price matching and online problems

[raine_naoe]

Just to clarify an certain bullseye store had the Back To The Future 25th Anniversary *Blu-Ray* edition on sale for $14.99 last week. And yes they sold out very quickly.

And that's fine, but that's not the edition pictured in the ad, so you can't expect us to just take it at your word that the online price is also the in store price. The ad also very clearly said "regularly 19.99 to 29.99"

[Project_Mars]

I'm going to just say that the commercial pisses me off. The lady is making a huge deal over $0.20?

Working in the same place... I call it truth in television, neh?
but seriously... less than a dollar price difference? And you have no idea what to do? really? she must be new.


also, two things:
1. do y'all keep other ads by the register? we used to do it regularly, but recently it's rare for us, so i guess management had an issue with it or we forgot or something... granted, just 'cus it's there doesn't mean you have to remember it's there or memorize the ad, just kinda nice to have around if a customer starts getting cranky about the price matching.

2. Have you had customers have issues with the website? The real fun issues begin when a customer is looking at the mobile version, which is missing key information: Like the fact that we don't have everything on the website in-store. or if it's available in this particular store... and now the website's apparently going back to having wrong stock info when we started an in-store pick up thing to where you can order it online and pick it up in-store same day if it's in stock (unless you order after 6pm.) any idea how i can complain about the site?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My sister, who is much braver than I, recently ventured out to the local Wally World after midnight with her boyfriend.

They selected their stuff and found two checkout lines open--one with a long line of people and one with seemingly no line. So they went to the one with the shortest line.

Once in line, they found out the reason why the other checkout had all the people. The woman checking out had a big, three-ring binder full of coupons and competitors' ads, and was demanding a ton of price matches and watching like a hawk to make sure all her coupons were scanned properly.

I guess she gets partial credit for coming in when the store would otherwise be dead.

[raine_naoe]

We don't have the ads back in electronics, I don't know if they do at the normal registers or not.

And I'm not even going to get started on the website. I usually just try to tell people that on the full one it does say prices may vary and that the inventory isn't always correct. If they're not happy with that, I let a manager handle it.

[Kristev]

More and more people are coming into my store with full books of coupons. And they are among the rudest people. It's really disgusting. I feel bad bringing in the 'enemy' grocery ads to get a bargain on my 2 liters.

But since I work in the place with that dreaded commercial, and often have to hear it, I will silently say to myself either "Prove it, prove it, prove it, prove it," or "Scammer, scammer, scammer, scammer," depending on my mood.

[PepperElf]

Convenience, for our location at least. We're in a relatively small town and stores like Best Buy, Target, etc.. are mostly all in the next town over.

That's what it's like here too.
Tons of walmarts in the area, but if you want things like BB, Target, a non-used book store, or even a hobby lobby... you have to drive 20 miles or more.

[Project_Mars]

We don't have the ads back in electronics, I don't know if they do at the normal registers or not.

And I'm not even going to get started on the website. I usually just try to tell people that on the full one it does say prices may vary and that the inventory isn't always correct. If they're not happy with that, I let a manager handle it.

there's too many lines up front for that to happen, i think it was mostly co-workers swiping the ads out of the break room to try to do something nice.

And i constantly point out the whole "prices vary in store" thing to customers who think what we have online is our in-store price... and the "Other wal-marts (or Sam's Club) aren't considered competitors, so we don't comp them." bit. Apparently just because the stores are owned by the same company doesn't mean we shouldn't compete with them.

[Demolition Man]

And that's fine, but that's not the edition pictured in the ad, so you can't expect us to just take it at your word that the online price is also the in store price. The ad also very clearly said "regularly 19.99 to 29.99"

Yeah the certain bullseye store actually had the set lowered down to $19.99 at some stores in my area the week before the ad with it at $14.99 came out. Not to mention that company used the stock photo for the set and not the specific Blu-Ray one. I suspect that was done on purpose in order to make it harder for the competition to price match it since as you put it "that's not the edition pictured in the ad."

Not your fault raine as you are going by the facts of what the ad presents. The ad pretty much left it open for interpretation on what version was for sale.

For the record I actually bought the BTTF Blu set the day it came out for $50 no less... and honestly its well worth $50 as its three amazing films with amazing presentations. Also the new documentaries on the films are amazing too. I did feel a bit sad inside watching the new Michael J. Fox interviews during it. Funny thing is that a few weeks prior to the announcement of the Blu-Ray release I sold my DVD box set with the corrected Widescreen versions of part 2 and 3 for $30 no less. I only paid about $30 for the set when it came out on DVD so really I only spent $20 upgrading to Blu-Ray. Win Win.

