RE: WalMart search..

["Jason Gerry" <jason@mindspring.com>]

I have tried very hard not to shop at Best Buy, and it's not their search
policy that gets me mad. It's their return policy on all electronics,
including computers (but if you're crazy enough to buy a computer there,
that's your business).

When you buy, say, a DVD player at Best Buy, they'll of course try to sell
you the extended warranty, which is a HUGE waste of money. The companies
that sell these love them, because they generate like 92% profit. Only 8% of
the money that all people pay to these warranties goes to the warranty --
all the rest stays in the company's pocket.

OK, so trying to sell you the warranty doesn't suck. This does: If you don't
buy the extended warranty, and you want to return the product for standard
manufacturer warranty service after 30 days... Forget it. Best Buy won't
handle it. So, if you buy a Sony DVD player, don't buy the extended
warranty, and need to return it for warranty service after 31 days, you have
to deal directly with Sony. What happened to taking care of your customers?
At Best Buy, it seems you're only a 'real' customer if you let them put you
over a barrel and stick it in your butt.

So how do they get away with this? They hold the manufacturers hostage.
Example:

Best Buy: "Hi, Sony. We don't want to handle warranty service and exchanges
           for your customers any more unless they buy our extended
           warranties. Those customers are just plain annoying!"

    Sony: "Well, you have to! You're an authorized retail outlet
           for our products, and you have to provide that service."

Best Buy: "Fine. Then we'll just quit carrying your products and
           you'll lose out on tens of millions of dollars in sales."

    Sony: "Oh, sorry to have upset you. Please grease your pole
           up so it doesn't hurt too much when you shove it in
           my ass."

And thus it goes. Baron is right: If people take the crap, they'll keep
dishing out the crap. But consumers are so freakin' cheap! They'd rather
save $10 on a TV than keep a good local shop in business.

Shop local, or there won't be any local shops. Except for computer equipment
'cuz those guys rip you off.

Jason Gerry - MCI WorldCom                   |
IDS Reporting Systems                        | "Suburbia: where they tear
voice: (770)284-4131 / v949-4131             |  out the trees & then name
pager: (888)268-0469 / 2680469@2pagemci.com  |  streets after them."