Best Buy really, really, really loves money

By +Audioboxer
in Gamers' Hangout

 Share

Best Buy  

136 members have voted

  1. 1. Your thoughts?

    • Money Pinching
      123
    • Worthwhile
      13

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

The key to those shops is to never purchase the service plans. Anything that they try so hard to sell has to be better for them than for us.

As for charging $30 to do something that is outlined in the manual... meh. It may only take them 15 minutes to do all of that but service technician's bill their time for a significant amount per hour (not unlike car mechanics or any other professional). If the customer doesn't want to spend the $30 then they could always RTFM and do it themselves.

Edit: I still voted "Money pinching" because I'd never pay for it even though it may be worthwhile for some (slightly brain damaged) people.

Grand Master

Matrix XII

Posted
Posted

They wont give you a new one right then and there though. They'll ship it out and if it takes longer than 60 days then you get one immediately.

They probably told you'd get one right away, which is false.

Grand Master

Veedems Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
The key to those shops is to never purchase the service plans. Anything that they try so hard to sell has to be better for them than for us.

I have to disagree with this. I'm on my 4th Xbox 360 and 3rd MP3 player (iriver to iriver to ipod) and the warranties have saved me A LOT of money in replacing the defective units.

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
I have to disagree with this. I'm on my 4th Xbox 360 and 3rd MP3 player (iriver to iriver to ipod) and the warranties have saved me A LOT of money in replacing the defective units.

They wanted C$70 to cover a Nintendo Wii. I'll take my chances.

Grand Master

shockz

Posted
Posted

BBY does stuff like this all the time... they charge 150 for a component video setup. And people actually take it.

Management is so pushy with employees when it comes to this... its one of the only reasons that made it suck to work there. Forcing us to sell lame ass installs that cost way too much than their worth.

Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

I love Bestbuy as far as finding things, because we do not have anything like a CompUSA or MicroCenter or any other alternative here. (Stupid Redneck City) lmao.

But yeah what a rip off.

Grand Master

Shadrack

Posted
Posted

I think that they are offering to pull the device out and help someone set it up before they leave the store. That takes a lot of time to do, and is probably worth the $30 to people who want that kind of service.

As long as they don't bug me about it every time I'm at the check-out with a game, then I don't see a problem.

I like Best Buy more than I like Gamestop, and those are really the only two choices in my town for video games.

Grand Master

Shadrack

Posted
Posted
this reminds me of when Best Buy wass offering a $9.99 service to pair up your blue-tooth headset with your phone.

it's all in an attempt to squeeze the mos amount of money from your pockets.

The forum users are relatively tech savvy and think such things are absurd. However, you underestimate the less tech savvy people that are constantly having to be brought into our world. Just imagine how many people were asking Best Buy employees to do this for them. If anything is dissuades people for expecting something for nothing and they might be incline to actually pick the manual up and read it. If they are really that lazy, then let them pay the $10 for bluetooth pairing, and the $30 for XBox 360 parental control setup.

Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted (edited)
The forum users are relatively tech savvy and think such things are absurd. However, you underestimate the less tech savvy people that are constantly having to be brought into our world. Just imagine how many people were asking Best Buy employees to do this for them. If anything is dissuades people for expecting something for nothing and they might be incline to actually pick the manual up and read it. If they are really that lazy, then let them pay the $10 for bluetooth pairing, and the $30 for XBox 360 parental control setup.

There is no need for this service.

Sufficient help is already in place (manual/Xbox Support), Best Buy are creating a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, and putting one hell of a price tag on it - Games can be bought for $30.

Basically all they are doing is turning your console on for you and following the on screen prompts.

With that aside, the real "issue" is probably how it's going to be sold to unsuspecting buyers as a service of need to them. It wouldn't suprise me if the service will be sold in the spotlight of how "complicated" it is to setup the 360, how much quicker it will be for BB to do it for you, and no emphasise placed on how everything you need to know is already in the box.

