COMPUSA to start PM in JAX,FL

[Ray5150Ray]

I wouldn't say this is real hot, just an FYI

I was in COMPUSA with a friend today. He was buying some wireless gear, but they were a little more expensive than CC on a few items. He asked if they would price match and they said come back tomorrow(9-15) because they were watching the video tapes today and would start tomorrow. Just a heads up for all to keep in mind when looking for gear.

EDIT: Maybe they were just talking about the stores here in FL because they told us they did not price match. I've never been able to do a PM in this town. It wasn't because of BS excuses, they just said they didn't do it. I did call their corporate office, but wouldn't you know, they were closed. I will call in the AM, though.

 

[Jmman]

Compusa has been pricematching for a long time.......

From their website......
CompUSA?s Retail Store Low Price Guarantee.
*We'll match any local retail competitor's price on every product we sell, either at the time of purchase or within the following 14 days. Our low price commitment covers all new, factory sealed products of the same brand and model number that are available, and in stock, at any local retail store. Our commitment does not apply to Internet offers or any one-of-a-kind or other limited-quantity offers, discontinued or close out items, refurbished products, special financing, installation, rebates, or when a bonus or free offer is included in the purchase. All products subject to price changes and availability. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Postage and sales tax required for mail-in rebates. Mail-in rebate recipient must be a legal U.S. resident 18 years or older. See rebate form for other restrictions and details. Only one of each rebate per product, per household.

 

[Ray5150Ray]

I know what the website says, but when we asked them today they said they didn't do it in the store(in Jacksonville, FL)...

 

[RDMustang1]

Yes, they have pricematched since for many many years.. The only problem is that they always find ways to deny you a PM by saying the items are not the same because different stores have different store item numbers (like each store should have the same personal item numbers?) or other junk like that..

 

[zemel]

CompUSA is running ad on NY radio station WINS 1010 AM announcing price matching. Heard it 9/15/03.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

Starting on 09/14, CompUSA company-wide started their "Unmatched" program. The major change to customers is the pricematching policy. (Trust me, this is definitely Hot Deal-worthy.)

As of now, CompUSA stores will pricematch any nationally-advertised price, whether the item is in stock at the other store or not - or whether the store exists in the local market or not. If CompUSA carries the item, and you bring in the ad from another store (without altering it - the reps will check the company's website, etc.), they will pricematch.

Bad: they only match the price - they don't go lower. (No change.)
Bad: they won't pricematch web prices, only in-store prices. (No change.)
GOOD: they won't even bother calling the other store to verify if the item is in stock. (BIG change.)

Believe me, this is a company-wide change, it was transmitted to all stores this past Friday. If the store you go to denies the pricematch - then either you're trying to pull a fast one, or the store is not following company policy.

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

 

[Skibbi]

Originally posted by: zemel
CompUSA is running ad on NY radio station WINS 1010 AM announcing price matching. Heard it 9/15/03.

Heard an ad this morning on 92.3 (Howard Stern) saying they were price matching... 92.3 KROCK is in manhattan

 

[LSUEskimo]

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

So the best way to get help now is to walk around and pick up a few big ticket items, wait for a "team member," get the help you need, then watch the "team member's" disapointment as you put the big ticket items back. That store, in my opinion, has the worst customer service. Of the last 5 times I went into that store, I ended up speaking with a manager 3 times.

 

[baclips6]

I heard the ad too with Jiminy Glick.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

So the best way to get help now is to walk around and pick up a few big ticket items, wait for a "team member," get the help you need, then watch the "team member's" disapointment as you put the big ticket items back. That store, in my opinion, has the worst customer service. Of the last 5 times I went into that store, I ended up speaking with a manager 3 times.

That doesn't make any sense - unless the employees were rude to you. There's no reason to speak to a manager in any B&M unless:

1) The employees were rude.
2) The price on the rack is not what its ringing it up as, and customer service won't override it.
3) The employees won't do something for you that you want them to - like give free tech support, or pricematch Newegg, or something else that the customer doesn't really deserve (Compusa isn't FreeTechSupportUSA).

I would certainly be interested in knowing what the store did to you that made you see a manager three times - because I'm really tired of all of these retail stores getting bad reps for poor customer service, when they do not necessarily do anything wrong.

 

[nasttcar]

Interesting that they did not say anything about membership club stores such as BJ's, Costco, or Sams.

I read a pricematch for Great Expectations this weekend and their policy specifically noted membership Club stores.

CC gave me some hassle the other day about price matching against Sams but finally did it. I showed them what their policy said on the internet and then they did the PM.

