A month or two ago, I decided to take advantage of the Best Buy Rewards Zone promotion that arrived in my in-box, and signed up for it. I rarely do anything of the sort, but figured with all of the video games, movies and electronics that I buy (over time), maybe it was a good idea.
Over the weekend, I got notification of a "3rd Anniversary" sale planned for Best Buy Online, for last night and tonight. I checked out the specials - none of which appealed to me - but then noticed they had 15% off all video games. Since I'd come home empty handed in my search for Call of Duty 4 (for the PS/3) last week, I figured I might as well save the tax on the game and buy it online. So I proceeded to find it last night, add it to my cart, and continue on to checkout.
I was partway through that process when I was told that my item didn't qualify for shipping (only for Pickup In Store). I thought that was fairly strange, since video games are hardly contraband that would normally cause a problem moving through the postal system, but I decided to press on. I had to determine the store closest to me, which was no problem (and it's only a few km's away), so after some hesitation (and head-scratching), I completed the order.
Today I got the e-mail notification that my item was ready for pickup. As I read over the conditions for said pickup, I noticed that I have to print out a copy of the e-mail or else I can't get my item when I go to the store.
So here's Best Buy Online, as part of their 3rd Anniversary promotion, not only making me drive to the store to get what I bought, but also requiring me to waste paper, ink and more time, printing off a hardcopy of the e-mail! Do they not get that part of the appeal of shopping online is reducing the paperwork involved and not having to actually go out to the stores?!? Am I crazy for thinking that this is no way to run an online business?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
that is indeed silly
The postscript to this sad tale (as we just got back from picking up our online purchase!) came when the cashier rang it through... at the full price! Fortunately I caught this fact before paying for it, and she quickly realized what she'd done wrong, but I could've walked out of there having not only gotten no shipping.. but also no 15% discount!
So... let me know next time you get a sweet deal like this so I can go to the store and harp away at them until they relent and give it to me without proof of purchase.
Mwahhahahaha
You'd think ID would be ok though.
Here is a tip for shopping at BB for games......always go up to the front and check that cage they have the new games in. Many times the new arrivals are there but the staff seems too damn lazy to put the boxes on the shelves. That was how I got my copy of COD4.
Good tip, Anon! I'll keep that in mind (I actually did ask at FutureShop, and some clerk went scurrying around the store, looking for a copy of COD4) as I've never thought to look in the cage.
And I forgot to mention that, as my wife pointed out, the fact that you don't even pay until you get to the store really means that Best Buy Online, at least in this case, was really just an order-taking service! They didn't deliver the item, they didn't complete the transaction... they simply accepted my order into their system and were willing to hold the item at the store for 3 days (after which the order gets automatically cancelled)!
But on the other hand, I got the $59.99 game (plus tax) for $58 and change (after tax). So that's OK.
Now I just have to wait until I actually get it for Christmas, before I can play it!
Post a Comment