Edited by Audioboxer
Community Regular

Master Ryu

Posted
Posted

Whatever guys. This is to be expected. A retailer will try to find other avenues to make money. If you don't want it, don't take it. Just because you're smart enough to do all this yourself (and everybody with half a brain should) doesn't make it a ripoff. A service is all about the value. How much value does the customer place on the extra assistance in setting up the product? If you the customer sees it's worth the value, then there is no losers in this situation. The funny thing with value is it differs from people to people. Who are you to say that this setup assitance is not worth the $30 to someone who is lazy to read manuals and just want to get in the thick of gaming right away.

Don't bring up the argument of how they're gonna shove it in your throat everytime you buy a console. Simply say no, and be done with it.

Grand Master

Shadrack

Posted
Posted
There is no need for this service.

Sufficient help is already in place (manual/Xbox Support), Best Buy are creating a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, and putting one hell of a price tag on it - Games can be bought for $30.

Basically all they are doing is turning your console on for you and following the on screen prompts.

With that aside, the real "issue" is probably how it's going to be sold to unsuspecting buyers as a service of need to them. It wouldn't suprise me if the service will be sold in the spotlight of how "complicated" it is to setup the 360, how much quicker it will be for BB to do it for you, and no emphasise placed on how everything you need to know is already in the box.

Certainly the way it is presented to the consumer should be done ethically and I can see how that will probably not be the case. I 100% agree with you that the user should know how to use the help that is already in place. But please try to understand how stupid some people are! :p. There are some people that are scared of technology, and want someone there to hold their hand through what we consider to be painfully obvious.

I guess this is a bit further than the whole Cell Phone/Bluetooth thing. I can imagine the conversation to the sales rep w/ the bluetooth thing: "So you say this thing will work with my phone and is easy to setup. Can you show me? Well if it is really that easy, then can you do it for me so I don't have to?" I can see charging just to putoff people from being so needy.

Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Guys this is a games console, not a PC destined to do 1,000,000 things when turned on.

You turn it on, you follow on screen prompts. Microsoft purposely designed the OS so that when it's turned on it pretty much does everything for you with a walkthrough to get you playing and online.

And for the guy who said it "could be worth it to the consumer". How exactly do Best Buy land on $30? Riddle me that one. Seems like it's pulled out of thin air.

Next thing we'll have is packs of balloons being sold with a sticker saying "$5 to blow up your balloon for you, WE PROMISE IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO".

The market for this is non-existent. People buying into games consoles do not equate to the amount of people who choose to try out a PC, or are required to for work related tasks/necessity of getting on the internet, etc.

It's an absolute scam to make such a minimal task seem like it actually needs "professional" and paid help, of which it costs 30 frickin dollars!

Wish I got paid $30 every time the automated message came up on my 360 to say a firmware update is required, and all I need to do is push the big green A button.

Veteran

QuantumTrickery

Posted
Posted

Congratulations. The service isn't for you! :whistle:

I'm starting to think that many tech oriented people are absolutely ignorant of the world around them. Just because everything is a snap for you, or takes no time for you, doesn't mean it is that way for everyone. Like any service, it is targeted toward a certain group of people. I don't see what is so hard to swallow about that. I can think of any number of people that have no idea they can control and manage their kids time spent on a console, or a computer for that matter. Consoles are a grab and go market in most places anyways. I'm willing to bet the only people who are going to get "hassled" are the ones who are already confused and looking for answers.

Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted
Congratulations. The service isn't for you! :whistle:

I'm starting to think that many tech oriented people are absolutely ignorant of the world around them. Just because everything is a snap for you, or takes no time for you, doesn't mean it is that way for everyone. Like any service, it is targeted toward a certain group of people. I don't see what is so hard to swallow about that. I can think of any number of people that have no idea they can control and manage their kids time spent on a console, or a computer for that matter. Consoles are a grab and go market in most places anyways. I'm willing to bet the only people who are going to get "hassled" are the ones who are already confused and looking for answers.

Again, this is not a "tech device" like a PC.

IT'S A GAMES CONSOLE.

You don't buy a PC and have an instruction manual telling you how to do everything, hence why SOME people need help. PC's don't come with help telling you about parental controls, telling you how to setup your internet, etc. Most computer setups come pre-built and setup, but not always for everything.

Everything you need to know how to work the games console comes in the box, if you can't figure it out, you aren't uneducated or in need of help, you're brain dead, at least to pay $30. Xbox support is always there for you if necessary. MS already have you covered, BB do not need to be charging you as well.