 

[Kraeji]

compusa always sucks b/c you can never find someone to help you

ot that i dont know what im looking for. its just that i dont know where they hide it

 

[jbwhite99]

I will say that the store in Chandler, AZ (Ray Road/54th Street) has been incredibly helpful. The largest store in their chain - Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC - I can never get help.

The problem is that this doesn't cover rebates. For labor day weekend, Fry's ran an ad for a Retail Maxtor 160 at $119 - $40 MIR = $79; the CompUSA agreed to go to $119, but not $79. Needless to say, I didn't buy at CPU.

 

[T2T III]

Bad: they won't pricematch web prices, only in-store prices. (No change.)

Yeah, but now the Fry's ads will come in handy - for those who don't live near a Fry's.

 

[weepul]

wow! this is HOT! to PM when not in stock.

//krunk (^_^x)

 

[chottoed]

Originally posted by: jbwhite99
I will say that the store in Chandler, AZ (Ray Road/54th Street) has been incredibly helpful. The largest store in their chain - Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC - I can never get help. The problem is that this doesn't cover rebates. For labor day weekend, Fry's ran an ad for a Retail Maxtor 160 at $119 - $40 MIR = $79; the CompUSA agreed to go to $119, but not $79. Needless to say, I didn't buy at CPU.

I don't think there are any B&M policies in existence that would give you a PM for a price after MIR... At best they can give you a PM for something after instant rebate.

 

[C'DaleRider]

Originally posted by: chottoed

Originally posted by: jbwhite99
I will say that the store in Chandler, AZ (Ray Road/54th Street) has been incredibly helpful. The largest store in their chain - Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC - I can never get help. The problem is that this doesn't cover rebates. For labor day weekend, Fry's ran an ad for a Retail Maxtor 160 at $119 - $40 MIR = $79; the CompUSA agreed to go to $119, but not $79. Needless to say, I didn't buy at CPU.

I don't think there are any B&M policies in existence that would give you a PM for a price after MIR... At best they can give you a PM for something after instant rebate.

Actually, my local BestBuy will PM a MIR if it's a manufacturer's rebate, like a WD mfg. rebate offered at CC.

 

[pkananen]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff
Starting on 09/14, CompUSA company-wide started their "Unmatched" program. The major change to customers is the pricematching policy. (Trust me, this is definitely Hot Deal-worthy.)

As of now, CompUSA stores will pricematch any nationally-advertised price, whether the item is in stock at the other store or not - or whether the store exists in the local market or not. If CompUSA carries the item, and you bring in the ad from another store (without altering it - the reps will check the company's website, etc.), they will pricematch.

Bad: they only match the price - they don't go lower. (No change.)
Bad: they won't pricematch web prices, only in-store prices. (No change.)
GOOD: they won't even bother calling the other store to verify if the item is in stock. (BIG change.)

Believe me, this is a company-wide change, it was transmitted to all stores this past Friday. If the store you go to denies the pricematch - then either you're trying to pull a fast one, or the store is not following company policy.

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

actually the new pay plan started over a month ago, and doesn't have much to do with the unmatched program. actually, the biggest thing about the unmatched program is that any qualifying purchase gets you free in home installation (not next day or anything like that)

 

[LSUEskimo]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff

So the best way to get help now is to walk around and pick up a few big ticket items, wait for a "team member," get the help you need, then watch the "team member's" disapointment as you put the big ticket items back. That store, in my opinion, has the worst customer service. Of the last 5 times I went into that store, I ended up speaking with a manager 3 times.

That doesn't make any sense - unless the employees were rude to you. There's no reason to speak to a manager in any B&M unless:

1) The employees were rude.
2) The price on the rack is not what its ringing it up as, and customer service won't override it.
3) The employees won't do something for you that you want them to - like give free tech support, or pricematch Newegg, or something else that the customer doesn't really deserve (Compusa isn't FreeTechSupportUSA).

I would certainly be interested in knowing what the store did to you that made you see a manager three times - because I'm really tired of all of these retail stores getting bad reps for poor customer service, when they do not necessarily do anything wrong.

