[iWrite]

Okay, so yesterday I set out to buy a new digital camera. I want to buy the new forthcoming Canon, but in the meantime I felt it was time to upgrade my Sony Mavica MVC-CD500. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my/our Sony products, including the Mavica, but I couldn't seem to get it to do with my Macs what it supposedly was capable of doing -- more on that later. I loved the Mavicas that used the mini-CDs in CD-RW and CD-R for storage because the disks are small, compact, hold 156mb to 210mb (depending on manufacturer), are easy to swap out if full when you're out and about, and Mavicas come equipped with AC/DC and nothing extra is necessary to buy.

So, I review the different cameras and everyone seems to love Nikon so I decide that I'm going to buy the Nikon Coolpix 5700. Best of all, I see at several sites that Nikon is offering $150 back in cash through a rebate through March 31st. I check all the retail stores online and see everywhere, and through CNET Shopper, that the retail price right now is $749. That means that the camera is going to cost me $600. I see that Circuit City shows as having it in stock, Best Buy shows as having it in stock, and a couple of other stores. Also, MacMall, MacWarehouse also show it as in stock, but I try to buy locally whenever possible versus through online stores.

Now, wanting to patronize my local Apple Store I call them up and say, "Hey, I'm going out today to buy a new Nikon Coolpix 5700. In fact, I buy them in sets of two (true) so I'll be buying two of them. How much is the camera at your store?" The salesman says, "It's $799 right now, but a $150 rebate comes with it, making it $649 after rebate." I said, "Well, apparently the price nationally has been reduced to $749 so are you able to match that?" He says, "Let me get the manager." The manager comes on the phone and says, "I hear that the price is reduced and I looked it up and see that at MacMall, Circuit City, and other places that it IS reduced and down to $749. However, we Apple Stores are not authorized to match national retail prices."

I said, "Are you serious?" He said, "Completely serious. I have a little play when it comes to computers, but not peripherals. Our cost is higher than that price."

I was, to say the least, quite surprised. Here I am, prepared to spend about $2000 on cameras, and they don't want my business. On top of which, if I go into their store, there's a chance I'd buy something else. (True, I've been wanting to buy Photoshop Essentials.)

Fine. I'll go elsewhere, right?

I go to Best Buy. However, when I get to the store, I see a lot of digital cameras, but not the Nikon Coolpix 5700. I ask the salesman where it is -- that their online site shows it as "in stock." He says, "Oh, whenever you see something on our online site that means that it is available only online as a general rule. We usually don't carry the online stuff in the store. Let me check on actual availability for that camera, also, because sometimes even though it shows that we have it online it really isn't available." He checks online at supply and says, "Actually, that camera is out-of-stock and we probably won't get anymore. Why don't I show you some of our other cameras that we have here at the store?" Then he acted embarrassed and said, "I know that a lot of people get mad because it's misleading. I'm sorry you drove here."

I declined to look at other cameras, thanked him, and left.

I went to Circuit City next. Guess what? They show it available online and I go to the store and what do I hear from the salesman there? "If we have it available online, we don't carry it in the stores and actually, we do not have that item available online either. It is out-of-stock. But, we have a lot of other cameras available right here that I'd be happy to show you."

CompUSA has it -- for $899. No, they won't match the $749 price -- but they are quick to point out that "it is $749 after a rebate." CompUSA just plain blows, period. (I hate that store -- knowing CompUSA, they probably sell it for $899, making not only the extra $150, but also any other profit.)

I called Office Depot and yes, they have it, and yes, they'll sell it to me for the national list price, $749. I drive there and I buy two of them.

So, it seems that the new scam is to show a national retail store as having an item in stock at a particular price...but when you drive there they don't actually have it...but they "are happy to show you another in-stock model."

I drove home and played with the camera and that's when thePurpleGiant here at MacNN told me how to use a feature I couldn't figure out with the Sony Mavica MVC-CD500. I compared the two and they both have 5mp and similar features, but I felt that the Sony interface with the Mac was superior, the LCD on the back is huge for viewing, and with some other options available on the Sony and not on the Nikon I decided that I didn't want the Nikon after all. I was especially annoyed because Nikon doesn't provide a power cord with the camera for use at home -- the only power source is the battery, period. (There is an optional DC power cord available -- $29.99 extra. The Mavicas feature both AC and DC.) Overall, I wasn't that impressed. So, I returned the Nikons to Office Depot.