I swear to god like I said earlier we're going to have places charging you $20 to show you how a toaster works eventually.

Some things don't need stickers stuck to them advertising unnecessary help, and a games console is one of them. We've been selling them for god knows how many years, and this is the first time something like this has been introduced, does that not tell you something?

Anyway enough ranting from me, if anyone ever pays for this, might as well burn another $30 as well whilst your at it for kicks ;)

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0

      By Copernic · Posted

      Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 by Razvan Serea With Movavi Video Editor Plus, you can either enhance your video files with two or three simple steps, or turn them into something completely new. Create your own movies using multiple filters, transitions, and special effects: show multiple videos on one screen with the Picture in picture effect or change the background with the Chroma Key effect, imitate the camera zoom or make your video look like an old-style movie. Adjust video parameters such as brightness, contrast and colors. Stabilize shaky footage, improve video quality and remove defects. Create video presentations, tutorials or educational videos: add titles and record your own narration to create a video with voiceover. Import video from any source: TV-tuner, webcam, camcorder, or VHS. Drop multiple media files onto a timeline and let your imagination do the rest! Features at a glance: Video and audio editing on a timeline Edit, enhance videos Add background music Apply titles and effects Image quality improvement Hollywood-worthy effects High-grade titles and fades Digitize VHS tapes, record video from TV tuners Stabilize any shaky sections Support for a wide range of formats Prepare your videos for uploading to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or any other website New in Movavi Video Editor 2026: 30+ fresh subtitle styles. Upgrade your automatic captions with new designs. Customize your text in the Styles tab with a single click. Optional advanced settings are also available in the dedicated Design tab. Subtitles in English – instantly! Translate auto-subtitles into English with a click – no dictionaries or online services needed. Once translated, configure and fine-tune the subtitles using the standard editing tools. 40+ adjustable effects. Enhance your videos in a click with new realistic effects – from dust particles and light leaks to retro-style and VHS. Every effect is fully customizable – so it will fit any clip perfectly and bring an extra spark to your edits. Ultra-fast playback. Show more in less time with video speed control of up to 100x. Perfect for epic time-lapses, long process recaps, or whenever you want to add some extra energy to your content. Magnetic zones are marked with dots, and the 1x value is indicated by a vertical line. Silence removal – in a click. Cut out unwanted pauses automatically or fine-tune the pause length and volume threshold yourself. Skip the tedious cleanup and make your videos more dynamic. Fast effect copying. Effortlessly duplicate any effect from one video to another: click Clip effects in the dropdown menu and proceed to copy or paste. Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 changes: This version includes small improvements for better editing. Download: Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 | 2.7 MB (Shareware) View: Movavi Video Editor Plus Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • JBL BAR 800 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar is an amazing deal today

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      JBL BAR 800 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar is an amazing deal today by Sayan Sen This Amazon Prime Day 2026 sales so far we have had a couple of nice deals related to sound and audio. First we have the Sennheiser HD 600 at its lowest ever price of just $225. Next we also have the Beats Studio Pro at its lowest price ever at just $150. However perhaps you prefer your gear to sound great on a larger scale, like throughout the room. In that case an all-in-one soundbar system can help and currently JBL's BAR 800 is a great deal for sure as it's up for grabs at just $600 (purchase link under the specs table down below). One thing that should be appreciated a lot about these JBL soundbars is their spec sheet and the frequency response data it provides. The firm is honest about it as JBL confirms the subwoofer is able to go down to 35 Hz at -6dB or F6. This means it should be covering 40Hz and up very well, where most of the bass lies. You miss out on a lot of sub-bass but that is to be expected given the price point and the subwoofer driver size. Speaking of which, it is a 10-inch driver and promises a max output power of 300 watts at 1% THD (total harmonic distortion). JBL also claims the system will provide you with a "True Dolby Atmos" experience. The surround speakers are wireless and battery-powered which means setting them up should be really convenient. The technical specs of the JBL BAR 800 are given in the table below: Specification Value Channel Configuration 5.1.2-channel soundbar system Dolby Atmos Yes, with 2 up-firing drivers Total System Power Output 720 W Soundbar Power Output 340 W Surround Speaker Power Output 2 × 40 W Subwoofer Power Output 300 W Soundbar Drivers 3 × 46×90 mm racetrack drivers, 3 × 20 mm tweeters, 2 × 70 mm up-firing full-range drivers Surround Speaker Drivers 1 × 46×90 mm racetrack driver (each speaker) Subwoofer Driver 10-inch (260 mm) wireless subwoofer Frequency Response 35 Hz – 20 kHz (-6 dB) Audio Inputs Optical, Bluetooth, Chromecast built-in, AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music (MRM), USB* HDMI Inputs 1 HDMI video input HDMI Output 1 HDMI eARC output HDCP Version 2.3 HDR Pass-Through HDR10, Dolby Vision Bluetooth Version 5.0 Wi-Fi Version 6, 6E Streaming Services Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay, Alexa MRM Get it at the link below: JBL Bar 800-5.1.2-Channel Dolby Atmos soundbar with Detachable Surround Speakers (Black): $599.85 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US with Prime) Prime subscription can be cancelled within three business days. Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.100.1, fixes a bug that made remapped keys misbehave

