Best Buy to permanently price-match rivals

[Hum]

Best Buy is confident that its latest policy change will kill "showrooming" in its stores for good.

Starting on March 3, the retailer will price match all local retail competitors, along with 19 "major online competitors" in all product categories, whenever a customer asks for it, the company announced .

?There is no doubt that this new policy ends showrooming for Best Buy customers,? company spokesman Matt Furman told Bloomberg .

Showrooming, the practice of looking at items in a physical store then going online to make the actual purchase, has been a big worry for consumer electronics stores. Customers showroom electronics items more than any other category, according to data from comScore.

Starting March 3, 2013 Best Buy will price match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from local retail competitors and select designated major online retailers at the time of purchase only. (No subsequent price matching of competitors is allowed)

If Best Buy lowers a price on a product (online or in-store) we will allow price-matching up to 15 days following the original purchase. This applies to all customers including Reward Zone Premier Silver members. Please note: After a transition period for Reward Zone Premier Silver members through April 18, 2013, the 15 day period of the Price Match policy goes into effect (post-purchase ? Best Buy only).

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[Richteralan]

Also reducing the 30-day return period to 15-days.

[Rohdekill]

Pre-tax match won't convince me to buy from your stores. Try matching the EXACT amount coming out of my wallet and you might have a convincing policy.

Why would anyone want to pay tax and deal with a store with cr@p customer service?

[hckngrtfakt]

No Microcenter ?? :/

Oh well, is not like i'd ever shop at BB :laugh:

[RangerLG]

Also reducing the 30-day return period to 15-days.

Still 60 for Silver members. Also not happy that they eliminated post purchase price matching from everyone else. Only if you purchased from Best Buy. I wonder if it would work if you did a return/rebuy and then price match.

[fusi0n]

Great news :D

[Mr. Gibs]

Pre-tax match won't convince me to buy from your stores. Try matching the EXACT amount coming out of my wallet and you might have a convincing policy.

Why would anyone want to pay tax and deal with a store with cr@p customer service?

If you live in a state that has sales tax pretty sure you still legally have to declare online purchases on your tax form and pay them. Sure the IRS probably won't come knocking on your door if you don't do that since its extremely difficult to check but it's still illegal ;) Or just move to a state that doesn't have sales tax.

Either way I'll still buy my stuff from Amazon/Newegg because like you said, BB's customer service sucks donkey dick.

[sc302 Veteran]

if they can pricematch against amazon and newegg, I just might go there for the mere fact as I can get it now vs waiting a few days for it to arrive regardless of sales tax. If sales tax is considerable, I would probably wait for it. An extra 6 or 7 dollars for right now isn't so bad (on a $100 purchase)...an extra 60 bux you can keep it, I will wait for it.

[Davo]

And I'm sure there will be no hoops to jump through :rolleyes: . This is Best Buy we're talking about.

[sc302 Veteran]

If you live in a state that has sales tax pretty sure you still legally have to declare online purchases on your tax form and pay them. Sure the IRS probably won't come knocking on your door if you don't do that since its extremely difficult to check but it's still illegal ;) Or just move to a state that doesn't have sales tax.

Either way I'll still buy my stuff from Amazon/Newegg because like you said, BB's customer service sucks donkey dick.

You don't have to legally declare online purchases yet. Declaring online purchases is optional, in NYC.

[Hum]

And I'm sure there will be no hoops to jump through :rolleyes: . This is Best Buy we're talking about.

^ Well it's not like Best Buy will try to push some high priced extended warranty service on you. :laugh:

[Mr. Gibs]

You don't have to legally declare online purchases yet. Declaring online purchases is optional, in NYC.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23351894/

In other words, taxpayers are legally obligated to report the amount of any sales tax they did notpay on either their annual state income tax forms or by filing a separate "use tax" form. (Use tax is what states call the sales tax when it is not collected by the retailer.)

