Best Buy Holding Wii's

[gnuman]

I shop at that BEST buy store once in a while, and that doesn't surprise me. They had several specials for black Friday 2 years a go, and ran out of most of them quickly. Saturday morning, they had a ton of them, in stock and ready to sell at normal prices. They had forgot to take down the signs that said they were out of the product, (DVDs and Routers).

They make a killing on the warranties, and don't honor them, i bought speakers from them, with warranty, and when one died, i brought it back, and they pointed out the screw whole was 'destroyed' so coverage was voided. The black paint was scraped off, and the metal was scratched from the screws that i used.

I have been there when someone was screaming his head off at the Geek Squad there, he purchased a USB2 card, and paid for install, they wiped his hard drives because of virus concerns, and told him that he should have purchased the data backup plan.

They have some deals, on DVDs and other stuff, but i avoid them most of the time.

Glad to see another NEOWINNER in Cincinnati Area.

Sort of off topic here but I do work for an Extended Warranty Company (not the crapshoot one Best Buy uses) and we highly rank customer satisfaction. If you say bought our warranty we would have replaced your speakers.

On another note those "specialists" at Best Buy are full of crap. I was looking at their HP laptops and I spoke to their "product specialist" and was asking general questions and I told him about the battery recall and he stated that no one has claimed a battery replacement. I told him straight to his face that is a lie since I know my colleague got his battery replaced by HP under the Sony recall and he blatantly said no.

It just goes to show you how much their specialists know.

[Dick Montage]

There's no holiday here, and if the stores have the stock they should sell it. People want it, and that's their business, to sell things that people want. I don't believe for a second that Best Buy is only receiving their Wii stock on Friday. It's probably been in their warehouse since Monday. Obviously they couldn't sell their launch stock before the launch date, but anything afterwards should be in and out as fast as they can move it. There's a significant investment in stock that sits in your warehouse doing nothing also. High turnover is better than not-so-high turnover.

Agreed - but surely that is a decision the store makes, not you?

[jackwanders]

sorry rajputwarrior, but I gotta say a big "tough cookie" to the author of that article.

BestBuy can sell their stock whenever they choose. Just because it's in the vicinity doesn't mean it's for sale. Until it's on the floor with a price tag on it, they don't have to sell it.

However, I will say that dealing with employees pushing accessories and warranties can be a pain. But in the end, they cannot force you to buy anything you don't want, and they can't withhold an item from you if you don't purchase extra baggage. If you're unwilling to deal with that, then shop somewhere else.

[t_r_nelson]

Well, I guess everyone's in agreement:

If this whiner wants to find sympathy, he can look in the dictionary between **** and syphyllis. :cool:

Seriously, does this guy honestly think the people at Best Buy care if he get's a Wii? They'll wait for a few days and sell it then. That way they get the parents that buy them for their kids and get the friggin' extended warranty. Best Buy will make a killing on those fools. So complain all you want, 'cuz their laughing at you all the way to the bank.

And, for the record, the Geek Squad is the biggest joke in the industry. The only people that don't think they're a joke are the Geek Squad. I've fixed so many mistakes they've made with coworkers that I can't even count them. They wanted to reimage a system to fix a Spyware that took me 30 minutes to fix. No-talent assclowns that have no business touching PCs.

[jackwanders]

So then, if I walked out without paying for it, it's technically not theft?

There's no holiday here, and if the stores have the stock they should sell it. People want it, and that's their business, to sell things that people want. I don't believe for a second that Best Buy is only receiving their Wii stock on Friday. It's probably been in their warehouse since Monday. Obviously they couldn't sell their launch stock before the launch date, but anything afterwards should be in and out as fast as they can move it. There's a significant investment in stock that sits in your warehouse doing nothing also. High turnover is better than not-so-high turnover.

But there's a lot more to retail than simply selling every item. It's all about items per sale and average sale. If you sell 10 Wiis today with no extra accessories or warranties, that's 1 item per sale.

However, if those same 10 Wiis aren't sold until Friday, a much bigger shopping day where people are more likely to purchase other goods in the same trip, your IPS goes through the roof. It may not seem it to the consumers, but to retailers, that's a big deal.

I worked at a foot-locker-esque store when I was a teenager (Feet First, more geared toward surfers back in the day). Obviously we didn't have any warranties to sell, but management was big on IPS. Why? Because the number of sales you make isn't going to change that much. You occasionally convince someone to go from buying nothing to buying something, but usually people come into the store knowing what it is they want, they're simply looking to see if you have it in stock and if you have it at the right price. It's not easy to increase the raw number of sales. Therefore, to make more money, you have to sell more items per sale.

