Best Buy, like many other stores, has a public "price matching" policy. But HD Guru reports that according to internal docs, personnel are trained to deny price-matches and even paid bonuses for shutting them down.
This all comes out of a lawsuit that was just granted class action status. Internal documents, plus depositions from past and current Best Buy employees reveal just how evil Best Buy is. A price match is when, say, Circuit City advertised a Sharp HDTV for cheaper than Best Buy, Best Buy's public policy is to match that price.
But Best Buy actually trains employees in New York how to deny legitimate price match requests, and the average Best Buy store denies 100 price matches a week. You even get paid bonuses based on how many price matches you deny!
Here's how it works, according to Phil Britton, a member of Best Buy's Competitive Strategies Group:
What is the first thing we do when a customer comes in to our humble box brandishing a competitor's ad asking for a price match? We attempt to build a case against the price match. (Trust me, I've done it too). Let's walk through the "Refused Price Match Greatest Hits:
"Not same model? Not in stock at the competitor? Do we have free widget with purchase? Is it from a warehouse club (they have membership fees, you know)? Limited Quantities? That competitor is across town? We've got financing! Is it an internet price? It's below cost!….."
If you live in NY state, and you've been screwed by Best Buy's anti-price matching, HD Guru has further info on the attorney to contact so you can take a piece out of Best Buy. What a bunch of scum.
(Original Post: www.Gizmodo.com)
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Metal Gear Solid Touch Out Now!
With its intuitive multi–touch interface, Metal Gear Solid Touch is a game that can be easily picked-up and enjoyed. Based on the propounded story-line of Metal Gear Solid 4, MGS Touch, features the unique foes of MGS4, including the beautiful, but deadly members of the dreaded B&B corps. Whether you are an MGS4 fan or a new-comer to the MG series, MGS Touch is a rhythmic touch shooting game that everyone can enjoy.
Known for they high innovative game quality, Kojima Productions drops you into the middle of a war-zone filled with beautiful graphics and impactful sound effects.
Experience the satisfaction of defeating your enemies, and feel the tension of ducking for cover behind walls to avoid attacks.
Kojima Productions' trademark creative touches also shine through the number of unique functions, like shaking your console to brush off dust and debris off of your screen.
Packed with a variety of elements to enhance replayability, MGS Touch will keep you coming back for more!
Known for they high innovative game quality, Kojima Productions drops you into the middle of a war-zone filled with beautiful graphics and impactful sound effects.
Experience the satisfaction of defeating your enemies, and feel the tension of ducking for cover behind walls to avoid attacks.
Kojima Productions' trademark creative touches also shine through the number of unique functions, like shaking your console to brush off dust and debris off of your screen.
Packed with a variety of elements to enhance replayability, MGS Touch will keep you coming back for more!
Monday, March 23, 2009
iPhone 3.0 listings show four all-new iPhone, iPod touch models
Tucked within Apple's iPhone 3.0 beta firmware are hardware strings that mention not one but two unreleased iPhone models as well as similar changes in store for the iPod touch.
An exploration of device strings by the same source that correctly leaked MMS and tethering ahead of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event now finds that there are at least four and as many as six new devices in the pipeline that would share OS X iPhone as their foundation.
Again speaking to Boy Genius, the insider notes that the previously discovered iPhone 2,1 has been joined by iPhone 3,1 as well as iPod 2,2 and iPod 3,1. As Apple always uses the first number in these device identifiers to refer to major revisions, the naming schemes allude to a second major reworking of the iPhone in testing at Apple as well as a minor revision of the current iPod touch and a third-generation overhaul.
The original iPhone shows in these listings as iPhone 1,1, while the iPhone 3G appears as iPhone 1,2 -- a minor upgrade to an existing design. The first- and second-generation iPod touch show as 1,1 and 2,1 respectively.
What an additional iPhone revision would involve isn't clear. Despite persistent claims of a smaller and lower-cost iPhone, Apple has publicly embraced a one-size-fits-all approach and has shot down rumors when brought up by one analyst in its latest fiscal results conference call.
Potentially more intriguing are two new devices that don't fit into either the iPhone or iPod categories. One, referred to as iProd 0,1, is a complete mystery and suggests an early prototype rather than a finished device. An iFPGA device doesn't include any model revision numbers but appears to reference a field-programmable gate array, or a chip whose functions can be reprogrammed either by the user or the manufacturer after it's created.
It's unclear whether these are actual placeholders for future products, references to individual components for other devices, or else serve an entirely different purpose. However, the sudden ballooning of device string entries hints that iPhone 3.0 may be used as the foundation for a much larger platform expansion rather than a simple upgrade for Apple's existing handhelds.
(Original Post: www.Appleinsider.com)
An exploration of device strings by the same source that correctly leaked MMS and tethering ahead of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event now finds that there are at least four and as many as six new devices in the pipeline that would share OS X iPhone as their foundation.
Again speaking to Boy Genius, the insider notes that the previously discovered iPhone 2,1 has been joined by iPhone 3,1 as well as iPod 2,2 and iPod 3,1. As Apple always uses the first number in these device identifiers to refer to major revisions, the naming schemes allude to a second major reworking of the iPhone in testing at Apple as well as a minor revision of the current iPod touch and a third-generation overhaul.
The original iPhone shows in these listings as iPhone 1,1, while the iPhone 3G appears as iPhone 1,2 -- a minor upgrade to an existing design. The first- and second-generation iPod touch show as 1,1 and 2,1 respectively.
What an additional iPhone revision would involve isn't clear. Despite persistent claims of a smaller and lower-cost iPhone, Apple has publicly embraced a one-size-fits-all approach and has shot down rumors when brought up by one analyst in its latest fiscal results conference call.
Potentially more intriguing are two new devices that don't fit into either the iPhone or iPod categories. One, referred to as iProd 0,1, is a complete mystery and suggests an early prototype rather than a finished device. An iFPGA device doesn't include any model revision numbers but appears to reference a field-programmable gate array, or a chip whose functions can be reprogrammed either by the user or the manufacturer after it's created.
It's unclear whether these are actual placeholders for future products, references to individual components for other devices, or else serve an entirely different purpose. However, the sudden ballooning of device string entries hints that iPhone 3.0 may be used as the foundation for a much larger platform expansion rather than a simple upgrade for Apple's existing handhelds.
(Original Post: www.Appleinsider.com)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
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