Future Shop Price Garuntee Question (Non-gaming)

KILLER TREKKY

KILLER TREKKY

CAGiversary!
Hi, I have a question about Future Shop's price garuntee policy. I went into my local Future Shop with a printed page advertising a much lower price than Future Shops, from www.ncix.com (it's a Canadian site). I told the associate that I wanted to pm it, and he was fine with it, and said he had to go confirm it with the manager. He then came back, and told me that the manager wouldn't give him the authorization password, because they don't price match websites. The associate was very nice, and told me that, he would've pm'ed it, just the manager wouldn't let him. I've on numerous occasions pm'ed from NCIX and other websites without issue there. Is this just something the manager made up so he didn't have to honor a price 50% lower than Future Shops. I've emailed head office about what happened, hoping for a response.

Could anyone tell me if this is a new poicy, or something else, and fill me in on anything I'm missing?
 
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Usually I don't have a problem bringing printouts to Futureshop for price matches, since Best Buy accepts them, but I guess from their site, they could deny the price match since it wasn't a flyer [though you could argue to the manager that it doesn't specifically mention you have to show them a flyer]:

"# Present us with a copy of the competitor’s current ad.
# Our associates will verify that the item is in stock and available for
immediate sale and delivery at the advertised price.
# We will beat the competitor’s price by 10% of the difference."

http://www.futureshop.ca/informationcentre/EN/retailpolicies.asp?logon=&test_cookie=1#01

If you have a Best Buy, you may want to try there, since their guarantee mentions they price match online prices as well:

"Either prior to purchase or within 30 days of purchase (14 days for computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, camcorders, digital cameras, radar detectors, portable DVD players, and air conditioners) should you find a lower advertised price, including those on the internet from an authorized Canadian Dealer, we will match that price and beat it by giving you an additional 10% of the difference."

http://www.bestbuy.ca/helpsection/EN/online_policies.asp?onlinepoliciesID=1&logon=&langid=EN
 
FS doesn't price match ncix... one of the reasons we quote is that they have a different return policy...

there are actually a lot of fine prints on FS's (or any big-boxes) price match policy... here are the keys you need to know:


for brick-and-mortar stores:

1.) make sure the competitor's return policy is the same as FS (or at least the key points of it... BBY, Staples, and London Drugs are examples that we price match)
2.) make sure you have a copy of the price of the item in question, whether it's web printout or flyer...
3.) make sure the effective date is correct...

these next points you might luck out on:

4.) make sure the competitor has the item in question in stock (they'll call the competitor sometimes)...
5.) make sure it's not a clearance item... the more experienced CSRs will not price match a clearance item because it's actually a policy to not price match those...

the reps will definitely check the first three points, but most of the time would not check the next two... they'll check sometimes, though...

for online stores:

1.) all the same as above; plus
2.) make sure the price with same-day delivery beats the current selling price at FS...

if you just follow these points, you'll have no problems... they're not new policies, they're just so obscure that most people never had to encounter them...
 
The they have a different return policy IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE AND IS PURE BS.

If that was the case FS would not be PM with any store.

If any FS employee says that to you in-store, I suggest you call the 1-800 number
 
waterboy99, #1 is not a valid excuse. Read your PM policy. Your manager is bullshitting you in an attempt to not price match. I've had that shit pulled on me before and I didn't accept it. I pulled up their website and showed the associate the policy.

Same applies to your last point. Next day SHIPPING is what is counted, not next day DELIVERY.

In either case, Future Shop does sometimes deny NCIX as "not a competitor" for some stupid reason but I don't see how that flies. Most items at NCIX are "limited quantities" so they can reject it for that. The reason he gave you is BS though. They DO price match online stores.
 
Thank you so much everyone!
NCIX really needs to move into Southern Ontario. I think I may either try the PM on the website, or just order from NCIX (I probably have some sort of free shipping with all the NCIX flyer points I have).
Thanks again!
 
[quote name='KILLER TREKKY']Thank you so much everyone!
NCIX really needs to move into Southern Ontario. I think I may either try the PM on the website, or just order from NCIX (I probably have some sort of free shipping with all the NCIX flyer points I have).
Thanks again![/QUOTE]
Might be worthwhile to get it from NCIX as you'll be paying only 1 tax!
 
I went in today to try again, with the information I got here, and hoping for a different manager. Luckily, a different manager was in, and they had no problem whatsoever pm-ing NCIX. I don't know what the other managers problem was, but I'm happy now. Thanks everyone for the information, and insight. This is why CAG is my favourite forum, the community is so great!
 
