Shopping Discussion

Unethical Futureshop

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Jul 19, 2003
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Neil wrote: It's a good question. To predict future response we can look at past behavior.

In response to customer complaints, they completely banished those infernal mail in rebates.

In response to having too few deals, they are now sourcing items by the thousands for this sale. Thousands! Compare that with the competitors.

In response to people not knowing quantities, they advertise them and display the stock counters in real time on the internet for anyone who wants to see them.

In response to an unfair bundling fiasco they stopped it immediately, and are apologizing, refunding, and reviewing the whole situation.

In response to limited customer service hours, they expanded to a 24x7x365 call center.

In an effort to improve service, they have a web forum with real people that give answers within a few minutes and have power to contact stores directly to resolve issues.

SO when considering what they will do in the future, consider these behaviors. Maybe they'll do something dumb or evil, but then again, maybe they won't.
You forgot:

Employ people to act as regular forum members on sites that are about shopping.

Said members talk about Futureshop as much as possible, attempting to throw in false negatives (i.e "oh im having trouble with FS, i hate them.., but wait look what did they for me, WOW amazing company!") which pretty much sums up your posts back to 2004. Btw, I've seen that taught in training, for sales floor staff to feign dislike towards their own company then switch it around in order to gain trust with the customer.

But, when it comes to any members of the public forum which supports freedom of speech saying something negative about FS, these Futureshop members attack others viciously resorting to personal attacks.

I think it's established that everyone here understands you have affiliation with FS. Now, when you do caught (not an "if", but when) we're also submitting it to the media. It will hurt FS much more than what you're trying to do right now, which is silence everyone. I highly suggest, if you do care about keeping your position/rank, to kindly help soothe the upset members and go away quietly before you slip up.

Any media reading (and they are) will see your answers as canned and definitely aligned with FS, it's common sense.
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Nov 6, 2004
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Neil wrote: This is worthy of intelligent discussion.

Personally I think argument on point #3 would be rejected by any court. The fitness of purpose for a laptop computer is that it can be used as a laptop computer, not as a sealed cardboard box. It would also be obvious to any court that the first thing you do with a laptop computer is open the box. What they sold and what people got was no different than what was represented.

Point #4 seems to scuttle any legal argument that Future Shop turned a new computer to a used one simply by testing, preparing and delivering the goods. It says such use "does not result in the goods being deemed to be used". Doesn't get more clear than that.

For point #8 they'll show that they had several hundred if not several thousand of these. Sales receipts will show evidence they sold them all to the public.

Point #10 has some legs. But only on an individual case by case basis. Was someone really told they must buy this or that part or service otherwise the machine was unusable? If so, that individual might have a case. But across the board thousands of people bought this stuff did not experience misreprentation and are satisfied.

Point #11 doesn't seem to work. How much are these laptops worth? Even selling at $599, weren't they cheaper than anywhere else?

Point #14 I'm not sure what material fact you are saying was withheld or what material misstatement was made?

Point #16 - If they had called the setup a 'part', then there'd be something to it. From all accounts however they deemed it to be a service. Is the service worth $99? To some, no way. To others, sure. Not really a court issue.
Neil wrote: I'm not defending any FS employees, I'm commenting on the company's conduct during and following the sale. I'm saying that it's a lot better than I've seen from them in the past, and a lot more open, honest, and responsive than I think other companies are.
You know what your problem is Neil? You are defending Futureshop even after you've acknowledged their error, you seem to be reeking in unconditional (unless you are being paid) blind faith for futureshop. As this response clearly indicates, you are not commenting, you are defending.

I know it's hard for you to understand and come into terms with the reality of it all, but your unconditional blind faith for futureshop can vaguely be expressed by the words of laptop-tech, who also expresses (questionable?) unconditional blind faith for futureshop.
laptop-tech wrote: I LOVE Futureshop and if needed I'm willing to die defending my employer.
Neil wrote: Embezzle?

Anyway do the math. People are getting $100 credit for the service plus an additional $25. Total consideration, $125. Is that proportionate? You bet.
Actually, I'd much rather see a class action law suit or a huge fine from government consumer watchdogs, but of course this would not be in Futureshop's favour due to bad 'free press' and demoralization of consumer confidence. Futureshop would much rather give a generous amount of 'compensation' to keep people quiet.
laptop-tech wrote: Hi Futureshop.