      By Ivan Jenic · Posted

      Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.100.1, fixes a bug that made remapped keys misbehave by Ivan Jenic Microsoft just released PowerToys v0.100.1, a patch update that addresses several stability and behavior issues found in v0.100.0. The v0.100.0 patch was a significant update for PowerToys, as it introduced all sorts of new features and additions, such as a rebuilt Shortcut Guide, a Command Palette Extension Gallery, webcam overlay support in ZoomIt, and more. However, the v0.100.0 version also introduced some bugs and stability issues. And now, Microsoft is addressing these issues in the new patch. The most impactful fix in this release perhaps is in Keyboard Manager, where remapped modifier keys were being delivered as system-key events, causing unexpected behavior in apps. The clearest example of this was Alt-to-Backspace remaps, deleting whole words instead of a single character. So, if you thought there was an issue with your keyboard, Microsoft just confirmed that it was PowerToys. Beyond the Keyboard Manager fix, v0.100.1 also addresses several other issues. It fixes a bug with Power Display that was preventing monitors from waking from standby correctly. Additionally, the new update patches Quick Access crashes on launch, and resolves a Shortcut Guide crash that occurred when switching between sidebar sections. Here’s the full changelog: Color Picker Fixed a bug where the main Color Picker window could appear inside the zoomed-in picker view Command Palette Fixed Run history initialization in AOT builds Fixed a bug where the Performance Monitor dock item could show ??? after restart Fixed the Hibernate command using the Sleep icon Limited the "pin to dock" dialog to displays where the dock is enabled Keyboard Manager Fixed modifier keys remapped to non-modifier keys being delivered as system-key events, which caused unexpected behavior in apps such as Alt-to-Backspace deleting whole words Power Display Fixed a bug where selecting On in the monitor power-state control did not wake a monitor from standby Fixed built-in display detection and brightness control on dual-GPU laptops where the internal panel is driven by the discrete GPU PowerToys Run Fixed VS Code Workspaces discovery after VS Code moved recently opened workspace data to shared storage Quick Access Fixed Quick Access flyout crashes caused by unhandled XAML exceptions during launch or page navigation Shortcut Guide Fixed a crash when navigating between Shortcut Guide sidebar sections Fixed number-key rendering in shortcut manifests and added a Postman shortcut manifest Updated bundled shortcut manifests to use the literal number-key token so number keys render correctly across apps ZoomIt Fixed a race condition in audio initialization for ZoomIt video recording You can download PowerToys v0.100.1 from the official GitHub releases page.
    • OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2

