COMP USA going out of business.

[QuantumPion]

I popped in my local comp usa a week ago. They had a 20" LCD monitor supposedly on sale at the front, along with some other random hardware. I was interested in getting the monitor because it was the same model that I have, so I could use two matching ones. The markdown sticker read $380. This was for a 20" LCD that was new 2 years ago, it was a dusty display model, and they were charging $100 more then what it cost RETAIL when it was NIB, TWO YEARS AGO. I offered the manager $200 for it, pointing this out, and he just scoffed me off. I don't know how they managed to stay in buisness as long as they did...

 

[coloumb]

Originally posted by: foolish501
Went to my local store yesterday, and what a mess ! Was hoping to get some deals on some blank disks, but the online price is not being honored in store any longer. Saw somebody pay $380 for a Geforce 8800GTS 320mb, and was going on to his friend about it being a steal, and yet the 8800GT was $110 cheaper and he wouldn't listen to me when i told him the 8800GT was faster. Also was the only store in my area that had Rock Band in stock, and was selling for $150, had to keep my wallet in my pocket

Saw similar "deals" at the local store today. Nearly everything in the store was re-priced at the suggested retail price with a 10% discount.

 

[jandrews]

I remember being 12 years old when the local kmart went out of business. They advertised huge sales as I recall. Then they would mark things 20% off. If you peeled off the labels you could see that orginally the product was cheaper, then they put a new price on it and then took 20% off that, what corporate swine bullcrap no suprises there of course. Obviously it works if there are people at compusa.

 

[papaschtroumpf]

They start overpriced, I have to take taxes in to account, so I doubt I'll ever find anything attractive by the time the discounts are low enough to catch my interest

 

[ProfJohn]

I am looking at a $400+ wide format printer so I figure the market for something like that has to be small. So I am hoping it is still there when they mark stuff down lower.

After Christmas the big push should be over and they should start marking down more to get stuff out the door.

Then again someone said they were planning to stay open till Feb so it may be mid Jan before we get any real deals.

 

[The Master]

Most of the inventory was half gone when I looked at my local store.. though there was xbox's, ps2's and ps3's in a big cage up front..

Given how much crapusa overcharges.. don't except anything deal worthy till they at least hit 50% off after christmas.. (which was hinted at by my compusa checkout person) but based on what you guys say.. properly not worth the effort whatsoever..

 

[lupi]

I've got a store about a mile from me. Won't even bother hoing until January and even then the idiots will probably have bought the overpriced things at the 10% discount level level true crap left.

 

[skrill]

Went yesterday to my local CUSA. The only thing that peeked my interest was a Corsair HX620w modular PSU. It was market at $170 with 20% off. But I wold like to see that price come down another 10% before I bite. They had like 6 of them on the shelf.

 

[HOOfan 1]

just went to mine today and bought a bunch of older games that were $20 each...at 10% discount they came out to $18 each...that was actually a decent deal. However the hardware even at 10%-20% off was still overpriced.

I was looking to get a good deal on a Western Digital 750GB internal HDD...regular price $260-10% off makes it $234...I have seen that drive on sale at Best Buy for $200...

Also was looking at possibly buying a Corsair HX620. I am not even sure if this is the PSU I really want yet but if I could get it for under $140 I was going to bite. Online price was $169...so I figured I could get it for $136. In store price was $180 (isn't that over MSRP?)...so at 20% off that would make it $144...I have seen it only for $139.


All the decent expensive stuff like Prosessors, Monitors, Laptops and even Flash memory porducts were only 5% off. Best Buy, Circuit City and the office stores have better deals than these.

Note to CompUSA, this price gouging is exactly why you are going out of business and even with your "clearance sale" your prices still suck. Hopefully they will drop them some more and I will buy some more games and maybe a HDD or mouse.

 

[Schmide]

Went tonight. Found still overpriced stuff and 10% off.

 

[mageslayer]

I always love it when new stores open, but hate it when old ones run out of bussiness.
In the case of compusa, I have no pity. My local compusa is always selling last gen hardware at twice current gen prices.

 

[johnsonbrewer]

More of the same in Wichita. Prices marked up then 10 to 20% off. No bargains yet. The place had all the atmosphere of a funeral home. Only two Intel cpu's on the shelf and they are cheaper online with free shipping from most everywhere else. Boooo.

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: El Norm

Originally posted by: dds14u

Originally posted by: ActiveX
if Fry's came to New York or New Jersey, stores like Best Buy and Circuit City would be in serious trouble.

Stores like Best Buy and Circuit City have not been in seriuos trouble in the bay area...I don't see how it would be any different on the east coast if Fry's moved there.

Yeah pretty much. It's like this... If you know what you want, done your research, don't mind spending a little extra time and dont care about customer service, then go to Fry's. If you want a pleasant experience shopping with somewhat intelligent people that know answers to some of your questions then go to Best Buy.

Customer service might not seems that important but beleive me not everyone is as savy as many of the people here... and it's what has kept many stores like Best Buy and Circuit city open. Not to mention just the general atmosphere of the store.

wow... warn us next time... I almost choked. Someone used "intelligent people", "pleasant experience", "customer service" and Best Buy all in the same post. I'm calling 411 to see if they have a number for hell. I want to see if it's snowing yet...

