Does Best Buy really think their customers are STUPID??!!??

[Blue Meanie]

This week's Best Buy ad has in the DVD section a sale on Blu Ray sets for Big Bang Theory Season's 1 - 4, Fringe Season's 1 - 3, and House Season's 1 - 2. Fine print says the Blu Ray is $16.99 with coupon. Proceed to see a "1" next to that sentence. Go to the bottom of the ad and here's what one says:

"Bring in your original DVD (no burned copies accepted) with the original case to Customer Service and receive a $5 off coupon valid on any Blu-Ray movie priced at $9.99 and up."

So let me see if I follow what they want us to do...Bring in our original of the corresponding season and trade it in for a whole $5 off the Blu Ray version. I give them a season I paid $20 or more and they give me $5 off coupon??!!?? And then they proceed to sell my "Original DVD" to a discount store like Big Lots for $5 - $10 each...of course re-shrink wrapped. They're out no money and the customer is out $40 + for a DVD they bought twice. Man, they must think that their customers are STUPID. I worked for The Wiz and Circuit City...and even they didn't stoop that low. No wonder Best Buy is gonna go out of business. At least RESPECT your customers...but they can't even do that.

[wayne foundation 07]

what a crock!

[RickD]

I bet someone will do it though

[mazinz]

Best buy is currently taking in used dvds to then use any credit towards a bluray version. People will do this if they are trying to replace their dvd collection with bluray editions. Much easier than trying to sell them used on ebay.
FYE would give you about the same for dvd trade in

Stupid for those who do not care about bluray, but ideal for those that are trying to replace dvd with a bluray version

Used is used, you will never get anywhere near retail price paid for trading in older used editions unless you sell it privately

[Blue Meanie]

I, personally, wouldn't want to get them over again. Those days of going from VHS, then to LD, and then to DVD are over. Having 5 versions of the same movie with slightly better picture is redundant. I did it before when LD came in. Not so much with DVD's because most re-masters of movies are done with LD masters. Again, you are paying for the movie or TV series again. IMHO throwing money away.

[toys2cool]

yea it's only good if you want to upgrade...I personally don't thunk it's worth it but that's me

[Mr Mego]

Yeah, that's all true.

I knew the Best Buy company are trying to ripping off the customers for a long time, I'm not recommended Best Buy.

My mother went there sometimes and she told me that she's recommended it.

I told her that Best Buy is ran over priced and trying to ripping them off, I never go there and to see what's new anymore.

Hope she trust me......

I recommended Big Lot that I've been worked there for 3 years since 1991-'94. Also, recommended Wall-Mart, Fry's, Dollar Store and Supertarget - pretty good.

I received mails from Circuit City often, I'm not interesting their price is still very expensive stuff that I can't afford.......

[spacecaps]

99.9% of those buy back programs are ripoffs. Game Stop has been doing it for years and I can't believe people fall for it. I always see kids walking into those stores with armfuls of games their parents bought them and trading them in for pennies on the dollar. I went in there in February with a game I paid $60 for in October and they wanted to give me $8 for it. Screw that..I put it on ebay and sold it for almost what I paid for it.

If you're lucky every once in a while you do run into a good one. Around Christmas time Best Buy had a program where they would take any of your old DVD's and give you a $5 credit towards $10-$20 Blu-Rays. They had to have gotten burned by that one though because I went in there with a bagful of crap and bought every single one of the $10 Blu-Rays for $5 and turned around and sold them anywhere from $10-$20 a piece.

[thunderbolt]

It not really a rip off, most trade in places will give you about that much in store credit for trades. THey are more likely trying to compete with the new and used type places.

[livnxxxl]

The short answer to the question is Yes.

BM - I get what you are saying. I think it is a rip to. You know what they say. There is a sucker born every day. Of course the way to look at this is that it is really only a rip off if you fall for it and do it.

This kind of stuff has been going on for years. You buy it and pay FOOL price for it and then turn around and almost give it back to them at a fraction of what you paid. Then of course you are expected to buy the next big thing that is on the market which currently is the Bluray. I can tell you right now that the Bluray's day is numbered just like the VHS, CD, DVD and the list goes on.

