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Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

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Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#451

Post by gwbas1c »

dropfrog wrote: post #172

But that call-in "customer support" is a deal killer. I made an online purchase, a cheap antenna (thank goodness). It arrived in a box with my address taped on it but with customized shirts inside. Boxes were damaged during shipping and when put back together, someone got my stuff and I got theirs. UPS - "it's not on us, contact Best Buy". So I decided to use this to test Best Buy's customer support. I call. Foreign…

When I get someone like that, I just hang up on them and call right back. Usually the next person is better.

But really, as someone else pointed out, you should have charged back.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#452

Post by gwbas1c »

josefresco wrote: post #15

Like most Americans I order a shitload from Amazon. However the last item I bought from Best Buy was a TV (my old LG just ... died). Ordered online, chose to pick up in store. Drive 35 min to store Pickup process takes 10-15 min Drive 35 min home. Left after dinner, was watching it that evening. The only condition that would have prevented me from using this model would be traffic, as it could extend the trip by 60-9…

I bought two TVs from Best Buy and one from Amazon.

For both of the TVs, Best Buy tried to sell me insurance. They used the "refuse to take no for an answer" tactic. In both cases I had to say, "if you say another word about the insurance I'm going to walk out." I really meant it, too.

Amazon's shipper lugged my TV up two flights of stairs to a 3rd floor apartment.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#453

Post by pasbesoin »

twothamendment wrote: post #354
pasbesoin wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bought a couple of fixed sleeve professional mechanical pencils from them. They came loose, along with another, much heavier item, in a box without padding. All just bouncing around against each other. Even when padding is put into a shipping box, often it's a rectangle or two of "air pillow" that doesn't come close to filling the free space. And/or some of the pillows are broken and deflated. I've become concerned a…

Amazon's packing skills have lead me to order in batches that I think will ship well together. Once I see that heavy item that is going to pound and smash the other items has shipped I'll order the rest. It is less than ideal, but as long as they suck at packing they can deal with two orders instead.

Only, you have to space your orders -- wait at least a day in between making them. Otherwise, their system often combines them and you end up with one box, anyway.

Kind of defeats the quick delivery convenience/reputation they are after.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#454

Post by adl »

LyndsySimon wrote: post #51

This is rather off-topic, but the only thing that saddens me about Best Buy is that it just doesn't feel the same walking in as it used to. I remember when I got my first job, at age 14, in 1998. I cut, baled, loaded, hauled, and stacked hay in a barn for a local farmer. It was extremely hot and tiring work for an overweight geek, but it paid better than anything else I could have gotten at that age - I was paid by t…

That's what RadioShack was for me in the 80s. Pure joy entering a RadioShack as a kid, back when they still sold Tandy Computers.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#455

Post by loco5niner »

scarface74 wrote: post #226
superflyguy wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't need third party crap when you're getting a machine with Apple Maps and iTunes. Don't Microsoft make it easy to remove all the crap ware these days?

Crapware == Crippleware where the OEM bundles third party trial software with the intended purpose of getting you to purchase the full version. Notepad, the regular old command prompt, or IE is not generally considered "crapware". No matter how bad they are.

What's wrong with "the regular old command prompt"? It's served me well for ages.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#456

Post by forapurpose »

kitotik wrote: post #204
kchoudhu wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cash is still a thing.

not just at the point of sale though. from license plate scanning in the parking lot, to facial recognition and traffic analysis in the store, modern brick and mortar retail is not far behind e-commerce when it comes to privacy intrusions to collect data.

Also, you are probably bringing your phone into the store, and it's emitting all sorts of identifying info. I've read about businesses selling tech that uses that info to identify you and uses the signal to track where you go in the store.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#457

Post by forapurpose »

larkeith wrote: post #399
Cd00d wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need to turn off bluetooth on your phone too.

Huh, I wonder if that means you should disable WiFi discovery too. Never thought I'd be that glad to be in the habit of mobile data only (not that there aren't problems there too...)

Any signal your phone emits with identifying information could be used. Why not your cellular signal?

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#458

Post by emodendroket »

loco5niner wrote: post #455
scarface74 wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crapware == Crippleware where the OEM bundles third party trial software with the intended purpose of getting you to purchase the full version. Notepad, the regular old command prompt, or IE is not generally considered "crapware". No matter how bad they are.

What's wrong with "the regular old command prompt"? It's served me well for ages.

Kind of weak line editing capabilities and annoying script compared to the alternatives. I'm a PS fan though.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#459

Post by larkeith »

forapurpose wrote: post #457
larkeith wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh, I wonder if that means you should disable WiFi discovery too. Never thought I'd be that glad to be in the habit of mobile data only (not that there aren't problems there too...)

Any signal your phone emits with identifying information could be used. Why not your cellular signal?

I'm a lot less concerned about retail stores tracking me via cell signal, as it requires much more specialized hardware/software - meanwhile, it's likely feasible to modify extant in-store WiFi infrastructure to track that.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#460

Post by larkeith »

pm90 wrote: post #396
larkeith wrote: post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...or you pay with card, politely decline a membership and email receipt, and provide a trivial amount of tracking data compared to the amount Amazon gets from you merely visiting a product's page.

Isn't your credit card information something that can be used to determine your identity?

Yes, but unfortunately credit card transactions get sold to third parties by the CC companies regardless, so it's quite possible Amazon gets to track me with that either way.
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