Best Buy The Untold Story
04-24-2006, 07:43 AM
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Alright, well I used to work at Best Buy, and have seen them referenced here on the site a couple times. I'm hoping to let you guys know a little bit more about the evil big blue...
Insignia, Dynex, VPR Matrix....all best buy brands...big profit for them...quality is so-so
Always buy open box items if you can....you get full return capabilities which can in turn get you a new item for the open box price
Never trust the advise of a salesperson (or Geek Squad agent) because they usually have managers telling them the things to say to make their numbers look good
You can buy install parts from the mobile installation bay...they might not have the dash kit you are looking for on the floor, have them call the bay and see if it's there
If you want anything that is "expensive" from best buy...get a job there. If you get hired during the holiday season, then you are considered seasonal/part time which means you have no obligations to the store after the season, and best of all you get the discount right away. Speaking of the discount, for most things in the store you get 5% above cost (gong back to Insignia/Dynex products, that's dirt cheap). Any type of cable, at least 50% off (USB cable...$4, hometheater cables are usually 50% off like the monster stuff). Also they run these things called accomodations which are deals with certain companies that best buy works with....like Alpine. Everything that they offered through the accomodations program was 50% off...pretty sweet stuff too...type R series speakers, all their main decks.
Two things that I'm trying to say here. 1. Dont go to best buy (or any other store) and have something sold to you...bad move.
2. If you want to buy something expensive (car stereo setup, new TV), take a part time job and save yourself so major cash.
Insignia, Dynex, VPR Matrix....all best buy brands...big profit for them...quality is so-so
Always buy open box items if you can....you get full return capabilities which can in turn get you a new item for the open box price
Never trust the advise of a salesperson (or Geek Squad agent) because they usually have managers telling them the things to say to make their numbers look good
You can buy install parts from the mobile installation bay...they might not have the dash kit you are looking for on the floor, have them call the bay and see if it's there
If you want anything that is "expensive" from best buy...get a job there. If you get hired during the holiday season, then you are considered seasonal/part time which means you have no obligations to the store after the season, and best of all you get the discount right away. Speaking of the discount, for most things in the store you get 5% above cost (gong back to Insignia/Dynex products, that's dirt cheap). Any type of cable, at least 50% off (USB cable...$4, hometheater cables are usually 50% off like the monster stuff). Also they run these things called accomodations which are deals with certain companies that best buy works with....like Alpine. Everything that they offered through the accomodations program was 50% off...pretty sweet stuff too...type R series speakers, all their main decks.
Two things that I'm trying to say here. 1. Dont go to best buy (or any other store) and have something sold to you...bad move.
2. If you want to buy something expensive (car stereo setup, new TV), take a part time job and save yourself so major cash.
04-24-2006, 07:57 AM
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Another tip is to find someone who works there who is willing to buy something for you. Last summer I bought myself a 32" Sony Vega TV. Their selling price was $699. I found someone there who was my age. I asked him what his discount was. He said something around 40%. So I gave him $500. He bought the TV and put it into my car. Im pretty sure he earned himself at least $80. And I saved $300...
04-24-2006, 01:59 PM
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They do keep records of what people buy. So it's not like your friend can keep buying you stuff, especially the large items.
I agree, it's VERY much worth getting a part time job there to buy the large items. You save literally hundreds.
And the Dynex products are marked up like 400%. I bought a regularly $12 CPU fan for $3. owned.gif
My GF works there and she lives with me. So if she buys something for me, it's not like its immoral, cause she uses it too. She goes through hard times there sometimes cause of the full time jerks that think they own the place, but I always remind her of the money we've saved with her discount.
And she does get reminded to push certain products. It IS a business however and very understandable. They have to compete with other stores on some of the popular products. So their profit isnt that much if any. But other smaller products/accesories are marked up a LOT, and that's exactly where they make their money.
Don't think of them as a bad business just because they marked up an item 400%. They are just making up for the money they DIDN'T make on the other product.
I agree, it's VERY much worth getting a part time job there to buy the large items. You save literally hundreds.
And the Dynex products are marked up like 400%. I bought a regularly $12 CPU fan for $3. owned.gif
My GF works there and she lives with me. So if she buys something for me, it's not like its immoral, cause she uses it too. She goes through hard times there sometimes cause of the full time jerks that think they own the place, but I always remind her of the money we've saved with her discount.
And she does get reminded to push certain products. It IS a business however and very understandable. They have to compete with other stores on some of the popular products. So their profit isnt that much if any. But other smaller products/accesories are marked up a LOT, and that's exactly where they make their money.
Don't think of them as a bad business just because they marked up an item 400%. They are just making up for the money they DIDN'T make on the other product.
04-24-2006, 02:34 PM
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Nothing is wrong with Best Buy. If you can manage to con me into buying hub caps for $500 each that's my bad for being so stupid. If I'm not smart enough to comparison shop and look for the best deal and I let myself get ripped off then again it's my fault. Let them mark up shtuff all they want. All I know is that they aren't grabbing my ATM card out of my wallet and sliding it through the machine.
04-24-2006, 02:45 PM
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I know a lotta people who worked at best buy, who would "lose" things off the trucks, if you know what I mean. Needless to say they made lots of $$$ off of it.
04-24-2006, 02:59 PM
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QUOTE (Tibbychick @ Apr 24 2006, 03:45 PM)
I know a lotta people who worked at best buy, who would "lose" things off the trucks, if you know what I mean. Needless to say they made lots of $$$ off of it.
Happens here too. They don't have the greatest inventory setup.
04-24-2006, 03:27 PM
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QUOTE (JonGTR @ Apr 24 2006, 07:59 PM)
They do keep records of what people buy. So it's not like your friend can keep buying you stuff, especially the large items.
The guy wasnt my friend. He just happened to work there. I asked another guy before him, but he was EMO and scared so he didnt want to do it.