Here is another example. Check this out. I bought a new Cadillac STS-V and turned around and bought a new Hummer from the same dealership in less than a years time. When I had went to look at/buy the Hummer I asked the dealer (the same guy for whom I dealt with before making multiple car purchases) and I asked out of curiousity what I would get IF I was to trade the Caddy in on the Hummer. Mind you I had just bought the Caddy less than a year ago. I hardly drive it. I drove it home from the dealer ship, put maybe a hundred miles on it and put it in the garage where it usually stays. I only drive it on really nice days. Anyway.... Needless to say that I was a bit shocked when the dealer told me what he would/could give me for the Caddy toward the Hummer. It actually kind of made me a bit mad as his offer was really an insult to my intelligence.

The dealer did tell me that I could not go and buy a car like mine for the price he wanted to give me. I thought to myself no duhh. In other words he even knew that what he was offering me $$$ was a crock of crap. However, My point is this. That is where it is up to us the consumer to make the final intelligent decision. I could have "gave" my car to him for the price that he wanted to give me. Instead I was much smarter than that and told him no thanks I will be paying cash just like I did the Caddy. I elected to go across the street to my bank and get a cashiers check for the Hummer. Needless to say it makes me think twice about wanting to buy another new car any time soon.

[Toyman_Chris]

As a store owner I can attest that "trade ins" are my money makers. Still the reason people trade in is they are giving away something they don't want, to save some coin on something they do. It's the same with anything: Cars, Appliances & Collectibles.

[huedell]

A lot of it is far from people being "stupid"... but closer to people being "lazy".

They know what they are doing.

It's convenient... all in one place... and ya get credit of a buck or two.

[emeraldknight47]

A lot of it is far from people being "stupid"... but closer to people being "lazy".

They know what they are doing.

It's convenient... all in one place... and ya get credit of a buck or two.

I'll go along with you on that one, huedell. I DO think that it's the basic American mantra of "I want it and I want it now!" As Americans, we want immediate gratification and we're willing to pay for it....

[spacecaps]

I, personally, wouldn't want to get them over again. Those days of going from VHS, then to LD, and then to DVD are over. Having 5 versions of the same movie with slightly better picture is redundant. I did it before when LD came in. Not so much with DVD's because most re-masters of movies are done with LD masters. Again, you are paying for the movie or TV series again. IMHO throwing money away.

Totally agree. Favorite movies aside, how many times do you actually watch the same thing over and over. When DVDs came out, I was all about getting as many as I could just to have one more on the stack. When Blu-Rays hit the stores, I couldn't wait to "upgrade" my collection. Half the time, I'd buy a movie and never even open it. I just bought it cause it was cheap or to add it into the fold. Then when Netflix came out and I could stream these things right onto my TV, something changed. I really only watch a movie once and never again. There's just too much out there to go back revisit the same thing over and over. At one time I had maybe 500 DVD & Blu Rays (a small amount compared to some I'm sure) but man do they take up some space. I kind of see the end of DVDs around the corner so I started to sell of my collection. Now I'm down to about 30 total! I don't miss them at all and I'd rather have the space freed up. Maybe in 20 years there'll be video specialty shops like there are vinyl record stores around today.

[kennermike]

the whole thing about keeping replacing the same films is getting old !your throwing $$$$ away!!!
VHS/BETA to LASERDISC to DVD to HDDVD to BLU-RAY-to STREAMING will this isanity never end?
Ive bought a couple of Blu-ray to upgrade but im gona stop and keep the DVD's I have. from 720p upconverted standard DVD's on a Blu-Ray player to 1080p is not a big difference in my eyes to keep spending cash

As for Best Buy havent set foot in one in almost 10 years .I have 2 great mom and pop DVD stores next to me which I trade in DVD's for store credit which is % 30 more then cash for maybe Blu Rays or sometime especially now I take the $$