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The Best Buy HDTV IN STOCK GUARANTEE Is Back For $50 Off & Free Shipping On OOS TV's

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The Best Buy HDTV IN STOCK GUARANTEE Is Back For $50 Off & Free Shipping On OOS TV's

I've been periodically posting for years about this often, little known, or publicised, policy of Best Buy's. Recently after years, all posted mention of it seemed to be removed and it seemed that it had been cancelled, but in the last few weeks here in Ontario they have started posting new POS policy cards in the stores and it is in this weeks flyer (page 7, 4/29). Unknown if this is permanent, but if it is posted in store it is a valid offer, until they remove it, IMO.

This is the revised policy, although further info is not, and never has been, posted online as indicated.


OUR HDTV IN-STOCK GUARANTEE

If we don't have it in stock, we will give you $50 off and ship it for free.

Excludes clearance, demos, open box items and doorcrasher specials. Some remote area and weight restrictions apply. See BestBuy.ca for details.


In practise this means that if a BB store does not have an HDTV in stock for purchase and pick up, you are entitled to a $50 discount and free delivery. Combined with a decent sale price, this can often heat up a deal considerably. Be advised that often you may need to argue with them to get this honored, or sometimes, believe it or not, explain the existence of this policy to BB employees. Combining this policy with a PM is worth a try, but unlikely. Most stores have this HDTVISG policy on all the flip up price tags used for large screen sizes and TV packages. Unknown if stores in all provinces offer this, currently, so YMMV.

Here's a bit of an update on this policy. If trying to get this honored at a store that does not have the policy posted in store, try using the link to their older Flat Panel In Store Guarantee page found below. This does specify a size restriction of 46"+ though. If trying to get this honored for a smaller size, use the in store cards posted in store. These do not specify any size limitation, and unless the store personnel come up with the online page, it is arguable that the in store posted policy is valid for all HDTV's.
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They have this policy advertised again in the new flyer 5/6-5/12 page 22.
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The HDTV in the living room was OOS at the time of purchase and they gave me $50 off and free shipping. The employee knows about the policy so I didn't have to argue/explain and everything went smoothly.
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nyxeus wrote: The HDTV in the living room was OOS at the time of purchase and they gave me $50 off and free shipping. The employee knows about the policy so I didn't have to argue/explain and everything went smoothly.

Thanks for the info and the confirmation that it works, sometimes.
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Here's a link to an actual BB page that oj777 found and posted in another thread. It outlines the BB HDTVISG or as it used to be called the Flat Panel In Stock Guarantee.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/flat-p ... Title=Help

This can be used either way, if the purchase fits all the criteria on this page and you need to prove to BB the existence of the policy, use it. If the purchase doesn't meet all of the criteria, use the in store cards or flyer postings above to ask for the HDTVISG and let them find this page to exclude you. Which they often can't or don't try to. Even if they do find it, and try to exclude the HDTVISG on a purchase, (say on a 43" TV) you could argue that it does not apply since the BB page and the policy cards use a different term for the program.
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Dec 11, 2007
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Hello fellow RFDers,

I called the Oakville Best Buy today looking to get the In-Stock Guarantee on a TV that was sold out at that location but was available elsewhere. And the employee I spoke to said that since they still had out-of-box stock of that TV the In-Stock Guarantee would not apply. I find that to be completely unfair. As Best Buy customers, we go there to buy new merchandise, not used ones that have been returned. Does anyone else think that's BS?
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kamranhsiddiqi wrote: Hello fellow RFDers,

I called the Oakville Best Buy today looking to get the In-Stock Guarantee on a TV that was sold out at that location but was available elsewhere. And the employee I spoke to said that since they still had out-of-box stock of that TV the In-Stock Guarantee would not apply. I find that to be completely unfair. As Best Buy customers, we go there to buy new merchandise, not used ones that have been returned. Does anyone else think that's BS?

Complete BS, yes. Was this a regular rep or the AV dept manager?
Just go to customer service or to another BB. As above, you might need argue sometimes to get this either way. It helps to have the info with you if you go to CS. Personally I like to take the HDTVISG tag right off one of the TV's and show it to them.
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he didn't sound like the AV manager just a regular rep as he didn't know the details of the Guarantee. I sent an email off thru Bestbuy.ca about this. Let's hear what they say.
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kamranhsiddiqi wrote: he didn't sound like the AV manager just a regular rep as he didn't know the details of the Guarantee. I sent an email off thru Bestbuy.ca about this. Let's hear what they say.