Despite the heightened interest in sales tax collection, the states generally do a poor job of clueing consumers in on their obligation Only about 25 states even put a line on their state income tax returns to prompt taxpayers to pay, according to TurboTax, the tax preparation company. The rest expect consumers to know they need to file a separate ?use? tax form.

"Even if consumers do know, they often fail to comply because they assume no one else does,"? says Bob Meighan CPA, a vice president with tax-software firm TurboTax.

It may vary from state to state (since it is a state tax) right now but they are trying to make it a Federal law.

[sc302 Veteran]

Yeah, right now it isn't law, so they can't fine you or get you on it. It is a news article at best.

current law regarding collecting sales tax over the internet if you are selling:

http://www.sba.gov/c...x-over-internet

they are lobbying for this to become standard across the country.

http://www.governing...-sales-tax.html

To my knowledge, it isn't required nor can they really prove what you bought online so it is a trust based system. The only way that they can make this stick is if they do this across the board, which is why federal government is getting involved. IMO, it is a bunch of hooey. Just another finger to get in my pocket.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Best Buy will be going out of business.

[nekrosoft13]

Pre-tax match won't convince me to buy from your stores. Try matching the EXACT amount coming out of my wallet and you might have a convincing policy.

Why would anyone want to pay tax and deal with a store with cr@p customer service?

excactly

Frys tried to pull that BS with me.

was buying something, and newegg had it cheaper, so they offered to price match, by taking price of item+shipping cost ($5 what newegg would charge) and then charge me tax on top of that.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Pre-tax match won't convince me to buy from your stores. Try matching the EXACT amount coming out of my wallet and you might have a convincing policy.

Why would anyone want to pay tax and deal with a store with cr@p customer service?

For the convenience of having it right then and there as opposed to waiting the day or two it would take to be delivered is the only reason I can think of. I know there have been a few things I have purchased from Amazon recently that if I could have taken the 10 minute drive to Best Buy and have it right then and there, especially on a weekend, I would have.

That may very well just be me though.

[Growled Member]

It's not going to save Best Buy. If I have to spend the time to find a cheaper price somewhere I'm very likely to buy that item somewhere instead of going back to Best Buy.

[Rickkins]

Doesn't seem to apply to Canada...

[primexx]

Still 60 for Silver members. Also not happy that they eliminated post purchase price matching from everyone else. Only if you purchased from Best Buy. I wonder if it would work if you did a return/rebuy and then price match.

I thought that's what they did anyways

[soniqstylz]

Pre-tax match won't convince me to buy from your stores. Try matching the EXACT amount coming out of my wallet and you might have a convincing policy.

Why would anyone want to pay tax and deal with a store with cr@p customer service?

B&M: Differing locations offering different tax rates.

Onine: save on shipping, and have your product in-hand right there, ie, convenience.

[Circaflex]

Post purchase pricematching is still there and not eliminated; not sure how you came to that conclusion. They still allow it, just changed the terms its a return and repurchase, its still what they did before just a different set of keys in the system.

Some of you guys are pretty funny, stick it to them because! consumers have complained BBY had terrible pricing, wouldnt match, etc. Pricing is much more in-line with other retailers and now they can price match online sites as well. Why would you risk shipping, possibly having to return something to a online retailer when you can get it local for the same price and know you can return it. Sure some of you will complain about paying for tax but thats all going to be changing shortly, we see what happened in california with amazon.

[Draconian Guppy]

Agreed, if they're not matching up with tax included Meh...

though on dpreview, there are numerous folks that have had success getting best buy matching online price for digital cameras, tax included(or lack thereof). Don't remember exact forum though.( may have been d600/d800 forum ).

[Night Prowler]

This will be a great little app for someone to build. Get the price from BB for your product, them grab all the local retailers prices based on your area code, then grab all the 19 "major online competitors" prices, and finally match and pick the cheapest. Then your all locked and loaded for the "Best Buy" experience, and is instant while your at your local BB store.

[Hum]

I wonder how Best Buy verifys the competitor's lower price -- are they going to phone them each time ?

[The Laughing Man]

Starting of the Going out of Business sale....