Bestbuy = Worst buy. (Screw Rainchecks!)

So i have made my decision. omfg, i'm so mad at them. I read in the weekly ad about this new laptop called the Gateway P6831FX. They sold out on the best buy website within 12 hours of posting, and they sold out in all their stores. It's that good of a deal.

Intel® Core(TM)2 Duo Mobile (1.67GHz)
17" WXGA+ widescreen TFT-LCD with Ultrabright (1440 x 900)
3GB RAM
250GB HD (5400rpm) SATA
Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW
NVIDIA GeForce Go 8800 GTS
Built-in Web Cam
Built-in high-speed Intel® Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965 network connection (802.11a/g/n)

This is the second best grapics card on the market, and it's on a cheap laptop. The only thing I would change about the laptop is the 1.67 ghz and upgrade that and also upgrade the T5450 over the summer or when the warranty expires.

Anyways, so I want to buy it at best buy for $1199.99 plus a free (49.99 dollar game, crysis bioshock etc.) and no interest on payments for 18 months.

And I call 3 local best buys and they have all sold out, so they give me RAINCHECK. I hope this baby comes in to bestbuy and they call me because this is the best deal on a gaming laptop in ages.

 

Wait.... what?

This thread seems rather out of place here.

 

sorry dtwn83, I didn't even check. wtf I thought I was under gateway, my bad. If only I could move it!

 

So you're upset because Best Buy sold out? I guess because you're king of the world that they were supposed to hold one just for you?

And who gave you the raincheck? Computers are never supposed to be rainchecked. Best Buy uses a few different systems, one's Customer Fulfillment, which usually won't work, and the other's a system called Green Screen, which allows orders if the warehouse still has a few. For both methods you have to pay upfront. They don't do rainchecks for computers since it's not guaranteed that you'll ever get one.

 

Lithus just a heads up, advertising a sale (anything) with out having the product (or short supply) is against the law in many states. I also believe a rain check is an agreement to provide said product when it becomes available, or acceptable substitution. This is especially important (or only) dealing with advertising. I hear your side (what the bosses told you, but now suspect they taught you how to skirt the law) but if advertised the product should be available. Sometimes they do limit it to a certain # of units, that is allowed. Just a heads up.

 

>.> the laptop was on backorder 1 day before the ad even came out...what where you people thinking. The smart ones bought the laptop before the sale and price matched it..

 

While admitting that most, if not all, states have various consumer protections in place related to false advertising, lets see...off the top of my head, the following items were advertised and in short supply: iPods, PS3, XBox360, Wii, every Black Friday or the day after Christmas sale I've seen recently...and lets not forget that we don't know how many units Best Buy had available but we do know that in the week (or 2 weeks) prior to this sale, they actually increased the price from $1349 to $1699,which presumably slowed their sales prior to this week.

 

I'm a little confused...you're upset because Best Buy gave you a raincheck? You should be upset if they said they couldn't give you a raincheck, which they often do with Black Friday Sales. I was lucky enough to get one. I was at one of my local stores at 10:15 am Monday after seeing that bestbuy.com was sold out. The guy sold it to me said they had just 1 more left after selling this one to me. Sounds like you'll be ok but for what its worth, its still a very good deal at $1349.

 

You are lucky as heck to have gotten a rain check. Most would have gave you sad puppy eyes and said sorry sucker your outta luck. I guess people always have to complain about something though. Talk about being a Debby Downer.

 

dude this laptop was selling like hot cakes. It was completely sold out online less than 24 hours after being on sale. I bought mine online and picked the in-store pick up. Don't hold your breathe about the rain check.

 

It's advertised with a limited quantity. I know the laws, I also know SOP. The reason you don't put rainchecks on computers is not because you're afraid of the boss, it's because a raincheck doesn't guarantee anything. It's an empty promise, unlike the Customer Fulfillment and Green Screen orders.

I knew my job damn well, and I knew we had some explaining to do to the customer when some stupid customer service guy gave out rainchecks for everything.

 

Go back and check again - my dad is interested in this laptop, and was told that he could purchase it now (despite being out of stock), and they will hold it for him when it gets in. That way, you are guaranteed the 18 months no interest, and laptop when they are available..

 

Yeah, this is the only way it should be done. You pay upfront, and one is special ordered for you from the distribution center. That's the only way you're guaranteed one (though I've seen this screwed up as well).

 

I don't understand BestBuy bashers?

 

Oh, I understand some Best Buy bashers. I've seen screwups of epic proportion, just not this case here.

 

The only thing i can bash BB for, is the moronic price raise to $1600 for that short time. Thankfully, the price is reasonable again (and even better if you can use the financing)..

 

epic proportions like this?

http://www.dailytech.com/Woman+Sues+Best+Buy+For+54M+Over+Lost+Laptop/article10665.htm

 

I got one for the sale price and almost met the same fate.
Told 4 in stock , got there and 0 stock, had them call a store in naperville to hold 1 . I cant blv they actually held one for me !!!

 

Alright, I told my dad about this, and he said that we are going to check it out friday, and hopefully do it. It sucks that friday is 2 days away and I have to keep thinking about it, but hopefully we can get it accomplished friday, and get the good deal on it. Thanks for letting me know about this.

 

omg...that link is worth reading...I like the layout of Best Buy along with the products they carry... but I always pray nothing goes wrong with anything because both myself and SEVERAL friends/associates of mine have had horrendous downright insultingly bad customer service experiences from Best Buy....just another reason why with high ticket items, I usually go out of my way to pick a company with an established track record of excellence regarding customer service.

 

I've personally seen that happen. (Not the suing part, the losing the laptop part).

 

it'll be funny if she won the 54 mil

 

I heard from an associate that works at Best Buy that this model is slated to be removed from sale on May... not too sure where he got the info so taking it with a grain of salt. Is there anything new coming out around that time? Just concerned, especially since I'm waiting for Gateway to ship their P171X...

 

That's about right for the shelf life of a high end laptop. A lot only last a month or so.

 

i mean yea you can wait until may to get a better laptop, but how long with that last another three months before an even better laptop with an even better deal comes out. there is always going to be something better. so why not give in and enjoy it now.

 

Well said, this FX will be surpassed and in 6 mo.time easily, but it does everything I want, don't need much more from a laptop, so that wouldn't bother me.

 

Okay, I feel better about that. I haven't really looked at laptops until recently since my old gateway laptop seems to be getting slower... (M675 - I try to play Max Payne 2 on it, but I think it's the hard drive that is the bottleneck... I wonder if I could wait until May to get a new laptop if I just replace the hard drive...)

Trying to have enough willpower to wait until the P171X to come out... it helps when all the Best Buys in my area is out of stock of these so I don't break down and get it. Of course, I could randomly walk in this week and find that they just had a shipment come in...

 

i got the FX this weekend from best buy. this is by far my most advanced gaming system or gaming laptop that I have ever had. I'm just glad it didn't dent my bank account. I know its sad that this is my most advance gaming system. But new things get old and thats just life you can't always have everything new.