I am a FS employee and a long time member here on RFD. Something that you will probably notice (if not already) is that RFD is community forum infested with people that love to complain about any and everything they can possibly find, wether or not the complain is legit.

The overall wrath against companies like FS, BB and other is just part of the commom mentality found here. Theres nothing that FS can do to please these members. If the company gave 5000.00 cash to each person whining here, they'd simply start threads the next day complaining that the 5000.00 was not enough.

Profanity, foul language, personal insults, suggestion of scams and other fraudulent practices are posted here on a regular basis and often applauded by other members.

While I'm glad to see someone responding to the terrible incident with the laptops on boxing day, I know that your efforts are meaningless as the whiners will continue with what they do best.

See you around.

I LOVE Futureshop and if needed I'm willing to die defending my employer.
Funny, somehow you seem to forget about years and years of boarderline-ethical sale practices that Futureshop has been employing over who knowns when. You seem to forget about the pushy and often unwarranted warranty sale pushes that thousands of FS sales associate force on to consumers day after day, though (sometimes) unethical means such as lying. It's quite ironic you claim our community participates in "fraudulent practices" when your employer, Futureshop is constantly scamming Canadians on a daily basis, and especially during the boxing day this year.

I also find it funny that while you'd physically 'die defending' for futureshop, you did not make a single attempt to defend futureshop in this thread, which btw, does not inflict any sort of physical harm upon your body. Please be understand that while I am not doubting your claimed loyalty to Futureshop, I find it hard to believe you'd die for them when you won't even try defending futureshop in this thread.
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'[H wrote:ackerK;6177860']This has been a very interesting thread I have been following and see what kind of development is going to happen.

And Neil, I guess same as other readers here somehow has a sense you are either working for FS (which I know you already said you are not) or maybe the parent company BBY. Espically the way you tried to defense FS, and not trying to understand the frustration other people have. And they replies you made just adding fuel to the fire.

In your reply above, I can see a few issues. First people were not only complain the site was down, but also lost their items. And you doesn't seems to address their concerns. And if without insider information how can you come with with the statement "heaviest web store traffic in Canadian history". And finally, as all RFDers know FS website did went down or slow to a halt in previous boxing day sales, and your respond was "site has been down for any appreciable period". How could 30+ minutes trying to check out be "any appreciable period"?

You see my point? They way you trying to "protect" FS is making people hard to believe you are not somehow related to FS/BBY or just a fan boy of the company.

Just my 2 cents

Flames > /dev/nul
I suppose you could conjure up suspicion on that if you like. But I have zero to do with either of those companies. I'm just a shopper like the rest of you.

I had good stuff in my cart and lost it just like everyone else. But armed with a basic understanding of how web stores work, I waited until it was fixed, then went and did some shopping. Some items I wanted sold out, so I waited and bought them on restock.

I've had some bad shopping experiences at Future Shop, and when they got to be too many, I withheld purchasing anything from them for a long time, and I told them why.

In your detective work, did you find where I posted early in the sale about getting stuck in the queue and various error messages I was getting?

I even speculated that the new queue method might lead to some frustration from people who wait a long time only to be caught in a loop of finding out their item is gone.
And if without insider information how can you come with with the statement "heaviest web store traffic in Canadian history".
Well it was public knowledge that last year's Boxing Day was the biggest, so take that simple and well known fact, add the obvious that the trend has been increasing, and with a pinch of common sense anyone can figure out that this year it would be the biggest ever. Those news reports we've seen confirm somewhere between 3 and 5 million which is big no matter how you spin it.
You see my point? They way you trying to "protect" FS is making people hard to believe you are not somehow related to FS/BBY or just a fan boy of the company.
I guess some people are just black or white and can't understand how to look at situations objectively and form reasonable opinions. They think a person must either be a spy for the company or else a willing participant in a class action lawsuit. They seem to think there's no middle ground.
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Aug 24, 2002
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masterhapposai wrote: You forgot:

Employ people to act as regular forum members on sites that are about shopping.