Also, for something like the Wii, they don't have to worry about having left over stock. They WILL sell. Selling them on Friday is no different than selling them on Tuesday. There's no incentive to sell them before Friday.

[Joel]

But there's a lot more to retail than simply selling every item. It's all about items per sale and average sale. If you sell 10 Wiis today with no extra accessories or warranties, that's 1 item per sale.

However, if those same 10 Wiis aren't sold until Friday, a much bigger shopping day where people are more likely to purchase other goods in the same trip, your IPS goes through the roof. It may not seem it to the consumers, but to retailers, that's a big deal.

I worked at a foot-locker-esque store when I was a teenager (Feet First, more geared toward surfers back in the day). Obviously we didn't have any warranties to sell, but management was big on IPS. Why? Because the number of sales you make isn't going to change that much. You occasionally convince someone to go from buying nothing to buying something, but usually people come into the store knowing what it is they want, they're simply looking to see if you have it in stock and if you have it at the right price. It's not easy to increase the raw number of sales. Therefore, to make more money, you have to sell more items per sale.

It's business.

Do you really think people would buy nothing but the Wii if it was in store right now? They need games, a second controller or a points card, etc. Stock sitting in a warehouse now costs them money.

[glazzz]

Sort of off topic here but I do work for an Extended Warranty Company (not the crapshoot one Best Buy uses) and we highly rank customer satisfaction. If you say bought our warranty we would have replaced your speakers.

AIG = crapshoot?

and if there was damage (abuse) to the product, would you still replace them? If so tell me where to sign up to so that I can be careless and negligent but get 100% replacement of all products.

[deck]

Do you really think people would buy nothing but the Wii if it was in store right now? They need games, a second controller or a points card, etc. Stock sitting in a warehouse now costs them money.

A huge amount of people who bought the consoles at launch and shortly after launch were buying them to sell on eBay or other markets. So they weren't buying anything else. At launch you have 50% buying for themselves and 50% buying to resell.

Also, you have the crazy parents buying for their kids. They are clueless and don't get anything because they think they know.

And finally, as experience has shown, when I worked at BB, people would buy consoles alone. They would reject any suggestions, be they for a game, controller, or service (which on consoles is a must... seeing as launch consoles enjoy a crap load of problems within a year). Then, a few days later, the same customers come back and buy the rest of the stuff.

It was the same thing with computers. 'I suggest you get this this and that because they will help you.' Customer: OH, I don't need that. Screw you for suggesting it. A few days later. Customer: Hi... I need that USB wire you suggested for my printer... and that network cable to plug in the computer to the router I already have... and that anti virus because I got a virus...

It's happened. It always happens.

God I'm glad I'm out of retail. Idiot customers everywhere.

[Tiger.Girl]

Also, for something like the Wii, they don't have to worry about having left over stock. They WILL sell. Selling them on Friday is no different than selling them on Tuesday. There's no incentive to sell them before Friday.

Actually I think its worse holding them till Friday. With the insane amount of people best buys sales reps cant take the time to push an extended warranty or extra accessories. People want to get out as fast as they can and go elsewhere because they have more shopping to do.

They would reject any suggestions, be they for a game, controller, or service (which on consoles is a must... seeing as launch consoles enjoy a crap load of problems within a year).

I never had a problem with a Nintendo launch handheld or console

[deck]

Actually I think its worse holding them till Friday. With the insane amount of people best buys sales reps cant take the time to push an extended warranty or extra accessories. People want to get out as fast as they can and go elsewhere because they have more shopping to do.

If the sales reps can't sell accessories and warranties during a busy day then they aren't very good sales reps. I worked 3 'Boxing Day'/'Black Friday' events in the course of 6 months. 2 Grand Openings and Boxing Day. Each of those days we hit 9%PSP.

In any case, the reason why they hold product for event days is to bring people into the store. Entice the customer with what they want and they are more likely to buy other things also.

This is basic psychology and marketing.

[Tiger.Girl]

If the sales reps can't sell accessories and warranties during a busy day then they aren't very good sales reps. I worked 3 'Boxing Day'/'Black Friday' events in the course of 6 months. 2 Grand Openings and Boxing Day. Each of those days we hit 9%PSP.

In any case, the reason why they hold product for event days is to bring people into the store. Entice the customer with what they want and they are more likely to buy other things also.

This is basic psychology and marketing.

