Apple iPad 2 Customer Faces Best Buy Bully Tactics
One would have thought that Best Buy’s recent run in with Apple would have taught them a lesson when it comes to selling the Apple iPad 2, but apparently Best Buy has a mind of its own and uses whatever bully boy tactics to make a sale.
According to an article over on Itproportal, a Best Buy customer wrote to Crunch Gear detailing how Best Buy used bullyboy tactics for the customer to be able to purchase the iOS tablet.
Apparently the guy went into a Best Buy store and inquired whether they had an Apple iPad 2 available to which they replied no. On walking round the store the customer saw at least 40 in a lockup area. Naturally the customer asked about them and was informed that they were all sold.
However, a couple of minutes later apparently a manager approached the customer and said he could have one of the Apple tablet as long as he purchase a 109 buck Best Buy protection plan, to which the guy replied that it didn’t seem right.
Thus the Best Buy manager said he could always try locating the Apple iPad 2 elsewhere as they can do what they want. The customer purchased it and after visited another store and was told by a different manager that it is not Best Buy policy to force a customer to purchase the Best Buy protection plan just to purchase an iPad.
So basically Best Buy was saying buy the protection plan and you get an iPad 2, if not then no iPad. Thus it would appear that Best Buy isn’t above using bullyboy tactics to secure a sale. So have any of our readers been faced with this predicament and been force to purchase a Best Buy protection plan in order to get the Apple iPad 2?
Comments
17 thoughts on “Apple iPad 2 Customer Faces Best Buy Bully Tactics”
Simply bad business practices.
References? This is 100% unsubstantiated. This is not reporting, but rumor-mongering.
How exactly do you reference a first hand experience?
The Protection Plans Best Buy offers are also 100% refundable. HMM.
Comon, Stevie, Waddaya want.. the video? I trust the unsubstantiated story of this customer more than general sales practices of a mega-retailer.
100% agree. He said blababla. What proof do we have. I have found Best Buy to be very low key in the whole pressure sales game. I can't believe any web site or blog would even post this. Oh, I saw Elvis buying a Ipad 2 at Walmart, true story. All he said was " Thank ya very much"
Please be more responsible and don't post this rehashed garbage.
Iv worked at best buy and yea they are supposed to sell protection plans on any high price item. This guy just sounds like he needs more people interaction and is to scared to demand the product, after all it is a business and they can refuse service to anyone.
Our local Best Buy in NY told me they received 15 iPad2 for sale on the March 11 release date. Those were sold to customers waiting in-line for the 5:00pm release (I was on a flight an did not even touch down until 4:45pm). The salesman told me they have received none since, have no re-stocking schedule or even commitment from Apple. He also said Apple stopped making and shipping iPad2 due to component shortages from vendors affected by the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. He said there were no iPad2 available for retail sales in the USA.
He wasn't lying, was he?
Agreed this is 100% rumor. I have bought thousands of dollars of merchandise from Best Buy in 3 different states at probably 10 different Best Buys and never had a problem with them ever.
Sounds like BBY's Standard Operating Procedure. Not the first or the last time this will happen.
@Stephen: This is a phone blog; not exactly a news organization. All these sites simply cut and paste stories from like sites in an effort to generate traffic. You will be hard pressed to find professional reporting, or even original thoughts on these things, They are for entertainment purposes.
I have been a retail manager and have to say that many managers will do things like this when it comes to new electronics. They are pressured by the parent company to press for people to buy insurance and other things like that. They are never forced to do it but they are pressured. Some managers take this route…but it is on an individual basis.
I went into a Best Buy and bought an Ipad 2 and they gave me a bag of gummi bears so I can't complain.
I like to shout or be mad now…
Its been more than a month when I gave my $200 in best buy for pre-order of 2 pcs. ipad 2 ( ipad 2 black 16bg and ipad 2 white 32gb) in 2 different best buy location.
It was March 11, when i paid that amount in 2 best buy storeS & until now they never called me if they receive any ipad 2 ( about my order ).
To add to the insult, in my city thereS 15 or more walmart & they are selling ipad 2 in first come per serve basis per store (most often time they have 1-3 stock) EVERYDAY – ALL OF THEIR STORES… thats why you just need to be early in going to walmart or call them between 9:30-10:00am everyday and they will have it.
I just found out from my friend who is the store manager in walmart – I didnt bother to ask him about that before as I know best buy has always more stock of ipad 2 than any stores in the USA.
This is the first time in my life that I pre order for APPLE product from Best Buy and its horrible & unexpected.
Not only me is pissed of, because many times i visit best buy to ask about my pre-order, you will see 2-5 people asking about their orders & you will hear them yakking & saying some words you cant swallow. It is more than one month now since we pre-order but until now we didn't receive anything & when we called this morning, all stores in the city – 8 stores – doesn't have one and nothing in transit (delivery). CALL ANY BEST BUY STORES IN YOUR STATE, THEY DON'T HAVE ONE…
I think APPLE should stop to sell their products in Best Buy – just give it to TARGET & WALMART as they will sell it right away when they have one in stock and they have more people coming everyday in their store (more buyers).
If ever i can punch anybody from best buy that doing this mess, i will haunt him/her down.
This is too much & its not acceptable anymore.
Please tell APPLE to stop making business with best buy & theres more known brick & mortar store that have nationwide stores too.
Im so mad & angry now to them – BEST BUY…
STOP FOOLING US – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…
It's real. Happened to me over the phone when calling a store in Miami about inventory. I was told they would sell one to me if I purchased the protection plan otherwise I had to be one of the customers who were on the reservation list.
You guys should really edit your comment section to make sure people are staying on topic. The only thing you guys ask for was for readers to state weather or not this has happen to them. I don't recall you asking anyone for there opinion on how the story was wrote. No this has not happen to me, but I don't like shopping at best buy because they hire a lot of inexperience kids to sell things they absolutely nothing about. That is anther story.
I sold for a competitor of Best Buy for four years and I can promise this happens. The markup on an iPad (or any Apple Product) is very low. The markup on protection plans is 100%. So if they can get you to buy a $109 protection plan they increased their profit on the sale by at least $50. The sales people at Best Buy are not commissioned but their performance is certainly based on their success in selling servicer plans. The store manager is probably compensated in part on profitability of the store so he is very motivated to have his staff sell plans.