Best Buy really, really, really loves money

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

The official start of the Christmas shopping season isn’t set to start until the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday. That’s not stopping the blue and gold ?bermensch, Best Buy, from strong arming sweet, naive grandparents looking to get their little Malachi one of those keen X-Station3s.

The services detailed on the sticker in the above image are: Setup parental controls, complete system updates, and setup user accounts for the low, low price of only $29.99. To those who don’t eat, sleep and puke videogames, it might seem like a pretty sweet deal because Lord knows those VCRs are tough bananas to work, but the rest of us are sharpening our grenades in protest.

Do you think this is a “they mean well” situation that wasn’t properly thought out and executed? Or do you join the line of thought that this is a scam to squeeze more money out of the uninformed holiday shopper? It’s a trick question, by the way.

Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2008/11/2...ly-loves-money/

I think that's pretty lame.

General guidance like that should be given free, or at least only cost the telephone call to Xbox support, which in itself may be slightly expensive over a normal call, but certainly not $30.

Most of the help is suitably given in the 360 manual.

Edited November 26, 2008 by shockz

[Matrix XII]

Man I worked for Future Shop which is owned by Best Buy and believe me you don't have to tell me they are greedy.

It was sickening what they would do to customers just to save money and make targets. Best Buy is a cutthroat company, working there you see it first hand.

[Veedems Veteran]

It's a bit much, I agree, but people are obviously willing to pay it if the price has yet to be decreased. The only way I would see the cost being justified if it was an in-home setup, but it's not.

[maplecookie Veteran]

It's sad, but people will pay because they don't know any better. It's like the computer user who is talked into replacing their entire computer by a greedy tech who isn't telling them they just need a new hard drive.

I always save my customers money if I can. It's the right thing to do and lets me sleep at night, especially with money so tight for families right now...it's just wrong to scam them.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

It's a bit much, I agree, but people are obviously willing to pay it if the price has yet to be decreased. The only way I would see the cost being justified if it was an in-home setup, but it's not.

What demand is there for this though?

Xbox 360's come with an instruction manual telling you how to do everything.

It's not like this sticker is in the instruction manual saying "after reading this if you're still stuck, call xbox support, or have us do it for $30".

It's advertised on the box before purchase for one reason only, to "deceive" the unaware that what is setup by Best Buy is somehow difficult or challenging. Wouldn't surprise me if the sales team emphasize the "difficulty" to carry out the tasks on the sticker to parents buying for children.

You don't buy many devices out there, that apart from Home setup (for things like TVs/sound systems), have a service to basically do what the instruction manual tells you at a cost :no:

It is money pinching, but alas, none of us would fall for it, and anyone that does will probably be daft enough never to realize, or kick themselves when they read the instruction manual.

The actual work involved in the tasks as well hardly merits a $30 premium either. Updating involves connecting to the internet, creating an account is prompted with a walkthrough guide the minute the console comes on for the first time, and parental controls are under settings - The only thing you'd need to look for either by yourself or reading the manual.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Take a look at what The Geek Squad charges just to remove spyware.$$$

[DigitalE]

I wish I would get paid $30 every time I configured an electronic device for someone... :whistle:

[RAID 0]

It's sad, but people will pay because they don't know any better. It's like the computer user who is talked into replacing their entire computer by a greedy tech who isn't telling them they just need a new hard drive.

I always save my customers money if I can. It's the right thing to do and lets me sleep at night, especially with money so tight for families right now...it's just wrong to scam them.

(Y)

[Srugie Veteran]

I wish I would get paid $30 every time I configured an electronic device for someone... :whistle:

+1

[Frank]

It is for the lazy people. I see nothing wrong with it. If people want to spend the money for it... why not offer the service? Businesses are there to make money and that is exactly what BB does. I am not saying I agree with all of their tatics, but I see nothing wrong with offering a service to someone who A) Doesn't want to waste their time to do it or B) is to stupid to do it.

Capitalism at it's best.

[Matrix XII]

I suppose you are right, but some people are just too stupid.

Paying $30 for that is ridiculous. The problem is that Best Buy will have statistics of how much of that service they sold and if it's not doing well then they will pressure their employees to sell it, and then customers get hassled.

[Smashing Pumpkin]

That is a rip off, completely ######.

