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Entry tags:
commerce
I needed a fairly long ethernet cable to run to the TV room, and we failed at making our own so I decided to just buy one. Amazon has 50' cables for $6-10, but I wanted it today (new TiVo, for which "wireless" on the feature list apparently really meant "wireless-capable, if you get a peripheral", fooey).
I went to Best Buy, where their price was $36. We had roughly the following conversation:
Me: You price-match, right?
Rep 1: Yup.
Me: (shows Amazon listing for exact same cable)
Rep 1: This doesn't ship directly from Amazon; that doesn't count.
Me: I'm prepared to pay a little more to get it locally today, but I can't really bring myself to pay more than three times their price. Is there anything you can do for me?
Rep 1: Nope.
Rep 2: (walking by) Um, let me see what I can do. (I follow Rep 2 to a different desk.)
He gave it to me for $10.
It occurs to me to wonder now if I'm part of the problem for brick-and-mortar stores. On the other hand, if their price had been $15 (a 50% markup) I probably would have just paid it.
I went to Best Buy, where their price was $36. We had roughly the following conversation:
Me: You price-match, right?
Rep 1: Yup.
Me: (shows Amazon listing for exact same cable)
Rep 1: This doesn't ship directly from Amazon; that doesn't count.
Me: I'm prepared to pay a little more to get it locally today, but I can't really bring myself to pay more than three times their price. Is there anything you can do for me?
Rep 1: Nope.
Rep 2: (walking by) Um, let me see what I can do. (I follow Rep 2 to a different desk.)
He gave it to me for $10.
It occurs to me to wonder now if I'm part of the problem for brick-and-mortar stores. On the other hand, if their price had been $15 (a 50% markup) I probably would have just paid it.
no subject
I had the opposite experience, where a rep at the local Best Buy said "if you have a smartphone, you should pricematch on that item". Saved me money.
He said "we sort of want you to come here first: if you become a loyal customer, you'll allow us to compete with places like Amazon".
Of course, given their anti-customer debauchery over Hachette and publishing, I'm inclined to NOT do business with Amazon anyway. They are treating customers like pawns while they fight with a supplier, and I will not be their patsy.