Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[gdub]

Today I went to the local Best Buy store (#1412) looking to price match a Wii Speak.  The price at the BB was $29.99, but there are two [competitors] within 8 miles that have this item in-stock, selling for $9.90.  I took my the item to the Customer Service counter and told the representative that I wanted to price match to [competitor].  She called their closest store to verify the price, and then left the counter to consult a manager.  Upon returning, she said that they could not honor the price match because I didn't have a printed ad.

I asked to speak to the manager, who then came over and told me the same thing.  I explained that the competitor's price was their everyday price and that I had no ad.  Thinking that all was needed was the phone verification to the competitor, I asked if the having a printed ad was mentioned in the price match policy.  The manager pointed to the return policy poster glued to the front of the counter, which indeed contained a paragraph about the price match policy with mention of bringing an ad.  I don't recall if it was the same wording that's found on the price match guarantee policy text posted on this site, but the policy text posted on this site also mentions bringing in an ad.

I called the 1-888-BEST-BUY number and the representative was not able to answer my question, and just stated that price matches are at the individual store's discretion.  So, what is the policy on this?  Is the store correct?  Do I really need a printed ad from the competitor for an everyday price that is verified over the phone?  Do they have the right to refuse this price match?

Thanks,

Gary

[Nokia]

The PM policy does mention an ad. However, nowhere does it say an ad is required. It simply says you need proof of price. That proof can be an ad, or it can consist of calling the competitor to verify the price. The manager had no right to refuse the PM, and they are definitely not at the store's discretion. If the PM meets all the requirements, the store is required to match the price, no matter what it is.

[gdub]

So how do I go about getting this resolved in the store then?

[Nokia]

See if you can speak to a different manager. You could also call 1-888-BESTBUY again and ask them why the store only has to follow the policies they want to follow.

[starhelper2587]

Or you can wait for one of the Community Connectors (BB corp employees/forum moderators) to address your thread.  Threads are assigned in the order they are posted and CCs don't work overnights or weekends.  One of the CCs could pass along the complaint to this store's upper management team and may be able to help with the PM.

[mccannt1]

If it's within 8 miles, and for a cheaper price why not just get it at the other store and not have to deal with getting it pricematched? I mean you gave it a shot and it didn't work, why try again?

[gdub]

So I can redeem my Reward Zone certificate.

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hello gdub -

Melissa, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern.  Thank you for your patience until she is able to contact you.

[Melissa-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hello gdub,

When making any purchase, saving money is a big consideration. I was sorry to hear of the difficulty that you had with trying to get a price match at our Garland, Texas store. It sounds like during this experience, that there was some misunderstandings of the policy.

Like Nokia said, if the lower price of an item meets all of the requirements for our price match policy it should be honored by the store. Unfortunately, per the price match policy located here, it does state if you find a lower advertised price on the same available brand and model, we will match the price. According to this, the ad is needed to show proof, however the store does have the right to call the competitor and verify that the price is correct, and verify the availability of the item. It is up to store discretion if they will provide a price match based only on a phone call, as this is not listed as a “proof” of price.

That being said, I would like to discuss this further with you, and I have sent you a private message to begin this discussion. To check your private messages, first ensure you are logged into the forum, and then click the envelope icon in the upper right corner of this page.

Thank you again for your patience.

[Nokia]

Thanks for clarifying that, Melissa.