I've found that at least here in Woodbridge, Future Shop will try and use any excuse they can to weasel out of a price match. I've actually had to make them pull up their own PM policy before.

Best Buy on the other hand, has always price matched everything I've ever tried, without any hassle whatsoever.
 
Went to a NCIX in vancouver couple months ago to buy a xbox360 controller but when i got there there were out of stock. Crossed the street to the Futureshop and was denied pricematch not because it was out of stock, they said NCIX wasn't a direct competitor.
 
[quote name='djsaiyan']I've found that at least here in Woodbridge, Future Shop will try and use any excuse they can to weasel out of a price match. I've actually had to make them pull up their own PM policy before.

Best Buy on the other hand, has always price matched everything I've ever tried, without any hassle whatsoever.[/QUOTE]
I hate that specific FS, they seem to hassle you and dick around with everything, or just never have stock/a clue about anything. Sometimes I'll even go to the ones in Brampton before going there. BBs in general give me the least problems.
 
i've actually had more problems getting a price match at BB than FS

a game (Wheelman) was discounted to $39 @ Amazon...brought it into BB and the Cashier manager (whatever they're called) flat out refused to do the deal even though I've done PM'ing there numerous times before with no hassle from amazon.ca deals

anyways I had a copy of their PM policy on hand which clearly states:
"including those on the internet from an authorized Canadian Dealer"

still the guy didn't budge...now keep in mind this policy is at everyone of their cash's too so now I was starting to get annoyed

I ask to talk to a (real) manager since this guy was clueless...the guy flat out refused to double-check with anyone...at which point I kindly (or not so kindly) told him to go ____ himself...ya I was a bit annoyed

walked up to the loss prevention associate and made them get a manager...bitched the clueless worker out in front of his manager for horrendous customer skills (as he told me that on HIS watch i'll never get another PM as I was somehow trying to scam them)

long story short I walked out of there with the game for $29 instead of $39...

seriously it all depends on the manager if they're going to cause problems with the price match...the thing that put an end to the debate in their store was that I wanted them to call head office right in front of me and they refused (since their policy was staring right in their faces)

ugh...sometimes these retail stores are horrible to deal with...don't post your policy if you refuse to honour it
 
FS and BB should basically pricematch anything that is current, instock and not clearance/used/refurbished.

I dunno if acting like dick when they deny you is the solution though...
 
I live in the lower mainland where NCIX (and a bunch of other good deal discount stores) are local stores and I always have to complain for a price match- especially on computer parts.

Like waterboy said, they like to pull the "different return policy" bullshit. I now have to take a copy of their own return policy into the store anytime I pricematch after arguing for 20 minutes. This is the Coquitlam Center Futureshop and it's a pain in the ass.

I don't even care if they do the 30% or 10% difference of the deal, I just want the convenience of going into there and walking out with a decent (non-ridiculously-priced-up price). I remember when I wanted to price match a $50 Logitech G7 mouse when Futureshop was selling it for $160. $50 was NCIX's NORMAL price before any discount or deal. They refused to price match it first saying that it was a wholesale price (no retail box) and then afterwards that it was a different return policy.

(Come to think of it later when I went to get speakers price matched, I think I got the same salesmen who tried to pull the same shit. So, now I just make a habit of being a rude customer who always immediately says price match this or I'm going to call your head office because I don't want to waste 30 minutes of my time).
 
ok, since everybody is basically saying i'm bullshitting, let me just say i didn't say i like our policy... and hell, i've personally been on the same side as you guys before... the only time i would shop at FS is if i can get something for cheaper than other places...

let me just pull up what's online and analyze the policy:

  • Present us with a copy of the competitor’s current ad.
  • Our associates will verify that the item is in stock and available for
    immediate sale and delivery     at the advertised price.
  • We will beat the competitor’s price by 10% of the difference.
Click to expand...

the parts bolded in the second point is what makes this policy BS... most people would interpret this as in the FS store itself, but the CSR would check the competitor's stock and availability for immediate sale and delivery at the advertised price... i'm not a CSR, so i don't know if we're supposed to do that, but i've been told before that this is what we're supposed to do back when i was sales (and this is one of the reason i didn't want to go back to sales)... of course, this means the policy is completely screwed up when you're talking about online retailers...

here's another part of the policy that's posted online...