[Demolition Man]

And i constantly point out the whole "prices vary in store" thing to customers who think what we have online is our in-store price... and the "Other wal-marts (or Sam's Club) aren't considered competitors, so we don't comp them." bit. Apparently just because the stores are owned by the same company doesn't mean we shouldn't compete with them.

What I'm about to write is me not trying to sound like an SC but simply giving an perspective as a customer. I apologize in advance if I do sound SC-like in my rant here. In essence I'm really just pointing out something that isn't the fault of the employees at WM locations. Its the mind set of the upper management of the company who just doesn't get it. They encourage price matching the competition yet finds it perfectly okay to have such wildly different pricing between two B&M locations mere miles apart.

As an customer I do find it frustrating that pricing on some items vary wildly just between stores within a few miles apart. I saw this one year ago when Monsters vs Aliens was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. One WM in my area had the Blu-Ray release for $15.96 which they were naturally sold out of. Since I was passing by another WM about two miles away I figured I would grab it there. Price at that WM... $22.96. For the SAME identical Blu-Ray. And they had stacks upon stacks upon stacks just sitting there.

I can understand if there was a very slight difference in price in a few cents or something like that. But when its $7 difference... yeah that's a bit of a difference. Enough to where even I just sat there scratching my head struck in awe (and not in a good sense). Didn't say anything to any employees as I pretty much knew they couldn't do much on the matter and I didn't want to be "that" customer if you know what I mean.

For the record I did get my Blu-Ray at another store for the first WM's $15.96 price. Apparently the store I went to already knew about the price that WM price and even tho that WM was sold out they were matching it anyways out of good customer service.

[Project_Mars]

What I'm about to write is me not trying to sound like an SC but simply giving an perspective as a customer. I apologize in advance if I do sound SC-like in my rant here. In essence I'm really just pointing out something that isn't the fault of the employees at WM locations. Its the mind set of the upper management of the company who just doesn't get it. They encourage price matching the competition yet finds it perfectly okay to have such wildly different pricing between two B&M locations mere miles apart.

As an customer I do find it frustrating that pricing on some items vary wildly just between stores within a few miles apart. I saw this one year ago when Monsters vs Aliens was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. One WM in my area had the Blu-Ray release for $15.96 which they were naturally sold out of. Since I was passing by another WM about two miles away I figured I would grab it there. Price at that WM... $22.96. For the SAME identical Blu-Ray. And they had stacks upon stacks upon stacks just sitting there.

I can understand if there was a very slight difference in price in a few cents or something like that. But when its $7 difference... yeah that's a bit of a difference. Enough to where even I just sat there scratching my head struck in awe (and not in a good sense). Didn't say anything to any employees as I pretty much knew they couldn't do much on the matter and I didn't want to be "that" customer if you know what I mean.

For the record I did get my Blu-Ray at another store for the first WM's $15.96 price. Apparently the store I went to already knew about the price that WM price and even tho that WM was sold out they were matching it anyways out of good customer service.

Understandable. Most of the issue seems to stem from the individual store managers apparently getting minor price control powers, and can put some things on sale at that store only. Considering the ads aren't tailored for individual stores, said sales wouldn't be advertised at all... which can lead to problems.

And here's one other interesting thing I've noticed that i do have to ask about: Did it ring up for the $22.96, or was that the price shown on the shelf? Like just about all other stores that carry movies, the First week of Sales we have discounts on the big hits, which make figuring out said sales ahead of time fairly easy. The Infuriating part I've noticed? Occasionally the price on the shelf will be the normal price, but the sale price will be in the system and ring up for cheaper than displayed. I'm positive i know this is the case. I distinctly recall a time where I went to do a price match on a new release for a dvd that said it was $19.96 on the shelf... and wound up not doing it because it was really $14.96... a buck cheaper than the Ad.

And no, not sure how to fix said problem... the only theory I have is that the tag was some how printed before the sale price went in the system... not sure HOW exactly... but that seems like a possible cause.

[Demolition Man]

The second WM I went to I did check on the self price check machine and it came up at $22.96.

[Project_Mars]

The second WM I went to I did check on the self price check machine and it came up at $22.96.

ah. odd then... i figured stuff like that would be automatic or something. Or maybe it was the result of an idiotic store manager or something...