 

[sgrinavi]

My local CUSA had a E6850 for $239 plus tax..

Good deal considering it's $279 at NewEgg

 

[Fardringle]

I don't shop at Best Buy very often because they usually don't have the items that I want, but when I do go there I have the same experience as El Norm. The sales people that I talk to are pleasant and generally know what they are talking about. The two times that I have needed to return an item it was a quick and painless process to tell the CS desk that the item was defective or that I wanted a return, show the item and my receipt, then get a refund/replacement.

I suspect that the people who complain so violently about bad experiences are either going to select bad stores, or are causing the bad experience themselves by being rude to the sales/service people who are simply trying to help you.


On the other hand, the people at our local CompUSA are always very impatient and only seem interested in forcing as many unnecessary upgrades as possible onto the customers. Adding that on to their already inflated prices for old equipment and it's really not much of a surprise that they've been having financial problems.

 

[littlebitstrouds]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I suspect that the people who complain so violently about bad experiences are either going to select bad stores, or are causing the bad experience themselves by being rude to the sales/service people who are simply trying to help you.

The last time I went into Bestbuy, I had to pull a couple aside to correct what they had just herd. I quote, from a manager no less:
"Oh, well HDMI is a step up from 1080p. It's just a better investment, cause nothing uses it yet really, but soon everything will."

Really? The couple was being polite and simply asked a simple question.

 

[Delta6Echo]

Originally posted by: littlebitstrouds

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I suspect that the people who complain so violently about bad experiences are either going to select bad stores, or are causing the bad experience themselves by being rude to the sales/service people who are simply trying to help you.

The last time I went into Bestbuy, I had to pull a couple aside to correct what they had just herd. I quote, from a manager no less:
"Oh, well HDMI is a step up from 1080p. It's just a better investment, cause nothing uses it yet really, but soon everything will."

Really? The couple was being polite and simply asked a simple question.

I'm not surprised. There are definitely some overpaid morons at BB.

 

[GuildBoss]

Originally posted by: littlebitstrouds

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I suspect that the people who complain so violently about bad experiences are either going to select bad stores, or are causing the bad experience themselves by being rude to the sales/service people who are simply trying to help you.

The last time I went into Bestbuy, I had to pull a couple aside to correct what they had just herd. I quote, from a manager no less:
"Oh, well HDMI is a step up from 1080p. It's just a better investment, cause nothing uses it yet really, but soon everything will."

Really? The couple was being polite and simply asked a simple question.

I do the same thing in the computer department. Once the BB salesman is done and moves off, I hand the shopper my biz card (computer services) and give them the correct info.

Back OT: I stopped at CompUSA today and frowned at the HUGE 5-10% off savings. I'll go back when they get serious about clearing the shelves.

 

[OneStepsAhead]

Ah, the inhumanity of it all! All those red-coated shoe salesmen out of a job.

 

[drewfus]

sigh, i guess this means they wont ever get around to my application for corporate sales i gave them in november huh? crap

 

[T8ZBUD]

Goleta store hasn't even had any decent loss leaders for a couple years, but I was passing by and went in out of curiosity - much the same as previous posters: discounts of 10-20% but on inflated prices, still not even close to competitive with online deals. Still, there were many customers running around in there and rolling out carts of stuff on which they thought they were getting good deals, so I guess everyone is happy. It's just the mentality of a going-out-of-business sale.

 

[Chunkee]

It just shows why they are out of business. It almost seems as though it was a purposeful move and situation. I know companies that have done poorly on purpose...I never understood that, but perhaps it is because I do not have an MBA or play games in the business world.

 

[TestedAcorn]

Yeah, this is kinda gay because even while they're going out of business, and they're on clearance, I still can't find a deal.

 

[VinDSL]

If you'll pardon me for QFT myself...

Originally posted by: VinDSL
CC isn't far behind them - they got one foot in the grave too!

SOURCE: Circuit City stock plunges (29%) on grim losses report

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Circuit City Stores Inc. on Friday saw its shares take their biggest plunge in five years after the company posted a wider-than-expected third-quarter loss from lower sales and price cuts on flat-panel televisions...

"It's pretty shocking they are not going to make money in the fourth quarter," said Pali Research analyst Stacey Widlitz, who said the expected loss in the fourth-quarter would be Circuit City's first in at least five years. "It's a mess. Best Buy is nimble and responsive. You just don't see that in Circuit City."

While Best Buy opened up more registers when store managers noticed a big line, Circuit City would have just one register open even if there was a line of customers waiting, Widlitz noted from her store tours. Circuit City was also late compared to Best Buy to have a standard procedure to train its employees on how to sell higher-margin warranty services, she said.

 

[Devil2U]

I've allready been though these closing in California. All I can say is GOOD LUCK. Back in May I was looking to buy some parts for a new gaming rig build. I figured that the prices would be cheaper than online if I waited until 40% off. I kept checking back, but by the time the sale had gone to 30% off, all the good items were gone. Wait until the last hour of the last day when all the junk goes to 90% off.

I am in San Antonio right now. I checked the CompUSSR here and they only have 10% off most items. 5% off laptops, rofl NO DEAL! Hide your favorite item and come back when it is cheap! LOL!

GL!