      By Copernic · Posted

      OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 by Razvan Serea OBS Studio is software designed for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently. It is the re-write of the widely used Open Broadcaster Software, to allow even more features and multi-platform support. OBS Studio supports multiple sources, including media files, games, web pages, application windows, webcams, your desktop, microphone and more. OBS Studio Features: High performance real time video/audio capturing and mixing, with unlimited scenes you can switch between seamlessly via custom transitions. Live streaming to Twitch, YouTube, Periscope, Mixer, GoodGame, DailyMotion, Hitbox, VK and any other RTMP server Filters for video sources such as image masking, color correction, chroma/color keying, and more. x264, H.264 and AAC for your live streams and video recordings Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV) and NVIDIA NVENC support Intuitive audio mixer with per-source filters such as noise gate, noise suppression, and gain. Take full control with VST plugin support. GPU-based game capture for high performance game streaming Unlimited number of scenes and sources Number of different and customizable transitions for when you switch between scenes Hotkeys for almost any action such as start or stop your stream or recording, push-to-talk, fast mute of any audio source, show or hide any video source, switch between scenes,and much more Live preview of any changes on your scenes and sources using Studio Mode before pushing them to your stream where your viewers will see those changes DirectShow capture device support (webcams, capture cards, etc) Powerful and easy to use configuration options. Add new Sources, duplicate existing ones, and adjust their properties effortlessly. Streamlined Settings panel for quickly configuring your broadcasts and recordings. Switch between different profiles with ease. Light and dark themes available to fit your environment. …and many other features. For free. At all. OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 changelog: Beta 2 Changes Fixed a CI deployment issue. There are no application changes since Beta 1. 32.2 New Features Replaced add source dropdown with new dialog [Warchamp7] Improved FPS selector UX [jcm93] Added missing file support for filters [exeldro] Added ability for plugins to set custom icons for new source types [cg2121] Included .webp files when adding a directory to Image Slide Show source [TarunCore] Added copy paste functions to frontend API [exeldro] Added filter to compose SDR into HDR [jpark37] Added delete as a hotkey to delete sources on macOS [PatTheMav] Added dynamic bitrate support to multitrack video [lexano-ivs] 32.2 Changes Forced Intel-based installations to update to Apple Silicon version on macOS [PatTheMav] This change means that OBS Studio versions built for Intel-based Macs but running on Apple Silicon Macs will automatically update to OBS Studio built for Apple Silicon Macs. If an installation was using third-party plugins, those plugins will no longer load until replaced with Apple Silicon versions. Fixed audio mixer state getting out of sync when changing settings via websockets or plugins [Warchamp7] Added theming for checked QToolButtons [glikely] Improved OpenGL performance slightly on low-end machines [kkartaltepe] Set minimum size for color source to 1 pixel [exeldro] Added minimum width to spinboxes [Warchamp7] Disallowed overwriting the crash handler [sebastian-s-beckmann] Applied process mitigation policies for Windows [notr1ch] Adjusted description of multitrack video [jhnbwrs] Changed new capture devices to use fallback frame rate by default [PatTheMav] Improved DLL loading behavior on Windows [notr1ch] Limited multitrack video config to Custom service [PatTheMav] 32.2 Bug Fixes Fixed OAuth and dock state save corruption [PatTheMav] Fixed group bounds not resizing when removing items [howellrl] Fixed canvas mixes not being restored after video reset [dsaedtler] Fixed some erroneous crashes during shutdown [Warchamp7] Fixed display capture sometimes capturing black after a duplicator failure [ThrowTop] Fixed color of controls dock output buttons in System theme [shiina424] Fixed virtual camera reset failures [stephematician] Fixed potential crash when user discards changes in the settings window [suogesi] Fixed incorrect return value in virtualcam filter [xtfo] Fixed source toolbar buttons not working after dragging a source into a group [Warchamp7] Fixed properties hint icon spacing [Warchamp7] Fixed potential crash when a video device reconnects on macOS [jcm93] Fixed an issue where PipeWire could fail on NVIDIA GPUs [hoshinolina] Fixed obs_canvas_get_video_info returning incorrect framerate [dsaedtler] 32.2 Deprecations Deprecated obs_properties_add_button [sebastian-s-beckmann] Download: OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 | Portable | ARM64 | ~200.0 MB (Open Source) View: OBS Studio Homepage | Other Operating Systems | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Microsoft is building an AI datacenter that "uses less water than a fast food restaurant"

      By Slugsie · Posted

      Is a fast food restaurant a good metric to compare against?

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      OHI Accounting earned a badge
      One Year In
    • First Post
      Almohandis earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      DaviKar went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Dedicated
      HidekoYamamoto94 earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      474
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      172
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      122
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      83
    5. 5
      Xenon
      72
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!