Meanwhile, my spouse buys so much stuff with Best Buy for business that he called his contact at that store and they called us and said they were sorry to lose our business. I drove down there to pick up a printer that we needed and while there, I went back to the camera department to look at their selection again and I picked up one of the Sony Mavica MVC-CD500s that they had on display. I paid over $800 for my Mavicas about a year ago and in Best Buy they were showing as marked down to $499. The salesman was trying to be very nice and he ended up selling us two more Sony MVC-CD500 Mavicas at $459 each, plus throwing in two Mavica accessory kits for free (worth about $150.) We'll use the Mavicas for our business (in the legal department -- for investigations) and we're very happy about the purchase. In the end I got two Sony MVC-CD500s for the price of one Nikon Coolpix 5700 (before rebate) and some freebies that included an extra battery for each camera -- worth $59 alone -- along with a camera case and free CD-RW disks (3).

I'd have to say that I'm VERY happy with our Best Buy retail experience, after all is said and done. They were polite, eager to help, and DID make the effort to make the sale.

But, the Apple Store not wanting to come close to matching prices and turning away business? Poor.

And retail stores pretending to carry a discounted item shown at their own websites -- then not having it actually available to local customers (reminds me of the blackouts in local television markets for nationals sports -- football) just to get the customer in the store and sell them something else? Poor.

Apple Store for peripherals?

CompUSA?

CircuitCity?

Office Depot?

Best Buy?

Edited for clarity on camera features.

[MindFad]

Best Buy contacts. Sorry. Congrats on the reasonable buy and business. Or whatever. CompUSA does suck, yes.

[willed]

Meh. Not really that surprising. You got a cheaper deal somewhere else, well done you (well that was the gist I got from skimming your post - I'm sure you could have made your point in less than four volumes).

[Gankdawg]

I believe in shopping locally too, to a point. Keep the money with the local merchants. Even shopping at a major corporation's local store is better than ordering online because that means your dollars stay local in terms of paying someone's salary or commission. In turn, hopefully that person will spend their dollars locally.

That being said, if the local store won't try to come close on price or treat you poorly, it's time to move to an online reseller.

[mrmister]

I think you should try and make these posts longer--you're really not describing each and every nuance.

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally posted by willed:
Meh. Not really that surprising. You got a cheaper deal somewhere else, well done you (well that was the gist I got from skimming your post - I'm sure you could have made your point in less than four volumes).

sometimes you just have to let them rant dude.

good buy tho. nice bitch as well. all we have in this piddly dink town here is the campus bookstore and bext buy. oh, and staples, but theyre damn near useless.

[Gankdawg]

It's nice to read a well written story that's not full of spelling and grammatical errors.

[tooki]

Well, I wholeheartedly feel your anger.

That said, this isn't a "new" scam, it's classic bait-and-switch.

THAT said, I have to burst your bubble: I don't believe any of it is intentional. I know that, in fact, if you're not CompUSA or BestBuy or CircuitCity or MacMall, you pay huge wholesale prices on stuff from the distributor. I once worked at a Mac shop and a customer inquired about some gadget which every major catalog sold for $200. Ingram Micro would have charged us $225 for it. To match the catalogs, we'd have had to sell it at a loss. We told the customer to order it from a catalog. My hunch is that the Apple store was probably not lying to you that they paid more than $750 for the camera.

As for the chaos at Circuit City: it's true that the item was only in stock online, and that checking local availability is a separate step (and IMHO rather obvious, due to the "add to cart" and "search nearby stores" buttons, and the fact that the in-stock checkmark is next to the words "Our Online Store"). It's also not the salesmen's fault (they have nothing to do with the online branch of the company), and I don't blame them for trying to offer you an alternative product.

Ditto for BestBuy, I think it's pretty obvious that unless you explicitly check in-store availability, the information is about the online availability. (For the Coolpix 5700, it says in big bold letters, in fact: "Store Availability: Not Available".)

Moral of the story? Ditch retail and buy mail-order. You're not supporting local commerce that way, but then again, you're not supporting local commerce in the slightest when you shop at CompUSA, Apple, BestBuy, Circuit City, Office Depot, or any other national chain.

tooki

[fizzlemynizzle]

It was God trying to prevent you from blowing your money on a weaknut camera like the 5700.

