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Best Buy now offering $200 (annual) membership that can have “exclusive” access to purchase next-gen consoles
- Thread starter fracas
- Start date
Things would be bad without scalpers, just in a different way. Everyone would be in the rat race to get a PS5, not just everyone besides those willing to buy from scalpers + scalpers. It would be the same shit except now with less people getting a PS5 if they're willing to pay more for it.
Sadly I think a lot of people will pony up the cash if they want either or both of the next-gen consoles for the holidays. Still cheaper than buying scalped on ebay and more reputable.
I think this is scummy as hell and a money grab for Best Bug but I think it'll work, unfortunately.
yeah. Like the idea of some Best Buy sub isn't actually appalling to me. But I have no desire whatsoever to use Geeksquad services so those perks are a complete waste. The benefits of exclusive purchase events aren't even clear. Like if it was a guarantee of a spot in a queue that might be somewhat more tempting. But that chance at the PS5 doesn't really seem like it was even up that long. Like I'm sure it was longer than the normal window, but for $200 I'd like the peace of mind of not having to worry about this at all.
I was just at a BestBuy and saw they had a bunch of stuff discounted, but when I looked closer they all required this stupid new subscription thing I'd never heard of.
If I was a scalper I would pay the 200$ to get all the high demand products. I'm sure this will also be for graphics cards.
Demand certainly doesn't get worse when you remove the group buying up consoles, with no interest in using them.
Makes no sense at all, so we'll agree to disagree.
If it does well, I worry about the precedent it's going to set and how far this 'exclusive access' will go.
Damn, that's pretty shitty. Even if it's some limited-time thingy.
I'm still hoping I can just "go to a store and pick up a PS5" all easy-like sooner or later.
Saw this review on the TotalTech store page on BestBuy. If that's accurate, then it's pretty shitty.
I'm still hoping I can just "go to a store and pick up a PS5" all easy-like sooner or later.
Saw this review on the TotalTech store page on BestBuy. If that's accurate, then it's pretty shitty.
Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc should be happy about this. I've tried to go to BB more recently to keep a decent brick and mortar place going, but not sure I will with stuff like this.
This brings back a memory of a college professor who was talking about BB. She went there to buy laptop, got to checkout and the person was trying to sell her on a BB credit card or something (I don't recall exactly what, but an add on expense). She kept saying no and finally got to the point where she was like, "I want to buy this laptop without buying anything else. Will you allow me to do that?" They said no and she walked vowing to never shop at BB again.
This brings back a memory of a college professor who was talking about BB. She went there to buy laptop, got to checkout and the person was trying to sell her on a BB credit card or something (I don't recall exactly what, but an add on expense). She kept saying no and finally got to the point where she was like, "I want to buy this laptop without buying anything else. Will you allow me to do that?" They said no and she walked vowing to never shop at BB again.
Well GCU was only for games, and at the time that benefit was only 30$ for like 2 years.
It use to be $200 and at some point they lowered it to $30. Once everyone else got rid of discounts BB followed suit. There are some small discounts on games with Totaltech. It isn't all games but it's a start.
Good thing I dropped Best Buy like a hot sack of shit when they fucked up delivering a washer and dryer to me a couple years ago
That seems extreme enough to the point of not being believable or heavily exaggerated. Like I know they have quotas to meet and are pressured to meet them, but I've never had anything close to this as an experience at any retailer.
Damnit, this was going to be my first question. Best Buy used to have a great gaming subscription, and if subscribing to that for 2 years is required to even buy the consoles, it would still suck but at least the fee went to something worthwhile.
Best Buy is usually pretty smart about most of what they do, but this is not the way to go with this.
This was the first time though. More people are going to buy this, as much as it is, in hopes of getting a console, so I wouldn't be surprised if future exclusive windows go much quicker.
As someone who worked at Best Buy, I'm leaning toward heavily exaggerated. Even the most persistent person back then would've stopped explaining the benefits after the second or third no.
And most definitely they would've allowed a purchase without a tack on. I know they used to bundle anti-virus software with laptops hard back then, but even if it was one of the items they already installed the software on (they tried to have like 30-40% of laptops bundled with some anti-virus that Geek Squad installed),. getting out of paying for it, especially if the bundled ones were the only ones in stock, was pretty easy.
Ponder what, that a retailer is trying to take advantage of extremely high demand? No one else is doing this.
idk, it was ~20 years ago - should have included that in my post. I recall her being pretty specific about it, but yes she could have been exaggerating.
Glad I got my PS5, finally, from the last drop. Wild how hard these things are to get these days. Feel bad for all the kids who won't get one for Christmas this year.
With you on this, literally spent over $10 grand this last calendar year due to moving and console launches (part of which buying a $750 geek squad warranty for a 77" LG CX) yet no preferential treatment anymore on sales. Ridiculous stuff.
+1
I've been Elite Plus for about five years now (maybe longer - how long have they had it?). Always spend a few grand at BBY every year between video games, consoles, and PC accessories. Was worth it for the $5 rewards and early BF access.
Lame AF. Will start shopping elsewhere but not really sure where to give my money.
It sounds like it was up for reasonable amount of time the other day. It makes sense too because less people are going to have a membership, those that do that are around when the sale happens is going to reduce the numbers as well, and then it's going to be a subsection of those that actually want it.
I don't understand the scalping rhetoric. Apple Care alone is 200 bux versus Ebay where it's 1K (??) for just the PS5 alone.
What am I missing here? It's no different than Gamestop bundles though I find the included Apple Care to be very useful especially with new MacBooks coming next week.
What am I missing here? It's no different than Gamestop bundles though I find the included Apple Care to be very useful especially with new MacBooks coming next week.
I typically buy a lot of stuff at bestbuy so I ended up picking a membership today. Now I have to figure out if I am willing to spend the time to return/rebuy a macbook, elgato camera and a few other items to get coverage under this program.
Amazon ran to the console makers to Make Bestbuy stop. Apparently the customers they must have been stealing from amazon must have been significant.
Snagged a PS5(disc version), seems like it stayed alive for a hour. I wish I would have waited for the Switch oled at best buy, picked one up at gamestop so I dont have a free* warranty like I would have at Best Buy with TT.
But is a $200 membership really gonna hurt for the scalpers who snap up and flip dozens of consoles?
I was in my local BBY store a few weeks ago and I did make an interesting discovery. A bunch of video games had special prices for Total Tech members on the signage. That was a benefit I didn't know about.
Though I have all but stopped day one'ing most games so it's kind of a moot perk for me.