Said members talk about Futureshop as much as possible, attempting to throw in false negatives (i.e "oh im having trouble with FS, i hate them.., but wait look what did they for me, WOW amazing company!") which pretty much sums up your posts back to 2004. Btw, I've seen that taught in training, for sales floor staff to feign dislike towards their own company then switch it around in order to gain trust with the customer.

But, when it comes to any members of the public forum which supports freedom of speech saying something negative about FS, these Futureshop members attack others viciously resorting to personal attacks.

I think it's established that everyone here understands you have affiliation with FS. Now, when you do caught (not an "if", but when) we're also submitting it to the media. It will hurt FS much more than what you're trying to do right now, which is silence everyone. I highly suggest, if you do care about keeping your position/rank, to kindly help soothe the upset members and go away quietly before you slip up.

Any media reading (and they are) will see your answers as canned and definitely aligned with FS, it's common sense.
Oh boy. Did your tinfoil hat get crushed at the sale or what?

You think I am a Future Shop spy sent here early in the century to lay low just so I could arise years later to defend them?

You of all people should know that we have secret mind control devices and time machines to make this all easier. We also covertly purchased RFD years ago and now just run it as a front for our global marketing efforts.

We didn't think anyone would catch on. We were so confident that we used the same color scheme for RFD, Future Shop and the third and most important leg in our plan. Between RFD, Future Shop, and KFC, we were this () close to running the world! Curse you Masterhapposai for exposing our plan!
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Coolme wrote: You know what your problem is Neil?
.....
.....
your blind faith for futureshop can vaguely be expressed by the words of laptop-tech, who also expresses (questionable?) blind faith for futureshop.
Much worse than that, they have the same lingo towards Redflagdeals. This is clear that inside Futureshop on some level they do discuss this forum.

Observe the words used. In the U.S, Bestbuy calls us "devils":
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041108-4382.html

I guess in Canada, Futureshop uses the keywords "scum" & describes us as being fraudulent.
Words used by Neil (claims not to be a FS employee)when referring to some Redflagdeals members:

shoplifter's hangout

exploit and rip off stores or people.

scum

scamming
Words used by laptop-tech (FUTURESHOP EMPLOYEE) when referring to ALL Redflagdeals members:

shoplifter's hangout

scumbag community

suggestion of scams

fraudulent practices

Notice how similar. And these 2 members even posted their initial individual scathing posts in separate threads.

Either lightning hit, or FS at some rank in their business discussed the people who got wronged this boxing day using the above words.

Neil wrote: Oh boy. Did your tinfoil hat get crushed at the sale or what?
Nope, I just caught your first slip up above. Keep posting and by tomorrow we'll have you writing out the memos and internal discussions at FS. :lol:
Member
Dec 11, 2005
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Neil wrote: Oh boy. Did your tinfoil hat get crushed at the sale or what?

You think I am a Future Shop spy sent here early in the century to lay low just so I could arise years later to defend them?

You of all people should know that we have secret mind control devices and time machines to make this all easier. We also covertly purchased RFD years ago and now just run it as a front for our global marketing efforts.

We didn't think anyone would catch on. We were so confident that we used the same color scheme for RFD, Future Shop and the third and most important leg in our plan. Between RFD, Future Shop, and KFC, we were this () close to running the world! Curse you Masterhapposai for exposing our plan!
i would have believed you but future shop is too cheap to invest money like that.
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Apr 24, 2006
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This thread has practically turned into a joke...
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cwb27 wrote: This thread has practically turned into a joke...
it already was when future shop sent an employee here trying to stop the fire but ended up making a mockery out of the company.
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reptar wrote: it already was when future shop sent an employee here trying to stop the fire but ended up making a mockery out of the company.
A fire will never get put out when you have people constantly fanning it...

There are people around here that would not be happy with this situation until Future Shop was shut down and every last employee was tarred, feathered and marched to the gallows.
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cwb27 wrote: A fire will never get put out when you have people constantly fanning it...