[Gankdawg]

Originally posted by tooki:
you're not supporting local commerce in the slightest when you shop at CompUSA, Apple, BestBuy, Circuit City, Office Depot, or any other national chain.

Actually, you are. Having worked retail and written the work schedules, I can tell you that the number of hours given to employees is based on your store sales. The more sales, the more hours you get. More hours means more jobs at the local level and, again, the people who work in those stores will spend their paycheck in that area for their goods and services.

[tooki]

I'd rather support living-wage jobs at mom-and-pop stores than the poverty wages paid at national chains.

tooki

[iWrite]

I think it's VERY important to support local sales/commerce.

How long before you decide to buy everything online and:

1. Sales are outsourced to India
2. The government decides to start charging tax on internet sales
3. ALL brick and mortar stores close shop and you have no local stores to physically look and see an item you want to buy

It was God trying to prevent you from blowing your money on a weaknut camera like the 5700.

LOL! That is probably true.

The bait-and-switch routine is true, I'm sure, to some degree.

Anyway, I don't WANT to buy everything online...and I doubt others do either.

Case in point: After I got it home and took a good look at it I didn't want it. I would have gone through a HUGE hassle if I'd ordered it then didn't want it -- and I'd (possibly) have been charged a 15% restocking fee on $1500 ($749 x 2) or $225.

[Gankdawg]

Originally posted by tooki:
I'd rather support living-wage jobs at mom-and-pop stores than the poverty wages paid at national chains.

tooki

Agreed. If they can provide the right level of service.

Wal*mart = low prices but also equals lousy service. But then again, I don't really need service for deodorant, toothpaste, soda, etc.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by tooki:
Well, I wholeheartedly feel your anger.

That said, this isn't a "new" scam, it's classic bait-and-switch.

THAT said, I have to burst your bubble: I don't believe any of it is intentional.

Moral of the story? Ditch retail and buy mail-order. You're not supporting local commerce that way, but then again, you're not supporting local commerce in the slightest when you shop at CompUSA, Apple, BestBuy, Circuit City, Office Depot, or any other national chain.

What he said, except that I tend to call up local stores, first (which you did).

-s*

[DeathToWindows]

I don;t trust WorstBuy further than I can throw them..

MicroCenter for me!

CompUSA is awful... (gags)

[fizzlemynizzle]

Originally posted by tooki:
I'd rather support living-wage jobs at mom-and-pop stores than the poverty wages paid at national chains.

tooki

but that would mean buying custom PCs from mom and pop shops, not machines from apple..

[ironknee]

speaking of bait and switch...my friend wanted to buy a nikon camera and while strolling down fifth ave in nyc, he saw the model he wanted IN THE WINDOW of this camera electronics store. When we went in and he asked see the camera, the guy said they were out of it. My friend asked to see the on in the window and the guy said he can't!!!

Seems they place it there solely to get people to come in...

[tooki]

Originally posted by fizzlemynizzle:
but that would mean buying custom PCs from mom and pop shops, not machines from apple..

You can buy Macs from independent Apple dealers.

They don't make their own machines, but nor do mom-and-pop PC shops -- they just put together parts from Asia.

tooki

[fizzlemynizzle]

Originally posted by ironknee:
speaking of bait and switch...my friend wanted to buy a nikon camera and while strolling down fifth ave in nyc, he saw the model he wanted IN THE WINDOW of this camera electronics store. When we went in and he asked see the camera, the guy said they were out of it. My friend asked to see the on in the window and the guy said he can't!!!

Seems they place it there solely to get people to come in...

a camera/electronics shop in NYC acting shady? unpossible!

[mitchell_pgh]

The real question is... Did you get the Service Plan?

Best Buy pushes them like crazy...

I worked for them this past summer, and they are willing to make nothing on the camera as long as you get the service program at times (especially days when their numbers are off)

I've come to actually like best buy for many things, but at times they can be a bit much.

[AKcrab]

Originally posted by iWrite:
But, the Apple Store not wanting to come close to matching prices and turning away business? Poor.

$799 is not close to $749? That's like a 6% discount.
For 6% more, you could have saved yourself three trips about town.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally posted by ironknee:
speaking of bait and switch...my friend wanted to buy a nikon camera and while strolling down fifth ave in nyc, he saw the model he wanted IN THE WINDOW of this camera electronics store. When we went in and he asked see the camera, the guy said they were out of it. My friend asked to see the on in the window and the guy said he can't!!!