Ive been there years in a row as a customer, I have been in the huge lines. Ive seen people practically run over each other when the doors open so people can get what they want and leave just to go to the next store and do the same. I don't see how Best Buy can take time with these customers and pretty much waste their time. If 20 or 30 people run in grab a Wii these aren't the type of people that would wait for a sales rep to individually talk to each of these customers about accessories and games. When things slow up enough they will probably be sold out. Theres no way selling Wiis on black friday is better than selling them in a controlled manor on a regular business day.

[Flae_qui]

when i worked retail both at BBY and Staples i was told to find out if they wanted the warrenty 1st and if they didn't discurrage the sale... did i do that NO but thats what i was told to do

[jackwanders]

Do you really think people would buy nothing but the Wii if it was in store right now? They need games, a second controller or a points card, etc. Stock sitting in a warehouse now costs them money.

There's no reason for BestBuy to take that chance. It's not about what you figure will happen. It's about the numbers.

Also, how does a Wii cost BestBuy money if it's sitting in the warehouse until Friday?

[Joel]

Also, how does a Wii cost BestBuy money if it's sitting in the warehouse until Friday?

Money spent earning no money back. That's why retailers will sell something below cost to clear it out sometimes; it makes more sense to get what money you can back than to leave the money tied up in your warehouse. Granted, the Wii is in demand, but that's an even better reason. Stores don't buy things to sit in their warehouses, they buy them to sell them at the fastest rate possible to get a good ROI.

[deck]

Good sales technique involve controlling the sale. The customer barges in and says 'I want this' you stop them and ask questions. Good sales technique is making their purchase they came to buy a sale that you are offering them.

[Joel]

Good sales technique involve controlling the sale. The customer barges in and says 'I want this' you stop them and ask questions. Good sales technique is making their purchase they came to buy a sale that you are offering them.

And how is that formula disrupted if you put the stock out today?

[thagame]

lies. soon we will see ea worker saying ea is holding out, just cause people like to complain about them

[Mike]

And how is that formula disrupted if you put the stock out today?

maybe if the customer thinks there is only a few wii's left and the sales assistant tries to sell them something as well, they are more likely to buy it to get a wii as soon as possible

[Joel]

lies. soon we will see ea worker saying ea is holding out, just cause people like to complain about them

What are you on about?

[majortom1981]

Thats why i bought mine from walmart.com. It actually came in earlier then what their website stated.

Their customer service told me they accepted too many orders and that I had to wait for another shipment and the next morning I saw that on my account it stated that my order was already shipped and with a tracking number.

So I would try ordering online.

also the wii is different most people bought it to play. Unlike the ps3 wich people only bought it to sell.

[Tiger.Girl]

Good sales technique involve controlling the sale. The customer barges in and says 'I want this' you stop them and ask questions. Good sales technique is making their purchase they came to buy a sale that you are offering them.

Wrong. If you stand between rabid parents and their nintendo wii when a store opens on black friday blabbing about accessories and extended warranties you are going to get trampled.

[thagame]

What are you on about?

lol i know it made no sense now.

ok ill try again.

theres lots of posts on neowin about people making up lies about things best buy does against its public. a few true but most times its a lie. so y would this be any different.

[deck]

Black Friday is one thing. American's go psycho and there are the videos to prove it. My perspective is the Canadian one. For instance, there were fewer stabbings/shootings/muggings/rampages for the PS3 launch here than in the states. In fact, I don't recall reading any reports. So maybe I'm wrong on Black Friday. But Boxing Day, which is similar in tone to Black Friday, that's how we operate. And we dont' get trampled. At our store we limited entry to x amount of people at a time, also.

[Nashy]

So then, if I walked out without paying for it, it's technically not theft?

There's no holiday here, and if the stores have the stock they should sell it. People want it, and that's their business, to sell things that people want. I don't believe for a second that Best Buy is only receiving their Wii stock on Friday. It's probably been in their warehouse since Monday. Obviously they couldn't sell their launch stock before the launch date, but anything afterwards should be in and out as fast as they can move it. There's a significant investment in stock that sits in your warehouse doing nothing also. High turnover is better than not-so-high turnover.

Well the store has still purchased those goods, so yes, you would be stealing their goods.

Its doesn't matter what sales you have, or what you think. They don't have to sell it.

Its like you buying something for yourself, and not wanting to give it to someone, but next week you might.

[Morphie]

All I can say is thank God I didn't listen to the Best Buy employees when they said "I don't know why you are waiting in line for launch, we are getting 60 in on Monday and 60 more on Wednesday, you might as well just wait."

Bastards. =)