There are people around here that would not be happy with this situation until Future Shop was shut down and every last employee was tared, feathered and marched to the gallows.
i'll be happy if they actually admit the mistake to the public and actually tried to inform everyone that they have the option of returning the disks.

i'll be more than surprised if they talk to managers to ensure these types of "tactics" will not be used again.

i won't believe at all anyone will be fired.
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Nov 6, 2004
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cwb27 wrote: A fire will never get put out when you have people constantly fanning it...

There are people around here that would not be happy with this situation until Future Shop was shut down and every last employee was tarred, feathered and marched to the gallows.
This fire needs to grow until FS promises it won't happen again. Let's stop the bandaids and get a real fix.

Futureshop execs (and MDG execs) needs to spend a couple boxing days in the slammer.
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Remember. Future Shop is here to make money. Someone came up with a bad idea and they got caught. Some people have the attitude "It's not stealing until you get caught." Future Shop got caught, has apologized and now wants us to forget about it. I for one can forget about it because I didn't really need anything important this year.

However, what I don't understand is why there are some people that will consistently defend FS for what they did!? I understand why Lap-top tech did as he is an employee. A good loyal soldier. However, Neil, who claims not to be affiliated with FS or BB whatsoever is defending FS to the bitter end. Some logical assumptions are

1) He works for FS/BB.

2) He has family that works for FS/BB.

3) Everyone else is wrong and Neil is right.

4) Everyone else is right and Neil is wrong.

You can pick whatever choice you want. But I think I speak for most of the people in the forum when I say, please Neil, it's time to stop defending FS. Simply let this forum run its natural course and die. If you keep on posting, it will go on and on.
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Nov 6, 2004
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Rageness wrote: Remember. Future Shop is here to make money. Someone came up with a bad idea and they got caught. Some people have the attitude "It's not stealing until you get caught." Future Shop got caught, has apologized and now wants us to forget about it. I for one can forget about it because I didn't really need anything important this year.

However, what I don't understand is why there are some people that will consistently defend FS for what they did!? I understand why Lap-top tech did as he is an employee. A good loyal soldier. However, Neil, who claims not to be affiliated with FS or BB whatsoever is defending FS to the bitter end. Some logical assumptions are

1) He works for FS/BB.

2) He has family that works for FS/BB.

3) Everyone else is wrong and Neil is right.

4) Everyone else is right and Neil is wrong.

You can pick whatever choice you want. But I think I speak for most of the people in the forum when I say, please Neil, it's time to stop defending FS. Simply let this forum run its natural course and die. If you keep on posting, it will go on and on.
There is a remote chance that he's getting paid by FS to defend FS here.
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Rageness wrote: Remember. Future Shop is here to make money. Someone came up with a bad idea and they got caught. Some people have the attitude "It's not stealing until you get caught." Future Shop got caught, has apologized and now wants us to forget about it. I for one can forget about it because I didn't really need anything important this year.

However, what I don't understand is why there are some people that will consistently defend FS for what they did!? I understand why Lap-top tech did as he is an employee. A good loyal soldier. However, Neil, who claims not to be affiliated with FS or BB whatsoever is defending FS to the bitter end. Some logical assumptions are

1) He works for FS/BB.

2) He has family that works for FS/BB.

3) Everyone else is wrong and Neil is right.

4) Everyone else is right and Neil is wrong.