Seems they place it there solely to get people to come in...

I had this with a damn table lamp. Saw the exact lamp I wanted in the window, went in and couldn't see any in the store, so I asked the guy behind the counter he checked the stock and there was non available, but it could be ordered. So I asked about having the one out of the window. He said "that as that one didn't have a box they couldn't sell it", I told him "I didn't care", but he was adamant about not selling it me.
Eventually I decided to ask about ordering one, the assistant said that "it could be a week maybe up to 3 weeks"
This is the good part. The store was having some sort of Sale that was ending in the next few weeks and the lamp was reduced by about �25, I asked that "if the lamp came in after the sale had ended would I still pay the reduced amount". He went and asked another assistant, came back and told me that "no, I would have to pay the full non sale price". So they had an item in the window that they not only couldn't sell you, but you couldn't even pay the marked price.
I went home and bought it from there internet store and got it the next day or so.

[Ken Masters]

Originally posted by Gankdawg:
It's nice to read a well written story that's not full of spelling and grammatical errors.

But i like grammatical errors and bad spelling...........What's your problem?

[iWrite]

AKCrab said
For 6% more, you could have saved yourself three trips about town.

AKCrab, it was $799 versus $749. That is $50. Since I bought two cameras that is $100.

I'm sorry, even though I am financially sound, I do not throw away $100 just to save driving around town to three different stores all within 2 miles of each other.

On the other hand, it worked out for the best because I didn't want that model after all.

[CrackedButter]

I'm in shock that Apple didn't price match, thats dumb. Hello $2000 on offer and they turn it down? What school of finance did they study?

[olePigeon]

At least Apple was honest and didn't offer to show you other brands they have in stock.

[malvolio]

So I should buy locally and pay the ridiculous local sales tax and have to deal with some arrogant moron, rather than buy on-line and skip the sales tax and usually get free shipping as well, just so that the arrogant moron can keep his minimum-wage job and help support the area's McDonalds and Wal-Marts outlets?

[vmarks]

Apple Retail Stores do not match prices. All their information about prices comes down from operations.

The usefulness in buying from CompUSA is the ease of replacing an item under their peripheral service plans.

I had a failed hard drive that was a year old, and walked in without a receipt. They replaced it without a question. I ended up with a drive double the size and with a rebate. In the end it was like being paid to take the drive.

As for cameras, I got burnt with bad Mavicas, and I would never want the mini-CDRW camera, the write speeds are too slow for my taste.

I actually choose Nikons. The reason for the 5700 price drop is because the 8700 that replaces it in the product line ships in March sometime.

[shadowofleaves]

how are they supposed to discount a third party item? be realistic

[dampeoples]

I like bhphoto.com for camera stuff. I doubt I would have looked anywhere else.

[spiky_dog]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
I like bhphoto.com for camera stuff. I doubt I would have looked anywhere else.

yup. b&h or adorama is the way to go for camera/audio/video gear.

www.bhphotovideo.com
www.adorama.com

[Ω]

What I can't understand is how you think online == retail store.

Do you think that just because it is on the website every store must now ensure they have that item. And when one store runs outs the website updates automatically - available in all stores except this store x.

One of the reasons behind a website is to centralise stock in ONE location. It reduces inventory costs.

Confused.

[daimoni]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
I like bhphoto.com for camera stuff. I doubt I would have looked anywhere else.

I use them for all of my camera needs.


But regarding the original post:

1. It was completely unrealistic (to put it mildly) to expect the Apple Store to match pricing of 3rd party products.

2. I try to support my local merchants (the Apple Store contributes to the local tax base in my town), but even more so I support quality service and I'm totally willing to pay a premium for it.

I don't care if the company is a multi-national, or an out-of-state mom and pop general store with an online shopping cart (like the nice folks I use for my overalls/outdoor clothes).. as long as I'm getting good service, I remain an enthusiastic customer.

Remember, the 'best' price isn't always the 'cheapest' price. Especially if their return policy sucks.

[iWrite]

I like the Mavicas.

I happen to think that if Circuit City shows an item FOR SALE that Circuit City should CARRY that item, PERIOD. I don't care if it's showing as being in stock online or not. If it is not available in the store then don't advertise it.

