The "2" in "299" looks just like every other 2 on the page. Although, I agree with hoihtah that I may not have spaced it right.

It's a lot easier to delete a number than to create one.

D.C.

 

[Scootin159]

<< Sorry guy. I don't understand, can u buy the card now and recieve the 30 GC? Thanks >>



Yes, you can PREORDER the card for $399.99 - $30 = $369.99. Hot deal, huh? I e-mailed BB & told them that there was an error in my coupon, it should be for $270, not $30, and to please correct the mistake

 

[gametalent]

But can u cancel the order, after you use the GC???

 

[mikecrof]

I've got to agree with Daveman on this one. NO-ONE makes this kind of profit on hardware in the current computer market!!! I don't know if this scan is doctored or if the information in the printout is just wrong (ever hear of using made up numbers for placeholders until a real value can be entered? like 11/11/01 was a programming date to represent something that would never end?) Maybe before all the flap BB had entered the same dollar values as a MX460 just to get the other GF4 information into their system, I don't know, but I guarantee you this item does not sell for $400 and only cost $100. Raw materials for the card, yea maybe $100, but you are going to pay for the R&D. As for those who say "but all the GPU's are from the same series...it doesn't cost them any more to make a 4600 than a 4200..." IT STILL COSTS THEM AND YOU WILL PAY FOR THE R&D WHICH MADE ALL OF THEM POSSIBLE!!!

 

[Dug]

If the card only cost them 99 then they would have taken the hit and shipped the cards out for 129.

Businesses are not stupid. You can replace inventory anytime you want- you can't replace customers.

There's nothing wrong with 30x1400 = $42000 profit if the cards really do cost 99.
Not to mention good pr with that profit.

They would have done it if that was true and just ordered more cards.

 

[BobF]

I just started a "roll call" thread in the Off Topic forum for those that received one of the $30 Best Buy Gift Certificates. Swing by and add your name to the list if you got one of these:


Roll Call: Best Buy $30 Gift Certificate for GeForce Pricing Error

You can also add where you first heard about the deal.

There are rumors running around that 1400 orders were placed at the $129.99 price before it was raised to $399.99. I'm guessing that a *lot* of these orders were placed by Anandtech readers.

Bob