Ugh, Microcenter bait-and-switch on Asus Z87-A for $118 instore

[dshi123]

Saw this deal and had to pick it up for $118:

http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntt=z87-a&N=


Asked a friend to pick it up instore at Fairfax VA location, the sales rep was like I'm not aware this was on sale and handed him a new one but then rep is like let me go into the back and check it out.... pulled out a refurb version and said actually the $118 is just for the refurb model. As you can see nowhere on the online site did it say $118 for was the refurb, but you can find the letters "RF" in the SKU online but this was only after the salesman pointed it out to him.

That's total BS, you can't advertise a price on something online and get the customer in your store, and then be like "yaa.. about that deal.. you see the number 9 at the end of the serial.. that actually means refurb so here ya go".. That's a classic bait and switch.

Now my friend is a mild mannered guy and didn't question it but had I been there I woulda thrown a hissy-fit. That's BS some people drive a long way to get to a Microcenter. Gonna consider making the trip myself and trying to get that price on a new mobo. Am I in the right on this?

 

[LV3]

I just went to Microcenter the other day, showed them their website for a sale on my phone and had no problems.

 

[nsafreak]

Look closely at the price description, I see a current price of $144.99 and 3 open box for $115.96, nothing about a refurb. The open boxes aren't necessarily refurbs, they're typically customer returns although I'm rather cautious about those since who knows whether or not the customer fubarred the board somehow and if microcenter tested it fully or not.

 

[dshi123]

Look closely at the price description, I see a current price of $144.99 and 3 open box for $115.96, nothing about a refurb. The open boxes aren't necessarily refurbs, they're typically customer returns although I'm rather cautious about those since who knows whether or not the customer fubarred the board somehow and if microcenter tested it fully or not.

No the link I supplied shows one for $144.99 and another one next to it for $118.99. You click the cheaper one and it shows the product and nowhere does it say Refurb. Here is the direct link:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/423789/Asus_Z87-A_(SLI)_Socket_LGA_1150_ATX_Intel_Motherboard#


Switch the location at top to Fairfax VA that might be the problem.

 

[zhuks]

New: Mfr Part #: 607085
Refurb: RF-607085

Honestly you should have called and asked.

 

[WilliamM2]

Did your friend actually buy it? If not, can't see what you are complaining about, you didn't go to any trouble.

 

[dshi123]

Did your friend actually buy it? If not, can't see what you are complaining about, you didn't go to any trouble.

He still did it as a favor for me, so I care that he wasted his time and I care that I couldn't get the price advertised.

 

[WilliamM2]

He still did it as a favor for me, so I care that he wasted his time and I care that I couldn't get the price advertised.

I get that you care. But it's only $25. Not worth the time and effort it took to join a forum just to complain about it. Certainly not worth driving back there to try and get a new one.

 

[jcniest5]

We have open box for $103.96 in the Twin Cities area. Let me know if you want me to grab you one. Some open box items are like new condition. I certainly have to go in there and check out the accessories, etc, but I've bought a few open box items before and they worked out good. In fact, I scored an EVGA GTX 660 Ti Super Clocked for $159.96 (plus tax), but now all GTX 660 Ti open boxes are like $288.xx!!! Heck, I want to score another one for an SLI setup, but hell no...they are expensive now.

 

[holden j caufield]

I'm not even sure he's complaining about the price. I think on principle he's miffed because he paid a price for an advertised item and they switched it for a used item that perhaps has already been installed. I always ground myself when working with stuff like this but I also know a lot of people who don't do this so I'd also be wary about a used mobo.

 

[piasabird]

I am kind of leary of any Microcenter Deal. After computing the price and adding in the taxes one has to pay there is not much savings. Then you have to add in the cost of Gasoline also.

 

[tamm]

Bait and switch to some, typographical error to MC, and im pretty sure they`ll point to the "were not responsible for typos"

 

[Bryf50]

I am kind of leary of any Microcenter Deal. After computing the price and adding in the taxes one has to pay there is not much savings. Then you have to add in the cost of Gasoline also.

Not everyone can avoid paying taxes at the major etailers.

 

[pcsavvy]

To me bait and switch is when I went to Fry's a few years ago for a AMD combo. Fry's was advertising an AMD Athlon II 428 and a decent motherboard for a darn good price. It was sold out at all the stores locally so I had to drive to one further away but it was real good deal. They ended up having to refund me some money because the combo they had in the store was a 425 with the same motherboard for the same price which was wrong since the 425 was a cheaper cpu. It was a mess right before closing.

 

[2is]

This doesn't sound like bait and switch to me. It sounds like the consumer not doing their due diligence. The fact that this user account was created for the sole purpose of complaining is kind of shady too.

 

[VirtualLarry]

No the link I supplied shows one for $144.99 and another one next to it for $118.99. You click the cheaper one and it shows the product and nowhere does it say Refurb. Here is the direct link:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/423789/Asus_Z87-A_(SLI)_Socket_LGA_1150_ATX_Intel_Motherboard#


Switch the location at top to Fairfax VA that might be the problem.

Strictly speaking, I don't think that this is bait and switch. After all, the guy was going to get you the product, right? It's not like he said, "we don't have this, but here's the pricier version".

i agree that the product listing was done poorly, there's no explicit statement of "Refurb", either in the product title, or in the Specs. The only hint that it is a refurb, is the MFG model number, starting with "RF". For those of us experienced in purchasing computer parts, and comparing and considering that they are selling two items with the same title, one cheaper than the other, and with an "RF" model number, most of us would surmise that you were buying a refurb.

But Microcenter should clearly disclose that the product is a refurb, without requiring detective work on the part of the consumer.

It's not bait-and-switch though.

 

[computerepairs]

I feel micro center does do that sometimes to bring the draw in. But they do have some reasonable pricing on certain things. I go there when I need things in a pinch and people don't want to wait for computer repairs in long island. I wish you the best of luck.

John
Computer Repairs Long Island