Best Buy, when I went back to their store the second time to pick up the printer, ADMITTED that it was deceptive advertising to a certain extent. They said, "Yes, we get a lot of people who come in to buy an item that they see that we carry, but when they get here we have to tell them that we don't actually carry the item in the store if we carry it online."

Sorry, folks, but saying that I shouldn't expect to see an item in an actual store that a COMPANY says that they carry in stock is b*llsh*t.

That's like Apple Store online not carrying anything in their stores that they show online, you know?



Can you imagine? You see an iPod advertised at Apple Store online so you drive to the Apple Store at the local mall to buy it and they say, "Uh, sorry, but we don't carry that item IN the store if we carry it online. But, hey, let me show you this other doo-dad that you might like instead."



As far as Apple Store not matching prices, no sweat off my back. I don't care. I'll just spend my money elsewhere.

In fact, it got me thinking and realizing that I just won't shop there anymore, period. Why should I?

I can buy my Apple computers from MacMall or MacWarehouse: I'll save sales tax and get a better price break than I would otherwise.

Just as Tooki says: I'll buy online. No further extrapolation is necessary -- everything I want or need to buy I can buy from my home. I don't need to patronize local stores, don't need to run around spending my time and gas trying to get a decent price, and it's no sweat off my back -- Apple Store doesn't want my local money? Fine. I'll send it to MacMall in California instead and keep the MacMall/PCMall guys employed instead of the local Apple Store employees.

[Link]

Originally posted by daimoni:
I use them for all of my camera needs.


But regarding the original post:

1. It was completely unrealistic (to put it mildly) to expect the Apple Store to match pricing of 3rd party products.

2. I try to support my local merchants (the Apple Store contributes to the local tax base in my town), but even more so I support quality service and I'm totally willing to pay a premium for it.

I don't care if the company is a multi-national, or an out-of-state mom and pop general store with an online shopping cart (like the nice folks I use for my overalls/outdoor clothes).. as long as I'm getting good service, I remain an enthusiastic customer.

Remember, the 'best' price isn't always the 'cheapest' price. Especially if their return policy sucks.

Apple store.. quality service... hah..hhhahahahahah

Funniest thing I've heard all day.

See I hate the apple store because they're not just your average comptuer store, they have an attitude and it pisses me off.

[ASIMO]

People still buy Mavicas?

[ASIMO]

Originally posted by Link:
Apple store.. quality service... hah..hhhahahahahah

Funniest thing I've heard all day.

See I hate the apple store because they're not just your average comptuer store, they have an attitude and it pisses me off.

Not one to defend Apple, but what do you consider "your average computer store?" And I take it you have been to every Apple Store? The one in San Diego UTC has thus far been a pleasant experience. Perhaps you visited this particular store on an "off" day.

[Ω]

Originally posted by iWrite:
Sorry, folks, but saying that I shouldn't expect to see an item in an actual store that a COMPANY says that they carry in stock is b*llsh*t.

That's like Apple Store online not carrying anything in their stores that they show online, you know?



Can you imagine? You see an iPod advertised at Apple Store online so you drive to the Apple Store at the local mall to buy it and they say, "Uh, sorry, but we don't carry that item IN the store if we carry it online. But, hey, let me show you this other doo-dad that you might like instead."

How can you honestly make this analogy? Apple not selling Apple is lunacy. A company not having a product that is in no way affiliated to them, understandable.

I suggest you start reading up on logistics and operations management, and I hope like hell you are not in business for yourself, as the inefficiencies due to ignorance would some become apparent.

[iWrite]

How can you honestly make this analogy? Apple not selling Apple is lunacy. A company not having a product that is in no way affiliated to them, understandable.

I don't understand this reasoning, to be honest. Apple DID have the product -- they just didn't want to sell it at current retail price.



That means that they'll sell it to a few people who will pay more or they will sit on the product and then discount it out later on.


Fine, that is their perogative. But, they just lost a customer (and from the sound of things, other people don't shop there either for various reasons) and they've lost a good one because I, personally, spend about $10,000 per year on our Macs for our home -- that doesn't include peripherals.

We have a business and that also doesn't include office equipment and consumables for the business locations and that account is HUGE. We don't go to retailers and say, "Hey, will you match a price." They come to us and shmooze us to get the accounts (HP, Dell, Canon, Xerox, to name a few) because our consumables expenditures account is extremely large and we're only a medium-sized business (about 1000 employees.) We're an automotive service and retail store business. We have 53 locations around the country and 4 more locations are in the process of being built with openings from May through August and a projection of 12 more locations in the next 2 years.