You can pick whatever choice you want. But I think I speak for most of the people in the forum when I say, please Neil, it's time to stop defending FS. Simply let this forum run its natural course and die. If you keep on posting, it will go on and on.
Totally agree, and we should start to ignore people like that and stop supplying fuel for the annonying posting.
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well i went to futureshop today and picked up nothing. Sometimes I wonder, do they really have the items that were advertised at those particular prices. It's just a marketing scheme to get customers into the store and hopefully we will buy something else.
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Sep 15, 2005
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Ok Neil,
You haven't pissed me off until now. My GF was humiliated at Futureshop. I dont care if they have 24.7 customer service, i dont care if they have some 30 day money back thing, I dont care if they are giving people a HUUUUGE $25 gift card. To me not having that phone call of her crying on the other end because she felt taken advantage of is worth way more then a lousy $25 card. And I really do not care about how much you defend FS. I have shopped there plenty, I have never had a problem, their service has always been top notch for me ... But when my GF gets emotionally hurt and taken advantage of im sorry but FS is no longer a place I ever want to be in... and nothing will change my mind of that. They have lost my business, my families business, friends business, my companies business, and anyone else I can relay this to. Bringing a customer to tears... come on.
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Apocolipse wrote: Ok Neil,
You haven't pissed me off until now. My GF was humiliated at Futureshop. I dont care if they have 24.7 customer service, i dont care if they have some 30 day money back thing, I dont care if they are giving people a HUUUUGE $25 gift card. To me not having that phone call of her crying on the other end because she felt taken advantage of is worth way more then a lousy $25 card. And I really do not care about how much you defend FS. I have shopped there plenty, I have never had a problem, their service has always been top notch for me ... But when my GF gets emotionally hurt and taken advantage of im sorry but FS is no longer a place I ever want to be in... and nothing will change my mind of that. They have lost my business, my families business, friends business, my companies business, and anyone else I can relay this to. Bringing a customer to tears... come on.
I agree wholeheartedly. It's worse to have someone you love getting hurt than getting hurt yourself. The damage is done.

Furthermore, may I say that the people on this forum has done a good job exposing potential corporate shills - most communities formed by people with decent intelligance is capable of doing this (check out my signature for MDG getting exposed @ Epinions). It's easy to spot the patterns as they emerge and reach a reasonable (maybe not absolute) conclucsion by now about the motives of a particular poster, in my opinion.
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Dec 28, 2007
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Apocolipse wrote: Ok Neil,
You haven't pissed me off until now. My GF was humiliated at Futureshop. I dont care if they have 24.7 customer service, i dont care if they have some 30 day money back thing, I dont care if they are giving people a HUUUUGE $25 gift card. To me not having that phone call of her crying on the other end because she felt taken advantage of is worth way more then a lousy $25 card. And I really do not care about how much you defend FS. I have shopped there plenty, I have never had a problem, their service has always been top notch for me ... But when my GF gets emotionally hurt and taken advantage of im sorry but FS is no longer a place I ever want to be in... and nothing will change my mind of that. They have lost my business, my families business, friends business, my companies business, and anyone else I can relay this to. Bringing a customer to tears... come on.
Don't worry bro everyone is sick of "Neil" the dude is obviously annoying and the way he rides Future Shop he can deny it all he wants he must work for them. We will expose the frauds over at Future Shop and people like "Neil" cannot do **** about it.
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Dec 28, 2007
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Neil wrote: Oh boy. Did your tinfoil hat get crushed at the sale or what?

You think I am a Future Shop spy sent here early in the century to lay low just so I could arise years later to defend them?

You of all people should know that we have secret mind control devices and time machines to make this all easier. We also covertly purchased RFD years ago and now just run it as a front for our global marketing efforts.

We didn't think anyone would catch on. We were so confident that we used the same color scheme for RFD, Future Shop and the third and most important leg in our plan. Between RFD, Future Shop, and KFC, we were this () close to running the world! Curse you Masterhapposai for exposing our plan!
I don't know what MODS you know here but the way you take jabs at people is unbelieveable, others have been banned/given warnings yet you go undetected.

Why don't you come out from underneath that PC of yours and I'd love to see the so called tough guy who talks all this **** about members and is allowed to do so throughout this thread.
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Apocolipse wrote: Ok Neil,
You haven't pissed me off until now. My GF was humiliated at Futureshop. I dont care if they have 24.7 customer service, i dont care if they have some 30 day money back thing, I dont care if they are giving people a HUUUUGE $25 gift card. To me not having that phone call of her crying on the other end because she felt taken advantage of is worth way more then a lousy $25 card. And I really do not care about how much you defend FS. I have shopped there plenty, I have never had a problem, their service has always been top notch for me ... But when my GF gets emotionally hurt and taken advantage of im sorry but FS is no longer a place I ever want to be in... and nothing will change my mind of that. They have lost my business, my families business, friends business, my companies business, and anyone else I can relay this to. Bringing a customer to tears... come on.
I'm bringing my TV back for you ! lol

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