First and foremost, I would like to state that I am a highly dedicated Best Buy & Disney consumer. I truly value my DVD/Blu-ray Collection as movies, Disney & others, know how to touch the soul and reach that level of imagination thought lost from childhood. Since 2001, I have purchased EVERY SINGLE Disney movie release. I sometimes pre-order certain Disney releases from the DisneyStore.com website as they offer exclusive lithograph sets; other times I will simply purchase movies from Best Buy to utilize their "Best Price Policy" and obtain rewards points.
Since Disney has been re-releases many of their classics on Blu-ray for the first time they have been offering manufacturers' rebate coupons to update your home movie library. They also sometimes offer this rebate for new releases as well. These offers are usually exclusive to Disney Movie Reward Members. For the most part, when this offer first began "Best Buy" would honor it without issue. Than as it became more widely available they seemed to be making it a little more difficult to use.
Now for the FIRST TIME EVER, Best Buy has chosen to not offer this particular 3-Discs (NOT 2 as it has the Blu-ray/DVD & Digital Copy Discs) version of "The Lady and the Tramp" in stores. It is only available online making it impossible to utilize the $8 manufacturers' rebate coupon since it must be presented at the time of purchase in the store. Instead Best Buy offers their own incentive to save $8 in which you have to purchase an additional Disney Combo Pack to receive the $8 discount. So in other words I have to spend more to save more with "Best Buy's" offer where I should be able to use the Disney Manufacturers' Coupon in-stores or online being that this version is not available in-stores. It's available, in-store, at other local competitor retailers so why not "Best Buy?" Clearly this is just a way for them to opt-out of having to honor the manufacturers' coupon.
There's no reason why this particular version of "The Lady and the Tramp" shouldn't be available in-stores. "The Lion King," "Cars 2," "Pirates of the Carribean," & many other Disney movies have been released last year and this year already in multiple versions and formats all of which were available in-store at "Best Buy." So what's the difference with this movie? I wish I knew, but all I could come to was that they did not want their dedicated consumers, like myself, to be able to use the coupon and save $8. God forbid a person would want to get merchandise for the best possible price during such economic hard times.
With similar issues in the past I was told by other "Best Buy" reps from their blog site that if the coupon wasn't honored all I would have to do was simply call and they would reimburse me the amount. Since Feb. 7th, when this movie was released, I have been trying to get to the bottom of this situation, in-person and online, but to no avail. Instead, all I've been given is nothing but the run-around and a plethora of excuses. Now I've taken a chance and purchased the movie online hoping that I will receive it in the mail with a collectible slip-cover/sleeve in good condition; where as in person I would have been able to hand-pick my own copy ensuring that it would be in good condition.
I just hope that with future Disney releases, Best Buy doesn't pull the same stunt, because I find it extremely distasteful and hard to believe that such a classic as "The Lady and the Tramp" wouldn't have the high-demand granted to be on the shelf in stores. Best Buy needs to do the right thing and honor their policy as well as this coupon!
I wish I was able to leave a product review on the website as well considering that I did have to purchase it there for full price, but they only allow bias, soley-positive, reviews to be posted which is rediculous. There was nothing remotely offensive or obscene about this message in the blog which was the same review I was posting. I have to say that I am extremely disappointed overall. Bad Business Bust Buy!
Ryan-BBY
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