One of the things that I do know? We NEVER let a customer walk -- ever. If they have a price for an item or a service then we beat that price, period. No questions about it. If an employee lets a customer walk over a price that is clearly higher than the competition then the employee is in trouble. We merely require a copy of the less expensive price for the item or service and we discount it out of the system and staple the competing price to the override. Simple as that. If we get three similar overrides for the same product we discount the entire product or service permanently in the POS and leave it alone.

Some things are loss leaders, plain and simple. We KNOW we will lose money. But, we get the customer in the door and they, 8 times out of 10, will spend money on other items or services we WILL make a profit on. Also, we have such a positive environment in our business that people really enjoy coming in. Employees are clean cut and articulate and eager to help.

To tell someone, "Uh, we won't match a $50 price reduction on a nationally advertised product or service that is priced at $750 to $800" is just plain idiocy. OF COURSE we would match that price! The customer is coming to our business, will have a good experience, and will be a repeat customer.

Better yet, we get them in the door and the chances are VERY high that our salespeople are going to sell them another product or service that we WILL make a profit on. And we'll get them back in for their next product or service -- guaranteed.

Not matching a price that others advertise? Bad business.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by iWrite:
He said, "Completely serious. I have a little play when it comes to computers, but not peripherals. Our cost is higher than that price."

I was, to say the least, quite surprised. Here I am, prepared to spend about $2000 on cameras, and they don't want my business.

That accusation is groundless. If they can't sell it to you for that price, then they can't sell it to you for that price, however much they might "want your business".

An Apple Store does not have the buying power of a CompUSA or a Best Buy. It is entirely possible that their cost really is higher than that price, thanks to some of the less ethical practices that some suppliers are known for doing. It's the same reason Wal-Mart can offer such low prices; suppliers often give Wal-Mart deep discounts on account of its sheer buying power.

I'm not trying to say that you should be forced to buy at Apple's prices. But neither can you force Apple to bring their prices below what they are able to do, simply for your sake. It's not a matter of "wanting your business".

[daimoni]

Originally posted by Link:
See I hate the apple store because they're not just your average comptuer store, they have an attitude and it pisses me off.

What's a matter... you forgot your mommie's credit card and then took it out on the staff?

[daimoni]

Originally posted by iWrite:
I don't understand this reasoning, to be honest. Apple DID have the product -- they just didn't want to sell it at current retail price.

The 'current' retail price? Puuullleaassee.

[zigzag]

Scam? The product descriptions say whether items are available in-store or online only. They even provide a method of checking local stock where applicable. I see little cause for confusion if one does one's homework.

It can't be true that "Whenever you see something on our online site that means that it is available only online as a general rule. We usually don't carry the online stuff in the store." If that were true, the store shelves would be empty. Most items are sold in both places. Some items are only available online, but that's nothing new, and the product descriptions indicate it where applicable.

Nor does this prove that Best Buy is any better than the others. All that happened is that somebody's husband complained and they made a deal on two entirely different cameras that were already marked down. This could've happened anywhere.

[Ω]

My point is you moaned about non-Sony stores not having a particular Sony product.

It is you who used the comparison, "but Apple stores stock Apple".

The reason why I am 'riding' this thread is because people who come out a bitch and moan when they should use a little bit of commensense, and could have avoided all this with minimal effort, really annoys me.

I work part-time in retail and see people like you who are willing to waste hours of their time and energy to save a dollar. So given the money you "saved", then factor in petrol, did you pay for parking, how long did it take, then the time writing this redundant thread in this forum, and then having to "justify" your position.

The savings are "staggering"

[vcutag]

Originally posted by iWrite:
One of the things that I do know? We NEVER let a customer walk -- ever. If they have a price for an item or a service then we beat that price, period. No questions about it. If an employee lets a customer walk over a price that is clearly higher than the competition then the employee is in trouble. We merely require a copy of the less expensive price for the item or service and we discount it out of the system and staple the competing price to the override. Simple as that. If we get three similar overrides for the same product we discount the entire product or service permanently in the POS and leave it alone.

Strange. When I worked at Best Buy, that was company policy. We had to get a manager's signature on it, but if they brought in an ad from a competitor and it was a lower price, they got it for the lower price. A bit more paperwork involved, but still.