Just look at the new G n R album, exclusive to Best Buy, I don't know who's worst, G n R or Best Buy.

p.s. I quite like the album.

[gigatexel]

:face palm: This really grinds my gears.

http://www.bestbuy.com/olspage.jsp?id=1218...mp;type=product

Your new gaming system comes with features, settings and capabilities that could probably run a small country. Geek Squad can help you get the most out of all of it by turning your new gaming system into a true entertainment system, getting access to lesser-known features, online capabilities, and so much more. And for parents, Geek Squad will ensure kids enjoy the games they love, while restricting content designed for more mature audiences.

A Geek Squad Agent will:>

• Set Up Parental Controls
  • Keep your mind at ease that your children are only playing and viewing appropriate games, music and movies.
    

  [*]Set Up User Accounts

  • Be prepared to play online, get the latest updates, and have full control of your new gaming system.
    

  [*]Complete System Updates

  • We'll make sure your system has all of the latest features and enhancements.
    

• • 
    

[rajputwarrior]

Man I worked for Future Shop which is owned by Best Buy and believe me you don't have to tell me they are greedy.

It was sickening what they would do to customers just to save money and make targets. Best Buy is a cutthroat company, working there you see it first hand.

yeah, i worked at FS too, and it was just stupid what they would charge for the most basic stuff. They could care less about customer satisfaction when it comes down to it.

[Green_Eye]

Ahhh WTF?! that's robbery!

[Matrix XII]

yeah, i worked at FS too, and it was just stupid what they would charge for the most basic stuff. They could care less about customer satisfaction when it comes down to it.

It actually blew my mind what they would do to people.

[JohnMarsten]

This is nothing compared to what Best Buy and Future Shop (Best Buy owned Canadian franchise) did last winter break. They were selling laptops and they forced you to buy a $99 setup fee in which they installed windows for you and set it up. If you said you didn't want the package they said they wouldn't sell you the laptop. So basically they turned on the laptop and selected install vista and walked away and charged you for it. Well people were p*ssed and they refunded everyone's money after a month and gave them gift cards after a few people got together and said they were gonna file a lawsuit because what they were doing was illegal (agreeing to the End User agreement for a customer without their consent as well as forcing customers to buy something they didn't want).

[Matrix XII]

Oh I was working during that whole fiasco, the big wigs were rattled because people got so ****ed :p

[QuantumTrickery]

I fail to see a problem with this. I saw the brochure for it in the store the other day. Its a pretty simple "Here's what we do, this is what it runs. Maybe its a value to you, maybe its not." Pretty damn simple. Just because some of you have no problems doing this yourself doesn't mean that others simply don't have the time or really don't really care. I can think of a lot of parents out there that are simply overworked and would rather have someone take care of it for them. My own personal struggle is with building entertainment centers. I'll pay whatever it takes to not want to die of boredom.

[Sethos]

Really is highway robbery.

Yes, some people might take advantage of this but that is because they don't know any better and think, because there is an offer like that, it must be hard to set up on your own. It's so easy to set up an Xbox 360 account and updating pretty much takes care of itself, you just have to click "Accept".

[Matrix XII]

You don't think it's a problem until you find out they have targets for how much of that service they sold and the next time you go in there and buy anything related to that product, they'll try and shove that service down your throat.

[giantpotato]

It might be worth it for someone without internet who wants NXE.

[QuantumTrickery]

That is simply the nature of retail. You are buying, they are selling. And I highly doubt I am going to be asked if I want a console setup when I'm in buying a game or some other such product. I always get a good laugh at people that get upset and annoyed when a sales person tries to sell them something. Shocker! I find that simply treating them like people, that I've never run into problems like that anyways. I figure most people who get hassled that bad are just being ******** and the sales person wants to push their buttons for fun. Either way, its good entertainment to me.

[ctebah]

I worked at BBY, here in Canada though. Their service plan here is much worse than in the states, yet they charge so much for it. I met some good people while working there, now none of us work there any more, took two years to fully realize what kind of a company bby is, which is sad.

[C++]

Businesses like money? That is outrageous!

Seriously... The next time you complain about being offered a service you could perform yourself, think about how many times you've eaten in a restaurant or bought a cup of coffee in your life.