You'll be lucky if you get anything back from them that isn't complete nonsense, in 2 or 3 days. They've achieved multi level incompetence in their organization..
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They said they forwarded my concern to the appropriate department. I'll let you know when I get a response.
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hey I forgot to write my update... A manager from the Oakville BestBuy called me and said that if they don't have stock in-store but available in their warehouse then the Guarantee would not apply. That is so ******** as the In-Stock Guarantee page says nothing about a warehouse - only the bestbuy store. Anyways, I'm gonna call head office again and see what happens.
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I got a call back from the operations manager at Markville Mall BestBuy, Andy, and he told me what I wanted to hear: The In-Stock guarantee will apply as long as the item is not in stock at the store but available elsewhere. He informed me that they can't deny the guarantee based on there being stock in the warehouse nor can they deny it based on there being open box items available. So the past employees who told me otherwise were wrong. The whole point of the guarantee is that it's supposed to assure you that there is a new tv in-stock at the store.
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kamranhsiddiqi wrote: I got a call back from the operations manager at Markville Mall BestBuy, Andy, and he told me what I wanted to hear: The In-Stock guarantee will apply as long as the item is not in stock at the store but available elsewhere. He informed me that they can't deny the guarantee based on there being stock in the warehouse nor can they deny it based on there being open box items available. So the past employees who told me otherwise were wrong. The whole point of the guarantee is that it's supposed to assure you that there is a new tv in-stock at the store.

Thanks for the update.
They will also sometimes tell you that they can't do the HDTVISG if there is no stock in the local warehouse, which is also BS, as you clarified. So if this happens, insist on a Raincheck at the HDTVISG price, or one at the current sale price with the understanding that the ISG will be honored when it comes back in. They will often also often tell you that the TV that is OOS is discontinued, when it isn't, to avoid this. I just say to them that if it isn't coming back in stock, then me having a RC won't hurt, will it?
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idiotcanuck wrote: Thanks for the update.
They will also sometimes tell you that they can't do the HDTVISG if there is no stock in the local warehouse, which is also BS, as you clarified. So if this happens, insist on a Raincheck at the HDTVISG price, or one at the current sale price with the understanding that the ISG will be honored when it comes back in. They will often also often tell you that the TV that is OOS is discontinued, when it isn't, to avoid this. I just say to them that if it isn't coming back in stock, then me having a RC won't hurt, will it?

Sometimes they won't give rainchecks though.. http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/can-i- ... c1034.aspx If they tell you that, then what else can you do? It's crazy how many excuses BestBuy employees will throw at you to avoid giving you a discount.
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kamranhsiddiqi wrote: Sometimes they won't give rainchecks though.. http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/can-i- ... c1034.aspx If they tell you that, then what else can you do? It's crazy how many excuses BestBuy employees will throw at you to avoid giving you a discount.

Yep a million and one excuses.
If an item is actually discontinued it is marked so both online and in store. Typically they have a .97 or .95 price. As I remember. Personally if one of the drones tries to tell me an item is discontinued and it isnt, I would just go to CS with the product number and ask them if it is or not. Then go back to the rep and say bad things about their mother to them. ;)
IMO if an item doesn't say limited quantity, final sale or no rain checks they should provide one, and if they won't there's going to be some hitting the fan.
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Why fight and argue with stores that don't follow their own policies? Just spend your money elsewhere. Try Costco. They seem to treat their customers like they value them.
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paulster2626 wrote: It is posted online. http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/flat-p ... c8198.aspx

Going to try to get the 60" LG Plasma this afternoon - and the website tells me it's not in stock at my local BB. Not expecting anything but a headache...

Hope you had good luck with BB. It is probably too late for this to be of any use to you, but these are the things that I would establish before even bringing up the HDTVISG.

That the policy is posted in the store in question. Usually on the flip up price tags on large screens and TV packages. Or that you have a print out and address of the online posting.

That the required TV is actually out of stock. Online quantities shown are sometimes wrong.

That the OOS TV is still in stock at the local warehouse.
Online availability for shipment does not reflect quantities available to
stores for shipment/ISPU. They keep seperate inventories.

That usually minimizes the lies/misunderstandings that can happen in trying to get this at BB.

Lastly if the rep or AV manager is wrongly or intentionally denying this, just go over their head to CS or higher.
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How'd it go? I'm probably going to try this next Tuesday. STC and Whitby shows no stock of the TV that I want.
paulster2626 wrote: It is posted online. http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/flat-p ... c8198.aspx

Going to try to get the 60" LG Plasma this afternoon - and the website tells me it's not in stock at my local BB. Not expecting anything but a headache...

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