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. n/a

Targus backpack on sale. Went in the Metairie, Louisiana store (#461) on 9/2/03. Three styles on sale, one item of 1 style on shelf. Asked an employee, let's call him Brad (no names have been changed to protect anybody), if there might be some anywhere else in the store. He said no. I walked around the store for a bit. I went to the computers and looked up the sale items on their website. They were showing in stock, just as they had before I had left home for CompUSA. A lady asked me if I needed any help. I asked her about the backpacks and told her that there were none on the shelf. She looked in her computer at one of the items. It showed 11 in stock. Brad happened to be walking by and commented that the computers are usually wrong about the stock and this was probably the case. I asked him about any stock in the back and he said again that the computers were usually wrong. I went up to the service desk and asked to speak to a manager. After 10 minutes of waiting, I went to the computers and tried to find information on the MIR for the backpacks. The lady asked me if I needed any more help. I said I need to find out if the MIR was through Targus or CompUSA. I told her that if it was through Targus, I would go somewhere else and shop. Only then did she offer to look in the back for more stock. That's where they were. I found Brad and told him that there were some in the back and the computers were not wrong. He asked me what I wanted him to do about it. I told him that it was poor customer service to not look in the back and to blame it on the computers. I asked him if he'd rather me bring this up with the manager on duty. He said, "knock yourself out." So I did. I also called 1-800-COMPUSA and was promised a return call by the regional manager. I'm still waiting on that one.

A few months ago, CompUSA ran a sale or refurbished HP printers. I got to the store 5 minutes after they opened and was told that they had been sold out but that there were going to be more brought out at 6 pm or whatever time their "midnight sale" or whatever it was called started. The sale on the printers was different than the midnight sale. The printers were on a different page, with different listed times than the midnight sale, a fact the store manager agreed with. The ad said minimum 10 and the manager said they were saving 10 for the midnight sale as advised by their corporate office. I said no problem, I'd be happy to talk to their corporate manager. The ad on the printers also said limited to quantity on hand and they still had some there. I was given the 800 number. I was on hold waiting for the district manager for about 20 minutes when the store manager happened to find an 11th printer in the back, allowing me to buy one while maintaining the minimum of 10 needed for the sale.

I went to CompUSA on another occation to buy a SmartMedia card. There were two rebates on the card, an IR and a bundled MIR. I knew I could not get the MIR (which made it free) since I was not buying a notebook, but after the IR, it was a good price. The employee at the register said that it was not on sale. A manger was called. She and I went to the computer and I showed her the price on the website. She said the price was if I bought a notebook with it. I told her that the MIR was if I bought the notebook and I asked her to show me anywhere it said that the IR was a bundled rebate. She told me that if I added it to my shopping cart it would not give me the IR until I added a notebook. She added it to the shopping cart and it gave me the IR price. She looked kinda puzzled and said she would honor her company's price. (How generous of her.)

Would you like any more examples?

 

[Lanyap]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff
Starting on 09/14, CompUSA company-wide started their "Unmatched" program. The major change to customers is the pricematching policy. (Trust me, this is definitely Hot Deal-worthy.)

As of now, CompUSA stores will pricematch any nationally-advertised price, whether the item is in stock at the other store or not - or whether the store exists in the local market or not. If CompUSA carries the item, and you bring in the ad from another store (without altering it - the reps will check the company's website, etc.), they will pricematch.

Bad: they only match the price - they don't go lower. (No change.)
Bad: they won't pricematch web prices, only in-store prices. (No change.)
GOOD: they won't even bother calling the other store to verify if the item is in stock. (BIG change.)

Believe me, this is a company-wide change, it was transmitted to all stores this past Friday. If the store you go to denies the pricematch - then either you're trying to pull a fast one, or the store is not following company policy.

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

FINALLY, competition from BB and CC is finally catching up to CUSA. They have been in a financial ditch for a long time. They are being forcibly changed to focus on the customer. Unfortunately the commision pay for repair techs is a bad thing. They will try to force unneccessary upgrades and/or changes on the unwarey.

 

[T2T III]

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

That's odd. 6 or 7 months back, Circuit City lets a lot of their people go and gets rid of the commission pay plan and starts paying their employees hourly. Now, CompUSA starts up a commission plan. I guess CompUSA had to try it for themselves.

 

[pkananen]

Actually, the new plan is a departure from their straight commission pay that they had before.

So the new one isn't actually commission, they call it "incentive" based. They were on commission long before this month.

 

[oddjob303]

Did not know the out of stock policy really applied. My friend did it 2 years ago for his 40gb hard drive when best buy was out of stock(hehe we made my brother run a block to get the lil yellow sticker or whatever it is on the self and brought it back) and they knew it was out of stock because we told them. I havent done it in a while since you guys emptied out my wallet, and stoped coming here for a few months :-D

 

[T2T III]

Actually, the new plan is a departure from their straight commission pay that they had before.

Thanks. I wasn't aware of their previous pay structure.

 

[royaldank]

He asked if they would price match and they said come back tomorrow(9-15) because they were watching the video tapes today and would start tomorrow.

How many video tapes does it take to explain this policy?

EDIT: Does this mean we are going to start getting weekly scans of the Fry's ads? This would be awesome if all the CompUSA stores actually followed this properly.