Best Buy's internal website

[MalaCloudy Black]

Found this interesting:

Last month, we wrote about some Best Buy customers alleging that retailer has a secret internal website that looks just like BestBuy.com... but may have different prices. Apparently, it was being used by store employees to convince customers that certain sales seen on the website were no longer relevant. In the comments, we had more than a few Best Buy employees confirm that such an internal site exists, though there were different explanations for why (some more justifiable than others). The company originally denied the existence of such a site, but has now admitted to Connecticut's attorney general that it's true -- though, the purpose of such a website has not been explained (the company insists it was not to deceive anyone). The company also says it's cooperating with the investigation. No matter what the actual purpose for the site, the fact that it was used to deceive customers seems pretty problematic.

SOURCE: http://techdirt.com/articles/20070302/171131.shtml

I'm not really surprised..

[Fanku Kaibutsu]

I know someone who used to work at best buy. Employees, and their families, get a big discount. They can buy things if not at, then near, cost. That would explain a website with different costs.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Fanku Kaibutsu

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Except that the costs on that website were *higher*.

[Hellfire]

All big companies like that are fucked up. Best Buy actually doesn't let their employees families get a discount, apparently the only person that can get a discount is the employee themselves. However, it doesn't stop people from getting money from friends and family, getting the discount and giving it to them.

[EndOfAnEra]

Just going through the comments on that page, this one really got me:

Hating to sound like an angry customer but I bought a $99.98 dvd/vcr on december 3rd, it showed up on my account as such until Jan 1st, then it changed to $259.98 and they refused to admit that happened. Even my rewards card showed I was charged $99.98 for it....I was/still am pretty pissed.

[ADG]

A lot of companies have an internal site, which isn't an internet site, but an intranet site. In my work we have an intranet which follows the same layout as our website and allows us to access the same product information but shows store prices, not web prices. We don't use it to rip people off though, just to print out spec sheets when asked.

['That Guy']

I work at BB. We get stuff for cost+ 10%,on some stuff it's an awesome, awesome deal. On others it's wither no different or like 99 cents off.

[Lowerdeck]

Wow, apparently Rich Blumenthal is actually doing something for once. Maybe something good can happen from this.