Advertised prices must be in Canadian dollars, and will be calculated as including all charges applicable for next day delivery to your home address.
Click to expand...

obviously, the second part of that sentence applies to online retailers...

the PM policy is ridiculous, i know, but do you seriously think a retailer that's trying to make money will allow you to so easily decimate their profit margin?... not really defending FS here, but just think about it from retailers' POV... i'm just glad FS actually has a PM policy, unlike some other stores that sell games... *cough*EB/HMV*cough*

if you have trouble next time, like other people already suggested, get a manager... it'll make your life a lot easier...
 
and delivery at the advertised price
signature_deepthakur.jpg
 
EB DOES HAVE A PM Policy

dunno what youre talking about there waterboy....

in there system there are options forthings like:

PM:BB/FS/walmart

ALSO:
We called you BS because you claimed that having a different return policy is grounds to reject a PM, which is NOT true and was not addressed by your 2nd post.
 
Yep, like gamer says, the BS thing was directed as "not the same return policy" because some of us have had it used on us and we have not been happy with it.
 
[quote name='method47']FS and BB should basically pricematch anything that is current, instock and not clearance/used/refurbished.

I dunno if acting like dick when they deny you is the solution though...[/QUOTE]

yes they "should" PM the item...but you'll always run into the 1 guy who refuses to even when their policy is staring at them in their faces...

and sadly...acting like a dick is sometimes the only way to get the desired deal...its even better when you cause a big commotion (while standing in line) so that other customers see how they refuse to honour their policies...the store will want to shut you up quickly :cool:
 
[quote name='Azumangaman']KillerTrekky, did they charge shipping as well, or did they just give you the price on the site w/the 10% difference?[/QUOTE]
They charged $15 shipping fee for each item, which is still pretty good.

[quote name='gamer602']also which item??linkus![/QUOTE]
It's a graphics card and power supply.
The BFG GTX 260 OC Maxcore
Future Shop Price
NCIX Price

and the

BFG GX-550 Power Supply
Future Shop Price
NCIX Price

Thanks again everyone! I got them installed and can now play Crysis porperly :)
 
[quote name='gamer602']EB DOES HAVE A PM Policy

dunno what youre talking about there waterboy....

in there system there are options forthings like:

PM:BB/FS/walmart

ALSO:
We called you BS because you claimed that having a different return policy is grounds to reject a PM, which is NOT true and was not addressed by your 2nd post.[/QUOTE]


personally, i think that the different return policy thing is BS too... but hey, i don't handle stuff like that, so i'm not concerned about it... but i have gotten that used on me when i was the customer...

also this means EB is also as bad because last time i asked for a PM, they outright refused it, saying they don't have such a policy...
 
I totally understand both sides of this argument. We want companies not to bs us when we use their own policies. But if you've ever worked big box retail you'll know why they hate price matching. There's no money in it. The problem is when the store managers start complaining that they're losing so much money from price matching that they no longer want to do it and try to squirm their way out of losing a few bucks and starting pulling the we can't do that for whatever reason card.

Advertised prices must be in Canadian dollars, and will be calculated as including all charges applicable for next day delivery to your home address.
The advertised item must be sold through an authorized dealer located in Canada. The terms and conditions of “Get it for less, guaranteed™” are subject to change without notice.
Click to expand...
It's pretty much the get out of jail free card for Futureshop.

I work at Staples and I know that we don't have the best prices so I expect people to come in and use the price match policy. Usually I just avoid the hassle by just doing it. When some jerk comes in wanting to price match 50 memory cards though that annoys me. My department then makes no money and I get lectured about our numbers. So I usually just pull the GM over and let him deal with it and he goes over the policy with the customer and lets him know we are allowed to limit the number he gets (it's stated in the policy) and only let him walk out with a handful. When customers get aggressive about it and start making a scene and swearing though we just tell them to leave. "I want to help you but if you're going to swear in my store then get out." Which usually leads to more swearing and then "Please leave and don't come back." And never once have I seen other customers agree with the guy that getting loud and swearing at us. It's uncivil. It's always "Wow, that guy with an a-hole." Causing a scene doesn't always work.

Unfortunately for the consumer, stores exist to make money. Not give stuff away. Some stores do need to learn that those policies are there for a reason though. To bring people in and sell them stuff. Whether or not they're making money or not. Lose some money this time and get it back later.
 
I understand from FS and BB POV because they have stores and many more workers with more expenses that they feel they shouldn't get ripped off so bad. If they have so many problems with their policy they should change it then.
 
if you've worked in a big box kind of sales environment, you'd know that people in HQs are not smart enough to do that... they usually have the theory, but none of the experience with dealing with customers on the sales floor, so they won't know what's best for both the company and the customers...
 
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